Chapter 179: The Reliable Sorrowful Saintess
–Sea Concubine Palace, Ice Plains
As far as the eye could see, only snow and ice, a world blanketed in white.
This was where Gong Lianyue had first encountered the Nine-Colored Cloud Dream Flower, but that had been less than ten kilometers into the Ice Plains.
And this group, led by Shui Puxing, had apparently traveled nearly a hundred kilometers. Shui Yingge’s face was dark, her anger palpable.
The Sea Concubine Palace had explicitly forbidden venturing beyond thirty kilometers. Beyond that point, they were no longer within the Sea Concubine Palace’s territory or the Snow Foxes’ patrol routes.
The surviving young girls, their faces pale, their spirit energy fluctuating wildly, trembled with fear. “They… they just vanished before our eyes!!”
Vanished…
A spirit energy fluctuation had been detected in this area recently. Could they have been pulled into some unknown, small-scale secret realm?
A team of ten, five missing… why were these five unharmed?
Shui Yingge glanced at them and instantly understood. Their talent was too poor. They weren’t chosen.
Boom!
The next second, a burst of water spirit energy descended from the sky.
A purple star, its pink butterfly wings flapping, materialized, depositing a cold, blue-haired girl with teardrop eyes onto the ground.
Gong Lianyue, the Sorrowful Saintess!
Seeing this, the Water Emperor’s eyes narrowed. So fast…
Less than ten seconds had passed since she issued the mission. Even the Six Concubines had barely reached the Ice Plains.
As the blue-haired girl landed, the special effects around her vanished in a burst of pink, heart-shaped bubbles.
Sacred Water, Lover’s, Flashing Wings wasn’t true teleportation, but the ability to instantly relocate anything composed of pure water spirit energy within a ten-kilometer radius.
And in the Sea Region, where even the air was saturated with water spirit energy, it was practically teleportation.
Of course, ten kilometers was just the weakened, Samsara Stage version. The true power of Sacred Water, Lover, was said to be capable of leaping between realms, far exceeding its current limitations.
Half a minute after Gong Lianyue’s arrival, several blue streaks of light appeared—the Six Concubines, assembled.
Seeing so many high-ranking officials, the new recruits trembled, their hearts filled with anxiety, afraid of being blamed.
A moment later, a white-haired woman in an instructor’s uniform, her figure… distractingly curvaceous, arrived, a worried expression on her face.
Bai He, former Saintess Candidate, now an instructor in the Sea Concubine Palace.
Shui Puxing, one of the missing girls, was her disciple. She had naturally rushed here immediately.
Seemingly due to her hurried journey, her… assets… bounced for a good ten seconds before settling down.
“What do you think? A secret realm?” the Water Emperor asked.
“If it’s a secret realm, it must be a small one, since it only took five of them,” Shui Qinghou commented thoughtlessly, her words, as usual, ignored.
As everyone focused their spirit energy, searching for clues, Gong Lianyue frowned slightly.
She was intimately familiar with secret realms: the Soul Prison Trial, the Waterfall Lake Wonderland.
Especially the Soul Prison Trial, which she had entered and exited hundreds of times. She couldn’t forget that disorienting sensation.
But the residual aura here felt… different, strangely off…
After a moment of thought, Gong Lianyue spoke, “This isn’t a secret realm.”
“A secret realm is a separate space, independent of the spirit world, like a spirit beast’s inner world.”
“Although the aura here vanished instantly, there’s still residual spirit energy. A clumsy disguise.”
Hearing the blue-haired girl’s words, the others exchanged glances.
So the Sorrowful Saintess had entered and exited secret realms multiple times, perhaps even possessing a bound secret realm, like a system.
“So, it’s not a secret realm, but somewhere in the real world?”
“They must have been transported somewhere nearby, perhaps even within the Ice Plains. But I doubt they want us to find them.”
Gong Lianyue’s words brought a thoughtful silence to the group.
The Snow Fox Princess, perched on Shui Yingge’s shoulder, whimpered and shed tears, its pitiful appearance tugging at one’s heartstrings. Sensing the Cloud Dream Flower’s… amorous intentions, Gong Lianyue shuddered and quickly blocked the little fox’s spirit energy.
