On one side were three black-clad cultivators, their techniques sinister and sinister; they were clearly from the Underworld. The leader had reached the first First Transformation of Dragon Transformation realm, while the other two were at the Dao Palace Peak. They were besieging a woman in white.
The woman was about twenty years old, with a beautiful face. She wielded the Autumn Water Longsword, her swordsmanship was exquisite, her movements were agile, and her cultivation was at the Dao Palace Peak. However, she was fighting three against one and was already at a disadvantage, her shoulder stained with blood, and her steps were unsteady.
" Fairy Luo, why resist?" The black-clad man at the Dragon Transformation Realm sneered. "We in the Underworld merely invited you as a guest. Why fight to the death? Hand over the origin of your ' Pure Spirit Physique ' obediently, and we may spare your life."
The woman in white gritted her teeth and remained silent. Her sword light cascaded like a waterfall, barely forcing the two men back. However, the black-clad man at the Dragon Transformation Realm struck with a palm, the wind of which was sinister. She blocked with her sword, but was shaken back repeatedly, blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
Snow Empress remained hidden in the shadows, her gaze slightly narrowed. The Pure Spirit Physique was also a special constitution. Although not as rare as the Taiyin Physique, it was naturally close to nature and could purify evil spirits. It also had a certain degree of restraint over the Underworld's techniques. No wonder the Underworld wanted to capture her.
" The Underworld's henchmen are indeed everywhere." Snow Empress's killing intent gradually rose. She originally did not want to cause any trouble, but seeing that the people of the Underworld were hunting down people with special physiques, and that they were both "prey," she could not help but share the same hatred.
The woman in white was in grave danger. The black-clad man, Dragon Transformation, reached out a claw towards her heart, and was about to succeed when suddenly a gust of icy blue finger-like wind pierced through the air, aiming straight for his back!
The man in black's expression changed. He turned and slapped away the wind from the finger strikes, but the biting coldness from his palm caused his meridians to stagnate. He abruptly turned to look at where the Snow Empress was hiding. "Who?"
The Snow Empress slowly walked out, and the woman in white took the opportunity to retreat, swallowing a pill and looking at her with surprise and suspicion.
"Another prey?" The black-clad man Dragon Transformation recognized the Snow Empress's face, his eyes flashing with greed. " The Taiyin Physique! Haha, today is the day for me, Yin Jiu, to make a name for myself! I've captured two special physiques at once!"
He waved to signal, and the other two dispersed, forming a triangle with Snow Empress.
The Snow Empress remained calm as she looked at the woman in white. "Can you still fight?"
The woman in white wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, pointed her sword at the people of the Underworld, and said, "Yes."
"Alright." The Snow Empress said no more. The Lunar Power erupted suddenly, the temperature around her plummeted, and frost spread. She made the first move, pointing a finger at the black-clad man who had transformed into Dragon Transformation. Wherever the finger passed, the air condensed into ice crystals.
"A mere trick!" Yin Jiu sneered, unleashing the full power of his Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. He threw a punch, and death energy transformed into a skeleton phantom, colliding with the finger wind.
"Boom!"
Ice shards and deathly energy splattered everywhere. The Snow Empress swayed slightly, taking three steps back, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. The difference in their cultivation levels was obvious; a direct confrontation would put her at a disadvantage. But her intention was not to fight head-on, but to borrow the force of the attack.
In the instant of the clash, she formed a hand seal with her left hand, and dozens of ice spikes suddenly shot out from the ground, forcing the other two Dao Palace cultivators back. At the same time, she transmitted her voice to the woman in white. "Attack the one on the right!"
The woman in white understood immediately. With a flash of her sword, she aimed directly at the man in black on her right. The man was dodging the ice spikes and was caught off guard. He was pierced through the right chest by the sword and fell to the ground with a scream.
"You're courting death!" Yin Jiu roared in fury, his deathly aura surging forth and transforming into a giant claw that lunged at Snow Empress. Snow Empress neither dodged nor evaded; a flash of azure light appeared from the jade pendant in her bosom, and a screen of azure light materialized.
"Bang!"
The gigantic claw of death energy gripped the light barrier, but the barrier remained unmoved; instead, the claw shattered. Yin Jiu's expression changed drastically. "This is..."
Before he could finish speaking, Snow Empress had already moved closer and struck him on the chest with a palm. The palm strike seemed light and airy, but a point of icy blue light suddenly shone brightly from the palm.
"Taiyin - Nirvana!"
