The Path Beneath FrostVeil

Chapter 141 — The Path Beneath Frostveil

The chamber had become strangely quiet after the System notification disappeared. Aether remained seated on the cultivation platform, his eyes closed as he carefully examined the changes within his body. Reaching 1.00% development of the Infinite Origin Physique had not caused an explosive increase in cultivation. His Origin Tempering Realm remained at Stage 9, and his Origin Energy had not suddenly become limitless. The change was deeper than that. His body felt more responsive, and every strand of Origin Energy circulating through his muscles, bones, organs, and Origin Core seemed to move with greater compatibility. His physique was no longer merely developing through slow adaptation. It had reached its first genuine milestone.

Aether opened his eyes, and the translucent System interface appeared before him.

[Infinite Origin Physique — Development: 1.00%.]

[Potential: ∞]

[Special Function: Physique Copy and Integration.]

[Integration Efficiency: Limited.]

[Compatibility, cultivation realm, Origin Energy capacity, physical resistance, and physique complexity affect integration efficiency.]

Aether studied the information for several seconds. So he could finally begin properly analyzing other physiques. He remembered the Voidmoon Physique. Vaelira's physique had previously been too complex for him to meaningfully integrate. He could observe its structure and understand certain principles, but attempting to absorb too much information at once had caused his body to resist the process. Now the situation was different, although not completely. His efficiency had improved enough to begin the process, but he still couldn't recklessly attempt to absorb powerful physiques without considering compatibility and his current cultivation.

Aether dismissed the interface. He wasn't going to test the ability recklessly. There were still several unknown factors, and the Frostveil Origin Drake had left behind something far more interesting than a simple increase in strength.

Across the chamber, Seris slowly opened her eyes. A gentle white glow surrounded her body, and although her expression remained calm, the Origin Energy around her had clearly become denser. Aether immediately noticed the change.

"Congratulations."

Seris blinked before looking inward. For a moment, surprise appeared in her eyes before she smiled.

"I broke through?"

Aether nodded. "Origin Tempering Realm — Stage 8."

Seris lowered her gaze toward her hands. A faint stream of Life Essence moved between her fingers before disappearing.

"The breakthrough feels different from before."

"Your control has improved as well," Aether said. "Especially with the compressed Life Essence."

Seris smiled slightly. "I think I finally understand what you meant. Strength isn't the difficult part. Controlling how much power is released is."

"Exactly."

Nearby, Aria, Lyra, Sylvara, Evelyn, Elara, and Vaelira also finished stabilizing their cultivation. None of them had reached another major breakthrough, but their Origin Energy had become noticeably more stable after the battle with the Frostveil Origin Drake.

Vaelira was the first to stand. Her silver hair moved gently as she looked toward the dark passage that had appeared behind the ruined spatial formation.

"The space changed again."

Aether turned toward her. "How much?"

"Enough to be certain that the drake wasn't the source of the distortion."

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Vaelira approached the opening. "It was guarding something."

Aether's eyes narrowed. That conclusion matched his own thoughts. The Frostveil Origin Drake had been powerful enough to dominate this underground region, but its behavior had been strange. It hadn't wandered into their territory like an ordinary beast. It had emerged directly after the formation was disturbed, fought them desperately, and now that it was dead, the spatial structure beneath Frostveil had begun revealing another layer.

Aether stood.

"Then we find out what it was guarding."

Aria looked at him. "You're going deeper already?"

"We've already come this far."

Lyra crossed her arms. "That sounds like something you say right before we encounter another monster."

Aether gave her a calm look. "We probably will."

Lyra sighed. "I knew it."

A small laugh escaped Sylvara, and even Seris smiled. The group gathered their belongings before approaching the newly revealed passage.

Aether summoned Blackfang first. Black mist gathered beside him before forming the familiar black-scaled wolf-like shadow. Ironhide and Grimhorn followed, and the three Origin Shadows silently moved ahead as the group entered the passage.

