242 - Elasia Saga

The vast sky bore witness as a pearl radiating with sinister energy streaked through the clouds and entered the decaying Frost Blossom Palace, heading straight for the forbidden area without any hesitation. Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li exchanged glances, their brows slightly furrowed. They found it quite unexpected that the magic-gathering pearl could so abruptly breach the barrier Fu Yan had set. Observing the dark aura, Fu Yan realized that this thread of energy was brought to the pinnacle of the Demon Pool by her. During her dual cultivation session with Bai Yue Li, the energy was busily absorbing the pool's power, thus restoring a significant portion of its strength. As a sanctified training ground in the demonic realm, the Demon Pool's energy was a tremendous boon for the magic essence. Fortunately, Fu Yan hadn't lingered there too long, meaning the current situation hadn't reached a critical point. They could manage the situation as long as they regained control over the magical thread. However, she murmured to herself, “Why did it head toward the forbidden area? Could it be...?” as her eyes riveted back to the magic-gathering pearl, scrutinizing it intently. In the next instant, a sudden realization hit her, causing her eyes to widen in shock. “There might be something in the forbidden area,” Bai Yue Li paused before continuing from Fu Yan’s revelation, her clear eyes also filled with astonishment. The change in the direction of the magic thread's escape was not so simple; there was surely something inside the forbidden zone that was extremely beneficial to it. Despite their conjecture, Fu Yan found it inconceivable: “How could that be? Frost Blossom Palace has been desolate for over a millennium. With its spiritual energy depleted and no living creatures around, even if the forbidden area once suppressed evil beings, they should have ceased to exist long ago.” Recalling the prior visit to the forbidden ground where they saw massive stone pillars and rusted iron chains, Fu Yan couldn’t shake off her belief that something was once indeed contained there. But now, with everything dead and silent, could something still remain? High above, the faces of Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li darkened. Should the magical thread absorb a formidable evil entity, its power would certainly surge. While it couldn't bring about a catastrophe, battling the two of them would likely be an effortless feat. The realization prompted both Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li to hasten their pace. In mere moments, they entered the perimeter of the forbidden area of Frost Blossom Palace. At that point, the magic-gathering pearl quickly vanished behind the mountain, leaving no trace as if it had disappeared into thin air. Rumble! The platform above the forbidden area began to shake violently, causing massive boulders to tumble into an ancient riverbed, now dry. Fu Yan maintained her furrowed brow, and just as she was about to swiftly move toward the stone pillars beneath the mountain platform, she suddenly sensed a familiar energy entering the ruins of Frost Blossom Palace. She halted briefly, looking back, as Bai Yue Li did the same, both of their gazes fastened on the approaching figure. Lu Xiao Wen dashed up to them within a breath's duration, his complexion clearly troubled. “What have you done?” Lu Xiao Wen asked, looking between them and the activity in the sacred area, a hint of horror flickering in his eyes. Judging by his reaction, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li realized their suspicions were correct: indeed, something lay beneath the forbidden area. With no time for lengthy explanations, Fu Yan sternly asked Lu Xiao Wen, “What lies within the forbidden area?” Lu Xiao Wen replied, “I don’t know.” Surprised by his answer, Fu Yan assumed he was withholding information. Her gaze cooled as she insisted, “There’s no time for secrets. Since I've passed the trials and become the new master of Frost Blossom Palace, what should be kept from me?” Lu Xiao Wen met her stare deeply and responded, “The secret of the forbidden area is known only to each palace master, and no others may inquire or set foot inside.” In truth, this was his first step into the forbidden zone. Fu Yan was speechless. With the palace itself long extinct, Fu Yan’s abrupt ascension to leadership meant these deep secrets had not been passed on to her. Finally withdrawing her gaze, Bai Yue Li quickly darted toward the area behind the forbidden zone, urgency evident in her movements. “We’re running out of time,” she declared. Seeing this, Fu Yan followed swiftly after, reaching the mountain’s peak in a blink. Lu Xiao Wen, however, lingered, watching