Within the depths of her Soul Ocean, Iram Rai stared intently at the guide menu of the [World Holder] artifact. Two newly unlocked features shimmered faintly before her inner vision. A thought crossed her mind—Could it be that my soul and body have already surpassed the limits of ordinary cultivators? Perhaps that's why these features have awakened for me...
But there was no time to ponder. The looming threat of destruction gnawed at her senses. The Hidden Ice Realm trembled under the pressure of the relentless Realm Tribulation. She had to escape—and fast.
Pouring soul power into the artifact, she activated the first feature. A surge of light enveloped her body, but the expected sensation of spatial dislocation never came.
Why isn't it working? she thought, her brows furrowing.
Then it struck her—My child... perhaps the teleportation failed because I tried to activate it only for myself.
With renewed urgency, Iram Rai tried again. She expended the artifact's two available teleportation chances—one for herself, and one for the soul residing within her womb. Her soul pulsed with power as she directed the artifact's energy outward.
Still, nothing.
A cold realization settled over her heart. The Ice Rule Realm must be sealed completely. The spatial laws here prevent even a Godhood-level artifact from bypassing its boundaries.
Frustration rose within her, but she forced it down. Panic wouldn't help. She needed to think—fast.
Outside, the Ice Rule Realm's laws pounded against the Hidden Ice Realm's defenses. Even without stepping beyond the boundary, she could feel the formations weakening. The spiritual energy from beyond was not only failing to enter—it was being weaponized against them.
If she couldn't escape, then she had only one option left: survive.
Gritting her teeth, Iram Rai activated the second feature of the [World Holder]. Soul power surged from her core and into the hexagonal artifact at her side. Instantly, a radiant, deep-blue light exploded outward, flooding the Hidden Ice Realm in a tide of protective energy.
The light wove itself into a vast shield—crystalline and luminous, like a dome forged from frozen starlight. It blanketed the Hidden Ice Realm, cutting off the invasive forces from outside. The Realm's origin and spiritual energies stabilized slightly, giving Iram Rai a flicker of hope.
But only a flicker.
Outside, the Relam Tribulation intensified. Furious thunderbolts, like celestial spears, hammered against the barrier. Each impact sent a ripple through the air, followed by cracks forming across the shield's surface.
It won't last, she thought, tightening her grip on the artifact. But at least... it buys us time.
She pressed a hand to her abdomen, sensing the faint divine pulse of her unborn child.
The Divine Blood Lotus… she recalled. Its power was transformed into a Divine Soul. That should've been impossible. A normal infant soul should never contain such divinity. Could this be what triggered the Realm Tribulation?
Her anxiety deepened. There was nothing she could do to interfere with the divine soul within the child. That consciousness was beyond her reach—beyond her protection.
Then I will do all I can to shield my child. As long as I still breathe, this Realm Tribulation will not touch them.
---
Meanwhile, in the Main Ice Rule Realm...
A majestic flying boat carved from glacial silver soared above the frost-covered lands, cutting a path through the skies. Aboard were cultivators from the Blizzardheart Empire, led by none other than Emperor Isman himself.
As they approached the Ice Ruins, a sacred expanse veiled in ancient secrecy, the passengers noticed something troubling.
Ribbons of spiritual energy—both from their empire and neighboring Nivaria—were converging upon a single point: the Forbidden Ice Ruins.
A Godhood-level cultivator stepped forward, his expression grim. "Your Majesty, the gods of Nivaria must have sensed the Heaven and Earth anomaly as well. But… our spiritual energy is being siphoned toward them. They may interpret this as an act of aggression."
Emperor Isman remained composed, his silver eyes calm and calculating.
"For a thousand years, our two empires have clashed over elemental energy boundaries. But even so, divine warfare is forbidden. We proceed with caution, but there will be no war—not yet."
The minister bowed deeply in response, silenced by the emperor's authority.
The flying boat picked up speed, veering toward Ice Rin, the heart of the Ice Ruins—a sacred land rumored to house forgotten legacies of the ancients.
A full day passed as they continued their flight.
Suddenly, all aboard felt the spiritual pull come to an abrupt halt. The atmosphere shifted—like the world itself had paused to hold its breath.
"Do you sense anything?" the emperor asked a blindfolded woman seated near him. She was the Cultivation Oracle—an ancient seer whose spirit eyes saw more than the mortal world.
The woman raised her index finger, drawing spiritual energy inward. She pressed it gently to her forehead, and her hands moved in intricate, mystic gestures, performing a sacred calculation.
A moment passed.
"There is a Heaven and Earth Treasure—or a Godhood-level artifact—at the center of the anomaly," she finally said. "And… a great Relam Tribulation has begun. But I cannot yet divine the cause."
"A divine object undergoing tribulation?" the emperor echoed, his interest sharpening.
The Oracle nodded once.
The cultivators around them shifted uneasily. The implications were staggering. If the artifact—or being—survived the tribulation, it could become a stepping stone to the Divine Realm.
Hope and fear mingled in their hearts.
---
At the heart of the Nivaria Kingdom…
The divine council chamber glowed with elemental energy as the deities of Nivaria gathered in haste. Their concern grew with every moment the kingdom's spiritual energy drained away, spiraling toward the Forbidden Ice Ruins.
A divine sage among them focused his senses and murmured, "The energy is being drawn toward Blizzardheart's lands… toward something powerful."
Then, without warning, the air within the chamber swirled violently.
Water Elemental Energy condensed into a figure—graceful, ethereal, divine. A woman of unparalleled beauty emerged, her form shimmering like moonlight reflected upon a tranquil sea. Her skin sparkled like crystalline dew, and her long, flowing hair cascaded in hues of blue, green, and silver.
At once, all present knelt.
"Welcome, Goddess Sudhi," they chanted in unison, their voices echoing with reverence.
She stepped forward, her golden gaze calm but commanding. "We depart immediately for the Forbidden Ice Ruins."
A high priest hesitated. "Goddess… the nearest hidden teleportation array is three days away."
"Then you waste time even now," she said coolly.
At her command, the teleportation platform activated. Moments later, they reappeared near a secluded glacial sanctuary. From there, they boarded a divine vessel—a floating lotus carved from celestial petals—and soared toward the Forbidden Ice Ruins.