C1594 A Strange Senior Brother

Zhong Chichen seemed to be in high spirits.

As the Chronowyrm, he had worked alongside the frost wyrm in ancient times to forge seven "Wintermaw", imbued with his time-space powers.

Thus, when the restored "Wintermaw" was removed from the Dragon Slaying Stage and set within Greenshadow, he sensed their presence.

With his awakening and the resurgence of his power, every "Wintermaw" spread across the frigid domains of Frostfell became his eyes.

He could effortlessly return to the Everlands through any "Wintermaw", and traverse between them at will.

To him, each "Wintermaw" served as a "Starway", a unique bridge of his own.

His revival and imminent ascension to the highest echelon meant that even if the "Wintermaw" were shattered, rebuilding them wasn't out of the question.

For the Everlands, his journey on the Path to Godhood was of paramount importance.

This was especially true with the looming threat of the Origin Gate!

"Chronowyrm..."

"Sect Master!"

As Feng Zhong and Indigo Wraith looked on in astonishment, members of the Order of Healing, akin to Xia Nan, were taken aback by the voice that was both familiar and strange.

The voice remained, but the person it belonged to seemed transformed.

The Zhong Chichen they remembered was composed and restrained, often serious to the point of being perceived as dull and rigid...

Now, the voice emanating from the "Wintermaw" was unmistakably Zhong Chichen's, yet it carried an air of exuberance and a carefree tone, even playfully jesting with Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang.

This contrasted starkly with their previous impressions of him.

"Xia Nan?"

Zhong Chichen sounded equally taken aback.

"Yes, it's me."

Xia Nan's lips tasted of bitterness, unsure of how to respond.

"And me, Lyu Shuang."

"Qian Fei, paying respects to the Sect Master. Are you well?"

"Sect Master, I'm Qu An. I'm also here."

One by one, the herbalists from the Order of Healing, predominantly of the Lunar Spirit realm, approached the "Wintermaw" on the ground with mixed emotions, nodding in respect.

Regardless of what was being said on the outside, Zhong Chichen remained the nominal head of the Order of Healing, and everyone heard it loud and clear.

That was unmistakably Zhong Chichen's voice...

The instant they heard it, all previous doubts vanished like smoke.

The Sect Master was still the Sect Master, indeed. Could he actually be the Chronowyrm? How else could his tone so completely overturn their understanding?

After a moment of mocking, Zhong Chichen fell silent upon realizing that Xia Nan and numerous herbalists from the sect were all responding to him.

He was well aware that Xia Nan and the rest lacked the strength to leave the Everlands.

Yet the voice emanating from the Wintermaw was clearly not within the Everlands...

"Yu Yuan, where have you taken them? Don't you realize that none of them are warriors, nor do they possess the skills to navigate the astral domain?" Zhong Chichen asked sternly.

Yu Yuan was momentarily taken aback, his confusion evident.

The Zhong Chichen he remembered seemed to have returned in that moment, his grave voice conjuring the image of his no-nonsense senior brother reprimanding him.

But you've already awakened, haven't you?

As the Chronowyrm, why would you be concerned about the herbalists from the Order of Healing?

Something didn't add up...

Yu Yuan wasn't the only one puzzled; Feng Zhong, who had sided with the Skyreach Consortium, and others cast strange glances his way.

They all looked to him with questioning eyes, silently probing for an explanation.

"Mr. Zhong, it was the former sect master who invited us to the Darkpinion. We're in a place called Greenshadow. The plant essence here is abundant, making it ideal for cultivating medicinal herbs..." Lyu Shuang, the herbalist, explained with his head bowed and a tone of deep respect through the Wintermaw.

His demeanor radiated genuine admiration, suggesting a profound respect for Zhong Chichen.

"Hong Qi! Until I step down, I remain the sect master of the Order of Healing!"

Zhong Chichen's voice, tinged with frustration, echoed through the Wintermaw.

Just a moment ago, he had been addressing Yu Yuan, but now he had switched to calling out to Hong Qi. He didn't even bother with the friendly address of 'junior brother' anymore. "You're just causing trouble! The Way of Heaven for alchemy is flawed in the outside world; they can't even properly refine pills. What good does it do for them to leave?"

"The path of alchemy in the Greenshadow World has been made whole, thanks to Taishi," Yu Yuan noted, feeling increasingly perplexed. "Besides, they're only cultivating spiritual herbs in the Greenshadow World. I want to see if the vast array of herbs from the Everlands can thrive there."

"I disagree!" Zhong Chichen bellowed.

Xia Nan, along with the herbalists from the Order of Healing and Yin Xueqi, who had momentarily defected from the Artifact Sect, looked at the Wintermaw on the ground, unsure of what to do next.

What was happening here?

Whose lead should the Order of Healing follow?

After awakening the memories of the Chronowyrm, why did Zhong Chichen still cling to the title of sect master of the Order of Healing?

"Whether you agree or not, this is the situation," Yu Yuan said calmly, unaffected by the outburst. "Moreover, her journey to the Dark Realm to grasp the frigid Way of Heaven is to secure a new divine position for the Everlands as swiftly as possible. The cosmic order of the Dark Realm consists solely of darkness and bitter cold; it lacks anything you require."

