The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

Light and shadow flowed slightly within Zhao Qing's "body," rippling for a moment before the subtle tremor subsided.

With a thought, she suddenly floated up in a way that defied physics—transitioning from absolute stillness to absolute motion in an instant—the most standard and uniform linear motion, with constant speed, a straight trajectory, and unbelievably stable.

If anyone else were present at this moment, witnessing this scene that defies gravity and common sense, they would surely be terrified, exclaiming that it was a ghost in broad daylight, and that Newton's coffin lid would be completely bursting open.

Zhao Qing is certainly not a ghost.

Her movements were by no means a deliberate display of her profound understanding of the art.

The truth is that her projection has no physical characteristics at all. In essence, it is just a complex structure made up of countless tiny, intricately spliced ​​and nested void mirrors, a three-dimensional humanoid space.

A variable cave bubble that constantly folds and expands its interior, a gateway to a distant original body.

Half a month ago, Zhao Qing, through Qi Jinshan and the Wu family, found the hot lake hidden beneath the extremely cold glacier and the Great Punishment Sword left behind by the founder of the Lingxu Sword Sect.

After detailed comparison, it can be confirmed that this place located on the northwestern border of Donghu actually corresponds to the Putorana Plateau in Central Siberia. However, due to the influence of the spiritual pressure belt and the direction of the celestial veins, it is controlled by the southward-moving extreme cold primordial energy, so the temperature is much lower, there is a huge ice sheet, and the altitude is also much higher.

Hundreds of years ago, Ling Xuzi, who had already reached the peak of the eighth realm, sealed a volcanic hot lake with hundreds of feet of solid ice over a radius of tens of miles before he went to the stars to "ascend". He also set up a Dao pattern restriction, thus trapping his natal sword there forever, creating a sword-washing pool for himself.

This supreme sword, capable of "punishing the world and opening up the void," was guided by its remaining life essence, traversing tens of thousands of miles to communicate with the magic array in Lingxu Mountain, forming a stable void passage. Such a feat is truly breathtaking.

After remotely perceiving and comprehending the profound mysteries contained within, Zhao Qing's application of the Void Technique has improved significantly. Perhaps he has not yet surpassed the former Lingxu Ancestor himself, but compared to the Void Mirror maintained by a Great Punishment Sword, he has already surpassed it by several levels.

Without a cultivator's natal sword, it is ultimately just an object. Although the Great Punishment Sword is strong, its remaining power is only around the lower level of the eighth realm, which cannot compare with her, who is no less than the upper level of the eighth realm.

In fact, Zhao Qing further combined the Golden Man Formation of the Lonely Mountain Sword Sect and the inheritance of the Nether Emperor to restore, optimize, and deduce a series of profound secret techniques. For example, he first used the Starfire Sword to attach a mark to a target at near-light speed and extreme distance, and then opened a void gate between the two.

This projection "descent" is the result of her trial of the new method, using her natal sword, which she had refined in the past, as an anchor point.

Originally, the Void Mirror should have been a static, fixed "portal" that maintained a stable relative position with the Great Punishment Sword. However, in Zhao Qing's hands, she quickly realized that as long as she bent each line of primordial energy that constituted the Void Channel, the shape and appearance of the "portal" could also be changed accordingly.

A very basic topological change.

It resembles a high-precision character model in a 3D game, with 129600 important vertices defining the shape boundary, subdividing into thousands of polygonal faces, and supplemented by light and shadow shading, texture and material rendering emanating from the "door", as well as perception optimization of supreme spiritual emptiness and five elements sword intent, transforming into a flawless human form.

From this perspective, if someone can see through the essence of its multiple renderings and see a texture monster that should only exist in the game, it would undoubtedly be far more astonishing than actually seeing a ghost.

Obviously, this immediately brings to mind the virtual world hypothesis, making one feel as if they are living in a simulation of a supercomputer, merely a product of the convergence of data, causing a sense of unease and disorientation.

"But in the holographic pixel-spacetime probability element theory derived from the high-dimensional alchemy of the dragon race, how is the whole world any different from a virtual data stream? My strange state might just be the true manifestation of all things..." Zhao Qing thought to himself.

She hovered quietly for a moment, as if readjusting to the rules of this world, or perhaps making a final calibration.

Below, the twelve golden statues that had stood silently all suddenly emitted a clear and melodious whistling sound from the swords they held!

In an instant, twelve streams of light, each with a different color but all possessing pure and powerful energy, flew out from the statue's hand!

They danced and intertwined in mid-air, possessing a mysterious spirituality, and subtly resonated with each other in a profound way.

