Chapter 557: The Overlord of the Glacier Continent

"How can one person's value compare to that of the codex? Just give us a straightforward answer: yes or no."

Xu Yang thought for a moment, then spread his hands in resignation. "Fine, since it's come to this, I don't mind handing it over. But remember one thing: don't try any tricks with me. This is your only chance to cooperate. If you double-cross me, I'll show you what true despair feels like!"

With a flick of his hand, Xu Yang tossed out the codex, which bore three successive seals. The female envoy took hold of it without further hesitation. After confirming its authenticity, she immediately gestured for Xu Yang and his team to follow her.

This time, even the disheveled guard captain, who had been outwitted by Xu Yang, didn't try to stop them. He allowed Xu Yang's team to swagger freely into the spatial teleportation barrier.

When they opened their eyes again, a completely new world appeared before them.

The name "Glacial Kingdom" seemed entirely unrelated to this world. Looking around, Xu Yang and his companions couldn't see the slightest trace of ice or snow.

Xu Yang chuckled, "Haha, this is the most ironically named independent space I've ever seen. It’s practically spring all year round, so why call it the Glacial Kingdom?"

The female envoy, now the sole guide for Xu Yang's team, chuckled softly. "This is the Law of Earth at work, which can alter elemental forms and even their essence to a certain extent. However, it requires a significant amount of time – hundreds of thousands of years of accumulation – to truly transform this Glacial Kingdom into a land-based realm, completely free from any connection to water elements."

Xu Yang, however, shook his head dismissively. "If I'm not mistaken, isn't the sky here made of water?"

The female envoy was startled but offered no explanation, tacitly acknowledging his statement.

Xu Yang's sharp observation stemmed from his unique position as the only one on the entire continent to possess the dual inheritances of the Sea God and the God of Earth. This allowed him to perceive the composition of the Glacial Kingdom's sky and land far more clearly than anyone else.

"Tell me, where exactly are you taking us?"

For some reason, Long Kun still felt uneasy and couldn't help but press for an answer.

"To where you want to go, of course. The Angel Soul Pillar Bearer – I know where she is."

Shi Lingyun was also skeptical. "Really? Don't you dare deceive us, or you won't even get a chance to regret it."

She replied, "Seriously, with so many of you, are you still worried I'd trick you? Three of me couldn't even defeat your leader."

As the female envoy spoke, she didn't forget to cast a charming glance at Xu Yang. It seemed that after their few encounters, she had developed some affection for him. After all, women are drawn to strength. Xu Yang's exceptional aura, powerful abilities, and handsome appearance exuded an indescribable sense of security. Such a presence, it was said, could almost sway anyone, not just women – even Long Kun was nearly captivated.

They traveled for a long time, and Xu Yang and his companions gained a certain appreciation for the Glacial Kingdom's unique landscape. The only strange thing was the scarcity of human presence. According to the female envoy, the current inhabitants of the Glacial Kingdom are born with a certain degree of divine essence. While not possessing a true divine bloodline, they naturally possess some impure divine power resources.

While divine essence is powerful and a key indicator of divine bloodline, it comes with a very strict condition: the physical body must be sufficiently strong! If a child's innate constitution is not robust enough, and their divine essence exceeds their body's capacity, they are highly likely to die young.

For these reasons, the divine lineage has passed on very limited civilization to the continent's descendants. This is precisely why the Glacial Kingdom places such high importance on secrecy. If information about the Glacial Kingdom were to leak to the continent, countless sects would flock here, causing trouble, and the preservation of this lineage would become uncertain.

She announced, "We're here. Step into the teleportation barrier at the center of that ice lake, and you will enter a forbidden area within the Glacial Kingdom. If I recall correctly, a hundred years ago, a strange anomaly occurred deep within this lake. Our leader sent a group of young, powerful tribe members inside, but unfortunately, not a single one came out alive... The Angel Soul Pillar Bearer was among them."

As soon as the female envoy spoke, Xu Yang and the others all found her explanation somewhat unconvincing.

"How do you know who the Angel Soul Pillar Bearer is? Are you just messing with us?" Ling Yao, short-tempered, drew her blade and pressed it against the envoy's neck.

"The Angel Soul Pillar Bearer's objective in coming here was even clearer than yours: to steal the essence of our divine legacy. That's why, shortly after she arrived in our Glacial Kingdom, our leader discovered her suspicious nature. It was also intentional that she was temporarily added to the list of those entering the lake that time. Here is her information."

As she spoke, the envoy gently waved her hand, sharing the Angel Soul Pillar Bearer's profile and the basic information they had previously acquired with Xu Yang's team.

"What the — are you sure she's the Angel Soul Pillar Bearer? Someone chosen to be a Soul Pillar Bearer should be a peerless genius, one in ten thousand! And for the sacred Angel lineage, would they really pick someone so unremarkable to be a Soul Pillar Bearer?"

The female envoy shook her head helplessly. "I don't know about that. But I heard our leader say that this woman's soul power form is somewhat special; I'm not clear on other details. In any case, I've brought you here without the knowledge of the entire kingdom. Whether you find the Soul Pillar Bearer is now up to your own fate."

Xu Yang didn't hesitate further. He was the first to leap up, flying towards the formation in the center of the lake and disappearing from sight.

Ling Yao and Shi Lingyun followed closely, also disappearing into the array. Long Kun went last, but he clearly had an extra trick up his sleeve, suddenly imbuing the female envoy with a Phoenix Seal.

"Hehe, with my seal on you, don't even think about playing any tricks. If any of us are harmed, this seal will explode instantly, and you won't be able to escape."

With a sly grin, Long Kun ascended into the air, vanishing along with the others into the teleportation point at the lake's center.

The female envoy smiled faintly at the lake's center. "I certainly didn't deceive you about anything. But I also didn't tell you the danger that the place this lake leads to poses to the entire Glacial Kingdom. No matter how powerful you are, those without divine essence in their bodies cannot leave alive. Enjoy yourselves! Hahaha..."

Soon, the guard captain appeared in a flash of light beside the female envoy.

"Congratulations, congratulations," he said. "You've successfully obtained the codex; your status must have soared immensely!"

The female envoy looked at the guard captain with a half-smile. "Oh, Great Commander, do you also wish to lay claim to the codex?"

The guard captain made no attempt to conceal his intentions. "You should know very well that it's impossible not to covet something so precious. But now it's just the two of us. If you're willing to make a deal with me, it could be a win-win situation."