C250 Snakeskin Scabbard
Whoosh!
Emerging from the miasmic clouds of Chilly Wind Valley, the petite, dark girl landed silently before Chen Qingyan.
Chen Qingyan's face contorted with surprise, her grip instinctively tightening around the snakeskin scabbard, eyes wide with wariness as she watched the girl.
Remarkably, since Yu Yuan had removed the short spear and she returned to the skies, her wounds had healed substantially in such a brief span. A new shell had miraculously formed over her chest, and her spine's crystalline segments shone with a divine glow.
Clearly, she had largely recovered from the injuries inflicted by Wu Xiting's ambush.
She had been gravely hurt, yet now, in so little time, she was nearly mended. What extraordinary being was she?
Amidst her astonishment, Chen Qingyan, having witnessed the girl's ferocity within the valley, dared not let down her guard.
The girl gave Chen Qingyan a quiet look.
Chen Qingyan, initially tense, found herself inexplicably soothed by that gaze, her mouth dropping open in astonishment. "What? You want me to join you in that cave?"
The girl's eyes seemed to communicate her every intention, and a cultivator like Chen Qingyan could perceive it in an instant.
Chen Qingyan's gaze snapped to the cave where Yu Yuan and Wu Xiting had previously entered, a place buffeted by the chilling winds.
She nodded.
With a wry smile and a hint of trepidation, Chen Qingyan asked, "Could this be deadly?"
The girl remained silent, continuing to gaze steadily.
Under her unwavering stare, Chen Qingyan quickly capitulated. "Fine, I'll go! You wield control over the Chilly Wind, and with your injuries nearly healed, you pose a threat. If you're beckoning me inside, then I have no choice but to follow..."
Talking to herself, Chen Qingyan steeled her nerves and made her way toward the cave.
Ann Jieshan transformed into a streak of crimson and suddenly materialized deep within the cave, his entrance unnoticed by her.
She was unaware of the bustling activity now within the cave's depths.
As Chen Qingyan moved, the slender girl stepped forward, leading the way with a swiftness that surpassed Chen's own, as if to reassure her she meant no harm.
Chen Qingyan whispered under her breath, "Let's hope all will be well."
The eerie events that unfolded in Chilly Wind Valley had filled her with regret for visiting the Jade Peak Mountain Range and for her eagerness to witness the Medicine Sect's alchemist examination spectacle.
The machinations and conflicts involving the Profound Sky Sect, Primordial Yang Sect, and Blood God Cult had left her feeling weary.
Deep within the valley, Ann Jieshan transmitted a thread of soul thought, causing Yu Yuan's expression to shift subtly. He was poised for deep contemplation when he abruptly noticed Chen Qingyan and her companion entering the valley.
Ann Jieshan's soul thought was clear: he intended to take Wu Xiting with him. In exchange, he was willing to offer the Heaven Palace Seal of the Profound Sky Sect, Loong Tianxiao, and even Chen Qingyan.
Having left the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area without access to the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation, Yu Yuan found it nearly impossible to contain Ann Jieshan.
Despite their camaraderie in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area and Yu Yuan's decision to release Ann Jieshan using the formation, it wasn't enough to persuade him to relinquish Wu Xiting.
This only confirmed the immense importance of Wu Xiting to both Ann Jieshan and the Blood God Cult.
Months had passed since Ann Jieshan's escape from the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, and his power had surged at an astonishing rate, drawing even Yu Yuan's attention.
Ann Jieshan was now blatantly intent on taking Wu Xiting, using Chen Qingyan, Loong Tianxiao, and others as leverage.
Loong Tianxiao was of little concern to him.
But, at this very moment, Chen Qingyan and the slender girl had voluntarily ventured deeper into the cave, prompting a wave of headache for Yu Yuan.
Ann Jieshan, now a blood shadow, waited patiently in front of the verdant dragon bone for Yu Yuan's response.
Neither Loong Tianxiao nor Mei Qiurong of the Profound Sky Sect could evade his grasp; they lay incapacitated on the ground, unable to even stir.
As the blood shadow communicated with Yu Yuan, it continued to discreetly track Wu Xiting's movements.
Wu Xiting, encased in ice by the chilling dragon's breath, detected a familiar scent of blood. The once groggy Yin God, as if its spiritual intelligence had been stirred, was rapidly regaining consciousness.
Wu Xiting, transformed into an ice sculpture, was unable to move his eyes, yet his thoughts were stirring quietly.
Yu Yuan was well aware that Wu Xiting's ability to move his soul was thanks to the intervention of Ann Jieshan, spurred by the purest bloodline of the Blood God Cult's Blood of Fear.
Faced with this peer of the Blood God Cult's founding patriarch, Yu Yuan couldn't fathom Ann Jieshan's true strength. Now a being beyond human, Ann Jieshan's presence made Yu Yuan increasingly cautious about making any hasty moves.
He pondered over the best approach to flawlessly resolve the situation at hand.
"Nether Flood Dragon!"
