Frozen Lake, Mysterious Fairy

Antarctic Circle.

In this majestic region rarely inhabited by humans, there are a total of nine Frozen Lake.

These natural phenomena, which seem to defy scientific principles, are all hidden beneath ice layers up to 3,000 meters thick.

At this moment, Su Qing'an stood on one of the Frozen Lake areas, with a thin layer of ice beneath his feet. From his perspective, he could faintly hear the sound of flowing water. Judging from his senses, the temperature of the surface lake was maintained at around zero degrees Celsius.

However, the surrounding environment is generally between -50 and -60 degrees Celsius.

Theoretically, such temperatures would be enough to render everything lifeless; oil would solidify into a black solid like asphalt, and kerosene would become non-flammable because it wouldn't reach its ignition point, creating a desolate paradise in the Antarctic Circle.

However, the vast lake currently only has a thin layer of ice on its surface, and the water temperature underneath will continue to increase with depth.

According to previous test reports, lakes less than 100 meters below the ice layer have temperatures almost the same as the surface water of the East China Sea in summer, which is quite remarkable.

But the real reason that prompted Su Qing'an to stay here was far more bizarre and incomprehensible than such negligible natural phenomena.

"Hua, can you feel it?"

The little girl looked up at the boundless sky, realizing that she had recently become too accustomed to being in his arms, which was not a good habit.

But the Antarctic Circle is really cold. Cutting out the armor would allow her to use the temperature regulation system to maintain a normal body temperature, but she, who was vaguely fixated on this, felt that it wouldn't feel like a date.

Under these circumstances, Su Qing'an was the only one with Honkai Energy shield that was constantly circulating, which could isolate the external temperature and naturally raise the temperature to a suitable level.

In this environment, this ability becomes particularly attractive.

Of course, Fu Hua is not someone with weak willpower.

If she could, she really wanted to say firmly at that moment, "Put me down."

Unfortunately, precisely because he could sense the problem Su Qing'an was pointing out, he could only pinch Su Qing'an's cheek in frustration and respond sullenly:

"My sword heart has been sealed."

Su Qing'an frowned and asked:

"Seal?"

"Yes, it's as if the cycle of communication with the outside world has been erased. The Mind Lake has passively entered a state of stagnation, and it's unable to control Honkai Energy."

Watching the half-asleep Little Feather sense that its Mind Lake had become difficult to sleep in, it floated into the other's Mind Lake to change beds and continue sleeping soundly. She deeply understood the practical truth that a good bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and her tone became somewhat disheartened as a result.

Su Qing'an's attention was entirely focused on the issues in this area, so she didn't notice Little Feather's little antics.

The strange Frozen Lake were terrifying to him.

Fu Hua may have witnessed many strange and bizarre Honkai Phenomenon during the recent wars and missions, so she can understand the current situation.

This is essentially a thought caused by a lack of experience and a certain degree of ignorance, possibly also due to the relaxed mood fostered by the presence of a teenager.

However, Su Qing'an, who had never heard of this in the previous timeline, was extremely cautious about it.

There is no Honkai Energy near the Frozen Lake area. After actually arriving in this area, the circulation of Honkai Energy between the Void Sword Qi and the outside world became disordered, and the Honkai Energy Domain he built into its framework was also gradually dissipated.

But now it seems that my ability to maintain the normal operation of the Void Sword Qi is probably related to the special Soul Essence, and even the Abyss Flower Domain.

Of these two elements, the former determines the stability of the cyclical structure, while the latter determines that the cycle formed by the soul's framework is not easily disturbed by external factors.

Lacking both of the Frozen Lake elements, Fu Hua found herself in the predicament of having her sword heart sealed, unable to control Honkai Energy, and now too afraid to stand on the lake's surface.

After all, if she couldn't control the Honkai Energy, given the thinness of the ice and the girl's martial arts level, she would probably fall directly into the lake with a splash.

Sensing the mysterious power that was still being exerted, Su Qing'an carried the girl into the sky, gradually moving away from the area of Frozen Lake.

