After leaving the ice cave, Xiao Yan and Ling Xue headed south, traveling in the direction of the Northern Region.
The Snow Region Ice Plains stretched as far as the eye could see, covered in ice and snow all year round, with frigid winds scraping their cheeks like knives. Fortunately, Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames gave off warmth that shielded them both from the bitter cold. Ling Xue, as a member of the Ice Spirit Clan, had a natural resistance to the cold, so it did not greatly hinder their progress.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered ferocious beasts unique to the snowy region. Most were enormous, with thick hides and tough flesh, and were skilled at concealing themselves on the ice plain and launching ambushes. But against the combined might of Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames and Ling Xue's Ice Spirit power, the beasts posed little threat.
Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames were overwhelmingly fierce, easily burning through the beasts' fur, while Ling Xue's Ice Spirit power was extraordinarily precise, capable of freezing them in place in an instant. One attacked while the other defended, and their coordination grew ever more seamless.
"Brother Xiao Yan, your flames are amazing," Ling Xue could not help exclaiming after they had dealt with a ferocious snow leopard. "I've never seen such powerful fire-attribute energy."
Xiao Yan smiled. "Your Ice Spirit power is remarkable too. If you hadn't frozen its limbs in time just now, I wouldn't have succeeded so easily."
A trace of shyness appeared on Ling Xue's face. Then she remembered something and said, "By the way, Brother Xiao Yan, deep in the Snow Region Ice Plains, there's a place called Frozen Canyon. It's a sacred site of our Ice Spirit Clan, and an ancient ice beast is said to be sealed there. People from the Blood Shadow Cult went there once. They seemed to be looking for something."
"Frozen Canyon? An ancient ice beast?" Xiao Yan's interest stirred. "What were they looking for?"
"I don't know." Ling Xue shook her head. "The ancient records say Frozen Canyon is extremely dangerous. Hardly anyone but the strongest experts in the clan dares to approach it. The Blood Shadow Cult suffered heavy losses after going there. In the end, they withdrew without taking anything."
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. "Should we take a detour and have a look? We might find some clues about the Blood Shadow Cult."
Ling Xue hesitated. "Frozen Canyon really is dangerous, and we're pressed for time. It would be better to reach Soul-Severing Cliff as soon as possible."
Xiao Yan thought it over and decided Ling Xue had a point. He nodded. "All right. Getting to Soul-Severing Cliff comes first."
The two quickened their pace, heading for the edge of the Snow Region Ice Plains.
What they did not know, however, was that not long after they left the ice cave, several dark figures appeared nearby.
Their leader was a middle-aged man in a blood-red robe, with a sinister face and a scarlet gleam flickering in his eyes. He was a protector of the Blood Shadow Cult, and his strength had reached the Initial Origin Emperor level.
"Protector, this is where the energy fluctuations were detected just now," one cultist said respectfully.
The blood-robed protector walked up to the ice cave and sensed the traces of Heavenly Flames and Ice Spirit power lingering in the air. A cold, sinister smile curved his lips. "It really was that girl and Xiao Yan! I didn't expect that brat Xiao Yan to be so hard to kill. He actually survived Soul-Severing Cliff!"
"Protector, should we go after them?"
"After them!" A vicious gleam flashed in the blood-robed protector's eyes. "The cult master ordered us to bring Ling Xue back at all costs. That brat Xiao Yan killed so many of our members. We'll take care of him at the same time and avenge Blood Butcher!"
"Yes!"
The dark figures vanished into the wind and snow once more, pursuing Xiao Yan and Ling Xue in the direction they had gone.
Xiao Yan and Ling Xue pressed on at speed, and seven days later, they finally reached the edge of the Snow Region Ice Plains.
The view opened up before them. The ice and snow gradually gave way to a withered yellow grassland, with a mountain range faintly visible in the distance. The chill in the air had also weakened considerably.
"We're finally out of the snowy region." Ling Xue let out a long breath, a relieved smile appearing on her face. After spending so long amid the ice and snow, she was somewhat weary too.
Xiao Yan, however, frowned slightly. He could faintly sense a trace of malice, barely perceptible, closing in from behind.
"Someone's following us," Xiao Yan said gravely, his gaze sharpening.
Ling Xue's expression changed. "The Blood Shadow Cult?"
"Very likely." Xiao Yan nodded. "Let's find somewhere to hide first and see what we're up against."
The two quickly slipped into a dense thicket, concealed their presence, and waited in silence.
