Chapter 2790 - 933-946

Chapter 933 - State Of Emptiness

After reviewing the information in the Emptiness Sutra, Leon seated himself in the standard position for meditation and started reciting the sutra's words in his mind.

'Emptiness is tranquility, and tranquility is peace; outer peace is freedom, but inner peace is enlightenment. Let go of all desires, let go of all worries, think nothing, be free, be empty, and be nothing.'

'Everything is not nothing, but nothing is everything… Life is meaningless, and possessions are worthless… Attention is fixation, thoughts are burdens, and reasons are chains… Be free, be nothing…'

Leon recited the sutra, but the deeper he went, the more creases formed on his forehead.

At first, the sutra seemed normal, showing the way to achieve the state of emptiness. However, the latter parts turned rather depressive and suicidal. It was like the sutra was saying he had nothing worth living for and should just die.

Nevertheless, Leon tried not to think too deeply into the sutra's words and just recite them without thinking.

However, reasons compelled him to think.

The Emptiness Sutra's words were simply too confusing to understand that it gave him a headache as he dwelled on it.

'Ugh, how are these the words of a wise monk imparting the ways of achieving the state of emptiness? These are more like the words of a drunken monk!' Leon thought with a big frown.

But as the Emptiness Sutra said, think nothing, and be nothing. Recite the sutra without thinking, and he will achieve emptiness.

However, the more Leon recited, the more his head hurt, and even his blood started to boil with anger.

Buddhist sutras were supposed to calm the mind, but this one only agitated him and filled him with frustration.

'This doesn't make any sense… How am I supposed to recite such confusing words without thinking?' Leon furrowed his brows, and his veins protruded.

Reciting the Emptiness Sutra was like a form of self-torture.

The second verse was like a big puzzle, triggering his OCD. He can't help but think about it; he had to understand it. It was challenging him to think when he shouldn't.

'Is this Emptiness Sutra the bane of my existence or something?' Leon wondered with frustration.

He knew that the harder he thought about the sutra's verses, the more agitated he'd be. Perhaps, he would even spit blood in frustration.

'The first verse is about thinking nothing… Maybe the second verse is about seeing nothing?' Leon wondered. 'Argh, this is hurting my brain.'

In the end, Leon comprehended the way to switch his brain off when he recited the sutra.

However, it was also that moment that he realized switching off his brain was the answer to entering the state of emptiness.

Leon's lips twitched.

'What a nightmare. If I didn't realize this, I would have been stuck in an endless loop of "what the f*ck does this sutra even mean?" and suffer deviation in my cultivation or something.'

Eventually, Leon managed to recite the sutra without thinking anything.

And some time afterward, he didn't need to recite anything to think absolutely nothing. In that instance, he entered the state of emptiness.

A few moments later, his eyes flickered before he exited the state of emptiness.

Entering the state of emptiness was just the start of the Emptiness Sutra; it was the initial success. To master the Emptiness Sutra is to enter and leave the state of emptiness freely.

After exiting the state of emptiness, Leon exercised to enter the state of emptiness again.

After entering and leaving the state of emptiness for the third time, Leon realized the state of emptiness wasn't as simple as just having no thoughts.

In the state of emptiness, his body's energy consumption would be reduced to the bare minimum, and he wouldn't feel hunger or anything. It was a state of dormancy that could even slow down his aging, thereby allowing him to live longer.

But as incredible as its sounds, Leon didn't find it appealing.

What's the point of living longer if you can't do anything? He wasn't interested in living a long life as a block of wood.

After entering and leaving the state of emptiness for the fifth time, Leon made an even more incredible discovery.

'Incredible. I didn't realize sooner because I don't stay in the state of emptiness for long. However, my mental strength recovers at a much quicker rate when I am in the state of emptiness,' Leon's eyes flickered with surprise.

Nevertheless, after listing all the benefits, Leon realized why Buddhist monks in the mortal realms meditate; they all strived to achieve the state of emptiness.

However, Leon only spent half an hour to achieve the state of emptiness, something that would take mortal monks years to an entire lifetime to achieve.

Leon also realized why the Emptiness Sutra survived to the present era.

It wasn't a cultivation technique, but it wasn't any less incredible than those primordial cultivation methods.

'Maya recommended such a great sutra to me. I should do something for her to express my gratitude,' Leon mused.

Nevertheless, another half-hour passed before Aria, Darlene, and Faelyn finished resting. Finally, they were back to their peak states and ready to continue the journey.

"Everyone good to go?" Leon asked them.

At the same time, Aria and Darlene were astonished by Leon's lively look. They all had the same amount of rest, but it seemed like Leon's rest was much more effective than theirs.

"Yeah," Aria, Darlene, and Faelyn replied, nonetheless.

After packing up the camp, the group continued to venture deeper into the depths of Extreme Misty Forest.

Several dozen miles deep into the forest, nothing about the scenery changed. It was the same black trees and thick white mist all around.

The only difference was the level of the vengeful spirits they encountered. They were all High Rank 1 Transcendents to Peak Rank 1 Transcendents.

At a certain point, they started to encounter Early Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits. Nevertheless, the group had no trouble dealing with them.

"We've started encountering Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits more frequently in this place," Aria mentioned. "Would Mother-in-law be alright if she ventured this deep?"

"That's what I'm worried about," Leon replied with a big frown.

Chapter 934 - Faelyn's Discovery

"Mo—er… Her Majesty is a Peak Preliminary Accession-stage Transcendent. Furthermore, Her Majesty didn't leave to look for Lynne until she comprehended Sword Intent. So, given Her Majesty's ample preparation, I don't think Early Rank 1 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits would be a problem for Her Majesty," Faelyn assured.

However, Leon shook his head with a sigh.

"A Metal Transcendent with Sword Intent indeed has great combat prowess, but that it only against physical beings. My mother's attacks won't be effective against spiritual beings," Leon stated.

Then, he added with a slight smile, "You can just call her mother in the future."

"Mm," Faelyn nodded.

In truth, she had been calling Queen Elizabeth mother for quite a while now.

However, she thought it would displease Leon if she said it. After all, they only had a few intimate contacts. They had yet to take the final step.

She didn't want Leon to think she was getting ahead of herself.

Nevertheless, Leon knew his mother also had the fire element. However, the fire element was something that his mother didn't focus on cultivating—or rather, she completely neglected it.

Furthermore, Faelyn didn't mention anything about it. Thus, he assumed that remained the case up until his mother went to look for Lynne.

"Sorry… If only my cultivation base were higher, I could have been able to expand my search range further," Faelyn apologized with a discouraged look shortly after.

She thought she could have been useful with her ability. However, five days of searching without results had made her lose her confidence.

Nevertheless, Leon wouldn't blame Faelyn for something like that.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Faelyn. This isn't your fault. Even if your cultivation were higher, it would still be far from enough to cover the entire misty forest," Leon said with a sigh.

They had followed the frozen trail underground. However, the singular pathway branched off into multiple more paths after entering Extreme Misty Forest's territory.

Even if they backtracked and picked a different route, they might not necessarily find his mother either.

If they ended up backtracking to explore all the possible routes, it was very likely that they would have wasted time searching in circles instead.

That's why it was essential to understand Lynne's purpose in Extreme Misty Forest. By following her objective, it would lead them to her.

In this case, Lynne's objective was the source of Extreme Misty Forest's cold mist.

Of course, Lynne's purpose could have been to destroy the underground energy conversion towers in Extreme Misty Forest like the ones he had seen along the way.

However, he had already borrowed the Authority of Earth to scour the entire Extreme Misty Forest's underground region. He didn't find any underground cavities or energy conversion towers beyond Extreme Misty Forest's inner region.

If Lynne proceeded without that knowledge, one of two things would happen; she would explore the central region for the power source or return to New Capital.

If it was the first possibility, then they were heading in the right direction. But if it was the second possibility, nothing changes; Leon would continue to explore the central region.

After all, if his mother didn't run into Lynne, she would still be looking for her in Extreme Misty Forest.

…

Yiii—!

Another Early Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirit made a piercing scream before Aria's lightning killed it.

Aria collected the vengeful spirit's soul core shortly after.

"Does this misty forest only have vengeful spirits? There were at least some ghouls in the outer regions. However, there's only been vengeful spirits ever since we stepped foot into the inner regions," Aria mentioned.

"There might have been other creatures in Extreme Misty Forest in the past, but the vengeful spirits most likely wiped them all out," Leon speculated.

"Still, it's a bit nerve-wracking that there were so many Transcendent-level vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest. If these vengeful spirits were ever let loose on the Human Domain, it would be a disaster," Darlene thought.

"These vengeful spirits are so aggressive to all living things. Forget about a disaster; it would have been the end of humanity if there was an outbreak during the previous Cataclysm," Aria said wryly.

During that time, the number of Transcendents among humans could have been counted with one's hands.

And while the Human Domain prospered after the construction of the Great Wall, humans didn't even know their lives were still hanging by a fine thread.

"Nevertheless, these vengeful spirits wouldn't leave Extreme Misty Forest. They are relying on the heavy yin energy to continue their meaningless existence. Otherwise, I doubt Transcendent-level vengeful spirits could have existed for over ten thousand years," Leon stated.