The flowing light quickly receded, transforming and condensing into twelve more refined natal sword essences, each containing a different true meaning of swordsmanship.

They swirled and converged like rivers flowing into the sea, eventually merging, compressing, and collapsing into a tiny, exquisite crystal bead, no bigger than a fingertip, with what appeared to be nebulae flowing inside.

As if it had a life of its own, the crystal bead flew lightly toward Zhao Qing's projection and precisely embedded itself in the center of the "brow" of her projection, which was composed of spatial folds, with a golden and jade-like sound that resonated throughout the universe!
It's like the finishing touch on a painting!

The entire projection suddenly exuded an indescribable "vitality," and the laws themselves spread with a joyful and dynamic energy.

This is a miniature sword realm that has been enlightened and merged with the void gate. Countless ethereal and vast artistic conceptions are poured into it, giving it full assistance from automated sword scripture programs. The difficulty of operation and the consumption of energy and spirit have been greatly reduced, and the effectiveness has been optimized.

"The 'Mirror Puppet' incarnation, which is entirely woven from threads of the void and sustained by the sword intent of one's own life, has no volume in essence."

Zhao Qing pondered silently: "It is merely a projection of countless complex and continuous non-Euclidean geometric surfaces into three-dimensional space... more akin to the holographic projection of the boundary theory in volume space in the AdS/CFT duality conjecture. Therefore, in any case, it cannot store or find any true power on its own."

“So,” she slightly raised her “hand,” examining the fingers formed from pure spatial structure, indistinguishable from real objects, “to use this avatar to attack enemies, aside from its inherent void power derived from the characteristics of space itself—primarily basic operations like spatial mending and tearing—”

"More likely, we will have to rely on arrangements made from the other side of the 'door' to deliver a penetrating attack that crosses the void."

"I wonder if this operation will allow us to properly study the mysteries of Odin's 'World Tree' matrix. After all, it has proven with facts that it is sufficient to temporarily suppress beings like the Black King who can manipulate cause and effect... It must demonstrate the highest achievement of dragon alchemy, and allow us to fully understand the mysteries of this field!"

"The research findings are not only beneficial to the current situation, but also of perfecting my inner universe, reflecting the evolution of the minor heavens, and balancing the two structures. It is hoped that I can use this to build a brand new foundation."

In a flash, Zhao Qing gently waved forward.

This action was as if it had severed many invisible and intangible "threads" that maintained the current stable state of space.

Boom——!
A sharp screech, like a bowstring suddenly stretched to its limit and then snapping, rang out—a sound that only beings extremely sensitive to spatial fluctuations could "hear"! It burst forth from nothingness!

In an instant, an invisible whirlwind surged forward along a straight path, violently squeezing and impacting! The air above the path was compressed rapidly, revealing layers of transparent crystal patterns visible to the naked eye, emitting a teeth-grinding crunching sound.

In almost a millisecond, the spatial impact traversed a distance of over a hundred miles and slammed into an abandoned mine that appeared to be empty except for snow cover!

That place is precisely where the hidden Nibelungen node, as indicated in the intelligence, is located! A root of the "World Tree"!
boom--!
After the explosion, an enormous, cracked, transparent sphere was forcibly "squeezed" out of the void, its outline instantly becoming clear before it suddenly exploded!
A thick, decaying, and deathly gray fog surged forth like a burst dam, accompanied by several rapidly expanding crystalline rings composed of tiny spatial fragments and dust, violently impacting everything around it and sweeping past with a whooshing sound.

Where the shockwave swept past, a layer of earth was silently shaved away, rocks turned to dust, and snow instantly vaporized and evaporated, leaving a brief trail of white smoke in the cold air!

Looking inwards at this moment, one will see a dark vortex that twists and turns constantly, revealing countless densely overlapping dark lines that exude a demonic aura that seems to devour the mind and soul, causing one to involuntarily sink into it.

"Interesting." Zhao Qing commented casually, "So it really is a flowing space? Although it is tending towards decay and annihilation, it still retains some vitality, which is completely different from the nature of ordinary Nibelungen."

The test was complete, and having obtained the information she wanted, she sent another message: "Alright, Yiguang. My initial preparations are finished. You should be arriving soon too. Just proceed with Plan A..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Qing's body, which was made of a void mirror, suddenly expanded slightly outward, becoming a little larger, and then rippled outward like water. Then, it received from the other side of the "door" and slowly "spit out" a girl's body.

Her appearance and figure were almost identical to Shi Yiguang's, a lifelike resemblance. However, upon closer inspection, her skin texture lacked the true flesh and blood texture, instead revealing a faint, delicate porcelain-like luster, with countless micron-level runes engraved inside, and her eyes also appeared somewhat empty.

