Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless!

When the evil god awakens, the Old Ones shall return to the mortal world...

Looking at those words on the tortoiseshell, Xue Qinghe was overwhelmed with shock.

The first thing he thought of was the Church of the Old Ones.

The Old Ones...

He had paid no mind to this suddenly emerged sect, taking its members for swindlers who had come out to deceive people while the doomsday prophecy had the continent in a panic.

But now those words had actually appeared on the prophetic tortoiseshell.

And the prophecy had come from Ning Xuanyuan himself.

A bold guess surfaced in Xue Qinghe's mind.

Xue Qinghe looked at Ning Fengzhi. "Teacher, do you mean that the Church of the Old Ones is...?"

Ning Fengzhi sighed. "I'm afraid so. The Church of the Old Ones is the religion that will destroy the continent in the future. Even if it isn't, there are countless ties between them! And the church's evil god is very likely the white-haired evil god in the prophetic vision, the one who commands countless beasts and destroys the continent!"

Xue Qinghe froze, his breathing falling out of rhythm.

He had never thought of it. He had never even taken it seriously.

They had been foolishly waiting for the white-haired evil god to show himself again, when in fact, his forces had already begun infiltrating the entire continent.

As far as he knew, the Church of the Old Ones already had over a thousand followers in Heaven Dou Imperial City alone!

Only a few days had passed.

If their numbers kept multiplying at this rate, they would likely reach ten thousand in less than a month, and within a year, a hundred thousand people would be following the Church of the Old Ones. The consequences were unthinkable!

Xue Qinghe fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head.

Xue Qinghe nodded. "Good. We absolutely must not act rashly in this matter."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

The Church of the Old Ones was extremely clever in its methods and adept at winning people over.

Most people were ignorant, willing to believe only what lay before their eyes and unwilling to believe in the future.

The Church of the Old Ones had bought people's hearts with small favors, gaining a large number of loyal followers.

If they told people now that the Church of the Old Ones would bring about destruction in the future, most would not believe them. It might even backfire and make the public support the church all the more.

For now, they could only wait for the Church of the Old Ones to bare its fangs. When that moment came, they could seize the opportunity to tear it out by the roots!

Or they could find the leader of the Church of the Old Ones, the legendary evil god himself, and cut off his head!

After a few final instructions, Ning Fengzhi left, leaving Xue Qinghe alone in the hall.

Just then, a burly figure emerged from the shadows. It was none other than Golden Crocodile Douluo, returned after leaving—or rather, he had never left at all.

Golden Crocodile Douluo walked up to Xue Qinghe and dipped his imposing frame slightly. His expression held less of its usual arrogance and more respect as he said, "Young master."

He had addressed him not as crown prince, but as young master.

Nor was his attitude that of a man facing a prince of Heaven Dou, but of one facing someone Golden Crocodile Douluo respected from the bottom of his heart.

Someone born with full Soul Power at level twenty, who bore the perfect Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul and had been hailed as the greatest genius since the founding of Spirit Hall.

Xue Qinghe brushed a hand lightly over his face, revealing an exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful visage.

Her oval face was fairer than snow, her pale golden eyes cold, beautiful and sacred, aloof and untainted by the mundane world.

She was none other than Qian Renxue, the holy maiden of Spirit Hall.

Qian Renxue glanced at Golden Crocodile Douluo and said softly, "Great-uncle, you heard everything just now, didn't you?"

Golden Crocodile Douluo said, "I never expected the Church of the Old Ones to be so rampant. If you're willing, young master, I'll take action myself!"

Qian Renxue nodded. "Good! But we can't cause widespread panic. I haven't yet gained complete control of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, so we can't invite further complications."

Many years ago, Qian Renxue had killed Xue Qinghe.

All these years, Qian Renxue had appeared before the Heaven Dou Imperial Family disguised as Xue Qinghe.

Her goal was, of course, to seize real power over the Heaven Dou Imperial Family!

This was also one of Spirit Hall's core secrets.

After all her years of maneuvering and regularly feeding Xue Ye poison pills, Qian Renxue had brought him to the point where his oil was spent and his lamp was about to go out.

If she had not feared causing unnecessary panic, Qian Renxue would have acted long ago.

Now she only had to hold out for another half a year or so, send Xue Ye on his way, and kill off the remaining princes. Then her task would be complete.

Naturally, Qian Renxue was unwilling to take greater risks for the sake of a mere Church of the Old Ones.

Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded. "Rest assured, young master. Within three days, I will take the head of that sect's leader!"

Qian Renxue nodded. "Go. Also, tell my grandfather about this!"

Golden Crocodile Douluo cupped his hands and withdrew. "Yes."

In the Far North, ice covered ten thousand miles, and the frigid wind cut like a knife.

Biting gales swept across the boundless snowfields. Heaven and earth were a deathly gray-white, the low temperature freezing everything, even the air carrying a bone-piercing chill.