"But what would happen if the heavy yin energy in Extreme Misty Forest suddenly disappeared one day. Would the vengeful spirits disappear too?" Faelyn asked.

"…"

Suddenly, Leon and Aria paused their steps with solemn looks, causing Darlene and Faelyn to follow suit and stop as well.

"The heavy yin energy is the only thing keeping the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest. So if the yin energy disappears, the vengeful spirits would indeed die off. However, it wouldn't happen right away," Leon stated.

"The vengeful spirits would go crazy and scatter to look for new sources of yin outside of Extreme Misty Forest. Thus, the outbreak would endanger everyone in the Crawford Empire," Aria added.

"We got to hurry," Leon urged.

The three ladies quickly agreed before they picked up the pace. After advancing a few dozen miles deeper into the inner region, they encountered Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits.

"At this rate, we might even encounter Paragon-level vengeful spirits by the time we enter the central region," Aria commented with a frown.

Her Ice-Lightning Law had yet to reach the Paragon level. Thus, its effectiveness against Paragon-level vengeful spirits would diminish due to the power difference.

"Leon!" Faelyn suddenly exclaimed with surprise?"

"Hm?" Leon turned to Faelyn.

"I'm picking another battle taking place four hundred yards northwest from here! I think it's Her—M-mother!" Faelyn exclaimed.

Four hundred yards wasn't exactly very far. Even if they couldn't see due to the poor visibility, they should hear the sound of battle.

Furthermore, they were used to the ongoing howls of the vengeful spirits. Thus, they didn't notice anything usual—that is, until Leon noticed the sharp whistle of winds.

Leon's eyes flickered immediately.

"Let's go and check it out!"

Chapter 935 - Aim For Something Bigger

After Leon urged the group, the three ladies quickly followed Leon's lead and arrived at the source of the battle.

Upon their arrival, they immediately felt several sharp, fiery sword waves cut through the air, one of which headed in their direction.

However, Leon quickly swatted the sharp, fiery sword waves away with his bare hand. At the same time, the sheer force of his wave briefly dispelled the heavy mist in the area, allowing everyone to see the battle ahead of them.

"Mother!" Leon called out to Queen Elizabeth with joy and relief upon seeing his mother fighting the Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirit.

His voice distracted Elizabeth from her fight, but Aria quickly moved in to intercept the vengeful spirit's attack.

Yiiii—!

The Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirit screamed after the ray of lightning Sword Intent struck its disintegrating spiritual body. A few moments later, only the soul core remained behind.

"My son! What are you doing here?" Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised before approaching Leon with great joy.

"I—"

Before Leon could answer, Elizabeth showered him in her motherly love as she embraced him, completely treating him like a child.

Leon could only helplessly surrender himself to his mother's whims while the three ladies watched them with soft giggles and smiles.

"My, look at you. Finally decided to come home, eh? You must have grown a lot in these past few weeks," Elizabeth held Leon's broad shoulders before studying his changes.

"Well, we're not exactly home, are we?" Leon replied with a wry smile before adding, "I came to fetch you and Lynne, Mother."

"I didn't expect you to venture so deep on your own. How did you deal with Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits at your level, Mother?" Leon asked curiously shortly after.

"Hm? Are you looking down on me now that you have grown so much stronger than your mother?" Elizabeth put on a fierce look when she questioned him.

"Of course not," Leon replied wryly.

"I'm just curious since your levels are mismatched, Mother. I sensed the fire element earlier. Did you finally decide to raise your fire ability to the Transcendent level?" Leon asked shortly after.

Elizabeth nodded at first but then shook her head after.

"Yes, and no. I had no choice but to raise my fire ability with a Fire Transcendent Crystal to deal with these annoying things. However, my fire ability is only at the 9-stars Ranked Awakener Realm," Elizabeth said.

"But you're probably wondering how I can deal with Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits with only 9-star fire ability, right? Well, there's nothing much to it. You should already know that Sword Masters have extreme attack power due to their Sword Intents."

"My Peak Preliminary Accession-stage Transcendent-level metal ability further enhances this attack power. Although it doesn't work on vengeful spirits… However, after merging my fire ability with my Sword Intent and metal ability, they turn into an elemental attack that can finally hurt the vengeful spirits."

"That makes sense," Leon nodded with understanding after listening to Elizabeth's explanation.

"However, Mid Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits seem to be the limit of my ability. If I can't find Lynne in this region, I will have to turn back eventually—had I not met all of you here," Elizabeth said.

"Nevertheless, I see that you had also brought my daughters-in-law along on this trip. Have you all been well?" Elizabeth shifted her attention to the three ladies shortly after.

"Yes, M-mother."

"Yes, Mother."

Aria and Darlene stuttered nervously, while Faelyn addressed Elizabeth more comfortably than the two.

"That's good," Elizabeth nodded approvingly. Then, she studied Aria and Darlene before saying, "The two of you must have grown a lot while following Leon. That's great. You can help me take out these vengeful spirits in this area."

However, Aria and Darlene opened their mouths without uttering a word, unsure how to respond to Elizabeth.

They turned to Leon for help shortly after.

"Do you plan to hunt vengeful spirits and stop looking for Lynne, Mother?" Leon asked with furrowed brows.

"It can't be helped," Elizabeth replied helplessly.

"Even if we want to look for Lynne, it's too dangerous to proceed any deeper in this forest. There are most likely to be even stronger vengeful spirits in the depths of this misty forest. Thus, the best we can do is kill more vengeful spirits. They're not only a threat to Lynne but also to the entire empire."

"I didn't realize how much threat the vengeful spirits posed until I ventured this deep. Now that we have integrated the Durham Kingdom, Valaran Kingdom, and the Elven Tribe, our population has grown fourfold. But that also means fourfold the concern."

"Since Extreme Misty Forest occupies the entire north of our empire's northern borders, it would be disastrous if a vengeful spirit outbreak ever occurs. That's why we need to kill these vengeful spirits here, for everyone's sake."

After hearing that, Leon understood his mother's intention and concern.

While his mother guessed that they had grown a lot in the past few weeks, his mother didn't understand precisely how much they had grown.

"There's no need to worry, Mother. We're very strong now. Early Paragons are no problem for us," Leon assured with a smile. "We plan to look for Lynne in the central region. So we won't be stopping here, Mother."

Nevertheless, Elizabeth and Faelyn were shocked after hearing Leon's claim.

They knew Leon had grown strong. However, they didn't know he had grown THAT strong—strong enough to treat Early Paragons like nothing.

Furthermore, by Leon's words, it wasn't just him who attained this level of strength but also Aria and Darlene.

Elizabeth was so shocked she couldn't find words to reply.

"There's no need to be so surprised, Mother. I explored an entire secret realm during my travels in the Dark Abyss Continent with Aria and Darlene. I've also brought back a lot of primordial techniques and resources for everyone," Leon stated.

"Nevertheless, Mother made a valid point. The vengeful spirits of Extreme Misty Forest are a significant threat to the empire. However, we shouldn't just look at exterminating vengeful spirits, Mother. We should aim for something bigger."

"What do you mean, Son?" Elizabeth asked with doubt.

Chapter 936 - Frozen Land

"What I mean is that if we are going to remove the threat in Extreme Misty Forest, we might as well reclaim the entire northern land and gain access to the Boundless Sea," Leon stated.

"Given the rapid developments in New Capital, I believe we could use the timber while cutting a path to the Boundless Sea at the same time. So it's practically killing two birds with one stone," Leon added shortly after.

Elizabeth was astonished at first, but her eyes beamed brilliantly upon further thought into the matter.

"If we can reclaim Extreme Misty Forest, it would be equivalent to gaining two kingdom-size territories and its rich timber resource. Furthermore, the quality of timber from Extreme Misty Forest is far better than ironwood," Elizabeth muttered thoughtfully.

Due to the extreme environment of Extreme Misty Forest, the forest's trees had practically all died, becoming deadwood. However, they had been repeatedly tempered by cold yin all year round, making them exceptionally sturdy.

Furthermore, they inherit the cold characteristics of cold yin, making them good for creating cold storage for food and cooling systems for hot weather.

While Elizabeth mulled over the many benefits that could be gained from reclaiming Extreme Misty Forest, Aria and Darlene were excited over the Boundless Sea.

Although the two ladies still had loads of sea monster meat in their storage space, it was limited until their next trip back to the Radiant Heaven Realmship.

However, if the Crawford Empire gained access to the north sea, they wouldn't need to return to the Radiant Heaven Realmship. They could enjoy sea monster meat in the Human Domain as well.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth suddenly frowned.

"While the idea sounds great, the risk is equally great. We don't know what lies in the core region. It could be more than just Early Paragon-level vengeful spirits. It's enough to sweep the inner region," Elizabeth shook her head and said.

However, Leon argued with a wry smile, "You don't have to worry about anything, Mother. I am completely confident even if we have to face a Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirit."

When he mentioned dealing with Early Paragon-level vengeful spirits, he considered Aria and Darlene's abilities.

If he was only considering his abilities, then he was on a different level.

Of course, Leon wouldn't stand a chance against them with his present strength if they were any other Peak Paragon-level beings. But against spiritual beings, he was the absolute dominator.

