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**
"Mo Yu, what do we do now? Should we forcefully break the seal?"
Xiao Yixian glanced at the ice valley, frozen solid due to the clash between Qing Zhi and the Heavenly Cold Qi, and turned to Mo Yu with a concerned look.
No one had expected events to escalate this far. The Heavenly Cold Qi truly lived up to its reputation as a renowned rare treasure on the continent—capturing it was far from simple.
Hearing her words, Mo Yu frowned, but before he could reply, a sudden message echoed in his mind.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Yixian noticed the change in his expression and asked curiously.
"It's Qing Zhi. He just transmitted a message. He wants us to stay out of it and let him handle it. He's confident he can devour the Heavenly Cold Qi. If we break the seal from the outside, it might escape," Mo Yu explained with a sigh as he gazed at the ten-thousand-meter-wide frozen valley before him.
At this point, Mo Yu found himself in a precarious situation.
While Qing Zhi claimed to have a certain level of confidence, the Heavenly Cold Qi was no ordinary entity. If Qing Zhi failed and the Frost Spirit Silver Thunder ended up being devoured instead, the outcome would be disastrous.
The Heavenly Cold Qi was already on the verge of reaching the Dou Zun realm. If it consumed the Frost Spirit Silver Thunder, it would undoubtedly step into the Dou Zun stage and gain a fully corporeal form.
At that point, even Mo Yu would be forced to flee in panic.
"So, we just wait here?" Xiao Yixian could see the concern in Mo Yu's eyes, her delicate features showing her own unease.
"Yes. We wait—until Qing Zhi emerges," Mo Yu replied decisively.
Since the situation had reached this point, Mo Yu chose to take a gamble, placing his faith in Qing Zhi's ability to devour the Heavenly Cold Qi.
After all, Qing Zhi wasn't just a mindless puppet but possessed a certain degree of intelligence. If Qing Zhi claimed to be confident, Mo Yu would trust him this once.
Forcefully breaking the ice valley's seal might seem like a safer choice, but if it scared off the Heavenly Cold Qi, finding it again in the vast Ice Cold Stream region would be no easy task.
With that decision made, Mo Yu, Xiao Yixian, and Black Bat King set up camp outside the ice valley to wait.
No one could predict the outcome of the battle between the Frost Spirit Silver Thunder and the Heavenly Cold Qi, nor how long it would last. All they could do was wait...
Inside an icy cave, Mo Yu, bored from idleness, waved his hand, summoning a corpse covered in frost—the remains of Qing Jian, the elder from the Ten Thousand Sword Pavilion.
This person had been at the peak of the Dou Zong realm. After killing him, Mo Yu had stored the corpse away.
Now, with some free time, a memory of the ancient "Necro Puppet" refinement method surfaced in Mo Yu's mind. He nodded to himself after a moment of thought. With another wave of his hand, the corpse hovered mid-air, supported by an invisible force.
Xiao Yixian, sitting nearby, watched with curious eyes.
Mo Yu always seemed to be full of surprises. To her, he was like a treasure trove, constantly revealing new and intriguing abilities.
At this moment, Mo Yu's hand moved, summoning a crimson thunder flame that engulfed the corpse with a soft "whoosh." Under the flame's terrifying heat, the frost covering the corpse rapidly melted away.
"Black Lotus Soul Thunder, manifest!"
As the frost dissipated, Mo Yu suddenly uttered in a cold voice.
In response, a black, lotus-shaped wisp of soul energy emerged from his brow, drifting toward the corpse.
This step—soul division—was the most critical part of refining a Necro Puppet.
However, it was also highly dangerous. Soul energy was vital to any being, and any misstep during the process could result in severe backlash.
For this reason, despite the terrifying power of Necro Puppets, few dared to refine them. Overusing one's soul energy could lead to irreparable harm or even death.
Fortunately, Mo Yu had the assistance of the Black Lotus Soul Thunder, which minimized the loss of his soul energy.
After completing this step, Mo Yu turned to the Black Bat King and commanded, "Black Bat, extract some of your essence blood."
The Black Bat King was momentarily stunned but quickly nodded. Opening his mouth wide, he released a stream of dark purple blood that radiated violent energy.
Mo Yu waved his hand, directing the blood to spill over the corpse encased in thunder flames.
As the blood made contact with the corpse, a sizzling sound erupted, and the skin on the body began to decay rapidly.
Mo Yu remained calm in the face of this change, increasing the intensity of the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder.
