Second Battle with the Snow Empress

After placing Yu Xiaogang, that fuse of a bomb, in a secure location, Qian Xunji did not even finish a cup of tea in Seven Treasure City before heading straight out of the city.

Sitting in the carriage on his return journey, he pulled the curtains shut and sank his consciousness directly into the system.

"System, redeem that [Peerless Douluo Experience Card] for me."

[3000 Subversion Points deducted, redemption successful. Host's current balance: 9000 points.]

Looking at the card shimmering with dark golden light in the system space, Qian Xunji sneered.

These fierce beasts that have lived for hundreds of thousands of years have the law of the jungle carved into their bones; if you try to reason with her, she will hack at you with an ice sword; only when you beat her into submission and pin her to the ground will she prick up her ears to listen to you.

"You lot go on ahead, I have some business to attend to."

Qian Xunji kicked the carriage door open, and twelve wings of light erupted from his back. His entire body tore through the clouds like a blinding golden meteor, charging once again toward that forbidden zone of life.

The Far North, Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Abyss.

The wind and snow continued to lash through the air like knives.

This time, Qian Xunji did not even bother to hide his aura. He landed swaggeringly above the Ice Abyss, his twelve massive wings radiating light, making him look like a giant light source.

"Snow Empress, are you home? Do you like the dress?" Qian Xunji roared at the top of his lungs.

No sooner had his voice fallen, "BOOM!" A deafening sound erupted!

The Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Platform below exploded, sending ice waves over ten meters high into the air, and an extreme chill, even more violent than the last time, surged toward the sky.

The Snow Empress's stunning figure charged out from the wind and snow. Without even an opening line, her face was so cold it could scrape frost off the air.

[Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless]

A hundred-meter-long ice-blue giant sword formed in an instant. Carrying a piercing sonic boom, it slashed down directly at Qian Xunji's head. The stance made it clear: today, it was either you die or I live.

"Well come!"

Qian Xunji did not dodge, his level 95 peak soul power erupting without reservation.

"Seventh Soul Skill, [Pride: Original Sin Demon Sword]!"

He reached back into the void and pulled out a giant inverted-cross sword made entirely of dark gold, swinging it upward to meet the Emperor Sword!

"CLANG—!!!"

The golden and blue giant swords collided fiercely in mid-air. The terrifying energy ripples flattened several surrounding snow-capped peaks.

Qian Xunji felt his web between thumb and forefinger tremble, his arms going numb, and a bone-chilling cold snaked through the sword hilt into his meridians. The Snow Empress was also forced to grunt from the true damage attached to the Demon Sword, retreating over ten meters.

"Interesting." Qian Xunji shook his sore, numb arms.

As expected of the Ruler of the Far North; fighting her here was equivalent to her constantly leeching health and regenerating mana, while every bit of soul power he consumed was spent resisting the environmental suppression.

The two turned into blurs in mid-air, frantically trading dozens of blows. Overall, the situation was four-six, with Qian Xunji at four and the Snow Empress at six.

"Human, you have indeed become stronger, but today, you are not leaving!"

The Snow Empress was truly incensed. A flash of determination crossed her eyes as she suddenly pulled back, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.

In an instant, the sky went dark.

The already raging blizzard seemed to receive some ultimate summons, transforming into countless ice and snow tornadoes connecting heaven and earth. The temperature in the entire core of the Far North plummeted to absolute zero, cold enough to freeze the soul!

The ultimate fusion of [Emperor Cold Heaven: Snow Dance Shining Sun] and [Great Cold Without Snow].

She intended to clear the field entirely.

Watching the terrifying formation that threatened to destroy the world and crush the very space itself, Qian Xunji did not act arrogant. With a flick of his wrist, he crushed the golden experience card in his palm.

"I was just playing with you; did you really think I couldn't handle you?"

Hum—

The moment the Snow Empress's ultimate move was about to smash into his face, a pressure that was completely unreasonable—surpassing the conventional laws of the Douluo Continent—exploded from within Qian Xunji's body!

Level 96... Level 97... Level 98... Level 99.

In less than half a second, Qian Xunji's cultivation soared like a rocket, shooting straight to the peak of a level 99 Limit Douluo!

Not only that, but the unreasonable grade and pressure belonging to the Twelve-Winged Original Sin Fallen Angel were fully revived under the impetus of his limit-level cultivation!

"What?"

The Snow Empress widened her eyes in horror. She felt the ice and snow of the Far North she had summoned actually begin to stagnate under that pressure!

But this 700,000-year-old fierce beast was a ruthless character to the core. Instead of pulling back, she bit the tip of her tongue and sprayed a mouthful of origin essence blood into the air, willing to suffer heavy injuries to force this ultimate strike down.

"Still stubborn, are you?"

Beneath Qian Xunji's feet, that 100,000-year blood-red soul ring shone brilliantly.

"Fourth Soul Skill, [Wrath: World-Extinguishing Demon Light]!"

He used no flashy techniques. Holding the Original Sin Demon Sword in one hand, he converted his level 99 limit soul power into a thick, dark golden beam of light, blasting it directly upward to meet the sky-filling ice and snow storm!

Rumble—!!!

This collision was no longer evenly matched.

The dark-gold World-Destroying Demon Light tore through the Snow Empress's domain like a hot knife through butter; the Snow Dance Radiant Sun, touted as capable of freezing everything, crumbled inch by inch in the face of absolute violence.

However, the Snow Empress's desperate resistance was no mere trifle; the residual Ultimate Ice followed the recoil of the light beam, forcibly manifesting a thick layer of ice armor upon Qian Xunji's papal robe.

"Break!"

Qian Xunji let out a cold snort, shattering the ice armor as his first soul ring flickered.

[Envy: Void Leap]

Ignoring the ice and snow still raging around him, Qian Xunji vanished instantly, reappearing the next second directly behind the Snow Empress.

Before the Snow Empress could turn, the Original Sin Demon Sword in his hand was already pressed against her fair, slender neck, while his other hand, like an iron pincer, clamped tightly onto her wrist, pinning her firmly in mid-air.

The level ninety-nine Limit Douluo soul power transformed into invisible shackles, ruthlessly suppressing the Ultimate Ice within the Snow Empress's body.

She could not break free.

A complete crushing defeat.

The Snow Empress gritted her teeth, offering no plea for mercy, her breathing not even faltering; she merely cast a sidelong glance at him with those icy eyes, looking every bit the stubborn soul ready to face whatever fate he chose to inflict.

"Are you finished?"

Watching her display, Qian Xunji did not erupt into the boisterous laughter of a typical villain; instead, he flipped his wrist, sheathing the Original Sin Demon Sword and simultaneously releasing his grip on her.

He stepped back twice, establishing a relatively safe social distance.

"Now, has your head cooled down? Can you listen to a few words from me properly?" Qian Xunji brushed the ice shards off his body.

The Snow Empress steadied herself, looking somewhat disheveled, and glared at him with caution. She remained silent, but she did not strike again, for she knew clearly that if this man before her had wanted to kill her to obtain her soul ring and bones, she would have already been dead in that previous instant.

"I did not come here today to toy with you."