The statue’s inner space shook violently. The runes on the Spectral Azure Ice Arrows light curtain flickered like guttering candles in the wind. The bombardments from outside grew ever more frequent; each impact sent tremors through the space as cracks rapidly spread across the light curtain.

  Wu Ming’s Nascent Soul projection weakened visibly. He stared at Yun Che, the last glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes.

  “Young friend… there is little time left,” he said hoarsely.

  “If you agree, I will expend the last of my soul force to activate a teleportation array leading to the Nine Nether Relic Tomb!”

  Yun Che did not answer immediately. His gaze swept over the hovering Spectral Azure Ice Arrows jade slip, Samsara Volume · Upper, then fell upon Ah Mei, who was shaking its head desperately and pointing toward the danger outside.

  “Since senior can activate a teleportation array,” Yun Che said slowly,

  “why not return to the sect and seek reinforcements yourself?”

  Wu Ming gave a bitter smile.

  “This is a one-way Nine Nether Soul-Guiding Array. It can only transmit outward from a fixed node, and it inflicts severe backlash upon Nascent Soul bodies. In my current state as a remnant soul, entering the array would cause me to dissipate instantly.”

  He paused, then continued,

  “Moreover… my natal puppet general, Minghai, remains bound to me by a soul contract. If I leave it by more than a hundred li, the backlash from the contract would shatter its soul—but the severing of that bond would also cause my own soul to completely disperse.”

  He pointed toward Ah Mei.

  “Even Ah Mei—having been formed from my physical body—shares a mind-link with me. If it strays too far, it will gradually lose its intelligence and revert to a lifeless corpse.”

  Before his words had fully faded—

  Boom!!!

  The entire statue space convulsed violently! A full third of the light curtain shattered, and a glaring crack appeared across the Spectral Azure Ice Arrows crystal core!

  Wu Ming’s projection trembled, his aura weakening yet again.

  “Young friend, decide quickly! The altar can hold for no more than the time it takes an incense stick to burn!”

  Yun Che’s eyes locked onto Wu Ming as he suddenly asked,

  “Senior said the Nine Nether Sect possessed Earth-tier and even Heaven-tier cold veins. Why, then, did you bring your puppet general here to cultivate in seclusion?”

  Wu Ming gazed at Yun Che deeply.

  “Young friend is sharp-minded indeed… very well.”

  He raised his hand solemnly.

  “I swear upon the name of the Nine Nether Patriarch—if a single word I speak is false, may my soul scatter and fall eternally into the netherworld!”

  He spoke rapidly,

  “Once a Nine Nether puppet general reaches mid–Nascent Soul realm, it must periodically absorb the purest Earthly Fiend Cold Qi from a natural Yellow-tier cold vein to stabilize its foundation. That was why I came here back then. I never expected that deep within this cold vein lay an ancient Nether will, sealed since antiquity…”

  Boom—!!!

  Another deafening explosion! Nearly half the light curtain collapsed. From outside came Minghai’s chilling laughter:

  “Master… three hundred years have passed. This time, you will not escape.”

  Wu Ming’s face turned deathly pale. Gritting his teeth, he formed seals with both hands and chanted ancient incantations. The Spectral Azure Ice Arrows

  crystal core beneath him flared brilliantly, projecting a rotating Spectral Azure Ice Arrows light gate into the space!

  Within the gate, countless crystal-like runes flowed, forming a bottomless passage. Along its sides, specks of Spectral Azure Ice Arrows starlight shimmered like a netherworld galaxy.

  “Young friend, enter the array at once!”

  Wu Ming’s aura rapidly withered—the cost of activating the teleportation was immense.

  “This array leads to the Northern Domain Cold Abyss—the Nine Nether Sect’s final hidden stronghold. Take this jade slip…”

  He waved his hand, and the Samsara Volume · Upper transformed into a streak of light and flew into Yun Che’s grasp.

  “When you meet the stronghold’s guardian, Han Mingzi, tell him you are Wu Ming’s successor, bearer of the Samsara Volume. He… will help you.”

  At that moment, Ah Mei rushed to the crystal core, clinging tightly to Wu Ming’s projection and wailing pitifully, refusing to let go.

  Wu Ming’s illusory hand gently stroked Ah Mei’s head, a trace of tenderness flickering in his eyes.

  “Ah Mei, go with the young friend. Live well… and do not return to this place.”

  He suddenly looked up at Yun Che.

  “Young friend—please!”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Yun Che took a deep breath. There was no retreat left. Staying meant certain death; entering the array offered a sliver of hope. He no longer hesitated—grabbing the jade slip, he charged into the Spectral Azure Ice Arrows light gate!

  At the instant he stepped through, Ah Mei let out a piercing cry and挣脱 Wu Ming’s grasp, transforming into a blue streak as it followed Yun Che into the array!

  “Ah Mei, you—” Wu Ming froze.

  Ah Mei turned back, tears crystallizing into ice as they fell. It bowed heavily three times toward Wu Ming, then turned resolutely and vanished into the depths of the light gate.

  Wu Ming’s projection stared at the gate in silence. After a long while, he let out a deep sigh and turned to face the rapidly collapsing light curtain, a look of relief spreading across his face.

  “Three hundred years of clinging to life… today, I am finally free.”

  The Spectral Azure Ice Arrows crystal core erupted with blinding light as a destructive aura began to brew.

  “Minghai,” Wu Ming said calmly,

  “You want the Nine Nether Samsara Codex? You want my Nascent Soul? Then come and take them.”

  Boom—!!!

  The light curtain shattered completely! A giant hand woven of violet-black lightning tore open space as Minghai’s withered figure stepped inside.

