River’s gaze fixed on the distant girl in green, treading on the void. The shock in his eyes was hard to conceal. The Gu Clan, a mysterious and low-key terrifying force, had always been inconspicuous in the Central Plains, but any strong practitioner who reached a certain level would know that this ancient race, passed down from the distant past, possessed unimaginable power…
Since Xuner appeared, though River had speculated about her background, he had never considered her to be from the Gu Clan. After all, the latter was too reserved; such ostentatious behavior rarely appeared. And there were many hidden forces in the Central Plains that could rival Ice River Valley’s strength. These forces, while not as famous as Ice River Valley, could still give it a run for its money if they were provoked.
“Never thought she would actually be from the Gu Clan,” River’s face turned slightly green. At his level, he naturally knew much about the enigmatic Gu Clan. Just the fact that they could open up space and become self-sufficient was enough to make many top-tier forces look inferior.
Now, River finally understood. When Xuner appeared, her words were not just empty boasts. With the Gu Clan’s unfathomable strength, annihilating Ice River Valley was not impossible.
As River’s gaze fluctuated, the white-haired elder paid him no mind. The green light on his palm grew more intense. In moments, it condensed into a half-foot-sized green energy palm seal. On this seal, dark traces swirled, and a terrifying spatial force spread out, causing the space around the seal to shatter, forming black cracks…
“Haha.” Seeing the palm seal form, the white-haired elder’s sharp eyes swept over River, and he laughed loudly. Then, with a fierce swing of his arm, the palm seal, filled with countless eerie black threads, shot out!
The moment the energy palm seal appeared, the energy in the area violently surged, even the clouds in the sky began to churn and rise!
River had heard of the might of the Emperor Imprint Decree, so his expression instantly became grave. He knew that at this point, words were useless. He must first deal with this move by the old man…
With this thought, River gritted his teeth. A black snowflake at the center of his brows flashed with an odd light, and endless black cold energy gushed out from his body!
“Ice Venerable Force, Sky-Freezing Palm!” The black cold energy condensed in River’s hand, and in the next moment, a thick layer of black ice formed on his palm. It didn’t seem remarkable, yet it emitted a chilling cold.
The black ice palm rapidly took shape, and River stomped the ground, flashing towards the strange palm seal. His expression solemn, he slammed a fierce palm out!
Moving with the intent, the instant River’s palm struck, the surrounding cold energy went berserk. The black ice color deepened, harboring lethal cold poison. If it hit someone, not only would their flesh be frozen, but even the dou qi in their body would freeze in an instant!
*Boom!*
Under the watchful eyes of countless people in Ye City, the two great masters collided like meteors streaking across the sky, creating a spectacular clash!
The earth-shattering sound echoed through heaven and earth!
A terrifying energy storm spread from the sky, and black cracks nearly a hundred meters long appeared like ravines in the void, making the scene look like a monstrous mouth had split open in the sky, sending chills down everyone’s spine.
The energy storm also stirred a hurricane that swept across the heavens and earth, plucking countless giant trees from the forests around the city and sending them flying far away, making it resemble doomsday.
“Such a powerful clash! The battle between Dou Zun strong practitioners is truly a sight to behold…”
Xiaoyan’s gaze was filled with amazement as he looked at the splitting space cracks in the sky. This space was usually stable, yet it was still torn apart, showing just how colossal the clash between these two was.
*Boom!*
In the sky, as the energy storm spread, both figures retreated. Each time their feet landed, they left behind a black mark in the void.
“Haha, what a delightful fight! The Ice Venerable Force of Ice River Valley truly has some tricks up its sleeve…”
The white-haired elder retreated a dozen steps and stabilized himself. He looked at the retreating River, laughing heartily.