This was the Water Emperor’s… wife… what was it planning to do in public?!
“I’ve searched the surrounding area, but I can’t sense anything. It’s like something in the depths of the Ice Plains is blocking our perception.”
Shui Qiu’e’s voice was filled with unease. Everyone in the Sea Concubine Palace knew of the hidden dangers within the Ice Plains, hence the strict thirty-kilometer limit.
And now, their perception was blocked. They couldn’t possibly find the missing girls just by searching visually.
It was like seeing a distant rock, but sensing only emptiness when using their spirit energy.
Their usually reliable detection methods useless, the group was at a loss.
“Sigh, it seems we can only wait for them to escape on their own.”
“…”
“…”
“I’ll bring them back.”
The sudden words made everyone turn and stare at the Sorrowful Saintess.
Her tone was cold and indifferent, a simple statement of fact.
“Can you detect the residual aura?” Gong Lianyue asked, her voice cold.
[Sacred Water, Lover: Easy peasy~~~]
Snap!
The next second, the Ice Soul Cold Star’s purple star materialized, enveloping Gong Lianyue like a protective barrier.
Sacred Water, Lover’s, spirit energy surged, and two beautiful, pink, heart-shaped butterfly wings sprouted.
It didn’t even need to search. It simply had to swap locations with the missing girls’ spirit energy.
[Battle Technique – Flashing Wings]
With a whoosh, the blue-haired girl vanished.
The women stared in shock.
The Sorrowful Saintess, in such a short time, had become so… reliable, her words carrying an air of authority, like an empress.
Even standing alongside the Six Concubines and the Water Emperor, her presence wasn’t diminished. Her teardrop-marked face drew all eyes.
Even the Water Emperor couldn’t help but anticipate the upcoming Ranking Battle.
Of course, before that, she hoped everyone was safe, that the Sorrowful Saintess could successfully rescue those reckless newcomers.
Chapter 180: Saint-Rank Inheritance
Within a cavern of deep blue crystal, an icy pool, cold enough to freeze the blood, reached their ankles, a chilling, penetrating cold.
Four or five girls lay scattered in the shallow water, their clothes soaked, revealing their alluring curves.
A blue-haired girl, her eyes filled with shimmering stars, as if slightly dazed, was the first to awaken.
Shui Puxing clutched her throbbing head and looked around. The walls of the cave, covered in deep blue crystals radiating a powerful spirit energy, were clearly impenetrable.
A few moments later, the other girls also awoke, their faces pale as they looked around in alarm.
Shui Yue’er wrung her soft, white fox tail like a wet cloth, spraying water, a strangely comforting sight.
“…”
“…”
“Where are we? Why are there only five of us?”
“It looks like a secret realm.”
“Were we chosen by a secret realm!?”
“It must be. My teacher, Bai He, said she once stumbled into a secret realm while wandering in the Ice Plains when she was young,” Shui Puxing said excitedly.
“Is that why it’s so big?”
“?”
After a brief discussion, the five girls’ fear turned to excitement.
Led by Shui Puxing, they ventured deeper into the icy cave, their figures gradually disappearing from view.
Strangely, their reflections remained visible on the icy walls, as if they were walking in place.
After three hours, the narrow, dark cave opened into a spacious chamber, bathed in a beautiful, shimmering, ice-blue light.
They had reached a large room filled with giant crystals. This was the end of the path.
“Strange, are there really such… simple and boring secret realms?”
Shui Puxing frowned. This wasn’t what she had expected.
She had been prepared for a challenging adventure, ready to summon her spirit beast at any moment, but they had reached the end without any obstacles.
[Welcome, trial participants!]
[Are you ready to accept the trial bestowed by a supreme being?]
The sudden voice in their minds stunned the girls, and they exchanged bewildered glances.
A voice speaking directly into their minds? A legendary technique only found in fantasy novels…
Such an incredible ability! This was definitely a real secret realm!
So the real trial hadn’t even begun yet.
Shui Puxing relaxed completely, but Shui Yue’er, a suspicious frown on her face, hesitated. This method of communication… it reminded her of her mother, constantly summoning her telepathically to do chores.
