C371 The Extreme Cold of the Scabbard

After receiving Yu Yuan's assurance, Zhou Cangmin finally felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

He was aware that the girl who would willingly die for Yu Yuan was completely loyal to him.

With Yu Yuan's promise to convince Yu Zhu to join Shadow's Keep, there shouldn't be any issues.

His greatest fear was that Yu Yuan might act irrationally, angering Shadow's Keep and triggering a series of unforeseen and grave repercussions.

While he had some influence over Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep, he was powerless against the overwhelming tide of events.

The uproar in the Forgotten Ruins was immense: two Spirit Walkers dead, Bai Shuang's tragic demise, involvement from Shen Feiqing and the Silvermoon Queen—it was all too significant to conceal.

Yet, Yu Zhu's emergence could change the entire game!

The condition was that Yu Zhu would agree to join Shadow's Keep and become one of them!

"Alright, I'll handle convincing Tong Laoqian and the rest," Zhou Cangmin said.

With a gesture, he swept aside the river of light that covered the pit, as if peeling back a tablecloth from the sky.

He gave Yu Yuan a reassuring smile before ascending.

The river of light, swirling with countless crimson spell symbols, solidified into a luminous red crystal line that settled into his Solar Spirit hand, coiling around his finger.

"Let's have a discussion," he said with a gentle smile.

Yan Qiling, Tong Laoqian, Qi Hongyi, and Golden Fiend each heard his voice in their soul sea and obediently followed him.

Xu Zixi, with a relaxed smile, turned to Yu Yuan and said, "You've still got time. The teleportation circle established by the Ethereal Void Sect won't be fixed and operational that quickly."

Yu Yuan stroked his chin, deep in thought for a few seconds, before asking, "The state preceptor suggested I lay low for a while outside until things settle down. Where should I go?"

"I'm sure he'll find the perfect place for you," Xu Zixi replied with a radiant smile, clearly in high spirits. "Just trust him."

With that, she cast another admiring glance at the floating island and exclaimed, "Your fortune is truly enviable."

With those words, she leaped out of the pit.

Casting a brief look at Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, she huffed and said, "You two, follow me. I have something to discuss with you both."

Zhan Tianxiang received the legacy of the Golden Elephant God, and Zhao Yafu was favored by the Moonfang Tiger. Both were integral to the Shadow's Keep.

Significantly, Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu, like Xu Zixi, practiced the dark arts in their human forms.

Initially, representing the Sunblessed Empire, Xu Zixi arrived with Wei Wujiang and Liu Ying aboard the Golden Ship. Yet, her allegiances shifted repeatedly.

Now, she boldly sought a conversation with Zhan Tianxiang and Zhao Yafu as a practitioner of the Shadow's Keep.

Only Xu Zixi knew that with Yu Yuan's assurance of Yu Zhu's allegiance to the Shadow's Keep, she was poised to earn substantial recognition.

The Shadow's Keep would later confirm her consistent collaboration with Yu Zhu and Zhou Cangmin, aiding in the acquisition of the Shura Eye, laying the groundwork for Yu Zhu's ascension to Dark Deity.

Such an achievement promised to greatly enhance her future prospects!

Though she appeared to leave the Forgotten Ruins empty-handed, the honors bestowed by the Shadow's Keep more than compensated for any loss.

In high spirits, she planned to further support the younger generation, encouraging Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang to frequent the Forgotten Ruins.

The future of the Forgotten Ruins was bound to its resurgence of spiritual energy, destined to restore its splendor within Aetherius.

For Zhao Yafu and Zhan Tianxiang, with their modest realms, leveraging this windfall could effortlessly boost their cultivation levels.

"Yu Yuan."

"Mr. Yu!"

"Young Master!"

Yuan Lianyao, Ning Ji, and Qin Yun stood by the pit, each voicing their call.

Yuan Lianyao addressed him directly, Ning Ji used the respectful "Mr. Yu," and Qin Yun, at the late stage of the Lunar Spirit realm, opted for "Young Master," signifying a self-imposed subservience.

In Asvetaesi, the late stage of the Lunar Spirit was unparalleled.

