Yin-Yang Stasis Domain

He had thought the kid was hiding somewhere and that finding him would take some effort. He hadn't expected the boy to come right to them.

"Well, well. Isn't this young master Frost Extreme's son?"

Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice had returned to its usual flippant, malicious tone.

"What a coincidence, running into father and son here. Saves us the trouble of going after you."

His gaze swept back and forth between Luo Yun and the Ice Empress, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes.

Why was the Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, carrying a human child? But he didn't think much of it. As far as he was concerned, no matter how much a six-year-old boy struggled, he couldn't escape his grasp.

"Young master, will you come with us on your own, or do we have to make you?" Chrysanthemum Douluo twirled the golden chrysanthemum in his hand, its petals turning gently between his fingers.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Your father's nearly done for, so don't you go and—"

Luo Yun didn't look at him.

He jumped down from the Ice Empress's back and hurried over to Luo Shang.

Luo Shang leaned against the ice pillar, his face pale as paper. The Frost Cold Sword was planted in the ice beside him, its light as dim as a lamp about to burn out.

His robes were soaked in blood, some his own and some his enemies'. It was impossible to tell which stains were fresh and which were old.

Luo Yun crouched down, reached out, and pressed his hand against Luo Shang's chest.

Green light welled from his palm. The Source of Life turned into a gentle stream and flowed into Luo Shang's body.

Where the light passed, torn meridians began to heal, shattered bones began to mend, and his depleted Soul Power began to recover.

Color returned to Luo Shang's face at a visible pace, and his breathing grew a little steadier.

Luo Shang looked at his son, his scarlet eyes meeting scarlet eyes.

He parted his lips, wanting to say something, but it felt as if something had lodged in his throat. He couldn't utter a single word.

When he'd left Slaughter City, Luo Yun had still been a child who needed his protection.

And now, his son had ridden in to save him on the back of a 390,000-year-old Ferocious Beast.

"Xiaoyun..." Luo Shang's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

"Dad, don't talk." Luo Yun's voice was soft but steady.

"Where's Mom?"

Luo Shang lifted a hand and pointed deeper into the ice cave.

Shen Yinshuang leaned against the ice wall, covered by Luo Shang's outer robe. Her face was pale, her eyes closed, and her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.

Luo Yun walked over and placed his hand on his mother's forehead. Green light welled up again, softer and warmer than before.

Shen Yinshuang's eyelashes trembled, and her brow relaxed slightly. Her breathing grew steadier, but she didn't wake. She had lost too much blood and her injuries were too severe. The Source of Life could heal her body, but it couldn't rouse her consciousness.

Luo Yun withdrew his hand, stood, and turned around.

Behind him, the Ice Empress had already begun clearing the place.

The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion's tail hook swept through the ice cave in emerald arcs. Every time it struck, a Spirit Hall Soul Master fell.

The Soul Saints and Soul Douluos couldn't even summon the will to fight back against the Ice Empress.

A powerful Soul Douluo summoned his eighth Soul Skill with all his might. Flames burst from his palms, turning half the ice cave crimson.

The Ice Empress didn't even glance at him. She flicked her tail hook, and a streak of emerald light cleaved the flames in two. The shockwave drove the Soul Douluo straight into the ice wall.

He struggled twice, then went still.

In less than ten breaths, all twenty-odd Spirit Hall elites had fallen.

Some had been frozen into ice statues, some pierced by the tail hook, and some had their internal organs shattered by the Ice Empress's Soul Power.

Blood and broken ice covered the ground, and the air reeked of blood.

Chrysanthemum Douluo's face changed completely.

He watched the Ice Empress slaughter the Soul Masters, watched his men of many years fall one by one, and at last fear appeared in his golden eyes.

It wasn't fear of death. It was fear of the unknown.

What could a six-year-old boy possibly have done to make the Ice Empress, one of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North, obey him?

"Old Ghost!" Chrysanthemum Douluo shouted.

"Old Chrysanthemum!" Ghost Douluo's voice came from the darkness, tinged with the same panic.

They looked at each other. No words were needed. After decades as partners, a single glance was enough.

Both figures retreated at once. Chrysanthemum Douluo's golden petals spun through the air, while Ghost Douluo's black mist surged in the darkness. Their powers met, fused, and swirled together.

"Martial Soul Fusion Skill: Yin-Yang Stasis Domain!"

Golden and black light intertwined, forming a vast domain in midair.

The domain turned slowly, its light pouring down from its center and enveloping the entire ice cave.

In that instant, time seemed to stop.

Shards of ice hung suspended in the air. The blood on the ice stopped spreading. Even the wind fell still.

The Ice Empress's body stiffened.

She remained frozen in her attacking pose, her tail hook raised high and her six legs braced against the ice, but she couldn't move.

Her pupils contracted slightly, shock flashing in her azure vertical eyes.

She had lived for hundreds of thousands of years and seen countless Soul Skills, but never one that could briefly freeze an entire domain in time.

Deep in the ice cave, Luo Yun looked at the slowly rotating domain with his scarlet eyes and frowned slightly.

Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo's Martial Soul Fusion Skill did have something to it.

But that was all.

He raised his right hand and spread his fingers. Icy-blue light welled up from his palm.

Snow Empress.

A figure cloaked in icy blue emerged from the light. Her silver-white hair streamed in the wind, and her long, icy-blue dress reflected a cold gleam in the dim light of the ice cave.

Her features were exquisite and striking, her brows and eyes carrying an otherworldly aloofness. But now, her icy-blue eyes were filled with anger.

She had already been unhappy when Luo Yun subdued her. Now, barely released, she could feel herself being suppressed by some strange force.

Though the force wasn't directed at her, its very presence made her deeply uncomfortable.

"What is this?" Snow Empress's voice was as cold as the deepest ice in the Far North.

She didn't wait for Luo Yun to answer. She half-curled her right hand, and the Ice Crystal Sword took shape in her palm.

She casually swung it toward the domain.

Ice and Snow Storm.

Icy-blue light surged from the blade, becoming a blizzard that blotted out the sky as it swept toward the Yin-Yang Stasis Domain.

Countless tiny ice blades spun and sliced within the storm. Each one was sharp enough to cut through space, leaving fine black fissures throughout the ice cave.

The Yin-Yang Stasis Domain shook violently. Its golden light dimmed, and the domain began to collapse.

Snow Empress watched them struggle in their death throes, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.