Ice Abyss Soul Devouring and Star Track Omen

The warning within Chang'an felt like a tiny thorn, piercing Su Yan's heart. The faint tremor from the compass, suddenly pointing towards a familiar general store before fading, was enough to put him on alert. The End Times Cult's influence might be far more extensive than he imagined, possibly even having infiltrated the seemingly safe imperial capital.

He informed Mo Hen and Bai Zhi of the matter. Mo Hen, after a moment of silence, stated he would use his intelligence network to investigate the store and its surroundings covertly. Bai Zhi, her face etched with worry, reminded them to be more cautious in their movements within the city from now on.

However, the mission in the Ice Abyss Valley of the Northern Continent of Jizhou was pressing. The internal threat could only be temporarily left to Mo Hen's vigilance. After a brief preparation, the trio set off again, their target set on the extremely cold region capable of freezing even souls.

The further north they traveled, the more severe the cold became. The biting wind, laced with ice crystals, felt like countless tiny knives slicing at any exposed skin. Ordinary cold-weather gear was no longer sufficient. Su Yan had to constantly circulate the Star Refining Body Art, using the faint warmth generated by the power of the stars to resist the chill. Little Big Dipper seemed to adapt well to the cold, its shell's star patterns shimmering brightly against the snow, making it even more active. Bai Zhi, meanwhile, conjured a small, warm spiritual energy shield that enveloped the three of them. Mo Hen remained silent, but his movements were noticeably more cautious, and his mechanical beasts were also significantly hindered by the snowy terrain.

Following the mission scroll's guidance, they arrived at the entrance of the Ice Abyss Valley. It was a bottomless chasm, flanked by millennia-old solidified ice, resembling a hideous scar on the earth. Even before getting close, an extreme cold, far surpassing anything outside, capable of freezing blood and thought, washed over them. Mixed within it was a familiar, heart-pounding sense of erosion – similar to the Guixu aura at Falling Star Lake, yet carrying the unique stillness and purity of the ice plains.

"The cold air is strange. It's not just the low temperature; it's more like a... living, devouring energy," Bai Zhi said, her face grim. The willow branch in her hand trembled slightly as she sensed the malice contained within the environment ahead.

Su Yan unfolded his compass. Its silver light was particularly striking in the dim entrance of the ice abyss. On the Star Map, the area representing the Ice Abyss Valley was covered by a dense, constantly churning deep blue, interspersed with wisps of ominous black and dark red. Several points of intense energy readings were scattered deep within the canyon.

"The source of the abnormal cold mentioned in the mission likely isn't just one place. Everyone be careful; the dangers here might be more than just the environment and monsters," Su Yan said gravely.

The trio cautiously stepped into the Ice Abyss Valley. The light inside was extremely dim, with only the faint phosphorescence from the ice walls themselves and a sliver of sky occasionally filtering down from the top of the rift. The ground beneath their feet was a smooth, hard ice surface, requiring extreme caution to traverse. The surroundings were terrifyingly silent; even the sound of the wind seemed frozen here.

After advancing only a few hundred meters, the attack came without warning. The ice walls on both sides exploded, and several Ice Abyss Soul Devouring Beasts (Level 28), composed entirely of dark blue solid ice with pale flames flickering in their eyes, lunged out! They emitted no physical roars, but their attacks directly targeted the soul. Their icy claws swept through the air, creating streams of cold currents that could freeze mental energy!

"Watch out for mental attacks!" Su Yan shouted. The Starlight Bodyguard's light instantly enveloped his entire body, and simultaneously, an Immobilization Talisman shot towards the leading Soul Devouring Beast.

Little Big Dipper roared and charged forward without fear. Its physical attacks were less effective against these elemental creatures, but its Starfire skill was potent. The silver-white ice flames scorched the Soul Devouring Beasts' dark blue bodies, emitting "hissing" sounds and effectively dispelling some of their cold currents and soul erosion effects!

