After Shen Moyuan’s aura climbed to Foundation Establishment, he did not act personally.
He merely raised a hand, and the black-robed cultivators behind him surged forward in unison, cutting off the three women’s retreat.
Immediately, spells flooded in like a tide.
The three could only struggle to resist. Lu Xueqing’s sword light wove a barrier, Ye Qingyao’s short sword trembled, and Bai Qingxue stood before them, her Frost Condensation Sword kicking up clouds of frost mist.
But there were too many black-robed cultivators, and their attacks came in wave after wave, pressing closer and closer.
The consumption of spiritual power was far faster than its recovery. Lu Xueqing’s arms began to shake as her spiritual power nearly hit bottom, and cracks had also appeared on Ye Qingyao’s short sword.
Bai Qingxue’s spiritual power was also draining rapidly. It was clear that if this continued, all three of them would die here.
“Junior Sister Bai,” Lu Xueqing’s voice came from behind Bai Qingxue.
“You and Junior Sister Ye go first. I’ll try to hold them off.”
Bai Qingxue did not look back, nor did she stop her sword.
She was thinking.
Before coming here, she had just broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. Liu Ningshuang had said she was standing at the threshold of Foundation Establishment.
She had thought that the crisis of death would be resolved once she reached Foundation Establishment, believing that as long as she kept moving forward, she would reach a safe place.
But now she stood here, with two people behind her and a group of enemies before her whose killing intent was absolute.
Bai Qingxue suddenly found it a bit ridiculous. From Yunzhou to Xueji Peak, from first entering the immortal path to the ninth level of Qi Refining, she had always thought she was alone.
One person transmigrating, one person struggling, one person moving forward.
He was used to not relying on others, not trusting, and not owing anyone.
Because in this world, he never knew what it meant to belong.
Bai Qingxue did not belong here.
That cramped workstation from his past life, the code on the screen, the gray sky outside the window—none of it belonged to him now either.
He was just a person drifting on a boat that never docked on either side, drifting from one map to another, from one identity to another.
It didn't matter where he went or where he stopped. Nowhere was his home; nowhere could keep him.
This so-called transmigration was nothing more than moving from one place where he didn't belong to another.
Since he had already died once, what did it matter if he died again?
His life hadn't been that exciting anyway.
From the past life to this one, having lived twice, he had never truly understood either of them.
But the two in front of him were different.
They probably still wanted to live.
Their paths were still long; they would meet many people, experience many things, and go to places he couldn't reach.
If that was the case, it would be better to protect them.
Let them experience a more wonderful life in his stead.
It could also be considered a way to repay the kindness he had received since transmigrating.
Then, Bai Qingxue closed her eyes and opened them again.
She made a decision.
“Step back,” she said. Lu Xueqing was stunned for a moment.
“Junior Sister...”
“Step back.” Bai Qingxue’s voice was a bit deeper than before.
Lu Xueqing had never heard Bai Qingxue speak in such a tone, but she still pulled Ye Qingyao back several paces.
Standing her ground, Bai Qingxue looked at the black-robed cultivators before her and at Shen Moyuan, who stood behind them with his hands behind his back.
Bai Qingxue decided to stop suppressing it.
In an instant, the layer of tamed cold within three feet of Bai Qingxue’s body suddenly lost its restraint. It was like a flood breaking a dam, like a collapsing snow mountain, like a beast imprisoned for a thousand years finally smashing through its cage.
The coldness erupted from within her body. With her as the center, frost-white spiritual power expanded outward continuously. Wherever it passed, the air stagnated, falling leaves were suspended in mid-air, and a layer of white frost formed on the surface of the soil.
Within dozens of feet in front of Bai Qingxue, everything was being frozen.
The movements of the black-robed cultivators froze.
The cold seeped into their meridians, causing a thin layer of ice crystals to quickly form on their bodies, spreading from their limbs to their torsos, and from their torsos to their faces.
The ice crystals reflected cold colors under the sky. They wanted to move, but could not; they wanted to scream, but could not make a sound.
At this moment, only their eyes could still move, staring in utter horror at the frost-white figure standing in the center of the ice mist.
“Lord Shen Yuan,” one black-robed cultivator managed to choke out a few words, his voice hoarse and filled with extreme terror, “save me...”
Shen Moyuan did not move. He simply stood there indifferently, coldly watching as those black-robed cultivators turned into ice sculptures.
A moment later, Shen Moyuan stepped through the ice mist and walked toward Bai Qingxue.
