Jizai Chuan glanced at the two figures, opened his mouth in a wry smile, finally let out a soft sigh, and with a flash, retreated thousands of feet away in an instant.

"Clang!"

The moment Jizai Chuan departed, Lian Guang clenched his palm, and the snow beneath suddenly shuddered downwards. A square, golden outline erupted from the snow, forming an impenetrable barrier that enveloped both Tia and Lian Guang.

"Now, you can't run," Lian Guang tilted his head slightly, gazing coolly at Tia. "I want to see just how capable the new generation's Four Seal Emissary truly is."

Tia paid no heed to the surrounding barrier. Her eyes slowly narrowed as she looked at Lian Guang. "It is you who cannot run. You will regret this…"

Her voice was abruptly torn apart by a sharp, rending sound.

Lian Guang’s hand shot upward, and the Earth God Sword materialized in his palm, blasting forth like lightning. The razor-sharp arc of the blade sliced the air as if it were silk. Swift as an electric streak, it flashed past Tia's eyes, and in the next instant, it hovered directly between her eyebrows.

Tia recoiled violently backward. The surrounding air twisted together like thick iron chains, whipping out with sharp crackles against the Earth God Sword, producing the sharp sound of metal colliding.

Lian Guang snatched his hand, and the Earth God Sword retracted, suspending itself above his head. He lifted his chin slightly, fixing Tia with a cold stare. "Is that all you’ve got?"

Tia stopped moving, her feet amidst swirling, flying snow. A faint flush colored her cheeks, and she was panting softly. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a piece of flesh on her cheek slowly slough off. She froze momentarily, her pupils instantly contracting. She rapidly mobilized the vital energy within her body, forcing the detached piece of bloody skin to mend itself, then stared intently at the divine sword hovering over Lian Guang’s head. The sword was entirely crimson-gold, shrouded in a shimmering golden halo, its tip wickedly sharp and keen.

Her voice carried a note of grave tremor. "That is… the Earth God Sword?"

"Indeed," Lian Guang smiled. "So you recognize it. You are the first person I've fought with this sword since I obtained it. How did that feel just now?"

Unsuppressed terror flared in Tia's eyes. "How could you have obtained this divine sword? Didn't it disappear? How is it in your hands!"

Lian Guang smiled enigmatically and twitched his fingers. The Earth God Sword above his head roared out, flashing with untold divine radiance, engulfing Tia’s entire body in a storm of sword light—like immense, razor-sharp peaks crashing down upon her.

"It's over…" Lian Guang sighed softly, a hint of regret in his tone.

North of the Ice and Snow Empire, in Nobir City.

The Celestial Dao Divine Ark howled in from the distant sky and docked above the city. Ye Chen dispatched one of the peak Divine Emperor powerhouses he had enslaved during the contest for the fragments of the Ancient God’s Dwelling key. After sending the captive to scout for news and secure a map, Ye Chen followed the charted trajectory onward toward the Snow Territory.

Originally, Ye Chen’s awakened memory fragments provided the precise location of the Snow Territory. However, those memories were from countless eons ago; the Ancient Continent had shifted slightly due to tectonic movements, causing positional deviations. Therefore, a current map was required to ascertain the exact coordinates.

"We aren't far now, are we?" Bai Yijun asked with concern.

Ye Chen squeezed her hand, pondering. "With the Mark of the Law of Wind gifted to me by the Founding Ancestor of the Ten Pavilions, my current strength is entirely different from before. There shouldn't be any issues. Rest assured."

Bai Yijun nodded lightly, though worry still lingered on her face.

The Celestial Dao Divine Ark's engines spun violently, expelling blue plasma flames from its thrusters, pushing the vessel onward into the distance.

The Ice and Snow Empire, Dragon Mirror Lake.

The immense lake was as tranquil as a polished mirror. Towering, majestic peaks stood sentinel on both shores. The remnants of the sunset’s glow illuminated the massive surface ahead, causing the water to shimmer and sparkle with a warm, yellow radiance, as if countless grains of golden sand were flowing across the lake—a sight of indescribable beauty.

Several figures emerged from the dense forest lining the lake's edge, led by a slender girl in white, followed by a stooped old man and a young couple.

The group reached the water's edge. The lake water gently lapped against the muddy banks, washing the sand and stones smooth, faintly revealing the colorful pebbles scattered near the shore.

Ye Zhu gazed out into the distance, the setting sun bathing her in a warm, golden glow. Sosi, standing behind her, couldn't help but ask, "Emissary Lord, is this the Snow Territory?"

"Yes." Ye Zhu nodded gently. She raised her hand and pointed forward softly. A white halo, like a shimmering needle point, shot out, piercing straight toward the center of the lake, striking what appeared to be a transparent wall and causing a ripple of colorless distortion.

