“Back in the day, the Ice Soul Fairy used her immense power to freeze the Ice Abyss Island for a century before her ascension, forcing our lineage to yield to the Little Polar Palace cultivators. But now, after so many years and with matters concerning ascension to the Spirit Realm at stake, it seems we have no choice but to act. However, Brother Che has invested considerable effort in nurturing this avatar. Aren’t you afraid of suffering losses if it’s damaged?” the silver-robed woman said calmly, her demeanor devoid of any agitation.
“Hehe! As Fellow Daoist Feng said, this mission is of utmost importance. As long as we obtain accurate information, I’m willing to bear any loss. I never expected that the most likely surviving spatial node in the human realm would be within the spatial rift torn open by the Little Polar Palace’s Void Spirit Hall. Only after multiple investigations confirmed this did I decide to act. After all, the Little Polar Palace is no pushover—it’s not easy to annihilate them,” the child replied with a strange laugh.
“Only a spatial rift large enough to accommodate the Void Spirit Hall could preserve a stable spatial node until now. Brother Che mentioned that the other locations have already been searched without success. If this attempt also yields nothing, what are your plans?” The silver-robed woman’s eyes flickered.
“Simple—continue searching for spatial nodes. If ancient cultivators could find them, why can’t I? At most, it’ll just take longer,” the child replied coldly after a brief silence.
“But time isn’t on our side. I’ve heard you’re a descendant of an ancient Spirit Realm demon beast, possessing not only extraordinary powers but also a lifespan far exceeding ordinary demon beasts. Yet, after all these years, you must have resorted to sealing your true form with secret techniques to prolong your life, just like me, haven’t you?”
“Since Fellow Daoist Feng knows this, why ask?” The child’s expression darkened, as if struck by a sore point.
“But such self-deception can’t last much longer. I recently received news from the Five Dragons Sea—the White Deer Elder has perished. He, too, was a descendant of a spiritual beast and had cultivated since the ancient war. He never used his true form unless his life was at stake. Yet even that only allowed him to cling to life until now, unable to escape the cycle of reincarnation.” The silver-robed woman sighed, her gaze drifting toward the distant restriction array, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.
“That’s precisely why I’m willing to take any risk to locate the spatial node. If Fellow Daoist Feng is willing, we could join forces to venture there!” The child’s face shimmered with an odd light as he spoke.
“Let’s discuss that after you actually find the spatial node. The Little Polar Palace won’t be easily breached!” The silver-robed woman’s expression remained noncommittal.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Feng. In the past, our Ten Thousand Demons Valley alone breached the Little Polar Palace’s ice walls multiple times, forcing their cultivators to retreat into the Void Spirit Hall. With your help this time, it’ll be even easier. The real challenge will be tracking them after they escape through the spatial rift—that’s where your abilities will be crucial,” the old man interjected solemnly.
“Don’t worry. Our Ice Phoenix lineage possesses innate spatial-tearing abilities. We won’t disappoint you,” the silver-robed woman replied with a faint smile.
The nearby demon beasts, though hearing every word, dared not interrupt the conversation, as if they had left their tongues at home.
Just as the child was about to speak again, his expression suddenly changed, and he looked into the distance. The old man and the silver-robed woman sensed it too, turning their gazes in the same direction.
From within the white mist of cold, an astonishing spiritual pressure erupted, rapidly spreading outward. Moments later, a resonant chime, resembling both a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s growl, rolled in from the horizon.
The Ice Sea demon beasts, mostly at the eighth or ninth rank, paled at the sound, some even staggering. The Ten Thousand Demons Valley’s demon beasts, however, remained unaffected, eyeing their counterparts with confusion.
The silver-robed woman, a tenth-rank demon beast, was unfazed by the chime, but her voice turned furious. “The Ocean Suppressing Bell? Our Ice Sea’s ancestral treasure—it truly fell into the Ice Soul Fairy’s hands!”
The old man and the child exchanged glances, surprise flickering across their faces.
The bell’s effect on the Ice Sea demon beasts was short-lived. Once they released their demonic energy and summoned protective treasures, the chime’s influence waned to mere dizziness.
The silver-robed woman’s expression softened slightly, but then she seemed to recall something. In a flash, she transformed into a crystalline light and shot into the sky. The light burst into countless shimmering threads before vanishing. Moments later, she reappeared on the iceberg, her face grim.
“What happened? Why did you expend so much energy on the Divine Search Technique?” the old man asked slowly, frowning.
“The Little Polar Palace not only activated the Ocean Suppressing Bell but also dispatched cultivators to slaughter our low-ranked kin. Even in the small area I sensed, many have already fallen,” the silver-robed woman replied coldly, her eyes icy.
“Such a thing? I’ve heard rumors of a treasure that could paralyze ice-attribute demon beasts. Is this the Ocean Suppressing Bell? How did it end up in human hands?” the child mused.
“It’s nothing extraordinary—just a replica of a spirit treasure. Its effects are negligible above the eighth rank, and even those below can resist it with their own power. It vanished when the Ice Soul Fairy froze our Ice Abyss Island,” the woman said, her composure quickly restored.
“It seems the Ice Soul Fairy left this as a countermeasure against your lineage. What’s your plan now? Should we send help?” the old man asked calmly, stroking his beard.
“No need. The bell’s effects last only the time it takes to burn an incense stick. By the time we arrive, the humans will be gone. Even if all those low-ranked kin perish, it’s no great loss—the Ice Sea has countless more. But this insult won’t be forgotten. Listen well: once we breach the Little Polar Palace, spare none of their low-ranked cultivators outside the Void Spirit Hall!” The silver-robed woman’s voice dripped with killing intent, and her subordinates roared in agreement.
“Good! Then let’s begin breaking the array. Though your forces may be delayed, our Ten Thousand Demons Valley’s low-ranked allies remain unharmed. Once the island’s cold dissipates, they’ll join us. But first, we must dismantle this barrier!” The child chuckled, then spat out a black mist that coalesced into a gray banner before him.
The silver-robed woman’s eyes narrowed as she studied it. The small banner, no larger than a hand, was shrouded in gray light, its surface teeming with shadowy demonic figures—countless and silent.
“Is this the Ten Thousand Demons Banner of your valley?” she asked after a moment.
“Sharp as ever, Fellow Daoist Feng! Indeed, this banner, steeped in our valley’s demonic energy for millennia, holds unimaginable power. Though this avatar can’t unleash its full might, with your cooperation, its demonic energy will erode these restrictions within days!” the child boasted.
He rubbed his hands together, sending a gray spell into the banner. Instantly, the banner spun, its phantom beasts writhing densely across its surface.
The silver-robed woman nodded, then issued orders. Her demon beasts took to the skies, summoning clouds or unleashing treasures. The old man commanded his forces to do the same.
Soon, demonic winds blotted out half the sky.
The child laughed maniacally, then chanted an arcane incantation. The banner swelled monstrously, towering like a pillar of heaven, its phantom beasts now life-sized and restless.
“Go!” the child roared like thunder, and the banner unleashed a flood of demonic beasts, howling as they surged toward the icy mist. The airborne demon beasts followed suit, descending like a tidal wave.
Simultaneously, figures emerged from the mist within the restrictions, hurling beams of light to meet the onslaught.
And so, the battle began.
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