“Greetings, supreme being. May I ask, what kind of being are you?” Shui Yue’er asked cautiously.
[I am not a supreme being, merely a humble servant. It has been a thousand years since my master was sealed here. I wonder… what has become of the outside world…]_
Following the voice’s guidance, they looked towards a figure encased in ice.
Ah, this!
A massive, ten-foot-long sword, its surface flowing with shimmering water, a magnificent and noble weapon.
The Saint-rank spirit beast, the Water Breaking Song!!!
The five girls’ faces lit up with excitement. They had stumbled upon a Saint-rank! Such incredible luck!
[For a thousand years, countless talented individuals have attempted this trial, but none have been able to awaken my master. Their talent was insufficient. I wonder… are you worthy?]
[If you successfully form a contract with my master, unifying the Sea Region will be within your grasp.]
Unifying the Sea Region!
The girls’ hearts surged with excitement.
But Shui Yue’er calmly waved her hand, her words like a bucket of cold water dousing their dreams.
“That’s impossible. The Water Breaking Song is only ranked 40th among water-type Saint-ranks. Unifying the Sea Region? We can’t even defeat the Sorrowful Saintess.”
“…”
“…”
“Don’t worry, the Water Breaking Song is still very powerful!”
“Yeah, yeah, we don’t need to unify the Sea Region. Just having a place in the Sea Concubine Palace would be amazing.”
The girls offered words of comfort, the sweat on the sword’s surface seemingly… evaporating.
What kind of people were these, unfazed even by a Saint-rank spirit beast?
[The trial will now begin.]
[Place your hands on the crystal and release your spirit energy. If you can resonate with my master, you will succeed.]
“Okay!”
Shui Puxing stepped forward, placed her hand on the ice-encased crystal, and began channeling her spirit energy.
A dense, ocean-like wave of water spirit energy flowed outwards. Sensing this power, the sword was stunned.
Was this really an Illumination Stage Spirit Master…?
It had expected these five fools to take turns channeling their spirit energy, perhaps even multiple attempts, to break the seal. But this girl alone was almost enough to fill it.
It even felt a flicker of… desire… to form a contract with her.
A descendant of the water lineage, favored by the Sea Region, Shui Puxing, even at the Illumination Stage, possessed spirit energy comparable to a Dead Sea Stage Spirit Master.
Boom!!!
Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the giant crystal, the ice around it cracking.
Seeing this, the other girls felt a mix of excitement and disappointment. Only a genius like Shui Puxing could awaken a dormant Saint-rank spirit beast.
Bang!
Suddenly, Shui Puxing was thrown back by a powerful shockwave, landing near the wall, her head bleeding.
As everyone watched in disbelief, a deep blue Water Element, its body covered in ice spikes, emerged from the shattered ice, a chilling mist swirling around it.
The next second, the Water Element grabbed the Water Breaking Song, casually snapped it in half, and tossed the icy fragments aside.
That hadn’t been the Saint-rank Water Breaking Song, but an illusion made of ice.
This deep blue Water Element’s true name was—the Crystal King!
An elemental, all-purpose type, a high-rank, Dead Sea Stage Crystal King!!
The situation had taken a drastic turn, from a miraculous opportunity to utter despair.
A Dead Sea Stage spirit beast, an insurmountable foe.
If Shui Puxing had been at full strength, she might have had a chance, but she had channeled all her spirit energy into the enemy, leaving herself completely drained!
“Hahahaha, a bunch of naive fools!!”
“I was sealed here two hundred years ago, during a territorial dispute on the Ice Plains, by that damned Snow Fox Emperor. Now, having finally recovered some of my strength, I lured you here with this little charade.”
“Wait, a Snow Fox hybrid?”
Noticing the Snow Fox girl, who was trying to hide by shrinking her ears and tail, the Crystal King’s expression turned to one of intense hatred.
A violent surge of deep blue spirit energy, and a massive ice spike, as large as a siege ram, emerged from the Water Element’s mouth.
Boom!!!!
The next second, the giant ice spike shot out, hurtling towards the Snow Fox girl.
Panicked and inexperienced, Shui Yue’er forgot to even summon her spirit beast.
Just then, a dreamlike purple aura spread outwards, freezing time and space.
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