Then, before the astonished eyes of Sosi and the others, the seemingly transparent air began to undulate. A vertical wave twisted open in the middle, accompanied by a deep, thunderous roar like crashing drums. Dazzling white light pierced through the distorted, translucent ripple, sharp and scorching like the spines on a hedgehog’s back. It was as if an invisible door was slowly pulling apart at the seams, the white light intensifying and spreading horizontally.

It then revealed itself fully before them.

The white light slowly subsided and vanished. In the air before them hung a vast horizontal banner: a silver-white world of ice and snow, where distant glaciers and howling blizzards could be vaguely discerned.

Light sparked in Ye Zhu’s eyes. She took a soft step forward and instantly appeared before the horizontally opened gate. Sosi, Uncle Long, and Xuenna followed closely behind, their hearts filled with awe. They had never imagined that such a secret existed in this ancient world, undiscovered by anyone.

"This inside… is the Snow Territory?" Sosi murmured in shock.

Uncle Long frowned, staring intently within, seemingly deep in thought.

Xuenna asked with curiosity, "How is it that no one has noticed this place over all these years? Given the history of the Ancient World, surely someone would have stumbled upon this secret by chance after so much time."

Ye Zhu shook her head slightly. "It wouldn't happen, because this is the domain of a monstrosity. That 'Thing' guards what lies below. No one below the Epoch Realm strength could possibly arrive here alive. The number of Epoch Realm powerhouses to ever appear in the entire history of the Ancient World is exceedingly small, and the territory is vast. It is quite normal that few discovered this place." She then moved forward. "Let's go, or it will be troublesome if that 'Thing' wakes up."

"That Thing?" Uncle Long paused.

"Yes, right beneath our feet," Ye Zhu said softly. She turned and walked into the scroll-like expanse of the Snow Territory, her figure vanishing as if passing through a sheet of transparent water.

Uncle Long, Xuenna, and the others couldn't help but look down. They saw that in the water of the lake below, which had been clear, a massive, dark shadow was gradually becoming deeper and clearer, seemingly rising toward the surface. The pupils of the three instantly contracted, and they darted quickly into the Snow Territory, disappearing from sight.

After they entered, the colossal black shadow in the lake paused briefly, then slowly sank its head, vanishing completely.

The scroll-like gateway to the Snow Territory also slowly closed.

The lake returned to stillness, illuminated only by the warm yellow sunlight reflecting off its surface, casting a golden afterglow.

West of the town of Wellman, within the dense forest.

"Rumble!"

Countless sword-shaped light blades converged, resembling a shoal of glimmering deep-sea fish, transforming into a booming pillar of silver-tinged light that slammed downward fiercely.

The earth shook violently, the ground lifting and falling like drifting silk. Snow was blasted into the air by the impact. The descending snow mixed with the sword light in a scene of profound, tragic beauty.

Jizai Chuan stood on a branch of a massive tree in the distance, the biting cold wind whipping his clothes into a frenzy. He looked down at the battle within the barrier, his brow furrowed slightly. He muttered softly, "I didn't expect the Earth God Sword's power to be this immense. My Heaven-Slaying Dagger cannot compare. If we truly clashed head-on, an ordinary Void Heaven artifact would likely be severed by one strike."

"It seems it’s about to end…"

Before he could finish his thought, he was suddenly interrupted. His eyes widened in astonishment, as if witnessing a monster. He stared at the center of the sword-light storm, where a faint, hazy, distorted black shadow was slowly rising. The figure, tall and slender, stood firm in the heart of the tempest, appearing casual and natural, showing not the slightest sign of strain.

Lian Guang’s brow furrowed. He raised his hand, and the myriad sword lights seemed to obey his will, drawing back toward his palm like whales returning to the deep. After the first Earth God Sword settled back into his hand, all the countless other sword shadows followed, overlapping onto the divine sword he held. When all the residual light had coalesced, the falling snow began to drift down softly. On the other side of the swirling snow, the tall figure stood quietly. Only after the snow fully settled did he see clearly: Tia stood there, a faint smile on her face. She raised a slender, pale finger and delicately flicked a speck of dust from her robe. She appeared entirely unharmed.

Lian Guang’s gaze lifted to her head.

Hovering above her head was a small, golden shield, no larger than the palm of a hand, emanating a brilliant golden brilliance.

"The Earth Shield!"

Lian Guang, and Jizai Chuan standing on the distant branch, exclaimed in shock almost simultaneously.

Lian Guang quickly regained his composure, staring intently at Tia with a frown. Jizai Chuan in the distance looked somewhat stunned, murmuring to himself, "No wonder. I thought the Four Seal Emissary couldn't be this weak; the rumors described her as a true terror… To actually possess the Earth Shield! This treasure ranks even higher than the Earth God Sword among the Seven Great Treasures—it is ranked second!"

"Legend says that with this shield, all physical and indirect energy attacks can be ignored; only mental assaults are effective."

"This changes things…" His gaze shifted back to Lian Guang’s retreating form, his brow knitting. "This is trouble…"