At the far end of the Dark River, within the shrouding mist, Zidian streaked forward like a bolt of flowing light. Its exterior remained calm, but deep inside, unease churned—Lin Tian might have agreed to leave with Mu Changsheng, but Zidian knew all too well the man's methods.
That guy's aura is far more dangerous than it appears. Zidian muttered inwardly. It had once seen Mu Changsheng act on the Beiming battlefield—one spear strike had frozen a thousand li, and even the Thunder Python King of the demon race had been instantly sealed in ice. That wasn't mere ice-element spiritual power, but an ancient force intertwined with both time and cold.
If what Mu Changsheng said was true, that "Hanyuan" was sealed within Lin Tian's body, then this struggle was far beyond the clash between humans and spirit beasts.
Zidian flicked its tail, crackling lightning spilling from its body, tearing open vacuum fissures in the mist. It had to find Lin Tian as soon as possible—but just as it accelerated, a completely different force suddenly pressed in from the side.
It was killing intent—razor-sharp to the extreme, like countless blades woven together in the air.
Zidian spun around sharply, lightning surging like a tide in all directions. The mist split apart, revealing a figure clad entirely in dark-gray armor. The armor's surface was etched with dense runes, each glimmering faintly with golden light.
"Zidian." The figure spoke, voice low and dry, like an ancient bell that had been sealed away for centuries. "You're still as impatient as ever."
Zidian's pupils constricted. "You… Lufeng!"
Lufeng—once a "Frontier Warden General" of the human race, and the only one in the Beiming War to have slain a demon emperor of equal rank. Yet after that war ended, he vanished without a trace, taking his armor with him.
Zidian's eyes flashed with lightning. "Why are you here? To capture me for your humans?"
Lufeng slowly raised his hand, a strangely shaped long blade appearing in his grasp. The blade was made of seventy-two metal fragments joined together, each trembling subtly with his breath, as if alive.
"I didn't come for you." Lufeng's tone was flat. "I'm looking for someone."
Lin Tian?
Lufeng didn't deny it. He shifted his foot—and vanished from sight.
Zidian's tail lashed out, lightning exploding. In the next instant, it collided with that segmented blade.
Boom!
The mist above the Dark River was blasted apart, revealing a dark cavern beyond. Violent shockwaves forced the surrounding waters back by several zhang.
Lufeng's footing didn't falter. Instead, he lowered his blade and said coldly, "Tell me where he is."
Zidian licked the corner of its mouth, lightning flaring brighter. "Why should I tell you?"
A flicker of impatience crossed Lufeng's eyes. "Because if he falls into a certain person's hands—both of you will die."
Zidian froze for half a heartbeat. But the next instant, thunder roared as it gave its answer with action—a sweeping strike of its lightning-charged tail toward Lufeng's neck.
In an instant, lightning and blade clashed, erupting into a titanic battle within the darkness at the end of the Dark River.
—
Meanwhile, in the Ice Prison Mountains.
Lin Tian sat in a corner of the ice chamber, hands resting on his knees. The spirit pearl in his chest trembled faintly. Ever since Hanyuan had appeared in his consciousness, that icy aura clung to him like a shadow, constantly gnawing at his meridians.
Mu Changsheng stood before the ice coffin, his back to Lin Tian. Slowly, he spoke: "You're suppressing it."
"That's my problem," Lin Tian replied coldly.
Mu Changsheng gave a faint smile, as if he hadn't heard. "Do you know why it's inside you, and not someone else?"
Lin Tian's brows furrowed.
"Because your bloodline is directly connected to a clan you believe long vanished." Mu Changsheng turned slowly, a glint of chilling light flashing in his eyes. "Hanyuan's power is not merely a seal—it's also a key."
Lin Tian's heart jolted. A key? A key to what?
Mu Changsheng didn't elaborate. Instead, he raised a finger, and the ice surface of the coffin bloomed with a vast star map. At its center lay a region shrouded in thick mist, pulsing with a dark-blue light.
"That is where Hanyuan truly slumbers."
Lin Tian stared at the region, and the spirit pearl within his chest throbbed violently—as if answering a call.
In that moment, he realized he hadn't been brought to the Ice Prison merely by force. He had been drawn into a far deeper vortex.