"We're here!"
Looking ahead at the ancient ruins, faint black miasma could still be seen drifting and coiling about.
Luo Li raised an eyebrow—not because of the sight itself, but because of the elemental power lingering in the air, condensed yet not fully dissipated.
"Someone's been here," he said calmly. "And not long ago."
As the Crimson Witch of Flames, Rosalyne was exceptionally sensitive to elemental fluctuations—especially ice, the element she wielded in her first form.
The cold and elegant woman extended a finger. Tiny, almost imperceptible ice crystals landed on her fingertip, melting away in an instant.
As the crystals vanished, the demon god resentment lingering in the air visibly dimmed as well.
Yun Jin immediately went on guard, her earlier relaxed demeanor gone.
"Mr. Luo Li, what's going on?"
Luo Li gestured for her not to panic and explained,
"This is the aura of adeptal arts."
"Adeptal arts?"
Both women froze.
Could it be that an adeptus had sensed the demon god remnants and arrived here first?!
At that thought, Yun Jin instantly relaxed. She didn't want to find Mingjun already dead by the time they arrived.
If someone had reached him first and saved him, that would be ideal.
However, Luo Li was far less at ease.
The aura of adeptal arts here wasn't calm or tranquil—it carried a hint of violence and murderous intent.
"This feels different from every adeptus I know," Luo Li said quietly.
Even Xiao, at most, bore karmic corruption—not this kind of ominous, fate-bringing baleful aura.
The only person matching this impression was an adeptus he had never personally met.
A user of Cryo, raised by Cloud Retainer from childhood—
Shenhe.
The image surfaced in his mind.
Considering Mingjun's connection to her, it made sense that she would come searching after his disappearance.
"Interesting," Luo Li said. "Let's go in."
Led by him, the three stepped into the ancient ruins.
The dim demon god resentment sensed living beings approaching and immediately surged forward like starved venomous snakes, clinging greedily to their presence.
Yet when it came within a meter of them, it was blocked by an unseen force and could advance no further.
Yun Jin had already prepared herself to fight—her Vision glowing faintly—yet the scene left her confused.
Before she could ask, vibrations echoed from deep within the ruins, mixed with roaring and howling.
Suppressing her questions, Yun Jin quickened her pace.
The moment they entered the ruin's passageway, she noticed the air was damp, and the temperature dropped sharply compared to outside.
Luo Li and Rosalyne remained unaffected—one wielded power granted by the Tsaritsa herself, while the other hardly needed explanation.
Not far in, they saw several grotesque ancient Geovishaps collapsed on both sides of the path.
There were also corrupted hilichurls and mutated beasts scattered about.
Luo Li didn't spare them a glance. The trio quickly followed the already-cleared route deeper inside.
Yun Jin felt fortunate—without Luo Li, clearing this path would have been extremely troublesome.
As the roars and shrill cries grew louder, they drew closer to their destination.
After passing several shattered stone barriers and narrow corridors, a spacious underground chamber opened before them.
There, an elegant and ethereal figure was locked in fierce combat with several blood-eyed, mindless ancient Geovishaps.
The moment he saw her, Luo Li confirmed his guess.
"So it really is Shenhe."
At the center of the battlefield stood a woman of otherworldly grace, surrounded by adeptal aura.
Her silver-white hair flowed like moonlight poured from the Milky Way, braided at the end and bound with red cords.
She wore a black-and-white form-fitting outfit, with carved hollow patterns at her thighs and sleek abdomen. A cloud-patterned shawl covered her upper body, connected by red knots at the seams.
Tall. Divine. Cool. Aloof.
That was her first impression.
Yet at this moment, frost coated her delicate face, and violent madness seeped from her purple-white eyes as she stared at the Geovishaps.
Her expression was icy calm—but terrifyingly unhinged.
At the edge of her vision, a sinister black Seelie hovered, gripping a middle-aged man who had his eyes tightly shut, his face twisted in pain.
The creature circled Shenhe mockingly.
There was no doubt—this was the source of the chaos.
And the man it held was none other than Mingjun, Yun Jin's target.
Shenhe locked her gaze onto the black Seelie, killing intent undisguised.
When she was young, this thing had once coveted her flesh and blood, only to be driven back by the dormant calamity, bloodlust, and indomitable will embedded in her fate.
In the end, it had died by her hand.
Yet now, years later, it had been revived by the demon god remnants slumbering here—and was far more dangerous than before.
Back then, it had been a lone entity. Now, it could command Geovishaps and various monsters lurking underground.
To kill it—and rescue Uncle Mingjun—she would first have to eliminate the Geovishaps surrounding her.
Shenhe frowned slightly as she assessed them.
These elemental creatures were thick-skinned and incredibly tough. Damaging them was difficult, yet every claw swipe and charge was lethal—one mistake meant death or crippling injury.
If this dragged on, exhaustion would inevitably put her at a disadvantage.
Forming hand seals with one hand and wielding her spear with the other, Shenhe moved like a crane, every strike carrying an ethereal elegance beyond the mortal realm.
Ice crystals and frigid mist swirled around her, making her look every bit like a divine maiden.
Sensing the Geovishaps stirring again, she let out a sharp cry and fully unleashed the elemental power channeled through her Vision.
In an instant, the cold intensified dramatically.
"Adeptal Art — Divine Maiden's Spirit Dispatch!"
Ice-blue talismans flashed from her fingertips as she activated the technique, instantly spreading a frozen domain.
The ground solidified. Plants and flowers froze solid.
Behind her, a towering, shadowy divine maiden wielding a spear manifested—mirroring Shenhe herself.
The Geovishaps assaulting her were frozen at the limbs, unable to move.
Seizing the opportunity, Shenhe aimed to end it swiftly—beheading the beasts and then striking down the black Seelie.
But things were not so simple.
Just as the spectral maiden and Shenhe moved to strike, radiant Geo energy erupted from the Geovishaps' bodies.
Though immobilized, they still commanded elemental power.
The execution strike was blocked.
The ice spear only sank a third of the way into their necks, elemental essence spilling out.
Enraged, the Geovishaps roared and slammed the ground, channeling tremors that shattered even the hardened ice.
Failing to finish them in one blow, Shenhe retreated gracefully, preparing to reorganize her assault.
Just as she was weighing her next move, a clear female voice rang out from the passage behind.
"I'll help you."
Shenhe turned her head—
And saw a refined young woman, a strikingly handsome man, and a cold yet elegant lady standing together at the entrance.