At the mouth of the valley lay a passage about a few zhang wide. On the mountain wall above it sat Little Healer Immortal and Xuner, legs crossed. Next to them was the Demon Borer, eyes hollow. Xuner’s jade-like hands held her delicate face, and her gaze continually swept through the valley. In the past few days of waiting, there had been no movement in the valley, and it was unknown how things were progressing.
“Ah…” Xuner let out a light sigh and lazily stretched. Just as she was about to speak to Little Healer Immortal, the latter’s tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and a serious expression instantly filled her lovely face.
“What is it?” Seeing this, Xuner was startled and urgently asked.
“The people from the Ice River Valley… have come…” In Little Healer Immortal’s beautiful eyes, a cold light flickered. Slowly rising from the ground, a faint murderous intent gradually emanated from her body.
Upon hearing these words, Xuner’s expression also changed abruptly. She quickly gazed toward the valley entrance. Indeed, in the distance, some white silhouettes could be faintly seen.
“Are you the Toxic Maiden of Misfortune?” As Xuner looked toward the valley, a faint, aged voice slowly drifted from the distance and entered the ears of Little Healer Immortal and Xuner.
Little Healer Immortal did not answer the voice. Her beautiful eyes flashed with ice, and her jade-like hands clenched. A surge of gray-purple Dou Qi slowly extended like two giant pythons, swirling around her.
Shortly after the old voice fell, the space at the valley’s entrance suddenly began to lightly ripple. Then, a bent figure leaning on a snake staff slowly appeared before Little Healer Immortal and Xuner’s gazes.
As this bent figure emerged, a large whooshing sound arose from behind him. Moments later, rows of white figures neatly landed behind the hunched form. After appearing, these people remained silent, and a grim, oppressive aura slowly spread, dispersing the surrounding poison gases.
When the old man with the snake staff appeared, Little Healer Immortal’s pupils slightly contracted. Her hands tightened, and she said coldly, “It really is a peak Battle Sect. The Ice River Valley truly spares no expense!”
“Hoho, for the sake of the Toxic Maiden of Misfortune, I, the elder, would not go too far. Moreover, according to our Ice River Valley’s rules, those who kill our elders must be caught and punished by the most severe means.”
The old man with the snake staff was none other than the Ice River Valley’s Sky Serpent Elder, who had set out to search for Xiao Yan and his group. Glancing at Little Healer Immortal high in the valley, he smiled faintly, his voice tinged with indifference.
“He is… the Sky Serpent Elder of the Ice River Valley?” Behind Little Healer Immortal, Xuner’s face grew pale due to the sudden appearance of the large number of Ice River Valley experts. Especially when her gaze fixed on the old man, the pallor intensified. She lost her voice, exclaiming, “Sky Serpent Elder?”
Sky Serpent Elder? Little Healer Immortal was stunned, then slightly moved. Even though she had only recently entered the Pill Realm, she had heard of his reputation. It was rumored that this old man was not only immensely powerful but had also refined the Ice Venerable Technique to an unparalleled degree. A common Battle Sect could not last ten rounds against him. Moreover, whenever he acted, he left no survivors, and with the overwhelming power of the Ice Venerable Technique, he turned his opponents into lifelike ice sculptures, evoking fear.
This old man’s fierce reputation was quite formidable in the Central Region. Little Healer Immortal had not expected that the Ice River Valley would send this legendary elder.
“Only the two of you? I recall there was another young man and a relatively strong soul, right?” The Sky Serpent lightly tapped his snake staff on the ground and said with a smile, “Let the two of them come out. Today, I will spare no one; otherwise, I cannot explain to the Valley Master.”
“Just because you think you can,” Little Healer Immortal said with a sneer, turning to Xuner and ordering sternly, “Go to the valley and look after Xiao Yan and the others.”
Hearing this, Xuner hesitated for a moment. But realizing she would only be a burden, she gritted her teeth, took a quick step back, and leaped into the valley.
“Looks like they are all in the valley. Could it be because they were injured by the Heaven Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast the last time?”
Not minding Xuner’s departure, the Sky Serpent thought, ‘Today, none of them will escape.’
Little Healer Immortal’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. She hadn’t expected this old man to know that they had fought the Heaven Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast before; he indeed had some tricks up his sleeve.
“Snake Old Man, we’ll take care of this woman. You can rest,” one of the three white-robed elders beside the Sky Serpent said respectfully.
“No need. I’m quite interested in this Toxic Maiden of Misfortune.” As he spoke, the Sky Serpent rubbed a brown scar behind his ear. The scar had some ugly holes, as if the flesh had been dug out, making anyone shudder.
