606 - 614

Arctic Underground

*Chik chik!* The foraging Icy Jade Scorpion saw Leylin, and immediately lifted its two giant claws. The stinger of the large beast swayed as it positioned itself, ready to attack.

"Good timing!" Leylin laughed at the sight, and a fiery shadow appeared on the back of the Icy Jade Scorpion.

*Chik chik!* The scorpion tried to struggle, but a palm with a terrifying energy and intent covered its head.

The intent in the palm immediately smashed apart all resistance, and the large Icy Jade Scorpion crouched down. From this person's body, it seemed to feel a familiar and amiable energy that belonged to an emperor.

"Let's go!" Leylin commanded, and the Icy Jade Scorpion immediately stood up, carrying Leylin on its back and running ahead…

In the frosty world of ice, a green figure carried a black dot on its back as it moved forward at an extreme speed.

It had to be said that in this underground version of the Icy World, Icy Jade Scorpions were very useful tools for transportation. Not only did they have a high tolerance for icy radiation, their limbs were like hooks, every step digging holes in the steel-like icy ground. It did not slip at all.　　

The large Icy Jade Scorpion was intimidating and could avoid a lot of little inconveniences. At the very least, regular beings of the world of ice would not dare provoke it.　　

"Here! This is the limits of the map Celine gave me before."

*Thud!* A large green figure jumped up and fell on the ground, its pincers sweeping across and opening a hole in the wall, revealing deep pathways inside that had obviously been altered with time.

Watching them Leylin's eyes filled with pity. At that time, he had brazenly captured a bunch of Icy Jade Scorpions to treat the emotional instability stemming from his bloodline.

'The icy radiation has been strengthened, and the Icy Jade Scorpions have mutated. I wonder if there's anything now that can heal the emotional instability at Morning Star?' Leylin thought as he touched his skin. Then, he had only used a peak rank 1 Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor to suppress his emotional instability until he became a Morning Star.

Now, even the regular Icy Jade Scorpions had strength equivalent to a rank 2 Magus, so the Icy Breath of a rank 3 elite or emperor would definitely be effective at dealing with the emotional instability of Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks at the Morning Star realm.

This was especially true for Leylin. The A.I. Chip managed to deduce that the Icy Breath of an Icy Jade Scorpion was very suitable for his Warlock physique, and therefore he would have no more issues in that aspect.

'After I extract the bloodline of the female bronze giant, the world of ice underground will probably collapse due to losing the icy radiation. I should capture an Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor.

'Of course, things don't need to be so complicated! The bloodline of the Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor comes from the Scorpion Man, and as long as I obtain his remains, the effects will definitely be better than from regular emperors. Perhaps it could solve the issue permanently…'

"Let's go!"

The laboratory was completely empty. When Leylin left previously, he had brought everything inside with him. Now, he was only here to determine the coordinates.

After a brief moment recalling it, Leylin patted the head if the Icy Jade Scorpion under him.

*Chik chik…* The large Icy Jade Scorpion whined as it brought Leylin into the depths of the world of ice.

This place was out of the bounds of the map he possessed and had many dead ends filled with unknown mysteries. Of course, there was also danger!

*Whoosh…* The chilly gale howled as it accompanied the Icy Jade Scorpion deeper in, the surrounding temperatures lowering continuously. The ferocious icy radiation became even more violent.

A green luster began to form on the shell of the Icy Jade Scorpion; even it was starting to find it difficult to withstand the temperature.　　

The tremendous darkness completely shrouded the region, and only the green light from the Icy Jade Scorpion's body could light up the path ahead.　　

Pairs of large eyes were filled with bloodthirst and greed as they appeared around Leylin like flames hidden in the night.

*Chik chik…* The large Icy Jade Scorpion did not really want to move forward anymore. It was merely a rank 2 creature, and while it was considered powerful in Twilight Zone, it was nothing in the world of ice that was deep within.　　

Any of the creatures shrouded in the darkness could capture and kill it easily. Normally, the Icy Jade Scorpion would scurry away in retreat, but right now it was quite confident. It was not alone now, and its owner possessed a terrifying power!

"Rank 2 and 3 creatures?" Leylin, who was sitting on the Icy Jade Scorpion's back, suddenly laughed.　　

Though these creatures didn't seem like much to him, they would definitely be a disaster for the Twilight Zone if they ever left the Icy Cave.

Rank 2 Magi were already considered powerful in Twilight Zone, while rank 3s were rulers. If they were to see the world of ice, this miniature version of the Icy World, their eyes would probably fall out of their sockets.

"Even Celine probably doesn't know how dangerous the interior of the Icy Cave is." Leylin shook his head, the void behind him distorting and exerting a terrifying pressure. The phantom of a terrifying snake that was tens of thousands of metres long came into view, producing loud snarls.

Winds surged, bringing with them the might of an ancient being at the top of the food chain as they spread in all directions.

The spying eyes were immediately filled with fear, and the sounds of footsteps and bumping sounded. Large numbers of eyes quickly retreated, bloody battles occurring in the darkness just for the escape route. Explosions and shrieks of horror sounded everywhere.

No matter how intense these battles were, none of the icy creatures dared take another glimpse in Leylin's direction.　　

"You useless thing!" Leylin was annoyed at the incompetence of the Icy Jade Scorpion under him. It had lain on the ground the moment the Giant Kemoyin Serpent figure appeared, and would not get up no matter how he shouted at it.　　

*Hss…* The large Kemoyin Serpent phantom lowered its head and looked at the little green thing that could pass between the gaps in its teeth. It opened its mouth threateningly, revealing a crimson tongue and fierce teeth that were like little hills.

*Chik chik! Chik chik!* The Icy Jade Scorpion that had been lying on the ground suddenly got up, and began to run like lightning.

Strong winds constantly blew at Leylin's ears, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "This scorpion is really…"　

Explosions boomed as a large amount of icy rocks flew into the sky. A layer of ice broke from the top, and a large scorpion that was carrying a black figure jumped through the hole and landed firmly on the ground.

"Hah… Here!" Leylin led the Icy Jade Scorpion to higher ground, looking over the surroundings.

This was a world of ice! Ice and snow covered the place, leading the ground to sparkle. Even the hills and rivers were made of ice! The vegetation that was spread around the area was covered with frost as well. Flowers bloomed and trees bore fruit, all with a terrifying chill.

Things that looked like ribbons hung from large trees, with eyeballs that looked like longans on them, emitting a blue lustre.

'This scene is so similar to the Icy World in the Scorpion Man's memories!' Leylin touched his chin, and a powerful soul force scanned over a large area.

The beings within hundreds of kilometers seemed to have met their natural predator. Whether it was the mountainous icy monsters or the tiny snowflake bugs, everything fell to the ground, trembling.

After a long moment, Leylin opened his eyes once more.

"Just from what I'm able to see, this place is already more than a tenth of the size of Twilight Zone. Could this be the second layer to the subterranean world?" There was naturally more than just one layer underneath the Magus World. It was rumoured that there were seven layers that the ancient Magi had taken over, and the further one went the more dangerous it was. There were even existences like Matriarch of the Abyss.

Of course, the resources there were more plentiful as well. They could be called places where risk met reward.

Twilight Zone was merely in the first layer, and it was quite a normal place. It was only a region which was isolated from the external world.

'No, that's not right! The distance is far too small, it can't be the second layer. It should be in the empty space between the first two layers instead…' Leylin stroked his chin.　

'When the Scorpion Man fell through the spatial rifts that popped up during that ancient battle, he was transported here. The continuous radiation from the blood of the female bronze giant had transformed this area until it grew similar to the Icy World. It even included the formation of a large number of creatures of the ice.'

Leylin's expression turned solemn. Existences like these that had stepped across the two-thirds of realms and entered rank 7 were the most troublesome, as they had grasped laws.

Just a droplet of fresh blood from the original body had such a powerful effect. How powerful would the original body have been?

"With such a large area, I wouldn't find it strange even if I found icy beings of the Morning Star level…" Leylin sighed. The Morning Star realm was a threshold, and if there were Morning Star icy beings here, the difficulty in exploring this place would increase severalfold.　　

To be direct, if Leylin had come here when he was rank 3, he would definitely have died. Even after he'd advanced to Morning Star, he might not have been able to completely unravel the mysteries of the Icy World.

Of course, Leylin was no longer the same as before. He had improved through his excursions to both the Lava World and Sky City. His true strength now far surpassed the Morning Star realm, and he could even rival Radiant Moons!

Hence, after entering the Icy World, he could use his soul force and probe the area without fear of inadvertently alerting any enemy. Power was enough to pulverise all conspiracies.

'From the reaction to my soul force just now, the life undulations from here are the strongest!' Leylin patted the Icy Jade Scorpion that was now seated, and it immediately budged. Jade green limbs began to move with rhythm, each step carrying them a good distance as it crawled in the direction Leylin pointed.

Arctic Tribe

When the formidable soul force of a peak Morning Star, which could even rival a Radiant Moon, swept across the area, the entire world of ice started to bubble with activity.

The power of a rank 4 was something that a great many of the icy beasts could not resist. When Leylin's soul force swept over, they could only lower their heads to express their humility, hoping that they wouldn't anger the owner of this soul force.

The energy of a Morning Star, however, also awakened other presences.

In the depths of a castle constructed completely with ice, the frost radiation was so rich that it had hit its limit. Colourful streams of light could even be seen twinkling continuously in the air.

"Arwen!" A cold voice resonated in thin air. Although there was no radiation of energy, it could make the surrounding space tremble faintly.

"Your Majesty, your most loyal servant Arwen is here!" An elderly man dressed in the clothes of a butler walked out of thin air and kneeled towards the source of the voice. He looked incomparably respectful. This man's hair was combed so neatly that not a single strand was out of place, yet his eyes shone with a strange crimson radiance.

