Chapter 148: The Homeland of Sinners

For several days, Bai Yu and Ellie Roth Charlotte had been journeying along the immense ice wall.

The path offered no other sights, only the gruesome remains of countless bodies. Nothing else existed in this desolate place.

Bai Yu felt that if this continued, her sanity would surely unravel.

It was only when Bai Yu spotted yet another pile of identical bones that she realized she and Ellie Roth Charlotte had already circled the entire ice wall.

Without any means of discerning direction, they had done everything within their power.

Bai Yu sighed, continuing to soar through the sky with Ellie Roth Charlotte in her arms, never descending.

She no longer wished to look at those nauseating sights, genuinely fearing that she, too, might become one of them.

“Let’s head away from the wall,” Ellie Roth Charlotte suggested to Bai Yu. “What if we’re outside the wall? It’s impossible to tell anything right now.”

Yet, even she sounded unconvinced by her own words.

After all, the vast expanses of bones here offered undeniable proof. The people who had been investigating this place had likely spent far more time here than Bai Yu and her companion.

Bai Yu even spotted the emblem of the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau, a sight that instantly tightened her chest.

Seeing the remains of familiar people in such a place caused Bai Yu’s heart to clench, leaving her feeling almost breathless.

After using snow to bury the individual, Bai Yu could do nothing more.

In such a place, merely avoiding having one’s body exposed in the wilderness was already a difficult feat.

Bai Yu was now in a situation where she could barely protect herself.

While her carried provisions and food remained abundant, the psychological pressure was immensely taxing.

“Then let’s go.”

Bai Yu nodded, agreeing with Ellie Roth Charlotte. There were no other options left.

Heading in the opposite direction might offer a chance to escape, or perhaps even reveal some clue to their deliverance.

****

Just then, Bai Yu suddenly recalled the words of the Old Woman.

‘After failing to cross, head in the opposite direction of the wall. Traverse the endless snowstorm, and you will reach the homeland of sinners – your only place of salvation.’

‘The homeland of sinners, a place of salvation…’

Bai Yu frowned. No matter how she looked at it, she thoroughly disliked that statement.

To be inexplicably branded a ‘sinner’ and then told of a ‘place of salvation’ was infuriating.

She needed no one else to save her. Bai Yu only trusted herself.

Yet, given their current predicament, there was no other way to leave.

If this so-called ‘homeland of sinners’ turned out to be a civilized place, then perhaps they could find a way out of here.

Bai Yu doubted that any civilization could thrive in such an icy, snowy wasteland.

Even Arcanists would struggle to survive in this environment.

If they had nothing, they couldn’t possibly live on thin air.

However, Bai Yu had no choice. In their current situation, she and Ellie Roth Charlotte could only head in the opposite direction of the wall.

Bai Yu turned back, taking one last look at the towering ice wall that pierced the clouds.

She now harbored an intense aversion for this formidable wall and the so-called ‘god’ the Old Woman spoke of.

She felt that this world was far too fragile, and everyone in it was far too insignificant.

Under the gaze of these supposed gods, all mortals were like ants, utterly powerless to resist.

Only by giving their absolute all could they seize a sliver of hope.

“Ah.”

Bai Yu sighed. If they reached a dead end, she would detonate her Divine Radiance to shatter this wall, even if it cost her everything.

As for the supposed god who created the wall, she would certainly not let them off easily.

To be casually branded a ‘sinner’ and labeled ‘inhuman’ — Bai Yu was utterly displeased.

“What are you thinking? Let’s go.”

Ellie Roth Charlotte tugged on Bai Yu’s arm, asking in confusion.

“Mm.”

Bai Yu skillfully wrapped her arms around Ellie Roth Charlotte’s waist, then unfurled her wings and soared straight upwards.

After several days of flying, Bai Yu had become increasingly proficient at controlling the wings behind her, now feeling as natural as her own arms.

This sensation was novel, even allowing Bai Yu to enjoy the feeling of flight through the sky.

This sense of freedom was one of the few comforts she found in the endless snowfield.

As for the rest, it was the Maiden held securely in her embrace.

Over these past few days, Bai Yu had listened as Ellie Roth Charlotte recounted stories of her family and shared details about her own circumstances.

Each revelation left Bai Yu utterly astonished.

Most surprising of all was that Ellie Roth Charlotte was a Tier 5 Arcanist, having fully entered the ranks of advanced Arcanists.

Moreover, she was eighteen years old, the same age as Bai Yu.

‘Wait, eighteen and Tier 5—is that even normal?’

‘Clearly, it’s not normal at all.’

Bai Yu had initially assumed Ellie Roth Charlotte was around her own tier, perhaps Tier 4 at most. She had never expected Ellie Roth Charlotte to be a true prodigy.

Regarding Ellie Roth Charlotte’s family, she spoke with exceptional confidence and immense pride.

Bai Yu initially held little interest, as she knew nothing of prominent families. Even within the Dragon Summer Nation, Bai Yu only knew of the Lu Family in the capital.

This was solely because her childhood friend was the family head; otherwise, Bai Yu would never have heard of such things.

However, Ellie Roth Charlotte’s subsequent words immediately piqued Bai Yu’s interest.

‘Why did the names of the previous generations of patriarchs from those families sound so familiar?’

Bai Yu pondered carefully, suddenly realizing the source of that faint familiarity.

Bai Yu racked her brain, suddenly recalling bits and pieces from her history lessons.

‘These were famous historical figures from the United States!’

‘No, this family is absolutely incredible!’

Bai Yu gazed at Ellie Roth Charlotte in shock. She finally understood why Ellie Roth Charlotte valued her family’s honor so deeply.

Bai Yu’s shock lasted only a moment, as the most pressing concern was still escaping this place.

No matter how powerful Ellie Roth Charlotte’s family might be, she was currently trapped here with Bai Yu.

This indirectly proved just how terrifying this place was. Bai Yu estimated that the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau was likely searching for her with all their might, but she was utterly helpless.

There wasn’t a single signal here.

Bai Yu felt like crying; her phone was truly no different from a brick now.

Aside from playing some offline games, there was nothing else to do.

But in their current situation, even if Bai Yu were given the chance, she wouldn’t be in the mood to play.

‘To be able to play games in a place like this, one must truly have an unshakeable spirit, right?’

High in the sky, a bored Bai Yu’s thoughts drifted as she chatted desultorily with Ellie Roth Charlotte.

Just then, Bai Yu suddenly spotted a black dot in the distance.

As they drew closer, the familiar black dot appeared before their eyes.

They had encountered the Old Man again!

Was it a coincidence, or something more?

Bai Yu immediately descended, eager to ask the Old Man about the story of the so-called ‘sinner’s homeland’.

After all, this was one of their few remaining hopes.

However, Bai Yu also found it somewhat strange. If that truly was a ‘homeland,’ why would this Old Man be living there all alone?

Everything seemed far too eerie.

After leaving him last time, Bai Yu had found herself increasingly uneasy the more she thought about it.