In the dilapidated hall of the ancient temple, the man walked slowly, while the enormous stone statue bound by magical ropes stared vacantly as he approached, emitting a low "buzz... buzz..." sound.
Yet the man paid it no mind, disregarding its massive, cumbersome form as he moved directly past it, gradually venturing deeper into the temple.
"Guard the entrance. Do not leave without my command," Xiaomu Yu instructed coldly, his indifferent silhouette vanishing into the shadows of the worn temple.
"Buzz?" The enormous statue clumsily raised its rough hands, gazing at the severed magical ropes that had been cut away at some unknown time, tilting its head in contemplation.
"Buzz... buzz..." After a moment, the statue seemed to regain its senses and hastily rose to its feet, its heavy steps echoing as it exited the temple's grand entrance, standing silently like a towering sentinel at the threshold, utterly motionless.
The fading light of the setting sun bathed it in a golden glow, rendering it truly reminiscent of an immobile statue; the pale blue runes upon its surface glimmered softly in the twilight.
In the cold, dark corridor, the sound of footsteps gently resonated. The aged magical lanterns lining the walls sensed the presence of a human, eagerly absorbing the drifting light elements in the air, radiating warm white light that illuminated the dark passage.
Yet it seemed even this light could not dispel the chill and darkness enveloping the man, who walked with the air of a dark lord emerging from an abyss, resembling a frigid black hole that absorbed all light and warmth.
At the end of the sloping corridor lay a vast underground hall, its floors and walls shimmering with various shades of deep blue and pale purple runes, countless inscriptions forming a gigantic magical array. At the center of this array—stood a young girl, frozen in place.
Above the hall, some gem-like object emitted a gentle light that converged into a beam, spotlighting the girl in a hauntingly beautiful manner.
The girl appeared to be around eighteen years old, with long, silken white hair tied back in a ponytail. She was adorned in a bodice and short skirt made from the pelts of unknown beasts, accentuating her delicate curves and revealing her slender waist.
Her skin was a captivating blend of sun-kissed wheat and pristine snow, shimmering alluringly in the ethereal blue light. Ensnared within a massive block of ice, she lay with her eyes gently closed, an aura of tranquility permeating the hall, as if even the darkness had been dispelled.
Xiaomu Yu stood silently before the girl, gazing through the thick layer of ice at her porcelain-like face, wondering if those eternal eyes, as unyielding as the polar ice, could ever warm with life.
"Ah, how touching," a deep voice suddenly resonated in the silent hall. "A pair of star-crossed lovers torn apart by the dark lord, with the boy ultimately vanquishing the foe only to find himself unable to save the girl. Henceforth, the lonely boy can only gaze upon her serene slumber, reminiscing about her past smiles. Oh, what a profoundly moving tale... Hahaha..."
"Yet according to the script, you should be gently caressing your beloved's cheek right now, reminiscing about your time together, and uttering words like 'I shall awaken you from your slumber' or something similar?"
Xiaomu Yu continued to fixate on the girl, seemingly unfazed by the sudden voice.
"Well... ignoring me? Heh heh... That makes sense; if I turned your little lover into this, I wouldn't pay attention to myself either." The low voice continued its monologue.
"You... won't be so pleased for long," Xiaomu Yu replied coolly.
"Oh... oh..." The voice seemed exhilarated by the man's response. "Ah... you finally decided to speak... Heh heh... are you referring to the Night Demon Crystal? Heh heh... do you truly believe that little girl will willingly bring it to you? You must know that such an item is immensely coveted."
"They... have no other choice."
"Kid, you're surprisingly confident," the voice mocked. "Do you even know what it is you seek? It's the Night Demon Crystal, which, while perhaps not as rare as the Ancient Demon Crown, holds a value surpassing three of them. In my time, the exchange rate was roughly one Night Demon Crystal for five Ancient Demon Crowns. I don't know what it is now, but I doubt it could be any lower. To ask for a Night Demon Crystal right off the bat, you truly have lofty ambitions."
"The value of things is determined by the benefits they can exchange," Xiaomu Yu said softly. "Under normal circumstances, such a transaction would indeed be impossible; however, the current situation is anything but normal."
"So you acknowledge it's not impossible?" the voice laughed heartily. "I thought you were already prepared, waiting to receive it. Hahaha."