  His hollow eyes swept across the empty chamber before fixing on the crystal core, now blazing with self-destruction energy. His expression changed drastically.

  “You old bastard—you dare—”

  Before he could finish—

  The Spectral Azure Ice Arrows crystal core exploded!

  …

  The moment Yun Che entered the teleportation array, a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped his body, pulling him into a passage formed of Spectral Azure Ice Arrows

  starlight.

  Streams of light rushed past him; countless crystal runes swirled around. He glanced back—Ah Mei followed close behind, tear tracks still visible on its face, yet its gaze was resolute.

  The passage seemed endless. After an indeterminate span—perhaps an instant, perhaps hours—a point of light finally appeared ahead.

  That light rapidly expanded, forming a rotating ice-blue vortex.

  A tremendous suction force surged forth, dragging Yun Che and Ah Mei helplessly into the vortex!

  …

  In the far west of the Northern Domain lay a forbidden land forgotten by the world—the Everfrozen Ice Plains.

  Blizzards raged year-round, and frigid gales could tear apart the protective auras of Foundation Establishment cultivators with ease. Worse still, the depths of the ice plains were permeated by a sinister Nine Nether Soul-Eroding Mist. Even Golden Core cultivators risked having their souls frozen solid if they inhaled too much, becoming ice corpses.

  For this reason, few cultivators had dared to step foot here over the past several thousand years.

  Yet unknown to all, beneath the ice plains’ core—three thousand zhang underground—lay a vast and ancient subterranean world:

  The Nine Nether Relic Tomb.

  This was no mere cavern, but an underground city carved by peerless craftsmanship. Crystal palaces and cold-jade towers stood in layered arrays, connected by countless ice corridors. Embedded in the vaulted ceiling were tens of thousands of Spectral Azure Ice Arrows glowstones, casting a soft light that made the entire city resemble a netherworld illusion.

  At the very center rose a towering cold-crystal grand hall, over a hundred zhang tall.

  Within the hall stood eight Profound Yin Ice Pillars, each carved with Nether Dragon totems, arranged in a ring to form an intricate teleportation array. Between the pillars, forty-nine concentric halos rotated slowly.

  Atop each pillar sat a cultivator clad in Spectral Azure Ice Arrows Dao robes. Behind every one of them floated an ice crystal coffin, within which lay a sealed Ice Puppet General, each emitting a distinct aura.

  Their presences were deep and imposing—all eight were Golden Core cultivators!

  Suddenly, five halos along the array’s edge lit up simultaneously.

  One of the cultivators opened his eyes, a flash of Spectral Azure Ice Arrows cold radiance passing through them. He looked indifferently toward the array’s center, where a figure condensed from虚 into solid form.

  A young woman stepped out, clad in snow-white fox fur, her features delicate. Behind her followed an ice-blue female puppet.

  “State your origin,” the cultivator asked calmly.

  The young woman bowed respectfully.

  “Bai Li of the Northern Domain Snowfield Branch, bringing ice puppet Frostglow, here to participate in the Cold General Advancement Trial.”

  The cultivator glanced at her.

  “Left Sector Three. Report to the Cold Puppet Hall.”

  “Yes.”

  She bowed again and led her puppet into a side passage.

  Over the next several hours, more individuals arrived via teleportation. The most striking among them was a middle-aged cultivator whose aura had reached early Golden Core stage. When he appeared, twelve halos lit up.

  Two of the pillar cultivators opened their eyes simultaneously and nodded faintly.

  The middle-aged man cupped his fists in salute and departed in silence.

  Time passed. Just as the eight guardians assumed the day’s transmissions had ended—

  Six halos at the array’s edge suddenly lit up without warning!

  One cultivator opened his eyes—but before he could speak, the array flashed again. A seventh halo ignited!

  “Hm?”

  Another cultivator opened his eyes. The two exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other’s gaze.

  Then the array shook violently! The number of glowing halos surged—thirteen, eighteen, twenty-five…

  “Thirty-three halos!”

  A third cultivator rose abruptly, his expression grave.

  “This is… a Nascent Soul–level transmission!”

  Before his words faded, the array’s light exploded outward. The remaining halos lit up one by one—thirty-four, thirty-five… until all forty-nine halos blazed at once!

  The expressions of all eight cultivators changed dramatically. Without prior coordination, they leapt down from their pillars, knelt on one knee, formed ancient hand seals, and shouted in unison:

  “Nine Nether soul-guiding, Cold Abyss reception—

  We respectfully welcome the arrival of an Upper Sect Envoy!”

  At the array’s center,Spectral Azure Ice Arrows light coalesced into a vortex. From its depths, a figure slowly emerged.

  The first to step out was Ah Mei—blue-skinned, red-eyed, its body covered with nine yellowed talismans. It scanned the surroundings warily, then stepped aside.

  Immediately after, Yun Che strode out of the teleportation array.

  He wore plain green robes, his expression calm. Yet around him flowed an incomparably pure Nine Nether cold force that made even the eight Golden Core cultivators feel a chill in their hearts.

  More striking still—clutched in his left hand was a Spectral Azure Ice Arrows jade slip. Upon it, the word “Samsara” radiated an ancient, authoritative aura.

  The eight cultivators looked up. The instant they saw the jade slip, their pupils shrank violently.

  The leading cultivator’s voice trembled with disbelief and reverence:

  “A Nine Nether sacred relic…

  The Samsara Volume?!”

  Ah Mei followed him without hesitation, even at the cost of its own existence.

  Samsara Volume has truly surfaced,

  has the final spark of the Nine Nether Sect finally been reignited?

  is a choice of destiny—

  or the first move in a far more terrifying game?