A moment later, five dark figures appeared where they had just been standing. They were the blood-robed protector and four cultists.
"Protector, they're gone," one cultist said in puzzlement, looking around.
The blood-robed protector snorted and released the presence of an Origin Emperor expert, carefully sensing the movements around him. "They can't have gone far. They're nearby! Search carefully!"
The four cultists immediately spread out and searched the grassland with caution.
In the thicket, Xiao Yan's gaze was cold. He could sense that the blood-robed protector leading them was no weakling. He had reached the Initial Origin Emperor level, making him considerably stronger than Blood Butcher, whom they had encountered before.
"Brother Xiao Yan, what do we do?" Ling Xue asked quietly, a trace of tension flashing in her eyes.
"Don't be afraid," Xiao Yan reassured her. "There are only five of them. Their leader is an Initial Origin Emperor, and the other four are all Peak Origin Kings. We have a chance of winning."
He looked at Ling Xue. "I'll strike first and deal with the protector. Use your Ice Spirit power to hold the other four back, and try not to let them interfere with me."
"All right!" Ling Xue nodded and clenched her fists. The Ice Spirit power within her began circulating quietly.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. His Origin Qi and Heavenly Flames erupted at once, and he shot out of the thicket like an arrow loosed from a bow, charging straight at the blood-robed protector!
"Heavenly Flames · Burning Heaven!"
Xiao Yan gave a low shout. The Green Lotus Core Flame condensed in his hand into an enormous flaming spear, which shot toward the blood-robed protector with the might to burn mountains and boil seas.
The blood-robed protector had not expected Xiao Yan to attack so suddenly. His expression changed, and he hurriedly circulated his Origin Qi, forming a black energy barrier in front of him.
Bang!
The flaming spear collided with the energy barrier, producing an earth-shaking boom. The black barrier was swallowed by flames in an instant, and the spear continued toward the blood-robed protector without losing momentum.
"You're courting death!" The blood-robed protector was both shocked and furious. He had not expected Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames to be so overpowering. Not daring to be careless, he rapidly formed seals with both hands. A black curved blade appeared in his grip, vengeful souls swirling around its edge.
"Blood Shadow Slash!"
The blood-robed protector swung the curved blade, sending an enormous blade of black Qi howling forth to collide with the flaming spear.
Boom!
The two forces annihilated each other, unleashing a terrifying shockwave of energy that flattened every shrub and blade of wild grass nearby.
Using the force of the recoil, Xiao Yan somersaulted in midair to evade the energy shockwave. At the same time, he swept out his right hand, and the Fallen Heart Flame became a whip of fire that wound toward the blood-robed protector's wrist like a nimble serpent.
The blood-robed protector reacted with lightning speed, turning his wrist and slashing at the fire whip with his curved blade. At the same time, he stomped his left foot on the ground, and countless black tentacles emerged from beneath the earth, winding toward Xiao Yan's feet.
"Petty tricks!" Xiao Yan snorted. The Green Lotus Core Flame erupted, burning the black tentacles to nothing. At the same time, he shifted aside to evade the curved blade, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler appeared in his hand. Radiating searing heat, it smashed toward the blood-robed protector's head.
The blood-robed protector's expression grew grave. Unwilling to meet the blow head-on, he hurriedly retreated to evade it.
Just then, Ling Xue made her move as well.
The Ice Spirit power within her erupted without restraint. Ice crystals suddenly condensed across the sky and shot toward the four Blood Shadow Cultists like a torrential downpour. At the same time, a thick layer of solid ice instantly formed on the ground, freezing all four men's feet in place.
"Aah!"
Caught off guard, the four cultists were struck by the ice crystals and let out cries of pain. With their feet frozen, their movements were hindered.
"Damn girl!" one cultist roared, circulating his Origin Qi in an attempt to break the ice. But Ling Xue's Ice Spirit power was exceptionally pure, and the solid ice was extraordinarily hard. For the moment, he could not break free.
Ling Xue did not become entangled in the fight. She knew her task was to hold them back, not kill them. She continued forming ice crystals to harass the four cultists, preventing them from approaching the battlefield where Xiao Yan and the blood-robed protector fought.
Elsewhere, the battle between Xiao Yan and the blood-robed protector had reached a white-hot pitch.
The blood-robed protector was indeed no weakling. The Blood Shadow Cult's sinister arts were strange and unpredictable, and the black energy contained powerful corrosive properties and resentment, constantly eating away at Xiao Yan's Origin Qi and mind.
But Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames were the perfect counter to that sinister energy. He alternated between the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame, which, like two blazing suns, continuously purified the black energy and forced the blood-robed protector back again and again.
"Xiao Yan, do you think killing Blood Butcher means you can stand against my Blood Shadow Cult?" the blood-robed protector said with a vicious grin as he fought. "The cult master is nearly ready to open the Gate of Darkness. When that happens, the entire Great Thousand World will be swallowed by darkness, and you and that girl will both become food for the fiends!"
"Too much nonsense!" Xiao Yan snorted. The flames on the Heavy Xuan Ruler grew even hotter. "Today, I'll send you to join your brother Blood Butcher first!"
"Heavenly Flames Eternal Ruler!"
Xiao Yan gave a low shout and poured both Heavenly Flames into the Heavy Xuan Ruler. The long ruler instantly swelled to an enormous size and smashed down at the blood-robed protector with the might to destroy heaven and earth!
The blood-robed protector's expression changed drastically as he felt the threat of death. Holding nothing back, he sent the black energy within him surging wildly, condensing it into an enormous black ghost claw before him. With the might to tear apart souls, it met the Heavy Xuan Ruler.
Boom-!
The Heavy Xuan Ruler collided with the black ghost claw, producing an earth-shaking boom. Red flames and black energy intertwined and annihilated each other wildly, forming an enormous vortex of energy.
The blood-robed protector felt an overwhelmingly fierce, scorching force strike him. The black ghost claw was burned to nothing in an instant, and the Heavy Xuan Ruler continued onward without losing momentum, smashing heavily into his chest.
Pfft!
The blood-robed protector spat out a mouthful of black blood. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily to the ground, his presence instantly weakening.
Xiao Yan gave him no chance to catch his breath. In a flash, he appeared before the blood-robed protector and pressed the Heavy Xuan Ruler against his throat.
"Talk. What exactly is the Blood Shadow Cult's situation at Soul-Severing Cliff? How many people are left?" Xiao Yan asked coldly.
The blood-robed protector looked at the Heavy Xuan Ruler pressed against his throat, feeling the scorching heat radiating from it. His eyes filled with fear, but he still gritted his teeth and grinned viciously. "Don't dream of... finding out... The cult master won't let you go..."
"Stubborn fool!" A vicious gleam flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as he pressed the Heavy Xuan Ruler down slightly.
"Wait!" the blood-robed protector hurriedly shouted. "I'll talk! I'll talk! There are currently three thousand cult members at Soul-Severing Cliff, including more than a hundred Origin King experts. Besides the cult master, there are three other protectors who are Origin Emperor experts... They've already found something to replace the Space Fragment. In another half month, it'll be the best time to open the Gate of Darkness!"
Xiao Yan's heart tightened. "What are they using to replace the Space Fragment?"
"It's... it's the Darkness Core. It's said to be a crystal of energy that seeped out of the Domain of Darkness..." the blood-robed protector said, trembling.
Xiao Yan's gaze turned cold. It seemed the situation was even more urgent than he had imagined.
"What else?"
"N-no... that's all..."
Xiao Yan saw the fear in the blood-robed protector's eyes and knew he did not dare lie again. Without the slightest hesitation, he swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler and ended the blood-robed protector's life.
Having dealt with the blood-robed protector, Xiao Yan turned to the four cultists Ling Xue was holding back.
When the four cultists saw their protector killed, they were frightened out of their wits. They wanted to flee, but Ling Xue's Ice Spirit power held them fast.
Xiao Yan flashed into view before the four. His Heavenly Flames erupted, reducing them to charred remains in an instant.
Peace returned to the grassland, leaving only the smell of blood and burning in the air.
Ling Xue walked over to Xiao Yan and looked at the corpses on the ground, a complicated look flashing in her eyes. "Will killing them alert the enemy?"
Xiao Yan shook his head. "The fact that they came after us means the Blood Shadow Cult already knows where we are. There's no point in hiding it anymore. We have to move faster and reach Soul-Severing Cliff within half a month to stop them from opening the Gate of Darkness!"
Ling Xue nodded. "Mm!"
The two did not linger. After briefly dealing with the scene, they set out again, racing toward Soul-Severing Cliff in the Northern Region.
Time was short, and a decisive battle that would determine the fate of the Great Thousand World was close at hand.