Chapter 177: The Sorrowful Saintess One-Shots the Nether Empress
–Sea Region, Pool of Hidden Secrets
High within the inky black palace, five cold and elegant women stood in silence, their gazes locked, as if waiting for something.
The renowned Nether Empress, reappearing after a thousand years, radiated a terrifying aura, her power seemingly undiminished.
This black-haired woman’s presence alone could dominate the entire Sea Region. The difference in power between her and the other Sun and Moon Realm Spirit Masters was… fundamental.
As rulers of the Sun and Moon Realm themselves, the four women could clearly sense this insurmountable gap.
Even if they joined forces, they wouldn’t last a single round against the Nether Empress…
They could only wait.
Finally, after more than ten hours of silence, a shadowy figure appeared, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“Nether Empress, the invasion of the Sea Region’s nine major powers is complete.”
“Besides the Azure Stream Palace and the Winter Floating Sky, which are engaged in fierce battles, the other factions have easily repelled the Nine Nethers. However, the situation at the Snow Fairy Mansion is… unusual. It seems they were defeated by the current Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace.”
“The Eighth Lineage Master, despite illegally using a second spirit beast, was defeated and captured.”
“…”
“…”
Hearing the report, the four Sea Region Emperors breathed a collective sigh of relief.
It seemed that although the Nether Empress was tyrannical, she still had some sense of fairness, restricting the Nine Nethers Lineage Masters to a single spirit beast and ordering a retreat upon defeat.
They weren’t surprised that the Winter Floating Sky was struggling. The strongest of the nine girls had clearly been on the verge of reaching the Sun and Moon Realm.
“Is that so…”
Hearing the report, a flicker of emotion, a hint of loneliness, appeared on the Nether Empress’s cold face.
Times had changed.
The Pool of Hidden Secrets was no longer the unrivaled powerhouse it once was.
The battle with the Snow Monarch had almost destroyed them, plunging them into the abyss.
After a few minutes of silent contemplation, the Nether Empress looked up, her eyes dull and lifeless.
“At this time of year, the Saintess selections should be over. The Sea Region Ranking Battle is about to begin, isn’t it?”
“Yes, one month remains until the Ranking Battle,” the green-haired woman from the Ice Shield Palace nodded.
“According to tradition, only Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters of the new generation can participate in the Ranking Battle, while the subsequent Resource Allocation Battle is for the Water Heart Ranking experts.”
“All Sea Region factions can participate. Your Pool of Hidden Secrets can also use the Ranking Battle to reclaim your former glory.”
As the Ice Empress finished speaking, the black-haired woman, without a word, descended into the Pool of Hidden Secrets palace.
After a moment, a faint voice echoed,
[I look forward to it.]
“…”
“…”
“Still acting like she’s in charge!?” the icy beauty from the Cold Court said, her tone laced with displeasure.
“Relax, the Pool of Hidden Secrets has been weakened considerably. They’re nothing to worry about without the Nether Empress herself. Even the combined Nine Nethers can’t cause much trouble now~~~” the leader of the Winter Floating Sky said, dismissing the Nine Nethers as insignificant.
She was confident that this generation’s Sea Region Saintesses could easily defeat the descendants of the Nine Nethers.
And the experts on the Water Heart Ranking would crush the Lineage Masters.
“Then, see you at the Ranking Battle in a month!!”
Before she even finished speaking, the Ice Empress vanished, streaking across the sky like a falling meteor, seemingly in a hurry.
As the Emperors from the Cold Court and the Winter Floating Sky also departed, Shui Yingge remained, frowning slightly.
She felt like they, including the Nether Empress, had overlooked something. A nagging feeling of unease lingered.
She replayed the conversation in her mind. The key information was: the Azure Stream Palace and the Winter Floating Sky were struggling against the Nine Nethers, and Gong Lianyue had defeated the Eighth Lineage Master at the Snow Fairy Mansion.
Shui Yingge instinctively felt something was wrong with this, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. It seemed… strange, yet also perfectly normal.