Qian Lingye and the Snow Empress walked side by side across the endless snowfields, heading for the Ice and Snow Divine Temple in the deepest reaches of the Far North.

Under their agreement, Qian Lingye was to escort the Snow Empress back to the temple himself. It was also where the Far North's supreme sacred relic, the Tears of the Sky, lay.

Along the way, Qian Lingye learned the full story of how the Snow Empress had fallen to such a state.

The Snow Empress possessed a terrifying seven hundred thousand years of cultivation. She had been the Far North's acknowledged ruler of ice and snow, standing above all beasts and commanding the icefields.

But seven hundred thousand years was the natural limit at which a Soul Beast faced its heavenly tribulation. One more step forward meant destruction and death.

To fight for a sliver of hope, she had risked consuming a sacred-grade snow lotus, using the holy medicine as a catalyst to forcibly seal her seven-hundred-thousand-year origin and shed all her cultivation. She had intended to transform and cultivate anew, defying the heavens to break past her limit.

But the embryonic stage of a Soul Beast Transformation was the weakest and most helpless period of its life.

As fate would have it, while she was at her most vulnerable, a team of human Soul Masters who had ventured deep into the Far North in search of treasure had accidentally captured her. She had been taken far from home, passing from hand to hand until she ended up at the Hanwu City auction house.

Now, with her origin sealed and all her cultivation lost, the Snow Empress could only return to the Ice and Snow Divine Temple and draw on the holy land's resources to slowly repair her foundation and unseal her power.

The Far North's snowfields were vast and perilous, home to countless beasts.

If the powerful Soul Beasts here learned that the once-supreme Snow Empress had been reduced to a frail young girl with no fighting strength, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Countless Ferocious Beasts lying in wait would come swarming in a frenzy, coveting her seven-hundred-thousand-year origin, Soul Bone, and Soul Spirit!

For that very reason, Qian Lingye had become her only bodyguard on this journey, protecting her every step of the way.

They walked on in silence for a long time before the Snow Empress broke it, her cool voice sounding softly amid the wind and snow.

"The Tears of the Sky is the supreme sacred relic passed down from the ancient goddess of ice and snow in the Far North. It is the lifeblood of the icefields, more important than anything else."

She turned to look at the youth beside her, her clear eyes serious. "You saved my life, and I owe you a great debt. When we reach the Ice and Snow Divine Temple, I can make an exception and let you look at it once, but that is all. There is no possibility of letting you take it away. Otherwise, I won't show mercy."

The Snow Empress knew her own limits.

She had agreed to Qian Lingye's terms partly because circumstances and their contract had forced her hand, and partly because of what she had observed along the way.

She had lived for seven hundred thousand years. Though she had not had much contact with humans, she was exceptionally perceptive and an excellent judge of character.

If an ordinary Soul Master learned her identity and the depth of her resources, and found that she had lost all her cultivation, they would surely covet her seven-hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone and Soul Ring, stopping at nothing to seize them.

Yet Qian Lingye had never shown the slightest trace of greed or ill intent. He had behaved openly and honestly, without any covetous thoughts.

His character had made her lower her guard a little without realizing it.

Hearing this, Qian Lingye gave her a gentle smile and replied casually, "Of course I remember our agreement. I saved your life, and you take me to the temple. As for what I'll do once we get there, I don't know myself yet. If you think it's inappropriate, you can kill me whenever you like. On your territory, I'm a guest and will defer to my host."

The Snow Empress raised her snow-white chin and gave a soft snort, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Qian Lingye.

Naturally, she did not believe Qian Lingye could accomplish much on her territory.

Her words just now had merely been a warning. Unless absolutely necessary, she did not want to fight.

Qian Lingye's thoughts, however, were completely different from hers.

The Tears of the Sky was the Great Old One's exclusive token to begin with. It already belonged to him.

This trip to the Far North was not an expedition of discovery, but a journey to retrieve what was his.

Since he was retrieving his own property, surely the Tears of the Sky would not resist. It might even follow him of its own accord.

And even if it didn't follow him of its own accord, he would have to create an opportunity for it to do so!

It was his mission target, after all, and it concerned his great undertaking of cultivation. How could he let it go!?

Just as the two were occupied with their own thoughts-

Rumble-

The snowfield beneath their feet suddenly shook violently, and the thick ice exploded apart!

Two enormous snow-white figures burst from beneath the ice, bringing a biting chill and the ferocious might of beasts as they blocked the only path forward!

They were Titan Snow Demons!

The two gigantic Ferocious Beasts of the snowfield were burly, their bodies covered in snow-white ice armor and their fangs sharp. Their scarlet eyes locked onto the pair as they gave off a fierce, overbearing presence.

The Snow Empress's expression changed abruptly, her heart sinking to the bottom of a valley.

