Chapter 59: The Arrival of the Frostbright Sword

“As you command!”

Several great demons of the Nascent Soul Realm roared in unison, transforming into streaks of light that lunged at the two women from different directions.

Leading the charge was the Black Wind Elder, whose gleaming claws aimed directly for Yuange’s crown.

“Get lost!”

A fierce resolve flashed in Yuange’s eyes. She abruptly pushed Shen Zhaoqing away, and the dim red-gold radiance surrounding her body surged once more.

“How dare mere mongrels like you insult the Golden Crow bloodline!”

Boom!

A terrifying aura, far exceeding that of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, erupted from her. She unleashed a punch, actually forcing the Black Wind Elder’s sharp claws back.

Yet, this was but a futile struggle.

On the other side, a bear demon and a tiger demon had already launched a pincer attack. Their iron fists and steel whips descended with immense force, smashing into Yuange’s back and side.

Thump! Thump!

Two dull, heavy impacts echoed.

The power Yuange had gained by burning her vital blood dissipated instantly, like a punctured balloon.

Her bones emitted a grating, sickening crunch. Her entire body was flung to the ground like a fallen leaf, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Pfft—”

A large mouthful of blood gushed out, staining the earth beneath her.

She struggled to rise, but found herself without the strength to even lift a single finger.

“Princess!” The Black Wind Elder sneered, planting a foot on Yuange’s back. The immense pressure made her cough up another mouthful of blood. “Your era is over!”

“Well done.” Yuanchao nodded in satisfaction, as if he had merely crushed an ant.

“Enough.” He extended a hand, a triumphant smile gracing his lips. “Now, it’s your turn. Come with me, and I’ll show you a… most dazzling display of fireworks.”

His objective was clear: capture Shen Zhaoqing alive, use her blood to activate the secret realm, and then, before her very eyes, slowly torture Yuange to death.

He intended to utterly destroy everything his sister held dear—her hope, her prey, and her ridiculous pride.

Shen Zhaoqing watched him calmly, her gaze sweeping over the menacing great demons behind him, then settling on Yuange, who lay in a pool of blood, barely clinging to life.

The perpetually languid and bothered expression that usually graced her face had vanished at some point.

In its place was an extreme stillness.

A deadly silence, presaging a coming storm.

Slowly, she raised her eyes. Her apricot-shaped pupils, usually holding a hint of tipsy amusement, were now as cold as ice. Deep within them, a faint golden light seemed to flicker and then vanish.

“I suddenly feel,” Shen Zhaoqing began, her voice soft yet clearly audible throughout the space sealed by the array, “that your face is somewhat of an eyesore.”

****

Yuanchao’s triumphant smile instantly froze, as if he had been slapped. The Black Wind Elder and the other great demons behind him bared their fangs, almost believing their ears had betrayed them.

A human.

A Qi Induction Realm cultivator, whose cultivation was so low it was negligible.

A ‘key’ about to become a prisoner, a sacrifice to open a secret realm.

What did she just say?

“Haha… hahahaha!”

After a brief, stunned silence, Yuanchao burst into laughter even more deranged than before. He laughed so hard he bent over, tears almost streaming down his face. He pointed at Shen Zhaoqing. “Interesting, truly interesting! This is the first time I’ve met a human who dares to speak to me like this, even at death’s door!”

His laughter abruptly ceased, and his vertical golden pupils blazed with an incredibly cruel light. “It seems I’ll have to change my mind. Killing you directly would be too easy. I’ll pluck out your tongue first, shatter every single one of your bones, and then use your blood to feed my beloved Blood Soul Spiders!”

As his words fell, the hand he had extended towards Shen Zhaoqing transformed into a claw, bringing with it a foul, bloody wind as he fiercely snatched at her.

The crushing pressure of a Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator descended without reservation.

This single claw strike, let alone Shen Zhaoqing’s small frame, could crush even a small mountain into powder!

Yuange, lying in a pool of blood, watched as her amber-gold pupils abruptly constricted.