The Sorrowful Saintess Gong Lianyue had simply defeated a Samsara Stage expert. What was so surprising about that?
And so, Shui Yingge dismissed the crucial detail, unable to understand what she was missing.
The reappearance of the Pool of Hidden Secrets shocked the entire Sea Region.
Overnight, this news stunned all the factions, its impact no less than the Wind Realm learning about the loss of the Shadowlurking Blade.
If the Storm Realm factions had heard this news, they would have immediately convened an emergency meeting. However, they were currently preoccupied with preparations for the war against the Water Element, unable to pay attention to the Sea Region.
After its brief appearance, the Pool of Hidden Secrets had once again retreated into the depths of the ocean, its location unknown.
However, the Winter Floating Sky’s announcement of the upcoming Ranking Battle, mentioning the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ participation, ignited a frenzy of speculation within the Sea Region.
The descendants of the Nine Nethers, facing the Saintesses of the nine major powers… what an exciting matchup!
This highly anticipated confrontation sparked everyone’s interest.
The most popular and widely supported was naturally the Sorrowful Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace.
It was said that this woman was practically a divine being, her six teardrop beauty marks and compassionate face a sign of her destiny to bear the burden of sorrow.
Especially after the news of the legendary Water Element’s rampage in the Wind Realm, the Sorrowful Saintess’s fame had reached unprecedented heights, her name echoing even within the other Sea Region factions.
Although the details were still unconfirmed, the report had come from the Ice Shield Palace, lending it some credibility.
The rumors grew more and more exaggerated, even reaching the secluded Pool of Hidden Secrets, where they began to wonder about this Sorrowful Saintess.
Just a Dead Sea Stage Spirit Master… what could she possibly do?
A curious Spirit Master from the Pool of Hidden Secrets snuck out to investigate and happened to encounter a group of the Sorrowful Saintess’s devoted fans.
This Spirit Master returned with an unbelievable piece of information.
An undeniable truth, acknowledged by all Spirit Masters in the Sea Region: the Sorrowful Saintess could defeat the Nether Empress with a single move!!!
How utterly absurd…
Chapter 178: Shui Qinghou’s Resentment
–Sea Concubine Palace, Saintess Tower
The massive spire within the Sea Concubine Palace, a towering spiral staircase covered in icy cloud patterns, its swirling patterns like flowing water.
The Saintess Tower, a palace built specifically for the Sorrowful Saintess!
At the top of the icy tower, on the rooftop, a dense water spirit energy, like a heavy ocean, radiated outwards, a chilling, oppressive presence.
Boundless, endless, like sinking into the depths of a despairing sea, a dark and heavy aura.
The blue-haired, teardrop-eyed girl sat in meditation, her body enveloped in a swirling vortex of spirit energy, like a miniature waterspout.
Gong Lianyue, the Sorrowful Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace. Half a month had passed since her return from the Wind Realm, and the turmoil caused by the revival of the Pool of Hidden Secrets continued to escalate.
The Ranking Battle was fast approaching, and the water aura radiating from her was growing increasingly terrifying, unfathomable.
[Ultimate Spirit Technique – Azure Heart of Water]
“Honestly, I finally come to visit, and she’s just… cultivating…”
A blue-haired woman with two large buns, her tone laced with resentment, stood nearby, kneading a small, white rabbit with floppy ears, practically turning it into a pancake.
Shui Qinghou had brought Gong Lianyue the Azure Heart of Water, a secret technique passed down through the water lineage.
Although far less mysterious than the Lost Scroll, it had finally allowed Gong Lianyue to experience the true power of a spirit technique, sending her into a cultivation frenzy.
The Azure Heart of Water allowed one to store excess water spirit energy. There were seven stages, the highest allowing one to store up to 700% of their total spirit energy capacity, a significant advantage in battle.
“Phew~~~”
Having depleted her spirit energy, Gong Lianyue opened her teardrop eyes, exhaling a frosty mist, her face flushed.