A touch of Nihility would obliterate their existences.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth was not easily convinced with mere words. After all, she considered Peak Paragon-level existences to be the rulers of the world.

"You're taking this matter too lightly, Son," Elizabeth argued back with a sigh, thinking her son's exponential growth may have made him complacent.

However, Leon shook his head. It wasn't him who was complacent; his mother doesn't understand the depths of strength.

"Perhaps, you'll understand a bit after learning these techniques, Mother," Leon said.

Shortly after, Leon transmitted several primordial techniques into Elizabeth's head with the spirit transmission technique, including several divine sword arts and battle skills.

Elizabeth was stunned by the knowledge.

According to the cultivation techniques, there was still the Celestial and True Divinity Realm beyond the Transcendent Realm.

Nevertheless, knowing these primordial techniques only gives one the potential to reach those realms one day. It doesn't mean they are already at that level of power.

Elizabeth furrowed her brows and said, "I'm coming with you, my son. I won't be relieved until I see your abilities with my own eyes. So show me you have what it takes to deal with Paragon-level vengeful spirits."

"As you wish, Mother," Leon nodded with a slight smile.

He never intended to send his mother home on her own while they were this deep inside Extreme Misty Forest. It would be better if they find Lynne before returning home together.

"I'll be going on ahead. Look after Faelyn and my mother," Leon said to Aria and Darlene.

Shortly after, he went ahead of the group and issued a mighty lion roar to attract the vengeful spirits in the misty forest.

"HAAA—!" Leon's roar resounded throughout the forest.

Within moments, the forest was stirred with sharp howling winds; the dead leaves rustled, and the vengeful spirits screamed, incited by the disturbance.

The heavy mist was dispersed from the area with a wave of Leon's hand, allowing his mother to see several dozen Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits flocking towards him.

However, Elizabeth's heart was shaken with shock when she saw Leon standing silently in the center of the vengeful spirits' swarm, doing nothing.

"What are you doing, my son!? Watch—!" Elizabeth wanted to warn Leon. But before she could finish her words, her eyes widened with astonishment.

The Rank 2 Transcendent-level vengeful spirits vanished into thin air, soul core and all as if they had never existed before they could touch Leon.

"What in the… world…" Elizabeth uttered with wide eyes.

…

…

…

Meanwhile, somewhere in the core region of Extreme Misty Foresty, Lynne glanced back in the southern direction after sensing a subtle yet distant stir in the forest.

Several Paragon-level vengeful spirits aimlessly wandered about in the area, but none seemed to have noticed her presence.

"Something's happening back there," Lynne softly uttered.

However, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress quickly reprimanded her, 'Focus, child. Now is not the time to be distracted.'

'With your present cultivation level, you are no match for these Paragon-level vengeful spirits. If you lose your cover, these Paragon-level vengeful spirits will tear you apart,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress warned.

"Sorry, Master. I won't be distracted again," Lynne apologized.

A few moments later, Lynne continued to explore the depths of the core region. But unlike the inner regions, the core region's temperatures had drastically dropped frighteningly low.

As a result, everything was frozen; the ground, trees, and air were frozen, forming a dome over the forest with icicles hanging down from them.

It was a frozen land with terrifying coldness. However, such coldness was like the purest of air for Lynne.

It was the best place to cultivate her Ice Law.

Chapter 937 - Ice Mountain

Although the frozen land was suitable for cultivation, it was even better if she could find the source of the cold yin in the region. Thus, Lynne ventured deeper into the frozen land.

Along the way, ice became more prominent in the area while the heavy mist became less and less. Before long, Lynne's visibility improved, and she could see at least thirty yards ahead.

Nevertheless, she did not stop advancing.

After trekking for more than twenty miles, Lynne realized the frozen land extended further than she thought. At the same time, the absence of trees also made her wonder if she exited the other end of the forest.

However, Lynne noticed the slope of the icy ground was slowly ascending with numerous stumps stuck out from it. They were the stumps of broken trees.

The upper parts of the frozen trees could not be found anywhere. Or rather, the upper parts had all been shattered into numerous pieces and became unrecognizable.

"These cold yin trees are supposed to be extremely sturdy due to the cold yin tempering all year round. And yet, the cold yin trees around here are all broken? What could have shattered them like this?" Lynne wondered with surprise.

While studying the tiny frozen tree shards and icy splinters on the ground, she became even more astonished.

'The cold yin energy in this region is comparable to your current mastery of the True Permafrost Divine Art. At this level of cold power, you can turn any matter into ice at the structural level,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress mentioned.

'As such, once you apply this ice power to objects like these broken trees, they become extremely hard, but at the same time, very brittle. As such, they will shatter like fine glass after you strike them with a concussive blow beyond a certain threshold.'

'This is why you didn't need to shatter the energy conversion towers personally. They were already destroyed when you froze them into icy substances with the True Permafrost Divine Art,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress explained.

After all, there's no such thing as breaking off the layer of ice on a perma-frozen energy conversion tower. The entire perma-frozen energy conversation tower IS the ice.

Therefore, breaking the ice is equivalent to breaking the energy conversion tower.

"Still, a strong force is needed to shatter these cold yin trees like this, no? That's what I'm more curious about, Master," Lynne stated.

'Un, these broken trees are rather suspicious points of interest. So you should proceed with caution, my child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress advised.

"Yes, Master," Lynne complied.

As she advanced, the mist gradually cleared, revealing an enormous crescent moon-shaped ice mountain ahead.

Lynne's eyes gradually widened with astonishment.

"There was such a huge ice mountain hidden in the depths of Extreme Misty Forest! Is this Extreme Misty Forest's main source of coldness?" Lynne exclaimed in wonder.

Furthermore, no Paragon-level vengeful spirits were found beyond the point where the mist ended. The vengeful spirits only stayed within the cold yin mist and never out of it.

Swoosh~!

A powerful yet sudden surge of wind carried the cold yin mist up the ice mountain, pushing Lynne forward along with it—or rather, it straight up blasted her forward.

Unfortunately, she was completely unprepared for it.

'Careful, child!' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empressed warned, albeit a little too late. Even she did not foresee such a powerful wind current coming.

After the surge of wind sent Lynne flying two miles up the ice mountain beyond her control, she eventually regained her bearing in midair.

Then, she conjured an ice spear and stabbed it into the ice mountain, breaking herself away from the powerful gust of wind. But, alas, it took her multiple attempts before she finally came to a complete stop, free from the powerful wind current.

On the other hand, the powerful win current continued to carry the cold yin mist as they rushed up the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain together.

Then, after reaching the top, they came pouring back down into Extreme Misty Forest like a rain of clouds with cold air due to the ice mountain's curved shape.

"That scared me," Lynne commented with lingering fear.

She did not have a powerful body. If she didn't break free from the wind current, she could have died upon smashing into the ice mountain.

'You need to get out of this area before another powerful wind current comes rushing up the ice mountain,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress advised.

"Yes, Master," Lynne nodded. Even so, she couldn't help but quickly wonder, "But where did this powerful wind current come from?"

Nevertheless, she quickly found her answer on the other side of the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain. At the same time, she realized the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain was not so shaped like a crescent moon.

It indeed has the curve of a crescent moon. However, the other side of the ice mountain was a vast descending ice slope.

It was kind of like one enormous water slide of epic proportions.

However, what startled Lynne was the clear view ahead of her. The other half of Extreme Misty Forest was nowhere in sight. By that, she meant the vast land of heavy mists and trees.

What she saw was an endless stretch of ice land that extended for hundreds of miles, leading all the way to the Boundless Sea in the far north of the Human Domain.

More astonishingly, portions of the Boundless Sea connected to the land were also frozen. Lynne understood the ice formation of the mountain came from sea waves.

It was a breathtaking sight.

However, it was a breathtaking sight that couldn't be enjoyed unless one reached the top of the ice mountain.

The people in the Human Domain would have never known what lay on the other side of the forest due to the thick obscuring everything.

Lynne gulped.

'Child, I believe you can guess what the source of this ice land is without locating it, right?' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress assumed.

"It's a Celestial Ice Spark, isn't it, Master?" Lynne replied.

Chapter 938 - Heavenly Ice Law

Lynne has heard stories and received portions of the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's memories. Only a Celestial Spark or object of a higher level could create such special domains in the world.

Besides a Celestial Ice Spark, Lynne could not guess what else could have created such a peculiar ice mountain and vast frozen landscape.

'That's right, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress confirmed Lynne's guess.

'It is indeed a Celestial Ice Spark that caused the transformation of this land as you see it. Furthermore, it's not a particularly low-quality Celestial Ice Spark either. If you can refine it, you will step into the Celestial Realm directly and gain at least ten thousand years of lifespan, child.'

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress wasn't sure what the strong ice power was in the depths of Extreme Misty Forest. But now that they were on top of the ice mountain, she was completely certain of it.

"I will ascend to the Celestial Realm directly, Master? Refining the Celestial Ice Spark will let me skip the entire Paragon stage?" Lynne uttered with surprise.

'Of course,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress affirmed.

'Celestial Sparks are the cultivation of Celestials' cultivations. Thus, refining one of their Celestial Sparks is the same as refining their cultivation to reach the same level.'

