SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Divine Frost Valley, where the air is crisp with the bite of winter, the landscape stretched out in a blanket of snow-covered mountains. In the heart of these mountains stood the imposing Ice Castle.

These snowy mountains contain several rare herbs and magical trees that are only confined to this area.

Deep within the icy depths of the castle, within a cold and frigid pond, Thea sat in the perfect Lotus position. She is completely submerged in the water. Beside her, Freya, the vice patriarch of the ice castle, stood at the edge of the pond, her sharp eyes fixed intently on Thea.

As Thea murmured ancient scriptures, a frosty aura released into the waters, turning the transparent, clear water into a snow-white color. Slowly, the water began to solidify, crystallizing into a shimmering sheet of ice that mirrored the tranquility of Thea's concentration.

A small smile tugged on Freya's lips as she observed the mesmerizing transformation unfold before her eyes. This is a test to identify Thea's affinity for the frost element.

Minutes turned into hours as Thea's focus remained unbroken, her aura weaving its magic upon the frozen pond. At long last, the solidified ice began to break apart, transforming into a fine-grained mist of ice particles that danced in the air like ethereal snowflakes.

With a soft exhale, Thea opened her eyes. The glow of accomplishment shone in her eyes as she emerged from the snow-filled pond.

"How is it, Master? Did I succeed?" Thea inquired eagerly, her gaze fixed on Freya with anticipation.

Freya nodded her head with a serious look. "Yes, you have succeeded. With this, your affinity for the Frost element rose several folds." Freya replied, her voice echoing with pride. "Come, let us go to the patriarch's room. You are ready for the inheritance."

Without waiting for Thea, the vice-matriarch, Freya, turned around and walked into the deeper areas of the castle. Thea hurriedly followed her. Even though she does not understand what she needs to do, she is following the commands of Freya like an obedient disciple.

Soon, they entered the underground passages of the castle. The cold air of the ice castle's underground depths surrounded Thea and Freya as they ventured deeper into the heart of the ancient fortress. Guided by the vice matriarch, Thea's steps echoed softly against the icy walls, anticipation coursing through her veins.

"Thea, eat this." Freya stretched her hand and offered a small, red pill to Thea.

Thea's brow furrowed in curiosity as she accepted the pill, questioning its purpose. "What is this pill, Master?" she inquired, studying Freya's expression for clues.

"With this, you won't feel hungry for the next three months," Freya's reply came instantly. "During this time, you must succeed in inheriting the ancestors' will." Freya spoke in a serious tone.

Since Thea's arrival at the ice castle, Freya has personally attended to her needs, ensuring she is fed with the finest treasures. Thea is directly named as the grand elder within the sect, earning the respect of all the disciples.

But amidst the admiration and envy that surrounded her, Thea always felt something was not right. Also, Freya instructed Thea not to cultivate. Potent energy from all the treasures, rare fruits, and precious herbs stored inside Thea's body is ready to be harnessed.

As they reached the deepest chamber of the castle, where an isolated room was situated in the corner, a bone-chilling cold enveloped them. The entire room is filled with rare inscriptions. Thea's breath hung in the air like mist as she surveyed the empty expanse, except for a raised platform at the center.

On the platform, an old woman, her form nearly skeletal, sat in a meditative pose in a Lotus mudra. The raised platform has several grooves with intricate carvings.

"She is the ancestor and last matriarch of the ice castle." Freya's voice cut through the silence. "Go; occupy the place before her. She will guide you further." Freya said as they walked close to the central platform.

Even though Thea's heart is beating in fear, she approached the raised platform and took the place before the ancestral lady. Thea felt like she was staring at the bone case as she observed the old lady, whose skin turned a withered, drooping pale gray in color.

Feeling Thea's presence, the old lady opened her eyes and observed Thea from head to toe. An evil grin formed on the old lady's lips as she turned towards Freya, who bowed in fear.

Soon, Icy tendrils rose from the platform and bonded Thea to the platform. Thea hurriedly tried to get away. But she didn't have any power left in her body.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright," Freya said before turning away from the chamber.

_

Beast abode peak of the Eternal Sun sect...

In the vast training grounds, an old lady stood at the center. Three people in disciple robes stood outside the training ground. All of them are observing the old lady in the center, who is taming a half-human-sized wild boar.

Along with these three people, a beautiful lady with angelic features kneeled at the edge of the training ground. Except for her strong determination, there is no other emotion on her face.

The angelic beauty is Lucy. She kneeled on the same spot from a long time. When she came back to peak, the peak master rejected her request to rejoin. In the past, Lucy left the peak without listening to the peak master's advice.

Because of this, the old lady is acting all tough to take her back as a disciple. Instead of leaving the peak, Lucy kneeled on the spot to please the old lady. Due to this reason, she has failed to contact Kent since her departure. She still doesn't know that Kent joined the healing sun peak.

The old lady completely ignored Lucy's sincere act and focused on the wild boar. With a short arm-length wand in her hand, the old lady played with that old wild boar like a circus monkey.

After exhausting all its energy, the old lady released a powerful lullaby spell, which made the wild boar lose its cruel nature. All three people who stood on the edge hurriedly reached the wild boar and locked it with aura chains.

After taking a last look at the wild boar, the old lady began walking away from the training ground. She completely ignored Lucy while passing beside her.

_

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