the activity below with a sigh of resignation. With a sudden movement, Lu Xiao Wen raised one hand, unleashing a surge of spiritual power that shot up like a pillar of light in the ruins of the palace, causing a tremor to ripple through the entire space. Outside the snowy mountain, a massive bird carrying a figure swiftly came to a halt above the domain. Before she reached the summit, Shui Liu Qing noticed the beam of spiritual light erupting within Frost Blossom Palace and halted, sensing something amiss. With no time to spare, Shui Liu Qing leaped from the construct and headed straight for the ruins. However, just as she was about to enter, an overwhelming energy radiated from the ruins, causing an unseen force to close in from every direction. Within moments, the ruins of Frost Blossom Palace vanished completely, and the internal space seemed abruptly sealed. Just shy of entering, Shui Liu Qing paused in shock. Simultaneously, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li, having steadied themselves within the forbidden zone, noticed the sudden resealing of Frost Blossom Palace. Both glanced up as Lu Xiao Wen also descended swiftly. “Why seal Frost Blossom Palace like this?” Bai Yue Li asked, turning to face him. “Ancestral decree,” Lu Xiao Wen replied calmly, now regaining his typical composure. “If any event occurs in the forbidden area, Frost Blossom Palace must be sealed immediately.” Although unclear about the full implication of this ancestral command, Lu Xiao Wen felt compelled to follow it as it seemingly unfolded before him. Fu Yan, accepting of this situation, was unfazed. After all, Bai Yue Li possessed the power to tear open space, allowing them to escape in the face of danger. Now, Fu Yan’s eyes drifted back to the enormous stone pillars below. Clang! As if on cue, the heavy chains snapped and scattered, the adjacent pillars collapsing, engulfed in a cloud of dust. Out of nowhere, a torrent of malevolent energy surged, enveloping the entire forbidden area. The three atop the mountain surveyed their surroundings, observing the aura with a cold glint. The dark energy thickened, and the ground beneath them trembled violently, as if something was struggling to burst forth. “There,” Lu Xiao Wen stated with composure, his formidable mental acuity cutting through the dense shroud of demonic aura to identify the source. Both Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li followed his gaze, witnessing a rounded object slowly rising through the thick miasma. As it ascended, its form gradually became discernible—a terrifying head. The flesh had long decayed, leaving only a skeletal cranium shrouded in a thin layer of crimson skin. An asymmetrical horn jutted from one side, with a sparse patch of hair lightly swaying in the breeze. Fu Yan’s eyes widened, fixating on the hollow eyes of the skull. There, a tiny wisp of flame flickered—an ethereal blue hue, fragile as if it might extinguish at any moment. Meanwhile, the magic-gathering pearl had taken residence within the skull, where the thread of magic essence remained, seemingly locked in a standoff with the flame. Lu Xiao Wen furrowed his brows and firmly announced, “It’s the head of the Chua Mo.” Chua Mo—an ancient and terrifying demonic creature. At its peak, its power was so formidable that even the elders of heavenly beings would struggle to contend with it. In the past millennium, the Transcendent Continent had enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace, with creatures as fearsome as Chua Mo being absent for a significant period. Lu Xiao Wen recalled that when he first embarked on his path of cultivation, a terrifyingly powerful Chua Mo had emerged on the continent. Back then, it took the combined might of the eight supreme sects to barely defeat it. As he looked at the skull before him, Lu Xiao Wen realized that the Chua Mo's body must have been divided into multiple parts, with the uncontrollable head being suppressed in the forbidden area of Frost Blossom Palace. Although neither Fu Yan nor Bai Yue Li had personally encountered a Chua Mo, they were well aware of its legendary status. The sight of the skull suspended in the air left them both visibly amazed. "What is that bead?" Lu Xiao Wen questioned, easily deducing that the Chua Mo's consciousness should have perished after millennia of suppression. The fact that it now sought resurgence was undoubtedly due to the bead’s influence. "It’s a magic essence," Fu Yan explained. "What... what did you say?" Lu Xiao Wen stammered, staring stiffly at Fu Yan, as if he had misheard her. Boom! Suddenly, the magic-gathering pearl burst open, disintegrating into fragments within the Chua Mo's skull. The small flicker of flame that lingered within was snuffed out entirely.