"And I doubt you have any way to influence her in the Dark Realm. Oh, and another thing, she's from the Sword Sect."

"The Sword Sect has someone named Lin Daoke. You're probably aware of how Lee Sha from the Moonlit Wanderers met her end?"

The crowd surrounding the Wintermaw fell silent, listening to the spat between the sect brothers.

"Hong Qi! Keep your nose out of Order of Healing affairs!" Zhong Chichen roared in fury.

With a whoosh, the snow bear that had been standing there for quite some time covered the Wintermaw with its paw. The crackling of an ice tempest could be heard forming in its furry palm, silencing Zhong Chichen's rants.

Clearly, the Dire Bear seemed to find Zhong Chichen's noise bothersome, as it disturbed its Snow Kid.

The Snow Kid, sculpted as if from jade, appeared to have dozed off on his chest.

"Wuwu."

The Dire Bear vocalized several times to Yu Yuan, indicating its intention to select a new region within Frostfell to establish a base at Wintermaw.

It also mentioned its plans to care for the Snow Kid and ensure its growth.

The bear would seek out Yu Yuan only after attending to these matters.

Clutching Wintermaw in its grasp, the Dire Bear abruptly transformed into a beam of ice light and soared into the heavens. Piercing through the barrier of Greenshadow, it made its way directly into the Star River.

Yu Yuan was left feeling a touch of melancholy as the bear vanished, but he quickly regained his composure.

He pondered why his senior brother, despite being fully awake, remained deeply invested in the affairs of the Order of Healing, and why he persisted in his desire to control herbalists like Xia Nan.

Furthermore, he speculated about what his senior brother and Loong Jie planned to do in the Dark Realm after handling Sabonis.

"Indigo Wraith, is the empress safe in the Shadowkin's holy land?"

Feng Zhong inquired, addressing a concern of the Skyreach Consortium.

"The empress is unharmed; she has successfully assimilated the Kylin's flesh and blood. Yet, it seems she is not currently in the Shadowkin's holy site. After Taishi's grievous return to Ionodios, she had Brie convey her regards. Brie assured us of her well-being but did not disclose her whereabouts."

Indigo Wraith replied, casting a meaningful glance at Yu Yuan, hinting at more to say.

Given the presence of many unrelated to Boulderdawn, he deemed it inappropriate to continue.

"We'll talk later," Yu Yuan acknowledged with a nod.

Assured of Taishi's condition, he felt no urgency to depart. He engaged in a thorough discussion on pharmacology with Xia Nan, Wen Lu, and others, choosing to linger in Greenshadow for some time.

During this period, his thoughts turned to Ji Ningshuang. If she were to leave the Dark Realm in pursuit of the ultimate Way of Frost, descending into the depths of the Primal Blood Continent would be ideal.

Regrettably, with the Solar Meridian and the Blood Fiend Clan on watch, and Ann Ziqing's uncertain situation, such a journey was not feasible for the moment.

Additionally, if the snow bear could shatter the bloodline barrier of the alien beast and ascend to the tenth level, it would possess combat strength and a tier comparable to that of a Dark Deity from the Everlands. Yu Yuan had a hunch that if he managed to break through the Dire Bear's realm, something miraculous might unfold.

After several more days, he planned to meet with some elders from the Wingkind. Only under the urging of Indigo Wraith did he finally depart from the Deathwing Lair, which functioned like a Starway, and set off for the Ionodios within the Annihilation Nebula.

But when the teleportation from the Deathwing Lair concluded, he found himself in a completely unknown location, not the Ionodios as expected. Surrounded by dim stars, he and Indigo Wraith stood amidst the rubble of a devastated landscape. Before them lay the ruins of massive palaces and the weathered bones of various species.

He noticed that he and Indigo Wraith had emerged from a rock wall. Signs of fierce battles and a pervasive aura of death filled every corner of this realm, with skeletons representing a vast array of intelligent lifeforms he recognized. The Everlands' inhabitants and archdemons had left an abundance of remains here, many at the Unbound stage, and even some at the level of primordial spirits.

This place was akin to the Brugeth, another vast extraterrestrial battlefield that had claimed the lives of countless mighty beings and archdemons.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yu Yuan asked, his brow furrowed.

Indigo Wraith, a being of Demon God caliber, had been brought from the Moonfall Sanctuary by Taishi. Initially, Yu Yuan had found Indigo Wraith to be quite troublesome upon his arrival at the forbidden area. But now, facing the Demon God, it was Indigo Wraith who should feel apprehensive.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Indigo Wraith hastily clarified, seeing Yu Yuan's stern look. "I brought you here with the permission of Lord Taishi. Moreover, the Empress is also informed. Without her knowledge, the lair wouldn't have cooperated with me. We simply didn't want the Skyreach Consortium and others from Greenshadow to be aware, so we misled them by claiming we were returning from Ionodios."

"What's our purpose here?" Yu Yuan's expression softened slightly.

Given Indigo Wraith's words and the fact that both Taishi and Chen Qinghuang were in the know, he felt reassured that there shouldn't be any issues.

"The individual with whom you have an agreement wishes to meet you here," Indigo Wraith murmured.

Yu Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

It was none other than the Great Demon God, Bertain!

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