Chapter 1 Tundra

Tundra, snow flying wildly.

It was as cold here as ever.

But some places were different from before. During this time, the usually silent and deserted "Snow Cage" became very "lively." More than a dozen source-energy boats crossed the border of North Continent and hovered mightily over this prison.

The Traveler smashed through the iron walls of the Tundra Prison.

This most dangerous prison in East Continent held a large number of high-risk transcendents, the out-of-control… the shattering of the iron walls was no small matter.

This time, the "Snow Cage" was broken by North Continent.

To express her apology, Her Majesty the Queen personally appointed Grand Duke Snowforge to bring North Continent's transcendents to Tundra to assist the Five Great Families in rebuilding this prison… Most things in the world are easier to destroy than to repair.

The leaders of this repair project were Grand Duke Snowforge, Lin Chou, and Gu Nanfeng, the young master of the Gu family. The two initially estimated that although these iron walls were broken only in the instant of the Traveler's impact, it would take at least a year to perfectly "repair" them.

The reason was that when the Traveler tried to pull out the "Heavenly Sheath," he brought out a large number of fragments!

That "sword in the stone" was the key divine object suppressing the entire Snow Cage. The power it emitted could weaken the fluctuations of transcendent source-energy… causing the prisoners in the center of the prison to gradually lose control of their source-energy.

In other words.

The Heavenly Sheath itself was equivalent to a "purification field," and all transcendent power would be stripped away by it… For transcendents, there was nothing more terrifying than this prison.

Confining a Fourth Order transcendent near the Heavenly Sheath was equivalent to turning them into "ordinary people."

But the Traveler's "sword-pulling" caused the Heavenly Sheath to begin to shatter… Those "fragments" that could suppress transcendent fluctuations were scattered all over the ground, and to rebuild, one had to be extremely careful.

On the one hand, one had to guard against those powerful prisoners.

On the other hand, one had to avoid being stabbed by the "Heavenly Sheath fragments" and losing transcendent power.

When the Traveler drew the sword, fragments splashed and pierced the human body, directly causing "death"… There were also some "lucky" prisoners who did not die, but due to negative-distance contact with the "Heavenly Sheath," they began to gradually lose their abilities.

They were imprisoned here because they still had some value.

The spirit of transcendents can be linked to the "Deep Sea," contributing a portion of computing power to the upgrading and evolution of the [Deep Sea]. The East Continent Council has the power to manage and allocate the final destination of this computing power… These powerful transcendent criminals, gathered together, will provide a "valuable" spiritual property.

But once they lose their abilities.

Their final value will also be stripped away.

They will be kicked out of the [Snow Cage] for retrial, and according to the crime after the trial, they will be executed again.

After the Traveler's disturbance, the number of criminals in the core area of the Heavenly Sheath has unknowingly decreased a lot.

…

…

A temporary base was set up not far from the Tundra Prison.

The Five Great Families and the transcendents of North Continent lived here during the construction. A wealthy Grand Duke Lin from Central City selflessly brought the latest invention of the underground research institute, a portable heating device charged by a "furnace."

This set of equipment can transmit temperature to the entire temporary base.

With this set of equipment, the construction quality of the Five Great Families and North Continent can be well guaranteed.

It was precisely because of this that Zhong Gui was able to stay in Tundra, a place with harsh conditions, for more than half a year.

Before the "Heavenly Sheath" was broken, he happened to be traveling with Gu Nanfeng to the Tundra Prison, trying to decipher the ancient texts on the "Heavenly Sheath"… After the prison was broken, the Heavenly Sheath area was sealed off, so he simply stayed here.

Gu Nanfeng gave him enough authority.

Zhong Gui could freely enter and exit the prison and investigate the core area of the "Heavenly Sheath" at any time… But Gu Nanfeng had one request, that was that he could not act alone, and each time he entered the core area, he needed to be protected by a transcendent from the Gu family.

The reason was nothing else.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Zhong Gui.

But that he… was too weak.

