C507 Frozen Flames!
That night, a clear and cold moon first graced the skies above Demon's Scar. It then made its presence known over Moonshadow Isles and Icestorm Island in succession. Wherever the moonlight touched, tragedy struck—the cultivators of the Starmoon Sect on Moonshadow Isles and the cultivators on Icestorm Island were utterly annihilated. A cultivator in the Spirit Walk stage, four in the Lunar Spirit stage, and thirty-seven others in the Subtlety, Veil Breaking, and Golden Sanctum stages perished without a chance for escape.
On the island, the Moon Lake, used by the Starmoon Sect to collect moonlight, was completely plundered. Those who practiced the Moon Sect's mystique had their Bracelets of Holding and storage bags stolen. Even a peculiar crescent-shaped rock vanished without a trace.
On Icestorm Island, the late-stage Lunar Spirit cultivators and sixteen of their disciples met the same fate—none survived. In a single night, Demon's Scar, Moonshadow Isles, and Icestorm Island were ravaged, leaving rivers of blood in their wake.
As dawn broke the following day, the sects and powers of the Sundering Isles received the dire news. A wave of shock spread rapidly.
"Pei Zhen of the Ruby Hand is dead!" they exclaimed.
"Pei Zhen has fallen! The giant drum she forged was shattered. The three dormant volcanoes appear to have collapsed and broken apart!"
"Everyone on Moonshadow Isles and Icestorm Island was slain overnight!"
"Who could be so brazen? Who would dare to provoke the Ruby Hand, the Starmoon Sect, and Winter's Bite?"
"The assailant was merciless to the extreme. It's said that those of lower cultivation were burned to ash, their three souls extinguished—there's no greater horror!"
"What kind of fiend would wreak such havoc in the Sundering Isles?"
The islands and sects of the Sundering Isles were abuzz with these discussions, and fear gripped the hearts of many.
By noon, Zhu Peining of the Skyreach Consortium, aboard a Golden Carriage that soared like a swift swallow, hastened toward Demon's Scar from the direction of Celestial Isle.
With a whoosh, the Golden Carriage came to a halt in the void, and three figures descended—Zhu Peining, accompanied by a man and a woman.
Both individuals were high-ranking cultivators at the Solar Spirit level and key figures within the Skyreach Consortium, perennially stationed at Celestial Isle.
Zhu Peining, in their presence, held a slightly lower status.
Once the trio had landed, they waited in silence without haste.
Half an hour later, several more people arrived, ranging from the lowest Spirit Walk level to the pinnacle of the Solar Spirit realm, descending onto Demon's Scar.
A man from the Skyreach Consortium, with uneven shoulders and a miniature Golden Carriage hanging at his waist, nodded to Zhu Peining in acknowledgment.
Zhu Peining, with a grave expression, addressed the gathered cultivators from various sects, "Pei Zhen is dead."
Silence ensued.
The cultivators, whose remnant souls spanned the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit realms, extended their senses. Above Demon's Scar, across the island's depths, and into the ocean, their remnant souls swarmed like countless invisible fish.
They scrutinized the charred corpses on the island, discerning the victims' previous cultivation levels and how their souls had been extinguished.
The remnants of three collapsed volcanoes, the shattered magma channels, and any abnormalities at the earth's core were all within their perception.
They had formed their own conclusions. Before Zhu Peining could speak, they had thoroughly investigated every inch of Demon's Scar, taking the information to heart and repeatedly running through their calculations.
Zhu Peining, aware that the others were preoccupied and would not interrupt, continued, "The Consortium has received word that a Winter's Bite Sect disciple named Lin Zhuyun was possessed by a Sky Fiend in the depths of the Embers Sea." She paused, "Lin Zhuyun was enshrouded in a green flame."
Here, she took a brief pause, "On Demon's Scar, Moonshadow Isles, and Icestorm Island, the majority of the deceased were incinerated by that same green flame."
"Not only the corporeal body but also the three souls of heaven, earth, and man were completely consumed by the fire."
Zhu Peining inhaled deeply.
"Based on our intelligence, the Sky Fiend that possessed her originated from the Frozen Hellscape! And if we're not mistaken, that green flame is likely the Frozen Flames from the very depths of the Frozen Hellscape."
"She, or rather, the Sky Fiend, is the main culprit!"
Zhu Peining declared with a grave expression and then fell silent.
"Frozen Flames!"
The phrase seemed to send a shiver through everyone present.
That night, the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit experts from various sects were vigilant, patrolling the region.