Lynne became even more astonished after hearing the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress explain the details.

Celestials were beings that could refine the endless celestial energy of the universe; it was the first true shedding of mortality.

As such, she would no longer be tied down by the world. She would be free to travel among the stars in the void, which is inhospitable to ordinary life once she ascends the Celestial Realm.

"To think that such an opportunity had been resting under this ice mountain all this time…" Lynne uttered incredulously.

Despite how close the Celestial Ice Spark was to the Crawford Empire, it wasn't a place anyone could come.

Nevertheless, Lynne could not help but frown.

While the prospect of becoming a Celestial is very tempting, she didn't believe reaching the Celestial Realm so easily would come without an appropriate price to be paid.

"Wouldn't there be any adverse side effects or consequences to refining the Celestial Ice Spark, Master?" Lynne inquired carefully.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress felt joy after hearing Lynne's question.

It shows that her disciple was prudent and not blinded by greed that she would ignore any hidden dangers in the Celestial Ice Spark.

'You're right, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress admitted.

'The Celestial Ice Spark is the cumulation of an Ice Celestial's cultivation. However, everyone has different ideas and comprehensions towards the law. Thus, when you refine the Celestial Ice Spark, you are also gain this Ice Celestial's unique comprehension of the Ice Law.'

'Generally, when this happens, it would cripple your future potential. This means preventing you from ever surpassing the cultivation level of the Ice Celestial attained in that person's lifetime.'

"Why is that the case, Master?" Lynne asked with a startled look.

'Because your mind would be attuned to the Ice Celestial's unique insight on the Ice Law when you completely refined the Celestial Ice Spark,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress explained.

However, Lynne didn't see a problem with that.

"What's wrong with that?" Lynne asked curiously.

'You don't understand, child?' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress asked before patiently explaining shortly after.

'Even if your comprehension of the Ice Law is attuned to the Ice Celestial's unique insight on it, you are not the Ice Celestial. You may understand how the Ice Celestial think on the Ice Law up until his level. However, anything beyond that becomes unknown to you.'

'And because you don't understand how the Ice Celestial will comprehend the Ice Law beyond that, you cannot deepen your comprehension and advance your cultivation beyond the Ice Celestial's level,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

After listening up until that point, Lynne finally gained a complete understanding of the side effects involved with Celestial Sparks.

However, despite learning the side effects, she didn't show any particular concern. Naturally, this aroused the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's curiosity.

'Are you not concerned in the least about your limited future once you refine the Celestial Ice Spark, child?'

"Of course not. I believe Master has a solution around this problem," Lynne replied confidently with a cheeky smile.

'You rascal…'

"Hehe!"

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress felt flattered by her disciple's trust. But, at the same time, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress also became more fond of her new disciple.

'You're right, child. Other people's future potential would be crippled once they refine the Celestial Ice Spark. However, you have Master, a True Divinity in the Ice Law.'

'When you refine the Celestial Ice Spark, Master will help you absorb its icy power. We will keep all of the Ice Celestial's comprehension conforming with the Heavenly Ice Law. But any insight that has Ice Celestial's unique interpretation on the Heavenly Ice Law, I will throw away.'

'Although this also means that you won't reach the same height as the Ice Celestial after refining his Celestial Ice Spark. But at the very least, you will keep your potential of reaching and even surpassing it in the future,' the Divine Ice Phoenix stated.

"I see. However, isn't this Heavenly Ice Law just your own interpretation and comprehension on the Ice Law, Master?" Lynne asked shortly after. Then, she added, "And by following that thought, my potential will still be limited. Except the bar has been changed to the True Divinity Realm instead."

'That's right, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress acknowledged.

'I'm glad you understand clearly. However, even if your potential for the Heavenly Ice Law is at the True Divinity level, it's unlikely that you will ever reach the True Divinity Realm.'

"You don't believe in me, Master?" Lynne furrowed her brows.

'It's not about whether I believe in you or not, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress denied her doubt.

'If it was possible, Master naturally wishes you to become a True Divinity like Master. However, present Primal Chaos is too devastated by the primordial era's Great War.. As a result, the Heavenly Laws are weakened, and no one can advance to True Divinity anymore.'

Chapter 939 - God's Graveyard

"No one can reach the True Divinity Realm anymore?" Lynne repeated with a frown.

'Yes, child. In the billions of years since the end of the primordial era, I've seen countless talented children reach the peak of the Celestial Realm. Some had even taken half a step further, but never the full step into True Divinity.'

'In the end, their limited lifespans expired like the final embers of dying stars. They all left the world with regret,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress said with a sigh.

Lynne was reminded of her master's incredible age after listening to her master's words. Peak Celestial Emperors and Half-step True Divinities were all children in her master's eyes.

She wryly smiled as she took in that information.

Suddenly, Lynne thought of something.

Her master has seen many the rise and fall of many geniuses after the primordial era. That means that her master has awakened consciousness in her other few soul fragments for a long time.

"Master, you said that you are not interested in taking over my body," Lynne mentioned.

"However, that can't be the case for every True Divinity that awakened their divine consciousness, right? Wouldn't several True Divinities have gathered their scattered soul fragments and revived themselves by now? And if they did, wouldn't their strength be back in the True Divinity Realm?"

'It's not that simple, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress replied.

'You should already know that True Divinities' divine soul shattered into countless parts in the Great War. Furthermore, these scattered soul fragments have become a part of other souls in this present era.'

'Unless the mortal souls could tap into the laws and stir the soul fragments of True Divinities awake, the True Divinities would not be aware of their soul fragments' locations. Furthermore, this is under the assumption that these True Divinities' souls weren't split into so many soul fragments that they lost their ability to think.'

'But let's say there was a lucky True Divinity with only three soul fragments. And all three soul fragments had been awakened by their hosts before the True Divinity seized their bodies. Even in that case, it's very unlikely for all three soul fragments to be found in the same galaxy.'

"But since the True Divinity is aware of its soul fragments' locations. Can't the True Divinity send its incarnations out to other galaxies to unite with its other soul fragments?" Lynne wondered.

However, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress chuckled at Lynne's na?ve question.

'Child, the biggest hurdle for mortals in the present era is traveling between galaxies. An unbound Celestial Emperor only has a lifespan of 100-thousand years, and a Half-step True Divinity's lifespan can be anywhere between 500-thousand to 10-million years.'

'Let's look at the current Hyperion Galaxy we are situated. Even if we manage to leave God's Graveyard and enter the Divine Realm, the Divine Regions outside are already so vast. Without taking the ancient spatial arrays, it would take ten-thousand light years to travel between the Divine Regions. And that is only between the Divine Regions.'

'If we want to travel to the closest host galaxy neighboring our Hyperion Galaxy, it is expected to take around 3-million light-years. That's not a voyage any mortal can take on, let alone willing to undertake. Just the solitude of the journey alone would drive them crazy.'

'However, that's not the most critical point. Absolute voids exist in the gaps between galaxies. Even if you are a Half-step True Divinity who can travel at tenfold the speed of light, you will run out of celestial energy. You won't get far from the Hyperion Galaxy before starving to death,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

"You can still starve to death at the Celestial Emperor Realm, Master? No, more importantly, you've been outside of this 'God's Graveyard' before, Master?" Lynne asked with surprise.

'More than once,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress answered.

'Master has even tried to leave the Hyperion Galaxy with Master's previous hosts before. However, it's no use. A mortal is still a mortal in the end. Your source of sustenance simply changes from food to celestial energy after reaching the Celestial Realm.'

'Once you leave a certain distance from the Hyperion Galaxy, there will be no celestial energy to refine in the void. Thus, it is still a death zone for anyone below True Divinity. And once the host body of an awakened soul fragment dies, the True Divinity's soul fragment returns to dormancy in its next host back in its home galaxy.'

'This is like Primal Chaos's self-defense mechanism preventing True Divinities from ever trying to revive themselves and bring further devastation upon Primal Chaos. The primordial era of gods and devils is long over, child. You can be assured of that,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

It was also because of the impossibility of reaching the next galaxy that the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress decisively gave up hopes of ever reviving.

Astonishment was written all over Lynne's face. However, there was one thing she didn't understand.

"How did True Divinities travel between galaxies in the primordial era, Master? Wouldn't the absolute void in-between galaxies be a problem for True Divinities as well?" Lynne asked with doubt.

'Hahaha…' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress softly chuckled.

'Child, there was no such thing as absolute voids back in the primordial era. There was only Primal Chaos. These absolute voids were only formed after the Great War shattered everything apart, ending the primordial era along with it.'

'Even now, the aftermath of the Great War can be vaguely felt as the galaxies continue to shift ever further apart from each other,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress added.

Throughout Lynne's conversation with her master, she didn't idle on the ice mountain.

Instead, she had been burrowing her way through the thick ice to reach the heart of the ice mountain, where the Celestial Ice Spark.

Even without the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's guidance, Lynne understood where the Celestial Ice Spark was located.

It would be strange if she, someone with the ice ability, not to sense the overwhelming icy power flowing from the depths of the ice mountain.

Nevertheless, the interior of the ice mountain was not solid.

