Chapter 175: The Wind Rises
High above Snow Plume City, a chilling, icy aura spread.
The Ice Soul Cold Star, its massive crystalline arms extending from the void, swung the Love God Scythe, scattering shimmering, heart-shaped bubbles.
Hundreds of meters away from the scythe’s reach, the Nine Nethers woman froze, paralyzed by the terrifying killing intent, unable to do anything but watch as the blade descended.
At the last moment, a strange, water-based spirit beast appeared before her.
Swish!
The pink blade flashed, a shockwave erupting, a swirling vortex of wind and water engulfing the area for several kilometers.
The strange water spirit beast, struck by the heart-shaped blade, fell silent.
The Nine Nethers woman anxiously tried to communicate with it, but it didn’t respond, as if nothing had happened.
It seemed her spirit beast was simply… dazed!
A bluff…?
“Pwah!”
The next second, she spat out a mouthful of blood, then began coughing violently, as if trying to expel her internal organs.
Within seconds, her eyes were bloodshot, her face pale, her expression filled with agony.
Having suffered such a heavy blow, her newly summoned spirit beast retreated to her spirit space.
Her mind reeling, on the verge of unconsciousness, she could no longer maintain the spirit energy required to keep her spirit beast materialized.
[Love God: Transfers damage received by the weapon to the spirit beast’s main body, and damage received by the spirit beast’s main body to the Spirit Master.] (Since you love each other so much, wouldn’t you be willing to die for each other?)
“Impossible! I am a Lineage Master of the Nine Nethers of the Pool of Hidden Secrets! How could I be defeated by an unknown nobody?!”
The black-haired woman glared at the black-crowned girl in the sky, her face contorted in disbelief.
The blue-haired girl’s hair danced in the wind, her expressionless, teardrop-stained face seemingly filled with pity for her opponent’s weakness.
Such a condescending gaze, looking down at her like…
Like a god looking down at an ant…
Such a being… in the Sea Region?!
Her vision darkened, and the woman collapsed.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~
The battle over, the Ice Soul Cold Star casually swung the Love God Scythe a few times, then it shattered into heart-shaped bubbles.
At the same time, the butterfly wings on its back and the protective barrier around Gong Lianyue also burst, a shower of pink, heart-shaped bubbles raining down.
Returning to the blue-haired girl’s side, the Ice Soul Cold Star transformed into a beam of purple light and returned to her soul core, leaving the pink figure floating in the air, dazed and disoriented.
Calm returned, the sky clear.
The Spirit Masters of Snow Plume City, watching the blue-haired girl floating silently in the sky, held their breath.
Just moments ago, she had effortlessly defeated a Fifth Cycle, Broken Cycle, Samsara Stage Spirit Master.
That uniform… were they reinforcements from the Sea Concubine Palace…?
Only the Pure Saintess, her eyes wide with disbelief, recognized her. Wasn’t that the girl who had been feeding Loving Heart Spring earlier?!
Wait, that teary face… wasn’t that the legendary…?
Just then, the blue-haired girl turned her gaze towards the three Samsara Stage Spirit Masters.
Pierced by that cold, indifferent, god-like gaze, a suffocating pressure descended, their clothes instantly soaked in sweat.
“You can do whatever you want with that one.”
“Also, I’m taking Loving Heart Spring.”
Gong Lianyue grabbed the pink figure in the air and placed it on her shoulder.
Sacred Water, Lover, initially squirmed and protested, but with the black crown so close, it quickly submitted.
A moment later, the pink figure, like a soft, boneless creature, wrapped itself around the blue-haired girl’s slender, white neck, nuzzling affectionately.
Boom!!!
A few seconds later, a pink cloud of dust erupted.
Enveloped in a pink, spirit energy barrier, the blue-haired girl, like a meteor, streaked across the sky, vanishing from sight.
After a long silence, the three Snow Fairy Mansion Spirit Masters finally recovered from their shock, exchanging glances, noticing each other’s disheveled state.
“From the Water Heart Ranking…?”
