Void Beetle Evolution Guide

Ashe's voice trembled as she stared intently at the half-corrupted Anivia statue before her, finding it hard to accept.

Before anyone could figure out how to comfort her, Ashe had already rushed up to the base of the statue and stood right in front of it.

She reached out, her trembling fingertips gently touching the part that had been corrupted into black ice.

The interior of the black ice was sealed with black strands, like countless parasites with no beginning or end, exuding a chilling dark aura.

A palpable tension hung in the air, as if shadows in the ice were tugging at her, trying to completely engulf her attention.

A powerful urge surged within Ashe. She wanted to use the power of her armor, combined with her Iceborn abilities, to purify the black ice on the statue and restore it to its original sacred state.

However, the instant her palm touched the black ice, an unfathomable darkness suddenly assailed her. It felt as if her hand wasn't touching ice, but rather reaching directly into an endless abyss.

She couldn't explain what happened next, only that she felt a heavy pressure rising in her mind, a silent weight pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.

Everything around her seemed to blur, as if a thick fog had suddenly risen, blocking all her senses. Her consciousness began to fade, as if she were being dragged into an endless dark world.

Wild Hunt watched all this with a cold gaze. He noticed that Ashe's palm was pressed against the black ice, but the black ice did not change at all. Instead, Ashe's expression became more and more strange.

A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, and he immediately said to Portil, "You, go up and see what's going on."

Portil nodded, climbed onto the base, and came to Aisha's side.

She waved her hand in front of Aisha's eyes and found that Aisha's eyes were vacant, as if she had fallen into some kind of trance. Her heart tightened, and she immediately grabbed Aisha's wrist, which was pressed against the black ice, and pulled her off forcefully.

Having lost her connection with the black ice, Ashe's body went limp as if a tube had been pulled, and she fell backward. Kai'Sa reacted quickly, rushing onto the base and catching her.

Ashe's face was ashen, and her breathing was rapid, as if she had just survived a life-or-death struggle. Kai'Sa looked up at Portil and asked anxiously, "What happened to her?"

“There’s something strange about this black ice. I need to check it out. If I end up like her, you have to bring me down with you.” Portil’s expression was grave, his gaze still fixed on the black ice.

This familiar scene made Sephie unconsciously narrow her eyes; Portil was clearly using the same behavior to mock her. The difference was that Portil had prepared an escape route, while she was acting impulsively.

Portil placed her hand on the black ice wings and immediately felt the immense abyssal power within, pounding like a powerful heart and drumming against her palm.

Ice Dragon's face instantly turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She hadn't felt this intensely even when she purified the black ice in the Howling Abyss.

You must know that it is a bottomless abyss made entirely of black ice!

The wingspan of the black ice before her was only two or three meters, yet it gave her a power feedback far exceeding that of the Howling Abyss, as if it contained the darkness of the entire abyss, so powerful that it was despair-inducing.

Then, she felt an invisible force pulling her, and her vision seemed to pierce through layers of darkness, seeing a huge, one-eyed creature staring back at her from the abyss, unblinking.

Portil's soul curled up in her skull, unable to utter a scream. That gaze, like shackles forged of cold iron, nailed her consciousness to the void.

The shadows that had been lurking around the giant eye began to writhe, encircling the dark, coiled, tentacle-like limbs. Even Sephiroth's enormous sea monster body seemed like a seashell in a child's hand, easily crushed in the folds of the abyss before it.

This is definitely not a being from the real dimension; it is cosmic malice solidified into a physical form!

It is not dead. Within that gaze lies life, and a vast, unknowable wisdom.

It saw her. Its gaze seeped into her, pierced through her, and darkness etched eerie geometric patterns onto her retina. Reason, like yarn torn by a cat's claws, was falling in tatters.

Portil felt a twisting sensation in her stomach and heard a strange, cracking sound as if her skull was splitting. Dark shadows began to surround the edges of her vision, writhing and slithering, as if about to—

"Don't look!"

A tearing pain shot through her scalp as someone dragged her backward by her silver hair. Portilo staggered backward, her boot heels scraping messy marks on the ice.

She was pulled off the pedestal and then unceremoniously thrown onto the ground on the outside. As she was slammed to the ground, the stinging pain in her back brought a brief moment of clarity.

