The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 543 Oath of the Icefield
After escaping, several faint footprints were reflected in the snowmelt not far away. These were the traces left by a large enemy army that had just passed through. They were marked with distinct, unnatural dimensional energy ripples, as eerie and terrifying as if they were merging with the gravity of a black hole and distorting the boundaries of space. People dared not stare at them for too long, or they would fall into a state of disorientation and hallucination from which they could not extricate themselves.

"It seems that we are facing not just a natural disaster, but a large-scale attack that spans multiple universe boundaries."

David's voice grew increasingly solemn as he gripped the staff at his waist, its surface writhing with eerie blue-purple flames.

He turned to the still-trapped team members: "I will use the power of my domain to block the spread of the spores in your bodies, but to completely eliminate them, we will need professional medical treatment and a higher-level sealing ritual."

Amy added, "The priority now is to retreat safely and find reinforcements. We cannot allow the enemy to use these dark rifts to infiltrate unstoppably."

As dusk deepened, the biting wind across the icy plains swept through the ruins of the camp.

David, Amy, and the surviving members of the Star-Eyed Clan hastily set up a makeshift defensive position. The rocks and wreckage hidden under the surrounding snow and ice cast long shadows like silent, watchful beasts.

A sense of oppression and tension permeated the air, and unease and danger seemed to spread through every inch of it.

The grayish-purple in the sky gradually turned into a dark, deep blue, and the stars flickered like cold flames, but could not dispel the gloom in this silent place.

David leaned against a frost-covered rock, his brow furrowed, and his dark blue eyes reflected flickering flames, like glimmers dancing in the cold night.

He slowly closed his eyes, drawing his consciousness deep into the ancient bloodline within him—the power of the Frostwolf surged like a tide, causing his entire body to emanate an even thicker layer of icy aura.

"We must never let our guard down."

David muttered to himself, sensing the subtle, unease surging around him—the parasitic spores stirring in the shadows.

Amy stood in the center of the camp, her silver-white armor reflecting the remaining light. She held a staff, constantly rotating it to guide the energy of the laws, using the Zero Degree Domain to stabilize the surrounding spatial barrier.

Her sharp eyes scanned her surroundings, a barely perceptible unease hidden deep in her pupils.

"These spores are too strange. Not only can they adapt to extreme environments, but they also have strong resistance to our classic domain spells."

Lena—the young female warrior of the Star-Eyed Clan who followed closely behind—was crouching behind a rock, her large, crystal-clear eyes, sparkling like stars in the night sky, revealing deep doubt and anxiety.

"I discovered that they seem to be able to evade our energy attacks through some kind of 'phase folding.' Whenever we cast fire or frost spells, they instantly become ethereal and then attack from another angle."

She gently stroked the hilt of the small knife, which was inlaid with runes and was the only small weapon she could trust and always carried with her.

Lena's gaze was firm, yet she couldn't hide the subtle tremor between her brows—a struggle between fear of the unknown enemy and her own inadequacy.

Just as they were deep in thought and preparing, a biting, ominous wind suddenly swept up, and countless silver-gray spores gathered like a tide, gleaming with an eerie, cold light in the twilight.

These parasites are extremely mysterious in form. They seem to have no fixed entity, like swirling mist, yet they are full of corrosive and murderous intent, constantly changing their form in an attempt to break through the defensive wall.

"They're here!" Amy shouted, unleashing her Absolute Zero Domain to its fullest extent, condensing the chill to its extreme. But soon, an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. "These parasites are actually immune to our strongest freezing law!"

At the same time, David quickly grasped the fragment of the divine relic crystal at his waist. The obsidian-shaped crystal contained ancient and sinister power and was an important treasure he had obtained during his early ancient adventures.

He suddenly lifted it into the air, a dark blue shadow swirling around it, releasing strong ripples that spread in all directions.

The power emitted by the divine remains crystal is unusually strange. It is different from ordinary elements. It is an unstable high-level energy that can forcibly interfere with the spatial structure and freeze the enemy's movement trajectory.

This is exactly what they need now to restrain these agile, unpredictable parasites that are adept at phase-folding to evade attacks.

"Everyone, be on guard! I'm about to detonate the Divine Remains Crystal!" David commanded calmly, raising his sword to slash at the void ahead. He controlled the fluctuations released by the crystal, precisely directing them towards those attempting to break through the barrier and launch a surprise attack.

