C251 Dragon Bone Condensing Sword!
Wu Xiting snapped awake and immediately set his sights on Yu Yuan, intent on eliminating him swiftly.
He harbored a deep-seated fear of Yu Yuan, feeling an instinctual terror in his presence.
Gloomhollow was teeming with formidable figures like Mei Qiurong, Loong Tianxiao, Guan Xianyun of the Binders of Shadows, and that emaciated girl with her venomous touch...
Yet, none of these individuals sparked the slightest trepidation in him.
It was only in Yu Yuan's presence that he felt a pervasive unease, a discomfort that seemed to stem from everywhere and nowhere.
After some reflection, Wu Xiting pinpointed the source of his discomfort — Yu Yuan was an enigma to him!
He had a general understanding of others like Chen Qingyan, Mei Qiurong, and Loong Tianxiao, regardless of their lofty cultivation levels or esteemed backgrounds. This gave him the confidence to know how to engage with them.
But Yu Yuan, an unknown entity from Asvetaesi, shrouded in thick mystery, eluded Wu Xiting's grasp, his "true nature" remaining concealed no matter how hard he looked.
Moreover, the more Wu Xiting interacted with Yu Yuan, the more intense this feeling of mystery became.
Yu Yuan had mastered the Evil Body Refining Technique, was versed in the Nine Glories Wheel, could wield the Nightstorm, and extract the short spear. In the depths of the cavern, he could even harness the dragon bone of the frost wyrm to unleash a frigid dragon's breath, freezing him in an instant.
What was the story behind this enigmatic youth?
It seemed that he and the revered ancestor had been acquainted for some time.
The ancestor, having recently freed himself from the Moonfall Sanctuary and now concealed within the Serpent Spine Mountains, was a venerated elder of our sect. Despite his fragmented soul and his transformation into a non-human entity, he remained a formidable figure in this world.
How did Yu Yuan come to know the ancestor?
Plagued with questions, Wu Xiting had just resolved to dispatch Yu Yuan when he suddenly realized that Ann Jieshan's blood shadow appeared oblivious to his words.
Wu Xiting studied the faceless blood shadow with a bewildered expression, noting the gravity that seemed to emanate from it.
Ann Jieshan, faceless as he was, seemed to exude an air of solemnity. He didn't glance at Yu Yuan; instead, he turned away, focusing all his attention on Chen Qingyan.
Wu Xiting's expression shifted to one of severity as he processed the scene before him.
His gaze fell upon Chen Qingyan and the Snakeskin Scabbard she held. The chill that had once slowed his thoughts and movements now receded, and he felt his mind and body spring to life with renewed vigor.
"The scabbard!"
Observing the Snakeskin Scabbard's mysterious changes, Wu Xiting narrowed his eyes before closing them altogether.
He ceased to rely on his sight, opting instead to perceive through his Lunar Spirit.
Through this ethereal sense, the Snakeskin Scabbard in Chen Qingyan's grasp transformed from an inanimate object into a living frost wyrm, exhaling a frigid dragon's breath.
The creature, believed to have vanished for over three centuries and to be slumbering in the depths of Wintermaw, now seemed to coil around Chen Qingyan's arm!
An icy aura, one that could only be nurtured in the depths of the Frozen Hellscape, emanated from the scabbard, enveloping Chen Qingyan's arm.
An eerie green flame appeared to sprout silently from within her, burning brightly yet exuding a chilling, terrifying presence.
In an instant, the temperature within the Dragon Cave plummeted.
Thick smoke, as if emerging from Chen Qingyan herself, filled the air with a coldness that threatened to freeze one's very marrow, compelling anyone nearby to flee from the Dragon Cave as fast as they could.
This green flame did not originate from the Snakeskin Scabbard, nor from the frost wyrm—it stemmed from Chen Qingyan herself!
The Snakeskin Scabbard's icy surge seemed merely a catalyst, a spark that ignited the hidden green flame within Chen Qingyan.
Holding the scabbard, Chen Qingyan wore a look of astonishment, as if she were caught in an unreal dream.
Her brow furrowed slightly, betraying a mix of pain and anxiety.
The gaunt young girl standing behind her watched this transformation and instinctively retreated several steps.
The relentless cold smoke and the barely visible green flame emanating from Chen Qingyan seemed to unsettle the girl.
"So that's the secret," murmured Yu Yuan, standing amidst the coiled bones of the frost wyrm, as he gazed at Chen Qingyan, lost in thought for a moment.
"Crack!"
He stood at the center, where the frost wyrm's bones emitted a strange sound.
More and more bones began to crack!
He watched as the frost wyrm's dragon bone, right before his eyes, moved in an eerie fashion, enveloped by streams of light, and quietly contracted, transforming in an incredibly complex manner.
Eventually, the dragon bone of the frost wyrm shrank and morphed into a gleaming, crystal-clear rapier.
The chill emanating from the sword was unmistakably reminiscent of the Frozen Hellscape!
The rapier had transformed from the dragon bone of the frost wyrm!
Chen Qingyan grasped the Snakeskin Scabbard in her hand, a protective talisman seemingly crafted through special means to house the sword.
The rapier, dark green and as wide as two fingers, was roughly a meter in length.
At first glance, the rapier resembled a deep green, crystal-clear stream.
Yet the chill it radiated made everyone uneasy; merely gazing upon the rapier sent a shiver through their souls.
In a flash, Yu Yuan saw that the frost wyrm's dragon bone had vanished without a trace.
Drawn to the Snakeskin Scabbard, the dark green rapier became a stream of light, soaring towards Chen Qingyan like a flood dragon diving into the ocean, and plunged into the Snakeskin Scabbard.
