C520 Thousand Miles apart
Streams of scarlet, crimson, yellow, green, and blue sword light burst forth from the scabbard!
Sword intents of every kind blanketed the heavens and the earth in an instant, saturating the space with their overwhelming presence.
The clusters of green flames, swooping in like birds, were effortlessly penetrated by the sword's radiance.
The Ice Flames from the Nether Abyss could not endure the sword light's savage rending. Upon contact with the sword's edge, the palm-sized flames shattered into innumerable wisps of eerie green fire.
In a flash, the sky was filled with these ghostly green "fireflies," scattering over the sea like a delicate drizzle.
Each "raindrop" was a tiny green flame, secretly harboring an intense chill.
Whoosh!
The scabbard, transformed into a thick arc of electricity in Yu Yuan's grasp, hissed as it drew a ribbon of light across the sky to confront the spikes of the Cold Moon.
The sea's surface was a tapestry of intersecting sword light, with waves of sword intent rolling out in layers amidst the piercing cold wind, while dazzling ice glimmers and lightning danced wildly!
The area between Yu Yuan and Lim Zhuyun turned into a perilously fearsome zone. Any cultivator at the Profound Break Stage who dared to venture too close would be instantly reduced to a spray of gore.
The magnificent tableau of interlacing light, cold currents, and sword light burst into view before Babel Island, Medicine God Island, and Weapon Island, capturing the rapt attention of numerous cultivators.
Shadows ascended from the islands, soaring into the sky to gaze into the distance.
Various artifacts, glowing with mesmerizing brilliance like mystical birds and colossal beasts, took flight from Weapon Island.
The guest elders of the Artifact Sect and the Refiners stood atop these artifacts.
They watched the unfolding battle with keen interest, their excitement palpable, yet they showed no desire to intervene.
Boom!
Suddenly, the Cold Moon shattered, its fragments turning into countless ice crystals that cascaded into the sea, only to coalesce once more.
Anew, the Cold Moon solidified, suspended high under the blazing sun, casting a chilling essence that shrouded the sea in a veil of white mist and scattered cold light.
Meanwhile, the sword sheath that had left Yu Yuan's palm hovered motionless in midair.
With a thunderous roar, Yu Yuan, Old Cash, and Yuan Lianyao's soul consciousness trembled violently.
Not long ago, the cold moon that had silently emerged within the sea of their souls shattered into fragments.
Their once frozen thoughts, spiritual awareness, and soulful musings were suddenly freed, moving and functioning with ease.
The entanglement and clash between the cold moon and the sword sheath had shattered the icy seal binding their triad of souls—Heaven, Earth, and Man.
Upon regaining consciousness, Yu Yuan's heart cried out in anguish.
The sword sheath he had acquired from the Absence Relic had little sword light remaining. It was unlikely to serve as his protective weapon any longer.
The sword light and sword intent could not be replenished or reaccumulated.
With a mental cry, he reached out to retrieve the sword sheath, yearning to wield it once more.
But in that moment, the sky was ablaze with emerald flames, swirling like myriads of fireflies, consuming one another and coalescing into intense, burning clusters.
Lim Zhuyun's complexion turned deathly pale, her eyes, usually indifferent to life, now flickered with excitement and avarice.
She gazed intently at the sword sheath, her eyes alight with fervor.
Yu Yuan paused, sensing a chilling shift in his heart as he beckoned the sword sheath.
Then, with a sudden change in expression, he exclaimed in horror, "She has ulterior motives!"
"What?" Yuan Lianyao gasped.
"Do you recall touching the sword sheath back at the Absence Relic with your spiritual sense?" Yu Yuan asked urgently, while attempting to rouse the dormant sword soul within his arm, "At the base of the sword sheath lies a frigid power from the aftermath of the Dark Domain Asura's destruction!"
Yuan Lianyao shuddered with the memory. "I remember!"
At that time, after the Dark Domain Asura's residual consciousness had dissipated, she had used her spiritual sense to detect the icy chill at the base of the sword sheath, which nearly shattered her own spiritual sense.
The extreme cold power settled at the base of the sword sheath was capable of freezing a cultivator's three souls—Heaven, Earth, and Man—as if it were an icy force from the Dark Domain Asura, originating from the depths of a frigid realm beyond the stars.
This chilling force, suppressed by the densely interwoven sword intent and light at the base of the sheath, was contained, forbidden from escaping.
Lim Zhuyun, following the commands of the Chaos Roc, had unleashed a bloodbath on Red Devilland. Now, it appeared her primary objective was to seize the suppressed cold power at the base of the sword sheath!
She wielded the Extreme Cold Ice Flame, and with a Cold Moon bestowed upon her by the Chaos Roc, she was consumed by a voracious longing for the chill emanating from the bottom of the sword sheath.
That power seemed capable of propelling her forward, enhancing her strength and elevating her realm.
It might even assist her in breaking free from the Boundless Land to soar into the Outland Star River!
