Chapter 26: Divine Retribution!

The polar night of the Arctic Circle had already descended. At this time of year, the sun never rises, yet the sky was luminous, as if dawn were breaking.

Illuminating the heavens was the brilliant cyan aurora, stretching like a goddess's gown across the horizon, boundless and endless. The world felt as desolate as it had been at the moment of creation; it was a scene belonging only to fairy tales, beautiful enough to inspire terror.

The air echoed with an ancient, low-frequency song—the chanting of a giant whale. It lurked beneath the ice shelf, closing in at breakneck speed.

The song grew louder, audible not only to Tang Xi but also to the indigenous people hiding behind the icebergs. They knelt and kowtowed, their expressions filled with such fervor they might have been witnessing a deity.

The tour guide was equally stunned, muttering, "A deep-sea behemoth... Leviathan! It's the Leviathan!"

Before them, on the flat ice shelf, white thickets began to sprout. Under the glow of the aurora, they took on a dreamlike, pale cyan hue. These were not true shrubs, but rapidly growing ice crystals.

The thickets spread with terrifying speed, reaching them in an instant. The indigenous people and the guide froze in place; the ice crystals swept over their bodies so quickly they could not even scream before being transformed into glistening sculptures.

Tang Xi watched as a villager was blown over by the wind and snow, shattering into shards of ice upon impact.

Tang Xi ran for her life, heading in the opposite direction of the encroaching crystalline forest, desperate to escape this domain of extreme cold.

The ice shelf stretched on toward an invisible horizon. She had no idea how far she could run, nor if her pace on the ice could outstrip the swimming speed of the giant whale.

There was no doubt it was a dragon, and one of significant lineage. The guide had called it a Leviathan, and in mythology, the Leviathan was the master of the seas. Did that mean...?

The King of Ocean and Waters?!

Whatever it was, Tang Xi had no time to ponder. She poured every ounce of her strength into running, not daring to slow down for a single step, nor could she afford to fall, lest she be swallowed by the frozen hell behind her.

Gungnir might not fear the extreme cold, but Chu Zihang would certainly turn into an ice statue. If Chu Zihang, her host, died, Tang Xi would suffer the backlash.

Most crucially, this place was even more desolate than the overpass. Without Chu Zihang, she had no idea how long she would have to wait to encounter another fated person. Tang Xi would never allow such a thing to happen!

The ice shelf began to shake, emitting heart-wrenching cracks. Massive fissures spread as the seawater churned. A colossal, pitch-black shadow swam beneath the ice; its target was clear—it was coming for Chu Zihang.

***

Barely leaping over a chasm, they found their path blocked by rapidly growing ice pillars. Tang Xi made a snap judgment, her voice urgent and sharp: "Your turn! Use Junyan!"

Simple running was a task even Chu Zihang could manage. They swapped control of the body instantly. Without a moment’s hesitation, Chu Zihang plowed straight into the ice pillars. At the very instant of impact, a terrifying heat exploded before him.

Spirit of the Word: Junyan!

The ice melted instantly. Chu Zihang charged through without wasting a second. He sprinted for his life, his adrenaline peaking, not even sparing a glance backward.

He remained unaware of the encroaching shadow and the lethal ice crystals closing in behind him.

But Tang Xi saw it all with perfect clarity.

*This won't work. We won't make it out like this.*

A precise conclusion formed in her mind. Tang Xi said quickly, "Brother, we might have to part ways for a while."

Chu Zihang asked instinctively, "Why?"

"I’m going to intercept that damned, stupid fish and buy you some time. Remember to come find me after you’re safe. Search carefully—don't miss any of the ice fissures!"

She paused, then continued, "If you truly can't find me, it means someone else has picked me up. In that case, wait for me to come back and find you."

"And remember, my organization must not fall apart! Absolutely not! Finally, recruit more people for me!"

As her voice faded, Chu Zihang felt something leave him. He kept running by instinct, until the biting cold began to recede.

A furious whale song echoed from behind. He turned at the sound and witnessed a scene he would never forget.

Amidst the swirling snow, a petite figure materialized out of thin air. She plummeted like a falling star, her black hair dancing wildly. Her form appeared translucent, as if one were witnessing an angel descend to earth in a half-waking dream!

Her brilliant golden pupils burned with intensity, her delicate features set in a mask of ferocity. Tang Xi smashed a fist onto the ice.

The ice shelf shuddered with a deafening crack. With her fist as the center, a massive fissure split the ice, extending hundreds of meters long and over ten meters wide in an instant. On either side stood jagged ice cliffs, and below, the sea rose and fell.

***

Beneath the water lay the behemoth that had finally revealed itself. It was a massive whale, its body covered in dense, white scales, its dragon eyes exuding majesty. Tang Xi could even see the ancient scars upon its hide.

The domain of extreme cold seemed to strike against an irresistible force, effectively suppressed! It was a clash of bloodlines—blunt and brutal!

In that moment, Tang Xi determined the creature's lineage: it must be a servant of some noble Dragon King, but certainly not a King itself.

As long as it wasn't a Dragon King, Tang Xi felt she could take it on. The alchemy domain inherent in her weapon instantly unfolded, locking the giant whale in place.

The whale let out an angry roar—Chu Zihang could only infer it was a roar, as the low whale song suddenly turned shrill. It violently turned its massive body, the black shadow diving deep, then resurfacing with the terrifying momentum of a cannonball!

"Chasing, chasing, chasing... are you ever going to quit?" Tang Xi sneered. "I’ve given you too much face!"

She raised her hand and shouted, "Gungnir!"

Gungnir, which had been tucked away in Chu Zihang’s pocket, seemed to answer a call. It streaked across the night sky like lightning, appearing before the girl, the curve of its shaft tracing the path of a shooting star.

The moment Tang Xi grasped it, Gungnir surged with power, golden light waxing and waning, with flickers of electricity dancing along its length.

Tang Xi hurled the spear with all her might. Gungnir carved a massive arc through the air, carrying a purple-black aura of death as it pierced toward the behemoth.

The whale tried to dodge, but it was locked on. No matter how it changed direction, it was futile. It could only watch as the spear grew closer... and closer...

In the final moment before being impaled, the whale’s massive golden pupils reflected the image of the girl in the air. She appeared even more ethereal, like a projection of a deity in the mortal realm.

And this unavoidable strike was nothing less than... divine punishment!