The chamber grew silent once more as Ethan sat cross-legged before the spiritual pond. The air around him sparkled with frost as if the presence of the merged Frostblade and Dragon Slayer Sword had altered the very essence of the vault.
The crystal vial in his hand shimmered with swirling silver mist. The Memory Pill.
Ethan closed his eyes and consumed it in a single breath.
The world melted away.
He found himself drifting in a place between worlds. Cold. Boundless. There were no stars here, only whispers and flickers of light like memories buried in snow.
One voice rose above the others.
He carried the flame of dragons and the breath of winter. He who stood against the Abyss shall rise again.
Visions surged forward. An ancient warrior knelt before a frozen altar, whispering incantations in an unknown tongue. The Frostblade hovered before him. Snow fell even in a barren desert.
Ethan watched as the warrior merged the blade with another the original Dragon Slayer Sword. In that moment, ice cultivation merged with flame, yin balanced with yang. From that unity, the warrior achieved a state Ethan couldn't comprehend.
His eyes snapped open.
The sword beside him glowed brighter than before, now etched with frosty runes. Ethan could feel them the Ice Lotus Palm, Frostwind Steps, and the chilling domain of Frozen Vein Manifestation. They weren't just techniques; they were alive inside him now.
Liora stepped into the chamber, freezing slightly at the temperature drop.
Are you alright?
Ethan stood slowly. A gentle mist curled around his boots. His breath fogged the air. "I remember now. Not everything, But enough.
She looked at the sword. It changed. Again.
The Frostblade merged with it, Ethan said quietly. It gave me more than power. It gave me purpose.
From the spiritual pond, a final pulse echoed the energy it held had been absorbed entirely. The ancient waters returned to stillness.
Seraphina appeared behind them,
You now wield the balance of flame and frost. Few can handle such a combination. Your body must be extraordinary.
Ethan didn't speak. His thoughts were clouded by what he had seen in the vision a prophecy etched in blood and ice.
There's something else, he said,
The Abyss is watching. Even in dreams.
Seraphina frowned,
Then we must act soon. The Blue Moon Sect has held back from the front lines for centuries, but the tides are shifting. We can no longer remain neutral.
A subtle tremor ran through the earth.
Liora turned, alarmed. That came from the eastern ranges. Near the Broken Seal Mountains.
Seraphina closed her eyes briefly. Then the ancient bindings are indeed unraveling. Ethan, you must go there. Take what you've learned. See what's waking beneath the surface.
Ethan gripped his sword.
I'll go. But I won't be alone, will I?
Seraphina gave a faint smile,
No, Elena has already prepared. And others have begun to take notice of your rising fate.