Whether she had fallen under the Chaos Roc's spell was unclear, but her psyche had undergone a radical transformation. Her insatiable bloodlust rendered her unable to remain within the Boundless Land.
The repercussions of her rapid power surge were relentless, tormenting her spirit and flesh incessantly. The cost she bore was beyond imagination!
The icy flow within the sheath originated from the Dark Domain of the Asura. Presumably guided by the Chaos Roc, she was to harness it within herself, bolstering her strength in search of a resolution.
"Hu!"
Abruptly, a crystalline spring burst forth from Babel Island, morphing into a woman with a hint of duskiness to her skin.
She was enveloped in mist, seemingly in sync with the hidden forces of the surrounding sea.
Upon her arrival, the ocean's depths churned into swirling tempests.
A silver-white trident, reminiscent of an ancient Water God's talisman, soared from the heart of the storm, aiming for Lim Zhuyun suspended in the sky.
In an instant, a Cold Moon transformed into an immense ice shield, thwarting the trident's assault.
Crack crack crack!
Ice shards scattered as moonlight burst forth, the trident repelled by the formidable Cold Moon Ice Shield.
Lim Zhuyun stood atop the expanding shield, steering the Cold Moon towards the sword sheath.
Swoosh!
Strands of frosty silk sprang from her palm, seeking to ensnare the sheath and draw it to her.
"Babel Island, one of the three mighty guardians!"
At that moment, Old Cash caught sight of the woman, arriving in the form of a Yang God. His surprise at the sight of the silver-white trident emerging from the sea caused him to repeatedly glance skyward.
His gaze fixed on the still-blazing sun.
His concern was that the Chaos Roc might repeat its trick, using the "Flame Eye" to connect with the sun, unleashing solar flares to strike from afar.
Even a Yang God would struggle to endure such a scorching onslaught.
Old Cash was still terrified that a bolt or two of divine lightning from the sun god might strike the Evil Cauldron and obliterate all three of them in an instant.
"Swoosh swoosh!"
Hundreds of clusters of re-gathered emerald flames, driven by Lim Zhuyun's mental command, surged mightily toward the sword sheath.
The remnant sword intent within the sheath was now struggling to suppress even the internal cold power.
Should those green flames penetrate the sheath, the blade left by the Chopping Moon cultivator in the Boundless Land to subdue the Asura's platinum skull in the Dark Domain would likely be lost to him forever.
"Yu Yuan!"
Old Cash's face paled as he called out urgently.
But the sword sheath had already flown dozens of meters away; the slightest exertion of his mental focus caused his entire body to freeze, his consciousness blurring into a cold, hard fog.
This indicated that the sword light within the sheath could no longer contain the chilling current at its base!
"What's the meaning of this, Demon Palace, Artifact Island?!" Yuan Lianyao spun around, her eyes blazing with fury at the two islands flanking Babel Island. "The Babel Chamber of Commerce has made their move. Why are the Guardians of the Artifact Sect and the Medicine God Sect still silent?"
Old Cash, observing the scene, clenched his teeth in frustration, "They're hanging us out to dry!"
It was evident that the Guardians from the Artifact Sect and the Medicine God Sect were closely monitoring the conflict, yet they remained aloof, content to watch the struggle between them and Lim Zhuyun without any intention of intervening.
"The Medicine God Sect and the Artifact Sect have always been this way," Yu Yuan sighed.
He was well aware that the high-level cultivators nurtured by the Medicine God Sect and the Artifact Sect were solely concerned with their own security, each one detached and seldom meddling in the affairs of others.
The high-level cultivators loyal to the Medicine God Sect and the Artifact Sect were mostly independent, their allegiances tied to pills and artifacts rather than sects.
These cultivators didn't hold absolute loyalty to the Medicine God Sect or the Artifact Sect; they were mercenaries at heart, unwilling to lay down their lives for the sects' causes.
Because of this, despite their esteemed status, the Artifact Sect and the Medicine God Sect remained detached and were courted by all major factions within the Boundless Land.
However, when the world plunged into chaos, the Medicine God Sect and the Artifact Sect often maintained their neutrality.
Forces such as the Demon Palace and the Demon Palace paid little heed to the stances of the Medicine God Sect and Artifact Sect.
Ultimately, the Medicine God Sect and Artifact Sect specialized in concocting medicines and forging weapons, not in combat. Lacking a peak Primordial Spirit Stage expert to preside over affairs, they couldn't sway the fate of the world.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Clusters of verdant flames and the shimmering ice threads released by Lim Zhuyun converged on the scabbard.
The sword's radiance and intent within could no longer contain the icy surge at its base. The connection between Yu Yuan and the sword seemed to shatter, leaving him unable to sense it any longer.
A flash of excitement pierced Lim Zhuyun's icy gaze.
Her covetous longing for the scabbard was no longer concealed, her breaths turning sharply erratic.
"Hmph!" A cold voice erupted suddenly from the elongated Sword Island, lying in the wake of Babel Island.