The walls were different from those of the previous chamber. Instead of ordinary stone, they contained thin silver lines that seemed to have been carved directly into the rock. Vaelira immediately noticed them and carefully touched one without activating it.

"Spatial inscriptions."

She studied the markings with a serious expression.

"They're extremely old."

"Can you understand them?" Elara asked.

"Not completely." Vaelira shook her head. "These aren't normal inscriptions. They're using spatial principles as the foundation of the formation itself."

Aether examined one of the markings and spread his Origin Sense outward. Immediately, he felt something unusual. It wasn't exactly power, but rather a direction. The inscriptions were connected to one another, forming an enormous network that extended beneath Frostveil.

"There's a pathway."

Everyone became quiet.

Aether pointed toward the deeper passage. "The formations are guiding Origin Energy somewhere."

Vaelira's eyes sharpened. "Then this entire underground region may have been constructed around that pathway."

"That's what we're going to find out."

They continued forward. The deeper they went, the colder the surroundings became. The Frostveil temperature had already been severe, but this cold was different because it wasn't simply physical. It entered the Origin Energy within their bodies and created a faint resistance against their circulation.

Seris immediately noticed it. "This energy is suppressing Life Essence."

"Don't force your cultivation," Aether said.

Seris nodded.

A few moments later, Blackfang suddenly stopped. The shadow wolf lowered its body and stared into the darkness. Aether immediately raised one hand, causing everyone to halt.

"What is it?" Aria whispered.

Aether extended his Origin Sense. For several seconds, he sensed nothing. Then a faint vibration passed through the ground. It happened once, then again, and finally a third time. Something enormous was moving far beneath them.

Aether's expression became serious.

"Not an enemy."

Vaelira looked at him. "How can you tell?"

"If it wanted to attack us, we'd already know."

Another vibration shook the passage, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. This time, however, something else appeared. A tiny crack opened in the wall, and a silver-blue light leaked through it.

Vaelira immediately stepped closer.

"The spatial layer is thinning."

Aether walked beside her. "Can you open it?"

"Not safely."

"Then don't."

Vaelira glanced at him, seemingly expecting him to force the matter.

"You aren't going to force it?"

"No. We don't know what's on the other side."

Aether looked at the crack, his expression becoming thoughtful.

"And whatever built this place expected someone to eventually reach it."

The group continued deeper until the passage finally ended. Before them stood a massive circular gate. Unlike the stone door from earlier, this one was not sealed by ordinary mechanisms. There was no handle or inscription describing its purpose. Only a single symbol occupied its center: an incomplete circle.

Vaelira's breathing became slightly slower as she recognized the principle behind it.

"This isn't a door."

Aether looked at her. "What is it?"

"A boundary."

The moment she spoke, the symbol began glowing. The entire underground chamber trembled, and Aether immediately summoned his Origin Energy while Blackfang, Ironhide, and Grimhorn moved into defensive positions.

Then the incomplete circle slowly completed itself.

A vast spatial fluctuation spread through the chamber. For an instant, Aether saw something beyond the gate. It wasn't a room or a tunnel, but a vast landscape suspended in darkness. Broken mountains floated in the distance, countless fragments of ancient structures drifted through an endless silver void, and at the center of that impossible space stood something resembling a gigantic crystal tree.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

The vision disappeared almost immediately, and the gate returned to silence.

Nobody spoke.

Even Vaelira looked stunned.

"What was that?" Aria finally asked.

Vaelira stared at the empty gate. "I don't know."

Aether looked at the symbol. For the first time since entering Frostveil, he felt that they were no longer exploring an ancient underground ruin. They had found the entrance to something much larger, something that might not even belong entirely to Frostveil.

His gaze became sharper.

"Then we'll find out."

Aether placed his hand against the boundary.

The symbol responded.

And somewhere beyond the sealed spatial layer, something answered.