Chapter 2167 — Shiva (3)

Watching Mu Xuelian enter the pond so calmly, Yuan thought it looked comfortable-an odd sight for him. "This place is supposed to temper my Cold Harmony... How could training possibly feel comfortable?" he wondered. After all, the path that had brought Yuan to where he stood today had been paved with hardship. Unless he was consuming a treasure, every method of training he had known was grueling and agonizing, offering not a single breath of peace or comfort. 'I should start my training, too.'

Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and also began to undress, placing his neatly folded robes on the ice bed. He approached the pond and silently stared at it. Though Mu Xuelian had saved him some space, there was barely enough room for him, and it seemed impossible to train in it together without touching her. "There's not enough space for both of us, so my back will be touching yours, if you don't mind," he said. Of course, they could take turns cultivating inside the pond, but it would take too much time, something Yuan didn't have.

"I don't mind," Mu Xuelian calmly responded.

"Then if you'll excuse me..." Yuan entered the pond, the glowing liquid rising to embrace his body as he submerged himself. As expected, the space was just enough for the two of them, their backs pressing lightly against each other. The touch of Mu Xuelian's skin was astonishingly soft and smooth as the finest tofu. Yet Yuan immediately banished the thought, clearing his mind to focus on cultivation. Almost the moment he entered the pond, a bone-chilling cold surged through him, seeping into his core until it felt as though his very organs were encased in ice. 'I knew it wasn't as comfortable as it looked!' Yuan cried inwardly. Yet, it wasn't anything unbearable. In fact, the pain didn't compare to his other experiences.

'Shiva's Essence... is that the identity of this liquid?'

A year passed in the blink of an eye. Throughout that time, Yuan and Mu Xuelian remained motionless within the pond, the cavern unchanged save for one thing-a single drop of Shiva's Essence that fell from the ice above, rippling into the water below. The second drop appeared almost two years later. A single drop of Shiva's Essence would enter the pond every year, slowly refilling it, but with Yuan and Mu Xuelian absorbing it, the liquid was being exhausted much faster than it could be replenished.

After another year of cultivation, Yuan could already feel his True Cold Harmony reaching the next level, which was incredibly shocking, considering it took him nearly 20 years to achieve True Cold Harmony. However, just as Yuan was about to have a breakthrough, a chilling pressure suddenly filled the room, and he could feel Mu Xuelian's body trembling nonstop. In the next moment, before Yuan could even ask if she was okay, Mu Xuelian suddenly leaped from the pond, landing directly on the ice bed.

Yuan opened his eyes to see Mu Xuelian seated cross-legged on the bed, completely exposing her little sister. Without warning, luminous blue symbols began to surface on her skin, etching themselves across her body like living tattoos. Not daring to disturb her, Yuan watched in silence as the symbols shifted across her body, eventually converging into a single, massive mark upon her chest. As the symbol glowed brighter, the presence in the cavern grew heavier, clearer-almost as if something otherworldly was descending upon them. "This pressure... It's the same as back in Han Zexian's Cavern!" Yuan clenched his fists and prepared to face whatever was about to happen.

In an instant, the glowing symbol on Mu Xuelian's chest faded from sight. A breath later, her eyes opened, shimmering with a profound blue light that seemed deeper than before. And if one looked closely, they would see that the vanished symbol was now etched within her pupils.

"Who are you?" Yuan spoke first, breaking the silence.

Mu Xuelian didn't respond and merely stared at him with curiosity. A moment of silence later, she opened her mouth and spoke, but it was in a foreign language. Yet, for some reason, Yuan could understand it. "I am Shiva," she said, her voice echoing with power. "The one who reigns over all that is cold."

"Shiva...? So you're the guardian spirit Mu Hanyan mentioned. What have you done with Mu Xuelian?"

"I am merely possessing her body."

"Why?"

"So that I can speak with you, human who wields the power of gods."

"Power of gods? What are you talking about?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

In response, she extended her arm, raising a finger toward him. At its tip shimmered a faint golden aura. A chill moved down Yuan's spine, and his eyes widened at the familiar golden aura. "Heaven's Supremacy?!" he exclaimed, so shocked that he couldn't remain seated and stood up. Although Shiva's golden aura couldn't be compared to Yuan's, it was definitely Heaven's Supremacy.

"How... how are you using that power?" Yuan asked, as he always thought it was a power unique to him. Shiva gently blew on her finger, snuffing out the golden aura as though it were a candle. "What a foolish question. You are asking why a god can wield godly power," she calmly replied.

"I don't understand. I thought it was some kind of technique," he admitted.

"A technique?" Shiva's laughter rang out, sharp and sudden, only to cease just as quickly. Her expression hardened, her tone dropping into icy disdain. "Don't you dare compare our power to your mortal tricks."

Yuan clenched his fists tightly before asking another question, "When you say god... are you referring to the Outer Gods? Are you an Outer God?"

"An Outer God, huh? That's merely how the beings of this world address us, not our true title. That said, it is true that we are gods-true rulers of this universe." (More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)