His skin was eerily fair, exposing translucent green veins and red arteries.

"Did you sense it?" The female voice asked.

"Yes! A foreign Morning Star has arrived in your territory!" The old man spoke with respect. He was able to sense that Leylin's soul force was different, which had to be of Morning Star rank at the very least!

"A foreign Morning Star is very important to my evolution. Go! Capture him and bring him to me!" the female voice said.

"Your wish is my command!" The old man accepted his orders respectfully and retreated.

It was when he got up that an abnormality appeared. While the top half of his body had the appearance of a human, the bottom half strangely took the form of a scorpion.

When the butler left, the entire icy castle immediately started to rouse from its slumber like a lion and went into operations.

"All of you, go! Immediately send out a signal once you discover an unfamiliar strong intruder!" The butler, Arwen, stood on top of the tall castle, his voice spreading to every corner below.

As he overlooked everything, large amounts of icy giants in armour started to roar, circular icy shields and blue spears in hand.

The huge door of the icy castle creaked open, and squadrons of icy giants headed out just like human patrol teams. They disappeared into a flurry of snow as far as the eye could see in minutes.

Only Arwen was left standing alone at the highest point of the castle, his thoughts a mystery.

Leylin, of course, had no idea about what was happening there. However, he had already mentally prepared himself after displaying his soul force. Thus, with the icy scorpion under his control, he hurried towards the place nearby where the life aura was the most concentrated.

The Icy Cave that Nature's Alliance controlled previously was only a passageway. It was here that the real world of ice lay…

The humongous icy scorpion galloped wildly across the ice plains with Leylin on its back. Leylin sat cross-legged, dispatching a few shadow servants in his tracks from time to time to pick a few fruits as well as botanical stems, leaves and the such.

He was now examining a fruit that looked like an apple, his eyes aglow.

[Beep! Unknown fruit detected, composition has been recorded. Please give it a name!] The A.I. Chip responded faithfully.

"Frozen Apple! Classify under Icy World: Botany." Leylin ordered.

[Recorded. Graphic and composition have been recorded under Icy World data, subject: Botany.]

"Mm," Leylin nodded. The apple in his hand was covered with a layer of blue ice. Using his fingernail, he swiftly sliced a piece and popped it in his mouth.　

It felt like a piece of ice— no, a sensation even colder than that of ice spread in his mouth. If it was any normal human, a mere touch would perhaps freeze them to death, forget consuming it! Yet, Leylin who had a vitality of above 100 was already immune to most of the dangers in the world of ice. Hence, to him, it was as cold as ice cream was for an average person.

"Tastes pretty good, just that it's a little too sweet." Leylin had little interest and threw the frozen apple in his hand to the Icy Scorpion.

*Chik chik!* The Icy Scorpion whined excitedly and swallowed the frozen apple in one bite. After arriving here, it seemed to have become more lively. Leylin watched this while lost in thought.

'Judging by the number of rank 3 spies and guardians at the passageway previously, the Icy Jade Scorpion wouldn't have made it here if it came alone…' Leylin raised his head and took a look at the world of ice. "The icy radiation here is even more terrifyingly concentrated; maybe if we stay for a while more, this Icy Jade Scorpion will be able to evolve to a higher level…"

Since the world of ice was born from the blood of the female bronze giant, the icy radiation would grow more powerful the closer one was to the source.

As long as he searched for the place on the basis of this rule, all conspiracies and methods of concealment would be rendered useless.

Moreover, Leylin discovered that more icy creatures gathered at the places with more icy radiation. They seemed to serve as a form of all-around protection.

"Hmm… The source of the radiation… there's a Morning Star there, but there's also an even stranger aura…"Leylin furrowed his brows. Initially, though the aura was very weak, it felt exceptionally dangerous, hence he did not dare to act rashly.

"They should have discovered me already. I wonder how they will deal with me?" The corners of Leylin's lips curled into a faint smile. At this moment, the huge Icy Scorpion had broken through an ice tornado, and it arrived opposite an ice canyon.

Enormous icicles littered the place, layering on top of each other to form a fortified hill village. There were even a few icy creatures patrolling above.

"Intelligent icy beings?" Leylin exclaimed, and then he urged the Icy Scorpion to head towards it.

"Stand still, intruder! If not, you will suffer from the combined attack of the Aufker Canyon!" The guards on the fort had long discovered Leylin, and hence began to yell at him.

With his astonishing vitality came powerful vision; it allowed Leylin to clearly spot the creatures in the canyon in a split second.

They both belonged to entirely different species. One was a giant more than three metres tall with icy-blue skin, patterned with ice elemental runes. It was covered in a layer of frost.

These giants had boorish facial features, and the harsh lines across their faces emphasised their manliness, a distinctive feature of male creatures.

The other type was an elegant snow fairy with translucent wings and a slim figure. Large amounts of ice energy particles condensed around them, much like a miniature tornado. Most of these fairies were very pretty, and they were likely all female.

'Wait, are these the two genders of the same race? The frost giant males being exceedingly strong in terms of physical strength and defensive capabilities, and the snow fairy females that specialise in ice element spells?'

Leylin noticed one other thing as he made his conjecture. He understood their language, and this was because it was some variant of the ancient Byron language.

Seeing that their language was centered around the Byron language, it seemed like the influence that the Magus World had on the Icy World had was not small.

"I am a foreign Magus, and I wish to see your leader!" Leylin made the Icy Scorpion stop in front of the village, and slowly started to speak. Although his voice was not very loud, it was somehow transmitted far away.

There was some movement, and soon after, a few frost giants came running down.

Leylin seemed to be waiting quietly, but he was actually using the A.I. Chip to scan for information and statistics on these intelligent icy creatures.

[Frost Giant (unnamed) Strength: 50.9, Agility: 10.1, Vitality: 40.1, Spiritual force: 80, Innate skill: 1) Frost Skin: The skin of the frost giant has extremely high resistance towards frost radiation, which may even cause the natural formation of a spell rune. It is an important material in the manufacture of some frost magic weapons. 2) Freeze Rebirth: Its astonishing vitality gives the frost giant terrifying recovering powers. In the Icy World, if increased by two energy levels, such recovering powers may even achieve the effect of regrowth of broken limbs!] [Snow Fairy (unnamed) Strength: 10.3, Agility: 37.6, Vitality: 20.5, Spirit: 157.3, Magic Power: 157, Innate skill: 1) Frost Attraction: Snow fairies have a natural affinity for ice energy particles, and may produce innate ice spells following advancements in rank. 2) Ice Tornado: The rich ice energy particles provide extremely strong defence for snow fairies. They automatically generate an ice tornado for protection, that has a similar effect to the Magi's Defiant Ring of Flame.]

He randomly drew data from two of them, and the A.I. Chip immediately displayed specific statistics on the targets. The current A.I. Chip could get information about even those in the Morning Star realm without their knowledge. These members of this race were only at rank 1 or 2, and would not be able to detect it at all.

"Indeed, these two races, which have such glaring differences in body size, are in fact just two forms of the same race!"

Leylin gasped secretly. The work of nature, and the mysterious majesty of the other worlds, all contributed to his strong thirst for knowledge.

They didn't make him wait for long. In practically a few minutes, the gigantic ice doors opened with a rumble. Squadrons of frost knights riding on huge icy monsters came forth.

These riders were all frost giants, and they were seated on all kinds of monsters, all with strange, unique appearances. There were wolves, bears, cheetahs and other forms, but they were all covered in blue frost. It was as though humongous ice sculptures were roaring at Leylin with deep voices.

In the centre of the riders' formation were many snow fairies who had rich concentrations of ice energy particles swirling around them. They stood guard around a double-headed creature.

This creature examined Leylin, and although its eyes revealed a trace of bewilderment, it still spread open its arms, "I am the leader here, Yamos Andre. Welcome, guest from a foreign place!"

Leylin sized up this leader. He was flabbergasted but instantly restrained himself.

Duchess Rose

The leader of the Arctic Tribe who had appeared in front of Leylin was an impressive double-headed creature. Not only that, its body shared characteristics unique to both the frost giants and snow fairies.

A blue radiance flashed in Leylin's eyes for a moment, unbeknownst to the leader opposite him. A three-dimensional hologram formed in Leylin's mind, projecting information on this creature.

It was almost three metres tall and had a sturdy yet well-proportioned body, a pair of beautiful translucent wings on its back. What was special was that above its shoulder were two heads, one of a frost giant and another of a snow fairy. They both looked somewhat aged.

The A.I. Chip displayed the rest of the statistics at lightning speed.

[Arctic Tribe (fully grown, unnamed) Strength: 55.7, Agility: 41.9, Vitality: 40.1, Spiritual Force: 261.2, Magic Power: 261. Innate skills:

1) Twins: A fully grown member of the Arctic Tribe integrates the features of both the frost giant and the snow fairy. It has two hearts and two sets of body organs, and thus they two lives. They can recover from any attack that does not completely devastate the body, and also make up for a deficiency in vitality in their other halves.

2) Frost Skin: The Arctic Tribe's skin has extremely high resistance to icy radiation, and will even cause the natural formation of a spell rune, which is an important material in the manufacture of certain frost magic weapons.

3) Frost Affinity: The Arctic Tribe possesses an affinity for ice that surpasses that of the snow fairy, and has the ability to produce innate ice spells following advancements in rank.

4) Ice Tornado: The rich ice energy particles provide extremely strong defence for the Arctic Tribe. They automatically generate an ice tornado for protection, that has a similar effect to the Magi's Defiant Ring of Flame.]

'These stats show that the members of the Arctic Tribe are an amalgamation of the snow fairy and frost giant, completely inheriting the advantages of both. It's quite strong for a rank 3.' Leylin's pupils glowed.