Mo Hen's mechanical beasts had trouble moving on the slippery ice, but he himself moved like a phantom, wielding two short blades. His figure flickered as he precisely targeted the relatively fragile ice crystals at the joints of the Soul Devouring Beasts. Bai Zhi, meanwhile, maintained the Heart Calming Incantation domain at full power, resisting the pervasive soul-freezing effects and preparing for healing at any moment.

The battle was more difficult than anticipated. These Ice Abyss Soul Devouring Beasts not only attacked in strange ways but were also adept at using the environment, sometimes blending into the ice walls for surprise attacks or triggering ice spikes from the ground. The team of three and one beast gradually found their rhythm: Su Yan controlled and unleashed power, Mo Hen weaved through and broke points, Bai Zhi supported and defended, and Little Big Dipper engaged head-on, distracting and countering with elemental advantages. Despite occasional close calls, they managed to hold their ground.

After clearing out this wave of Soul Devouring Beasts, everyone took a moment to catch their breath. Su Yan noticed that upon death, these monsters did not leave behind their usual materials. Instead, they dissolved into a wisp of pure Soul Devouring Cold Qi, containing traces of ice and deathly stillness. His compass automatically absorbed a portion of it, and its repair progress increased by a barely perceptible 0.1%!

"The abnormal energy here can also repair the compass?" Su Yan's heart stirred. This was an unexpected discovery.

They continued deeper, following the compass's guidance towards the energy reading with the strongest signal. Along the way, they encountered several more waves of Soul Devouring Beasts and a type of Ice Abyss Frost Condenser (Level 29) capable of spewing Sluggish Ice Breath. The battles grew fiercer, but the team's coordination became more seamless, and their experience points and the compass's repair progress steadily increased.

Finally, they reached the marked location – a massive ice cave on the side wall of the Ice Abyss Valley. The cold within was even more intense. In the center, a constantly rotating vortex composed of deep blue ice crystals and black energy swirled – one of the sources of the abnormal cold! Scattered around the vortex were several petrified corpses of cultivators, frozen in expressions of terror, clearly explorers who had met their end here not long ago.

"It's an 'Ice Devouring Vortex' formed by a mixture of 'Guixu' and extreme cold energy," Bai Zhi identified the nature of the energy, her voice trembling slightly. "It's constantly drawing in earth vein cold energy and the life force of souls to strengthen itself!"

As they observed, the Ice Devouring Vortex seemed to sense the presence of living beings, and its rotation suddenly accelerated! Several streams of deep blue cold energy, mixed with black light, shot out like tentacles. Simultaneously, from the center of the vortex, a massive Ice Devouring Lord (Level 30, Elite Boss), condensed from ice and dark energy, slowly rose. Its hollow eye sockets locked onto the group!

"Prepare for battle!" Su Yan roared, knowing the true test had arrived.

The Ice Devouring Lord's attacks were ferocious and bizarre. It could not only unleash area-of-effect ice attacks but also release the Nirvana Cold Domain, which directly froze magical power, and the Soul Devouring Whisper, which eroded the mind. The entire ice cave instantly transformed into a death trap!

Su Yan pushed the Starlight Bodyguard to its limit. The Wood Escape was used frequently in the confined space to dodge fatal ice shard impacts. The Soul Chasing Talisman (Corrosion) was deployed in combat for the first time. The purple lightning and black-striped talisman struck the Ice Devouring Lord, indeed dealing considerable additional damage. The wisps of black energy clung like a persistent curse, constantly eroding its energy body, eliciting silent roars from it.

Mo Hen recalled his mechanical beast and focused on using his agility and short blades, like a precise surgeon, specifically targeting the nodes where the Ice Devouring Lord's energy flowed. Although extremely risky, it effectively interrupted several of its powerful skill incantations. Bai Zhi's Heart Calming Incantation barely stopped. The Universal Salvation aura struggled to maintain a small patch of life within the Nirvana Cold Domain. Her face grew paler, and her magical energy consumption was immense.