“Impossible. Those are all Nether Traverse Stage experts. She’s only at the Dead Sea Stage.”
As they discussed, the Pure Saintess, her attire revealing, arrived, riding a massive white tiger with an icy tail.
The Pure Saintess was truly living up to her title.
As a symbol of purity, her spiritual cultivation had transcended even the need for clothing, indifferent to worldly judgments and gazes.
“Teacher, I know who that woman is.”
“She must be the Sorrowful Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace!”
“How is that possible? The Sorrowful Saintess’s teardrop markings are natural, hers looked painted on…”
The lead Spirit Master trailed off, realizing something. No matter how eloquently others described the Sorrowful Saintess’s teary face, how shocking, how unique, it was impossible to truly comprehend without seeing it firsthand.
So there really was someone born with such a… picturesque face.
The Sorrowful Saintess, born with teardrop markings, the Wind Realm’s Sword Emperor, born with sword scars…
“A face like a painting…” That must be what they meant.
Not only were their appearances unusual, but their power also defied comprehension.
Even for one favored by a Saint-rank spirit beast, defeating a Fifth Cycle, Samsara Stage spirit beast at the Dead Sea Stage was an unimaginable feat.
“Wait, what was the Sorrowful Saintess doing at our Snow Fairy Mansion? And why did she take Loving Heart Spring?”
“Haven’t you noticed? That terrifying aura… that wasn’t Loving Heart Spring!”
“A Saint-rank spirit beast has been hiding under our noses for hundreds of years!”
“…”
“…”
Meanwhile, having easily defeated a Nine Nethers Lineage Master, the Sorrowful Saintess was returning to the Sea Concubine Palace.
Sonic booms echoed as a pink meteor streaked across the sky, tearing through the clouds, disappearing into the distance.
Sacred Water, Lover, a weapon-type, attachment-type spirit beast, although not yet formally contracted, was temporarily under her control, subservient to Gong Lianyue.
Her visit to the Snow Fairy Mansion concluded, but the storm unleashed by the Pool of Hidden Secrets was just beginning.
The wind was rising in the Sea Region.
Chapter 176: The Shameless Sea Concubine Palace
–Sea Concubine Palace
Bang!
Bang, bang, bang!!
A massive water barrier, shaped like a shark’s tail, enveloped the Sea Concubine Palace for hundreds of kilometers.
Outside this shimmering, translucent blue barrier, a massive, scaled sea dragon, nearly a hundred meters long, relentlessly slammed against it, its roars echoing.
A Saint-rank, Nether Traverse Stage spirit beast, the Azure Sky Sea Dragon.
Although its size was relatively small for a Nether Traverse Stage spirit beast, its every movement created earth-shattering tidal waves.
The Azure Sky Sea Dragon’s raw power placed it at the pinnacle of offensive Saint-ranks, its strength said to be capable of lifting the entire ocean.
And yet, it couldn’t break through this… protective barrier, seemingly generated by some weapon-type spirit beast!
Hidden within the Sea Concubine Palace was an incredibly powerful, weapon-type spirit beast, its automatic protective field enveloping the area for hundreds of kilometers…
“Seriously, why don’t the Sea Concubine Palace higher-ups do something about it? Why let this trash run wild?!”
“If I could beat it, I would!”
Within the Sea Concubine Palace, a blue-haired girl with a blue hair ornament and shimmering stars in her eyes fumed.
Shui Puxing, the strongest newcomer of this generation, ranked first in the Sea Dou Hall’s novice trials, now a disciple under Instructor Bai He.
Beside her, a white-haired girl with a fox tail, munching on a grilled fish, nudged her and gestured towards a distant mountain peak where a figure could be seen.
Luo Sanba, their fellow newcomer, with her long, green hair.
She stood atop the mountain, having summoned her plant-type spirit beast.
A high-rank, Illumination Stage Ice Fragrance Flower!
Under Luo Sanba’s command, the small, ice-blue flower diligently spat globs of… something… towards the sky, narrowly missing the massive sea dragon.