Almost simultaneously, from the "ladder" transport cabin several miles away, hundreds of slender, crystalline light threads, invisible to ordinary people, suddenly extended and descended precisely, quickly connecting to the acupoints and nervous system of the porcelain doll's body.

hum...

It's as if a circuit has been connected and energy has been turned on.

The porcelain doll's body trembled violently, its eyes instantly gleaming with a lively and captivating light, its joints making a very slight "click" sound, and the whole "person" suddenly "came to life".

This is precisely the effect of the "Suspended Thread Puppet Sword" being remotely controlled. The road to the "Divine Kingdom" is extremely dangerous, filled with unknown laws and terrifying existences, and one may have to face Odin and even the remnants of the Black King's will. Shi Yiguang cannot go there in his true form.

Anyway, her actual combat strength isn't very strong, much weaker than Zhao Qing's mirror puppet avatar, so there's no need for her to participate in this operation.

Of course, as the one who possesses the Nibelungen mark and the key to open the "door", Maria of the Stars is the weakest member of the entire team. Normally only at the level of an ordinary "Emperor" and with little combat experience, she is actually no match for the Puppet Sword of the Threads, making her the bottom-ranked character.

However, Zhao Qing would not allow a key figure who had defected to his side to sacrifice his life for this plan, even if the other party did it willingly—he would definitely arrange a backup plan to ensure their safety.

"When Maria of the Stars arrives, have her come to me to learn the 'egg preservation' method. Be quick about it."

She patted "Xiao Shi" on the shoulder beside her and reminded him, "It has evolved into the first generation species and has the spirit of immortality. As long as you cultivate a section of 'Nine Deaths Silkworm', separate your life blood and combine it with the 'cloud network' upload mechanism of Alaya consciousness, relying on the 'server' of Nibelungen, you can be resurrected even after death and master it as a beginner."

“But if we encounter ‘Gungnir’ and its replicas, cocooning might be suppressed and rendered ineffective,” Shi Yiguang replied.

“There’s no such thing as a foolproof plan.” Zhao Qing shook his head and sighed, “It’s nothing more than doing our best to gain a sliver of hope in desperate situations. The ‘egg preservation’ technique can at least allow her to retain a trace of her true spirit in most cases, so that she can be reincarnated.”

"In the current situation, Odin is not actually our enemy, and I believe he understands this. The possibility of conflict is extremely small. Even if we have different positions, we should put aside our disputes, postpone them, and work together to deal with the approaching crisis..."

"The 'World Tree' is nearing its end in suppressing the Black King. Excessive disturbance to its stability at this time will only accelerate the collapse of the boundary between the 'Divine Kingdom' and reality, prematurely unleashing the world-destroying calamity."

"Our journey is not for war, but to explore, verify, and, if necessary, assist in suppressing or channeling that destructive force that will eventually erupt. The scale of this must be carefully considered."

"However, if we were to actually encounter an attack from the so-called 'Aesir,' if it wasn't Odin himself, we could intercept them in advance, or we could use Gungnir himself to block them. There's always a way."

In her hand was a fragment of a captured Gungnir replica, a trophy from the defeat of the Wind King.

"Use their shield to block their spear?" Shi Yiguang smiled slightly: "It is said that these things are made from branches of the World Tree. After we gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of those spacetime matrices, perhaps we can also find a way to specifically break them..."

"Alright." Zhao Qing nodded and replied, "Tomorrow is the winter solstice, and Christmas is not far away. We must hurry up."

Without saying another word, she drifted steadily toward the main control tower of the ground base next to her, while "Xiao Shi" followed behind, hopping and skipping, leaving a series of potholes in the snow.

……

About five minutes later, on the top platform of the twenty-story main control tower, two giant antennas slowly rotated, their red and blue lights flashing incessantly, serving as both radar and a means to repel the Kamaitachi.

It is unknown which creature has raised billions of sickle weasels in a Nibelungen region of the Arctic. They frequently fly out to kill bloodthirsty creatures, and small groups of soldiers are powerless to resist them and can only stand guard.

Several hybrid sentries wearing exoskeletons were on routine guard duty, drinking vodka and gazing at the towering structure that seemed to reach the heavens in the distance. They discussed the types of goods that the cloud ladder had brought this time, and took out the Qi capsules they had not yet acquired as stakes.

