Snow Empress sped northwestward without daring to stop for even a moment.
She knew Underworld too well how terrifying the Underworld Yin Sha Guard of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm were merely its outer forces; the real powerhouses were probably on their way. The Green Lotus Jade Pendant in her hand continued to emit a warm, azure light, guiding her direction while also subtly calming the turbulent blood and qi within her body.
"His Majesty actually left such a contingency plan in the jade pendant..." Snow Empress thought to herself with admiration. Though the illusory figure was merely a finger, it contained a realm far beyond her comprehension. Even a powerful expert at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm was like dust before it—what immense power was this?
For three consecutive days, Snow Empress dared not stop, barely maintaining her high-speed flight thanks to her Taiyin Physique's affinity with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. However, she knew that her injuries had not yet healed and she had been continuously exhausted, so she needed to find a place to recuperate as soon as possible.
On the evening of the fourth day, a continuous mountain range appeared ahead. The jade pendant flashed slightly, pointing to one of the inconspicuous peaks. The Snow Empress concealed her aura and quietly descended.
This mountain is called " Hidden Mist Peak ". It is shrouded in a light mist all year round. Although the spiritual energy is not strong, it is excellent because it is hidden. After finding a natural cave halfway up the mountain, the Snow Empress set up several concealment and defense restrictions and was finally able to catch his breath.
She sat cross-legged, took out several healing pills and swallowed them, then circulated the Taiyin True Scripture. The icy and pure Lunar Power flowed through her meridians, repairing her damaged internal organs. The hidden injuries left from the battle with the Yin Sha Guard slowly healed under the nourishment of the Taiyin essence.
Just as the Snow Empress entered into meditation, the Green Lotus Jade Pendant in her bosom suddenly trembled slightly.
At the same time, deep within the ruins of the Ziwei Sect.
This is a dilapidated palace forgotten by time, its former glory still faintly visible amidst the broken walls and ruins. Deep within the palace, in a seemingly ordinary stone chamber, sits a man in a blue robe.
The man's face was shrouded in a hazy Daoist aura, making it difficult to see clearly. Only when his eyes opened did it seem as if stars were fading and time was flowing. A simple bronze mirror floated in front of him, reflecting the image of the Snow Empress meditating in the cave.
" The Underworld..." The man in the blue robe, also known as "Your Majesty" by the Snow Empress, frowned slightly.
He had been in seclusion here, studying a supreme profound technique, when he sensed that the protective jade pendant he had given to the Snow Empress years ago had been activated, and realized that she was in trouble. The jade pendant contained a wisp of his divine thought imprint, which could manifest as a phantom to help at critical moments, but each manifestation would consume the power of the imprint, so it could not be used frequently.
"They actually tracked them all the way to the Northern Wilderness." The man lightly tapped his finger in the void, and the image on the bronze mirror shifted, showing several dark figures searching thousands of miles away. " Half-Step Almighty leading the team, three Dragon Transformation Realm cultivators, and more than ten Dao Palace Realm... The Underworld is quite persistent with the Taiyin Physique."
He pondered for a moment, then reached out and summoned a broken incense burner from the corner of the stone chamber. Inside, there was no incense ash, only three Green Lotus seeds lying quietly. The man took one out, flicked his finger, and the Green Lotus seed transformed into a barely perceptible stream of light, disappearing into the void.
"This child is resolute and talented, but his cultivation period is ultimately short. Since the Underworld has already dispatched Half-Step Almighty, relying solely on the jade pendant for protection may not be enough," the man muttered to himself. "This Green Lotus seed contains First Heaven of the Immortal Platform, but it requires her to activate it with her essence blood; this serves as a safety net."
He closed his eyes again, his breath merging with the surrounding stone walls, as if he were an integral part of these ruins. The bronze mirror's light dimmed, and the stone chamber returned to silence.
Inside the cave at Hidden Mist Peak.
When Snow Empress awoke from her meditation, it was already the next morning. Her injuries had healed by 70%, and her true energy had been replenished by 80%. Just as she was about to get up and continue her journey, the jade pendant in her bosom suddenly lit up again.
This time, instead of providing directions, it projected a phantom map. At the center of the map were the ruins of the Ziwei Sect, and her location was marked by a point of light. The route between them was winding, with several red areas marked along the way, accompanied by small annotations:
"Avoid the ' Ghost Net ' node area in the Underworld."
"An area where remnants of ancient battlefields gather; detour."
" Void Beast have appeared in this weak zone. Be careful."
The map lasted for ten breaths before disappearing, but the Snow Empress had memorized it perfectly. A warm feeling welled up in her heart—Her Majesty had not only pointed out the direction for her, but also marked all the dangers along the way. Such meticulous care made her even more grateful.
"I will certainly live up to Your Majesty's expectations." The Snow Empress stood up, removed the restrictions, and was about to leave the cave when she suddenly stopped.
Deep within the cave, on a once empty stone wall, a line of faint writing had appeared at some unknown time:
"Three hundred li to the southeast, there are three Underworld sentries, all at the Dao Palace Realm. They can be eliminated, and their ' Specter Talisman ' can interfere with the Ghost Net's tracking for half a day."
The handwriting was vigorous and exuded a sword intent, but it was clearly not His Majesty's handwriting. The Snow Empress focused her senses and felt a faint trace of Green Lotus aura remaining in the handwriting—it was undoubtedly His Majesty's doing.
"Your Majesty was able to leave these words from afar?" The Snow Empress was even more shocked. This was no ordinary supernatural power; it involved the exquisite use of space and time. But she quickly composed herself, knowing that His Majesty's instruction must have a deeper meaning.
Her figure transformed into a blur, silently leaving the cave and stealthily heading southeast.
Three hundred miles was but a moment's time for the Snow Empress, who had recovered most of her strength. She concealed all her aura and drifted down like a snowflake onto the crown of an ancient tree, looking down at the valley below.
There were three simple stone houses in the valley, arranged in a triangular pattern. Three cultivators dressed in gray robes were patrolling the valley, each with a black domino hanging from their waist—the insignia of the outer guards of the Underworld. The three were all at around the Dao Palace Third Heaven, posing no threat to the Snow Empress, but each of them held a black array flag, its surface glowing with a ghostly light, clearly maintaining some kind of tracking array.
" The Ghost Net node..." Snow Empress recalled the map annotation on the jade pendant. It seemed that the Underworld had laid a net in this area, and if Her Majesty hadn't reminded her, she might have run headlong into it.
She waited patiently. As night fell, two of them went into the stone house to rest, while only one remained on guard at the valley entrance. A cold glint flashed in Snow Empress's eyes—now was the time.
The Lunar Power flowed silently as she descended like moonlight, causing no fluctuations in spiritual energy. It wasn't until she appeared three feet behind the guard that he realized what was happening, but it was too late.
A sliver of icy blue light pierced the back of his neck, instantly freezing his soul and meridians with the Lunar Power. He collapsed to the ground before he could even utter a scream. The Snow Empress continued her movements, her figure drifting like Gui Mei into the stone house on the left.
The two people inside were meditating when they heard the sound and opened their eyes. They saw an icy blue figure already in front of them. One of them reacted extremely quickly, crushing a bone talisman at his waist, and a beam of black light shot towards the Snow Empress. The other opened his mouth to shout, trying to alert any other possible hidden sentries.
But the Snow Empress had anticipated this move. She pressed down with her left hand, Lunar Power transformed into an ice wall to block the black light. With her right hand, she flicked her fingers, and two thin ice needles pierced the air, precisely piercing the two men's brows.
With two soft "poof" sounds, the two men's eyes froze, their souls extinguished.