Chapter 72: Glacial Spirit Stronghold

Chapter 72: Glacial Spirit Stronghold

"Are you alright?"

Ignoring the Old Man’s death glare, Lothe stepped directly in front of Seana. Raising his wide purple silk sleeve, he gently wiped away the sweat and faint soot clinging to her pale, delicate face.

Seana offered a faint, affectionate smile, shaking her head softly. "I’m okay."

"Good," Lothe whispered.

Behind them, the Old Man’s face flushed red with irritation. If Lothe hadn’t released her waist a second later, the ancient demon might have used his powers to embed the young man into the stone wall.

A few feet away, Ye Cangming quickly raised both hands to cover his eyes, muttering under his breath about how brazen and shameless humans had become.

Yet beneath his fingers, a faint, imperceptible blush touched his pale cheeks—though thankfully, no one noticed.

"It is time for you two to leave," the Old Man grunted, clearing his throat to mask his lingering annoyance.

He waved his wide sleeve, and a glowing, ancient Jade Token floated gracefully toward Seana.

Seana caught it in her palm. The moment her skin touched the cold surface, a vast, profound reservoir of high-tier alchemy schematics hummed within her mind.

"That is my personal Legacy Token," the Old Man said sternly, his tone dropping into a grave, authoritative cadence. "Study it well. When your alchemy reaches the peak of the Earth-Grade, it will guide you to your next trial."

He looked at Seana with an undeniable trace of genuine warmth, before sweeping his cold, sharp gaze back toward Lothe.

"And you, boy... protect my disciple. If I find out she suffered even a scratch because of your weakness, I will cross realms to skin you alive."

Lothe took Seana’s hand, lacing his fingers through hers with unyielding firmness. "You won’t get the chance, Old Man."

The Old Man snorted, though a subtle glint of approval flickered in his ancient eyes. He raised his hand and struck the empty air before them.

BOOOOOOM!!

A massive, glowing spatial portal tore open behind them, revealing a cool night breeze and the starry sky of a dense forest.

"Go," the Old Man commanded softly. "The Great Era has begun. Stay alive."

Lothe and Seana exchanged a quiet look, shared a confident nod, and stepped into the portal together, stepping back into the unpredictable, evolving world.

As they drifted through the spatial void, a raspy transmission drifted exclusively into Seana’s mind:

"If he ever mistreats you, disciple, dump him immediately. There are plenty of fish in the river..."

Seana couldn’t help but chuckle softly, shaking her head.

At the exact same time, an invisible Jade Token, glowing with a subtle, dark-purple radiance, drifted silently through the spatial stream. Without causing a single ripple of energy, it embedded itself directly into the cloth belt of Lothe’s purple robes, settling seamlessly as if it had been there forever. Neither Lothe nor Seana noticed its presence.

"What happened?" Lothe asked, noticing her quiet laugh as their boots touched solid earth.

"Nothing," Seana smiled innocently.

The cool, damp air of a dense forest washed over them, carrying the faint, foul stench of decay—a bitter reminder that they were back in the apocalypse. The towering canopy of ancient trees blocked out most of the crimson moonlight, leaving the forest floor shrouded in deep shadows.

For a brief second, the quiet night felt peaceful, as if the life-or-death battles inside the tomb had never occurred. But both of them knew it was an illusion.

GROWL...

A low, guttural growl echoed through the pitch-black treeline.

GROWL! GROWL!

Within seconds, dozen after dozen of glowing, dark-green eyes ignited in the shadows surrounding them, heavy, mutated pressure rolling off their frames.

Lothe let out a quiet sigh, though a confident, handsome smirk danced across his lips.

SHING!

His Soul Weapon, the [Void Spear], materialized in his right hand. After optimizing his Qi circulation and observing Ye Cangming’s fluid combat style, he was eager to test his new, frictionless movement.

Seana summoned her [Blood Moon Sword], the crimson blade humming with seamless, elegant energy.

She shot Lothe a stern look—or at least tried to look stern. "It seems we really are intruders."

"Oh, love, don’t look at me like that," Lothe chuckled, his voice dropping into a smooth, teasing register. "We just have to greet our new hosts a little more specially. Shall we?"

"Hmph," Seana snorted, a small smile breaking her composure.

Without another word, the two moved as one, charging directly into the horde of mutated beasts as the sound of clashing steel and spatial rifts ignited the dark forest.

——————————

Meanwhile, back in the Grand Tomb of the Ancient Ones—

The Old Man turned toward the suspended black coffin, his expression softening into a solemn, ancient quietude.

"Cangming..." the Old Man spoke quietly. "...don’t you think he reminds you of someone?"

He looked at the quiet hall. "He is just like... Him."

Ye Cangming stood quietly behind him, his dark eyes fixated on the portal’s fading residue. "I hope they survive."

"They will," the Old Man said softly. "He will."

The Old Man waved his hand. The brilliant ambient light dimmed into deep shadow. Ye Cangming’s body dissolved into a cloud of dark Qi, reforming into a single, dark-red butterfly that fluttered upward and settled beneath the suspended black coffin.

"We shall show our faces when the time is right," the Old Man whispered.

Then, his figure faded into nothingness, leaving the grand tomb in complete, silent sleep once more.

——————————

The Apocalypse.

Inside a luxurious suite built within a massive, fortified military complex, Nyren Ashford lay peacefully in a plush bed.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Miss Nyren, your father summons you for the council meeting," an elderly female voice called out from behind the reinforced door.

Nyren slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the lingering sleep.

It had been over a month since she and the surviving students had been rescued from the university siege and brought to the grand military stronghold established by her father and the military high command.

In just thirty days, the world had transformed beyond recognition.

The old world order was entirely gone. In its place, powerful legacy families and high-ranking military leaders had forged fortified strongholds across the continent. Nyren’s family now ruled The Glacial Spirit Stronghold, with her grandfather standing as the supreme commander.

Furthermore, humanity had officially adapted. Level 5 was no longer just a system number—it was universally recognized as the Foundation Establishment Realm following extensive research into Qi cultivation.

However, the world had grown infinitely more dangerous. Massive dimensional rifts had opened across the planet, spewing waves of alien invaders and otherworldly monsters. Even after reaching Level 5, human cultivators were unable to step through to the other side of those rifts, forced into a brutal defensive war.

Yet, humanity was not left helpless.

Two weeks ago, mysterious divine sanctuaries and elemental treasure caves descended from the sky above each major stronghold. The Glacial Spirit Stronghold had received an immense, multi-floored Ice Cavern filled with ancient cultivation resources and spirit weapons, allowing humanity’s elite teams to push back the alien invasions.

And just two days ago, shockwaves shook the continent—an ancient, high-tier ruin had emerged in the center of Country B. Today, the heads of the Four Great Strongholds were assembling for a historic summit to form an elite exploration squad.

Nyren sat up, smoothing her silver silk robes.

Upon reaching Level 5, her beauty had become almost divine—her hair now gleamed with radiant silver light, complementing her cool, elegant aura.

Yet as she stood by the window, looking out over the sprawling steel-and-stone fortress, her thoughts drifted away from political meetings.

Her mind flashed back to the apocalyptic siege at the academy... to the terrifying spatial rift... and to the handsome, dark-haired boy followed by the girl.

She pressed a hand against her chest, a soft, melancholy murmur escaping her lips:

"I hope you’re safe out there... especially you, Lothe."​