Chapter 310: Ice River Valley's Master, Just Because Xun'er Let You Go Doesn't Mean I Will
In the distance, Venerable Qinghai finally stabilized himself, but his face was filled with disbelief.
Two Dou Zun bodyguards—at least four-star, possibly five-star—what kind of identity did that girl in the green dress possess?
"Who are you people, daring to meddle in Soul Hall's affairs?!"
But Qinghai quickly toughened up. After all, he had the Soul Hall at his back—one of the most powerful forces in the Central Plains.
"No sense of occasion, huh? Can't you see my little brother and sister are catching up?"
Xiao Yuan's expression turned icy. With a casual wave, a figure burst out of his storage ring in a dazzling golden flash. With a single punch, it smashed Qinghai backward.
"A Dou Zun-level puppet?!"
Qinghai reeled from the blow, barely stopping himself. His expression turned pitch-black as he stared at the broad figure in the sky.
He never expected Xiao Yuan to be hiding a puppet of this caliber!
Judging by the earlier punch, this puppet had at least three-star Dou Zun strength, and with its fearless, unyielding nature, even a four-star Dou Zun would struggle against it.
Since when did Starfall Pavilion have access to such terrifying assets?
"That's... Venerable Lei?!"
Tianshuangzi, not far away, recognized the puppet and shrieked in shock.
Venerable Lei, though only a peak three-star Dou Zun, had been able to rival four-star Dou Zun with his techniques—and now, he had been turned into Xiao Yuan's puppet?
Unbelievable!
"Correct. Your prize—becoming my next puppet!"
Xiao Yuan beamed at Tianshuangzi. As he spoke, Venerable Lei—now a Heaven Demon Puppet—flashed forward, his punch tearing the space around him.
Had it landed, Tianshuangzi would've died on the spot.
"Valley Master, save me!"
Wounded and unable to resist, Tianshuangzi screamed desperately.
As the words left his mouth, the space in front of him twisted violently. Waves of space power rippled out.
"Sigh… to think that trying to capture a Calamity Poison Body would draw out so many powerful enemies. I miscalculated."
A soft sigh echoed from the space. A massive black ice throne slowly emerged. Atop it, a white-robed figure rose to his feet.
The surrounding temperature plummeted.
As the white-robed man stood, snow began falling rapidly, covering all of Leaf City in mere moments. From a distance, the city now gleamed under a blanket of silver-white frost.
A dark ice spear shot forth, slamming into the Heaven Demon Puppet and sending it flying. At the same time, loud cracking noises erupted from the void. A dark ice stairway unfurled, and the white-robed figure stepped out.
All eyes turned to him.
This man's robe was pristine. He had a tall, lean build, youthful features, and cold, indifferent brows. Despite his beauty, there was a strangely sinister softness to his appearance.
On his brow rested a black snowflake-shaped seal. A single glance at it made people feel their souls were freezing.
With hands behind his back, he stood atop the black ice stairway. Snowflakes swirled around him, each now carrying a deadly sharpness.
"That's... the Valley Master of Ice River Valley?!"
"Heavens, even that old demon came in person? All this... just for a Calamity Poison Body?"
Voices of astonishment echoed throughout Leaf City. Even the Ye Family was stunned. One Dou Zun after another… and now even Ice River Valley's master appeared?
"Valley Master!"
Tianshuangzi, saved by a hair, bowed respectfully with joy.
"Where is Sky Snake?"
The Valley Master's eyes slowly scanned the area and asked in a cold voice.
Tianshuangzi looked awkward. After a pause, he pointed at Xiao Yuan. "That kid killed him."
"Hmph."
The master of Ice River Valley cast a frigid glance at Xiao Yuan.
"Hehe… didn't expect the famous Valley Master himself to show up," Qinghai said, cupping his hands. Though also a Dou Zun, he knew the gap between him and this man was massive.
In the Dou Zun realm, the difference between star levels was immense. Without special methods, crossing ranks was nearly impossible. And this man had long since made a name for himself.
The white-robed man only nodded slightly. Qinghai didn't mind. He smiled faintly and stepped back.
"Valley Master, those two newly arrived Dou Zun seem on par with you. Be careful."
Qinghai reminded him with a glance toward the two black-clothed elders standing near Xun'er.
The Valley Master nodded and stared at the two elders.
"Who are you? This matter concerns Ice River Valley."