Titan Snow Demons, with five thousand years of cultivation!

Equivalent to human Soul Kings at level fifty!

And Qian Lingye, beside her, was only a level twenty-two Soul Grandmaster.

A gap of a full thirty levels!

Among Soul Masters, each level was a different heaven. A gap of thirty levels was as great as the distance between heaven and earth, an insurmountable barrier!

Even if Qian Lingye had ways to fight above his level, he could never cross a gap of thirty levels and crush two Soul Kings!

"This is bad! We have to go!"

The Snow Empress's body tensed at once, and she instinctively grabbed Qian Lingye's sleeve, her voice urgent and panicked.

In such a perilous situation, their only option was to run for their lives!

Qian Lingye, however, did not budge. His expression was utterly calm, and he even gave a faint, mocking smile.

He gently brushed the Snow Empress's hand away and said unhurriedly, "Why should we go? They're just two beasts blocking our path. We'll kill them."

The Snow Empress was utterly speechless. Her beautiful eyes were full of disbelief as she stared at him. "Are you mad? With a gap of thirty levels, how could you possibly match them? This isn't something secret techniques and movement skills can make up for."

Qian Lingye's gaze was resolute. "We'll know whether I can once I try."

Before he had finished speaking-

The two Titan Snow Demons charged at them in a rage!

They attacked from the left and right, cutting off every avenue of escape. Their heavy hooves shattered the ice as they lunged fiercely, the biting icy wind carrying deadly killing intent!

Qian Lingye calmly held one arm out, shielding the Snow Empress behind him.

With a thought, he secretly activated his own amplification, stacking three layers of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile power.

His strength, speed, and Soul Power soared in an instant.

Though the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile's amplification was not as terrifying as the Authority of Wrath, it was steady and controllable, ready whenever he wanted to use it.

In the next second, his figure flickered into an afterimage, his extreme speed carrying him clear of the two snow demons' encircling attack.

At the same time, a cold light burst from his fingertips!

Netherworld Hundred Claws!

A dense flurry of pitch-black claw shadows erupted, viciously raking the ice-armored body of the Titan Snow Demon on the left!

Rip-

A piercing tearing sound rang out!

But to Qian Lingye's surprise, an attack powerful enough to tear a level forty Soul Ancestor apart left only a shallow bloody mark on the Titan Snow Demon, failing even to inflict serious damage to its hide!

There really was an impassable chasm between level forty and level fifty!

The bodies of the snowfield's Ferocious Beasts were incomparably tough, far surpassing human Soul Masters of the same rank!

Qian Lingye's dark origin lingered around the shallow wound, bearing a strange power that burned the soul.

The intense, stabbing pain instantly enraged the two Titan Snow Demons!

Their scarlet eyes flared as frigid Qi roiled violently around them. Filled with towering rage, they lunged at Qian Lingye again, their attacks even fiercer and more savage than before!

Qian Lingye's gaze turned cold.

If he fought them alone, his movement skills and Soul Skills might have allowed him to wear the two snow demons down over time.

But with the Snow Empress as dead weight beside him, he had no room to drag the fight out.

He could only end it quickly!

"Evil God Authority!"

Qian Lingye gave a low cry in his heart.

Hum!

The pitch-black, shadowy power of the evil god swept through his body in an instant, dark golden patterns coursing over his limbs and throughout his body.

The power of his Soul Skills doubled, and he became immune to all backlash and negative costs!

At that moment, the presence surrounding the youth changed drastically.

His once-gentle presence instantly turned savage, chilling, and supreme.

It was as though the supreme evil god who ruled darkness had descended into the mortal world.

Billowing darkness and frigid Qi surged into the sky, bringing even the surrounding wind and snow to a halt.

Behind him, the Snow Empress stared in utter bewilderment, her whole body frozen in place as towering waves of shock rose in her heart.

This presence... it was too terrifying, too overbearing.

Even her power of ice and snow trembled before it.

What in the world was this power?!

Before she could recover, Qian Lingye struck like lightning.

"Sixth Soul Skill-Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless!"

Crack!

The power of extreme ice and snow collided and merged with the dark evil god's origin!

A peerless greatsword, ice-blue from end to end and wreathed in black lightning, materialized out of thin air.

Its blade radiated a bone-piercing chill, carrying the overbearing power to crush everything!

Qian Lingye flicked his wrist, and the greatsword swept across heaven and earth.

A flash of ice-sealing sword light, spanning dozens of meters, came crashing down.

Where the cold light passed, all fell silent!

The two five-thousand-year-old Titan Snow Demons did not even have time to scream before their enormous bodies were torn apart and crushed by the sword light.

An instant kill!

A bloody mist spread, and fragments flew through the air...

The youth slowly lowered his hand, his breathing somewhat uneven, but his figure remained straight, leaving a handsome silhouette in the setting sun.

The Snow Empress stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide.