Among the Nephilim, the Throne Trials were never regarded as mere cultivation challenges.

They were a pilgrimage.

A sacred passage passed down through generations of Nephilim blood. One hundred and eight chambers lay scattered throughout the domain, each representing a fragment of ancient will. Every chamber conquered left behind a mark of legacy—some granted power, others comprehension, and a rare few reshaped destiny itself.

But Emery and his companions had not come seeking inheritance.

They did not linger before the chambers, nor did they carefully unlock each legacy as tradition dictated. With the old maps prepared and the updated routes taken from the Nephilim nobles, they moved with efficiency—breaking only the chambers that barred their path and bypassing those that had opened within the last three years.

Time mattered more than fortune.

They pressed deeper into the Frozen Throne.

As the days passed, however, the tension between Eeshoo and Jinkan continued to worsen.

At first, the silence between them was merely uncomfortable. Later, it became suffocating. They exchanged no words, no glances, coordinating only through necessity.

A week into the domain, as they reached the boundary of the Inner Core, that tension finally became a liability.

The chamber before them dwarfed all others they had encountered. Towering frostbound pillars lined the path, each carved with divine runes that pulsed faintly, as though breathing. At the far end stood a female statue of ice, her expression serene yet merciless, radiating a pressure so dense it weighed upon the soul itself.

Jinkan broke the silence at last.

"Do not be stubborn," she said. "You cannot clear this alone."

Eeshoo did not look at her. Instead, his gaze shifted toward Emery's Dark Avatar.

"We've checked all other paths," he said calmly. "She must be inside the core area." After a pause, he added, "I can deal with the ice elementals. But I need you to try break the seal."

Emery nodded without hesitation.

"All right... Let's do it."

The moment they stepped into the chamber, the domain responded.

Dozens of ice elementals manifested at once—but these were nothing like the ones they had faced earlier. Their bodies were encased in layered crystalline armor, their forms sharper, more defined. Each wielded frozen weapons, hovering in disciplined formation as if commanded by unseen will.

Eeshoo moved immediately.

One arm flared with solar flame, forming a blazing barrier that repelled the freezing pressure. With the other, he summoned his spirit weapon, its burning arcs carving through the advancing elementals. Each strike shattered armor, melting ice into steam before it could reform.

Emery did not look back.

His attention was fixed entirely on the statue.

Breaking a seal of this magnitude demanded more than brute force. Tradition dictated that a pilgrim must endure the freezing authority of the domain, allowing it to invade body and soul, then resonate with it through one's own law of ice. It was a test of alignment, not resistance—a process that had taken Eeshoo nearly an hour in previous chambers.

Emery stepped forward and whispered a single name.

"Daurgototh."

The Khaos Guardian of the Death Gate answered.

Ghostly blue fire surged through Emery's Dark Avatar, not burning but consuming entropy itself. The freezing authority of the statue poured into him like an endless tide, threatening to lock his consciousness in eternal stillness. Daurgototh restrained it, binding the cold within controlled silence, allowing Emery to endure without surrendering.

Runes flared across the statue's surface.

Then, they began to fold.

The seal unraveled in minutes.

With a thunderous crack, the statue's authority shattered. Every ice elemental froze mid-motion before dissolving into nothingness, their forms erased as though they had never existed.

The chamber fell silent.

Emery collapsed to one knee as the remaining legacy surged into his soul. Ancient words echoed within him—laws of ice, cycles of stillness and flow, resonance between heaven and earth. Time lost meaning as comprehension took hold.

An hour passed.

When Emery awakened, the world felt subtly altered, as though the Frozen Throne itself acknowledged him.

When they resumed their advance, the Frozen Throne revealed another guardian.

The passage ahead trembled as an ancient beast emerged from the ice—a monstrous fusion of dragon and turtle. Its colossal body was plated with overlapping glacial scales, each one etched with natural runes formed over countless ages. A massive shell curved over its back like a frozen fortress, while a draconic head rose from beneath it, exhaling mist so cold it crystallized the air itself.

The creature blocked the path completely.

This time, Emery's Dark Avatar stepped forward.

In his grasp was [Frostveil], the top-grade weapon seized from Draven the Raider.

What he unleashed was the sword's inherited legacy, [Swordfang Cascade], a technique whose mastery was made possible by the Dark Avatar's newly gained comprehension from the statue.

Dozens of crescent-shaped blades of compressed frost erupted, cascading forward in overlapping waves.

The ancient beast roared as the attacks tore through its scales, frost spreading rapidly across its body as the cold invaded its core.

The battle was brutal but short-lived.

With a final, echoing crash, the creature collapsed, its massive body shattering into ice and ancient bone, scattering across the frozen ground.

Silence followed.

Eeshoo stood still, watching Emery.

His expression had changed—subtly, but unmistakably. There was no praise, no comment, yet the way his gaze lingered spoke of reassessment.

Jinkan approached next, curiosity lighting her eyes as usual.

"You've gained some new insights, haven't you? Congratulations."

For a brief moment, she considered suggesting they clear additional chambers, harvesting more legacies while the opportunity was present.

Emery shook his head.

His purpose had never wavered.

He was not here for power.

He was here for Klea.

Even so, not every chamber could be avoided. As they navigated the increasingly complex inner core of the domain, obstacles became unavoidable. Each chamber grew harsher than the last, forcing them to confront trials head-on.

It was here that Jinkan truly proved her worth.

She deployed high-grade artifacts with precision and foresight. Stabilizing collapsing terrain, and shielding them from sudden environmental anomalies. Eeshoo adapted quickly, adjusting his actions to complement hers. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the frost between the two former lovers began to crack as necessity forced cooperation.

Their teamwork sharpened.

And with each chamber cleared, Emery's comprehension deepened further. The laws of ice no longer felt foreign. They responded to him, echoing his intent, guiding his blade and steps alike.

Yet despite everything—

There was still no sign of Klea.

No trace of her aura

No remnant of her presence.

The absence gnawed at Emery's thoughts, growing heavier with every step.

At last, they arrived before the final chamber.

This time, Eeshoo stopped.

He did not step forward immediately. His gaze lingered on the massive, sealed entrance, his expression darkening.

"She couldn't have been inside the final chamber all this time…" he said slowly. "I think she is—"

He did not finish the sentence.

Jinkan inhaled softly, then nodded in agreement. "This is where the Ancient Goddess resides," she said quietly. "It is extremely dangerous."

She hesitated, then added, "You might not like what you find."

Emery's Dark Avatar stepped forward without hesitation.

"I need to see it my self" he said

"I need to know."

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