Instead, it was primarily hollow.. Many open spaces and passageways inside the ice mountain were massive enough for behemoth-size beasts to move through them.

Chapter 940 - Half-Step Divine Beast

Although Lynne found suspicious points in the geographic layout of the ice mountain's interior, she continued to venture deeper. She followed the direction of the icy power she sensed.

However, a sudden thought made her pause her steps.

"Master, wouldn't the cold yin mist disappear after I refine the Celestial Ice Spark? Wouldn't the sea of vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest rampage outside and cause a disaster for the people?" Lynne wondered.

'Of course,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empressed confirmed.

'The Celestial Ice Spark is the source of all the cold yin energy in Extreme Misty Forest and this Iceland region. Once you take it away, the cold environment will gradually disappear.'

"In that case, I don't want to refine the Celestial Ice Spark, Master. I don't want to cause trouble for the Crawford Empire. Numerous people will die if all the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest rush outside," Lynne stated.

'You are being foolish, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress sighed.

'It's good to think about the wellbeing of others; that's what makes you kind. However, you don't understand the power of a Celestial. Once you refine the Celestial Ice Spark and ascend the Celestial Realm, it would be difficult for you to deal with the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest.'

'With a wave of your hand, you could perma-freeze the entire Extreme Misty Forest and seal all the vengeful spirits inside. Even Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirits wouldn't be able to do anything about it,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

"You're right, Master. I wasn't thinking things through," Lynne reflected.

She barely stepped into the Seeking Insight-stage Transcendent Realm.

Forget the Celestial Realm; she didn't even understand much about the Acknowledge Paragon-stage Transcendent Realm.

After re-confirming her resolve, Lynne continued to venture into the depths of the cave within the ice mountain.

Before long, she stepped into a much larger cave.

"I can feel it, Master. I am getting very close to the Celestial Ice Spark," Lynne informed.

The icy cave was terrifyingly cold and dark. Anyone besides Lynne would have already suffered severe frostbites and died before they could even step foot on the ice mountain.

Nevertheless, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress did not need Lynne to inform her. She shared Lynne's senses and could understand the situation outside.

'Mm, you should have reached the heart of this ice mountain now. You should be able to find the Celestial Ice Spark very shortly—Be careful, child! You're not alone in this cave,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress suddenly warned.

Lynne immediately paused her steps in shock.

Nevertheless, it was too late to hide her presence. She had already alerted the creature dwelling in the heart of the ice mountain.

Rumble…!

The ground shook, and various surfaces of the ice cracked. Some ice shards fell from the ceiling, but more alarmingly was the split in the icy ground.

It didn't take long before Lynne saw a giant creature raise its head from the enormous crack in the icy ground and stare at her with its frosty blue eyes.

"An ice phoenix!" Lynne exclaimed with wide eyes.

She immediately understood why there weren't any vengeful spirits in the vicinity of the ice mountain.

It wasn't because the vengeful spirits couldn't exist outside the heavy mist.

That was a misconception.

The mist in Extreme Misty Forest contained cold yin energy, but so did the ice mountain! In fact, the ice mountain contained even more cold yin energy!

The only difference was their form; one was gaseous, and the other was solid.

"The Paragon-level vengeful spirits didn't enter the ice mountain because it was the territory of this ice phoenix, Master!" Lynne exclaimed.

'Be careful, child! This ice phoenix is a Half-step Divine Beast. Furthermore, it's not happy with you trespassing on its territory and disturbing its slumber!' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress warned.

"What should I do, Master?" Lynne sought the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's help.

There was no way she could get away from a Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix with her current ability.

Nevertheless, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress could not help think this was a blessing on top of another blessing. She didn't think it was a disaster.

After all, she was the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, the most ancient ice phoenix and ancestor of all ice phoenixes!

Even so, she was pleasantly surprised to discover an ice phoenix in such a place.

'Master can tame this ice phoenix for you, child. However, your lifespan will have to suffer a bit. Are you willing?' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress asked.

However, the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix started to cry with impatience before Lynne could answer.

Kree!

The Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix flapped its wings, and a blizzard of terrifying coldness rampaged through the cave.

Even Lynne, who had high resistance to the cold, felt chills in her body and found it difficult to breathe under the blizzard storm.

"Please help me, Master!" Lynne requested.

Even if she didn't want to tame the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix, she had no choice but to borrow the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's power either way.

There was no other way to escape the disaster.

In the next instance, Lynne's eyes glowed with sharp blue light, and the aura surrounding her body changed, becoming more ancient and authoritative.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had taken over control of Lynne's body.

"Quiet down!" the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress uttered two words in the native tongue of the ice phoenix race.

The Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix immediately felt a terrible suppression on its soul as if the primordial ancestor of its kind was scolding it.

It showed its astonishment and surprise. But, more importantly, it lowered its head in submission in front of the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress after recognizing her supremacy.

"It's good that you understand me," the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress nodded with approval.

"It wasn't easy for you to cultivate to such a level on your own. However, it'll be difficult for you to progress any further on your own. Follow me, and I will resolve all your bottlenecks."

"Kree!" the ice phoenix gave a soft cry in response.

Shortly after, it lowered its head into the big crack before picking out the Celestial Ice Spark with its beak and offering it to the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress as a token of its submission.

Chapter 941 - Reaching The Ice Mountain

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress accepted the Celestial Ice Spark from the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix's beak and nodded.

The Celestial Ice Spark's quality was as she expected it to be, a Celestial Lord-level Celestial Ice Spark.

"I won't take your source of cultivation without giving anything in return. I will teach you a few techniques that will be useful before and after the Divine Beast Realm," the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated coolly.

Shortly after, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress used the spirit transmission technique to impart a few primordial techniques to the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix.

Some primordial techniques were about ice power control, some were about spiritual cultivation, and some were about physical transformation.

Nevertheless, they were all primordial techniques unique to the ice phoenix race.

The knowledge was very easy for the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix to understand. Thus, it lowered its head to the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress again to express its gratitude.

"I don't have a lot of time, so take care of my disciple. I want you to guard her when she refines this Celestial Ice Spark. Furthermore, in the future, you will treat her exactly how you would treat me," the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress instructed.

After the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix expressed that it understood the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's instructions, the divine aura around Lynne's body slowly vanished.

Lynne's face paled with a sense of weakness after regaining control of her body. Even though it was only for a short moment, what little lifespan she had left was further shortened.

'You don't have much time left, child. Start refining the Celestial Ice Spark immediately. The ice phoenix will guard you,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress urged.

"Yes, Master," Lynne nodded.

The notion of her lifespan nearing depletion terrified her. As such, she didn't hesitate to follow her master's instructions.

Kree!

The ice phoenix suddenly gave a soft cry, catching Lynne's attention before she glanced at the spot pointed by the ice phoenix's beak.

"You want me to refine the Celestial Ice Spark there?" Lynne asked for confirmation.

The ice phoenix nodded.

"Alright," Lynne agreed.

Shortly after, she moved to the location by the ice phoenix's giant body. Then, the ice phoenix wrapped its wings around her and created a quiet and enclosed space for her to refine the Celestial Ice Spark without disturbance.

"Thank you," Lynne smiled.

Before long, Lynne closed her eyes and shut off her perception of the outside world before focusing her attention on the Celestial Ice Spark's power.

…

…

…

A few miles away from the frozen land region, Leon continued his search with Aria, Darlene, Faelyn, and his mother, Elizabeth.

Yiii—!

Another Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirit felled after colliding with Leon's Nihility Barrier, leaving nothing behind.

It was unfortunate that they had to slay the vengeful spirits without gaining their soul cores. However, it can't be helped. Looking for Lynne was more important.

Nevertheless, they weren't going out of their way to attract all the Paragon-level vengeful spirits in the area.

The ladies were moving together with Leon's mother under stealth mode while he, himself, was the bait. He took the lead to clear the obstacles in their path.

Suddenly, Leon paused his steps after sensing the change in the environment ahead. Elizabeth and the three ladies eventually caught up before a few of them expressed confusion.

"Why did we suddenly stop, son?" Elizabeth asked.

"There's a vast frozen land up ahead. The heavy mist starts thinning there, but so do the vengeful spirits," Leon mentioned with knitted brows.

"Isn't that a good thing? It means that it'll be safer to search for Lynne. We wouldn't have to worry about attracting these vengeful spirits," Elizabeth thought.

However, Leon shook his head.

"On the contrary, it's even more dangerous, Mother," Leon corrected.

"The frozen land ahead is strong in cold yin energy. This makes it a more appealing location than these parts of Extreme Misty Forest for the vengeful spirits to settle. However, there are even less vengeful spirits in that frozen land region for some reason."

Nevertheless, they didn't stop moving. After entering the frozen land region and reaching the end of the mist, they discovered the crescent mood-shaped ice mountain up ahead.

"Paragon-level vengeful spirits are avoiding this ice mountain even though it contains the highest concentration of cold yin energy!" Aria's eyes flickered with discovery.

"I've also noticed that," Leon agreed with a nod before furrowing his brows in the next moment.

"We should be around the halfway point in Extreme Misty Forest. Yet, the core region of the Extreme Misty Forest is a frozen land without trees. This is rather strange."

