Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2808: Beneath the Ice

After an entire day of relentless advancement through the Ancient Domain, the three of them finally agreed that they needed to rest.

The Frozen Throne did not permit exhaustion to announce itself loudly. Fatigue crept in silently, buried beneath layers of cold and pressure, eroding concentration little by little.

They chose a hollow within the frostbound forest, where ancient trees locked together like ribs of ice, shielding them from the worst of the wind. There could be no ordinary fire here. Jinkan activated a specialized heating artifact instead—an orb etched with rotating sigils that radiated a steady, contained warmth. The heat did not spread far, but it was enough to allow all three of them to slightly relax their protective layers.

The cold of the domain could be pushed back.

However,

The cold between Jinkan and Eeshoo could not.

They sat across from one another in near silence, exchanging no more than the bare minimum of glances. There were no arguments, no sharp words—only a suffocating tension that pressed heavier than the Frozen Throne’s chill. Whatever history lay between them had not faded with time; if anything, the domain seemed to amplify it.

To break the oppressive stillness, Emery’s Dark Avatar finally spoke.

"So have either of you attempted this trial before?"

Jinkan answered.

"Most members of the Sanctums have," she said, "But only a small fraction ever completes it. Not everyone is a genius..." Her gaze flicked briefly toward Eeshoo. "...like him."

Eeshoo did not respond.

The silence stretched.

Annoyed, Jinkan continued.

"The Sanctums contain twelve realms. Four are known as the Trials of Light, similar in nature to the Trials of Faith you once witnessed in Seraph City." She paused, then added, "The remaining eight are elemental trials—the domains of the Eight Aeons, ancient entities that guarded the Nephilim supremacy."

Apparently, Eeshoo has completed the Trials of the Fire Throne. His cultivation method and his resonance with cosmic law all aligned toward flame and solar authority.

The Frozen Throne, however, had never been his path.

Even though he possessed the strength to endure the cold, endurance alone meant nothing within an Ancient Domain. Without a genuine affinity for ice, the Frozen Throne would never acknowledge him, its legacy would remain forever out of reach.

Jinkan’s lips curved into a faint smile as she turned toward Emery and said, "Your seems to have a new affinity for ice... maybe you could gain some fortune in this place..."

For the first time since they had stopped, Eeshoo finally spoke. His voice was calm, restrained, yet carried an unmistakable weight.

"You should focus on one... or you will never reach the cosmic realm."

The words seemed to be directed squarely at Emery.

But Jinkan only smiled wider.

"Don’t be mistaken," she said lightly. "He means to aim the words at me..."

She tilted her head slightly before adding, "You see... not only am I not talented enough to master one element... I have been too busy... You know... too many responsibilities."

Emery’s Dark Avatar released a slow, quiet sigh.

The meaning was obvious.

She wasn’t speaking about cultivation.

She was speaking to Eeshoo.

He began to suspect that Jinkan had not come here for his or Klea’s sake at all.

It was at that moment that Eeshoo suddenly reacted.

He rose to his feet in a single, fluid motion. Almost immediately, Emery and Jinkan sensed it as well—two presences cutting through the frozen air at high speed, approaching the camp without concealment.

Emery’s Dark Avatar instinctively tensed, his senses flaring as Khaos energy stirred beneath his skin. Before he could act, Jinkan lifted a hand slightly.

"Relax," she said quietly.

The figures descended moments later, landing at the edge of the camp’s warming field.

Two men.

Both were Grand Magus realms.

One appeared to be in his early thirties, his aura sharp but unstable, emotions poorly restrained. The other was older, his presence heavier and more disciplined. Their attire marked them clearly as Nephilim nobles.

The younger man’s gaze locked onto Eeshoo the instant he saw him.

Contempt flared openly across his face.

"What the hell are you doing here!"

Eeshoo did not react to the provocation. His expression remained calm, detached, as though the insult had never reached him.

"We are here looking for someone..." he replied evenly.

The answer only made the younger man angrier.

"Huh... are you kidding me?!" he snapped, taking a step forward. "That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard..."

His voice rose, arrogance spilling freely now.

"You may be a genius... but remember your place... you low—"

"Finish that word," Jinkan cut in coldly, stepping forward, "and I will make sure you are banned from the Sanctum."

The temperature seemed to drop another degree.

The younger man froze mid-sentence.

Only then did he truly look at her.

His expression drained of color as the older man leaned close and whispered urgently into his ear. Whatever was said was enough to shatter his bravado completely.

The younger man dropped to one knee instantly.

The older man followed without hesitation.

"My apology.... I didn’t see you. I apologize—I did not mean what was said."

Jinkan’s aura surged violently, her anger cresting just beneath the surface, ready to explode.

Before she could speak again, Eeshoo raised a hand slightly.

"Don’t..."

The single word was quiet, but it carried unmistakable authority.

Jinkan halted, her clenched fist trembling for a brief moment before she forced herself to breathe, the rage slowly reined back in.

The older man spoke quickly. He explained that his younger cousin had been unstable since failing the trials—months of effort wasted. The outburst, he insisted, was the result of frustration rather than intent.

Jinkan closed her eyes and drew in a slow, measured breath. The violent edge of her aura receded, though the cold in her gaze remained. Eeshoo, calm as ever, showed no reaction to the explanation. Instead, he shifted the conversation forward, his tone even and deliberate.

"We are really looking for a friend... any information will be helpful."

The two Nephilim nobles nodded immediately.

They answered every question without hesitation.

As they spoke, Emery’s Dark Avatar began to piece together the situation. It was, in fact, rare but uncommon to encounter other Sanctum members within the Frozen Throne.

Over the course of five months, the two men had encountered six separate groups, a total of fifteen individuals. None matched Klea’s description.

However, they had only pushed as far as the Inner Domain, but never reached the Core.

Eeshoo listened carefully, committing everything to memory. He requested copies of the maps they had compiled during their journey, offering generous compensation in return. Within an Ancient Domain filled with extreme weather, spatial distortions, and shifting anomalies, accurate maps were invaluable. Landscapes here changed every few years—sometimes violently—and updated routes could shorten travel by weeks, even months.

The two men did not hesitate.

One of them produced a crystal, its interior filled with layered images, markings, and recorded pathways—months of careful exploration compressed into a single artifact.

"We are heading back anyway... You could keep this... please take this as our apology."

Jinkan accepted it with a brief nod.

"If I ever hear such words again," she said coldly, "I will not be so forgiving."

Both men bowed deeply, then retreated without delay, their figures quickly disappearing into the frozen distance.

Emery’s Dark Avatar watched them go, quietly impressed by the sheer authority Jinkan commanded with a few words.

Eeshoo was not.

His expression hardened, and for the first time since they had entered the domain, emotion surfaced clearly in his voice.

"Don’t ever do that again..."

Jinkan turned sharply, her composure finally cracking.

"Why?!" she demanded. "I cannot let them say such things to my... my..."

Her words faltered.

Eeshoo looked at her then. His gaze was deep and painfully clear.

"I am not your anything anymore..."

The words hung in the frozen air, heavier than the cold itself.