Under the rising temperature, the blood that had clung to the corpse's surface started to seep into its interior. The corpse's pale skin and muscles, which had looked lifeless moments ago, began to regain a vibrant, living appearance.
The quiet ice valley seemed to ripple with waves of heat, causing the icy mist lingering in the air to waver and fade.
Time passed unnoticed amidst these changes...
At the ice valley's entrance, a passageway several meters wide extended deep into the frozen expanse. Above the passage, Xiao Yixian sat cross-legged on the icy wall. Beside her stood the Black Bat King.
"What day is it now?" Xiao Yixian rested her chin on her palm, her gaze frequently scanning the valley. Over the past few days of waiting, there had been no movement from within.
"Miss, it's the sixth day since the master began his retreat," Black Bat King replied respectfully.
"Six days already? That was fast," Xiao Yixian muttered. Just as she spoke, her expression suddenly shifted. A cold gleam flashed in her eyes as she stood up, a faint killing intent emanating from her body.
Sensing her reaction, the Black Bat King grew alert and directed his gaze outside the valley. In the distance, faint white silhouettes appeared.
"So, you are the Poison Maiden?"
As their gazes turned toward the figures in the distance, an aged voice echoed faintly, carrying across the frosty terrain to reach Xiao Yixian and Black Bat King.
Xiao Yixian remained silent, her eyes icy. Clenching her delicate hand, a surge of grayish-purple Dou Qi coiled around her, resembling two serpents circling her body.
Shortly after the voice faded, the space near the valley's entrance rippled. A hunched figure, leaning on a snake-headed staff, slowly emerged under Xiao Yixian's watchful gaze.
Behind the elderly figure, the sound of rushing wind filled the air as a group of white-robed figures appeared in orderly formation, landing silently in unison.
Once present, they stood quietly, their aura suffused with a murderous intent that disrupted the surrounding chill.
As the old man appeared, Xiao Yixian's pupils shrank slightly. Her fingers clenched tightly as her icy voice rang out.
"A peak Dou Zong expert. Ice River Valley really doesn't hold back."
"Hehe, I am Elder Tian She. For someone like the Poison Maiden, it is only fitting for me to handle this matter.
According to the rules of my Ice River Valley, anyone who kills one of our elders must be captured and subjected to the ultimate punishment," the hunched elder said with a faint smile, his tone filled with cold indifference as he glanced at Xiao Yixian.
"Elder Tian She?"
Hearing this, Xiao Yixian was momentarily stunned, and then her expression shifted slightly.
Even someone like her, who had only recently entered the Central Plains, had heard of this person's reputation.
It was said that this old fellow not only possessed formidable strength but had also cultivated the Ice Zun Technique of the Ice River Valley to a level of near perfection. Against him, ordinary Dou Zongs were no match, not even in ten exchanges.
Moreover, every time this man made a move, he left no survivors. Relying on the overbearing nature of the Ice Zun Technique, he would freeze his opponents into lifelike ice sculptures, evoking fear and dread in all who heard of him.
Elder Tian She's fierce reputation was well-known across the Central Plains. Xiao Yixian hadn't expected that the expert sent by Ice River Valley this time would actually be this terrifying figure.
"Just the two of you? With the two of you alone, you couldn't possibly eliminate the elders of Ice River Valley. Quickly summon the mastermind behind this!" Elder Tian She sneered coldly.
Although the Black Bat King was formidable, in his eyes, he was nothing more than a strong ant.
"Damned old man, if you want to see my master, you'll have to get past me first!" The Black Bat King roared furiously upon hearing this.
With a loud stomp, the Black Bat King shot toward Elder Tian She like a bolt of lightning.
Seeing this, Xiao Yixian hurriedly followed, her figure flickering as vast grayish-purple Dou Qi surged from her palm. The energy swiftly formed into two massive grayish-purple serpents, which hissed as they tore through the air, lunging at Elder Tian She.
"Surround the area around Ice River Valley! Don't let anyone escape!" Elder Tian She turned his head, issuing orders to the Ice River Valley troops behind him.
After speaking, Elder Tian She, leaning on his snake staff, began walking forward slowly. He stepped into the air, climbing higher and higher until he stood in midair. His gaze swept over Xiao Yixian and the Black Bat King, and he smiled faintly.
"Today, apart from you, there will be no other survivors from Ice River Valley."
As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Tian She glanced at the Black Bat King, who was charging toward him, and smiled coldly. The withered hand gripping his staff moved slightly. Suddenly, the space before the Black Bat King twisted bizarrely and then solidified into an impenetrable barrier.