"No, the core region of Extreme Misty Forest being a frozen land makes sense. It explains the heavy cold yin mist throughout Extreme Misty Forest. However, it's strange that the environment is like this, to begin with. It's unnatural."

"Wouldn't it be easily explained if a Celestial Ice Spark is hidden in this frozen land?" Aria wondered.

"That's the only explanation," Leon nodded.

"But it's clear that the vengeful spirits are avoiding the ice mountain in spite of the ice mountain containing a possible Celestial Ice Spark with abundant cold yin energy. That means there's a high chance something even Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirits fear is guarding the Celestial Ice Spark!"

"And Lynne is heading straight for it! We better hurry!" Leon urged with a grave look.

Everyone quickly sensed that urgency and nodded.

If she was currently heading towards the Celestial Ice Spark's location ahead of them, then she was in grave danger.

"We don't know what we might be facing, so everyone should be on their toes," Leon solemnly advised.

Despite suspecting something more powerful than Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirits ahead, Leon had no choice but to proceed with everyone.

Nevertheless, the cold yin energy was frighteningly cold towards the ice mountain. Besides Leon, the others couldn't advance without Aria's help.

"This is as far as we can go, son. Go on without us. We'll wait around here," Elizabeth suggested after she was holding the group back.

Whether it was her, Darlene, or Faelyn, none of them could endure the cold on their own. Thus, Aria volunteered to stay back and look after them.

"Go; find Lynne.. Mother and Sister Faelyn will be fine here with me and Sister Darlene," Aria assured.

Chapter 942 - Leon's Decision

Before Leon could leave, he suddenly sensed an enormous force descending from the sky. He immediately summoned a Nihility Barrier large enough to cover the entire group in that split second.

Swoosh~!

A vast amount of cold air smashed into the ground, causing the cold yin mist outside the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain to billow chaotically in all directions.

Then, as if they found a vacuum, the cold yin mist and the sudden rush of air was drawn towards the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain.

The pulling force was weak at first, but it grew fast exponentially. The cold yin energy and air rushed up the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain before the curve sent the force back into the sky.

Time passed, and the force seemingly disappeared in the sky suppression zone. But after a while, the torrential amount of air and mist descended from the sky once more.

Without surprises, the cold air and mist rushed up the ice mountain again, repeating the overall process at a fixed interval.

Nevertheless, the Nihility Barrier protected everyone inside it. Thus, no one got swept away by the powerful wind pressure.

"Is everyone alright?" Leon asked.

"Y-yeah. That caught me by surprise. What kind of phenomenon is this?" Faelyn replied with astonishment.

Before long, everyone fixed their gaze on the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain ahead with silent speculations and wonder.

It was a rather spectacular phenomenon even though it seemed natural and unnatural at the same time.

The region's geography was unnatural due to the existence of the Celestial Ice Spark. But thanks to its uniqueness, it created an interesting phenomenon.

"This circulation of wind force is probably responsible for all the cold yin mist in Extreme Misty Forest. However, I doubt this circulation of wind force can be repeated perpetually on its own. So there must be something powering its motion," Leon uttered.

The sky suppression's gravity brought the wind and mist down. However, the amount of wind that came down was much more than what went up.

After pondering briefly, Leon's eyes narrowed.

Although it was faint due to the great distance, Leon vaguely sensed a lot of breeze coming from the other side of the crescent moon-shaped ice mountain.

"Breeze from the distant north sea? Is it possible for the north sea's breeze to reach this far inland?" Leon wondered.

His doubts would be answered if he scaled the ice mountain for a look. However, he had a more important matter at hand that required his attention.

"Go. This much force isn't a problem for me. I will protect everyone while you look for Lynne," Aria reassured Leon after he glanced at her.

"I'll be quick," Leon promised.

He quickly retracted the Nihility Barrier and generated a smaller Nihility Barrier for himself. Then, he immediately shot towards the ice mountain and scanned its surface for an opening to enter.

After Leon left, Aria created a diamond-shaped ice pyramid with her ability to protect everyone from the sudden winds in the area.

Thanks to its unique shape, the diamond-shaped ice pyramid split the wind with its pointed edges instead of enduring the brunt of the wind pressure head-on. The ice pyramid stood firmly whether the wind came from the sky or the forest.

Aria used minimum power with maximum efficiency to deal with the strong winds in the area.

…

Meanwhile, Leon continued to search the ice mountain. Finally, after finding a large cave entrance on the ice mountain, he entered without hesitation.

The cold temperature immediately dropped to a frighteningly new low within the ice mountain. However, the Nihility Barrier protected Leon's body from the cold.

As he shot through the ice mountain cave at high speed, his Nihility Barrier transformed everything it contacted into True Grandmist Energy.

Leon absorbed every wisp of True Grandmist Energy on the way, leaving nothing behind.

Sometime later, Leon reached the heart of the ice mountain, and his gaze locked onto the giant ice phoenix in the center of the cave.

His eyes narrowed instantly.

'Was I too late?' Leon wondered with an ugly expression. He sensed Lynne's faint life within the ice phoenix.

However, after he swept the ice phoenix with his divine sense, he realized it didn't eat Lynne. Rather, it was guarding her with its massive body while she was refining the Celestial Ice Spark.

At the same time, the ice phoenix raised its head and stared back at Leon with its cold blue eyes. Then, it narrowed its eyes but took no further action than that.

Even so, Leon understood that it was warning him not to get close. He was astonished by both the ice phoenix's existence and the situation itself.

'The Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix is guarding Lynne?' Leon wondered with doubt.

He recalled teaching Lynne the Ice Phoenix Canon, a cultivation method from the Divine Ice Phoenix Palace. Still, he didn't understand how that could explain the present situation.

It might be a cultivation method related to the Ice Phoenix, but it wouldn't compel the ice phoenix to protect Lynne.

Furthermore, the ice mountain cave was the ice phoenix's nest, and the Celestial Ice Spark should have been the source of its cultivation. Would it be willing to part with it?

Something had happened before that—something that he did not understand.

Nevertheless, Leon was caught in a pickle. He wanted to stop Lynne from refining the Celestial Ice Spark, but there was no way he could beat a Half-step Divine Beast with his present strength.

Even so, something else quickly caught his attention—Lynne's faint breath of life.

It was much weaker than when she forcefully raised her cultivation by overdosing on True Awakening Pills. It was almost as if her lifespan was about to run out.

'How is that possible?' Leon frowned.

Lynne's shortened lifespan should have been resolved when she advanced to higher realms in her cultivation.

And yet, the truth is that her lifespan was about to run out. Something else was eating away at her lifespan!

Once Leon realized that fact, he abandoned all intentions of stopping Lynne's refinement.

The Celestial Ice Spark had become an absolute crucial item for her survival.

Chapter 943 - Celestial Ascension

Leon found himself a spot in the cave and observed the slight changes in Lynne's condition with concern written over his face.

Although the Celestial Ice Spark is needed to replenish her exhausted lifespan, Leon could not help but worry for her future.

An Early-stage Celestial Warrior only had a lifespan of ten thousand years.

Assuming the limit of Lynne's cultivation was the Celestial Warrior Realm, she won't be able to live a long life unless she refines an unbound celestial body.

However, that requires becoming one with the celestial body and abandoning her fleshly body, becoming an elemental golem like Celestial Earthshaker.

'How can I resolve the side effects of a Celestial Spark?' Leon pondered deeply with a frown.

Ten thousand years was a lot of time to find a solution. But if he doesn't actively look for one, ten thousand years could pass without him finding a solution.

Little did Leon know, Lynne was refining a Celestial Lord-level Celestial Ice Spark.

Furthermore, Lynne's potential would not be limited to the Celestial Lord Realm, thanks to the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress.

Nevertheless, Leon was not aware of that. Thus, he continued to ponder on a solution.

'My knowledge of the Celestial Realm is limited. But suppose Celestial Sparks limit people's potential according to their potential. In that case, it must have something to do with comprehension of the law,' Leon mused.

If it was a problem with law comprehension, then it was a matter related to the soul.

'If I can perfect the pure soul cultivation method and teach it to Lynne, it should resolve this issue,' Leon thought.

After all, pure soul cultivation could improve one's perception of the law, among several other benefits. He had experienced it firsthand.

Thus, if Lynne's potential is limited, he just had to increase that potential.

While Leon was pondering over Lynne's issue, the ice phoenix did not avert its cold blue eyes from Leon. On the contrary, it had been watching him and even studied his expressions carefully.

It realized Leon showed great concern for its ice phoenix ancestor's disciple and had no intention to harm her.

Even so, the ice phoenix did not let down its guard.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had instructed it to protect her disciple and even treat her disciple like the ice phoenix would treat the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress.

Thus, the ice phoenix would do just that.

…

Meanwhile, Lynne refined the Celestial Ice Spark wholeheartedly without any knowledge of what was happening outside.

Typically, the process would take at least a week to refine the Celestial Lord-level Celestial Ice Spark completely.

However, Lynne had the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress to help her refine the Celestial Ice Spark. As such, a lot of time was saved in the process.