Zhong Gui, Xing Yun, was born unlucky, and his transcendent strength was the weakest of the weak. In addition to having the passive ability of "vehicle killer," he was also entangled in a lot of bad luck all day long. It was already a miracle that he could safely arrive at the Tundra Prison this time.

If Zhong Gui acted alone, Gu Nanfeng was worried that under the trend of misfortune and disaster, this unlucky person would directly encounter an "accident."

More than half a year.

As long as one wasn't blind, one could see that Gu Nanfeng took good care of Zhong Gui.

Gu Nanfeng was different from those power holders who had previously captured Zhong Gui—

He didn't regard Zhong Gui as a "tool," nor did he value Zhong Gui's so-called "translation talent." The reason why he gave these privileges… was simply because, in the long period of getting along, he saw some unknown "qualities" in Zhong Gui. This was a "pitiful person" who carefully tried to survive, breathing hard in the cracks of fate, and what was precious was that he could still retain a "kindness" in addition to experiencing misfortune.

Gu Nanfeng was willing to pay something for the "goodness" in Zhong Gui's heart.

He was the young master of the Gu family.

Protecting his "friends" was naturally something the young master should do.

…

…

Tonight was a blizzard night.

Outside the window, the snow was howling. Even with the warmth supplied by the "furnace," Xing Yun inside the house was still wrapped in a thick coat.

He had been sitting for a long time, and now looking at the densely packed drawings on the desk, he felt a piercing pain in his head…

During this time, some abnormalities seemed to have appeared in his "spiritual sea," and sharp forces were constantly impacting his mind.

He couldn't stay up late.

Otherwise, his head would feel as if it were pierced by thousands of fine needles, causing a splitting headache that couldn't be relieved.

"It's time to rest…"

Zhong Gui rubbed his forehead, yawned, lay down on the bed, and pulled up the quilt.

The moment he closed his eyes.

In the darkness, a ray of light seemed to light up.

["Master!"]

He seemed to return to the scene of half a year ago, when the giant knelt on one knee, trying his best to pull out the towering sword in the stone, but ultimately failed.

Countless blood spilled from the sky.

That roar that outsiders could not understand.

He understood.

["Pull it out…"]

The giant's head shattered, and a huge force poured down. It slammed the Heavenly Sheath with its forehead. This scene was extremely tragic, extremely heroic. With each impact, Zhong Gui felt his heart being beaten by a giant drum.

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

"Dong!"

In the darkness, the man lying on the bed curled up like a shrimp.

He was also like this in the dream… shrinking his body as small as possible, wishing he could squeeze himself into the cracks in the world. He didn't dare to look at the towering, bleeding giant, but no matter how he hid, he couldn't avoid the earth-shattering roar.

"Pull it out!"

A hoarse voice sounded in the dark room.

Zhong Gui suddenly sat up. His whole body was soaked in cold sweat. At this moment, he raised his hands in disbelief, looking at his palms… He was still in the alternation of dream and reality, not fully awake.

But the lingering echo in his ears made him feel dazed.

Had he just shouted?

"Dong, dong…"

A gentle knock sounded outside the house, responding to his confusion.

"Mr. Xing Yun, what happened?"

It was the transcendent from the Gu family who was on night watch, responsible for guarding his safety.

Gu Nanfeng specifically instructed that the transcendents of the Gu family needed to be with Zhong Gui at all times to take care of him, in case of accidents.

"Nothing… just had a nightmare…"

Zhong Gui leaned against the back of the bed, his lips dry. He trembled his hands, trying to make a fist, but couldn't even do the simplest palm closing.

Why did he keep having this dream?

Such weak hands could only flip through drawings and write ancient texts…

Pulling the sword, pulling the sword in the stone?

Ridiculous, absurd, bizarre.

After this nightmare, he could no longer close his eyes, tossing and turning, unable to find peace.

In the silent room, Zhong Gui could even hear his own rapid heartbeat caused by fear…

He got up, put on a thick coat, added another coat, opened the door, and asked softly, "I want to go out for a walk, is that okay?"

The night watchman tonight was a young member of the Gu family.

