Chapter 94: Snowy Lands

From as far Darcel and Aniela could see, they most certainly weren't in the Necropolis Woods anymore. Everything was a pure, beautiful blanket of white snow sticking to the ground going up to at least two inches.

As Darcel and Aniela's head poked out of the ground, the cold yet smooth snow piled up to just under their chins.

Promptly, Darcel and Aniela had to surge a bit of their Nascent Qi just starve off the sudden chills coursing down their bodies.

"Talk about a tonal shift….hm? Those are roads, Darcy?" Darcel tossed his eyes over to where Aniela was nudging her head.

Both of their eyes observed a surreal sight in the tundra snow land.

Multiple bright blue icy pathways was split into the ground, making about some sort of makeshift ice roads. There was zero snow piled on the ice pathways, and each road of ice was admittedly beautifully carved into the ground.

Still, no matter how beautiful and surreal this was, Darcel and Aniela obviously didn't want to just up and about explore this seemingly random place.

"Right…. let's jus-" Darcel abruptly cut his words short.

He and Aniela suddenly felt the burning heat graze the bottom half of their bodies. Their eyes burst open as they realized the hole they came through was quickly filling up with the same raging blue flames!

Previously Darcel and Aniela clearly sensed the power of these flames wasn't anything ordinary.

Not even in their most peak optimal state do either of the duos want to recklessly challenge these flames head-on.

So, with no other options, Darcel and Aniela flung themselves out of the ground, jumping at least several feet high into the air. They gently floated back to the ground, their feet squashing into the soft, smooth snow.

"Well….this isn't great. Our way back is now completely covered in flames!" Aniela was a bit shocked and confused as she saw the hole they jumped out of was literally overspilling with blue fire.

The sizzling blue flames easily drilled into the snow and through the white dirt ground.

"Haah, well, now that we're stuck here….ah."

Darcel was taking a look over the tundra snow land until he suddenly realized something.

"Ah, indeed! We really should've picked up a book on this planet's geography during our time in the Corridor of Haven. It's like being stuck in the middle of a snowy dessert now!" Aniela's eyes were darting all around the Tundra snow land, trying to get her bearings.

Darcel, although, had a more subdued state of mind. His eyes shuffled between the multiple ice roads and quickly drawn to an answer.

"For now, let's just calmly get through this. I suspect that the silver or I guess Sariel's Cores are the reason for our separate paths. Still, we can't stay here forever. Let's choose a path to go on."

The icy blue roads obviously look too man-made for it to just be a natural environmental occurrence.

So Darcel has hopes this would lead them to the civilization here. Although, one worrying thing though was the lack of humans occupying the multiple roads.

"Hmmm….how about we go on this path! I can just faintly feel my intuition is right on this one." Aniela pointed to an icy road on her far left. Darcel looked over and already didn't have any disagreement about following her lead.

After all, that deadly intuition she has never led them astray before.

And while the lack of anybody on the icy road and for this whole area, in general, was concerning. Darcel knew they didn't have many options.

Giving Aniela the silent agreement, the duo trekked through ankle-high feet of snow towards their icy road. But while they traverse the snow, Darcel and Aniela felt even more cold shivers trickle their spines.

They stopped for a moment and circulated even more Nascent Qi to stave off the sudden shivers. Unlike ordinary mortals, cultivators have the ability to fend off any weather condition with just standard Qi.

But, there are several exceptions to the rule.

Such as the weather of a place being influenced by a cultivator's direct power. Or in general, the area of a place sustains much more vibrant and powerful Qi in the air.

Darcel and Aniela quickly realized whatever this place was, it had more potent Qi in the air than the Necropolis Woods!

Even after they surged more Nascent Qi, the shivering cold didn't go away.

In fact, as they were mere steps away from the icy road, the cold only became more devastating! Darcel and Aniela clasped their hands together and breathed out frosty white breaths.

The cold would quickly get to a point where it would actually hurt their bodies.

But Darcel and Aniela smirked once, realizing a quick and straightforward solution to this cold problem.

Inside their souls, Darcel and Aniela only surged a small portion of their pure black flaming essence. Just this tiny portion of flaming essence promptly course in their bodies, providing a more manageable warmth to get through the cold.

"Phew….I suppose this is another point to those mysterious Mages. I guess their special line of empowering clothes would be crucial in areas such as this. Thankfully it's much easier to mobilize our souls now."

Darcel remarked as he and Aniela touched down on the icy road.

On the icy road, Darcel and Aniela took a slight moment to pause and stare down the seemingly endless road of ice.

"But really, once we get to civilizations, we're buying some of those Mages clothes! For now, let's say we go down….this direction."

Aniela pointed to the south of them, which looked exactly the same as any other icy road direction. As nonchalant as he could be, Darcel nodded towards Aniela, and they both began slowly walking down the road.

Once they were finally in somewhat clear cut directions, Darcel and Aniela started to see the environment surrounding the icy roads change.

In the endless blanket of snow, the duo could now spot beautiful tall white trees that, amazingly enough, was full of life.

