Chapter 468: The Beibing Shizhe and the Primordial Cold

"Do not panic," Lin Xuan quickly analyzed the battlefield, "although they are numerous, we only need to break through at one point to retreat back into the passage."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than several Bingyan Shou lunged simultaneously. Lin Xuan drew his Long Sword, the blade immediately glowing with a five-colored light; every strike he unleashed carried a perfect fusion of both Void and reality. Three Bingyan Shou fell to the ground at the sound, but more Bingyan Shou surged in from all directions.

Xiao Yuan was not to be outdone; she summoned a golden Dharma Artifact, which transformed into streaks of golden light that shot out, precisely striking the vital points of the Bingyan Shou. However, the vitality of these ancient cold beasts was extremely tenacious; even when injured, they did not retreat, but instead attacked even more fiercely.

In the heat of the battle, Lin Xuan suddenly discovered a strange phenomenon—whenever his Void power struck a Bingyan Shou, a peculiar energy fluctuation would flash within these cold beasts. It belonged neither to the Void nor to Nature, but was a more primitive, pure power.

"Xiao Yuan, they have the aura of the Heaven and Earth Origin within them!" Lin Xuan exclaimed, "These Bingyan Shou are very likely guardians!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan immediately adjusted her strategy, no longer attacking the vital points of the Bingyan Shou, but attempting to establish some kind of connection with them. She took out the Fate Compass, which immediately vibrated violently, emitting a beam of golden light that shot straight toward the largest one among the Bingyan Shou pack.

The moment the golden light made contact with the Bingyan Shou, the entire Bing Gong suddenly fell silent, and all the Bingyan Shou stopped attacking at once, gazing at the two of them with vigilance and curiosity.

The atmosphere inside the Bing Gong instantly froze; dozens of Bingyan Shou stared vigilantly at Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan, ready to launch a fatal strike at any moment. Lin Xuan gripped his Long Sword, the two powers of Void and reality circulating rapidly within his body, preparing to meet a potentially more violent attack.

However, Xiao Yuan's Fate Compass continued to vibrate, the golden light constantly intensifying, enveloping the most massive Bingyan Shou. Lin Xuan noticed that the golden light seemed to be resonating with some kind of energy within the Bingyan Shou.

"They truly have the aura of the Heaven and Earth Origin within them!" Lin Xuan said in a low voice, "Xiao Yuan, continue trying to communicate!"

Xiao Yuan nodded, closed her eyes, and exerted her full strength to drive the Fate Compass. The golden light suddenly became even more dazzling, like a small sun suspended within the Bing Gong. The largest Bingyan Shou—clearly the leader of the pack—suddenly let out a low roar, and then actually began to walk slowly toward the two of them.

The other Bingyan Shou immediately cleared a path, their posture still vigilant but no longer possessing intense aggression. The beast king stopped at a distance of about five meters from Lin Xuan, its ice-blue eyes staring directly at Lin Xuan, the gaze revealing a wisdom that did not belong to a wild beast.

Just at this moment, a weathered voice suddenly sounded in Lin Xuan's mind: "Human, why have you trespassed into the Beiming Hanyuan?"

Lin Xuan was startled, realizing that this was the beast king communicating with him telepathically. He quickly adjusted his state of mind and responded: "We have come to search for fragments of the Heaven and Earth Origin, in order to resist the soon-to-awaken Void Sovereign."

A flash of surprise crossed the beast king's eyes: "The Void Sovereign? Is it about to awaken?" Afterward, it slowly lowered its head, performing an action similar to a bow: "I am the Beibing Shizhe, the last guardian of the Beiming Hanyuan."

Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan looked at each other, both seeing pleasant surprise in the other's eyes. Lin Xuan bowed to the Beibing Shizhe: "Respected guardian, I am Lin Xuan, and this is Xiao Yuan. We come from the Cultivation Science Headquarters and are looking for a way to balance the two powers of Void and reality."

The Beibing Shizhe walked around the two of them once: "Interesting, a human who possesses both Void and reality powers simultaneously. You have the aura of Yage within you, yet you are not controlled by it." It stopped in its tracks, "Tell me, human, how did you know of the existence of the Heaven and Earth Origin?"

Lin Xuan recounted Yage's warning, Xiao Yuan's prophecy, and the records in the ancient texts one by one. The Beibing Shizhe listened quietly.

"Ten thousand years have passed; the world has changed so much," the Beibing Shizhe sighed, "We were once the most powerful predators of the ancient era, and were later chosen to guard the Heaven and Earth Origin fragments. Over the long years, our bodies, souls, and even consciousnesses have merged with the Han Yuan, becoming a part of this place."

Xiao Yuan asked curiously: "Then, the fragments of the Heaven and Earth Origin are truly here?"

A hint of caution flashed in the Beibing Shizhe's eyes: "Follow me, but remember, the Heaven and Earth Origin will not easily accept visitors."

Having said this, it turned and walked toward the depths of the Bing Gong, and the other Bingyan Shou automatically cleared a path. Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan followed closely behind, passing through one frozen passage after another, going deeper and deeper into the core of the Han Yuan. The temperature continued to drop, already approaching minus one hundred and twenty degrees; Lin Xuan had to strengthen the protective barrier of his "Yin and Yang Void-Reality Art" to resist the cold air that could freeze almost everything.

"This is the Bing Chuan Mi Gong formed ten thousand years ago," the Beibing Shizhe said, leading the way in front, "Without a guide, even a Nascent Soul Stage expert would be lost in it forever."

The maze was intricate and complex, sometimes narrow and cramped, sometimes as open as a palace, filled with illusions and traps everywhere. Several times, Lin Xuan and Xiao Yuan were almost swallowed by suddenly cracking ice layers, fortunately saved by the timely warnings of the Beibing Shizhe.

After nearly two hours of trekking, a breathtaking structure finally appeared before the three of them—a massive palace constructed entirely of azure ice crystals, about one hundred meters high and several hundred meters wide, emitting a dreamlike blue light in the dim illumination. The surface of the palace was carved with strange Rune, which were neither human characters nor any known cultivation symbols.

"It's so beautiful," Xiao Yuan whispered in admiration, "These Rune... seem to be telling the story of the birth of the universe."

The Beibing Shizhe nodded: "This palace is named 'Tai Chu Bing Gong', built by the first batch of guardians to protect the Heaven and Earth Origin fragments. As for the Rune, it is said to be the language of the universe itself, recording the initial memories of the world."

The three entered the palace; the interior space was even more vast than it appeared from the outside, like a miniature universe. Countless ice crystals hung from the ceiling, flickering with starlike light; the floor was a massive mirror surface, reflecting a dizzying, profound starry sky.

In the center of the palace, a transparent ice crystal the size of a fist was suspended in mid-air, not relying on any external force for support. Sealed inside the ice crystal was a drop of crystal-clear liquid, emitting a faint but pure energy fluctuation; it was neither Void power nor natural energy, but a more primitive, more essential existence.

"This is the first fragment of the Heaven and Earth Origin," the Beibing Shizhe said solemnly, "Known as the 'Primordial Cold', it represents the solidification power of the universe's beginning. Without it, the Void and the physical realm would never be able to separate, and the universe could not have formed."

Lin Xuan stared at the seemingly ordinary drop of liquid, yet felt an indescribable sense of intimacy and awe. The Void power and natural energy within his body resonated simultaneously, and the two powers actually began to fuse spontaneously, forming a brand-new form of energy.