Chapter 73: The Sun-Seizing Divine Metropolis
The battle in the Wind Valley over the Frost Snow Woman finally ended.
The capture of the Saint-rank Swallow God was a bombshell for the Sea Region factions, sending ripples of shock and disbelief throughout the land.
For days, the Sea Concubine Palace higher-ups debated He Daoqi’s ransom, even delaying the final stage of the Saintess selection.
Some members even questioned the point of the Saintess selection. The Sorrowful Saintess’s combat power was unmatched within the Sea Concubine Palace. Wasn’t this a waste of resources and lives? No one could possibly defeat Gong Lianyue!
Even casual observers found it pointless, a sentiment shared by the Sea Concubine Palace higher-ups.
However, the millennia-old tradition of the Saintess selection had always been more of a symbolic ritual, a pursuit of some elusive ideal by the Sea Region factions.
And the Storm Realm, equally committed, attempted to disrupt the Saintess selection every time. Both sides seemed to enjoy this little game.
Sea Concubine Palace
Ripples of blue water spread outwards, the surroundings enveloped in a transparent, bubble-like barrier, forming a watery chamber.
A blue-haired girl with six teardrop-shaped beauty marks on her face sat in meditation within the water-constructed space, a frosty white core placed in the corner.
This chamber was created by the Water Element Commander’s second battle technique—[Crystal Chamber].
After evolving into a mid-rank Water Element Commander, its available battle technique slots had increased from one to two, allowing for an additional technique besides Ice Binding Contract.
Gong Lianyue hadn’t chosen an offensive enhancement, but this support-type technique that created a chamber.
As a Dual Soul Body with two cores, Gong Lianyue could hide within this space inside the Water Element Commander while her main spirit beast fought, ensuring her safety.
More importantly, the Frost Snow Woman’s core needed a safe place. Inside this chamber, it wouldn’t be lost or stolen.
[Crystal Chamber: A mysterious water space within the Water Element Commander’s core. Can store the Spirit Master’s body and items at will. Convenient and comfortable.]
Useful, but offered no direct combat benefits…
Hidden within the Crystal Chamber, Gong Lianyue took stock of her gains from this expedition.
During her trip to the Wind Valley, the little fox had awakened the hidden battle technique Possessing the Divine, the Water Element had evolved into the Water Element Commander, and she had somehow obtained the Frost Snow Woman’s life core.
Fifteen tokens from Storm Realm Spirit Masters, equivalent to 1500 contribution points.
And she had also captured He Daoqi of Gray Citadel.
When that woman was ransomed, she would receive a large amount of resources. The Sea Concubine Palace had promised her twenty percent of the ransom and 5000 contribution points.
Gong Lianyue was satisfied.
After all, without the Sea Concubine Palace’s protection, she wouldn’t have been able to negotiate with the Gray Citadel. She would have only ended up with He Daoqi’s corpse and an unresolvable blood feud with the Gray Citadel.
Her gains from the Wind Valley were substantial, but there was one thing that bothered her. For some reason, her cultivation speed had slowed down…
Was this a side effect of the Dual Soul Body? Her two soul cores felt like bottomless pits, never satisfied no matter how much spirit energy she absorbed.
The progress within the Illumination Stage was determined by the water level within the soul core. A full core meant abundant spirit energy.
At the Dawn and Dusk Stage, progress was judged by the core’s brightness.
As the initially brilliant core gradually dimmed, radiating a heavy, oppressive aura, it indicated that the Spirit Master was approaching the Dead Sea Stage.
Her soul cores were still as bright and vibrant as when she had just broken through, indicating no progress whatsoever.
Sinking into the Dead Sea, giving birth to Samsara.
Samsara reversing, breaking through Nether Traverse.
At the end of Nether Traverse, glimpsing the sun and moon.
Gong Lianyue was worried. At this rate, she didn’t know how long it would take to reach the Dead Sea Stage and form a contract with the Frost Snow Woman’s core…
Bai He and Hong Tao might even reach the Samsara Stage while she was still stuck at Dawn and Dusk.
Ding-dong!
A clear ringing sound echoed in her mind.
[Soul Prison Trial, Session 215, commencing shortly.]
[Soul Prison Secret Realm, Second Level: Monolith Temple]
With a whoosh, the blue-haired girl vanished from the room.
Within the Monolith Temple, a girl with long, pink hair stood on the floating sea of clouds, her eyes closed, listening to the wind.
This girl was the one who had climbed alongside Gong Lianyue during the first trial, a mixture of admiration and rivalry in her heart.
Before her, the massive, hard monolith was now reduced to dust.
[Congratulations on clearing the second level of the Soul Prison Trial.]
With a flash of light, her consciousness returned to reality.
Flowing lava dyed the cave a vibrant crimson, the air thick with a destructive heat.
Sitting cross-legged on a charred skeleton, the beautiful, pink-haired girl slowly opened her eyes, her pale, weakened face unable to hide her beauty.
“Finally reached the Dead Sea Stage and can use my Saint-rank spirit beast’s power. I wonder what level Sister Gong has reached…”
“Come out, let’s go home.”
With a soft command, the air around her shimmered with heat, a roaring inferno erupting.
Beneath her feet, the charred skeleton twitched, then burst into flames.
Rumble!
The earth shook as a massive, thousand-meter-tall black skeleton rose, its body bathed in molten lava, its height almost reaching the sky.
This terrifying, demonic figure, its massive frame formed from dark bones, wreathed in hellfire, with massive horns like a demon, radiated a violent aura.
The Infernal Skeleton exhaled a stream of scorching air, its colossal body slowly descending, its every move creating shockwaves that almost tore the space apart.
The swirling clouds burned away, the girl’s vision turning white, only black and white outlines remaining, like a distorted, abstract drawing.
Sitting on the skeleton’s arm, she unfurled a glowing piece of parchment.
[Lord Inferno, the Wind Realm Overlord’s ten-thousandth birthday is approaching. The Sun-Seizing Divine Metropolis has decided to send you as an envoy.]
“What? Me…?”
Seeing this, the pink-haired girl froze, her expression turning to shock.
Wait, wasn’t the Wind Realm the one next to the Sea Region?
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