The watchman respectfully said, "Mr. Xing Yun, are you going to the core area of the Heavenly Sheath? Please wait a moment, I'll report to Lord Luo Yu."

"Just going out for a walk…"

Zhong Gui smiled helplessly, "It's so late, there's no need to bother Luo Yu."

The watchman glanced at the time, pondered for a moment, and said politely, "If it's just going out for a walk, then I'll accompany you."

"Then I'll trouble you."

Zhong Gui gathered his coat.

He walked into the snow alone, intending to say a few words to the Gu family's watchman, but the young man adhered to his work duties. After Zhong Gui went out, he just followed far behind, maintaining a considerable distance… He was the ancient text translator of the core area of the Heavenly Sheath, and spent most of his time thinking. The transcendents of the Gu family were already used to giving him peace.

Zhong Gui could only walk alone under the iron walls.

Countless snowflakes flew across the night sky. The transcendents of North Continent rested in the source-energy boats at night… Those airships, hovering outside the prison, extinguished their lights, also appeared particularly cold.

The only thing lit up in the entire [Snow Cage] was the "sword in the stone" in the core area.

The sword in the stone soared into the sky.

As its name suggested, "Heavenly Sheath," this stone scabbard was like a "towering lighthouse," its exterior reflecting a pale snow light.

Zhong Gui did not enter the core area of the Heavenly Sheath…

He just looked at the sword in the stone from a distance, recalling his previous nightmare in his mind.

At this moment, there were others watching him.

…

…

The high tower of the Tundra Prison was silent.

Two figures stood silently in the moonlight at the top of the high tower.

Mister Ghost, Mister Snow.

These two titles were responsible for guarding the entire [Snow Cage]. They would not appear on weekdays, but their mental power completely covered the entire prison… Of course, except for the "core area of the Heavenly Sheath," that disastrous place that weakened source-energy fluctuations, even they would not easily enter.

"It's so late, and there are still people walking outside the iron walls…"

Mister Ghost was drawn out by this aura.

He stood on the high tower, looking at Zhong Gui's figure, frowning slightly.

"Does he want to observe the ancient texts in the 'core area of the Heavenly Sheath'?"

Mister Snow was also attracted.

The two titled individuals naturally knew Zhong Gui's special status. This was a "translator" that Gu Nanfeng had deliberately invited, but this person was surrounded by misfortune. Both Ghost and Snow could see this misfortune… Most of the time, they would not come into contact with him.

"Recently, the spiritual aura in the 'core area of the Heavenly Sheath' has been fluctuating very violently. I often feel uneasy."

Mister Ghost said in a low voice, "I suspect that the previous 'Heavenly Sheath rupture' has weakened the 'restriction power' in the core area… It is possible that some high-risk criminals have regained their power and are hiding their strength."

"I also have a bad premonition."

Mister Snow narrowed his eyes, "I think it's best not to get close to the 'Heavenly Sheath' in the near future. If he goes any further, I will come forward to stop him."

The two silently observed Zhong Gui.

However… Zhong Gui did not go to the "core area of the Heavenly Sheath." He just walked around the periphery of the iron walls, letting the chaotic thoughts lingering in his mind dissipate… When he felt better, he prepared to return to the house.

After all, there was a watchman following behind him.

It was really unnecessary to bother the watchman by coming out so late.

Looking at the path Zhong Gui was returning on, the watchman asked in a low voice, "Mr. Xing Yun, are you going back now?"

"Yes, going back."

Zhong Gui said sincerely, "It's so late, thank you for your hard work."

His words made the watchman scratch his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

In fact, over the years, the Gu family had a very bad view of "Zhong Gui." This was mainly due to the previous new head of the family, Gu Lushen. A long time ago, because of the Qing Zhong Decree, Zhong Gui had offended both factions of the Gu family's transcendents at the same time!

But now that the young master was in power, he restarted Zhong Gui despite the opposition of the council of elders.

The Gu family slowly discovered that Zhong Gui was not as unbearable as Gu Lushen had said… Over the years, he had helped a lot with big and small matters, and as the once useless Qing Zhong Cemetery gradually took effect, everyone's impression of him slowly improved.