"Hehe… Does our guest find our tribe's form very astonishing?" Yamos Andre discovered Leylin's amazement and started to explain to him, "During infancy, a member of our tribe has two different forms. Only upon reaching adulthood and finding their other half will they conduct the Arctic Blessing Ceremony, after which they join together as one body and become a true member of the Arctic Tribe!"

The one who explained was the head belonging to a snow fairy, its voice was similar to a female's.

"Oh, my apologies!" Leylin hurriedly waved his hands. Peeking into another party's private affairs was considered disrespectful no matter which world one was in. "I was just curious for a moment!"

"Haha… Our Arctic Tribe members appear somewhat odd indeed. Even the other creatures in the Icy World were surprised when they first saw us, so it's understandable for a guest to feel this way…" The speaker this time was the frost giant head. His voice seemed to be filled with a bold, heroic air.

"Since you are a visitor from far away, we would like to invite you to rest in our village…" The double-headed chief of the tribe, Yamos Andre, invited him in cordially.

At this moment, the low-pitched sound of a bugle horn sounded from the lookout post, following the trembling voice of a frost giant. "Chi… Chief! Ice troops have been discovered headed our way!"

"What?" Both of Yamos' heads cried out together involuntarily. The frost horsemen on the sides even started to fall back one after another, incessant dread written across their faces.

"Why would they come here? Is it because of you?" Doubtful gazes instantly focused on Leylin.

"Oh? I didn't expect that the Morning Star here holds a decent amount of power!" Leylin stroked his chin. He didn't say it directly, but he'd already admitted it with his words, and there was no more room for doubt.

"We do not welcome you here. Please leave immediately. Do not bring disaster to our tribe!" Yamos immediately became hostile, and the frost horsemen lifted the spears in their hands, angling the points towards Leylin. It seemed like they were ready to attack him at a moment's command.

"May I know who's coming?" Leylin seemed as if he did not care about the Arctic Tribe's attacking stance, and instead asked a question while engrossed in thought.

"You've already provoked the Arctic Queen, and you still pretend to be unaware?" The female head of Yamos seemed furious, already about to break down.

"The Arctic Queen is the dictator here, and the source of all fear. She is the root cause of all calamity and suffering, and everyone who is related to her will suffer from a curse…" The female head muttered a few words. Leylin was not sure if it was a prophecy or an ancient expression, but it was eminent that its dread towards the Arctic Queen was present.

"The Arctic Queen?" Leylin stroked his chin, "I'm actually interested in meeting her…"

"Foreigner, leave at once! Do not bring disaster to our village!" The female head of Yamos screeched once more, an ice element storm already formed on her hand.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!* The tightly packed sounds of many footsteps sounded, and another frost giant sighed. "Yamos, it's too late!"

As their chief sighed, the guards from the castle had already surrounded the place under the lead of someone mounted on a huge horse.

The cavalry riding the arctic horse was covered in a set of heavy blue armour from head to toe, and in their hand was a large translucent sword that was burning with ice-cold flames.

Two balls of pale soul fires lit up from within their mask, first scanning coldly across Yamos and the rest of the Arctic Tribe, then focusing all of the attention on Leylin.

"Noble Arctic Knight, Duchess Rose! You are the most dazzling star in the Icy World; even the most beautiful snowflake is not comparable to your beauty!" Leylin was rendered speechless as he saw the members of the Arctic Tribe all crouch on the ground, loudly praising the Arctic Knight. This made him roll his eyes.

'They really speak without thinking. This is a creature who even revealed its soul fire! Perhaps under her mask is nothing but a human skeleton. You're seeking your own death…' However, much to Leylin's surprise, the Arctic Knight appeared to enjoy their praise. "All of you have committed a crime! You actually dared to interact with this criminal here. But seeing that you did not let him enter the hill village, I will spare you this time…"

The Arctic Knight brandished her huge sword, but did not take further action.

"Ah! Duchess Rose, our lord! Your benevolence is just as boundless as all the oceans in the universe…" Sparkling teardrops flowed out of both of Yamos Andre's heads, forming something similar to a glass ball before falling to the ground. It made a crisp sound.

Hearing their response, Leylin felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

"As for you, foreigner, return with me to the castle! The Arctic Queen wishes to see you!"

*Swish!* The many giant guards turned their spears towards Leylin.

With their physique and their resistance towards the cold, an average rank 3 Magus would be unable to handle the all-round attack of this small team.

But Leylin didn't seem to mind a single bit, and even asked with interest, "Was it that empress' order to capture me?"

"It was General Arwen's command. But his word is the same as that of the empress." The Arctic Knight clearly did not wish to speak much to Leylin. She straddled her giant horse and was about to escort Leylin away.

"Then… Did he tell you that you have to be careful and immediately send out a signal once you see me, particularly that you should not confront me alone?" Leylin laughed lightly, which gave Duchess Rose a bad feeling.

"Be careful…" Almost the moment these words left her mouth, a few black sparks appeared on the bodies of the surrounding troops.

*Boom!* More than ten black columns of flames burst out in human form. The guards who had an even stronger physique than frost giants were burnt to ashes without a chance to resist.

"You citizens are to blame!" Duchess Rose roared, and the huge ice horse that she was on suddenly leapt up. The Duchess on the horse's back brandished the gigantic translucent sword in her hand. The flames on the sword rose suddenly and ruthlessly came down upon Leylin.

*Ting!* The huge sword with terrifying strength that had advanced without fear was stopped by a single finger, unable to budge an inch.

"If we were to use the Magus World's classification, you're at least a Crystal Phase Magus, and you even cultivate pure physical strength. It's quite a rare thing to see, but it's such a pity that all that's useless…" Leylin seemed to sigh as his finger slashed out.

A crescent of light hummed as it pierced through the Arctic Knight's armour, forming a humongous slit. Her body was flung backwards as fast as an incoming train, leaving a deep gutter trail in the solid ice, which extended far into the distance.

Even the huge arctic horse she'd ridden was smashed and shattered by the tremendous force, splintering apart into a heap of sparkling fragments.

"..."

"…"

Silence. The entire scene had fallen into a deathly silence. Yamos Andre found it hard to even swallow his saliva. He looked at Leylin, unable to believe his eyes.

'Almighty Arctic Queen, what did I just see?' The Duchess Rose who had been renowned for her strength, the Arctic Knight who struck fear into the hearts of all the denizens of the world of ice, was defeated by this mysterious Magus with just a single finger?

It was not just Yamos Andre. The other frost giants and snow fairies had lifeless looks on their faces as well. They felt like they were hallucinating.

"So? Do you still welcome me now?" Leylin turned and smiled at Yamos Andre. Yet, to Yamos it seemed like the smile of a demon.

A few timid snow fairies were so intimidated that they hid behind the frost giants, as though Leylin was some ancient fearsome creature.

"Of… Of course!" The frost giant head of Yamos nodded, "Please forgive my rude behaviour earlier. Respected lord, you are the saviour of the world of ice, our new master!"

Leylin rolled his eyes, dumbfounded. The Arctic Tribe was completely hopeless when it came to morals.

Arwen

"Found it! It's there!" The moment Leylin defeated the Arctic Knight, a hint of happiness emerged on Arwen's face. He'd been waiting in the castle at the core of this world of ice the whole time.

He pulled out a few pieces of black crystal from his arms, among which one had already cracked quite obviously.

"It's the canyon area that Rose is in charge of!" After discovering the target, Arwen's entire person blurred into a phantom as he shot towards the canyon area.

Of course, he'd never hoped that his subordinates would capture a Morning Star; that would just be a joke. Those he'd sent out this time would serve as nothing more than a warning.

Once they came into contact with that Morning Star, Arwen who was in control of their spirit sources would know immediately.

Hence, that Duchess Rose from before was just cannon fodder in his eyes.

Arwen who was far away had an indifferent and emotionless expression. In a battle between Morning Stars, it was in fact very extraordinary that Duchess Rose ended up being cannon fodder.

...

At the same time, in canyon area within the hill village of the Arctic Tribe, Leylin looked at Yamos speechlessly as the creature crawled and knelt at his feet, both hands clinging to his boots.

"My Lord! The Arctic Queen is the most evil of demons! She greedily exploited our Arctic Tribe's resources, and even asked our matured members to become blood sacrifices… She has brought us great suffering and tears of blood. We beg you, Sire must help us with our vengeance! Defeat the Arctic Queen…"

Yamos was over two metres tall, veritably a small giant. For such a creature to kneel before him and cry so hard left Leylin at a loss for words.

The chief of the snow elves, Amos, was also apologising with tears in his eyes, complaining about the Arctic Queen's evil deeds simultaneously.

"Actually, other than a regular tribute and having your matured members become blood sacrifices, it seems as if this Arctic Queen hasn't committed any evil?"

Yamos was clearly just one person, but there were different thoughts from two different brains buzzing beside Leylin's ears continuously, making him feel a little fed up.

However, he still endured it by force of will in order to obtain the information, all the while plotting something in his heart.

The situation in the world of ice also grew clearer to him. From Yamos' introduction, he learned that the place was very vast, with many tribes scattered across it. They were all being ruled by someone called the Arctic Queen.

This queen seldom appeared in public, and it could be said that she had almost never shown her face before.

All the affairs were handled by her butler, Arwen. The man possessed a formidable strength. The tribes that had been exploited and oppressed had allied together in several crusades but had easily been defeated by him. After a few bloodbaths, there was no one else in this miniature Icy World who dared to go against the Arctic Queen's regime.

Leylin felt like the tribute this Arctic Queen demanded was still quite mild. It was only her demand for blood sacrifices that was terrifyingly huge.

There were almost no adults other than the chief in the Arctic Tribe. Based on Yamos' accusations, they had either fled or were sent to the castle to be used as blood sacrifices.