In half an hour, Lynne advanced to the Acknowledge Paragon-stage Transcendent Realm. Two hours after that, she reached the peak of the Transcendent Realm.

After seven hours had passed since the start of Lynne's refinement, the Celestial Ice Spark cracked. Her Transcendent Ice Crystal absorbed the last of its cold energy and comprehension of the Ice Law.

In that instance, icy power burst out from Lynne's Transcendent Ice Crystal. Then, like a dam that cannot contain any more water, it shattered.

The icy power rushed out of the shattered Transcendent Ice Crystal.

But instead of rampaging in Lynne's sea of consciousness and threatening her life, the icy power wrapped around itself with numerous overlapping layers like a ball of rubber bands.

Within moments, the sphere of icy power started glowing with a bright blue light and emanated a terrifying coldness.

After its blue brilliance subsided, a Celestial Ice Spark was revealed.

In that instance, celestial power rushed out from the Celestial Ice Spark, filling every part of Lynne's body with glowing vein-like patterns.

However, these vein-like patterns weren't the same as her actual veins and meridians.

Instead, the vein-like patterns were her second set of veins, celestial veins, that accepted the flow of celestial energy.

It was also the mark of her celestial body.

With the celestial veins running through her body, she could substitute food with celestial energy that could be refined from the vast cosmos.

At the same time, Lynne's white hair regained its former black color. Even so, a few strips of bluish-white hair remained.

It was a sign of her extended lifespan.

There weren't any spectacular worldly phenomenons in the sky. However, Lynne's ascension to the Celestial Realm will be forever remembered.

After many years, a new Celestial has ascended.

The ice phoenix sensed the changes in Lynne and understood that she had finished refining the Celestial Ice Spark.

The moment it decided to fold its wings, Lynne also opened her eyes at the same time.

"I did it, Master. I'm a Celestial now," Lynne rejoiced. She no longer had to stress over her limited lifespan.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress would have congratulated Lynne's ascension at this point. However, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress was strangely silent.

"Master?" Lynne called again.

However, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress did not respond. Although Lynne was puzzled by her master's silence, her attention did not remain on her master for long.

Lynne was pleasantly surprised after spotting Leon in the distance. Her eyes brightened with joy before she rushed over.

It was at that moment that the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress finally spoke.

'Stop, child! Don't go near that person. He is extremely dangerous!' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress warned with a trembling voice.

However, this warning wasn't out of fear for her disciple's safety but herself.

Lynne quickly paused her step obediently. Even so, she was stunned after sensing the fear in her master's tone.

Her master, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, was afraid of Leon? How can that be?

While Lynne was confused and Leon was puzzled by her sudden pause, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress focused her attention on Leon with a grave look.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had wholeheartedly helped her disciple with her refinement. Thus, she didn't notice Leon's presence until after Lynne completed her celestial ascension.

But the moment she did, she immediately felt the threatening power of nihility from him.

It was a power that could even destroy those that are eternal.

Chapter 944: The Phoenix Empress's Concession

Lynne never expected to see her master, the dignified Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, fear anything in the world, let alone fear Leon.

Although she didn't understand why her master seemed fearful towards Leon, Lynne had to show her master that there was nothing to fear.

In a few moments, Lynne resumed rushing towards Leon. In that instant, Leon also dispersed his Nihility Barrier before catching Lynne in his arms.

The ice mountain lost the former intensity of its coldness after Lynne completely refined the Celestial Ice Spark.

"I missed you so much~!" Lynne expressed her joy in Leon's arms. But then, she quickly added, "But what are you doing here?"

"I went to look for you. What else?" Leon replied with a slight smile.

As Leon and Lynne enjoyed their reunion after a period of separation, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress observed everything without a sound.

If she were in control of Lynne's, she wouldn't even dare to breathe, let alone utter a single squeak.

At the very least, she would be on her best behavior. Or rather, she would pretend she didn't even exist while she was in such proximity to someone who has control over nihility.

Nevertheless, she shared Lynne's senses, so she felt rather strange while they interacted.

Meanwhile, Lynne gradually noticed the dark creases on Leon's forehead. He didn't seem to be all that excited to see her again—or rather, something was troubling his mind.

"What's the matter? Is something bothering you? Are you not happy to see me again?" Lynne asked.

"Happy? Of course, I am happy. We haven't seen each other for more than a month," Leon replied with a slight smile.

Alas, if such lines were heard in the Divine Realm, many would scoff at him for being a softie.

It was common for couples to separate for years or even hundreds of years before meeting again while pursuing the everlasting.

Nevertheless, Leon shortly sighed and said, "Do you understand what it means to refine the Celestial Ice Spark? It will limit your future, Lynne."

"Ah, so you were worried about this," Lynne smiled brightly after realizing Leon wasn't excited because he was worried for her.

"You don't have to worry about this. My master made sure such a thing wouldn't be an issue during my refinement," Lynne assured him shortly after.

However, Leon was immediately surprised by the revelation.

"Your… master? When did you have a master?" Leon wondered with astonishment.

Furthermore, a master who can resolve the Celestial Sparks' side effects had to be an extraordinary person. However, Leon had his doubts.

The events that led Lynne to the heart of the ice mountain; Leon didn't doubt he had something to do with this 'master' she mentioned.

He did not believe this 'master' was a living person. In fact, he suspected Lynne awakened the soul fragment of a True Divinity.

Nevertheless, Lynne did not intend to keep any secrets from Leon. He was her confidant, lover, and family.

Who else besides him could she entrust with her secrets?

"Mm!" Lynne nodded.

"My master is the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, the ruler of the ice phoenix race from the primordial era. My master awakened when artificial spirit energy emerged from beneath the World Tree."

"So it was the soul fragment of a True Divinity after all," Leon uttered before frowning in the next moment. "However, at that time, you shouldn't have been achieved Transcendence yet."

Seeing the puzzled look on Leon's face, Lynne understood what he was pondering.

"I know what you are thinking, Leon. I've also heard about it from my master," Lynne stated.

"Awakeners only have a chance of awakening their True Divinity's soul fragment during the Transcendent Realm, the realm when Awakeners become closer in touch with their laws. This also resonates with the soul fragment of True Divinity slumbering inside them."

"The stronger the True Divinity, the earlier Transcendents will awaken their soul fragment. However, my master also said it is equally true when the True Divinity has a less fragmented soul. Fewer soul fragments mean less division in the True Divinity's thought process."

"My master couldn't completely avoid the fragmentation of her soul during the Great War, even with her divine ability of rebirth. However, she is one of the few True Divinities in Primal Chaos to exist with less than ten soul fragments," Lynne explained.

"Even if that is the case, the soul fragment awakening still occurred before you achieved Transcendence, did it not? How do you explain that?" Leon inquired with doubt.

"I believe that has something to do with my master's deep grudge for the devil race. The artificial spirit energy contains traces of a devil's energy and law. Thus, it must have triggered her awakening when it appeared," Lynne speculated.

"Ah?" Lynne exclaimed after her master quietly whispered a few words to her. Then, she nodded, "I understand, Master."

"My master just said that she was already half-awakened from the awakening pills I ingested. She said I exchanged my lifespan to force her awakening earlier," Lynne conveyed the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress's message to Leon.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress didn't intend to say anything that would reveal her existence to Leon. However, her disciple exposed her. Thus, she had no choice but to add a few words, albeit through her disciple.

She didn't want to be Leon's enemy.

After all, she understood that her disciple was in a romantic relationship with this person. As such, her disciple would strongly resist her will if she wanted to kill the person.

The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had no choice but to concede and choose peace even though she felt like the wielder of the Nihility Law had to be eliminated.

It wasn't too late to decide after observing the person's nature.

Nevertheless, after Leon listened to Lynne's words, he furrowed his brows with a pondering look.

"The Divine Ice Phoenix Empress bears a deep grudge against the devil race? I know that the Great War involved every party during the primordial era. However, I thought the beast race was more neutral before that," Leon mentioned.

Lynne received words from her master again before she nodded.

"My master said the keyword is 'was..' The devil race became her mortal enemies during the Great War," Lynne stated.

Chapter 945: Compromise Between Both Parties

"I would like to hear the details, but unfortunately, now is not a good time for it," Leon shook his head with a sigh and said.

At the same time, Leon thought it was better not to reveal his demon cultivation to Lynne, lest the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress misunderstood something.

"The others are still waiting for us outside," Leon continued, "And more importantly, we need to deal with the immediate issue now that the Celestial Ice Spark is gone. If we don't deal with the vengeful spirits quickly, it'll be a disaster for the people of the empire."

"Mm, you can leave this issue to me, Leon," Lynne nodded and said.

"I was also concerned about this matter before I chose to refine the Celestial Ice Spark. However, my master reassured me that it's not a problem that an Ice Celestial can't deal with."

Since she caused the problem, it was also natural for her to deal with it. Furthermore, she had the power to resolve the problem.

"I see, that's good," Leon nodded after getting Lynne's reassurance.

Even now, he was not exactly sure about the extent of a Celestial Warrior's power. But even if Lynne weren't aware of the vengeful spirit's problem when she took away the source of the cold yin mist, he wouldn't have blamed her.

Instead, he would blame everything on the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress.