As the rapier sheathed, the once-renowned frost wyrm of the Frozen Hellscape merged as one with its spirited body.
"Chi!"
Dark green flames sprang from Chen Qingyan's palm, enveloping the Snakeskin Scabbard and burrowing inside.
It appeared she was using the dark green flames to refine the rapier.
With her eyes closed and her mind adrift, Chen Qingyan's every move was seemingly driven by instinct.
As the frost wyrm faded from sight, Yu Yuan stood alone, watching Chen Qingyan with composure.
Whoosh!
A streak of light dashed by, and the slender girl suddenly appeared beside Yu Yuan.
As she passed, droplets of rain scattered down.
They fell upon the fallen form of Mei Qiurong.
Then, the long-silent guest from the Ebon Star suddenly burst into thick smoke.
Mei Qiurong's flesh and blood dissolved into a pool of blood amidst the dense smoke.
Ann Jieshan, now a blood shadow, appeared to glance at Mei Qiurong, but remained motionless as she liquefied.
Wu Xiting pondered briefly before uttering a soft command.
The Primal Flame Mirror, which should have been elsewhere, responded to his call and arrived in a flash of crimson light.
Holding the Primal Flame Mirror, Wu Xiting shone it upon Mei Qiurong's lifeless body.
Her three souls – of heaven, earth, and man – soared from the remains, drawn into the Primal Flame Mirror. There, they were either refined or imprisoned by Wu Xiting, at his discretion.
"The Mark of the Celestials!"
Wu Xiting inhaled deeply and reached out with his free hand.
The Mark of the Celestials, left unclaimed by Mei Qiurong's demise, swiftly descended towards Wu Xiting.
"Boom!"
A sphere of blood-red light burst forth in Wu Xiting's palm, enveloping the enigmatic sigil.
Meanwhile, Chen Qingyan had yet to open her eyes, still clutching the Snakeskin Scabbard that now housed a blade. A verdant flame surged within her, purifying and refining the rapier forged from the frost wyrm's skeletal remains.
Ann Jieshan did not interfere, maintaining a cautious stance, as if aware of her formidable nature.
Having acquired the Mark of the Celestials, Wu Xiting noticed Chen Qingyan's continued meditative state and was struck by a sudden vile impulse, tentatively inquiring, "Old Ancestor?"
The blood shadow that was Ann Jieshan trembled abruptly, like a flickering red flame, and his remnant soul materialized in that moment.
Wu Xiting, however, failed to grasp the significance immediately.
Chen Qingyan, absorbed in refining her sword with closed eyes, instinctively sensed Wu Xiting's ill intent. Without opening her eyes, her hand gripping the Snakeskin Scabbard pointed towards Wu Xiting.
A streak of jade-green sword light shot from the scabbard.
The cold fog that shrouded the Dragon Cave was swiftly absorbed into the jade-green sword light.
Wu Xiting's complexion blanched as he soared upwards.
The jade-green sword light flashed, piercing his midsection. The chilling force from the deepest reaches of the Frozen Hellscape instantly flared within Wu Xiting's body.
"Crack!"
The chill emanating from the emerald sword light was different from the frost wyrm's dragon's breath; it wasn't meant to freeze his flesh and spirit.
It was meant to shatter them!
"Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The flesh and blood in Wu Xiting's midsection, which had been pierced by the emerald sword light, burst open after freezing!
He let out a wail and cursed, "You little witch!" Just as he was about to employ Mind Magic, he discovered the Nightstorm eerily manifesting in his Mindscape.
Feeling the Nightstorm's gusts, his previously tranquil Mindscape was suddenly engulfed in a tumult of flames.
His unique body, made of flesh and blood, had an innate resistance to the Nightstorm, and he had no fear of it penetrating his defenses.
But now, with his body punctured by the emerald sword light, and the Nightstorm lurking within the wind, the chilling force that froze his flesh and blood also surged into his Mindscape.
With just a flick of her finger, Chen Qingyan had inflicted severe damage on him with that single emerald sword light, along with its accompanying chill and the Nightstorm.
Wu Xiting shuddered as he watched chunks of his frozen flesh burst open at his waist. Feeling the drastic upheaval in his Mindscape, he looked at Chen Qingyan with a face full of terror.
Chen Qingyan, eyes still closed, remained oblivious to the unfolding events.
Ann Jieshan, now a blood shadow, gave a soulful warning to Wu Xiting. Seeing that Wu Xiting failed to grasp the situation immediately, Ann Jieshan knew trouble was imminent.
As Chen Qingyan, guided by instinct, brandished her sword, Ann Jieshan realized that Wu Xiting, who was oblivious to his own peril, was about to face misfortune.
After observing Chen Qingyan for a moment, Ann Jieshan turned away once more.
He then directed his attention to Yu Yuan, subtly stirring his remnant soul.
Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. Before he could speak, he saw the blood shadow envelop Wu Xiting's body like a blood cloud, whisking him away and flying off into the distance.
"Huff! Huff!"
Outside the valley, the miasma clouds roiled wildly, seemingly intent on interception.
Yu Yuan paused to consider, then decided, "Let it be."
The miasma clouds immediately calmed.
The slender young girl blinked, watching the scene unfold with a puzzled expression.
"Ann Jieshan is incredibly formidable; we simply can't hold him back. If we try to force him to stay, it's unlikely that we'll gain any advantage," Yu Yuan explained. "As for Wu Xiting from Colddeath, I've made a note of him. His days are numbered."
The young girl nodded gently, no longer pressing the issue.
"..."