'It seems like the Scorpion Man's remains and the female bronze giant's bloodline are definitely related to the Arctic Queen. They may even be right in her castle!' Leylin stroked his chin, thinking of something, 'All these blood sacrifices, could it be…'

His eyes sparkled, and soon after he suddenly lifted his head and looked into the distant sky.

A small black dot grew larger and larger, pressing down like a small mountain. The approaching figure was that of an icy creature who was half human, half scorpion. His upper body was dressed in a butler's suit, the bloodshot eyes leaving a deep impression.

"It's Arwen! Oh God, Sir Arwen has come personally!" Yamos burst out at a shocking speed, and with a whoosh it arrived at the platform where Yamos had arrived and knelt down. Emotional tears flowed down from all four eyes.

"Sir Arwen, you're finally here! This criminal has committed a grave mistake, we need you to judge him! Yamos is your loyal servant—"

Before Yamos could finish speaking, a faint blue light enveloped it in a moment, turning it into an ice sculpture.

A web of cracks emerged on this sculpture, covering it up entirely before it shattered into pieces. It sounded like a glass cup had fallen to the ground.

Yamos, along with the ice sculpture, had turned into dust. Faced with such strength, even the Arctic Tribe's innate ability of symbiosis was rendered completely ineffective.

"Greetings, foreign Morning Star!" After killing Yamos, Arwen pulled out a clean, white handkerchief and wiped his palms, greeting Leylin as if he was an unconcerned person.

"Hello, powerhouse of the world of ice!" Leylin bowed.

Arwen's form was slightly similar to the Scorpion Man he had previously seen. However, there were also major differences. His figure was smaller and did not carry the fierce aura that came with the bloodline of an ancient creature. Having the Giant Kemoyin Serpent Bloodline himself, Leylin could easily identify it.

But seeing how he had shown up here, and also his appearance, he was related to the Scorpion Man.

"I represent my master, the Arctic Queen, in inviting you to her castle. I wonder if Sir is willing to accept her invitation?" Arwen bowed humbly.

"I've admired the Arctic Queen for a long time. But what if I refuse?" A mocking smile emerged at the corners of Leylin's lips.

"That would be a great pity!" Arwen shook his head, as if he was feeling sorry for Leylin's irrationality.

A blood-red light shot out of his eyes in a flash. As if the entire earth was shaken, thunder roared and his entire body jumped into motion from his stationary state, coming before Leylin as if he had broken through the boundaries of time and space,

*Swoosh!* A long and translucent dark green needle rushed towards Leylin, a bright, dazzling radiance at its tip.

A tail was attached to the long needle. It was the tail section of a scorpion!

However, Leylin already knew about the Scorpion Man's strong body from the Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor's memories. How would he let Arwen get his way?

A small round shield emerged to block the stinger almost the same moment it rushed forth, blocking the unavoidable strike. Giant Kemoyin Serpents moved around on the shield's surface, hissing on occasion.

The dark green needle broke through the center of the bloodline shield with a snip, arriving in front of Leylin.

"Kemoyin's Scales!" Instantaneously, the innate defence emerged on the surface of Leylin's body. After his vitality surpassed 100, this rank 1 innate spell seemed to have undergone an intriguing change. Not only was there an additional layer of blazing stripes on the scales, they had even grown dazzling.

*Ka-cha!* A small white dot emerged on the black scales and Leylin's figure retreated. At the same time, the red crescent of light from his earring swept across Arwen's chest. Dazzling sparks flew out as it collided with a translucent icy armour that suddenly appeared.

"High-grade magic artifact?" Arwen looked at the huge crack on his chestplate as a trace of apprehension appeared on his face. Large amounts of white, icy fog solidified, mending the damage to the armour.

'There are no weaknesses to exploit in a Morning Star!'

The confrontation just now had occurred very quickly, and was very dangerous. Although the spells that Morning Star Magi took most pride in were not used, the mere confrontation in strength and vitality created a lingering fear in Leylin.

Arwen's previous attack was very strange. If not for his vitality breaking past 100 and the addition of his bloodline, an attack at such close quarters would have probably injured him severely.

'Morning Stars from a foreign place may not excel in magical abilities! Hence there's a need to pay attention to all aspects!' After opening up some distance between them, Leylin directed a cold gaze at Arwen.

"You're the first person who was able to escape my 'Breath of Doom'!" Arwen looked at his own stinger, his face seeming a little regretful yet gratified.

"Damn you! In this world of ice, is there another Morning Star apart from you and your queen?" Leylin secretly rolled his eyes.

Because the outside world did not have any icy radiation, it was very rare for Arwen to go out even after he advanced to Morning Star. In face, because he had to protect the Arctic Queen, he probably even rarely left the castle. He used Morning Star strength to bully the aboriginals of the world of ice, yet he still had the nerve to act like an expert.

Although he felt a little speechless, Leylin still looked at his opponent carefully. Arwen would rank as a Four Star Morning Star according to Sky City's rankings. If his body's special abilities were included, his strength would probably even reach Five Stars.

A certain amount of effort would be needed to take down such an enemy.

A splendid starry sky suddenly emerged behind Leylin, illuminating a sea of blood. Facing Arwen, Leylin emitted his own Morning Star domain. His terrifying pull on bloodlines attracted Arwen's own, making his face flush slightly red.

With him being a Warlock with an ancient bloodline who had also received that bloodline's legacy, Leylin's Morning Star domain was naturally connected to it.

"So this is the Morning Star domain of a Magus… In our world of ice, we call it the 'Power Aura' or 'Vitality's Forcefield'!" A realm of ice emerged behind Arwen as he spoke, offsetting Leylin's Morning Star domain.

The two huge domains collided, making even the void vibrate. The illusory walls shattered, creating the feeling as if the world being destroyed.

However, Arwen's icy realm was evidently suppressed by Leylin's domain, causing his expression to change.

"Did you know the most terrifying thing about us Magi is still our spells?" Leylin's smile made Arwen's hair stand on end…

Capture

Magi mastered the usage of laws through knowledge and comprehension. Using their spiritual force, they manipulated elemental particles to form all sorts of spells. This was their path to power.

They didn't stop at that, though. Along with comprehending laws, they also integrated other power systems into their own spells. This was what led to the glory of ancient times.

Leylin knew from the Scorpion Man's memories that the creatures of the Icy World were famed for their strength and vitality. Arwen, who stood opposite him, had evidently inherited these traits.

Although Leylin was a bloodline Warlock, he still did not measure up in a contest against an actual ancient creature. Hence, as a true Magus should, he tried to shift the battlefield to one in his favour.

As in the words from his previous life, one had to match one's strengths to their opponent's weaknesses.

After widening the distance between them and using the domain to restrict movement, the efficacy of Arwen's frightening speed and strength, as well as his powerful stinger, had been minimised.

In the meanwhile, Leylin could unleash a barrage of spells, obtaining the greatest result at the lowest cost. This was what 'Knowledge is Power' meant!

"I've experienced the Morning Star creatures of the Icy World. Now, it's your turn to taste the terror that is a bloodline Warlock…"

The enormous phantom of a Giant Kemoyin Serpent emerged behind Leylin. Two starry pupils shot out petrifying rays of light as the huge snake's body coiled up, covering Arwen within.

The earth rumbled as terrifying energy ripples were transmitted across the sky, completely annihilating the Arctic Tribe in an instant. The frightening energy ripple destroyed the entire fortified hill village to a state beyond recognition, and it happened in a flash. It was like the apocalypse had hit the village.

Arctic Tribe members who had previously been sluggish due to the death of the chief were now all shrieking, running out of the fortified hill village in hopes of getting far away from this place.

To put it bluntly, this place was completely destroyed.

Explosions sounded one after another. The competition between the two Morning Stars even affected the void, causing space to splinter away.

"What's going on? How is this Morning Star infiltrator so powerful?" Arwen grew more and more shocked. He had a bloodline's legacy and even the guidance of a mysterious presence, which made him think himself a powerhouse in the Morning Star realm.

But today, the foreign Morning Star that the queen wanted him to capture was much more powerful than he was. Those casting of spells that emerged endlessly and the strange innate skill of the bloodline made it very troublesome for him.

As the void shattered with a bang, Arwen and Leylin both fell into the crack between the worlds.

"I have to seize him! It's an order from Her Highness!" Arwen looked at Leylin who was in front of him with a determined gaze. Streaks of dark green energy suddenly emerged from his body, forming strange patterns that covered it. The skin on his back exploded with a boom and a huge figure rushed out from his back.

This huge mountain-like scorpion's entire body was dark green in colour and there was the extremely distinct face of a woman on its back.

Arwen's previous human body was now like a piece of skin, floating in the void.

"Icy Jade Scorpion!" Leylin cried out involuntarily. Arwen's true form was actually a large Icy Jade Scorpion! With such a figure, it probably surpassed the existence of species like that Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor he'd fought before.

"Chik chik!" The large scorpion yelled. The huge claws in its hands were like falling meteorites as they smashed towards Leylin with a terrifying force.

This frightening strength caused even the void to shudder.

"Hoho… It seems like I share a destiny with you Icy Jade Scorpions. Moreover, the breath of an Icy Jade Scorpion at the Morning Star realm will surely have an unimaginable effect on my bloodline disease. I'll have to modify my plans…" Leylin's pupils sparkled.

Although his battle prowess was comparable to a New Moon, and he had killed a Radiant Moon Magi before, all of that power was only acquired using the imprint of the Sun's Child bloodline.

As for his true power, he could still take down a Five Star Morning Star, but it would require a great fight and there was a chance that he'd let the enemy escape.

Now that his opponent had revealed his true form as an Icy Jade Scorpion. Leylin's desire to capture him alive grew even greater.

If he used the bloodline imprint to cast Sun Scorching Nirvana, Arwen would undoubtedly be burnt to nothingness. But Leylin still hoped to obtain his breath to try and treat the bloodline disease at the Morning Star realm.