She got up, the shadows and curled shapes still lingering in her mind.

In the dim light, Portil recognized Kaisa standing in front of her, her fist tightly gripping the fur trim at the collar of Kaisa's collar, her hand trembling, the dark purple armor reflecting the eerie light of ice sculptures.

The rolling shadows still lingered in the corner of her eye, and she felt dizzy, as if she had been engulfed in a suffocating fog.

She unwisely shifted her gaze back to the black parts of the ice sculpture, but thankfully, as long as she didn't touch them, it seemed she wouldn't see that insane, maddening sight again.

"What did you see?" Kasha pinched Portil's cheek sharply, forcefully turning her head back to the center.

“The Watcher… the abyss is watching us…” Portil gasped for breath, his voice sounding like it was squeezed out of an ice crevice, his throat tinged with the metallic taste of blood.

She slumped down amidst the crystal clusters, her silver hair plastered to her forehead by cold sweat, her fingertips still unconsciously digging into the cracks in the ice.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Ashe's still unconscious, pale face, her thin human chest rising and falling weakly beneath her ice armor—the mental shock she had just experienced was far too deadly for a mortal body.

"Is the black ice on the statue connected to the Howling Abyss?"

Kasha glanced thoughtfully at the statue, then carefully looked away and examined the state of everyone around her, lest they unknowingly have their spirits absorbed by the Abyss.

"Wild Hunt, do you know what's going on here?"

"I don't know, I'm thinking." Wild Hunt either knows or doesn't know, and he never tries to maintain an omniscient persona to create an air of mystery.

"Okay, this time I..."

"We've run into a problem." Kasha accepted reality and turned her attention back to Portil.

“It’s alright, let me help you up.” She grabbed Portil’s wrist and pulled her up, then patted her shoulder. “Don’t touch that statue for now.”

Portil felt her mind clear up a bit, and then she nodded, still shaken.

The group refrained from making any further moves. After a while, Aisha regained her senses and cried out in a panic, "I saw the eye! A huge, one-eyed thing! It was staring at me without blinking, and then I—"

"Alright, alright, it's nothing. Those are things we have to face anyway, and everything we do is to eliminate the harm they cause."

"No! You don't know, it's already awake!" Ashe was still frantically explaining, trying to make everyone understand what she was seeing, her dazed eyes wide open, looking somewhat deranged.

"Don't worry. If it really wakes up, just that one moment of eye contact will have already destroyed your mind."

Wild Hunt's resolute voice gradually calmed Ashe down. She gripped the ice bow tightly, using the extreme cold of True Ice to force herself to concentrate and struggle against the dark shadows swirling around her eyes.

Kasha walked around the statue a few times, analyzing her current situation.

“We came to the heart of Phoenix Wing Mountain in search of the Ice Crystal Phoenix, but there is only an eroded statue here. If we can’t get what Orn wants, we’re afraid we won’t be able to get him to talk.”

"Ha, something even colder than True Ice, if it were that easy to get, Lissandra would have gotten it long ago." Portil sneered, making no attempt to hide his disheartened expression.

Just when everyone was at a loss, Talia stepped forward and cautiously offered a suggestion in a somewhat uncertain voice.

"Everyone... I feel that this cave is a bit strange. The rocks here can be moved, like some kind of mechanism."

Chapter 288 Ice Crystal Phoenix Anivia

"organ?"

Following Talia's words, Kasha noticed that the rocks in the cave were peculiarly shaped, all of them regular hexagonal prisms, like neatly arranged honeycombs.

“There’s not much we can do right now, Talia. You could try moving these rocks.”

"Ah."

Talia led everyone to the exit, then began manipulating the hexagonal prism in the cave. Her fingertips moved slowly, her ten fingers tracing intricate patterns in the air.

Under her control, the cave echoed with the rumbling sound of grinding, and the pillars, each weighing several tons, began to rotate around the statue.

As it rotated to a certain angle, a skylight slowly opened in the dome, and surging aurora poured down, landing right on the head of the ice crystal phoenix. The aurora was refracted by the ice crystal feathers into four rainbows, which were projected onto the surrounding walls, forming ever-changing light spots.