Little Big Dipper served as the absolute main damage dealer. Relying on its natural resistance to cold and the purifying properties of Starfire, it relentlessly engaged the Ice Devouring Lord. Its claws and fangs, enhanced by the Armor Shattering Talisman, continuously left deep wounds on the opponent's body. It even attempted to inject Starfire into the wounds torn open by the Soul Chasing Talisman (Corrosion), triggering small-scale energy detonations!

The battle was incredibly brutal. Everyone fought with all their might, consuming pills like candy. Su Yan found himself in peril multiple times, only escaping thanks to Wood Escape and Mo Hen's timely assistance. Bai Zhi, due to excessive exertion, even had a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.

Just as the Ice Devouring Lord's health was nearing depletion, unleashing its final, frenzied counterattack, and the entire ice cave began to collapse, Su Yan had an epiphany and once again activated the compass's Star Track Deduction!

His spiritual energy burned intensely, and countless fragments of the future flashed before his eyes. He saw a fleeting energy channel node connecting to the earth veins within the Ice Devouring Lord's core!

"Attack three inches below its chest, that spot where the ice crystals and black energy intertwine!" Su Yan shouted hoarsely.

Hearing this, Mo Hen didn't hesitate. He darted forward like a phantom, his twin blades whistling through the air, and precisely pierced that node! Little Big Dipper's Starfire and Su Yan's final Soul Chasing Talisman (Corrosion) arrived simultaneously!

"BOOM--!!!"

The core node was destroyed. The Ice Devouring Lord let out a final, unwilling howl, its massive body crumbling into a shower of ice crystals and pure Ice Devouring Origin. The Ice Devouring Vortex also slowly subsided and dissipated.

[System: Successfully destroyed the 'Ice Devouring Vortex', defeated the 'Ice Devouring Lord'! Gained a large amount of experience points!]

[System: Congratulations on leveling up to Level 25!]

[System: Your summoned beast 'Little Big Dipper' has leveled up to Level 25!]

[System: [Damaged Compass] absorbed a large amount of Ice Devouring Origin, repair progress increased to 53%!]

The white light of leveling up flashed successively, and a surge of power dispelled some of their fatigue. The ice cave was in disarray, but the crisis was finally over.

Bai Zhi collapsed to the ground weakly and immediately began meditating to recover. Mo Hen leaned against the ice wall, wiping his short blades, his breathing somewhat uneven. Little Big Dipper excitedly circled Su Yan, bearing wounds but full of spirit.

Su Yan looked at the compass in his hand, its repair progress increased once more, and the few wisps of pure Ice Devouring Origin on the ground. Just as he was about to relax, his expression suddenly changed!

The moment the Ice Devouring Vortex dissipated and the energy field in the area temporarily stabilized, the compass issued another warning! This time, it wasn't directed at this location but a much vaguer, yet grander, vision that, through the power of Star Track Deduction, forcibly intruded into his mind—

It was a boundless, desolate land burning with dark red flames, under a sky with a black sun. In the center of the land, a massive altar, built from bones and despair, was slowly rising. Upon the altar, a figure, indistinct yet exuding an aura that made the entire starry sky tremble, was slowly opening eyes like abysses... And beneath the altar, he saw countless familiar, twisted cocoons, and... flowing with foul blood, like veins spread across the land... Earth Vein Erosion Cores!

At the end of the vision, a colossal claw, burning with the fire of the apocalypse, descended from the sky, fiercely grasping at a faintly glowing, eerily familiar world bubble – the world he was in!

The vision abruptly ended.

Su Yan violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning as pale as paper, his body swaying precariously. This forced reception of the "omen" far exceeded his mental capacity!

"Brother Su!"

"What's wrong?"

Mo Hen and Bai Zhi, sensing his abnormality, rushed to support him.

Su Yan gasped for breath, his eyes filled with unprecedented horror. He grabbed Mo Hen's arm, his voice hoarse and urgent:

"Their target... isn't simple pollution... it's sacrifice! They want to sacrifice the life force and earth veins of the entire world to usher in the arrival of some... indescribable being! Time... is running out!"

The cold wind of the Ice Abyss Valley, blowing on the three of them now, brought a bone-chilling cold and a profound sense of impending doom.