As twisting shockwaves exploded, countless silver-gray spores were instantly frozen in place, but not completely destroyed. Instead, they were trapped in an invisible cage and lost their freedom of movement.

But this brief victory did not bring any complacency, as more and denser spores emerged from the distance, coalescing at a breathtaking speed and crashing against the camp's outer barrier with a chilling buzzing sound.

Lena gripped the knife in both hands and moved swiftly, deftly dodging the parasitic tentacles that appeared and disappeared without a trace. Each swing of the knife precisely cut through the hard spore shell, but the tentacles regenerated at an extremely fast speed, making her feel an unprecedented sense of despair.

“They’re so tough,” she whispered, her voice slightly hoarse from exhaustion, but her eyes still burned with fierce determination. “We have to find a way out; we can’t keep fighting like this!”

Amy glanced at David, who was using his domain to control the battle but looked extremely tired and serious. "His divine remnant crystals are effective, but this method is extremely costly. We cannot rely on it for a long time, otherwise we will overdraw our own defenses."

Just then, a sharp, piercing sound suddenly ripped through the sky; it was the sound of an explosion and shattering that came from a certain direction.

As the shockwave spread outwards, countless deep purple particles were mixed in, flying through the air like obsidian fragments.

These particles possess extreme destructive power, creating a stark contrast with the previous silver-gray host and adding a deadly and sinister aura, causing everyone's muscles to involuntarily tense up and their alertness to reach its peak.

"It seems we are facing a multi-layered attack."

Amy looked thoughtful. "There are both basal tentacle-type parasitic hyphae and mutated species that carry high-level shadow elemental destructive particles."

"Don't panic."

David shouted, and at the same time, his whole body burst into a ghostly blue flame. A huge phantom of a frost wolf appeared behind him, and he seemed to merge with the power of heaven and earth in full armor.

He brandished his staff, guiding the blazing flames to transform into sharp sword energy, slashing at the nearest cluster of obsidian particles with the decisiveness and ruthlessness of a beast tearing apart its prey.

The scene of flying flesh and shattered space intertwined to create a breathtaking spectacle, while the unwavering determination on his face almost became an eternal vow: "This is our land, and we will never allow these soul-devouring monsters to lay a finger on it!"

After a long and fierce battle, they finally managed to suppress the initial surge of attack.

The initial battle had come to an end, but the lingering chill of the wind still howled across the icy plains, whipping up swirling snowflakes that drifted like dust. Dusk gradually faded, revealing a pale silver glow in the sky, yet it failed to dispel the heavy, oppressive atmosphere of this frozen land.

David and Amy crouched behind a patch of broken rocks, their breathing slightly rapid, their faces covered with fine frost and a thin layer of sweat, yet their gazes remained resolute.

"It seems that this battle is just the beginning."

Amy gripped her staff tightly, gently blowing away the frost on the back of her hand. The light in her eyes shone with an indomitable tenacity in the darkness.

David slowly stood up and looked around at the camp, which was ravaged by the parasites.

Although the silvery-gray spores have been temporarily suppressed, the shadow has not completely dissipated.

He took a deep breath of the frigid air, which carried the scent of frost and snow. "We must find the Star-Eyed Clan elders as soon as possible and reach an agreement with them, otherwise this disaster will only escalate."

At this moment, a figure, appearing and disappearing in the distance, slowly emerged from the depths of the camp. It was Zelos, an elder and a mysterious figure among the Star-Eyed Clan.

His pale face contrasted with his cold, icy eyes, like the coldest star in the night sky.

He was draped in a heavy, silver-blue robe, and each step he took left a subtle yet firm echo.

“Lord David, Lady Amy,” Zelllos said in a deep, magnetic voice, “thank you for your timely assistance, otherwise my people would have been doomed.”

“Elder Zellos, we also thank you survivors for your continued resistance,” David returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping over the weary but defiant crowd. “Please tell us, why did you suffer such a catastrophe? What are the Observers’ intentions?”

Zellos sighed and turned to lead the group into a natural cave, a secret place that the Star-Eyed Clan had protected for generations—a remnant of an ancient civilization, known as the "Glacier Covenant."

The cave walls are covered with dazzling, cold-light runes, like seals and contracts intertwined to form a mysterious altar.