"I admit you are very useful, Arwen! I won't kill you that easily as you have things that I want!"

Leylin spoke indifferently. Four scarlet halos lit up behind him. and even fused together to form a terrifying spell.

"Rank 1 bloodline innate spells, Kemoyin's Scales, Eyes of Petrification! Rank 2 innate spell, Toxic Bile. rank 3 innate spell, Intimidating Gaze! Rank 4 innate spell, Bloodline Metamorphosis! Combining to form the Morning Star Arcane Art— Kemoyin Serpent Transformation!"

With Leylin's point mass and bloodline giving him Six Stars of strength, the power of the Kemoyin Serpent Transformation had almost reached the peak that all Kemoyin Warlocks desired.

The earth rumbled as a giant serpent, nearly a hundred thousand metres in length and with blazing stripes on its body as well as starry pupils emerged.

The Icy Jade Scorpion from before was like a tiny toy in front of this behemoth.

Its huge claws slashed across the serpent's scales. They managed to cause some sparks to fly, but could not even push the giant serpent away slightly.

"WHAT? You're not a bloodline creature, why can you carry out atavism?" A voice full of disbelief echoed forth from the Icy Jade Scorpion. Before the terrifying Giant Kemoyin Serpent, almost all of the stubborness and pride inside Arwen disappeared.

This was the technique that only Morning Star Kemoyin Warlocks possessed, the Morning Star Arcane Art— Kemoyin Serpent Transformation! Once again, it displayed its monstrous might in front of this foreign tribe!

Although the ancient Morning Star Magi possessed a large variety of spells, they were nothing much to flaunt in front of the powerful Morning Stars of other worlds. Amongst the many Morning Star tribes, there were plenty of Magi whose abilities surpassed those of Morning Stars.

However, the greatest strength of ancient Magi was that they were good at learning.

By imitating their opponents, ancient Magi obtained all sorts of powerful abilities and even figured out the way to modify and stabilise innate spells through meditation techniques, creating the first of the Morning Star Arcane Arts!

Against the terrifying Morning Star Arcane Arts, the powerhouses of all the other worlds retreated one after another. Even the World of Gods had suffered heavy casualties.

Arwen was someone who'd only been born much later. He hadn't even left this world of ice in his entire life, and thus he naturally couldn't understand such terror. It led to him receiving a great shock.

*Hissss…* Of course, Leylin would not explain anything to Arwen. The enormous Giant Kemoyin Serpent directly crushed the creature down, firmly binding the Icy Jade Scorpion. At the same time, a petrifying light danced about on its body.

The large Icy Jade Scorpion wailed continuously for a short while…

...

With the writhing of the void, a dark passageway opened up. Leylin, dressed in a black robe, walked out with one hand holding the petrified Arwen.

Arwen had already regained his human form, just that his entire body was covered in a layer of stone. He was like a statue.

Only, the fearful expression on this opponent's face had not disappeared. It was as if he had seen something extremely terrifying before he was petrified.

"Too easy, simply too easy!" Leylin sighed, "In fact, Morning Star Magi and strong Morning Stars of the other worlds don't have much of a difference in their nature. Their energies are almost at the same level, but once the Morning Star Arcane Art is used, we can steamroll over the other worlds' powerhouses!"

Take for example this instance. Both he and Arwen were Morning Stars, one at Five Stars and the other at Six Stars. Common sense dictated that, if he were facing another of the Magus World, he could defeat his opponent but without using the Sun's Child imprint, it would be relatively difficult for him to kill them. The opponent could always use his Morning Star Arcane Art and flee.

However, Arwen was different. When confronted with his Morning Star Arcane Art, he seemed to be suppressed without any resistance.

"No wonder the ancient Magi could crush a lot of the other worlds!" Leylin could not help but admire the ancient Magi who attempted high-level meditation techniques and used point mass to activate the innate spell fusions to create a terrifying killer move. Even for him at the present, it would require a lot of time to deduct things from scratch, and it may not even be successful. However, the ancient Magi managed to do it and from this, the strong foundation of the Magus World was established!

"It's not such a bad harvest this time! I can probably use his Morning Star icy breath to curb the emotional instability that comes from the Purgatory World." Leylin analysed Arwen's statue as he stroked his chin.

The bloodline disease of Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks originated from the Purgatory World. Due to their defeat in the Shadow World, the Snake Dowager brought all her clan members with her and migrated to the Purgatory World.

However, descendants of the Snake Dowager that were originally had darkness element attribute were all contaminated by the chaotic World's Will in the Purgatory World, giving rise to berserk characteristics. In order to solve this problem completely, the Snake Dowager thought of the using Icy World, and that was the battle that Leylin had witnessed.

According to the A.I. Chip's deductions, the Icy Jade Scorpion tribe here possessed excellent curbing effects for Leylin's own emotional instability. Last time, he'd managed to use just a peak rank 1 Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor's Icy Breath to suppress his emotional instability all the way up to Morning Star.

And now, with an Icy Jade Scorpion at the Morning Star realm, Leylin was confident in eradicating his bloodline disease.

With the A.I. Chip having completed its database on the soul recently, Leylin could now control his influence on the soul much easier, boosting his power even further.

Leylin tilted his head as he pondered. Arwen's statue in hand, he transformed into a black streak that disappeared into the horizon.

Only after that did the frost giants and snow fairies who did not manage to leave in time pop their heads out from various corners, eyes full of consternation as they looked towards the direction that had Leylin departed in.

What had they just seen? The Arctic Queen's chief lackey— mass murderer Arwen, was actually defeated by a foreigner just like that?

Their fear towards Arwen even exceeded that towards the Arctic Queen. After all, although this place was ruled in the name of the Arctic Queen, she basically did not appear in public at all, and all affairs were taken care of by Arwen.

One could imagine the kind of shock that Arwen's defeat brought them.

Extraction and Elimination

*CHIIII—* The very moment Arwen was taken away, a piercing sound exploded in the icy castle, causing the air to quiver and the ground to tremble.

Large numbers of guards knelt on the ground, shuddering as they begged the Arctic Queen to quell her anger.

However, their prayers were to no avail.

A dazzling blue light swept out, wrapping up the entire castle within. The icy beings in the castle, be they guards, maids, servants, or prisoners, all turned into ice sculptures. Streams of blue light gathered from their bodies, tunnelling into the ground like earthworms.

*Whoosh!* When all the blue lustre disappeared from the ice sculptures, numerous cracks appeared on them as they crumbled apart to form a snow-white powder. The castle sank into a deathly silence.

Meanwhile, in another place deep underground.

The steel-like ice opened up automatically, showing a structure similar to a basement. An Eternal Light spell illuminated the entire area.

Many beakers and tools were placed on a translucent tabletop, seemingly in a mess yet possessing some kind of order. Some of the beakers were full of colourful, even smelly fluids.

Leylin stood at the simplified laboratory table, watching the stone statue that was once Arwen at the centre of the spell formation, a teasing look on his face.

This Five Star Morning Star, someone who was considered the leader of the world of ice, had now been turned into a mere stone statue. Even his soul had been frozen completely, leaving behind a shell that still had life force within.

Based on previous experience, he would get the best results when the breath of the Icy Jade Scorpion was used together with icy radiation.

And in order to preserve the freshness of the material, Arwen was forced to suffer, becoming Leylin's captive. He would definitely not meet a good end.

'When I probed the area during my entry to this place, there was still a more mysterious aura than Arwen's in the icy castle. Was that the Arctic Queen?' Leylin frowned, and threads of blood-red light were emitted by a spell formation with but a thought. They began to spread to the inner parts of the stone sculpture.

"Hand over your memories, little lamb that has lost its way!" Leylin's eyes were serene as he chanted some kind of ancient incantation with a strange pitch. Runes began to disappear into the spell formation.

*Ooooo—* A woman's wail sounded out, and three long-haired female figures appeared within the spell formation.

These three female youths wore blood-red dresses, not looking a day over thirty years of age. They seemed very pretty, but their expressions were varied.

One was beaming, the crescent of her eyes so pronounced that they were practically closed. The other showed distress, while the one in the middle was emotionless, like a block of ice.

"Go!" Leylin pointed towards the statue. The three female figures floated and circled the stone statue, occasionally extending translucent hands into the stone statue's brain.

Afterwards, three red figures entered Arwen's mind, and the stone statue shook continuously. The spell formation had no choice but to strengthen the seal.

"Arghhh—" In that moment, the ghastly wailing increased tenfold in volume, a layer of demonic blood emanating from Arwen's body.

[Reached critical period. Target is about to break down.] The A.I. Chip produced a timely reminder.

"Come back, my darlings!" Leylin's eyes were filled with a strange light as he made a very attractive sound.

As if some invisible force-field had appeared, the three figures were pulled out from within the stone statue.

The three figures' varying expressions had been enhanced further. They shrank to a tenth of their original size, gathering on top of Leylin's palm. Boiling hot, complicated emotions flooded Leylin's mind.

"Chaotic emotions as well as memory fragments…. A.I. Chip!" Leylin immediately commanded.

*Rumble!* The surge of complicated emotions seemed to have hit a tall mountain. Though Morning Star Warlocks had intense emotions, they were merely complicated hormone secretions to be recorded down for the unfeeling A.I. Chip.

Once the emotions were intercepted, the A.I. Chip began to arrange the scattered and fragmented memories.

One after another, scattered images were formed in front of Leylin's eyes. They were very fragmented, and even with the A.I. Chip's reorganisation Leylin could not find any information that was significant.

After the extensive data was transmitted, the three spirits in Leylin's hands exploded, dissipating like a fog. Leylin's expression did not change as he sighed.

"Extracting the memories of a Morning Star is truly troublesome…" The soul force of a Morning Star Magus was extremely powerful, and memories protected by it were akin to the most stable fort. Leylin could destroy it with ease, but he would find it difficult to find the content within, even with the support of the A.I. Chip.