Naturally, he wasn't foolish. From the guards' strength alone, he could tell the girl's background was extraordinary. Still, the ancient clans kept a low profile. Many didn't even know they existed.
Which meant—he couldn't be certain of Xun'er's identity, but he also wasn't too afraid. The Dou Qi continent was vast; even he couldn't know every powerhouse.
"What a domineering Ice River Valley."
Xun'er smiled as she gently pulled away from Xiao Yan.
Her gaze met Ice River Valley's master without fear.
Seeing her expression, he frowned. He knew she wasn't praising him. His eyes subtly shifted to the two black-clothed elders again—and saw that their strength was indeed comparable to his own.
"I only want the Calamity Poison Girl. If these others are your friends, I'll overlook them. But that girl must come with me!"
His gaze lingered on Xiao Yi Xian, who had been pulled into Xiao Yuan's arms.
Xun'er glanced toward Xiao Yuan and the three unique beauties around him. With a slightly exasperated blink, she smiled and waved.
Xiao Yuan nodded politely.
"Valley Master, those two—Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan—must not be allowed to leave. They carry things the Hall Master of Soul Hall desires greatly!"
Qinghai stepped in urgently. Clearly, both boys had ties to Yao Chen. Capturing them would be a massive achievement.
"Then you go do it yourself."
Ice River Valley's master snapped. He cursed Qinghai inwardly for being so tactless.
Qinghai's expression darkened. He wasn't going to kneel for anyone—not even for Ice River Valley's leader.
"You two, stop bickering. No one here is leaving. You have one minute to take your people and get out of this city, and I'll allow you to walk away."
Xun'er's calm voice rang out, silencing both men.
With her background, she already knew Xiao Yi Xian would become one of her sisters-in-law. And knowing her third brother's temperament, even if Ice River Valley left today, he would return one day to destroy them.
All she needed to do… was frighten them away now.
Both Ice River Valley's master and Qinghai looked grim.
They represented powerful forces. Especially Qinghai—backed by Soul Hall, which feared almost nothing. Though the two elders were strong, could they really tell Soul Hall to leave with a wave?
"Heh… such arrogance. There aren't many in the Central Plains who dare speak to Soul Hall like that."
Qinghai laughed darkly. "Girl, don't offend an untouchable force over a mere man."
"That line would sound more convincing coming from your Hall Master. You? You're not qualified."
Xun'er smiled faintly. The ancient clan had very few fears on this continent.
"Thirty seconds."
Golden flame flickered in her pupils.
Ice River Valley's master and Qinghai grew visibly tense.
If they left now, they'd lose immense face. But if they stayed…
"Heh… so bold. In all my years in the Central Plains, this is the first time a brat dared provoke me."
The Valley Master of Ice River Valley sneered. The black snowflake on his brow glowed eerily. Dark cold surged from within him. A pitch-black icicle formed in his palm—twisting with sharp spirals, its tip deadly and cold enough to pierce a man's chest clean through.
"Elders."
Xun'er turned to the two black-robed elders, unperturbed.
"Leave it to us, Miss."
Both men bowed. One turned toward the Valley Master, smiling warmly.
"Hehe… I've long heard your Ice Sovereign Force is unmatched, Valley Master. Let this old man test it personally."
With that, the white-haired elder stepped forward, appearing right in front of the Ice River Valley master.
His smile never wavered.
"Since you're choosing first, then I'll take care of these two," the other black-clothed elder said with a sigh, turning his attention toward Qinghai and Tianshuangzi.
Binghe (the Ice River Valley Master) glared at the smiling white-haired elder before him. His eyes flashed with cold killing intent, and with a fierce stomp of his foot, eerie black ice materialized out of thin air. It transformed into over a dozen long black ice spears that pierced through the air, whistling as they shot toward the elder.
In response, the white-haired elder smiled calmly. He clenched his hand, and a vast surge of deep yellow Dou Qi erupted. A thick wall of earth rose up before him, catching the barrage of ice spears with muffled puff-puff impacts.
"Miss Xun'er doesn't like to be kept waiting. Let's not waste time and fight quickly."
With a stomp, the white-haired elder's deep yellow Dou Qi whirled around his body and transformed into ferocious earth dragons, which surged forward with low roars and trembling space, charging at Binghe.
Faced with such a violent assault, Binghe—despite his strength—had to take the matter seriously. The strange black ice spike in his hand began to spin rapidly as he dashed forward to meet the elder head-on.