The icy blue light penetrated his body, causing Yin Jiu to stiffen instantly. Frost rapidly formed on his skin, and the life force in his eyes vanished quickly. The Lunar Power froze not only his physical body but also his soul. He opened his mouth but could not utter a sound, and fell straight down.
Seeing the situation was dire, another Dao Palace cultivator turned and fled. The woman in white wanted to give chase, but the Snow Empress said, "No need."
She flicked her finger, and an ice needle, launched after her, pierced the man's nape. The man ran a few steps, then collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
From the start to the end, it took no more than ten breaths. Of the three Underworld cultivators, two were dead and one was seriously injured.
The woman in white sheathed her sword and bowed respectfully to the Snow Empress: "I am Luo Qingyin, and I thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. May I ask your honorable title?"
" Snow Empress." Snow Empress said calmly, walking towards the heavily injured man in black. The man had a hole through his chest and was on the verge of death. When he saw Snow Empress approaching, his eyes were filled with fear.
"How many of you are here? Who is leading the team? What is the plan?" Snow Empress's voice was icy.
The man in black's lips moved, but no sound came out. Snow Empress pressed a finger against his brow, Lunar Power invaded, forcibly searching his soul. After a moment, her expression changed slightly.
"How is it?" Luo Qingyin asked.
The Snow Empress withdrew her attack; the man in black was already dead. She flicked out a flame of ice to incinerate the corpse before saying in a deep voice, " The Underworld has laid a net of heaven and earth in this area, led by a Half-Step Almighty known as ' Earth Venerable,' with at least ten Yin Sha Guard at the Dragon Transformation Realm and more than thirty Dao Palace Realm Deacons under their command. Their target is me, but they will also capture other individuals with special physiques as well."
" Half-Step Almighty!" Luo Qingyin gasped. For the Dao Palace cultivator like her, the Immortal Platform Realm was already a legend, and Half-Step Almighty was even more unattainable.
"They know I'm heading to the ruins of the Ziwei Sect and are gathering forces to surround it. At the latest, the Earth Venerable will arrive in person tomorrow." The Snow Empress looked at Luo Qingyin. "Fellow Daoist Luo, the Underworld is powerful; it's not advisable for us to travel together, lest we be implicated. You should leave this place as quickly as possible."
Luo Qingyin shook her head. "Fellow Daoist Xue saved my life, how can I escape alone? Besides, since the Underworld has already set its sights on me, traveling alone is even more dangerous. Why don't we travel together and look after each other?"
She paused, then continued, "I know Fellow Daoist Xue wishes to visit the ruins of the Ziwei Sect. To be honest, I am a disciple of ' Heavenly Melody Valley.' My journey north is on my Ziwei Sect ruins. I am quite familiar with the terrain around the ruins, and I might be able to help you avoid some traps."
Snow Empress's heart stirred. She had heard of Heavenly Melody Valley; it was a secluded sect in the Eastern Wasteland, specializing in the art of music and living a life of seclusion. If Luo Qingyin was truly familiar with the ruins of the Ziwei Sect, it would be a great help.
"What does Fellow Daoist wish to seek?" Snow Empress asked.
Luo Qingyin hesitated for a moment, then said, "To be honest, it is a fragment of the ' Ziwei Emperor Bell.' The founding patriarch of my Heavenly Melody Valley had a past relationship with the Ziwei Sect, and this fragment of the Emperor Bell can complete our valley's signature cultivation technique. However, this matter is a secret, so please, Fellow Daoist Xue, do not spread it."
Snow Empress nodded. "That's fine. But if we encounter danger, I may not be able to protect you completely."
" Qingyin understands." Luo Qingyin smiled. "In that case, let's leave this place quickly. The people of the Underworld are connected by soul lamps. The Earth Venerable must already know about the deaths of these three, and will soon send someone to investigate."
Without further delay, Snow Empress activated the Specter Talisman to interfere with the tracking, while Luo Qingyin took out a jade slip, infused it with true energy, and the jade slip projected a detailed map, which was the ruins of the Ziwei Sect and the surrounding terrain.
"This is an ancient map left by our ancestor. Although ten thousand years have passed and the terrain has changed, it is largely accurate." Luo Qingyin pointed to a spot. "North of this valley, there is the remnant of an ancient teleportation array. Our valley's predecessors repaired part of it, which can teleport to ' Fallen Star Lake,' three hundred miles outside the ruins. This teleportation array is extremely well-hidden; the Underworld should not know about it."
Snow Empress looked at the jade pendant, which flashed slightly as if confirming something. She immediately nodded. "Lead the way."