Chapter 135: A Frigid Misdirection

Bai Yu felt her surroundings melt into a hazy blur, her mind momentarily disoriented. She recognized it as a typical side effect of arcanist teleportation, a sensation Stella had forewarned her about, thus sparing her any alarm. As her vision sharpened, Bai Yu’s eyes fluttered open. By all rights, she should have arrived home by this point. Yet, a subtle chill in the air, its source unknown, immediately sparked a flicker of confusion within her. Nevertheless, the cold was inconsequential; Bai Yu’s formidable physical constitution rendered such environmental discomfort utterly negligible. A sudden jolt of unease prompted Bai Yu to fully open her eyes, only to discover herself enveloped by an endless, pristine white landscape. Stretching before her was an immense, desolate snowfield, punctuated only by colossal icebergs that loomed majestically in the far distance. Beyond them, there was nothing.

****

Her gaze swept across her surroundings, yet all she saw was the relentless white and the distant, towering ice formations.

‘No, where is Stella? And Captain Li Hua? Why am I suddenly alone? And where in the world is this?’

A flurry of questions assailed Bai Yu’s mind. ‘Shouldn’t I be home by now? What is this place?’

‘Where have I been transported? Am I even still within the Dragon Summer Nation’s borders?’

Bai Yu quickly checked her person, relieved to find that her wondrous items, stored away, remained intact. This discovery immediately put her at ease, for the provisions held within those wondrous items were, in truth, her most vital possessions. Even stranded in an unfamiliar land, the ample resources contained within her wondrous items guaranteed her continued survival. Bai Yu exhaled slowly, a wave of relief washing over her. Her habitual prudence, it seemed, had once more proved her salvation; she had always made a point of stockpiling provisions for unforeseen circumstances. Little did she imagine that such an emergency would genuinely materialize.

“Moweila, where exactly are we? Why did the arcanist teleportation bring me to *this* place?”

Bai Yu swiftly sought answers from the ever-resourceful Moweila, for in this predicament, she genuinely found herself at a loss.

[It appears there was a spatial distortion during the teleportation, most likely caused by that demon from the previous epoch. That’s why you were sent to this particular location.]

Moweila’s voice remained utterly placid, as though the current predicament held no personal relevance for her whatsoever.

…

Bai Yu was left somewhat speechless. Moweila’s explanation was as unhelpful as silence itself. ‘Spatial distortion? And that demon again?’

‘Why is that demon so utterly troublesome?’

Bai Yu was on the verge of tears, utterly at a loss for how to proceed in her current predicament.

“So, how do I get out of here?”

Bai Yu posed the question to Moweila. She currently possessed no active arcanist teleportation abilities, and the secret technique her Mother had inscribed upon her was not something she could consciously activate. Furthermore, she had no idea if it would even function in this place. Bai Yu mused that arcanist teleportation, despite its power, often proved impractical in numerous scenarios, particularly in bizarre situations such as this one. Bai Yu pulled out her phone, and just as she had anticipated, there wasn’t a single bar of signal. This was a satellite phone, no less; if even that failed, she was truly at her wit’s end. With a sigh of resignation, Bai Yu tucked her phone away. Her immediate priorities were to ascertain her exact location and devise a strategy for escape.

[Your only option is to search for signs of human habitation nearby. Where there is life, there is always a path forward.]

Bai Yu nodded, a realization about her current location already crystallizing in her thoughts. ‘This place… it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Antarctic continent I once considered.’ While she hadn’t voiced it aloud, the current circumstances perfectly matched every description she had heard of Antarctica. Should her suspicions prove correct, Bai Yu’s prospects of rescue would diminish even further; no one would ever conceive of her being randomly teleported to such a remote locale. Her only hope was that Mother might somehow perceive her plight and that the arcanist teleportation inscribed upon her would not falter.

Bai Yu pressed onward, utterly disoriented and unable to discern any direction. With each step, her foot sank deep, carving a massive crater in the snow. In certain areas, the snowdrifts towered even above her head. This infuriated Bai Yu. How was she expected to navigate such treacherous terrain? ‘This is nothing short of an insult to my stature!’ While Bai Yu’s current physical prowess rendered such an environment utterly negligible—especially after absorbing the Reverse Metal, which had transformed her internal state into what could only be described as a roaring furnace—

Bai Yu furrowed her brow. She absolutely had to clear the snow; otherwise, she would remain utterly immobile. Bai Yu paused in thought. She had already mastered Heaven’s Fire; if not for a situation like this, when would she ever use it? After a brief contemplation, she realized she had never actually deployed this particular flame before. It was unexpected that its inaugural use would be in such a mundane, yet critical, application. The instant the crimson flames erupted, the surrounding ice and snow melted with astonishing speed, as if evaporating into thin air, exposing the craggy rocks hidden beneath.

“Ah, this is much better.”

Bai Yu nodded, her boots finding purchase on the exposed rock. Though the surface was uneven, it was infinitely preferable to trudging through the relentless snow. Furthermore, Bai Yu sensed she wasn’t at the continent’s core, but rather its periphery; otherwise, the ground’s ice and snow would not be so yielding. In a region frozen for an indeterminate age, every surface ought to be unyieldingly solid. Guiding the Sacred Flame in her hand, Bai Yu resumed her trek. A sudden thought struck her: employing Heaven’s Fire in such a manner felt somewhat beneath its true purpose. This Sacred Flame, ostensibly meant for the heat of battle, was instead being wielded as a mere implement for melting ice and snow. Indeed, Heaven’s Fire was primarily intended to incinerate spirituality and souls; by rights, its sheer temperature shouldn’t be quite so preposterous. Nevertheless, melting these vast expanses of ice and snow proved remarkably simple, its power far surpassing that of any common flame.

Disoriented and unsure of her bearings, Bai Yu could only proceed toward the nearest colossal iceberg. The thought of flying across had indeed crossed her mind, but such an endeavor would inevitably consume her spiritual core. Despite her spiritual core being absurdly plentiful, her current predicament was hardly the time for wanton extravagance. With no immediate means of replenishment, Bai Yu instinctively conserved every bit of energy she could. ‘I am still too cautious,’ she mused.

The stray lock of hair on Bai Yu’s head swayed playfully for a moment before being abruptly flattened by a sudden, ferocious gust of wind. This place was not merely frigid; its environment was utterly unforgiving. Bai Yu felt an impending blizzard could descend at any moment. Should that occur, even Bai Yu, with her keen eyesight, might find herself unable to navigate.

“This accursed place,” she muttered.

Though her heart was heavy with discontent, Bai Yu suddenly recalled the ritual required for her advancement to Tier 4. ‘Isn’t this precisely where I needed to go—the Antarctic continent?’ Bai Yu had previously pondered how she would ever reach this place, seeing as it was universally regarded as a forbidden zone, with all exploration ceasing over a century ago. As Moweila had once mentioned, this region was highly likely to harbor demons that had survived from the previous epoch. Yet, despite her extensive trek, Bai Yu had not encountered a single living creature. Bai Yu exhaled, her breath instantly blooming into a cloud of white mist. She mused on whether this unexpected journey might afford her the opportunity to directly ascend to Tier 4 here. Such a rare opportunity was not to be squandered; she absolutely had to seize it.