He gazed at the lake, which seemed to recede further and further into the distance, until he reached an altitude of over a thousand meters in the air, at which point he realized that the Honkai Energy Domain had returned to its naturally unfolded state.

Fu Hua sensed the gradually returning color to her Mind Lake and the Honkai Energy she could control nearby; the thin air made her breathing somewhat rapid.

"This place is dangerous. Notify the higher-ups to come and investigate."

The boy's gaze sharpened slightly, and he nodded in agreement.

The Frozen Lake seems to repel environments related to Honkai Energy, but considering that it can interfere with Kenshin, which can almost be considered a mind-body organ, the scope involved is probably even more terrifying.

It even appears to be a phenomenon of the same type and level as its own [Stigmata].

Even the ever-victorious [Stigmata] cannot interfere with the sword heart of others.

From this point of view, compared to the conceptual ability to absorb all the phenomena caused by Honkai energy, the secrets buried under the ice-free lake may be even more beyond common sense, and may even... be able to change the pattern of the entire world.

Su Qing'an harbored the idea of going to explore alone.

From a risk perspective, isolating Honkai Energy is obviously more fatal for Fusion Warrior like Kevin who rely on Honkai Energy to survive.

Furthermore, since Honkai Beast wouldn't be born in this environment, and pure martial arts and physical prowess were sufficient to deal with any unexpected situations in the deep sea, his reasons for wanting to go there were quite valid.

However, considering that Fu Hua was by his side and that there might be unknown risks beneath the Frozen Lake, Su Qing'an decided to wait for Prometheus to send out some necessary equipment and mechanical soldiers before waiting for the right opportunity.

Although I don't know exactly when the phenomenon of Frozen Lake began, I imagine that what I encountered was not the period when this phenomenon first appeared.

Since that's the case, there's no need to rush things.

Having made this decision, Su Qing'an temporarily chose to take Fu Hua back to Iceland.

For the past two weeks, the two have been almost entirely on dates, visiting attractions such as Golden Falls, large geysers, and the Law Rock. Fu Hua, understanding that her partner needed to express his emotions, did not find this "neglect of his duties" objectionable.

Fortunately, no event requiring someone's presence occurred during this period, so the vacation was naturally extended to the present day, when we found the Frozen Lake.

In short, even without Su Qing'an and Fu Hua, the plans and mechanisms of the Moth to Fire are still operating as usual.

During this period, the Fishing Project targeting numerous Honkai Cultist is proceeding as planned.

To prevent public unrest from escalating to an irreversible level, both the upper echelons and the Moth to Fire) agreed that the plan needed a precise timeframe and threshold.

In a few days, it will be time to close the net.

Aside from that, the only other noteworthy event was the appearance of the second Fusion Warrior and the birth of the second Divine Key.

The former signifies that the fusion experiment has entered the initial stage of maturity, and subsequent research will sooner or later put it on the right track, allowing the civilization to produce many more powerful warriors.

The latter, namely the value bestowed by the existence of the Judgment of Shamash, is even more extraordinary. As Divine Key shaped from the Herrscher Core, its upper limit attack power far exceeds the data implied by its Sequence Number.

Kevin Kaslana, as the chosen one of the Divine Key, possesses a genetically determined low-temperature domain that allows him to unleash its full power.

After overcoming the limitations on damage output, and with the Absolute Zero Domain's cage, this warrior's limits are now unlike anything he's ever reached before.

On the other hand, Mei organized the data of the Eighth Herrscher. She believed that the Divine Key created using its core might have a certain possibility of completely eradicating the various aftereffects caused by the missionaries' incitement.

At that time, the existence of the Honkai Cultist will be exposed under the power of the Herrscher of Consciousness, and with the successful completion of this operation, the damage caused by the missionaries can be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

Good news kept coming in, but the undercurrents of tension remained.

About half an hour later, everything was ready.