“No one’s coming down today,” a sentry said confidently. “The weather forecast says there’ll be a massive ice storm in half an hour, the ladders will be shut down… and we just got orders from above to put the base on high alert soon, to activate the armory, 'Dragon’s Breath' thermobaric weapons and stuff—”

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft blue halo suddenly lit up at the end of the ladder, which was hundreds of meters in diameter, and a buzzing vibration was heard. The indicator lights on the edge of the platform began to turn from blue to green.

Finger was the first to cautiously peek out, stretching his limbs exaggeratedly and taking a deep breath of the icy air, only to be choked and cough repeatedly: "Cough... This damn place, the air is as thin as a scholarship in Kassel!"

He put his oxygen mask back on and stomped his feet: "It feels so good to have solid ground under my feet! Even though this ground is so frozen it could be an ice rink... Hey bro, can I borrow a couple of shots of soju? I'll pay the original price!"

The sentry, startled by the request for wine, hesitated for a moment before Fingel, already familiar with the man, hooked his arm around his shoulder. His eyes, however, darted towards the projection of Zhao Qing standing silently above, and he lowered his voice, saying:
"Hey bro, look over there... isn't that 'fairy' sister glowing? Am I hallucinating because I'm short of oxygen?"

"The hallucination was quite deep."

Shi Yiguang then stepped out, and considering that the other party would obviously criticize his porcelain puppet, he casually pressed his speech acupoint.

Fingel's exaggerated mouth shape was still frozen at the moment he was about to shout, but he found that he couldn't utter a single word. He could only stare wide-eyed, making a "ho ho" sound as he gestured wildly.

It looks like a chicken with its neck being choked.

He pointed to "Xiao Shi," who stood still like a sculpture in the distance, radiating an inhuman glow, and then pointed to his own gaping mouth. His face was filled with disbelief and accusation, and his expression of grief, indignation, grievance, and pleading was palpable.

The sentry standing nearby stared in disbelief, forgetting to put down his vodka bottle.

They have long been stationed on this forgotten ice field and have witnessed all kinds of hallucinations and mental euphoria caused by the extreme environment.

But what they were seeing—a guy who had just come down from a magical "ladder" gesturing at the air and then being "silenced" by the aloof lady behind him—was clearly beyond their common sense.

"Internal communication channel of the base, frequency 117.35, encryption mode 'Frost Giant'."

Shi Yiguang ignored Fingel's comical performance and spoke clearly through the wind: "We are the 'Deep Dive' team authorized by the central control center. Access code: digits 5 to 20 of π, repeat twice."

The lead sentry jolted awake, instinctively putting down his bottle and frantically operating the embedded terminal on his arm armor. The deep blue light illuminated his reddened cheeks, and his fingers were slightly clumsy due to nervousness.

"π...digits 5 to 20...repeated twice..."

He typed in the famous sequence of irrational numbers: "...Verification successful! Access level: 'Winter Solstice'!"

The sentry jerked his head up, his pupils contracting in shock. He snapped to attention, chest puffed out, as if awaiting the inspection of a marshal: "Sir! Third outpost at the Arctic Forward Base, awaiting orders!"

……

Meanwhile, a hundred miles away in the rear, above several bottomless, crisscrossing fissures stretching for thousands of meters, Xia Mi, half-wrapped in mottled silk, stretched lazily, her bones making a series of crisp sounds:
"Finally, it's a great success! The 2.6-kilometer-long Arctic Isolation Zone has released all the crustal stress ahead of schedule! The soil elements have returned to dormancy!"

"What a miraculous feat this is! It saves people from suffering and distress!" she proclaimed to the vast, icy plain. "Praise me!"

No one responded; only the howling wind blew.

Unlike what he had expressed in the previous phone call, what the Dragon King truly valued was simply not wanting to be tainted by loneliness.

Xia Mi didn't mind. She flew back to the True Essence storage tanks and the bronze coffin containing the dragon bones along the silkworm silk: "...It's time to set off." She clenched her fist, her nonchalant expression slightly fading, revealing a rare solemnity and anticipation. "Let's bravely face the challenge!"

"The long night has come! The real 'exam room' never provides a review outline in advance."

……

Sixty-one years later, the orange-red Aldebaran traced a huge, silent, seemingly destined arc in the low southern sky, slowly sinking into the dim edge close to the horizon.

Another ship followed the old route, setting sail without hesitation toward that known taboo and unknown "divine kingdom".

At 89 degrees north latitude, the sky was ablaze with the dazzling aurora borealis, like countless twisted, colorful souls performing their final, frenzied dance in the heavens.

The stars shone ever brighter, their cold light gleaming indifferently as they surveyed the frantic struggles and desperate flight of the tiny creatures below. (End of Chapter)