However, with its strengthened abilities and the database on the soul, the A.I. Chip was able to give Leylin a nice surprise.

An image that was not quite as incomplete was projected before Leylin. This was a map of the world of ice, with a red dot of light at the centre. It was extremely dazzling.

As he zoomed in, the red light was magnified, revealing a castle built entirely of ice. Multicolour light formed a splendid view of it.

"Such dense icy radiation?" Leylin sucked in a cold breath. He could now confirm that the bloodline of the female bronze giant was within the palace.

"But where's the Arctic Queen?" Leylin asked with doubt as he skimmed through the other information found by the A.I. Chip. However, there were no records of this Queen, which was rather interesting.

Even if the Arctic Queen rarely showed herself, Arwen who was her number one subordinate should have had opportunities to meet her.

"Memory seals?" Leylin touched his chin. Some Magi could choose to store or seal their important memories, and that was an even easier task for Morning Star Magi.

'It looks like this mysterious Arctic Queen has a lot of secrets…' Leylin shook his head and commanded, "A.I. Chip, begin the second phase. Obtain the Icy Breath and purify the bloodline."

Arwen's memories were merely an appetiser. The full course that Leylin was waiting on was the unique Icy Breath that belonged to the Icy Jade Scorpion. It was very effective for his emotional instability.

On top of that, Leylin had the premonition that for Giant Kemoyin Serpents, rank 4 should not be the limit. However for some reason, be it because of genes restrictions or the influences from the Purgatory World, Giant Kemoyin Serpents had lost the ability to evolve further.

If he could completely treat his emotional imbalance, his grasp of the Kemoyin bloodline would reach unprecedented levels.

Only after reaching this state would he have the confidence to attempt at tackling the Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline issue.

With Leylin's command, the A.I. Chip began its precise task. Arwen's statistics in all aspects were recorded, and it formulated the most accurate plan of operation, presenting it before Leylin.

"Record all the information in its entirety!" Leylin took out a silver surgical knife witch complicated patterns on it, eyes emanating a heated radiance.

'Dissecting an ancient bloodline creature completely, especially one at the Morning Star realm, is not an easy opportunity to come by…'

[Mission established. Beginning recording.] The A.I. Chip intoned loyally.

"Begin!" Leylin was now wearing a snow-white gown, the plastic gloves on his hands having gone through rigorous sterilisation. With the power of magic, while it looked primal, the level of this laboratory was rather similar with the one in Leylin's previous world, and in certain ways even surpassed it!

*Thud!* A layer of rocky skin fell, revealing the skin and flesh on Arwen's arm.

Under Leylin's surgical knife, the two were easily separated to reveal translucent blood vessels…

*Swish!* A black ray of light streaked through the horizon, as glorious as a shooting star.

Leylin's eyes were like stars, a hint of glee in his expression.

"I feel better than I've ever felt before!" Feeling the coldness in his mind and no longer having any jittery emotions, Leylin was in a great mood.

The icy breath from the Morning Star ranked Arwen was the best medicine for Leylin's emotional instability. Added to the soul treatment with help from the A.I. Chip, the negative effects that came together with fusing with the Giant Kemoyin Serpent's soul had been completely eliminated.

In other words, the chaotic World Will that had come from the Snake Dowager migrating the entire species to the Purgatory World was now forever gone from his body!

[Beep! Host has removed influence from chaotic World Will. Kemoyin bloodline being purified…] the A.I. Chip called to his attention.

When he looked with his soul force, the purplish-red bloodline in his body now ran deeper, and each time his heart pulsed a purifying force was pumped to all parts of his body. The various parts of his body reacted strangely to this purifying force, resulting in a complete transformation from head to toe.

'Morning Star soul force is supposed to nourish a Magus' body, transforming it qualitatively in order to form the perfect Morning Star body… That is supposed to be equivalent to the standard of a normal Heavenly Astral. Not only does my current body already surpass this so-called standard, it even has a chance of evolving further…'

Leylin felt that after his bloodline's transformation was complete, he would be able to peek at an even more terrifying realm. The natural rank of their bloodline was what prevented Kemoyin Warlocks from ever advancing to rank 5. However, there was currently a high possibility that he would be able to break past that!

Arctic Queen

A black shooting star streaked across the horizon, its magnificence amplified under the translucent icy sky.

Leylin was sending out a thread of soul force every once in a while, scanning the energies of the surrounding beings.

'It seems like Arwen's fall caused some sort of chain reaction.' As far as he could see, the various regions in this world of ice had been disturbed at least on some level. Many of the intellectual icy beings, such as the Arctic Tribe, and even the ice leopards and the frost dragons were beginning to rebel against the Arctic Queen's rule.

'It's understandable though. The other races never could stand being under her rule anyway. Since she's fallen, a frenzied rebellion is only to be expected,' Leylin thought as he touched his pouch. Extracting the Icy Breath to treat his emotional stability was not the only thing he'd done. He hadn't wasted any part of the body, not even his bloodline. It was all currently stored in his pouch.

There were still many survivors who had seen Leylin defeat Arwen, and news had spread quickly. Without the suppression of a Morning Star, the rebellion of these various races was not surprising.

'But the Arctic Queen has been in power for so many years… It doesn't make sense for everything to fall apart so bad so quickly…' Leylin's eyes twinkled with a distinct light. Even with Arwen's death, the Arctic Queen's guards should not have been defeated so quickly. It was like the headquarters had been destroyed with no clear commands given.

At this point, Leylin suddenly had a thought, 'Could there be something wrong at the Arctic Queen's palace?'

That was all he managed to think of. The shooting star that was Leylin whizzed faster into the horizon, only leaving behind after-images in the sky.

Even rank 3 creatures could only crouch on the ground, unable to move after seeing Leylin hurtling past. They were terrified by his speed and prowess…

The castle of ice was located at the heart of this world, and when Leylin came here he found that the vicinity of the place had gone up in smoke.

The many suppressed races had formed an alliance, gathering troops at the centre of the icy plains.

The few remaining guards were led by Arctic Knights as they used the terrain of the great valley at their stronghold to fight back, but it was a losing battle. It looked like this alliance would be able to enter the castle in no time at all.

'Keke… With Arwen's death, the entire castle's defence is rendered useless!' Watching the bustling camp of the allied forces, a smirk rose about Leylin's lips, 'When they breach the walls of the palace and, instead of victory, see the Arctic Queen who's even more terrifying than Arwen, what kind of expression will they have?'

Leylin's eyes did not stop on the battlefield, and instead switched to the castle.

There were a few loyal guards and the like who wanted to stop him, but they were no match for him at all. They were not even able to hold him back for a few seconds.

What Leylin found strange was that the closer he got to the castle, the weaker the resistance grew. The moment he arrived on top of the place, the guards only dared to look at him from afar, not advancing. It was as if there was some kind of terrifying danger within the castle.

'This is the place? There's no life force in here at all, only some kind of absorptive force…' Leylin hovered above the castle of ice and observed its magnificence, though his eyes only held solemness.

The icy radiation had peaked here, and the concentration was hundreds, even thousands of times greater than in the outer world. It was constantly changing and growing, distorting continuously.

"Those below Morning Star probably won't be able to survive here…" The radiation was far too powerful, to the point that no ordinary beings could handle it; it had become a life-threatening poison!

However, what astonished Leylin was not the concentration of the radiation, but the mysterious absorptive force coming from the ground.

The area under this castle of ice was like a terrifying black hole to his senses, continuously absorbing the life force of everything on the ground. On top of that, it was expanding without end.

A thick layer of white, icy powder had formed on the ground, left behind by some unlucky fighters.

Blue light shot out from Leylin's eyes, and he cried out involuntarily. "No! It's not their life force that's being absorbed… It's the frost energy and the icy nature of their bloodlines…"

Suddenly, as if having sensed Leylin's arrival, the entire surface of the castle began to quiver.

That vague scent and aura Leylin had sensed began to awaken, its strength increasing.

"Ugh…" The mumble of a female voice resounded above the icy castle.

Large amounts of winds and snow gathered, forming the statue of a female giant.

The woman had a crown on her head, a dignified pair of freezing eyes under slender eyelashes. She extended her arms towards the distant battle.

*Rumble!* Terrifying blue pillars of light emerged from the ground, and seemed to break through into the heavens, releasing endless ripples of energy.

The eyes of those who had been embroiled in the bloody battle were suddenly filled with confusion and regret.

"All hail the Queen!" "All hail the Queen!" "All hail the Queen!"

A guard was the first to toss away his lance and shield, running towards the danger zone that he'd avoided as if it was a den of scorpions and snakes, looking extremely enthusiastic.

His legs were frozen as a blue light emerged from them and travelled underground. They then cracked off.

The guard did not notice at all. Even when his two legs were torn off, he still tried to get to the castle on his hands, the injury clotted with a layer of frost.

The frost continued to expand, covering the entirety of the guard. Traces of blue light were absorbed by the ground, causing his life force to weaken continuously.

He was zealous unto death, as if the Arctic Queen was his goddess to whom he was willing to sacrifice his everything.

'This is even more terrifying than an illusion. Even his soul isn't his own anymore…' Leylin sighed from high in the sky, watching everything apathetically.

It was not just the guards. Even the opposing allied forces threw their weapons away, showing the same fanaticism after one glance at the female giant. They rushed towards the castle as well.

Countless icy statues formed and then broke down, forming a thick layer of white powder on the ground. Yet, even that did not prevent them from surging forth, wave upon wave.

Blue light was emitted from Leylin's eyes, and great amounts of information were stored in his database. With the A.I. Chip's collection of statistical data, everything was presented before him.

