Icebound Beauty

Time passed, and Lin Xin Tong remained motionless. A layer of pale blue Ice Crystal condensed on her smoky eyebrows and the ends of her hair, the Ice Crystal crystals resembling flowers, like hair ornaments made of sapphires.

On the first floor of the God Descending Tower, Lin Xin Tong Lin Xin Tong selected a suitable array plate. She didn't gain much from those two array plates, but the painting on the third floor of the Divine Lin Xin Tong God Descending Tower touched her deeply. She sat cross-legged in front of the painting and entered a state of complete absorption.

It is without form or law, without emptiness or self.

This is a sudden enlightenment, something that can only be encountered by chance, not sought after.

Time passed, and very slightly, Lin Xin Tong's eyelashes trembled slightly. Then, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of clear, glass-like eyes.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior..."

Lin Xin Tong looked at the figure in the portrait, murmured softly, and respectfully bowed.

The figure in the portrait is that of Ancient Empress.

Inside this God Descending Tower, spanning millions of years, one inside the portrait and the other outside, Lin Xin Tong at this moment vaguely resembles that of the Ancient Empress.

She picked up her Longsword, stood up, and then walked towards the fourth floor of the God Descending Tower without looking back.

In her recent epiphany, Lin Xin Tong witnessed many scenes, including some of the memories of Ancient Empress.

It turns out... the God Descending Tower was not created by the Ancient Empress; it was an opportunity obtained by the Ancient Empress.

Back then, the Ancient Empress, just like Lin Xin Tong, climbed the God Descending Tower step by step.

"If I want to change my fate of being born with a congenital Fatal Meridian, just like the Ancient Empress, I must follow the path she walked."

Lin Xin Tong silently said this to herself as she stepped onto the stairs.

Before her was a distant portal of light, the entrance to the fourth level of the God Descending Tower.

As Lin Xin Tong walked up the steps, her heart was unusually calm. At one point, she looked up and saw a White-robed woman standing not far in front of her, holding a sword.

The White-robed woman looked and acted very similar to Lin Xin Tong, like a reflection Lin Xin Tong saw in a mirror.

She is the guardian of the fourth floor of the God Descending Tower.

Only by defeating her can you enter the fourth level of the God Descending Tower.

"Draw your sword!"

Lin Xin Tong said calmly.

The White-robed woman looked at Lin Xin Tong, her gaze falling on Lin Xin Tong's eyes. Their eyes met, and they both saw their own reflections in each other's eyes.

After a long while, the White-robed woman gently shook her head, "I didn't expect you to already have her aura..."

"Hmm?" Lin Xin Tong twitched slightly, somewhat surprised by what the White-robed woman said. She had thought that the White-robed woman was just a guardian without mind or soul, but she did not expect her to say such things.

"You mean 'her'? It seems you're more than just an energy being that simply executes commands..."

As Lin Xin Tong spoke, the White-robed woman sighed softly, sheathed her sword, and said quietly, "Your mind is made up; you want to mend your Fatal Meridian and take control of your destiny... You have a sword in your heart, but I have no sword in mine. I cannot stop you."

"Go on, but even if you get past me, the fourth level won't be so easy for you."

As the White-robed woman spoke, her body exploded into a shower of light with a loud bang, scattering and disappearing in all directions.

A beam of divine light descended from the sky and shone upon Lin Xin Tong.

This beam of light eventually condensed on Lin Xin Tong's arm, transforming into a beautiful Emperor's Mark.

Lin Xin Tong counted them quickly; there were a total of... eighteen!

The eighteen Emperor's Mark made Lin Xin Tong feel that she was one step closer to gaining the Empress Secret Realm's approval.

She walked up the steps to the fourth floor of the God Descending Tower. Standing in front of the portal, Lin Xin Tong stood silently for a while before stepping into the portal without hesitation.

The portal flickered, without any obstruction.

As soon as she entered the portal, Lin Xin Tong felt as if she had entered another world.

Ahead lay an endless expanse of frozen land, the howling wind whistling in our ears, and as far as the eye could see, all was a vast expanse of white ice and snow.

It seemed as if Lin Xin Tong was the only living being in the world.

This vast, icy land, this endless snowfield, for some reason, evokes a profound sense of despair.

Just then, a gentle voice rang in Lin Xin Tong's ears. "Child, go on. I cannot give you your path; you must use the sword in your hand to carve out your own."

The gentle voice echoed in Lin Xin Tong's ears, giving her a sense of inexplicable peace.

Lin Xin Tong took a deep breath and gazed into the distance. The ice field stretched as far as the eye could see, and the sense of oppression and despair lingered over it, growing stronger and stronger.

This condition, much like her congenital incurable Fatal Meridian, seems inescapable no matter how hard she tries.

Is this icy plain... also the path once trodden by the Ancient Empress?

Lin Xin Tong glanced at it only once before resolutely stepping into the icy plains.

From a young age, she knew that if she wanted to go further and survive in the future, she would need to put in a hundred times more effort than others.

Even so, there's no guarantee of a result.

The cold wind howled, like spinning flying knives, flying towards Lin Xin Tong. This cold wind carried a rampant energy impact that no ordinary martial artist could withstand.

Lin Xin Tong raised her vital energy to protect herself from the cold wind, and in an instant, Lin Xin Tong felt the pressure.

Her energy was being depleted very quickly, and under these circumstances, Lin Xin Tong knew that she couldn't go very far.

This ice field stretched endlessly, and perhaps when her energy was completely depleted, she would not have even reached the horizon she could see.

This seems to be... an impossible challenge...

What will happen when my vital energy is completely depleted, and I find myself alone on this terrifying icy plain?

The Empress Secret Realm is fraught with danger, and Lin Xin Tong didn't know what would happen if she failed this trial. Nevertheless, she resolutely stepped forward...

The icy chill, like unrestrained Sword Qi, sliced across Lin Xin Tong's delicate face. She remained expressionless, and her steps did not falter in the slightest because of all this.

Dressed in white, carrying a sword, she walked alone.

Just as the White-robed woman said, Lin Xin Tong was determined to restore her innate, severable Fatal Meridian; she already had a sword in her heart.

Step by step, from the sky, Lin Xin Tong appeared incredibly small on this vast snowfield, and the icy footprints she left behind were quickly erased by the cold wind...

Despite her unwavering resolve, Lin Xin Tong's vital energy did not increase as a result of her determination. No miracle occurred; her vital energy dwindled, and she gradually became unable to withstand the cold wind.

Finally, a wisp of cold wind pierced through Lin Xin Tong's Protective Vital Energy and seeped into her body.

The chill immediately seeped into her meridians and blood vessels, penetrating deep into her bone marrow.

The bone-chilling cold caused Lin Xin Tong to turn deathly pale.

She could clearly feel that this chill was stimulating her innate Fatal Meridian, making the chill throughout her body even stronger, and slowly eroding her life force.

...(To be continued~^~)