The Commission

Hundreds of meters underground, in a spacious stone chamber, Yi Yun had been sitting quietly for a long time.

Wisps of Pure Yang Flame emanated from his pores, rising gently like golden butterflies. They appeared for a few breaths before disappearing into the void.

The originally dark stone chamber was bathed in a golden-red glow under the light of the flames.

Bathed in this light, Yi Yun sat cross-legged, his expression calm and undisturbed, yet within his body, Pure Yang Vital Energy was circulating wildly.

With each cycle of cultivation, Pure Yang Vital Energy accumulates in Yi Yun's dantian, making Yi Yun cultivation more profound and his foundation more solid.

Now, Yi Yun has just entered the peak of the Yuanji realm, a time when his cultivation and strength are advancing by leaps and bounds.

From the peak of the Primordial Foundation to the Dao Seed, a large amount of energy needs to be accumulated in order to complete the condensation of the Law Seed.

Just as Yi Yun was concentrating on his cultivation, a White-robed woman appeared silently in front of him.

Hundreds of meters underground, along with the illusion array set up by Yi Yun, failed to prevent the White-robed woman from arriving here.

As if sensing something, Yi Yun suddenly opened his eyes and saw the White-robed woman appear less than three meters in front of him. The hair on Yi Yun's body stood on end, and he almost instantly leaped backward, drawing his Crimson Blood Red Lotus Saber at the same time!

"Who are you!?"

In this environment, the sudden appearance of a woman with a ghostly form was so eerie that anyone would break out in a cold sweat.

However, although Yi Yun was startled, he did not panic. He did not sense any killing intent from the White-robed woman.

The White-robed woman didn't speak; she simply looked at Yi Yun and let out a soft sigh.

This sigh carried an indescribable emotion, inexplicably evoking feelings of pity. Yi Yun's heart stirred, and he asked, "You come from the Empress Secret Realm?"

Yi Yun built such a hidden cave, yet the other party was able to find it easily and sneak in without alerting him.

There's no other possibility than either the guardian of the Empress Secret Realm or an energy being carrying out the next assessment.

"You guessed right, I... am the Artifact Spirit the God Descending Tower," the White-robed woman said in a cold voice.

Even though Yi Yun had already guessed some of it, he was still incredibly surprised when he heard the White-robed woman's words. He had originally thought that the White-robed woman in front of him was just an energy entity mirror image similar to the one he had encountered when going from the second to the third floor of the God Descending Tower. He never expected that she would be so powerful, actually being the Artifact Spirit of the God Descending Tower.

After the Ancient Empress, the God Descending Tower had long been ownerless. The Artifact Spirit was actually the controller of the God Descending Tower. In this light, the White-robed woman before us is the actual ruler of the Empress Secret Realm.

How could such a identity not surprise Yi Yun?

He didn't know why the White-robed woman had come to find him. Compared to the power she wielded and her position, he was just a nobody.

You seem to be injured?

Yi Yun tentatively spoke, sensing that the White-robed woman before him was not in good condition. In the Purple Crystal's Energy Vision, her energy form was extremely unstable, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

The Artifact Spirit of a powerful artifact shouldn't be like this.

"Yes," the White-robed woman said softly, "Because of the Evil Race that entered the God Descending Tower, I used the power that my master had sealed in the Extreme Cold Ice Plain of the God Descending Tower. This power was too great, and I used myself as a medium to drive it, which severely depleted my energy. I need to go into slumber... otherwise, my body will shatter."

What? The Evil Race?

Yi Yun was confused. What was the Evil Race?

The Empress Secret Realm, with its terrifying restrictions and a divine artifact of the God Descending Tower as its stabilizing force, was actually invaded by the Evil Race?

What is the identity of that Evil Race? Is it the Desolate Race?

Could it be... that the tremor just now was related to what the White-robed woman said?

The White-robed woman ignored Yi Yun's question and continued, "After I fall into slumber, the remaining energy in the Empress Secret Realm will support the continuation of the assessment, but this energy will likely only last for a few months. When the energy is exhausted, all the opportunities and treasures within the secret realm will be sealed away, and correspondingly, the restrictions and rules will also become ineffective..."

The White-robed woman's words made Yi Yun's heart sink. The treasure was sealed, and the restrictions and rules were ineffective?

In that case...

A variety of thoughts flashed through Yi Yun's mind. The news brought by the White-robed woman was truly shocking, leaving him no time to think about many things in detail.

"Then what brings you here, senior?"

Just as the White-robed woman was about to fall into a deep sleep and the rules of the Empress Secret Realm were about to expire, Yi Yun couldn't understand why White-robed woman had suddenly approached him. He had never had any contact with White-robed woman before.

The White-robed woman said, "According to the standards set by our master, neither you nor that girl named Lin Xin Tong are strong enough to inherit our master's legacy... However, your performance in the trial, especially yours, surprised me."

"That girl is now walking on the Extreme Cold Ice Plain. As I mentioned earlier, a portion of the master's power is sealed within these Extreme Cold Ice Plain, and that girl is retracing the path the master once walked."

"That path is almost impossible for her to complete. If I still have the strength, I can guide her, protect her, and shield her from the frigid air of the Extreme Cold Ice Plain when she can no longer bear it."

"But... I'm too weak now. If I use any more energy, my body might shatter. I need to go into a deep sleep... And that girl... she's made up her mind. She's going to cross the Extreme Cold Ice Plain. I can no longer protect her... If she's alone, she might die there."

What!?

Upon hearing the White-robed woman's words, Yi Yun was greatly alarmed. Was Lin Xin Tong about to die on the Extreme Cold Ice Plain?

"Go find her. After you pass the third level and enter the fourth level, you will appear on that ice field. You can choose to bring her back, or you can try together to cross the ice field and gain the master's approval..."

"What I want to say is... I will be asleep by then, Extreme Cold Ice Plain will become a deadly wasteland. If you insist on going forward, you may be heading into the abyss, which will become a road of no return."

As the White-robed woman spoke, her figure grew fainter and her voice became even more ethereal.

Yi Yun still had many questions in his mind, and he wanted to ask more, but the White-robed woman only sighed softly. Before she disappeared, her last words were. "There's no time left..."

There is no time?

Yi Yun didn't know whether she was referring to the so-called Evil Race, or whether she was referring to his own rescue of Lin Xin Tong.

At this moment, he couldn't think straight, nor dared to delay. He picked up the Crimson Blood Red Lotus Saber, shattered the rocks, leaped out of the cave, and charged straight forward along the long tunnel!

...(To be continued~^~)