'The attraction of the bloodline? The icy radiation too had affected their behaviour!' Leylin touched his chin. This was not a temporary control from illusory spells, but a terrifying effect that was formed over a long period of time. That was why the effects were so good, such that even rank 3 beings could not escape.

"Looks like this is a blood sacrifice…" Leylin suddenly guessed. Perhaps the Arctic Queen had herded the various races in this world like livestock. Every once in a while, they would be harvested after reaching maturity.

"If that's so, the Arctic Queen is probably…" A flash of determination appeared in Leylin's eyes, Morning Star radiation engulfing the area.

The void itself seemed to tremble, and the world instantly turned black and white.

The scope of the radiation continuously widened, and the few that had yet to enter the range of the castle suddenly showed looks of pain and suffering as they collapsed to the ground, their faces distorting. Even their internal organs swelled and ruptured.

Leylin had already reached the peak of Morning Star. He usually kept his radiation sealed, which was how he brought no harm to his surroundings wherever he went. Now, his suddenly unleashing it was difficult for the rank 3 beings to bear.

The sufferance was enough for these icy beings to regain their senses. They raised their heads, eyes full of terror as they stared hard at the floating Leylin and the female giant. Making some strange sounds, they escaped without turning back.

Even so, they'd come into contact with Leylin's powerful radiation. There were a few rank 2s and 3s at the side who could still use their own strength to rid themselves of the contamination, but those weaker than that would probably die if they were contaminated. It was only a matter of time.

Before their lives were completely burnt through, they would still have to deal with bearing the pain from the contamination.

The disturbance seemed to spread further and further as more of these tribals regained their sanity. No matter what camp they were in, these life-and-death enemies all escaped pitifully, only wanting to get as far away as possible.

The female giant in the air suddenly turned back, her eyes focussing on Leylin. Coldness was laid bare in them, but Leylin met her gaze head on.

He hadn't interfered at first because he needed to collect information and calculate the way the energy was used. Yet, once all was said and done, he wouldn't be so stupid as to let his opponent grow in power.

The giant made of ice snarled, and a large icy tornado was formed at her fist, hurtling towards Leylin.

A gigantic Giant Kemoyin Serpent appeared at Leylin's back. Compared to before, it was now even larger, and its eyes glowed with greater intelligence as it hissed at the giant.

*Boom!* Formless sound waves clashed with the tornado, and snow filled the sky.

Illusion and Manipulation

"A mere clone wants to attack me?" Leylin sneered, the phantom Giant Kemoyin Serpent behind him rapidly shrinking. Its body was now more substantial, and its scales reflected a dazzling luster.

The Giant Kemoyin Serpent snarled, its tremendous tail whipping at the female giant like a mace.

*Boom!* The female giant's body blew up, and snowflakes fluttered in the sky.

The aftershocks were transmitted to the castle below, and large cracks began to appear on the walls.

*Whoosh!* As the wind and snow calmed, the entire area turned strangely silent.　　

The white powder formed from the life energy and consumption of frost energy of the many icy races covered the ground. There were also the remains of armour and weapons, which made the area seem even more desolate.

Leylin heaved a long sigh, producing a test tube from his spatial pouch that was filled with a purple liquid.

The seal at the mouth of the test tube opened automatically and a liquid dripped down to the ground, spreading quickly.

Large amounts of white powder were dissolved by the potion, creating a gigantic pool of water. There were countless bubbles constantly being produced on the surface, and they instantly turned the surroundings of the castle into a purple swamp.

The purple swamp continued to expand, also showing signs of going deeper.

'I've made calculations with the A.I. Chip and developed this potion from Arwen's blood and flesh using his memories. Let's hope this is effective.' By this point, Leylin had guessed the origin of this Arctic Queen. Hence, he was currently feeling very serious, hoping that his conjecture was wrong.

However, what he had just seen had validated his suspicion.

Large amounts of purple bubbles were constantly produced, and the original castle of ice was beginning to be eaten into, the main body of the building slowly sinking down.　　

*Buzz!* A pure, powerful spiritual force extended and began to fuse with the surroundings.　　

Almost instantly, Leylin found himself in another wondrous environment.

The sky was no longer filled with ice, it wasn't the crust of the earth. The moon sparkled in a starry sky, and below was a white continent that spread a vast ocean, as far as the eye could see.

Ice Mountain Wyverns, Chilly Giants and other creatures were roaring out, and most had surpassed the limits of Morning Star.　　

"This is… the real Icy World!" Leylin muttered to himself. He, who possessed some of the memories of the ancient Scorpion Man, was naturally somewhat familiar with this place.　　

"Yes. The real Icy World, my homeland! Foreign Magus, can you fulfil my wish of returning to my homeland?" The Arctic Queen spoke with a gentle tone as she appeared by his side. Looking somewhat similar to the giant from before, she had on a crown and platinum imperial robes.

"Arctic Queen?" Leylin's pupils shrank as he scanned the surroundings. "Not a bad illusion!"　

"The most beautiful of illusions is still not reality. Even the fake world of ice in reality does not measure up to a smidgen of the splendour of the real Icy World…" The Arctic Queen sighed, her tone so sorrowful Leylin couldn't bear it. He wanted to speak up, helping her solve the issue.

"As long as you're willing to help me, you shall be the sole emperor of the entire Icy World!" As if she had seen Leylin wavering, the Arctic Queen added a bargaining chip.　　

"Pretty good conditions! It's a pity that I don't see any sincerity in them at all. How can someone who uses illusory magic on potential allies be trusted to abide by their promises?" Leylin shook his head, his words causing the expression on the Arctic Queen's face to change.　　

Blood-red flames came into being on Leylin's hands. They crackled as they were shot to the Arctic Queen's feet without hesitation, starting to burn her.

"You'll regret this!" The Arctic Queen, who was now covered in flames, showed a wavering energy. Yet, she was like an expressionless paper doll as she spoke.

"If I agree to your conditions, I might regret it even more!" Leylin was still slightly fearful at this time. He'd believed that he had a very powerful resistance to illusory magic, and yet he had easily been pulled into the illusion that his opponent had created, and almost lost his senses.

If not for the A.I. Chip's timely warning, as well as the many secret techniques of Spirit Warlocks he'd learnt from Paul, he might very well have died here.

After all, who would have thought that the ruler of the Icy World was proficient in illusory psychological hints?

"You'll regret this!" "You'll regret this!"　　

An icy female voice resounded in the illusion, causing his hair to stand.　　

Paper dolls that resembled the Arctic Queen sprang up one after another, the icy world collapsing with a rumble. Whether it was the stars in the sky, the continent, or the creatures upon it, everything turned into an Arctic Queen, giving Leylin a terrifying glare.

[Beep! Host's brain is suffering from an unknown influence. Determined to be illusory magic,] the A.I. Chip's voice sounded.

"That's obvious damn it, but my connection to the real world hasn't been severed. If I die here, my main body outside will probably die as well…"

Morning Star energy rippled as traces of soul force lingered around the surface of Leylin's body, giving him a few layers of protection.　　

Such a high-level illusion could render a Magus' spiritual force useless. However, it could not restrict a Morning Star's soul force, which still had a good effect.

However, this was the opponent's home ground. If he used up all of his soul force, he would be in trouble.

"A.I. Chip, scan the structure of the illusion and search for the point of three-dimensional construct and Wors' Space!" Leylin silently sent down the order.

The A.I. Chip did not have a good method of dealing with such a situation before, but now with the database on the soul, its ability at analysis had improved by leaps and bounds.

"You can't escape!" Like the many galaxies in the universe, countless three-dimensional Arctic Queens were formed. These clones that looked like inverted images of the original held weapons in their hands, going on the offensive against him.

*Ting!* Soul force condensed to form a blood-red cross blade in Leylin's hands.

Leylin quickly took a step forward, the cross blade blocking large numbers of icy blades that produced dazzling rays of light.

"Cross Slash!" A cross-shaped light flashed, and tens of paper dolls turned into fragments that filled the skies.

"It's of no use. This is my spiritual world! No number of deaths will cause any exhaustion to me. How long do you think your soul force can last you?" The doll accompanying this icy voice was torn to shreds, but it then reformed into the Arctic Queen once more.

"Stop resisting when it doesn't even matter. Together, we can—"

*Schlick!* Before the Arctic Queen could finish her words, her head was chopped off.　　

The flat head that was like a piece of paper fell to the ground, and continued to chatter on, "Your only choice is to serve me! Hand over your soul source and become my servant. This way, I might even let you off!"　　

*Rumble!* Red flames flashed and burnt the paper into ashes.　　

There was a cold smirk on Leylin's face. "I'd be a fool to listen to your commands!"　　

"Kill him!" As if the Arctic Queen had been enraged, large numbers of two-dimensional paper clones pounced on him.

"Cross Slash!" Leylin's expression was cool as he launched attack after attack, sending fragmented paper flying into the skies, filling it like butterflies. They even covered Leylin's clothes, his weapon, and his hair.

"I told you, you can't escape!" The paper on Leylin's body became as heavy as lead, a few pieces joining to form the face of the Arctic Queen.　　

Leylin's body grew sluggish as a blade swiped at his chest. The fine Kemoyin's Scales unexpectedly could not hinder the blade at all, and a wound opened up on his chest, blood spurting out.

"I told you this is my mental world. Even if your defences are extremely powerful in the external world, I am the ruler here!" The paper doll standing in front of Leylin spoke slowly.　　

"Is that so?" Leylin's face was pale, his body in the external world evidently receiving a real injury.

"If it's true, wouldn't you have killed me long ago? Why would you still be here spouting so much nonsense?"

"Nonsense?" The Arctic Queen's brows lifted and raised her arms. Leylin had no idea which part of his speech had irritated her.

The number of illusory figures increased greatly, and in practically an instant the area was completely filled with paper dolls of various colours.

"Since you wish to die, let me fulfil your wish!" Countless Arctic Queens pounced forth.　　