"Boom!"
The Black Bat King slammed into the spatial wall with tremendous force. However, the rebound effect instantly redirected the impact back onto him, sending him flying backward.
With a casual move, Elder Tian She had repelled the Black Bat King. He raised his shriveled claw-like hand and suddenly clenched it in Xiao Yixian's direction.
Immediately, a massive claw of icy energy, spanning more than ten feet, shot forth and seized the two grayish-purple Dou Qi serpents. With a fierce squeeze, the serpents shattered into countless energy fragments, scattering through the air.
Having crushed the serpents with one strike, Elder Tian She's lips curled into a cold smile. With a wave of his hand, the icy claw appeared in front of Xiao Yixian in a flash, slamming down viciously.
Feeling the overwhelming cold surging toward her, Xiao Yixian's delicate face turned pale. Under the intense cold, she noticed her Dou Qi circulation within her body becoming sluggish.
"What a terrifying Ice Zun Technique!"
Her expression grew grim as thick grayish-purple Dou Qi poured out of her body, condensing rapidly above her head.
"Boom!"
The icy claw descended without resistance, colliding with the dense Dou Qi. A burst of chilling energy erupted, covering the Dou Qi with a layer of frost. The claw, with an unstoppable force, shattered Xiao Yixian's defenses completely.
"Ah!"
With her defenses broken, Xiao Yixian barely had time to retreat before the overwhelming force struck her from afar. Blood spurted from her mouth as her slender figure flew backward like a broken kite, slamming heavily into a mountain wall. The impact caused cracks to spiderweb across the rock face.
In just one exchange, Xiao Yixian was utterly defeated!
Having defeated Xiao Yixian with a single move, Elder Tian She smiled faintly and was about to pursue when a massive figure charged at him recklessly.
The Black Bat King had fully transformed into his beast form. Massive wings stirred up gusts of wind as he raised his enormous claws, fiercely striking toward Elder Tian She.
Sensing the ferocious momentum radiating from the Black Bat King's gigantic form, Elder Tian She's eyes filled with disdain. "A mere seventh-grade magical beast in its transformed state. It might handle an ordinary Dou Zong, but against me? Nothing but a brute."
Snowy-white icy energy swiftly gathered on Elder Tian She's arm, forming an icy gauntlet. He punched forward fiercely.
"Bang!"
The ice fist collided with the Black Bat King's claw with a powerful, visually striking impact. Ice shards scattered in all directions.
The ice fist shattered slightly, but Elder Tian She sneered. His arm writhed bizarrely like a snake, suddenly jerking.
"Boom!"
The tidal surge of force within his arm exploded outward, embedding the Black Bat King's own strength into the counterattack. This bizarre technique fully reflected the brute's force back upon him.
The rippling energy blasted outward. The Black Bat King's massive chest caved in slightly, leaving a half-finger-deep fist mark. If not for his magical beast's naturally resilient body, he might have perished under this single punch.
Even so, the Black Bat King was sent hurtling backward, crashing into several chunks of icy rock before embedding deeply into the ice wall.
"Pathetic."
Elder Tian She stood calmly in midair, tapping his staff lightly against the void. His gaze shifted to the defeated Xiao Yixian, and a faint smile appeared.
"Compared to the previous owner of the Woeful Poison Body, you are far inferior. Obediently return with me to Ice River Valley, and perhaps you'll have a chance to live. Otherwise, your fate will be no different from the others."
Xiao Yixian's face was ice-cold as she wiped the blood from her lips. Just as she began forming hand seals to unlock the seal on her Woeful Poison Body, a soft chuckle echoed through the valley.
"I don't think Ice River Valley will be necessary. This icy valley is quite a fitting burial ground for your old bones, wouldn't you say?"
In midair, the faint smile on Elder Tian She's face gradually disappeared. His gaze turned cold as he looked toward the valley entrance. There, three figures slowly walked out.
Elder Tian She's eyes lingered momentarily on the young man leading the group before shifting to the golden-eyed man beside him.
His face froze as a trace of disbelief and fear surfaced in his voice.
"Dou Zun?"
The soft murmur, tinged with shock, spread across the area, causing the atmosphere to fall eerily still.
------------------------------------------------------------
For exclusive access to 500+ advanced chapters and more, visit my Ko-fi page and support the journey:
ko-fi.com/laoyao95
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or Support me at patreon for 500+ advanced chapters :
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