Chapter 2166 — The Heart of Shiva

"Say that again!" Chief Mu demanded, not daring to believe her ears just now.

Mu Hanyan turned to look at her and calmly repeated, "I brought him here because Shiva instructed me to."

"N-No way..." Chief Mu's jaw dropped. "When did that happen? When did Shiva contact you?"

"It happened right after your clash with him ended," she replied. "Bring me the man with the golden aura -that was Shiva's exact instruction, word for word."

"Seriously..." Chief Mu sighed out loud. "Why didn't you tell me something this important beforehand?" "What's the point? If Shiva wanted you to know, they would've contacted you."

"Wait... then what about my daughter? Did Shiva also ask for her?"

Mu Hanyan nodded.

"Did Shiva tell you why they wanted to see them?"

"No."

Chief Mu clenched her fists and muttered, "I don't care what happens to that man, but if anything happens to my little girl..."

"Relax a bit. I doubt Shiva would harm them, especially Xuelian."

"I know Shiva's never harmed us before, but I cannot help but have a bad feeling about this event. It's too sudden."

"Shiva is an existence beyond our comprehension. There's no point trying to understand them or predict their goals."

Mu Hanyan turned to stare at the crystal tree with a profound gaze. "The last time Shiva contacted us, it was to instruct me to leave White Hell and find a partner... And now, after millions of years, just as I reunite with Tian Yingzhe, they reach out again. This... this cannot be a coincidence..." she thought inwardly. 'Oh, Tian Yingzhe... what in heaven's name are you, truly?'

Meanwhile, after many minutes of descending, Yuan and Mu Xuelian still haven't reached the end.

"What's your relationship with my grandmother?" Mu Xuelian suddenly started a conversation.

"We used to travel together, I guess."

"You guess? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I don't have all of my memories, and it was your grandmother who said that we used to travel together."

"Amnesia, huh? If you've traveled with my grandmother, you must be quite old."

"Yes and no. It's complicated. Anyway, why don't you tell me a little about yourself, too?"

"There's nothing interesting about me. I have never left White Hell, and if I am not spending my time cultivating my physique, I am training with my mother and grandmother."

"What kind of physique do you have that allows you to live within a place like White Hell?" Yuan then asked.

"Sorry, but I cannot tell you," she swiftly and firmly rejected.

"Is that so?"

The conversation ended there, and the two of them would not utter another word to each other for a few more hours until they finally reached the bottom of the staircase, where a small, narrow tunnel awaited them.

"This is your first time here, correct?" Yuan asked as they began walking through the tunnel.

"That's right. Only those who have inherited the position of Chief may enter, and I am nowhere near inheriting my mother's position." In order to take over her mother's position, Mu Xuelian would need to leave White Hell and find herself a talented partner to receive their seeds.

Minutes later, they emerged from the tunnel into a dazzling light. A cavern of surreal beauty unfolded before them, its towering ceiling veined with massive roots of crystal, each faintly aglow as though pulsing with hidden life. At the center, the roots coiled tightly around a colossal block of ice, suspended in midair like a hanging lantern. Beneath the roots, at the cavern's center, lay a small glowing pond-barely large enough for two people. Its surface shimmered and flickered, as though countless stars dwelled within its depths.

"So, how does training here work?" Yuan asked as Mu Xuelian slowly approached the pond.

She gazed at it for a long moment, as though lost in its beauty, before answering. "According to Mother, we simply need to submerge our bodies in this liquid."

"Is that all? Are there any special preparations or rules that I need to know before doing so?"

"Not as far as I know," she shook her head.

Mu Xuelian then circled the pond and continued forward until she came upon a long, thick block of ice carved in the shape of a bed. Standing before it, she showed no hesitation as her hands moved to her fur robes, calmly removing them. She first pulled down her hood, unveiling her long, beautiful white hair. Then she slipped off her robes, letting them fall onto the ice bed.

Yuan's eyes widened as her flawless, jade-like skin and naked buttocks came into view. To his surprise, Mu Xuelian had worn nothing beneath her fur robes.

"Um..." Yuan parted his lips to speak, but before a word escaped, Mu Xuelian slowly turned around. The cavern's glow fell across her bare figure, every delicate curve revealed without concealment, her beauty laid bare before his eyes.

Yuan expected Feng Yuxiang's voice to resound at any moment, yet to his surprise, there was only silence. He instinctively reached out to their connection, only for his brows to twitch as he realized it had been severed. 'Feng Feng? Yu Ning? Yingying? Can you hear me?' When nobody responded, a ripple of panic ran through Yuan as he turned his focus inward, peering into his Dantian. Sensing that their presence was still there, he sighed in relief. But for some reason, he could no longer communicate with them.

"Are you done staring?" Mu Xuelian suddenly spoke, snapping him out of his daze.

Yuan quickly realized that he had been unconsciously staring at her and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"You can continue staring if you want, but I will go ahead and begin my cultivation."

Mu Xuelian moved to the pond and paused at its edge. With cautious grace, she lowered her foot, letting her toe touch the shimmering surface. When she confirmed the pond would not harm her, Mu Xuelian slid her foot deeper before stepping fully into the water. She made her way to the edge, saving some space for Yuan, and sat down, her body gradually sinking until she was immersed in the luminous liquid, as though surrendering herself to its embrace. (More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)