At this moment, however, a slight smile appeared about Leylin's lips. "Found it!"　　

He suddenly moved forward, soul force undulating at his body and gathering on the cross blade, resulting in rays of flaming light that seemed endless.

"Cross Slash!" The gleaming cross blade sliced at a point in the sky.

*Crack! Crack!* It was like a mirror being shattered, and numerous shivering, spotted lights that resembled tadpoles appeared behind it.

"No! Impossible! How did you find out?" The Arctic Queen's voice became high-pitched and piercing.　　

"Haha…" Leylin laughed maniacally, ignoring the fury of the Arctic Queen behind him and rushed headfirst into the sea of tadpoles.

"A.I. Chip! Begin destruction based on the previous plan…" Countless black threads appeared in Leylin's hands and quickly dispersed. Even more mirrors shattered.　　

*Bang!* A slight tremor was produced by Leylin's body, and his eyes instantly focused. He glanced at the icy castle and purple swamp as well as the cut on his chest and sighed, "I'm finally out!"

*Chi chi…* At this moment, a furious, high-pitched sound was emitted from under the castle.

"The opponent's illusory spells are too powerful. I need to leave for now!" Just now, Leylin had lucked out. Depending on the A.I. Chip's ability to find the gaps in the illusion, he'd managed to escape. The next time, the situation would be different. Even if he could find the gaps again, successfully breaking through them was still an issue.

Leylin's eyes flashed as he moved a long distance away in an instant.

Deduction and Advancement

The central region of the icy plains, outside the castle.

Dazzling blue pillars emitted bright light, the most radiant of landmarks.

Groups of icy race clansmen and even beasts were attracted by the blue rays of light. The appeal was so strong that anyone who barred their paths was considered an enemy to be attacked.

Leylin thought the pillars were like terrifying large-scale summoning spell formations. Anyone that possessed a bloodline related to ice and had grown up here could not resist the allure.

Currently in front of him was a strange group. Savage icy beasts mingled with snow fairies and other intelligent beings, the only thing they had in common the desire and fervour in their eyes. They crossed land and water, heading in the direction of the palace as if on a pilgrimage.

Leylin had seen this many times already. After the illusory fight at the icy castle, the Arctic Queen had not moved to chase him, evidently being limited somehow. Instead, the range of her spell formation extended further, encompassing the entire world of ice. Icy beings flooded into the area day after day, nourishing their Queen.

Leylin obviously would not just watch on. Looking apathetic, he pressed down with his right arm.

*Rumble!* A gigantic palmprint appeared on the surface that was formed of solid ice. The snow fairies, ice leopards, and other creatures all turned to powder.

Having taken care of this, Leylin's brows furrowed as he hurried in another direction in which an even larger group had formed.

How populous was the world of ice? Even if Leylin did all he could to intercept them, many still managed to break through, turning into powder at the icy castle.

"Such absolute control… It's a tragedy for the other races." Watching the scene, Leylin sighed a little. It was obvious that the bloodlines of the various races in this world of ice had originated from the Arctic Queen, so when she decided to take them back, they could not resist at all.

The same situation would apply with the Snake Dowager. With her might and bloodline control, Leylin would probably be unable to rebel even if he was ordered to die. This was also what Leylin was trying his utmost to avoid.

'It looks like the Arctic Queen has some sort of restriction on her body, which was why she had to groom Arwen. She also had to groom the many races in this world of ice, and use regular blood sacrifices to obtain strength, life force, and…'

Lights flashed in Leylin's eyes. 'The previous incident obviously enraged her. She actually summoned all the races in this miniature Icy World to their sacrificial deaths! Her aura is strengthening every day…'

At this thought, Leylin produced a few test tubes and flicked them out with his fingers.

Streaks of purple splashed on the backs of a few gigantic rank 3 beasts, forming strange runes that sank in. Noticing Leylin wasn't blocking them anymore, they roared as they pressed forward towards the castle of ice.

Leylin frowned and arrived at a temporary dwelling. He'd been doing such a thing every day, but could not determine the efficacy of such an act.

"A.I. Chip, how's the simulation of the soul defence coming along?"

[Beep! Soul defence spell pattern deduction at 97.6%!] The A.I. Chip loyally intoned. It projected a faint phantom of a spell model that was almost complete.

[Rank 4 spell— Soul Guard! Summing up the bloodline models of the Spirit Warlocks, the information from the database on the soul has been used to deduce a spell to defend against soul invasions. Referenced material: 'Way of the Soul', 'A Primer on Spell Models'…]

There was a detailed introduction under this model, including the referenced materials which made up a long list.

Leylin wanted to deal with the Arctic Queen's invasion into his soul. That she could actually break through his point mass to drag his truesoul into an illusion had horrified him.

The moment a Morning Star Magus' truesoul lost the protection of their point mass, it was extremely fragile. He had been lucky enough to escape the last time, or else with the opponent's ability at connecting her illusions with reality, he would have died in the real world if he died in the illusion. This was why he'd had the A.I. Chip simulate a spell model urgently to protect his soul.

With the opponent not able to move freely, Leylin had a good opportunity. However, with the terrifying summoning currently underway and the vast region within which she could absorb life force, Leylin had no choice but to plan his move quickly.

He had considered using his Morning Star Arcane Art to destroy the castle, but he had no idea where the bloodline and remains of the Scorpion Man were. Furthermore, even the Giant Kemoyin Serpent would be restricted by the opponent's main body, and wouldn't be able to destroy the place in a single move.

An ancient bloodline creature's usage of soul force could not compare to that of a Morning Star Magus, and they were particularly vulnerable to such attacks.

"Based on the current progress, it should be completed by tomorrow!" Leylin's eyes glowed with intelligence.

A normal Morning Star Magus would have to spend decades, even centuries, to deduce a rank 4 spell. This was especially true for one that dealt with the mysteries of the soul, and it would take even more time. With the A.I. Chip, it was merely a matter of how much processing power was allocated to the task. Once the model was done, it could directly be transmitted to Leylin's memory, and even the process of familiarising himself with it could be done away with, saving him much time.

...

A day later, above the castle of ice.

Creatures and other beings with bloodlines related to ice would approach this place with a dazed look in their eyes, turning to powder at the place.

The region of the energy absorption had grown several fold, and even the purple swamp had been weakened.

"It looks like the Arctic Queen's been working hard!" Blue light shone from Leylin's eyes, and an energy beam struck down, opening up a pathway.

Through continued observation and calculations, he'd long since learnt the details of this method of absorption. Finding an energy node based on the distribution was a simple task.

"Rank 4 spell— Soul Guard!" A green lustre appeared in Leylin's eyes, spreading throughout his body.

Fine runic chains formed in his sea of consciousness, yielding an even tighter defensive layer around the point mass.

Footsteps sounded in the pathway that had been created by the explosion. What was formerly only a basement currently had a number of roads and spaces below it.

The surface was full of solid ice, forming intricate patterns and images on the top.

Leylin took in a deep breath and stepped into the basement, "Arctic Queen, I'm here!"

The path was long, and light was sparse, only some feeble jade-green light leaking from the walls on both sides.

The terrifying icy radiation even affected spacetime here, causing Leylin to feel a sense of disorder.

A dense smell of rust spread throughout the channel as a multicolour light spread from the end. It was piercing to the eyes.

"Do not… come…" "Sinner…"

Deformed sounds were intermittently transmitted to Leylin's ears, the contents only faintly discernible. The soul force of the Arctic Queen spread out, attempting to break through Leylin's point mass and pull his truesoul into another illusion.

Prepared as he was, the green rays grew brighter on the surface of Leylin's body, creating an illusory layer that began to tremble vigorously.

Large amounts of soul force were consumed as Leylin persevered under the Arctic Queen's relentless attack on his soul.

[Soul invasion detected. Soul Guard has been engaged to resist. Beginning automatic adjustment of defensive structure.] The A.I. Chip's voice sounded continuously. With its precise calculations, Leylin's soul force consumption was suddenly reduced. The external layer of green light somewhat stabilised.

"You will regret it!" "You will regret it!"

As she noticed that she was unable to break through Leylin's defences, the Arctic Queen's voice became piercing and seemed to hold within a poisonous curse. It then disappeared.

"I will only truly feel regret if I don't get what I want!" Leylin sneered, eyes full of an intense resolution as he stepped onto the unknown path ahead.

*Boom!* Large amounts of solid ice turned into powder, the jade-green runes breaking apart and then revealing the exit.

"You even needed Arwen to help you set up the defensive spell pattern! Seems like your body can't move at all!" Leylin sighed as he walked out. After leaving the pathway, everything suddenly seemed spacious.

Leylin surveyed his surroundings. This seemed to be a natural underground cave. At the top was a tremendous slanting passageway. Deep imprints could be seen in it.

At the heart of the cave was a large depression, rays of jade light flickering within like fine threads that formed an enormous network.

Terrifying radiations were being emitted from within the depression, so dense they were practically tangible.

Leylin advanced grimly, finding a terrifying corpse at the centre of the depression. It was emitting Morning Star ranked energy undulations.

This was the real aura of an ancient bloodline; deep and lofty, bringing with it a sense of history that was filled with grandeur.

Arwen seemed like a mere inferior product in comparison to the giant corpse in front of him, full of flaws.

"We meet again, Scorpion Man!"

Leylin could not help but recall the ancient memory fragments that he had acquired from the Icy Jade Scorpion Emperor's bloodline. Those fragmented pieces of information had originated from the Morning Star creature before him.

Leylin glanced at the depression and then the trail at the top, a scene appearing in his mind. The void had shattered, and Scorpion Man had dropped into the crust of the earth like a meteor, forming a tremendous depression. The radiation from his body had altered the area, forming the world of ice, and the being that succeeded him had built the icy castle above the depression!