The wind and snow were left behind, and the ground beneath their feet no longer trembled. Chen Wuya sat down against a broken stone stele, his breathing still ragged. He raised his hand. The mark of the Royal Seal on his palm was still burning hot, as if it had just been pulled from a fire.
Bai Zhi knelt not far away, one hand braced against the ground and the other pressing her abdomen. She said nothing, but cold sweat slid down her forehead. Mo Feng crouched beside her. The screen of his mechanism device flickered a few times before finally lighting up with a faint glow.
"That blue crystal just now..." Chen Wuya began, his voice hoarse. "Its aura was exactly the same as the child in your belly."
Bai Zhi nodded, her fingertips trembling faintly.
Mo Feng stared at the device. "The energy source vanished. It wasn't interrupted—it was taken away. The method was very practiced, as if someone had prepared for this long ago."
Chen Wuya closed his eyes as the Misaligned Force within him slowly circulated. The turbulent currents from the Ice Abyss rift still lingered in his meridians; every cycle felt like sandpaper grinding against bone. Gritting his teeth, he forced his true qi back into his dantian, the veins at his temples throbbing twice.
The surroundings fell silent. There was no wind, no footsteps. Above them stretched gray-white rock layers, split by several cracks that let in a little cold light. Broken weapons lay scattered across the ground. Some had rusted into scraps, while others still retained the shape of swords.
Bai Zhi slowly rose and walked to an intact stone wall. A relief was carved into it, depicting a great battle. Figures interwove amid flashing blades and sword-light. At the center stood a