Du Gu Qingli remained silent, pressing on with a fierce assault.

Si Han looked as if he was about to defect, and if he did, everything would be over. There was no time for idle chatter.

How troublesome! Why couldn’t Si Han be like the eunuchs Pei Qingyan sent to besiege them?

As for Xuan Nü’s so-called “demonic contamination,” she was mistaken.

Perhaps Xuan Nü and the Bingyu Sect had some form of alliance, but clearly, Ling Qixuan hadn’t revealed the full truth, and Xuan Nü didn’t know that Du Gu Qingli was the primal incarnation of the Ice Demon. Sensing the demonic energy on her, Xuan Nü assumed it was merely contamination.

Little did she know, it was Du Gu Qingli’s own demonic energy, increasingly resonating and awakening due to repeated contact with the Ice Demon.

Contaminated demonic energy and the demonic energy hidden within one’s own roots were two entirely different things.

Xuan Nü tried to harness Du Gu Qingli’s “contaminated” demonic energy for her own use, transforming it into the enchanting demonic desire of the Canü Xuangong. But as she drew it forth, she noticed Du Gu Qingli’s eyes shifting from blue to red, becoming increasingly ferocious.

Xuan Nü: “?”

Jiang Yuan: “…”

Why is she like me, also having a hidden bloodline? She’s also fierce, with even stronger killing intent than mine.

Even when I activate my bloodline, my eyes don’t change color! Why are yours so colorful?

Xuan Nü was even more bewildered. The ice sword became incredibly ferocious, its power surging by more than a level. It transformed from a somewhat humanized little snow girl into a killing machine.

With a loud “clang,” the ice sword clashed with Xuan Nü’s power, and waves of icy, frigid light emanated.

The surrounding air became bone-chilling, as if it would freeze everything, from body to soul. Even moving within it felt sluggish and difficult, with an biting cold.

Si Han’s body began to frost over first, cracking and congealing.

Then Jiang Yuan, with a layer of frost on her eyebrows.

After that, Gao Da, already creaking and groaning from the ice, his movements becoming slower and slower.

“Ice and Frost Laws?” Xuan Nü gasped in horror. “Isn’t this the power of the Ice Demon? You are…”

Du Gu Qingli said nothing, devoid of emotion at this moment.

“Crack!” Xuan Nü’s protective aura was pierced by a single sword strike. As Xuan Nü tried to teleport, she found herself completely locked down by the ice, unable to move.

Jiang Yuan wasn’t idle either. Enduring the freezing cold, she viciously stabbed her dagger into Xuan Nü’s back.

Xuan Nü screamed in agony, her beautiful body rapidly aging and decaying. A shadowy figure suddenly escaped from her spiritual platform.

But even this escaping primordial spirit appeared very distinct amidst the pervasive frost, as if even the soul itself was covered in ice.

Du Gu Qingli’s sword flew out, piercing through the primordial spirit and pinning it to the wall.

Xuan Nü’s primordial spirit weakened, letting out a low, soft laugh. “So that’s how it is, so that’s how it is. I was careless… but it doesn’t matter, we’ll meet again.”

The primordial spirit dissipated, seemingly vanished.

However, the next moment, like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, it reformed outside the secret cave, mysteriously.

The primordial spirit looked back into the cave. “There are no law-level beings in the ancient realm, yet they’ve gathered in the human world… We have ample time.”

Just as it was about to escape, it was startled to find itself unable to leave.

A delicate figure in purple appeared in front, sitting in a wheelchair, with a calm expression.

“Yan Jun!” This time, Xuan Nü was truly horrified. Neither Jiang Yuan nor Du Gu Qingli, no matter how mysterious their backgrounds, no matter that they could defeat her… but they were not Huiyang, and thus lacked sufficient understanding of primordial spirits. It would not be easy to truly kill her.

But the person before her could.