Seeing this, Shui Puxing froze, then a grudging admiration filled her.
She herself had just said that if she could defeat it, she would. And Luo Sanba, knowing she couldn’t win, was still doing it…
Although just spitting at it, this act of defiance had clearly enraged the Azure Sky Sea Dragon.
Its frantic attacks on the barrier were definitely motivated by the… projectiles…
“Heh, the mighty Sea Concubine Palace, can’t even send out a real opponent?”
“Just some brat spitting… disgusting!!”
A shrill, strained female voice, barely suppressing its rage, echoed from the back of the Sea Dragon.
She was angry!
She was angry.
She was angry…
She was pretending not to be angry, but she was definitely angry!
Many within the Sea Concubine Palace couldn’t help but think this. They hadn’t expected Luo Sanba’s foolish actions to enrage a Nether Traverse Stage expert. They didn’t know whether to admire her or be annoyed.
Within a minute, Luo Sanba was dragged away by several instructors, still defiantly taunting the Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Master in the sky.
Hearing the girl’s vulgar insults, the black-haired woman on the Sea Dragon’s back scowled.
“Sea Concubine Palace, send someone out to fight me!”
“What’s your rank among the Nine Nethers?”
Suddenly, a voice from behind startled the black-haired woman.
She turned around, but there was no one there, just the clear blue sky.
Boom!!!
The next second, sensing a powerful surge of spirit energy from the front, she turned back, her expression hardening.
She had been tricked by such a simple tactic…
A blue-haired woman with two large buns, swaying gently as she moved, floated before her, a comical sight.
Her soft, delicate body, encased in a flowing, water-patterned robe, accentuated her alluring curves, a strange contrast to her youthful face.
Although she had successfully tricked her opponent into turning around with the Tidal Wave spirit technique, she didn’t attack.
“What’s your rank among the Nine Nethers?” Seeing the woman’s silence, the blue-haired woman with the buns asked again, patiently.
“Second.”
The black-haired woman’s eyes narrowed as she replied truthfully.
This woman, the water spirit energy swirling around her vast and powerful, was like the embodiment of the ocean itself.
Shui Qinghou, leader of the Six Concubines.
“That’s not fair! The Sea Concubine Palace is only the third-ranked faction in the Sea Region. Why send your second-in-command against us?” Shui Qinghou complained.
“What’s your rank on the Water Heart Ranking?” the black-haired woman retorted.
“Second.”
“Exactly!”
“Are you here for a duel, or a suicide mission?” Shui Qinghou asked, bewildered.
“Of course it’s a duel! You don’t actually intend to have all your Nether Traverse Stage Spirit Masters gang up on me, do you? Surely not! That would be shameless!” the black-haired woman said, feigning outrage.
Although she was the one causing trouble on their territory, they were all Nether Traverse Stage experts. A group attack would be… undignified.
Boom!!!
As soon as she finished speaking, four or five terrifying, Nether Traverse Stage auras erupted, converging on her.
So they could gang up on her? Wonderful!
An overwhelming pressure, like the weight of the ocean itself, descended, a chilling killing intent.
“Alright, alright, you win! You have more people! I’m leaving!”
“Seriously, I was just planning to… look around… not actually go in~~”
The black-haired woman’s tone softened instantly as she turned and fled on the back of the roaring Azure Sky Sea Dragon, offering no resistance.
As she turned, her expression hardened, a dark scowl on her face.
She hadn’t expected the Sea Concubine Palace to have a hidden Sun and Moon Realm expert, a presence so powerful it had completely extinguished her fighting spirit.
The Pool of Hidden Secrets was no longer the dominant force it once was…
And the current Nine Nethers were no longer worthy of following the Nether Empress into battle…
And the Sea Concubine Palace… how shameless!!!
The black-haired woman, her heart filled with frustration and disappointment, fled back the way she had come.
Ten minutes later, a pink comet streaked across the sky, returning. Seeing the Sea Concubine Palace unharmed, Gong Lianyue breathed a sigh of relief.
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