The temperature inside the cave suddenly rose, no longer biting cold, but a tranquil yet powerful warmth enveloped the surroundings.

Amy couldn't help but reach out and touch the surface of the rune. The rune faintly emitted a blue ripple, merging with the laws of her controlled domain and triggering a subtle resonance.

Zellos looked straight at everyone, his hands clasped in front of his chest, and revealed the truth in a low voice: "The observers are trying to devour the primordial energy of this icy world and transform it into a hub to amplify their own power. They are manipulating parasitic spores as vanguards, constantly eroding our domain and souls."

As he said this, his voice trembled slightly, but his eyes became increasingly determined: "This is a catastrophic threat to the entire polar ecosystem and spatial stability."

Although our race possesses knowledge of chaotic runes, we lack practical experience in exorcising parasites. This is why we seek your help—the controllers of the laws.

David frowned; he knew things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

"If what you say is true, we are willing to use the elimination of the parasitic threat as a bargaining chip to reach a temporary cooperation with the Star-Eyed Clan."

He paused, then turned his gaze to the slightly disheveled but spirited group still in the camp: "We will do our utmost to assist in eliminating the invading enemy, and at the same time, we hope to use your knowledge of Chaos Runes to provide strong support for the future struggle."

Amy nodded in agreement, her voice firm: "Only by uniting the strength of all our powerful forces can we truly protect this far northern land and prevent the darkness from tearing apart the fragile barrier of the real world."

Zelllos's face showed a long-lost smile of relief. He slowly walked to the altar and pressed his hand on one of the complex engravings. An ancient and chaotic aura surged instantly, spreading out in the air as invisible ripples.

"The covenant-making ceremony is about to begin. Prepare to seize this eternal opportunity, which will connect our destinies and give us the foundation of our initial strength to resist darkness."

After equipping themselves with their weapons and protective gear, the two teams gathered at the center of the altar.

A mysterious ripple spread out like water, covering the entire space and making the air thick and textured, as if the flow of time had slowed down.

Lena stood there, taking a deep breath and feeling the trembling rhythm that penetrated the depths of her soul. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of anticipation and fear for the unknown challenges ahead.

"This is our hope, and also the test that fate has given us."

she muttered.

As the ceremony unfolded, a dazzling silver-blue energy beam shot into the sky from the top of the altar, like a brilliant aurora piercing the dark sky.

This beam of energy reached the depths of the void, guiding the endless elemental forces of heaven and earth to converge on the two core areas, infusing them with new lifeblood and spiritual support, and also signifying that the determination of both sides to unite and resist the calamity was beginning to take shape.

Time seemed to stand still, and their fear, longing, faith, and vows intertwined and merged into an unshakeable consensus: they must not allow the observer to devour this cold yet vibrant land; they must do everything in their power to protect the spark of hope behind every crystal-clear crack.
As the final elemental decree fell, a solid barrier emerged between the two factions, merging their elemental advantages to form an unbreakable defensive line, making the entire camp much more solid and safe.

At the same time, they also gained many auxiliary abilities from the ancient chaotic runes, making them more adept at combat and giving them a greater strategic advantage.
After the ceremony, although the atmosphere at the camp eased slightly, a layer of tension and solemnity remained that was difficult to dispel.

The sky gradually turned a pale white, and the cold wind on the ice field, mixed with fine snowflakes, shimmered with a crystal-clear light in the dawn.

David, along with Amy, Zelllos, and several elders of the Star-Eyed Clan, stepped out of the camp and headed towards the ice dragon's lair, which had been destroyed but had not yet completely collapsed.

The nest is located beneath a giant ice wall ravaged by wind and snow. The ice wall is towering into the clouds, crystal clear like cold glass, with cracks that seem to have been carved by thousands of years.

As the morning sun shines down, its surface glows with a faint, ethereal blue light, like a dream.

David walked slowly and steadily, each step landing on the hard, slightly trembling frozen rock.

He looked up at the colossal wall that almost touched the sky, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—this was once the birthplace of countless legends, and one of the most mysterious and unpredictable relics left by ancient civilizations.

“This place was once an important stronghold for the polar guardians to exchange wisdom and strength,” Zellos led the way, his eyes deep and bright like the North Star in a winter night. “The nest contains ancient totems and prophetic murals, which are the carriers of information left by our ancestors regarding future disasters and hopes.”

(End of this chapter)