“These rays… are like the sundial mechanism of ancient Shurima! Talia, keep moving the pillar until I tell you to stop.”

The few members of the family only vaguely felt that something was magical, and the light just happened to fall on the head of the ice crystal phoenix. They thought it was a magical design to highlight the sacred nature of Anivia.

But Wild Hunt, being a time traveler, was very sensitive to this classic mechanical design and immediately realized that these lights were the key to solving the mystery.

Talia continued moving the pillars, and the Wild Hunt noticed the pattern in their movements after rotating them twice.

"Stop. The second pillar from the left has shifted seven degrees. Turn it back so that the facet of the ice cluster on the north side stays on the path of the iridescent light."

When the refracted light refracted again upon hitting the ice cluster at the top of the pillar, the Wild Hunt already knew the answer and told Talia, who had turned her head, to turn back.

Listening to the Wild Hunt's incredibly precise demands, Talia's forehead beaded with sweat; the pressure was considerable. Fortunately, it only sounded difficult; in practice, she didn't need to think about it so much.

As the last pillar was placed in place, the original four rainbow beams, refracted by the cluster of ice flowers, transformed into diffused light that converged in mid-air, forming a giant double-winged totem, each feather composed of flowing starlight.

The family members exclaimed in amazement—they then realized that the entire cave itself was a miniature star map in the shape of Anivia's wings.

Then, these rays of light began to radiate, forming the projection of the ice crystal phoenix.

The spirit let out a loud cry, and countless ice clusters in the cave began to tremble, with the air filled with the buzzing of millions of ice shards vibrating simultaneously.

Countless ice crystals rose from the ground and soared into the air, beginning to form the outline of feathers, then a head, a neck, wings... As the last ice crystal floated against gravity toward the dome, Anivia finally revealed her complete form.

The ice phoenix, its wingspan covering half the cave, raised its head and cried out. The movement of spreading its wings stirred up a blizzard. Each feather was a constantly growing icicle, and its entire body radiated a chilling glow that penetrated to the bone.

The thick fog in the cave was dispersed by the airflow stirred up by its outstretched wings. This cold wind was like the sudden chill of winter, spreading ice crystals wherever it went, freezing the crumbling rift valley again, and covering everything with a white frost coat.

Without a doubt, the being before us who can summon ice and snow with a mere gesture is none other than Anivia, the legendary ice phoenix of Freljord.

“Hmm…” Anivia, who had been hovering in mid-air, slowly landed, folded her wings, lowered her head, and looked down at the group of people in front of her. Finally, she landed on Ashe, and her murmur echoed throughout the valley: “Ashe, we meet again. The fledgling that looked down from the clouds that day, now has wings that can cover half of Freljord.”

"Anivia, Mother of All Things! I am honored to behold your form once more!" Ashe knelt on one knee, the Frostbearer held horizontally before her, her body trembling slightly with excitement. Her voice echoed in the ice cave, filled with undisguised awe and reverence.

When they first met, Ashe had just become the War Mother of the Avarosan tribe. At that time, Anivia merely flew overhead, casting a distant glance.

Anivia's appearance was seen as a celebration, leading many to believe that Ashe was the reincarnation of Avarosa, which made Ashe's path to unification much smoother afterward.

And now, she was able to stand before Anivia herself, speak directly with this ancient deity, and even make the deity remember her.

This honor filled her with indescribable excitement and awe.

"What made you travel so far to find me? Has the Avarosa tribe encountered any difficulties?"

Ashe took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady: "No, everything is normal with the Avarosan tribe. What brought us here is something from the Howling Abyss..." She didn't directly state her purpose, but chose to start with the big picture to avoid giving the gods the impression of being profit-driven.

A hint of surprise flashed in Anivia's eyes. "That witch's tight-lipped attitude has actually softened one day."

"There's something I want to ask, but I'm not sure if I should." Aisha looked up, her eyes probing.

“Ask away,” Anivia nodded and said, “You’ve come all this way through so many obstacles, how could I let you leave empty-handed?”

Ashe's request, which she had intended to voice, turned into another question at the last moment: "Since you knew about Lissandra's evil deeds, why...did not punish her?"

The Ice Crystal Phoenix's pupils contracted slightly, as if recalling a distant moment.