‘It’s over…’

Shen Zhaoqing stood still, making no attempt to dodge.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to; she couldn’t. The overwhelming pressure felt like countless invisible chains pinning her to the spot. She could even smell the nauseating stench of blood emanating from Yuanchao’s fingertips.

However, just as Yuanchao’s sharp claw was about to touch her face—

A sword light, as cold as snow and as sharp as frost, descended without warning from the heavens!

Rip!

As if the finest silk had been torn by a sharp blade, the indestructible Demon-Locking Grand Array, which had sealed off several miles, was cleaved open in the middle, leaving a massive gash.

The sword light had yet to dissipate, its lingering power transforming into a flurry of sword qi like flying snow, sweeping across the entire area in an instant.

“Who’s there?!”

Yuanchao’s expression drastically changed. His movement towards Shen Zhaoqing abruptly stalled, and he retreated swiftly.

The Black Feather Army demon guards who had surrounded them didn’t even have time to scream. The moment they touched the flying snow sword qi, they were sliced into countless fragments, demon blood and碎肉 flying everywhere.

With the might of just a single sword strike, a large section of the battlefield was cleared.

A slender, tall figure stepped upon the lingering sword light, descending from the sky and silently landing in front of Shen Zhaoqing.

“I made it.” The ashes of a transmission talisman drifted from Shen Zhaoqing’s hand to the ground. That familiar, crisp, and faintly frosty scent caused Shen Zhaoqing’s taut nerves to inexplicably relax.

Gu Chang’an slowly turned around, her apricot-shaped eyes, like cold stars, devoid of any warmth.

Her gaze first swept over Yuange, who was barely breathing and covered in blood on the ground. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Then, her sight fell upon Shen Zhaoqing. Seeing that Shen Zhaoqing, though pale, was unharmed, the frost in her eyes melted ever so slightly.

Finally, her gaze settled on the grim-faced Yuanchao in the distance.

“Those who harmed her,” Gu Chang’an spoke, “shall die.”

In her eyes, these demons seemed to already be dead things.

“A sword cultivator from the Qingyun Sect?” Yuanchao stared intently at Gu Chang’an, squeezing out the words through gritted teeth.

He could feel that the pressure this woman exerted on him far surpassed that of the half-crippled Nine Netherworld Tiger from before!

Void Refinement Realm. She was definitely a Great Perfection Void Refinement Realm expert.

“Hmph, what arrogance!” The Black Wind Elder behind Yuanchao roared, his bravery a facade. “This is the territory of my Myriad Demon Kingdom! How dare you humans act so presumptuously! Your Highness, this person is only one. If we combine our strength and set up the ‘Myriad Demon Soul Devouring Array,’ we can surely…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of white light streaked past his eyes.

It was too fast.

So fast that even his divine sense couldn’t track it!

By the time he reacted, Gu Chang’an had already returned to her original position.

“Ugh…” The Black Wind Elder let out a strange sound from his throat. He looked down in disbelief at his chest.

There, a tiny blood-hole had appeared at some unknown moment, piercing straight through. An overwhelmingly potent, frosty sword intent surged wildly from the wound, instantly freezing his demon core and annihilating his divine soul.

“You…”

He only managed to utter a single word before his massive body burst with a ‘bang’ into a cloud of icy blood mist, scattering like snowflakes.

One sword strike.

All the Black Feather Army demon guards instinctively took a step back.

Shen Zhaoqing, watching from behind, felt her eyelids twitch.

‘Damn, my Senior Sister’s combat power is ridiculously overpowered, isn’t it? How long has she been in the Northern Border? How did she get so strong? Is the Northern Border really that good for training?’

“Charge together! Kill her!”

Yuanchao finally snapped out of his shock, replaced by boundless fury and a hint of terror. He knew very well that if he couldn’t eliminate this woman today, once she returned to human territory, the exposure of his private ambush of a Qingyun Sect disciple would undoubtedly lead to enormous trouble.

At his command, the remaining three great Nascent Soul demons and a hundred Golden Core stage Black Feather Army soldiers roared simultaneously, channeling their full demonic energy as they swarmed towards Gu Chang’an.

In an instant, demonic qi soared to the heavens, and various colored demonic arts rained down, completely engulfing the azure figure.