As the sword was just an inch away from the baby's neck, the snowflake on its head suddenly emitted a blue glow, as bright as a second sun.
Everyone within thousands of kilometers, touched by the blue light, was instantly frozen. The light could be seen from all continents and emanated from the planet itself, but before it could wander into space, a mysterious force halted it.
People only witnessed a blue light ascending into the sky.
From the small baby's forehead, the light continued to radiate incessantly, and the planet's climate suddenly chilled.
The baby's heart, already beating extremely slowly, began to slow down even more until it finally stopped.
As its heart ceased, ice began to form around it, freezing everything—forests, rivers, and mountains. A significant portion of the continent was completely encased in ice.
Life was entirely extinguished by the intense cold and ice.
Until finally, the ice ceased to expand, and the baby's body remained in the center of a vast icy abyss that covered miles and miles in all directions.
The glow from its forehead finally ceased, and then…
Snow.
Snow fell worldwide at that moment for countless lost years, vanishing into the folds of time.
…
**************************
…
"No one knows why it began, but one day the snow stopped falling worldwide, and the ice that covered half of the southern continent began to melt slowly."
"Until it finally stopped in a small part of the continent, which would be forever known in history,"
"Thousands and thousands of plants, animals, and beings were extinct, but those that remained grew stronger."
"Those humans who had barely entered the world of cultivation, with their basic techniques, evolved over years, decades, and millennia."
"New peoples, cities, cultures, and divine realms rose and fell through time and oblivion."
"Sacred lands that were corrupted, mighty demons that were sealed, beings from beyond that appeared, were killed, and forgotten."
"Forbidden areas were created, either naturally or by great powers, no matter the continent, force, or person."
"The only thing that has existed and endured to this day from time immemorial is the Frozen Abyss."
"So say the records of all ancient civilizations."
"There is no record of when exactly it appeared, nor how, only that it exists."
An old man in a yellow robe stood atop a large blue bird, speaking with deep emotion to many young ones seated behind him.
"Tsk, who would believe this story? It's obvious that it's a fabrication; even our Sacred Earth hasn't existed for so long. How could a place last that long?" A boy, dressed luxuriously, suddenly spoke, full of disdain for the elder's story.
"Shut your mouth, boy. This is common knowledge that everyone knows. I'm just providing known explanations about this place for those who aren't familiar."
"The mission to be promoted to the inner area of the Southern Sacred Earth is to venture into the outer area of the Frozen Abyss for a week and survive."
"The outer area is survivable if you have enough strength, and it's an excellent place to train your control over Qi and your cultivation techniques."
"Only the outer area is considered one of the four forbidden areas of the southern continent. Don't forget that."
"The inner area is considered one of the three forbidden areas on the entire planet."
Then, a curious girl calmly asked the elder.
"And the central area?"
"Oh, that area is, hehe, considered the most unknown place on the planet, the only unexplored and absolutely deadly place."
"Nothing inhabits this place. Regardless of the cultivation realm, any living being that enters the central area is instantly frozen."
"It's an insult to call this place merely forbidden like the other areas, and thus, records and great powers refer to it as the indescribable area."
"It's the only indescribable-level area on the planet."
"So, you better be careful and not venture too deeply into this place. Any slight mistake will lead to…DEATH!" The elder said this with a slight smile on his face, looking at his slightly frightened disciples.
He then looked at a girl who stood apart from everyone, eyes closed while cultivating.
'As expected of the heir of this branch, she doesn't care about this. Well, when she gets there, she'll learn that what I said wasn't an exaggeration.'
'I deeply regret not taking the elder's words seriously when it was my turn to undertake this mission,' the elder thought, reminiscing about his past and sighing.
"We'll arrive in a week, mentally prepare yourselves, or you won't withstand the climate when you get close."
"That was my final piece of advice."
The elder said this, closing his eyes and remaining silent for the rest of the journey.