A figure of such stature had foreseen the opportunity within the Moonfall Sanctuary. After peril in the Crimson Sun Empire, he deliberately sought refuge in Asvetaesi. His discernment was as keen as his actions were resolute.

"Sister Mayor, it's wonderful to see you alive."

Yu Yuan greeted Yuan Lianyao with a radiant smile, then nodded amiably at Ning Ji and Qin Yun.

He didn't linger in the pit. Clutching the sword sheath, whose radiance had ceased to flow, he firmly stepped on the earth and burst forth.

Oddly enough, all the sword's will and light seemed to be locked away, not showing the slightest edge.

The sheath felt slightly cool and surprisingly light in his hand.

Yet, as he descended into the pit, Yuan Lianyao and Qin Yun both shielded their eyes, groaning and wincing in pain.

Simultaneously, Yu Yuan noticed the sheath in his grasp had turned bitterly cold.

With a soft murmur of surprise, he scrutinized the sheath, attempting to perceive it with his heaven soul.

A piercingly cold presence settled at the base of the sheath, making his heaven soul shiver involuntarily.

The thick, familiar sword light and will wove into a net, containing the chill at the base of the sheath, ensuring it didn't spill forth and cause harm.

"That Shura from the Dark Realm, the ice power he tried to seep into me earlier!"

Yu Yuan quickly realized that the ice power, refined by the Shura's soul crystal before it shattered and its residual thoughts were crushed, had somehow entered the sheath.

He was certain that the Shura's remaining spiritual wisdom had been utterly eradicated.

But the question remained: did the ice power, surely the work of the Shura, drift into the sheath on its own, or was it carried by the returning sword will and light, settling at the bottom?

"Yu Yuan, what on earth is concealed within that sheath?"

Yuan Lianyao, driven by curiosity and probing with a thread of her spiritual sense, found her lips turning pale with cold. "Aren't you chilled holding that? Why did it feel like my three souls of heaven, earth, and man were about to burst just from sensing it briefly?"

"Remarkable, absolutely remarkable. I doubt even a Spirit Walk cultivator from Winter's Bite could conjure such intense cold," Qin Yun remarked with a wry smile, clearly impressed. "Young Master, the fact that you can withstand the ice power within this sheath is astounding. I am in awe."

Yuan Lianyao was taken aback by his comment, "You really didn't have any trouble?"

"It appears that as long as I don't engage it with my spiritual sense or remnant soul, I'm unharmed," Yu Yuan replied with a warm smile, handing the sword sheath to Qin Yun. "Try it for yourself."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Qin Yun asked, skeptical.

"I've been holding it for quite some time and I'm fine, aren't I?" Yu Yuan said with a chuckle.

After a brief pause, Qin Yun cautiously extended his hand to touch the sheath, curious to see if it was as Yu Yuan had described—that there would be no consequence to physical contact.

The moment his fingertip grazed the sheath, he jerked it back as if struck by lightning. A gash had opened on his fingertip, instantly frozen by the ice power, preventing any blood from escaping.

Shaking his finger, Qin Yun looked aggrieved. "Young Master, could you not play tricks on me, please?"

He summoned blue flames with a mystique to counteract the ice magic, which should have been the chilling force of a Shura from the Dark Realm. "The keen sword's will pierced my fingertip in an instant, and the ice power permeated in a flash. Thankfully, I was prepared and didn't grasp the whole sheath."

"Otherwise, I might have sacrificed my arm."

Qin Yun was visibly shaken. As he spoke, he instinctively kept his distance from the sheath.

Yuan Lianyao, who had also approached and was tempted to touch it, along with Ning Ji, both recoiled at Qin Yun's reaction.

"Huh," Yu Yuan muttered, sensing the oddity.

"It looks like you're the only one who can handle the sheath," Yuan Lianyao quickly recovered, her smile blooming. "That's excellent. With this sheath, perhaps you'll be able to find that lost sword someday. I can only imagine how formidable it would be once it's sheathed."

As soon as she spoke, Yu Yuan's eyes sparkled with sudden intensity.

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