Chapter 123: The Frost Empress

"Theo, wake her!" Liana’s voice rang clear, never taking her eyes off the descending nightmare hands.

"Wake up!" Theo grabbed the ancient Pontifex by the collar and shook her.

*Slap—slap—!*

The crisp sound of a palm striking a cheek echoed through the sanctum.

*Brother, you are assaulting the founding ancestor of the Devourer Cult.*

Desperate times called for desperate measures. If Theo later bragged about slapping an ancient Exarch, no one could argue with the results.

The Pontifex’s cheeks flushed red and swelled slightly, yet her eyes remained shut.

"Hmm?" Theo’s gaze caught a small, carved ivory piece resting in the corner of the coffin... a commander piece from an Imperial Strategy Board.

Quick-witted as ever, Theo leaned in and whispered directly into the Pontifex’s ear.

"Pontifex... your Iron Phalanx maneuver was flawless. You are about to achieve a total victory."

The Pontifex’s eyelids twitched. The corners of her lips curled upward in her sleep.

"But wait... a hidden assassin!" Theo bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Your Imperator is dead! Checkmate! You lose!"

Pontifex Valerius jolted upright like a resurrected corpse, her body snapping forward in pure horror.

Her pale gray eyes flew open... first registering fear, then total devastation. "No... my strategy...!"

The moment the true Pontifex awoke, the apparition of Somnus hovering above began to dissipate.

The Genesis Sphere froze mid-churn, its distortions halting entirely.

But before vanishing entirely, Somnus locked eyes with Liana.

Then, the ancient glanced at Theo and suddenly threw her head back, laughing hysterically.

"Hahaha... The Primeval Aurora, the one who once declared ’Heaven and Earth are merciless, the Dao is unfeeling’ if she awakens to find herself swayed by mortal desires for a boy... how delicious will her expression be?!"

"Among the Nine Primevals, she alone could withstand the combined might of the other eight. When she fully awakens, mortal, you will realize the depth of your foolishness!"

Theo shot to his feet, dread coiling in his gut. What was Somnus planning?!

The next instant—

Somnus forced the entire Genesis Sphere to collapse downward before vanishing entirely.

The ancient relic surged directly into Liana’s brow.

Her markings blazed to brilliant life.

Waves of sacred, ethereal light rippled outward, washing over the Crystal Palace.

...

Outside the palace, the celestial phenomena radiating from Liana set the entire crystal structure aglow, shining like a newborn sun in the subterranean gloom.

The entire underground realm trembled.

"What is happening?" Crown Prince Aurelius narrowed his eyes, shielding them from the glare.

The Cult of the Devourer and the Praetorian Guards, already incredibly tense, now watched with bated breath. Though hostilities simmered, neither side had escalated to an all-out war. Until they knew what the treasure was, shedding Archon-blood was unwise.

"Has the relic chosen its master?" Hierarch Malakor clenched his fists so hard that black blood dripped between his fingers.

He had sacrificed half his sect for this. And now, someone else was reaping the rewards?

Opposite them, Duke Regulus stroked his beard.

"This radiance... it shares roots with the Empyrean Vault," the Duke murmured.

He could easily break the crystal palace with a lightning strike, but he feared damaging the supreme relic inside.

"Royal Uncle, who do you think obtained the inheritance?" Aurelius asked, his hands clasped behind his back.

"The girl’s odds are higher," the Duke chuckled. "Your Highness’s foundation is peerless. If this truly is the missing fragment of the Empyrean Vault..."

"Whoever took it... they do not leave this cavern alive."

...

Meanwhile, inside the Crystal Palace, Theo stared blankly at the figure before him.

Liana looked like the living embodiment of a Primeval Seraph, so flawless and sacred it made mortal men feel unworthy to even gaze upon her.

A familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully invested in ’Liana’, enabling her to claim fifty percent of the Genesis Sphere’s core authority.]

[A colossal premium investment return awaits your collection!]

The divine light of the Genesis Sphere, representing the overlapping shadows of countless worlds, poured unceasingly into Liana’s brow.

She could no longer grip her *Frost-Moon Eclipse*, letting the silver blade fall to the floor with a hollow clang.

The tall, aloof Reborn Empress stood at the epicenter of the phenomenon. An ethereal glow swirled around her delicate figure, accentuating her flawless skin and flowing black hair, which now bore subtle traces of cosmic frost.

Her expression was entirely impassive, her gaze distant and regal.

"By the Heavens..." Pontifex Valerius snapped.

The moment she saw the Genesis Sphere merging with Liana, her scalp tingled with pure terror.

She had just escaped, only to witness the rebirth of an even more frightening one...

"Liana—" Theo had no time to inspect his system rewards. He stepped forward.

"Wait!" The Pontifex grabbed his sleeve, her face frantic. "Quick, get in the sarcophagus with me! Close the lid and pretend we saw nothing!"

"Why?" Theo scowled, ripping his sleeve away.

"Your little wife has just absorbed the fourth relic of the Primeval Aurora!" the Pontifex blurted out in a panic. "The Rosy Aura, the Blood Essence and now the Genesis Sphere! This is not an inheritance! The Aurora is resurrecting inside her!"

Theo’s heart clenched fiercely.

"How do we stop it?" Theo turned to Sylvia. The Oracle shook her head gravely.

He turned back to the Pontifex.

"A solution... let me think..." The Pontifex crouched down, clutching her head.

Her face twisted in intense concentration before settling into confusion. "Is there one? I have slept too long..."

Millennia of stasis had riddled her consciousness with memory gaps. It was akin to severe dementia.

"Maybe... maybe it is fine," the Pontifex muttered, scratching her head. "Her cultivation is still low. Maybe she is just assimilating the artifact? What was I saying?"

She was hopeless. For the first time, Theo realized an Archon-tier expert could be entirely unreliable.

"I will anchor her myself," Theo gritted his teeth.

He ignited his *Abyssal World-Forge*, projecting his own domain to push back against the crushing divine pressure of the Genesis Sphere.

Trudging through the viscous air, he finally reached Liana.

She stood like a breathtaking statue, radiating an aura that governed the birth and destruction of worlds.

Theo seized her icy hand and pulled her firmly into his embrace.

The moment their souls connected, Theo’s vision exploded.

He was bombarded with the memories of the Genesis Sphere... countless civilizations being born, flourishing, warring, decaying, and turning to dust.

For a brief second, his consciousness was nearly crushed beneath the millstone of time.

But he held on, using his own will to shield Liana’s mind from the deluge.

An immeasurable moment later, the chaotic light faded.

Theo looked down. The distant frost had melted from Liana’s eyes.

The Frost Empress lay quietly in his arms, her saintly serenity now tinged with a familiar, mortal liveliness.

"Liana?"

"Mm," she hummed softly, resting her cheek against his chest.

Theo exhaled a huge breath of relief.

"Wait!" The Pontifex stood up, her expression grave. "She might not truly be her."

"No," Theo shook his head. "Our souls are linked. She is Liana."

"The change is insidious! It is imperceptible!" the Pontifex argued. "Like a madman who does not realize he is mad, she might not even notice she is being replaced!"

The smile vanished from Theo’s face.