Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 356: Dangerous task 2

Lucas did not stop after the first mark was laid. With the ice belle floating faithfully beside him, he folded space again and pushed deeper into the abyss, repeating the same careful process with unwavering focus. Each time he arrived at a new location, he took a moment to feel the instability of the land beneath his feet, to measure the corrosive pressure in the air, and to judge how far this point could safely support the next group that would pass through. Only when he was satisfied did he kneel, imprint his spatial qi into the ground, and allow the ice belle to weave her pure essence into the mark until the two energies fused into a stable anchor.

The abyss resisted him at first, its chaotic nature trying to distort the paths he carved through it, but Lucas remained patient and precise. His control over space was no longer crude or forceful as it once had been, and now it flowed naturally from him as though the void itself had accepted his authority. The ice belle played her role flawlessly, her energy forming invisible tunnels between each marked point, threads of frozen purity that cut through corruption and bound the path together into a continuous route.

One mark became five, then ten, then more, and still Lucas pressed on without hesitation. Twenty times he repeated the process, then twenty five, and then beyond that, each teleportation carrying him farther across the abyss than any ordinary army could have marched in weeks. The oppressive atmosphere that would have drained lesser cultivators barely registered to him, as the massive reserves of qi within his body circulated smoothly, replenishing what little was consumed with effortless ease. There was no strain in his breathing and no tremor in his focus, only a calm certainty that his limits had expanded far beyond what they once were.

By the twenty seventh mark, the darkness ahead began to thin, and the land subtly shifted beneath his feet. The air no longer reeked as strongly of decay, and the suffocating pressure that defined the abyss loosened its grip. Lucas took one final step forward and felt it clearly then, the boundary yielding as he emerged at the far end of the abyss, where the corruption weakened and the world began to breathe again.

He straightened slowly and looked back along the unseen path he had created, his expression composed but resolute. Twenty seven stable anchors now stood where none had existed before, connected by tunnels of ice and space that would carry thousands safely through a place that was never meant to be crossed. Thanks to the immense qi within him, he had not felt exhaustion, pain, or hesitation even once, and as the ice belle circled him with quiet satisfaction, Lucas knew the most dangerous part of the passage had already been conquered.

Lucas folded space once more and returned through the nearest marked point, his body slipping effortlessly along the path he had just created until the familiar presence of the army greeted him again at the edge of the abyss. The entire process had taken less than thirty minutes, yet what he had accomplished in that short span left even the most seasoned cultivators staring at him with disbelief. The oppressive aura of the boundary seemed almost subdued now, as if it had already begun to accept the foreign order imposed upon it.

Without wasting time, Lucas sought out Volde Dorn and explained what was required next with calm confidence. Volde listened carefully, his gaze sharpening as he grasped the scale of what Lucas intended, and when he finally nodded, there was no doubt left in his expression. At Lucas’s instruction, twenty six ice cultivators were gathered alongside Volde, each one skilled enough to manipulate cold qi with precision and restraint rather than brute force. They followed Lucas toward the first marked spot, where the ice belle hovered patiently, her small form glowing softly as if she understood the importance of what was about to happen.

At Lucas’s signal, the group moved through the passage together, stepping into the abyss under the protection of the tunnels already formed. Volde and the ice cultivators immediately took up their roles, amplifying the ice belle’s pure essence and weaving it carefully into the existing structure. Their combined power reinforced each anchor point, thickening the invisible walls of the tunnel and stabilizing the spatial flow so that even weaker soldiers could pass without being eroded by the abyss’s corruption.

Layer by layer, the passage was strengthened, the cold energy spreading outward in controlled waves that suppressed the abyss’s chaotic influence. Where darkness once gnawed relentlessly at everything it touched, there was now a clear and navigable route, firm enough to endure the passage of an entire army. The ice belle’s essence flowed through it all like a living artery, sustained and magnified by the ice cultivators until the tunnel felt complete and unyielding.

By the time they finished, the route across the boundary abyss stood fully reinforced, a frozen corridor of space and ice that connected both ends seamlessly. What had once been a deadly expanse that demanded fear and sacrifice had been reduced to a calculated obstacle, mastered through preparation, coordination, and overwhelming control.

Lucas moved with calm authority as he began assigning positions, his voice steady and precise as he addressed the ice cultivators one after another. He placed each of the twenty six ice cultivators at a marked spot along the passage as they returned through the spatial portals, ensuring that every anchor point was manned by someone capable and disciplined. Each cultivator listened intently as he explained their duties, and none of them questioned the importance of what they were being entrusted with.

"You will remain here," Lucas said to the first cultivator, his gaze firm yet reassuring. "Your task is to guide. Soldiers will arrive confused, tense, and wary of the abyss. You will lead them through the portal, keep them moving, and make sure no one panics or breaks formation."

The cultivator bowed deeply, placing a fist to his chest as he accepted the responsibility. "I will not fail," he replied with quiet conviction.

Lucas repeated this process at every spot, adjusting his instructions slightly depending on the strength and temperament of the cultivator stationed there. To some, he emphasized vigilance, reminding them that fluctuations in the abyss could occur without warning. To others, he stressed patience and control, warning them not to overextend their qi and destabilize the tunnel they were meant to protect.