For a moment, the hall echoed with exaggerated laughter.
The man remained silent.
"Hey, hey... don't be like that," perhaps tiring of the laughter, the voice resumed its chattering, "Don't be so gloomy; I remember you used to be quite the chatterbox, always asking questions. Now you're as cold as a block of ice."
The man remained silent.
"Alright, alright, let's change the subject," noticing the man's lack of response, the voice said listlessly, "If that little girl really brings you the Night Demon Crystal, will you truly hand over the energy core of that dumb giant to her? I recall your adorable little wife is quite fond of that dim-witted stone."
The man, in silence, pondered for a long time before finally speaking, "Every being must manifest its own value. That stone has proven its worth over the years; it can exchange itself for the Night Demon Crystal that can save Xiaoxue, thereby validating its existence and proving it is not merely a common stone. I believe it will find joy in that."
"Tsk tsk tsk... What a noble sentiment! I recall you don't enjoy joking," the voice feigned astonishment, "And happy? Do you even know what that truly means?"
"Since you know I'm jesting, why take it to heart?"
The man's indifferent voice echoed throughout the hall, but this time the voice fell silent, as if momentarily choked.
The next moment.
"Hahaha... Hahaha..." Manic laughter reverberated in the hall, causing the little fox resting on Xiaomu Yu's shoulder to bury its head in its fluffy tail, exhibiting an expression of exasperation. "To be honest, human boy, your jokes are far from amusing, yet you managed to amuse me. For that, you may take pride in yourself. Consider it an honor, you humble mortal!"
After a prolonged pause, the laughter gradually ceased, and the slightly neurotic voice spoke again.
"However, I am quite curious. You see, all creatures possess a certain tribal psychology; when their kind, who share similar status, are harmed by a higher power, they may not suffer the same fate but will inevitably feel a sense of sorrow... or fear, fear that one day the same misfortune might befall them," the voice chuckled. "Humans call this feeling 'the death of the rabbit brings grief to the fox and concerns for their kin.' Hence, throughout history, tyrants have seldom met a good end, as their subordinates live in constant dread of when disaster might strike them."
"And as for intelligent beings, they may appear physically robust, yet their hearts often remain fragile. Prolonged exposure to such pressure yields only one outcome." The voice spoke softly.
"Resistance, or rebellion."
The slightly subdued voice echoed in the hall, creating an unsettling atmosphere within the eerie chamber.
"Ugh... Eek..." Upon hearing this ominous tone, the little fox's fur bristled in fright, hastily burying its head in Xiaomu Yu's hair, trembling.
Then, the man slowly spoke, his tone somewhat icy yet dispersing the hall's ominous aura, bringing a glimmer of vitality. "Then... what of it? What does it matter to me?"
"Heh heh... What does it matter to you? What does it matter?" The voice grew animated. "Clearly, you've disregarded that group of high-level beasts outside. A tyrant like you will eventually drive them to resent you for treating them as less than 'humans'... oh, I mean, intelligent beings?"
"And then?" Xiaomu Yu inquired coldly, his gaze sharp as ice.
"And then... naturally, everyone will unite against you... Uh... so that's how it is," halfway through, the voice seemed to realize something, sneering. "You deliberately set things up this way, didn't you? For someone like you, the unfortunate little creatures will refrain from rebellion, but once they do, you'll have a justification to unleash a massacre... Heh heh... It seems you're still brooding over that past incident."
"Truly despicable! Utterly abhorrent! Infinitely wicked!" The voice chattered on with excitement. "Hahaha... Just the thought that you, once innocent and harmless, have been transformed into this malevolent, selfish, and indifferent scoundrel because of me fills me with…"
"Such exhilaration!" the voice cackled wickedly. "I am absolutely thrilled, oh... I'm positively beside myself! Hahaha!"
The sinister laughter echoed through the cold hall, reverberating far beyond the temple, causing many beasts lurking in the shadows to recoil in fright. Yet all of this seemed to have no effect on the silent man.
He stood there, quietly gazing at the girl encased in ice before him, as if everything outside could no longer disturb him. In the depths of his eternally frozen gaze, could there be the slightest ripple of emotion, a flicker of warmth?