Based on speculation about the specific environment of the Frozen Lake, the Armed Puppet that had already entered the testing phase were not placed among the arriving troops. Since the latest Mechanical Force were basically equipped with Honkai Energy, only the old troops could be sent.

The rest consisted of Nuclear Submarine transported by transport ships, and a set of heavy underwater armor made entirely of nanomaterials.

All the professional personnel who should have been there were replaced by artificial intelligence. On the other hand, Fu Hua, whose swordsmanship was completely sealed, was not capable of participating in this mission. For safety reasons, Su Qing'an had her stay in the McDonald's's in Iceland, which had only recently been revived, to watch the live broadcast.

In the vast glacial region, the boy faced the cold and lonely wind alone. As countless nanomaterials climbed and covered his body, he sensed the changes in his vision and size, marveling at the wonders of technology. Then, he shattered the ice and dived into the entrance of the Nuclear Submarine hidden in the Seawater.

As the reactor started, this steel behemoth suddenly plunged into the seabed, almost instantly reaching waters with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees Celsius, and continued to descend.

Su Qing'an sat in the center of the control room, his eyes closed, sensing the Honkai Energy Domain naturally dissipating into nothingness, the external circulation becoming increasingly chaotic, and the phenomenon of the sword heart and self gradually separating, making his inner unease grow stronger.

This is the first time I've encountered such a situation since I started practicing the Void Sword Qi.

What is far more terrifying than an opponent you cannot defeat is the inexplicable sealing off of the few things you can hold onto.

Ten minutes later, the external circulation of the Void Sword Qi completely collapsed.

Given the absence of Honkai Energy in the external world, the cycle is an extremely fragile entity. Coupled with bizarre interference, the unique Soul Essence and the Abyss Flower Domain itself cannot sustain it any longer.

The boy gazed at the Honkai Crystal in his hand, which was gradually being worn away until nothingness.

Unable to control Honkai Energy to maintain its existence, the crystal melted like an ice cream in lava, sinking into the silent, surging magma without leaving a trace of [Ashes].

Although it is an ability similar to [Stigmata], it is precisely because [Stigmata] itself is also aimed at the Honkai side that it has completely lost its previous invincible convenience in the current situation.

Su Qing'an struggled to find any clues about the current situation from his limited knowledge base, and he found it difficult to understand the emergence of this strange and bizarre realm.

The most convenient approach, based on the first instinct, is to shift the blame to the Honkai Consciousness itself.

However, as the consciousness that forms the large-scale mechanism for selecting civilizations, Honkai is the most fundamental basis for its existence and the core element for selecting all things.

Leaving aside whether His abilities could actually achieve this result, even if they could, why would He reveal Himself at this moment?

The Frozen Lake itself is something unrelated to the self-will of the Honkai Consciousness; this is the only piece of information that Su Qing'an can roughly confirm.

In addition, attributing the ability to repel Honkai to the opponent of the concept of Honkai itself is also a viable approach.

The Sea of Quantum.

The boy vaguely suspected that there might be a natural anchor point beneath the Frozen Lake that connects to the Sea of Quantum, and that the other side of the anchor point was the source of this secret.

If that's the case.

If civilization can master this secret, humanity will obtain a perfect solution far superior to the current optimal solution of the Divine Key and the Fusion Warrior.

After informing Prometheus of his own conjecture, the Nuclear Submarine's descent rate slowed down even further.

If this place truly is an anchor point connecting to some unknown destination, then Su Qing'an will have to explore it with utmost care.

Imagine plunging headfirst into this space, arriving at some unknown destination on the other side.

Even if Su Qing'an, who is unable to control Honkai Energy, could ignore the combat power element, he might not be able to return to his original region.

Humanity is ultimately a tiny being; even if it possessed world-destroying power, it could not withstand the might of nature.

Su Qing'an might be able to withstand volcanoes and tsunamis, and ignore storms and avalanches.

But what about the massive storms on Neptune's surface that travel at speeds exceeding 1,100 miles per hour? The power of the supernova explosion, the black hole that formed afterward, and even the two gamma-ray bursts that followed?