This person was not only a Huiyang, she was in the process of achieving Qianyuan, and her understanding of primordial spirits was incomparable to those young women.

Xuan Nü frantically tried to flee, but how could a weakened primordial spirit escape Yuan Muyu’s grasp? With a flick of her slender hand, Yuan Muyu seized her.

Xuan Nü struggled, “Yan Jun, we are allies after all! Is this how you conduct your alliance of the Ten Halls of Yama!”

“If it’s detrimental to him, then no alliance is meaningful.” Yuan Muyu tightened her grip, and the primordial spirit began to steam, as if it were being evaporated alive.

Xuan Nü showed a look of pain. “Yuan Muyu, you are a lunatic!”

“You have good judgment, to make the same assessment as Xingzhou.”

Xuan Nü: “?”

Yuan Muyu said, “You don’t need to pretend. I know this primordial spirit is merely a clone of yours. Even if I kill it, it will only weaken your main body; you won’t die.”

Xuan Nü never had just one avatar. Pei Chuyun was merely her optimal choice. In fact, seeds were buried all over the world, ready to become a new Xuan Nü at any time. As long as her main body hidden in the ancient realm remained, she was inexhaustible.

Destroying this clone would be a severe blow to her main body, but not fatal.

Xuan Nü finally dropped the act. “What do you intend to do?”

“I suspect your Canü Xuangong originated from modified fragments of the Dao Cultivation part of the Yin-Yang Jiyi Gong… and that you’ve held back some fundamental methods when teaching Pei Chuyun, such as your avatar technique, which Pei Chuyun doesn’t know.” Yuan Muyu said, “Hand over the complete text, and I can spare this clone.”

Xuan Nü sneered, “Why don’t you try soul-searching?”

“Knowing it’s a clone, memories can be freely transferred. What’s the point of searching?” Yuan Muyu said, “Of course, you can choose to let this clone dissipate rather than give me the complete Canü Xuangong… but at this time of tribulation, suffering such a significant weakening of a clone, you might not survive the ordeal. You should consider what to do yourself.”

Xuan Nü said, “Do you want the Canü Xuangong to help Lu Xingzhou complete the Yin-Yang Jiyi, or to figure out a way to charm men and win back his heart?”

Yuan Muyu’s face was expressionless.

Xuan Nü chuckled. “You guessed right, the Canü Xuangong is indeed related to the Yin-Yang Jiyi. Unfortunately, it’s not a modification of a fragment, but another set of cultivation methods derived by referencing some of its theories. I can give it to you, but whether you can deduce the Yin-Yang Jiyi from it depends on your ability.”

“So you have indeed seen the Dao Cultivation part of the Yin-Yang Jiyi?”

“I have.”

“Where?”

Xuan Nü revealed a hint of a smile. “Naturally, in Mo He’s hands. If you’re capable, go kill him for your lover.”

Yuan Muyu was noncommittal. “First, hand over the complete Canü Xuangong.”

Xuan Nü sneered, “Dream on.”

Yuan Muyu tightened her grip and began to soul-search.

Xuan Nü’s clone began to dissipate, revealing a hint of venomous laughter. “You are destined to yearn and never attain in this life.”

The clone vanished like a wisp of smoke. Almost simultaneously, women across the world, including Pei Chuyun, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

That was the shared sensation as Xuan Nü’s avatars.

Theoretically, at this moment, the Xuan Nü known to the world had died. If she were to revive in another avatar, it would be a different cultivation, and even her personality might change due to a different identity.

Yuan Muyu silently watched the green smoke in her hand, Xuan Nü’s venomous curse still echoing in her mind.

Destined in this life… to yearn and never attain.

“Yan Jun.” Ji Wenchuan came to her side and whispered, “The Bingyu Sect has been annihilated. Old Lu was not careless at all; almost all of the top forces of the Tianshuang Kingdom were deployed. Even without our participation, their demise was inevitable.”

“Mm. He is rarely careless.”