The ice layer beneath his feet shattered as he stepped on it, but the cold did not seep into his body. Instead, it was blocked by the corrosive spiritual power surrounding him.
At the same time, Shen Moyuan’s sword edge, enveloped in dark gray spiritual power, slashed straight down toward Bai Qingxue.
Bai Qingxue raised the Frost Condensation Sword to meet it.
The two swords collided, and corrosion and extreme cold exploded at the blades. The dark gray spiritual power and the frost-white cold canceled each other out with a dull, heavy boom.
White mist swallowed everyone.
Shen Moyuan’s voice drifted out from the thick fog, unhurried: “Bai Qingxue, you also have a demonic nature within you. Haven’t you noticed?”
Bai Qingxue did not answer him.
She simply unleashed a sword qi that pierced through the white mist, aimed straight for Shen Moyuan’s throat.
Shen Moyuan parried with his sword, and the two blades clashed again.
“Perhaps you could join my demonic sect.”
Bai Qingxue did not speak; she only answered with her sword.
Seeing this, the smile on Shen Moyuan’s lips deepened. He lunged forward, putting his full strength into this strike.
The Frost Condensation Sword collided head-on with the pitch-black long saber.
By now, Bai Qingxue’s spiritual power was completely exhausted, and the full release of her Ice Spirit power was starting to become more than her body could handle.
Her arms were shaking, and the blade was humming.
Bai Qingxue could not block this strike.
But Shen Moyuan’s sword edge did not land on her.
It was the Moonfrost Silk.
That frost-white ribbon she had always worn close to her body, which Liu Ningshuang had personally gifted her when she was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, suddenly lit up at Bai Qingxue’s most critical moment.
It flew out from Bai Qingxue’s waist and unfurled before her like an ice screen as thin as a cicada’s wing, blocking Shen Moyuan’s blade.
Simultaneously, a powerful surge of frost aura erupted from the Moonfrost Silk, flowing up the sword blade against the current and straight toward Shen Moyuan.
Shen Moyuan’s pupils constricted. Sensing some great danger, he hastily activated a dark gray dharma treasure to block in front of him.
Then, a flash of light exploded, swallowing him whole.
When the light dissipated, Shen Moyuan was no longer there. Only the few black-robed cultivators sealed in ice crystals and the shattered ice covering the ground remained in the ice mist.
Bai Qingxue stood in place, the Frost Condensation Sword hanging at her side, its tip resting against the ground.
Her spiritual power was nearly gone, and her body was severely overextended due to the Ice Spirit power. The ice mist had not yet dispersed, and the coldness was steadily intensifying on Bai Qingxue’s body.
Gradually, Bai Qingxue could no longer feel her fingers, nor could she feel the icy ground supporting her.
Her vision began to turn white from the edges, as if something were swallowing the world before her eyes bit by bit.
“Sister Bai!” Ye Qingyao’s voice came from behind.
Bai Qingxue didn’t know when Ye Qingyao had rushed over; she only knew that her arm was supported by a pair of warm hands.
At this moment, Ye Qingyao wore no thick outer robe, only her pale green martial attire that had been slashed in several places. There was blood on her shoulder and wounds on her arms, yet she still supported Bai Qingxue.
Bai Qingxue leaned against her. Ye Qingyao’s body heat transferred through their robes, so hot that she almost wanted to shrink back, but she couldn't move.
Lu Xueqing was a step slower.
By the time she sheathed her sword and rushed over, Ye Qingyao had already caught Bai Qingxue.
Lu Xueqing stood to the side, reaching out her hand before pulling it back.
Supported by Ye Qingyao, Bai Qingxue kept her eyes closed. Her face was as white as paper, and there was not a hint of color in her lips.
Her silver-white hair fell down, draped over Ye Qingyao’s shoulder like fallen winter snow.
Ye Qingyao looked down at Bai Qingxue, seeing the tiny frost beads condensed on her eyelashes and her lips so pale they nearly blended with her skin tone.
Ye Qingyao also suddenly felt very cold.
It was the coldness from Bai Qingxue’s body overflowing. That coldness climbed up Ye Qingyao’s arms as if trying to drag Ye Qingyao into that ice cave as well.
But Ye Qingyao still did not let go, letting Bai Qingxue lean into the crook of her shoulder.
At this moment, the silver-white hair fell loosely, flecked with shattered ice, tangling together with Ye Qingyao’s black hair.
They were difficult to separate.
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