C250 Snakeskin Scabbard

Whoosh!

The black and skinny girl burst forth from the miasma clouds of Gloomhollow, landing silently before Chen Qingyan.

Chen Qingyan's face paled as she instinctively tightened her grip on the Snakeskin Scabbard, her eyes darting warily at the girl.

Remarkably, since Yu Yuan had freed her from the wall with the short spear, she had healed over half her wounds in such a brief span of time.

A fresh, new shell had magically formed over her chest, and the crystalline segments of her spine shone with a divine light.

Clearly, she had largely recovered from the injuries sustained during Wu Xiting's ambush.

She had been gravely wounded, yet her rapid recovery was astonishing. What kind of Mutant was she?

Amidst her shock, Chen Qingyan, having witnessed the girl's ferocity within the valley, knew she had to proceed with utmost caution.

The girl gave Chen Qingyan a quiet glance.

Chen Qingyan, initially tense and anxious, felt an odd sense of calm wash over her after that look. She even gaped in astonishment, "What? You want me to accompany you to that cave?"

The girl's eyes seemed to communicate her intentions clearly, and as a cultivator, Chen Qingyan could instantly grasp her meaning.

Chen Qingyan then turned to observe Yu Yuan and Wu Xiting as they entered the cave, swept by the chilling Nightstorm.

She nodded in response.

With a bitter smile and a hint of fear in her voice, Chen Qingyan asked, "Will it kill me?"

The girl remained silent, her steady gaze fixed on Chen Qingyan.

Under her unwavering stare, Chen Qingyan quickly capitulated, conceding, "Alright, let's go! You can wield the Nightstorm, and with your injuries nearly mended, you pose a threat. If you're asking me to enter, 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 blood shadow, suddenly materializing deep within the cave. How Ann Jieshan had entered was unseen by her.

She was also unaware of the bustling activity now taking place in the depths of the cave.

As Chen Qingyan moved, the little girl stepped forward, quickening her pace to lead the way, as if to reassure her that no harm would come to her.

Chen Qingyan whispered to herself, "I hope everything is alright."

The string of eerie occurrences in Gloomhollow had filled her with regret for visiting the Serpent Spine Mountains and for witnessing the grand examination of herbalists by the Sacred Hands.

The Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, Colddeath, and all the scheming and conflict had left her weary.

Deep within the valley, Yu Yuan's expression subtly shifted. He was poised to contemplate deeply when he suddenly noticed that Chen Qingyan and Ann Jieshan had come into the valley.

Ann Jieshan's remnant soul intended to take Wu Xiting away, offering the Mark of the Celestials from the Ebon Star, Loong Tianxiao, and even Chen Qingyan as leverage.

Having left the Moonfall Sanctuary without access to the Soulforge Matrix, Yu Yuan found it exceedingly difficult to constrain Ann Jieshan.

Despite their camaraderie in the Moonfall Sanctuary and Yu Yuan's decision to release the Soulforge Matrix to free Ann Jieshan, it wasn't enough to persuade Ann Jieshan to relinquish Wu Xiting.

This signified Wu Xiting's utmost importance to both Ann Jieshan and the Colddeath Cult!

Months had passed since Ann Jieshan's escape from the Moonfall Sanctuary, and his power had surged at an astonishing rate, drawing Yu Yuan's attention.

Now, Ann Jieshan was resolute in his demand to take Wu Xiting, using Chen Qingyan, Loong Tianxiao, and others as bargaining chips.

Loong Tianxiao, he could disregard.

But Chen Qingyan and the slender young girl had, at this very moment, ventured deep into the cavern.

Yu Yuan was suddenly beset by a headache.

The blood shadow that Ann Jieshan had become was not the least bit hurried, patiently waiting in front of the green dragon bone for Yu Yuan's response.

Neither Loong Tianxiao nor Mei Qiurong of the Ebon Star could evade his grasp; they lay incapacitated on the ground, unable to so much as stir.

As the blood shadow communicated with Yu Yuan, it also stealthily tracked Wu Xiting's movements.

Wu Xiting, encased in ice by the dragon's breath, sensed a familiar scent of blood in the darkness. His confused Lunar Spirit, as if sparked with spiritual wisdom, began to rapidly regain consciousness.

Wu Xiting, transformed into an ice sculpture, was unable to move his eyes, yet his thoughts were already stirring subtly.

Yu Yuan was well aware that Wu Xiting's ability to think was due to the assistance of Ann Jieshan, who had invoked the sacred blood of the Colddeath. This enigmatic peer of the Colddeath's founding patriarch had become something more than human, prompting Yu Yuan to tread carefully.

He pondered over the best approach to flawlessly resolve the situation at hand.

"Frost wyrm!" Chen Qingyan exclaimed upon her arrival, catching sight of the Dragon Cave's inhabitant. The frost wyrm was coiled, its head held high. "Shouldn't this Frost Wyrm be in the depths of the Frozen Hellscape? My master has mentioned its immense power. Why is it here?"

