Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold swept across like a raging wave.
Its piercing cold seemed capable of freezing the heavens and earth.
The seasoned cultivator gathered all his Dao energy, his immense spiritual power as blazing as the scorching sun.
However—
Facing this terrifying frost, even a body at the fifth celestial level couldn't withstand its sharpness.
The sunlight dimmed.
The spiritual power faded.
In an instant, the cultivator turned into an ice sculpture, losing all vitality and movement.
Immediately after,
Shen Xue unleashed a thunder spell, her formidable power shattering the ice sculpture in an instant, causing the fifth-level cultivator to perish.
This sudden change stunned the Gu Huang side, but greatly boosted the morale of the Qingyang Immortal Nation's forces.
"The Blood Lord's might is awe-inspiring!"
"Such a formidable force, killing a fifth-level cultivator in one strike. Could it be a fifth-level forbidden spell?"
"No... this is the supreme fourth-level forbidden spell 'Ten Thousand Years of Ice'. Yet, the Blood Lord's cultivation is so profound that she can use a fourth-level forbidden spell to kill a fifth-level enemy!"
A fellow fourth-level spell master recognized that Shen Xue had not used a fifth-level forbidden spell but rather the supreme fourth-level forbidden spell "Ten Thousand Years of Ice."
Understanding the power of "Ten Thousand Years of Ice" made these fourth-level spell masters even more shocked.
"Ten Thousand Years of Ice" is considered the pinnacle among fourth-level forbidden spells, and ordinary fourth-level spell masters would struggle to cast it even with all their spiritual power.
Even if they forced it, it would take a long time to prepare, unlike Shen Xue, who could almost instantaneously cast it with a chant.
Shen Xue's ability to slay a fifth-level cultivator proved the terror of her power.
After slaying the enemy, Shen Xue quickly cast a fourth-level low-grade escape spell on herself.
Her figure turned into a stream of light, disappearing like a ghost, heading straight for the edge of the encirclement.
As the leader of a sect, Shen Xue had a clear grasp of the current battle situation.
Although she could kill a fifth-level initial-stage cultivator, there were higher-level experts lurking within Gu Huang, including those above the fifth level.
Once a sixth-level expert intervened, even with her spell spirit body, she couldn't withstand it.
The gap of one level was enough for a sixth-level expert to easily obliterate her.
Therefore,
In prolonged combat, Qingyang Immortal Nation was doomed to lose.
Remembering her mission, Shen Xue decisively broke out of the encirclement after slaying the fifth-level cultivator.
Just as Shen Xue was about to break through, a chilling aura suddenly surged.
The space cracked like a spider web, and a towering figure descended, the overwhelming spiritual power like a massive peak pressing down.
The force of this strike made Shen Xue's face change drastically.
Without hesitation, she instantly cast a fourth-level spell, gathering the surrounding frost power to form an unbreakable barrier.
The next moment,
The giant palm struck the ice barrier, and the terrifying force caused the barrier, which could withstand a fifth-level attack, to crumble inch by inch.
The residual force hit Shen Xue, causing her to fall from mid-air.
"Ugh!"
Upon landing, Shen Xue spat blood, her face instantly turning pale.
The force of that palm had gravely injured her.
A figure in a gold-black robe appeared, with a rough face and flowing hair, exuding an aura that challenged the heavens and earth.
"A mere cultivator at the Hua Long stage, yet you survived a strike from me. Your strength is indeed remarkable. If you submit to Gu Huang Sect, I might spare your life."
Gu Tiangang gazed at Shen Xue, a glimmer of admiration in his eyes.
During the last invasion of Qingyang Realm, he had noticed the diverse cultivation systems of Qingyang.
It included both Gu Huang's body refining techniques and other sects' cultivation methods.
After thirty years in seclusion, Gu Tiangang had yet to break through the final barrier, unable to advance beyond the True Lord realm.
This was due to both the constraints of the longevity shackles and the inherent difficulty of this realm.
If he could acquire the cultivation methods of Qingyang and integrate them, he might comprehend the realm beyond True Lord.
Thus, Gu Tiangang did not immediately kill Shen Xue.
Another reason,
He appreciated her talent.
With just Hua Long stage cultivation, she could slay a Real Cultivator and withstand his strike with only minor injuries. Her potential was evident.
If he could recruit such a genius, it would undoubtedly strengthen Gu Huang Sect.
Although Shen Xue was from Qingyang Realm, Gu Huang Sect had previously recruited people from other realms.
As long as the benefits were sufficient, there was no fear of betrayal.
Moreover,
Gu Huang Sect had ways to control such individuals.
Meanwhile,
As Gu Tiangang was trying to persuade her, Shen Xue's face turned cold. She decisively gathered all her remaining spiritual power and began chanting a forbidden spell.
In an instant,
The bone-chilling frost reappeared, and the supreme fourth-level forbidden spell "Ten Thousand Years of Ice" manifested again.
The terrifying frost power engulfed Gu Tiangang, freezing the surrounding space with a thick layer of frost.
In no time,
Gu Tiangang turned into an ice sculpture.
Seeing this, Shen Xue was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the ice sculpture shattered, and Gu Tiangang's spiritual power radiated like the blazing sun, melting the frost instantly.
"How could this be..."
Shen Xue's face turned pale, her complexion even more bloodless.
Gu Tiangang shook his head, "Your power is indeed extraordinary. If you were at the True Lord level with me, you might truly trouble me."
"But now, thinking you can oppose me with this is mere fantasy."
"I ask you once more, submit or die?"
"I'd rather die than submit!"
Shen Xue gritted her teeth in response.
Upon hearing this,
A hint of regret flashed in Gu Tiangang's eyes, but his expression quickly turned cold. A terrifying pressure erupted from him, causing the space to tremble slightly.
In an instant,
The world seemed to turn upside down, as if the heavens were enraged.
The terrifying pressure of a True Lord at the peak overwhelmed Shen Xue, making it impossible for her nearly exhausted spiritual power to move, as if she were falling from the clouds to the mortal realm.
"If you insist on seeking death, I'll grant it!"
With that,
Gu Tiangang unleashed his full power. A strike at the peak of the sixth level shattered the space like a mirror.
The pitch-black cracks revealed a terrifying abyss.
Shen Xue watched the giant palm descending upon her, despair evident on her stunningly beautiful face.
At that moment,
A green light enveloped her, and a majestic figure walked through the air, stepping on blooming green lotuses. Although appearing to move slowly, he reached Shen Xue in an instant.
Facing the descending giant palm, the figure also extended his right hand, and a vast, powerful force surged like a raging sea.
4o