There is snow stuck on the trees' bark, yet gorgeous looking vibrant white leaves hang off the branches. On some trees, Darcel and Aniela even spotted unique pure white fruits hanging off the stems.

There were also several odd snow formations, such as large snowy caves, vast looking snowy igloos, or other such bizarre building formations neither Darcel nor Aniela could recognize.

But the most curious thing about this snowy land was the Spirit Monsters or lack of Spirit Monsters appearances.

Darcel and Aniela both know Spirit Monsters will naturally inhabit any area of whatever realm.

However, while Darcel and Aniela could clearly sense numerous Spirit Monsters roaming miles away from them. Their eyes didn't pick up on a single Spirit Monster roaming in the snow.

Pushing this oddity down for later, Darcel's mind turns to more pressing news. It being specifically what that horrid looking man spiel to them.

"For now on, when using our soul powers, let's at least try to at most use the extent of our Darkness Soul link. Not even that wretched man recognized that sudden burst of power."

"Agree, Darcy. But….what that gross man did say to us is only leaving me more puzzle. He was only able to tell Sari's general presence in us at first, but when that Core suddenly powered up, he could tell that she somehow marked us? And for that matter, it looks like that girl has hidden intentions about us! Yet she seemed so innocent and sweet at first."

When Aniela was finished speaking, both her and Darcel started to notice sudden light snowfall. Although, whatever snow that had fallen on the icy road, it had magically vanished from existence.

"Well, you know, even the most welcoming and smiling faces can be incredibly malicious and cruel. Still, all we can gather is that the girl's full name is Sariel; those silver Cores came from her; she's connected to this planet and most likely sensed our teleportation here. But that does beg even more questions…."

Aniela teasingly smiled at Darcel, telling him, "Besides you're old endearing cynicism reemerging again, you just made me remember an intriguing memory, Darcy! Those cruel Doctors and that yellowed eye woman could've they possibly came to the same planet? Though the man said Sariel wanted us two specifically, we surely weren't and still aren't anywhere near powerful to heavily influence the whole World."

Aniela held her hand out to the falling snow, letting some gently fall onto her hand while she talked.

Darcel also copied her motion, enjoying the incomparably soft feel of the snow that nearly felt magical.

But her point did rummage on Darcel's mind.

While he and Aniela seemingly got very lucky to be close to each other when teleporting to this planet. They haven't heard about anyone else during their entire time in Necrotic City.

Though his last memory of the yellow-eyed woman was her being mutilated and on the verge of death, her power was still extraordinary.

Plus, anyone of those Doctors could've easily crushed the whole ninth rank province.

"Really, I can only fathom, Sariel is so connected to the World that she only wanted us to be near each other. Who knows where the others went. Hopefully, their ether aren't here or died during the teleportation process."

"Mnh….but I can't help but feel sorry about that yellow-eyed woman. You felt it, too, right? She is the first-ever person to make our bloodlines go absolutely crazed!"

It was like innate sympathy Aniela felt when thinking about the yellow-eyed woman.

Even to this day, she'll never be able to forget about the intense stare that woman gave them or the special roaring feeling in their unawakened bloodline at the time.

If Aniela could, she would most definitely help that woman out, no questions asked.

"I can't deny it either. Look, if we somehow come across news of that woman, we'll definitely investigate it and go to her."

Aniela's eyes brightly lit up at that. Even as she knew Darcel would, of course, help her, it was reassuring to know he was on the same wavelength as her.

Darcel lightly smiled at her adorable expression and continued to say,

"Still, best to remain on our guard about anything relating to Sariel and even ominous news that could relate to those Doctors. As that man said himself, many more like him possibly exist in this place and generally know of Sariel doing."

"Right, right! But even as you say that the Spirit Monsters here are certainly a step above than the ones around Necrotic City. Yet, not a single one is on this icy road or even wants to come near this road."

For the general level of these Spirit Monsters, Darcel and Aniela sensed them to be from peak True Soul Core, all the way to the mid ranks of the Innate Core realm!

Possibly there were even stronger Spirit Monsters out there as Darcel and Aniela Spirit Sense can only tell up to the mid ranks of the Innate Core realm.

But like Aniela said, Darcel didn't sense any Spirit Monsters trying to come even a mile near these icy roads.

"Perhaps, this is just the people's way here of counteracting the beasts. All the Spirit Monsters mostly stayed in the Necropolis Woods back in Necrotic City. Only the ignorant, weak Monsters strayed from the Woods."

Right when Darcel finished talking, he stopped walking entirely. Aniela had also followed in his steps and stopped walking.

Their eyes squinted ahead as they can vaguely make out for distinct human figures.

In their Spirit Sense, they could clearly sense four low-rank Innate Core cultivators coming down this icy road. However, the way they moved caused both Darcel and Aniela to curiously raise an eyebrow.

"Ah? They're walking straight to us?"

Aniela remarked as even when she and Darcel stopped, those four Innate Core cultivators kept walking to them.

But luckily, Darcel and Aniela didn't sense any negative attention or malicious killing intent.