Nevertheless, Leon shifted his attention to the Half-step Divine Beast-level Ice Phoenix shortly after. It was still watching him intently.

"This ice phoenix will let us leave, right?" Leon asked.

"Of course. It'll even come with us," Lynne stated before adding, "My master tamed it for me. I can't leave it here after taking its treasure."

Furthermore, keeping it around was like having a Half-step Celestial-level bodyguard.

However, Leon suddenly paused. Then, he said, "Your master is awfully nice to you. But how will I know if she won't try to rob your body one day?"

"My master isn't interested in something like that, Leon," Lynne shook her head.

"I don't want to hear what you think," Leon shook his head and firmly said, "I want to hear what SHE thinks. If she has the slightest ill intention to you, I swear I will destroy her."

"Leon, my master has been very good to me. I'll get angry if you keep talking like that about my master," Lynne stated with an unhappy look.

Nevertheless, she felt conflicted.

Her master had been good to her, while Leon was worried for her. She didn't want them to be on bad terms, or worse, fight.

"Good to you? Perhaps. But who knows what she's actually thinking," Leon stated with a frown.

How can mortals guess the minds of gods?

For all he knew, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress could be grooming Lynne like cultivating a seed, only to pluck the fruits of her labor once it's ripe.

Lynne wanted to argue further, but the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stopped her.

'Enough, Lynne. Master doesn't want you to argue with your man over this. Your man is right to be concerned about this. Anyone will be if their lover is subjected to such a risk,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

She knew it wouldn't be smooth for the wielder of nihility to accept a conscious soul fragment of True Divinity in his lover.

Nevertheless, she was surprisingly calm despite Leon's threat to destroy her. He truly had the means to do it, but he would only do it out of concern for her disciple.

In that case, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress just had to promise him that the scenario he was worried about would never happen.

"My master said she swears on her ice phoenix race that she will never harm me in any way. She will also do her best to find a way for me to reach the True Divinity Realm. However, she also said that there might be times when she is forced to assume temporary control of my body to protect my life. She pleads for your understanding at that time."

"Are you happy with that?" Lynne asked shortly after.

"It'll have to do for now. As long as she stays to those words, she'll be my friend and not my enemy," Leon conceded with a nod after seeing the grumpy look on Lynne's face.

Although a verbal promise wasn't a good guarantee, Leon didn't want to push the matter too hard. If a conflict broke out between him and the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, Lynne would be the one to suffer.

He can only quietly watch over.

Nevertheless, Leon and Divine Ice Phoenix Empress had both compromised, whether it was in their best interests or not. But most importantly, the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress didn't want to be Leon's enemy.

"Let us head out now," Leon stated.

"Mm," Lynne agreed.

It was a short trip outside the ice mountain.

Before long, Leon and Lynne met up with Elizabeth and the others. However, Elizabeth and Faelyn were quickly terrified by the huge ice phoenix that followed behind them.

That was a Half-step Divine Beast!

"Don't worry. It won't hurt anyone without my permission," Lynne reassured them. Then, she turned to the ice phoenix and asked, "Is that right?"

The ice phoenix nodded obediently.

Shortly after, Lynne approached Elizabeth and held her hands apologetically, "I'm sorry for making you come out all this way to look for me, Mother-in-law. I've made you worried and even put your life in danger. I should have left a notice before I left."

"It's fine. As long as you're okay," Elizabeth shook her head with a smile.

Nevertheless, after the group stayed in the vicinity of the ice mountain to catch up for a bit, Lynne suggested, "Everyone should head back first. I'll meet up with everyone after I deal with the vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest."

"How is that acceptable? The vengeful spirits in Extreme Misty Forest are far too many and far too powerful. How long would it take for you to deal with all of them on your own? Just what are you—"

Elizabeth spoke out against Lynne's idea. But before she could finish speaking, Leon stopped her with a hand gesture.

"Just leave it to Lynne, Mother. She's a Celestial now. Peak Paragon-level vengeful spirits won't be a match for her," Leon stated. Then, he turned to Lynne and added, "On another note, I don't intend to return to the empire just yet."

"What do you intend to do then?" Lynne raised an eyebrow.

Leon didn't answer immediately.. Instead, he shifted his attention to the north.

Chapter 946: Celestial Energy

"Once the vengeful spirits are dealt with, Extreme Misty Forest will be free of threats and open for people to explore. However, I want to check out the terrain in the north and assess the Boundless Sea before that," Leon stated.

Given the powerful sea monsters in the Radiant Heaven Realmship, it was clear that the threat posed by sea monsters wasn't inferior to vengeful spirits.

"The sea monsters aren't weak, and their numbers are numerous. So if we want to reclaim Extreme Misty Forest to open up the north and gain access to the sea, we will eventually need to secure the beach anyway."

"Furthermore, it'll be a risk if we don't understand any other underlying dangers in the forest before sending our people to work," Leon added.

"You made a good point," Elizabeth nodded in agreement. Then, she smiled and said, "Now that you mentioned the north, Mother is also interested in tagging along to take a look. Mother is very curious how the sea looks."

"Me too! I'm also curious about the sea!" Faelyn chimed in.

However, Leon glanced at her oddly and asked, "You've never seen the sea despite the Great Forest neighboring it?"

"No," Faelyn shook her head and said, "North of the Great Forest is a very steep cliff. Even if the sea neighbors the forest, the view isn't all that amazing due to the high land—or so I've heard. However, I've never actually seen it myself."

"I didn't get many chances to play outside the tribe, let alone go so far as the forest outskirts. So I have always been curious about the sea," Faelyn stated.

"I see," Leon uttered with understanding.

"Since Mother and Sister Faelyn wants to go, we don't want to miss out on this trip either," Aria stated with a smile after catching Leon's glance.

"Right," Darlene nodded before inserting her opinion, "There was no point in us returning alone. Instead, it would be more enjoyable if we all went to take a look at the beach together."

Leon smiled wryly after hearing that.

The original purpose of their journey had been closer to a rescue mission. But now, it was being treated like some holiday sightseeing tour.

Lynne felt slightly jealous that she couldn't follow them right away. Even so, she understood that they weren't exactly heading to the north to play.

Furthermore, her responsibility was more important.

"Then… I'll head off first to deal with the vengeful spirits," Lynne informed the group.

However, Elizabeth and the three ladies didn't let Lynne leave right away—not after they expended the effort to find her.

After they grabbed her and pulled her away from Leon, they had a ladies-only talk.

Only after they finished confirming Lynne's cultivation and congratulating her with surprises did they finally let her go.

Although it wasn't obvious, it was also their way of cheering up Lynne, and it worked surprisingly well. At the very least, Lynne didn't feel so bad anymore.

"I don't think it's necessary to say this now that you have become a Celestial, but be careful," Leon said to Lynne shortly after.

"Mm!" Lynne nodded with a brighter smile.

Shortly after, the group separated. Leon led the others and headed past the ice mountain to see the north.

Lynne watched them disappear into the distance before she finally shifted her attention to the southern half of Extreme Misty Forest.

It was also at that moment that the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress felt like she could breathe again—not that she had a physical body of her own.

'You're heading the wrong way, child,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress suddenly informed her disciple, causing Lynne to pause her steps with confusion.

"What do you mean, Master? The vengeful spirits are this way," Lynne said with doubt.

'Of course, they are,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress didn't deny it. 'But are you planning to eliminate the vengeful spirits one at a time, or do you want to slay them all at once?'

"If I can slay them all at once, that would be great. But is that possible?" Lynne asked.

'It seems that even though you have reached the Celestial Warrior Realm, you still don't understand the extent of your power. No matter. Master will teach you what a Celestial Warrior can do,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.

'Right now, your Celestial Ice Spark holds a lot of icy energy from the Celestial Lord-level Celestial Ice Spark you refined. However, this icy energy also contains your comprehension of the Ice Law. So if you use it, it won't reduce your cultivation. However, it will slow down your advancement.'

'Furthermore, your power won't be much stronger than a Half-step Celestial if you use the icy energy stored inside your Celestial Ice Spark as is.

"Then what should I do, Master?" Lynne asked with surprise.

'Have you already forgotten the new energy coursing through your newly-reformed celestial body? Your comprehension of the Ice Law is your weapon. But without celestial energy to fuel it, you won't be able to demonstrate the true power of a Celestial Warrior.'

After listening to the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress, Lynne came to a realization. But at the same time, she was puzzled by another matter.

"That's rather strange, Master. I realized the celestial energy in my body is different from the icy energy stored in the Celestial Ice Spark. But shouldn't the Celestial Ice Spark be full of celestial energy?" Lynne wondered.

'Celestial energy is rather special. It's a type of solar energy that comes from the stars. But only Celestials can refine it into celestial energy. But even if Celestials can refine celestial energy, not all Celestials can store it. At least, it's not possible for the lower-level Celestials,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress patiently explained.

'The icy energy in your Celestial Ice Spark is called celestial ice energy. It's the transformed state of celestial energy. However, what we need is the original state of celestial energy. That's why you need to refine more celestial energy, child.'

'The current celestial energy being generated by your celestial body isn't enough for what we are about to do,' the Divine Ice Phoenix Empress stated.