The world inhabited by human civilization may be unlikely to give rise to such a terrifying catastrophe, but the boundless expanse of the Sea of Quantum may not be limited to it.

Therefore, we must approach exploration with reverence and caution.

Several small reconnaissance robots were positioned in front of the Nuclear Submarine to scout ahead.

After what seemed like an eternity, in some unknown area, the Nuclear Submarine appeared to have traversed some strange boundary in an instant.

Immediately.

The atmosphere was one of sacredness and solemnity, and the boy stared in a daze at the faint, misty, pure white light that seemed to emanate from the perspective of his soul.

It did not originate from external interference, nor from the seduction of power, nor was it a random expression of feelings.

The emergence of this emotion can only be attributed to the idea that it should be this way, that it should be this way.

Su Qing'an examined himself with doubt. He silently stared at the normal image on the screen in the control room. Under Prometheus's question and warning, he opened the entrance and sailed alone toward the end of that radiance and pure white.

The fact that observation can only be made through the perspective of the soul indicates that what lies ahead is neither the anchor point of the Sea of Quantum nor some purely natural environment.

Rather, it is a living organism.

Based on the order of the Herrscher sequence and the nature of their abilities, the other party cannot be Herrscher, much less Honkai Beast.

That can only be -- humankind.

A human possessing the Honkai Energy.

The boy walked toward the source of that radiance. He looked at the obstacles in front of him and stretched out his most primitive fist stance. The Taixuan Style, which had almost become useless in the past, was able to see the light of day again in the dark seabed. The domineering fist force shattered the rock layers along the way into fine dust.

Amidst the deafening roar that shook the earth, the peeling surface revealed an even more ancient layer of ice...

Su Qing'an sensed the increasingly pure white and sacred feeling inside. He shone a searchlight on the ice layer, which was so transparent it was almost like glass, and raised his eyes slightly to see the hazy scene within.

It was like a fairy from an ancient legend, dwelling in an uninhabited forest, signifying the embodiment of nature.

The fairy's young body was completely naked, her milky white skin as healthy and pure as ivory, and her curves were like unripe fruit that could not be picked. Her almost colorless pale hair was scattered in every corner of the ice layer, like graceful lines dancing in a painting.

The girl was about the same age as Su Muxi had imagined. She was neither stunning nor alluring, but simply had a beautiful appearance that could appeal to everyone's aesthetic sense without making them infatuated.

To be precise, no one can judge her specific nationality and origin by her appearance, yet she possesses a harmonious beauty that can be understood by any race or country, and even by any human being.

It can only be described as an incredible existence.

In the brief moment of approaching the source of this power, the boy could even sense a slight burning sensation emanating from the Stigmata given to him by the Herrscher of Death within his body.

Clearly, the output power of this [purification] Honkai Energy is at its maximum at this moment.

In the next instant, Su Qing'an met those pure white eyes, and the cycle of Honkai Energy between his sword heart and the outside world was reconnected.

He could even sense through the naturally expanding Honkai Energy Domain that the Honkai Energy outside the Frozen Lake was naturally flowing into this place, restoring it to the normal threshold.

All the strangeness was erased with the awakening of this mysterious girl.

The ice layer is cracking inch by inch.

The boy gazed at the image of her skin being cut open and bleeding bright red blood. As he pondered this, dark sparks flew from his fingertips, instantly shattering the image.

He was thus able to hold the petite child in his arms, and as the power of the Black Abyss White Flower touched the other, it tentatively repaired the wounds completely.

That wondrous [purification] power seemed to have vanished without a trace, and the interference of Honkai Energy and the correction of authority were not affected in the slightest.

Even though the [purification] ability has temporarily vanished, this unprecedented and unheard-of soul is enough to prove a great deal.

The purity, intensity, and uniqueness of the girl's soul even surpassed her own ability to resist interference from the Herrscher of Consciousness.

This is very abnormal, but no matter how absurd, unbelievable, or illogical it may be.

Su Qing'an was only certain of one thing.

This child is purely human.