Her words sent a jolt through Yu Yuan, who fixed his gaze on her.

Specifically, he was fixated on the Snakeskin Scabbard in her grasp!

Simultaneously, Chen Qingyan, clutching the Snakeskin Scabbard, was struck with a brilliant light in her eyes. She, too, was staring at the scabbard in utter astonishment, mirroring Yu Yuan's reaction.

The Snakeskin Scabbard became unnaturally cold, exuding a chill reminiscent of the Frozen Hellscape.

At that moment, the buried green dragon bone emitted a blinding divine light, turning the dimly lit Dragon Cave as bright as daylight.

All those within the Dragon Cave watched in amazement, their faces a mix of wonder and confusion, as they observed the frost wyrm and the Snakeskin Scabbard in Chen Qingyan's hand.

"Whoosh!"

Beams of frigid light shot out from the green bones of the Frost Wyrm, swift as lightning.

Chen Qingyan's complexion turned ashen, and she instinctively raised her hand—the one gripping the Snakeskin Scabbard.

Upon closer inspection, the scabbard's snakeskin was a dark green. Now, the snake patterns on the skin seemed to be subtly shifting, as if they were alive with remnant souls.

In an instant, all the cold light was absorbed by the Snakeskin Scabbard.

Chen Qingyan, still holding the scabbard, felt its previously warm surface turn icy cold, releasing a chilling flow that made her very soul shiver.

As she stood there in shock, she could faintly sense an alien soul stirring to life within the Snakeskin Scabbard.

"Sword spirit?"

Chen Qingyan's mind raced with the thought as she stood bewildered. She then shook her head vehemently, "No! That can't be right! This is merely a Snakeskin Scabbard, devoid of any sword! How could a mere scabbard harbor a sword spirit?"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

A barrage of icy lightning continued to burst forth from the verdant bones of the Frost Wyrm. Regardless of Chen Qingyan's contemplations and conjectures, each bolt sought out the Snakeskin Scabbard.

The intricate serpent patterns on the scabbard's surface began to exude an otherworldly aura.

Yu Yuan, after the initial shock had subsided, took a deep breath and regained his composure, "That woman, she actually..."

His thoughts were a whirlwind, and he found himself at a loss for words.

Yu Yuan wasn't surprised when Chen Qingyan entered and identified the Frost Wyrm.

But when she mentioned that the Frost Wyrm belonged deep within the Frozen Hellscape and not here, that was unexpected.

As the Snakeskin Scabbard and the Frost Wyrm unexpectedly responded to each other, and he witnessed strands of ice power transform into lightning, leaping from the dragon's bones and fusing with the scabbard, realization dawned on him.

That woman had kept the secret of the Frost Wyrm and the Snakeskin Scabbard from Chen Qingyan.

Yet, Chen Qingyan, clutching the Snakeskin Scabbard, had been directed to explore and train in the Serpent Spine Mountains. Why the Serpent Spine Mountains? Why was she found in Gloomhollow?

Could it be that she, too, harbored hopes that her hand-chosen disciple, armed with the Snakeskin Scabbard, might uncover something amidst the mountains?

With this thought, Yu Yuan's unease grew.

"Hu!"

Suddenly, a gust of cold, like dragon's breath, surged from Wu Xiting and into the Snakeskin Scabbard in Chen Qingyan's grasp.

As the chill departed, Wu Xiting, once encased in ice, was abruptly released from his frozen state.

He was gasping for air, his shoulders shaking and his head swinging as he flung chunks of ice from his body. His lips quivered as he exclaimed, "The frost wyrm's icy breath is truly fearsome!"

While speaking, he glanced at Ann Jieshan and then at Mei Qiurong, who lay on the ground. With a smile, he declared, "Mission accomplished!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Qingyan and Yu Yuan realized that Ann Jieshan and Wu Xiting had long since reached an understanding. Their ploy in Gloomhollow was just one objective; their true aim was likely to target the Ebon Star.

Mei Qiurong wasn't a prominent figure in the Ebon Star, but the Mark of the Celestials she possessed was extraordinarily significant.

The loss of a Mark of the Celestials could compromise the Ebon Star's mighty seventh-level formation. Should a full-scale war erupt between the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea, the Ebon Star, lacking its seventh-level protection, could easily fall prey to the Shadow's Keep and the Devil Palace.

"The Mark of the Celestials!"

Observing the sigil in Mei Qiurong's hand, Yu Yuan harbored no covetous thoughts. He even shot a stern look at the blood shadow that Ann Jieshan had become, asserting, "This sigil is more important than anything. I dare not keep it!"

"Elder, this boy is an enigma. Shouldn't we eliminate him swiftly?" Wu Xiting proposed.

Yu Yuan glanced at Chen Qingyan and the Snakeskin Scabbard, chuckled, and stepped back into the embrace of the dragon bones encircled by the frost wyrm.

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