Touching the brown scar, a cold flash surged in the Sky Serpent’s eyes: “I remember distinctly the last fight with a Toxic Body, even though I do not recall when it happened. Today, I want to see just how far this generation’s Toxic Body has reached.”
Hearing this, the three white-robed elders exchanged glances, none daring to speak. Their crushing defeat under the Toxic Body wielder had long been a deep scar in the Sky Serpent’s heart, and they didn’t dare comment further.
“Guard the valley from all sides. Don’t let anyone escape!” Leaning on his snake staff, the Sky Serpent slowly advanced, stepping on the air, hovering mid-air, his gaze sweeping over Little Healer Immortal and the Demon Borer. “Today, besides you, there will be no other survivors in the valley.”
Little Healer Immortal’s expression iced over. Casting a surreptitious glance inside the valley, her hands clenched. There was still no sign of life, suggesting Heavenly Fire Venerable’s physical fusion had not yet been completed.
“All we can do is buy time. I hope Xiao Yan can hurry,” she thought, taking a deep breath. As she stepped forward, the Demon Borer, seemingly influenced, slammed its foot down, launching itself furiously towards the Sky Serpent.
Seeing this, Little Healer Immortal swiftly followed, her palms gathering a tremendous gray-purple Dou Qi, which transformed into two giant snakes, slicing through the air and biting at the Sky Serpent.
“Is this the puppet? Indeed extraordinary. But true peak Battle Sect is not countered by mere numbers alone…”
Facing the approaching Demon Borer, the Sky Serpent laughed faintly. His withered hand squeezed, and the space before the Demon Borer warped, solidifying.
Bang! The Demon Borer smashed into the strange wall, the rebound force sending it flying back.
With a casual flick, the Sky Serpent dispelled the Demon Borer. His dry hand gathered, then lunged towards Little Healer Immortal, shooting a massive cold energy palm. It seized the two gray-purple Dou Qi serpents, crushing them and raining down fragments of energy.
A sinister smile on his face, the Sky Serpent waved his hand, and the icy giant palm appeared in front of Little Healer Immortal. With a vicious slap, it struck!
Feeling the overpowering cold, Little Healer Immortal’s face changed. The extreme chill made her internal Dou Qi flow sluggish. “What a powerful Ice Venerable Technique!” Her face grave, dense gray-purple Dou Qi surged from her, forming a rapid convergence above her head.
Bang! The icy giant palm crashed through, colliding with the concentrated gray-purple Dou Qi. Cold energy surged, coating the Dou Qi with frost. The giant palm fell, effortlessly destroying Little Healer Immortal’s defense.
Puff! Her defense breached, Little Healer Immortal was sent reeling, unable to move. A burst of powerful force struck her, spewing blood as she flew back, crashing heavily into the mountain wall, cracking it.
In just one round, Little Healer Immortal was defeated. A peak Battle Sect was astonishingly powerful.
Smiling, the Sky Serpent was about to launch a follow-up attack when a silver figure charged fearlessly, fists glowing.
Detecting the fierce wind from the silver figure’s fists, the Sky Serpent’s eyes showed a faint disdain. Such brute force might suffice against a typical Battle Sect, but he was no match for this opponent. Swiftly, chilling white energy condensed on his arm, turning it into an icy glove. A punch followed!
Boom! The ice fist collided with the Demon Borer’s, sending ice shards scattering. The Sky Serpent sneered, his arm writhing like a snake, shaking violently!
A wave of force surged out, containing the Demon Borer’s reflected strength. The bizarre motion almost returned the full impact. The force swelled like a wave, creating a fist imprint, nearly half a finger deep, in the Demon Borer’s chest. If it had any life or pain, it surely would have perished. Still, the force flung the creature back, crashing into several boulders and finally embedding it in the mountain wall.
“This is all you’ve got.” Leaning on his snake staff, the Sky Serpent glanced at the rapidly collapsing Little Healer Immortal, smirking, “Compared to the previous Toxic Body, you fall short. Come with me to the Ice River Valley, and perhaps you can live. Otherwise, your fate will not be any better.”
Eyes icy, Little Healer Immortal wiped her mouth, shifting her hand seal, ready to release her Toxic Body, when a soft laugh echoed from the valley.
“Returning to the Ice River Valley seems unnecessary. This place is good enough for burial. An old bone like you deserves such treatment.”
In midair, the Sky Serpent’s smile faded, his gaze darkening at the valley’s entrance. Two figures emerged, striding out.
His gaze lingered on the younger figure, then shifted to the smiling elder behind. His gloomy expression stiffened.
“Dou Zun?” A soft, disbelieving voice spread, causing the air to still.
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