Chapter 57: Frozen

Outside, the great sun shone brilliantly, suffused with a verdant green light, and divine chants echoed across the heavens.

Inside the shelter—even in this concealed location hundreds of meters deep beneath the mountains—an unfathomable, bizarre radiance still surged inward like a tide, enveloping the entire subterranean space.

So intense was this radiance that even standing in the deepest part of the shelter, one could still see the green glow.

At the entrance of the shelter, the green light formed a vast, boundless canopy.

This canopy wrapped around the shelter completely like a gigantic cage.

Even inside the small, tightly shut bedrooms of the shelter, wisps of green light were seeping through.

This bizarre phenomenon was not confined to this single shelter alone; in Da Xuan, and indeed across every shelter on the Star of Xuan, the exact same scene was playing out.

"Xiao Xian, Qiqi,"

"Did you hear that voice?"

Inside a cave within the shelter housing dozens of people, Mother Chen asked with a suspicious and unsettled expression.

"We heard it!"

"Mm!"

Chen Qiqi and Chen Xian nodded one after the other.

"What on earth is this? What is happening outside? Could there really be gods?"

Mother Chen reeled off a string of questions, her face written with deep worry.

That majestic divine sound, the sudden martial law in the shelter, and the abrupt messages on their mobile phones—

All of this pointed to unimaginable changes occurring in the outside world,

Leaving them sitting on tenterhooks inside the shelter.

Chen Xian gazed at the green light gradually seeping in through the doorway, his expression grave.

Ever since that divine sound had resounded, he had sensed a subtle abnormality within himself.

That familiar power of contamination seemed pervasive, capable of piercing through even closed doors and rendering them powerless to stop its uncanny advance.

By now, the contaminating force had already permeated the shelter.

Moreover, this contamination was countless times more terrifying than anything he had encountered before.

It could propagate through sound, and it could also manifest as this green light, winding its way inward.

At this moment, in his eyes, everything was being distorted and mutated.

Perhaps, before long, no one in the entire shelter would be able to escape unscathed.

And that included Chen Qiqi, as well as his mother and father.

This naturally weighed heavily on Chen Xian's heart, yet he was completely powerless to stop it.

Although he was shielded from the contamination by the mirror-light within his heart's sea—and could even derive benefits from it—

He had no way to protect anyone else from its influence.

"No, if this continues, the mutation will truly become irreversible."

Chen Xian took a deep breath. He knew he could not just sit by and watch; the infiltration speed of the contaminating force was simply too fast.

Before long, the accumulated contamination would be enough to cause everyone to mutate, twisting their minds and turning them into corrupted beings akin to the followers of the God-Worship Cult.

Compared to physical mutations, psychological distortion was the most unacceptable of all.

A physical mutation merely granted some extraordinary abilities, or altered the physique with traits foreign to ordinary humans.

No matter what, that was still somewhat acceptable.

Presently, both Chen Xian and Chen Qiqi could be considered physically mutated individuals, at least in the sense that their minds had not been altered by the emergence of extraordinary powers.

Psychological distortion, however, was fundamentally different from physical mutation.

If the mind were twisted, could one still be considered their original self?

No!

That would already be a completely different person.

Just like soul-seizure in modern web novels—why is it that the divine soul occupies another's physical body rather than the other way around?

Because the spirit, soul, mind, and intent are the essence of a person, and the fundamental distinction between one individual and another.

Therefore, psychological distortion was an outcome he absolutely refused to see.

"Brother, Mom, Dad, no matter what happens next, don't panic."

Suddenly, Chen Qiqi spoke with a tense look on her youthful face, as if she had made up her mind about something.

Seeing Chen Qiqi suddenly speak out,

A look of surprise crossed Chen Xian's face, though he remained silent.

He knew that although his younger sister was young and somewhat mischievous,

She had now awakened a certain extraordinary power and joined an official department.

Since she said this now, Chen Xian believed she was not speaking without foundation.

Father and Mother Chen, however, looked bewildered by this.

"What is it?"

Father Chen asked uneasily, sensing that there were hidden meanings behind Chen Qiqi's words.

"Dad, if any changes happen in a moment, you and Mom must not panic."

Chen Qiqi instructed with utmost solemnity.

Seeing her looking so grave,

Father and Mother Chen exchanged glances, both reading a trace of deep concern in each other's eyes.

A flicker of hope arose in Chen Xian's heart.

"Perhaps Qiqi has a way to block the contaminating force."

"Could it be the extraordinary power she awakened?"

Noticing his sister's actions, Chen Xian couldn't help but think to himself.

Suddenly, a wave of biting coldness surged upward.

Chen Xian looked up and saw a layer of faint blue light ripples flowing around Chen Qiqi.

As soon as these blue ripples appeared, they spread outward from Chen Qiqi as the center.

A terrifying chill pervaded the air, instantly filling the entire small room. Layer upon layer of ice crystals began to form on the ground and walls.

"What is this?"

"What's happening?"

Amidst the spreading cold, others in the room cried out in panic and alarm.

Ice crystals accumulated thicker and thicker, eventually forming a small iceberg several meters high and wide, enveloping Father Chen, Mother Chen, and several other refugees.

Seeing this sight, Chen Xian was somewhat astonished.

"Is this the extraordinary power Qiqi awakened?"

Chen Xian looked at the pillar of ice encasing him and could clearly feel that the freezing coldness did not harm him; it merely sealed him inside, completely isolating him from the outside world.

Miraculously, his breathing remained entirely unaffected. Raising his gaze, he saw that apart from himself, everyone else in the small room, including Chen Qiqi, had fallen into a deep slumber.

Looking toward the doorway, the green light had grown much thinner, though it still hadn't completely vanished.

Seeing this, Chen Xian frowned slightly.

"It seems Qiqi's extraordinary power can only delay the infiltration of the contamination, not completely stop its invasion."

Under the terrifying cold, the others had already fallen asleep.

Only he, possessing the martial arts cultivation of the Transforming Strength realm, had a flow of vital blood far surpassing ordinary people.

His entire body acted like a furnace, which was why he had not been completely frozen solid.