Far away, River’s figure trembled, stabilizing himself. His hand quivered slightly, and a heavy look flashed in his eyes. The Emperor Imprint Decree lived up to its reputation as a secret technique of the Gu Clan, indeed, it was terrifyingly powerful…
Seeing River, though a bit disheveled but not seriously injured, Xuner arched her eyebrows slightly, glancing at the white-haired elder. She said softly, “Elder Lin, don’t delay anymore. We don’t have much time on this trip…”
When Xuner spoke, the white-haired elder became more serious and agreed respectfully.
“Miss, please wait!” Hearing Xuner, River’s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said.
“What? Is the Valley Master of Ice River Valley trying to persuade me to hand over people again?” Xuner’s lips curved, her voice tinged with faint mockery.
River sighed, then turned his gaze to the battling Qinghai and Tianfrost. He barked, “Tianfrost, come back!”
Hearing River’s command, Tianfrost, who was barely holding on, perked up. Without time to speak to Qinghai, he retreated, appearing beside River after a few blinks. He whispered, confused, “Valley Master?”
“Today, Ice River Valley was in the wrong. If there are any offenses, I ask this young lady for your forgiveness,” River ignored Tianfrost. After steeling himself, he clasped his hands together, apologizing to Xuner amid the stunned stares of the crowd.
Tianfrost, hearing this, stared at River, dazed. He had never seen River speak like this before.
“Who are these people? They are…?”
Tianfrost wasn’t a fool. After a moment’s thought, he understood. If it were just two Dou Zuns, it wouldn’t have caused River to react like this, so the mysterious woman must have a terrifying background that even Ice River Valley fears.
“River, what do you mean? Do you want to bring shame to Ice River Valley?” As Tianfrost withdrew, Qinghai, unable to hold back, also fled, shouting angrily at River.
Ignoring Qinghai’s shout, River clenched his fists. Although he wanted the calamitous poison body, if it meant offending the Gu Clan, he’d give it up without hesitation. The Spirit Temple might not fear the Gu Clan, but Ice River Valley certainly didn’t have the strength to challenge them.
Xuner, surprised by River’s sudden change, seemed lost in thought. It seemed he had realized their identities.
“Brother Xiaoyan?” After a moment, Xuner turned to Xiaoyan, her meaning clear: to see Xiaoyan’s decision.
Though Xuner’s action was subtle, it was noticed by River and others. They all shifted their attention to Xiaoyan, seeing that the girl in green, despite her scary background, seemed to follow Xiaoyan’s lead…
“Young Brother, we won’t interfere with the calamitous poison body matter anymore!” River’s gaze flickered, and he cupped his hands respectfully.
Xiaoyan glanced at him and smiled, “Valley Master River jokes. This was a misunderstanding. Since you say so, I won’t entangle myself further…”
Xiaoyan understood that River was being polite because of Xuner. The Ice River Valley was a powerful force in the Central Plains, and with Xuner’s current companions, it would be impossible to completely eliminate them. Moreover, the Gu Clan might not permit such actions for an outsider. Scaring off Ice River Valley today was the best outcome. Personal grudges could be settled when he had the strength, not by relying on the Gu Clan.
Relieved, River loosened his fist. Xiaoyan’s strength was nothing, but the Gu Clan must be treated with caution. With Xuner here, he had no choice but to leave disgruntled.
“The mess in Ye City, I will handle. I won’t stay longer…” The countless gazes made River clench his fists. Turning to Xuner, he said, “Young Miss, I hope this matter stays a small grievance and doesn’t affect our future relations.”
Xuner smiled and replied softly, “I hope this never happens again. If it does, the next place we visit might be Ice River Valley.”
River’s face changed slightly, then he forced a smile, waving his sleeve. Behind him, the space twisted, and he vanished. Tianfrost quickly followed.
Seeing the dejected departure of River and his party, Qinghai panicked. He prepared to flee, but two black shadows appeared, gripping his shoulders tightly.
“What are you doing?” Qinghai roared.
Xiaoyan smiled coldly, “We have no major grudges with Ice River Valley, but with the Spirit Temple, it’s a life-or-death conflict. So, River can go, but you, Qinghai, cannot!”
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