The frozen Golden Temple. A massive black hole suddenly tore open in midair, and someone stepped out.
Jing Ci had uncharacteristically abandoned his suit, opting instead for a thick woolen coat and a lambswool scarf. Stepping out of the black hole, he murmured softly, "Kui Dragon Ancestor, the one who wields the Authority over temperature control. Truly terrifying. If its Breath were to be unleashed a few more times, even the gates of spatial transportation might be impossible to hold open. Thankfully, we arrived in time."
Four corpses, frozen into blocks of ice, knelt motionlessly on the ground, braving the howling wind.
"All four Twilight Candidates—dead?"
He glanced down at the four kneeling corpses, a faint smile curling at his lips, and said softly, "So Jiang Hanyi is dead as well. It seems that after the matters in the Sea of Eternal Life are resolved, things are going to get... rather interesting."
The combat strength displayed by his junior brother had breached all known limits.
No wonder the teacher said there was no need to worry—this was like unleashing a fish into the sea.
No, a Qilin into the sea.
At the end of the frost-covered Divine Path was the shattered Golden Divine Throne, which had been punched into a massive crater.
Bloodstains still dotted the golden steps.
Even the temple itself had been broken through, icy gusts roaring from the gaping hole.
These were all relics of an ultra-ancient civilization, treasures of incalculable worth.
And just like that, they'd been smashed through.
The Golden Temple itself was a prized heritage of the Ancient God Clan, yet it had suffered the same fate.
Young people these days—they have no sense of artifact preservation.
Jing Ci roughly estimated that this fight had resulted in losses totaling at least several billion.
Oh well, he'll let the Ether Association mourn over it; it had nothing to do with him anyway.
He raised his right hand, each of his five fingers adorned with a dark red ring.
The rings were embedded with gemstones that resembled unnerving eyeballs, emitting an eerie glow. He traced the air with them in one deft motion.
Now, no matter how skilled the Spirit Mediums and Divination Masters, they wouldn't be able to perceive what had transpired here.
He then walked over to the pool of blood and wiped it away with deliberate force.
The blood Gu Jianlin had coughed up vanished without a trace.
After finishing all this, Jing Ci pulled out his phone for a quick check, only to see it had already shut down under the low temperatures.
He paused for a second, then retrieved a Polaroid camera from his pocket. He snapped a photo of the four frozen corpses.
Content, he turned and stepped back into the black hole, disappearing into the void without a trace.
The city of Balensa was encased in icy fog, its expansive Divine Path buried beneath thick layers of snow and ruined remnants, with only the fierce, bitter winds howling, laden with an aura of relentless frost.
Moon Princess tilted her head back and drank a bottle of Blue Blood, feeling its spiritual energy fill her. She spoke in a low voice, "Aunt Zijin, are you ready? Things will move fast—very fast."
Within her clear, luminous eyes, not a trace of emotion could be found; only faint undercurrents swirled ominously.
"How many times do I have to tell you—call me sister!"
Lu Zijin couldn't help but glare at the younger girl, though her gaze remained unusually calm. She replied evenly, "Don't worry about me. Just focus on the task. The reason I let you bring me along is to ensure you're safe. If it truly comes to it, even if it costs me my advancement, I will bring both of you out alive."
The crowd watched the two women in silence, saying nothing.
"Don't worry. I'll protect this spot!"
Ji Xiaoyu, standing with hands on her hips, had already escaped harm and was confident she'd manage on her own.
Lu Qingqing seemed hesitant to speak but, remembering that the group had survived so far thanks to that young man, kept quiet. Instead, she said calmly, "You go first; we'll catch up soon."
The two Alchemists handed over a box containing secret medicines.
"Be careful on the way."
Chen Qing gently reminded them.
Lin Wanqiu added a layer of Holy Light protection, speaking solemnly, "Since I won't be with you, this will last only fifteen minutes. Within that time, any injuries you sustain will heal slowly, and most poisons will be neutralized. Even so, exercise caution—Balensa City is far too close to the Sea of Eternal Life. Who knows what dangers lie ahead."
After hesitating briefly, she added, "This place is not just under the jurisdiction of the Qilin Venerable; there are traces of the Candle Dragon Clan here, too. This guide contains survival strategies—stick to it, and above all, stay safe. Bring him back alive."
Everyone was taken aback.
This woman had a guide?
Lu Zijin narrowed her beautiful eyes, clearly surprised.
Moon Princess glanced at the guide, her sharp intuition grasping Lin Wanqiu's true identity. In that moment, her opinion of her subtly changed. She murmured, "Thank you for helping me. I'll repay you someday."
She said no more, turning away to leave.