“Everything is already set in stone, and even if I wanted to stop it, I would be powerless to do so. Just cleaning up the mess for her has exhausted me.” Her beak trembled slightly, and frost emanated from her like a sigh. “Lissandra is the only one who can prevent the Watcher from waking up, and for that, I secretly reinforced the seal for her several times.”

“Your kindness is truly admirable,” Ash said with a complicated expression.

Fortunately, she has repented and has been dutifully suppressing the howling abyss for thousands of years.

"But she is still secretly manipulating the situation in Freljord. Throughout history, she has stirred up countless conflicts and caused people to kill each other, all for the sake of making herself the only one in power."

"Conflict is precisely the destiny of Freljord," Anivia's voice was like a cold wind sweeping across an icy plain. "This land grows strong through struggle, and if one day this land truly returns to peace, my furious brother will likely be the first to lose his temper and launch a devastating purge."

“But aren’t you driving change?” Ashe looked up, her eyes filled with deep confusion, her voice trembling slightly. “Was everything I did for this wrong?”

Anivia lowered her head slightly, gazing at Ashe, her icy pupils reflecting Ashe's image. Her anthropomorphic expression surprisingly conveyed a compassionate and embracing quality.

"Ashe, I see in you the hope of Freljord being unified again."

“You did nothing wrong, but have you ever thought that human life is only a short hundred years? Even before you die, when you are too old to draw a bow, you will witness the division of the tribe.”

"Times are constantly changing amidst division and reunion, and struggle has always been the main theme of Freljord. Just as you fought against the Claws of Winter, I inevitably had disagreements with my brothers and sisters. But these conflicts will eventually become nourishment, sustenance for this wild land."

"Therefore, I encourage anyone to strive for their ideals, I am happy to see them spark conflict over different ideas, and I look forward to them injecting new vitality into this land."

"I was shortsighted to question your decision. I... I apologize for that." Aisha suddenly realized her mistake, knelt down on the ground with remorse, and said in a low and sincere voice.

“Great Anivia, I also have a few questions for you.” Seeing that Ashe was hesitant to get to the point, Kai’Sa finally couldn’t help but step forward and ask after Ashe had resolved her doubts.

“Daughter of the Great Sai, feel free to ask.” Anivia looked at her with the same indifference.

"I know you represent the cycle of life and death, the changing seasons of Freljord. Could you please tell us what happened to your half-wing?"

“True Ice.” Anivia first pointed out the key point before slowly saying, “If you have heard the legends of this place, you will know that I created True Ice as the greatest gift I brought to Freljord.”

Chapter 289 Something Even Colder Than Pure Ice

Pure ice is a pure and profound substance, like a masterpiece of frozen time, imbued with the charm of elemental magic, eternally remaining in a solid state, never melting.

Just like the mechanism set up here, if the ice prism melts even slightly, it will cause the refraction of light to deviate, thus disrupting the operation of the entire magic circle and affecting the final summoning ritual.

Only the purest ice, which has withstood the test of time for thousands of years and remains as solid as a rock and as cold as a star, can shoulder such a crucial mission.

The unique properties of True Ice have driven the greatest prophets and frost mages to relentlessly pursue it since ancient times, using fragments of True Ice to amplify their own power.

Even the slightest trace of pure ice, if forged into a weapon, can become an unimaginably deadly weapon.

“However, the True Ice was not created out of thin air. They are all manifestations and echoes of my power, and can also be seen as part of my body,” Anivia said softly, her voice like a winter breeze, carrying a hint of coolness and remoteness. “Correspondingly, the changes that occur to them will be directly reflected in my body.”

"In other words, the total amount of True Ice is fixed, and Lissandra has consumed nearly half of the world's True Ice in order to seal the Watcher, which is why half of your wing was corrupted by the Void." Kai'Sa concluded thoughtfully, looking at the statue of Anivia in front of her, feeling as if it had transformed into a vivid painting, presenting all of this directly to her.

“You’re very clever.” Anivia’s sharp beak revealed a hint of admiration in its smile.

“You’re very generous,” Kasha nodded. “But why do you seem…not at all anxious when disaster strikes?”

"I have experienced countless rebirths over the long years, and have long since disregarded life and death."