Upon arriving, Chen Qingyan caught sight of the dragon coiled within the cave and let out an involuntary shriek. "Shouldn't this Nether Flood Dragon be in the depths of the Nether Abyss? I've heard from my master that it's incredibly powerful. What's it doing here?"
Her words sent a jolt through Yu Yuan, who fixed his gaze intently on her.
More precisely, on the snakeskin scabbard she was holding.
Simultaneously, Chen Qingyan, clutching the scabbard, had her eyes shine with an intense brilliance. She shared Yu Yuan's astonishment, her gaze locked on the scabbard.
The scabbard had become icy cold, emanating a chilling aura reminiscent of the Nether Abyss.
The entombed cold dragon, its green bones, burst forth with blinding divine light at that moment, turning the dimly lit dragon cave as bright as daylight.
Everyone inside the cave stared in amazement at the cold dragon and the snakeskin scabbard in Chen Qingyan's grasp.
"Whoosh!"
Beams of frigid light shot out from the green bones of the dragon, swift as lightning.
Chen Qingyan's complexion drained of color as she instinctively lifted her hand, the one clutching the snakeskin scabbard.
Upon closer inspection, the scabbard's snakeskin was a matching shade of green.
At that moment, the snake patterns seemed to come alive, subtly shifting across the skin.
Then, all at once, the piercing cold light was absorbed by the scabbard.
Holding the scabbard, Chen Qingyan felt an intense cold that turned the once warm item into something that sent shivers through her soul.
In her bewilderment, she faintly perceived the presence of an unusual soul within the scabbard, quietly stirring to wakefulness.
"Sword soul?"
Chen Qingyan was lost in thought when the idea struck her. She vehemently shook her head as if to dismiss it, "No, that can't be right! It's just a snakeskin scabbard, devoid of any sword. How could a mere sheath, a container for a sword, possibly harbor a sword soul?"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
More bolts of frigid lightning burst forth from the verdant bones of the dragon, heedless of Chen Qingyan's musings and speculations, each one seeking the snakeskin scabbard.
The delicate serpent patterns on the scabbard's surface began to reveal their mystical nature.
Yu Yuan, having overcome his initial astonishment, inhaled deeply and regained his composure, "That woman, she actually..."
His thoughts were a whirlwind, leaving him speechless.
Yu Yuan wasn't surprised when Chen Qingyan entered and immediately recognized the Nether Flood Dragon.
But when Chen Qingyan insisted that the Flood Dragon belonged deep within the Nether Abyss, and not here, Yu Yuan was taken aback.
As the snakeskin scabbard and the Nether Flood Dragon unexpectedly resonated, and he witnessed streams of icy power transform into lightning, leaping from the dragon's bones into the scabbard, realization dawned on him.
That woman had kept the secrets of the Nether Flood Dragon and the scabbard from Chen Qingyan.
Yet, Chen Qingyan, scabbard in hand, had been directed to train in the Jade Peak. Why Jade Peak specifically? Why did it manifest in Chilly Wind Valley?
Could it be that she, too, harbored hopes that her direct disciple, armed with the scabbard, might uncover something amidst the peaks of Jade?
With this thought, Yu Yuan's unease grew.
"Hu!"
Abruptly, another icy current transformed into a dragon's breath and soared away from Wu Xiting.
This chill also flowed into the scabbard held by Chen Qingyan.
Freed from his icy encasement, Wu Xiting gasped for air, his shoulders quivering, his head shaking as he flung ice shards to the ground. With a quivering smile, he uttered, "The Nether Flood Dragon, its frigid dragon breath, is indeed formidable!"
Looking towards Ann Jieshan and then at the fallen Mei Qiurong, he grinned and proclaimed, "Mission accomplished!"
As the words left her lips, Chen Qingyan and Yu Yuan immediately understood that Ann Jieshan and Wu Xiting had long since reached a silent understanding. Their ploy in Chilly Wind Valley was merely one facet of their scheme. The true objective, they surmised, was likely a strike against the Profound Sky Sect.
Mei Qiurong might not have been a major figure within the Profound Sky Sect, yet the Heaven Palace Seal she bore was of significant importance.
The loss of even one Heaven Palace Seal could compromise the integrity of the Profound Sky Sect's Seventh Level Grand Array. In the event of an all-out conflict between the Heavenly Source Continent and the Quietus Continent, the Profound Sky Sect, lacking the protection of this formidable array, would stand a high chance of falling prey to the Demon Palace and the Devil Palace as their initial conquest.
"The Heaven Palace Seal!" Yu Yuan, eyeing the talisman resting in Mei Qiurong's palm, felt no desire to possess it. He even shot a warning glance at the blood shadow formed by Ann Jieshan. "This seal is of utmost importance; I wouldn't dare take it for myself!"
"Elder, this youngster is an enigma. Shouldn't we eliminate him swiftly?" Wu Xiting proposed.
Yu Yuan glanced at Chen Qingyan and his snakeskin scabbard, chuckled darkly, and stepped back into the embrace of the dragon bones encircled by the Nether Flood Dragon.