Ji Wenchuan hesitated. “You… aren’t going in?”

Yuan Muyu said, “He doesn’t want to see me.”

Ji Wenchuan secretly thought that might not be true. What was wrong with normal communication? Old Lu had already stopped shying away from using people from the Yanluo Hall for help, yet she was being overly sentimental.

And her legs were fine; she was still sitting in a wheelchair, pretending for what?

How did that saying go… His wife was almost showing, and she still hadn’t let go.

She kept muttering about needing to distinguish what she liked… What was wrong with her? The moment she heard Yin Fenglaoren say Lu Xingzhou was going to deal with the Bingyu Sect, she immediately rushed thousands of miles a day. Was she not concerned about Old Lu himself, but rather some conceptual past?

Ji Wenchuan held it in for a long time, but finally said, “Du Gu Qingli shows signs of the Ice Demon awakening. Should we help?”

“This matter should be within Xingzhou’s plans. He is trying to get Du Gu Qingli to gradually get used to the existence of demonic nature… This is correct. Demonic nature is symbiotic with her and cannot be eliminated. If it’s not induced and controlled now, it will be even more troublesome after she reaches Huiyang.” Yuan Muyu whispered, “Let’s wait a moment and see if Xingzhou can handle it properly. If not, I… I will intervene then; it won won’t be too late.”

Ji Wenchuan nodded.

Regarding cultivation knowledge, Ji Wenchuan greatly respected Yan Jun.

It was just her emotional state that was quite laughable. She was now starting to clean up after him. What was she doing before…?

Meanwhile, back inside.

When Xuan Nü’s clone dissipated under Du Gu Qingli’s sword, Jiang Yuan and Si Han both let out a sigh of relief. An existence like Xuan Nü was too troublesome; it was hard for any normal person not to fall for her tricks. Fortunately, it was Du Gu Qingli, a little ice person.

“Hey, is she really dead or not…” Jiang Yuan started to ask Du Gu Qingli, but then her heart skipped a beat.

Du Gu Qingli slowly raised her sword, her red eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan’s natural peach blossom eyes, full of killing intent.

Jiang Yuan took half a step back. “You want to kill me? Logically, even if you’ve awakened some bloodline or something and your temperament has changed, you shouldn’t have amnesia.”

It was like her own temperament had changed now, but she clearly knew who her allies were; she wouldn’t turn on her loved ones.

But Du Gu Qingli’s state seemed to be truly turning on everyone.

Feeling that Du Gu Qingli genuinely wanted to kill her, Jiang Yuan coldly said, “Good! I’ve been annoyed by you, you dead white-haired freak, for a long time!”

She drew her dagger.

Du Gu Qingli remained silent, only gripping her sword tighter.

In her red eyes, it seemed as if she was analyzing some data—no matter how she analyzed it, she felt a strong repulsion towards this woman’s existence; she would take off her clothes for Lu Xingzhou to see.

The battle between the two was on the verge of breaking out.

Si Han had just broken free from the bewildering charm of the Canü Xuangong and Du Gu Qingli’s ice seal, and he was bewildered. “You two, let’s talk this out!”

The two women simultaneously snapped, “Shut up!”

Jiang Yuan added, “You deadweight.”

Si Han: “…”

The dignified ruler of the Tianshuang Kingdom, a half-step Huiyang, one of the few cultivators in this world, was called a deadweight. Si Han knew he couldn’t afford to provoke them, so he quickly sent a signal to Lu Xingzhou: “If you don’t come over, the backyard is going to catch fire!”

“Whoosh!” Lu Xingzhou broke through the barrier and appeared in the scene.

Seeing the tense standoff, he was also dumbfounded and quickly stepped between the two. “Don’t fight, don’t fight, let’s talk this out!”

As if drawn by something, the two who were originally in a standoff instinctively struck out after his appearance. Lu Xingzhou, caught in the middle, became a human sandwich, attacked from both sides.