Zhong Gui finally stopped, looking at the towering Heavenly Sheath, thinking about that dream, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

His fingers silently made a clenching gesture in his sleeve, as weak as ever… It would probably be difficult to even lift a chicken.

Pulling the sword…

Could a thousand of himself pull up this thing?

Zhong Gui laughed self-deprecatingly.

What the giant said to himself… was simply a joke.

He turned to leave.

The next moment, a sudden loud noise descended without warning!

"Bang!!!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, boundless incandescent light descended from the sky, sweeping across the earth. The rolling shock wave swept over instantly. Zhong Gui staggered, turning his head with great difficulty, wanting to see what had happened, only to find that his vision was instantly enveloped in a silvery white.

Billions of wildly dancing lightning bolts descended in the blizzard!

Standing on the high tower, the expressions of Ghost and Snow suddenly turned pale.

Without any warning.

Without any preparation…

The sword in the stone, the Heavenly Sheath, suddenly exploded in the blizzard night. This was a more intense shock than the Traveler's last sword-pulling. Hundreds of thousands of fragments shot out, piercing the rebuilt iron walls. Moreover, several huge stone pillars of the Heavenly Sheath directly pierced the prison made of special strong-logic material… This was an unprovoked disaster. The explosion of the Heavenly Sheath was like a "massacre" launched by a demon in the core area of the Snow Cage. The criminals who were pierced by the stone pillars died on the spot.

This blizzard night turned the prison silvery white, but before long, blood color seeped out of the iron walls.

And cracks.

"Kacha…"

The iron walls used to imprison top-level out-of-control individuals were completely shattered under the bombardment of the Heavenly Sheath. One large hole after another, accompanied by blizzards, blood, and smoke… gradually appeared in the darkness.

Also appearing in the darkness were deep, gaunt figures.

…

…

After the loud noise.

Zhong Gui's pupils shrank to the extreme. He wanted to scream, wanted to roar, but all the sounds disappeared.

He stared blankly at the meek and gentle watchman in front of him. He hadn't even had time to ask this young man's name… A sharp stone pillar from the Heavenly Sheath pierced the watchman's chest, nailing him to the ground.

At the moment of the explosion.

This young man opened his arms, making a gesture of pouncing on himself… but the disaster came too quickly. He didn't have time to pounce forward before he was shot by the stone pillar. A large amount of blood poured down, splashing Zhong Gui's face.

The blood was still warm.

Countless broken crystal fragments pierced into Zhong Gui's limbs with this explosion, but at this moment, he seemed to feel no pain. His eyes only contained the nameless watchman who still had a smile on his face at the moment of death.

"Mr. Xing Yun…"

The young man's voice trembled.

He squeezed out a strange sentence from his chest.

"You are actually… quite nice…"

These were not words a dead person should say, nor was he trying to be pretentious, but this explosion came too suddenly.

These were the words he wanted to say a few seconds ago. Now that life was taken away in an instant, he didn't have time to think, and could only say these dry, slightly warm words.

Zhong Gui tried to raise his hand, but his disappointing fingers trembled violently.

He couldn't reach the young man's face.

Finally, a very light hissing sound came from his ear.

"Pain…"

Zhong Gui wanted to say something, but the young man's life had withered. Death came faster than pain.

"I…"

His brain was blank.

This young man died to protect himself, or because of…

The bad luck he brought?

"…Bang!"

A sense of weightlessness came, and Zhong Gui fell heavily to the ground like a sandbag.

He looked up at the blurred snowy night. The cold blizzard hit his face. At this moment, he could no longer tell whether the warm liquid on his face was tears or blood.

After surviving for so many years, none of the scenes he had experienced in his life had such an impact as this moment, making him feel his powerlessness and weakness.

He had never hated fate so much, never hated the misfortune he was stained with so much.

"Ah…"

He roared in pain, hoarse and exhausted like a beast, wanting to vent all his frustration, all his guilt, all his anger.

It's a pity… fate never listens to the voices of the weak.

In the blizzard night, Zhong Gui's roar sounded more like a whimper, a wail.