Chapter 473: New Intelligence on the Extreme Cold Abyss

Chapter 473: New Intelligence from the Abyss of Eternal Frost

Faced with the Ice Queen's counter-question, Li Wei found himself at a loss for words.

Whatever it was, it certainly wouldn't be good news.

Perhaps these extraordinary factions already knew that the Ice Queen intended to thwart their plans.

They might strike first against the City of Ice.

Though powerful in the Far North Ice Plains, the Ice Queen was still far too weak when facing world-class supernatural forces.

The Church of the Light God, the Association of Professionals, the Mage Guild, the Warrior Guild... all were world-level supernatural organizations.

Any regional power would be like tiny shrimp before such colossal entities.

Precisely because these supernatural factions were world-class, their internal relationships were also extremely intricate and complex.

The Ice Queen's concerns were not without merit.

She was willing to share this information with the Church of the Light God's paladin because the Church had no need for schemes like "borrowing the power of the Ice Emperor."

The Church possessed sufficiently powerful backing and strength.

After much contemplation, Li Wei finally spoke: "I have one question—why did you choose me?"

The Ice Queen gazed intently at Li Wei, who met her ice-blue eyes directly.

"Because you were being hunted by legendary paladins of the Church of the Light God."

Li Wei: "..."

What kind of reason was that?

The Ice Queen explained: "Although I didn't understand why at the time, I thought someone who could escape pursuit by four paladins of the Church of the Light God must be incredibly strong, especially since one of them was a legendary paladin."

Now Li Wei understood.

In simple terms, the Ice Queen believed his strength was sufficient to qualify him for involvement in this dangerous matter.

Li Wei replied: "I'm afraid I must decline. In my opinion, rashly getting involved in such affairs is no different from a moth flying into the flame."

"I'm not as impressive as you imagine. Escaping from those paladins was merely due to my speed in fleeing."

The Ice Queen said: "You're being too modest. This cannot simply be explained away by saying you ran fast."

Before actually meeting Li Wei, she might have thought so.

But after hearing Li Wei explain why he was being pursued by the Church of the Light God,

the Ice Queen realized that Li Wei's strength was definitely far greater than imagined.

Ordinary people couldn't possibly steal sacred artifacts from the Holy Temple of Light, let alone destroy them.

This alone proved Li Wei's formidable capabilities.

When Li Wei claimed he had borrowed the Tears of the Goddess, she certainly wouldn't believe it.

If it truly were borrowing, would he fear persecution by the Church of the Light God?

Even if he broke it, at most it would require compensation.

Being unable to pay would be another matter entirely, but surely wouldn't warrant such an extensive hunt by the Church.

The Ice Queen continued: "Of course, I don't expect you to help me for free."

"I happened to overhear that you seem interested in the legends surrounding the Time Secret Realm within the Abyss of Eternal Frost?"

Li Wei showed surprise—this time genuinely astonished.

He had only mentioned this matter once while chatting with Xiong Er.

At that time, there shouldn't have been anyone else present.

Even the fake waiter who poisoned him was separated by a wall—he couldn't possibly have heard anything to tell the Ice Queen.

So how exactly did the Ice Queen come to know about this?

Seeing confusion on Li Wei's face, the Ice Queen explained: "You've probably heard about Freyrade City—they say it belongs to the ice elves."

Li Wei nodded. "I've heard."

"But I've rarely seen any ice elves myself."

When he first arrived at Freyrade City, he glimpsed an ice elf guard atop the city walls—but just a fleeting moment.

Since then, he hadn't encountered a single ice elf anywhere within the city.

The Ice Queen smiled slightly, raising her left hand—a fluffy white snowball appeared on her index finger. "That's because you can't see them."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei stared closely at the soft snow mass clinging to her finger.

After perceiving it briefly, he discovered it was indeed an ice elf.

A very weak one at that.

Possibly newly born with consciousness, its form hadn't even fully materialized yet.

It posed absolutely no threat to humans whatsoever.

Even ordinary people encountering it would mistake it for falling snowflakes from the sky.

The Ice Queen said: "Freyrade City teems with such young ice elves. They are my ears and eyes—I can see and hear everything happening inside the city."

Hearing this, Li Wei suddenly realized the truth.

So he had long been under surveillance by the Ice Queen.

No wonder every trouble seemed to arrive so swiftly.

One had to admit, such ability was truly formidable.

Within the domain of the City of Ice, the Ice Queen was akin to a deity—omniscient.

This might well be the reason her rule over the City of Ice remained stable for centuries.

The Ice Queen added: "If you're willing to assist, I can provide some genuine and reliable information regarding the Time Secret Realm."

"Moreover, should you seek out the Time Secret Realm yourself, there's a high chance you'll encounter those going to the Abyss of Eternal Frost searching for the Ice Emperor."

"I doubt you two will coexist peacefully—they won't allow strangers interfering with their plan."

The Ice Queen stopped speaking further; Li Wei understood her meaning clearly enough.

Essentially, she meant that if he went seeking the Time Secret Realm deep within the Abyss of Eternal Frost,

he would inevitably cross paths with those hunting for the Ice Emperor.

When that happened, conflict would be unavoidable.

Better to cooperate honestly with her now.

After pondering briefly, Li Wei looked toward the Ice Queen and asked: "What exactly is this authentic intelligence you speak of concerning the Time Secret Realm?"

The Ice Queen smiled gently—not questioning whether Li Wei agreed to help her.

His very question indicated his stance.

She answered: "Indeed, there exists a Time Secret Realm within the Abyss of Eternal Frost, but it only manifests during specific temporal junctures."

Li Wei's expression shifted, and he inquired, "When is that?"

The Ice Queen replied, "At the juncture when polar night transitions to polar day."

Li Wei frowned deeply and blurted out, "Does that mean there's only one chance each year?"

The Ice Queen smiled gently and said, "Wrong. It should be once every thirty-three years. The alternation of polar night and polar day in the Far North Ice Plains follows a cycle of thirty-three years."

Li Wei fell silent, realizing a critically important issue.

He quickly pressed further, "Then when is the next transition between polar night and polar day?"

The Ice Queen answered calmly, "Seven days from now."

Li Wei exhaled in relief—it wouldn't be necessary to wait for several years.

He also felt fortunate to have arrived in time; otherwise, he would have had to wait another thirty-three years to miss this opportunity.

The Ice Queen continued, "It's still too early for you to breathe easily. From here, traveling to the Abyss of Extreme Cold will take at least three days."

"From the Abyss of Extreme Cold to where the Secret Realm of Time is located, it will take at least two more days."

"In other words, assuming nothing goes wrong along the way, just the journey itself will require five days and five nights."

Li Wei's face subtly stiffened.

(End of Chapter)