The name "Lin Zhuyun" echoed across the Sundering Isles.
Yet the night remained calm, with the powerful swimmers of the Embers Sea unable to detect Lin Zhuyun's presence or aura.
The following days unfolded in the same manner.
After the slaughter on Demon's Scar, Moonshadow Isles, and Icestorm Island, Lin Zhuyun, believed to be possessed by a Star-Spawned Terror, seemed to vanish without a trace.
Numerous cultivators sent their remnant souls to scour the ocean depths, all in vain.
They were convinced that if Lin Zhuyun were still within the Sundering Isles, their penetrating soul searches would have located her given their advanced realms.
By the fifth day, the consensus was that Lin Zhuyun had likely slipped away unnoticed.
The Ruby Hand and Starmoon Sect, initially seething with rage, could no longer direct their fury at the Winter's Bite Sect since Lin Zhuyun's onslaught had also claimed the lives of their disciples.
All accusations were directed at the Star-Spawned Terror, not Lin Zhuyun herself.
To them, Lin Zhuyun was merely an empty vessel.
Her soul, vitality, and elixir field had been commandeered by the Sky Fiend from the Frozen Hellscape.
On the sixth day, a small, unremarkable island with sparse spiritual energy lay at a distance from Demon's Scar.
This nameless island was a gathering spot for cultivators, primarily of the Subtlety and Veil Breaking realms, who discussed the state of the Sundering Isles and exchanged cryptic musings.
With a splash, a man and a woman emerged from the sea.
The man's skin was sallow, marked by pockmarks, and he was of the Veil Breaking realm.
The woman had a darker complexion and a striking figure, but her ordinary appearance didn't make her particularly alluring.
After coming ashore, the pair noticed people engaged in animated discussions on the island. Exchanging glances, they made their way along the shoreline toward a more secluded area.
On the southern side of the island, there was a damp forest with trees that were not particularly tall, yet they thrived in lush abundance.
Regrettably, these trees were not rare magic items and did not naturally absorb spiritual energy. They were, in fact, the most ordinary locust trees, even by the standards of the mortal realm.
"Why have we come here?"
Once they were a safe distance away and no longer the focus of attention, Yuan Lianyao asked softly.
Her cultivation was of the Lunar Spirit Realm, surpassing those who had been discussing her earlier.
She had deliberately concealed her true power, leading others to believe that both her cultivation level and Yu Yuan's were merely at the Veil Breaking Realm.
With the Bracelet of Holding tucked away and a mask from her travels in Aetherius donned, the once-renowned "blazing red lotus" now stood out only for her striking figure.
"I have my reasons," Yu Yuan replied with a smile, offering no further explanation as he kept his head down and pressed on.
At this moment, he was outside the "Crucible of Evil". Should the Abyssal Leviathan employ its probing gaze once more, it could potentially reactivate the eight clusters of sunfire within his Golden Sanctum.
For several days, he had remained hidden deep beneath the sea within the Crucible, a Divine Artifact capable of eluding the fates.
Now ashore, he had to stow the Crucible and make haste toward the hidden place.
If he lingered too long and the Abyssal Leviathan resumed its search, he would need to dive back into the sea for refuge.
"Besides Demon's Scar, Moonshadow Isles, and Icestorm Island have all been wiped out."
Yuan Lianyao, back at sea after several days, listened to the conversations with eyes wide in astonishment. "Has Lin Zhuyun lost her mind? Are you certain she's still in control of her faculties? If she is conscious, how could she possibly bring herself to strike down her own sect with such malice?"
She could comprehend the destruction of Demon's Scar and Moonshadow Isles, but the rest was beyond belief.
Demon's Scar Island was Yu Yuan's destination, and Moonshadow Isles held the Moon Lake, which contained the items she needed.
Yet, Winter's Bite was the sect that raised her. She even launched an attack on Icestorm Island and killed her fellow sect members. It was utter madness.
"I don't know what set her off, but I think she's lost her mind to dare strike at Demon's Scar and Moonshadow Isles," Yu Yuan said with a grim expression. "One thing is clear: if she had the power to kill Pei Zhen in such a short time, she must have taken a path of extreme measures."
"Not even the Devil Palace or the Colddeath Sect possess dark arts that could enhance someone's abilities so rapidly."
"If it truly was her, the cost of her newfound power must be immense. The Everlands might not be able to contain her. She'll need to gather enough strength quickly if she plans to break free."
He had reached the moist forest as he spoke.
"What brings you two to this place?"