The Azure Heart of Water was now at its first stage limit, 100%. If she channeled this extra spirit energy into her spirit beasts, she could even sustain their needs outside the Sea Region.
Essentially, it was a portable charger.
“Teacher, why haven’t you left? Is there something else?” Sensing a presence behind her, Gong Lianyue turned around, puzzled.
“…Something else?”
Shui Qinghou repeated the words blankly, her eyes suddenly welling up.
Her child had grown up, now coldly dismissing her, likely engaging in some indecent activities in secret.
Seeing Shui Qinghou’s pitiful, aggrieved expression, Gong Lianyue was confused. Who was the Sorrowful Saintess here?
“What’s wrong, Teacher? Did someone bully you?”
“You!!”
“Huh?”
“Yue’er, have you forgotten? Every time you bathed in the sacred spring, you would come to Sea Moon Peak and bathe with me. But you’ve become so distant lately, always dismissing me after a few words. Do you know how lonely I am?!”
“Ah, this…”
Shui Qinghou’s melodramatic sobbing and tearful accusations left Gong Lianyue speechless.
That was because, back then, before she had awakened her companion spirit beast, after bathing in the sacred spring, a ritual performed by every Saintess, she had felt… unclean and would go to Shui Qinghou’s place, ostensibly to bathe together, but actually to absorb her water spirit energy for cleansing.
But after obtaining the Water Element, she could cleanse herself easily, no longer needing to visit Sea Moon Peak.
However, she had to admit, she had been neglecting her teacher lately…
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have been so cold.”
“Alright, alright, don’t cry. You’re not some abandoned wife. Look, your makeup is all smudged. Let me help you wash up.”
Gong Lianyue pulled the blue-haired woman towards the bathroom, hoping to end this quickly.
Her two comical buns bouncing, Shui Qinghou, her face flushed, followed obediently, like a shy young girl.
Yue’er had become so domineering after returning from the Wind Realm…
Beep, beep—
Beep, beep—
Suddenly, an alarm startled them both.
The wave-shaped calendar in the corner of the room beeped, a message appearing on its surface.
[Two new members of the Sea Concubine Palace, Shui Puxing and Shui Yue’er, have disappeared in the deep regions of the Ice Plains, a hundred kilometers from the palace. All Sea Concubine Palace members who receive this message must immediately report to the area and assist in the search—Shui Yingge, the Water Emperor.]
“Blue text. This is a mandatory mission!” Shui Qinghou’s face turned serious, her desire to bathe gone.
“It’s been years since the Sea Concubine Palace issued a mandatory mission. What’s so special about these two?” Gong Lianyue asked, her tone puzzled.
A mandatory mission required the presence of all Six Concubines and instructors. Was it really worth mobilizing the entire palace for two missing newcomers?
“Shui Puxing is a descendant of the water lineage. Her background isn’t particularly prestigious, but her talent is exceptional.”
“As for Shui Yue’er, she…”
Shui Qinghou leaned closer and whispered in the blue-haired girl’s ear.
Gong Lianyue’s face flushed slightly as she listened, then she coughed, trying to appear nonchalant.
The Snow Fox Princess’s daughter, yet she had the surname Shui?
Another case of a spirit beast becoming a… wife…
No wonder Shui Yingge was so concerned, even issuing a mandatory mission, mobilizing the entire Sea Concubine Palace.
“Then I’ll go ahead. Shui Puxing is practically my niece. It wouldn’t look good if something happened to her.”
“You should also hurry. As the Saintess, you can’t ignore a mandatory mission.”
As Shui Qinghou spoke, a powerful spirit energy, like a blue mist, surged from her body.
However, just as she was about to leave, a transparent, purple sphere enveloped Gong Lianyue.
The blue-haired girl, encased in the shimmering purple star, two pink, heart-shaped butterfly wings sprouting from its sides—
Swish!
The next second, with a flap of its wings, the girl vanished, leaving a swirling cloud of dust.
Shui Qinghou stared at the empty room, her mouth agape, speechless.
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