Snow swirled on the wind and lashed Chen Wuya's face as he carried Bai Zhi toward the entrance of the ice palace, one step at a time. Mo Feng followed close behind, his mechanism pack pressed tightly to his back, his fingers occasionally brushing the jade slip at his waist. Bai Zhi's hand rested on Chen Wuya's shoulder, her fingertips icy cold, her breathing shallow and rapid.
The ice palace gates slowly opened, and a blast of frigid air rushed forth. Several Snow Demon guards stood to either side, their wary gazes sweeping over the three of them. The Snow Demon young lord descended from the raised platform in hurried strides.
"What did you find?"
Chen Wuya set Bai Zhi down and let her lean against the wall. She said nothing, merely nodding to signal for him to continue. Mo Feng opened his mechanism pack and removed the jade slip and a conduit fragment from a sealed bag.
"We entered a Demonic Cult stronghold," Chen Wuya said. "We saw what they were doing."
The young lord stared at the black conduit fragment, his expression darkening. "Go on."
Mo Feng set up his mechanism device and activated the projection. A furnace appeared in the image, along with blood membranes, unfinished weapons, and pregnant women bound in chains. Blue light seeped from their abdomens, flowing through conduits into black liquid. Eight words on a stone stele stood out with perfect clarity—"One fetus, one soul; a hundred pregnancies forge Baleful Intent."
Dead silence fell over the ice palace.
An elder abruptly rose to his feet. "This is fabricated! The humans are trying to drive a wedge among us!"
Another elder echoed him. "Outsiders may not interfere in our clan's deliberations. Hand over the evidence and leave the hall at once!"
Chen Wuya did