On the surface, she seemed calm, but her hand gripping the sword scabbard trembled faintly.
Just moments ago, the Stone Bead on her wrist had lost all resonance.
This could only mean one thing—he was in trouble.
But suddenly, a massive black hole appeared ahead, and someone stepped through.
"No need to go. He's fine."
The newcomer's voice was faint, like it could be swallowed by the wind at any moment.
Lu Zijin was startled to see him and asked, "Mr. Jing?" Discover more novels at novel⟡fire.net
For Moon Princess, this wasn't the person she had the strongest desire to see in this moment. Yet, when the familiar figure emerged from the black hole, an overwhelming sense of relief and safety washed over her.
Her tightly strung heart finally eased, her burdens lifted.
Gu Jianlin had once remarked:
"Jing Ci is someone who brings immense reassurance to those around him."
As long as he was present, nothing would go wrong.
Now Moon Princess finally understood why.
Jing Ci exhaled a frosty breath, gazing at the icy fog engulfing the city. From his pocket, he pulled out a photograph and handed it over, saying, "Junior Brother has already killed those Twilight Candidates and seized control of Balensa City's Ancient God Seed. You may proceed forward without concern. As for his safety, you don't need to worry for now."
He lied without flinching: "Junior Brother is with the teacher now, perfectly safe."
At this moment, the group collectively froze in shock.
Some were left utterly speechless at the news that the four Twilight Candidates had been killed.
Others could scarcely process that he had taken control of Balensa City's Ancient God Seed—it sounded like pure fantasy.
"Mr. Jing, you're not joking, are you?"
Lu Zijin asked skeptically, "Xiao Gu, on his own, killed four Twilight Candidates?"
Moon Princess took the photograph, the wind teasing her hair and partially obscuring her alluring eyes. "Dead, all of them?"
The frozen Golden Temple, the four kneeling corpses sealed in ice and snow.
"I never joke about such matters."
Jing Ci looked at the girl before him and said, "The one you've protected for so long can now, in turn, protect you. Jiang Hanyi was just the beginning. Those who wronged you—he'll hunt them down, one by one."
Moon Princess stared at the photograph, dazed for a long while. Finally, she lifted her head, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"How... how did he know?"
She thought she had hidden it perfectly.
Lu Zijin's expression shifted slightly. She declared seriously, "Don't look at me—I didn't let it slip!"
Jing Ci smiled silently, turned away, and stepped into the black hole. Waving a hand, he called back, "Keep moving. I won't escort you to the Sea of Eternal Life. There's a big guy in there, and if it detects my presence, it's going to raise all hell."
He exhaled, watching his breath quickly turn to mist in the icy wind. "So cold."
With that, he stepped into the black hole and vanished once more.
In the howling, frost-laden wind, an eerie veil of icy fog consumed everything in its path.
Zhou Yiming staggered through the ruins, his gravely injured body barely holding him upright as he coughed up thick clots of blood.
Not long ago, Balensa City's Ancient God Seed had clashed with the Dawn Combat Sequence head-on. Trapped between the mechanical tide and the monstrous legion, he had narrowly escaped death—scraping through by a hair's breadth.
It was only thanks to his origins in the Sword Tomb that he had survived; any other Omega would have perished long ago.
Even so, he was on the verge of collapse now.
Only the inexplicable halt of the Ancient God Seed's attacks had ended the brutal slaughter.
Yet no sooner had he escaped than an overwhelming frost descended upon him.
Curse his rotten luck.
He should never have agreed to this mission.
Just then, a massive black hole opened before him, and a man stepped out from the shadows.
Jing Ci said approvingly, "Good."
Zhou Yiming's face went pale. As he reached for his Iron Sword, he caught a glimpse of crimson flickering in the man's eyes.
"You don't know me, but you've met Gu Jianlin."
Jing Ci's eyes gleamed with a blood-red hue as he pulled a photograph from his pocket and handed it over, speaking quietly, "Gu Jianlin wants you to keep this photo safe and deliver it to your junior sister. If she asks, tell her Gu Jianlin ventured into the Sea of Eternal Life alone to investigate the Kui Dragon Ancestor and its Divine Servants."
"You must express regret, grief, guilt."
He paused. "Emphasize that Gu Jianlin took on extraordinary risks, braving certain death, all to uncover the truth. Do you understand?"
Zhou Yiming looked at the photograph. It showed an enormous bronze pillar surrounded by a crimson mist of blood.
Within the mist stood a faint silhouette—a man with white hair.
He murmured, "He took on extraordinary risks, braving death."
Jing Ci smiled faintly. "Good. Let's refine the details, shall we?"
[Recommendation Tickets]