While the white-haired elder fought Binghe, the other black-clothed elder strode through the sky, step by step, toward Qinghai and Tianshuangzi.
"Tianshuangzi, let's join forces and test this elder," Qinghai said grimly, feeling an increasing sense of dread as the man approached.
Tianshuangzi glanced at the chaotic battle between Binghe and the white-haired elder, sighed, and nodded. The current situation was anything but favorable. All they could do now was try to hold on.
"We have no choice…"
Gritting his teeth, Tianshuangzi added, "Binghe hasn't ordered a retreat, so we can't flee either. Let's fight."
"Gan Da, join me! Attack Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yan!"
Qinghai called coldly to several Soul Hall experts hovering in the air.
Gan Da and the others hesitated at first, then smiled bitterly. With a Dou Zun puppet standing beside Xiao Yuan, wasn't charging in basically suicide?
Still, they couldn't disobey Qinghai's orders. They steadied themselves and rushed toward Xiao Yuan.
"Ice River Valley elders, assist Soul Hall in capturing Xiao Yan!"
Tianshuangzi's cold voice echoed out. The Ice River Valley elders looked at each other, then gritted their teeth and followed the Soul Hall attackers.
Seeing this, Qinghai nodded in satisfaction. He turned his gaze to the black-clothed elder in front of him. Sharing a glance with Tianshuangzi, both let out cold laughs, releasing their powerful Dou Qi before darting in different directions to surround and assault the elder from two angles.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan leisurely brought his three stunning companions over to Xiao Yan and Xun'er.
"Not bad, Xun'er. Your strength has improved quite a bit."
Xiao Yuan looked her over and nodded in approval, surprised that he couldn't fully gauge her strength.
"Compared to you, Third Brother, I still fall short," Xun'er said with a hint of frustration.
Though her Dou Qi level was higher, when it came to true battle power, her terrifyingly talented third brother remained in another league.
"Well, I haven't forgotten you once said you'd bring little Yan to your clan to propose. I've got to be strong enough to back him up, don't I?"
Xiao Yuan laughed heartily.
Xun'er's cheeks reddened at that, and she turned to look shyly at Xiao Yan. Their gazes met, eyes brimming with emotion.
"Oh right—let me introduce you. These three are Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and Yun Yun. Sooner or later, they'll be your sisters-in-law."
As Xiao Yuan introduced them, he sent his puppets—led by Venerable Lei—charging toward the reckless Soul Hall and Ice River Valley elders.
At that exact moment, three pale and slender hands pinched the soft flesh at Xiao Yuan's waist.
"Hss!"
"Pfft!"
Seeing Xiao Yuan grimacing in pain, Xun'er and Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh aloud.
"At least spare me in front of my younger siblings!"
Xiao Yuan rubbed his waist helplessly.
"Hmph!" ×3
Three simultaneous huffs rang out.
"No wonder the sisters-in-law are angry—you're too much of a flirt, Third Brother," Xiao Yan teased.
"Hmph, getting cocky now, huh? I'll have to spar with you later and show you what it means to respect your elders."
Xiao Yuan's smile darkened.
"Cough… no need for that!"
Xiao Yan quickly waved it off.
Unless he used the Buddha's Fury Lotus Flame to go all out, he couldn't beat his third brother. And at that point, it wouldn't be a spar—it'd be a beating!
"Third Brother, you can't bully Brother Xiao Yan. If you want to spar, you'll have to fight me!"
Xun'er stepped in protectively, chin lifted proudly.
"Fine, I can't fight my own sister anyway. But I must say, your arrival saved me a lot of trouble."
Xiao Yuan grinned.
"Oh? So even without me, you could've handled everything?"
Xun'er asked curiously.
"Pretty much. Ice River Valley isn't hard to deal with. But the years little Yan spent missing you? That's something only you can fix."
Xiao Yuan's tone carried a teasing lilt.
"Brother…"
Xiao Yan blushed furiously. Had he really been that obvious?
"Then hurry and end this. I don't have much time to waste here."
Xun'er glanced at Xiao Yan, then blinked at Xiao Yuan.
"Haha! Then do me a favor and destroy that cold barrier. The rest is on me."
Xiao Yuan smiled.
"Alright!"
She nodded sweetly, flicked her finger, and released a strand of golden light that vanished into the air.
Moments later, the cold energy blanketing the area trembled. Towering beams of Dou Qi shot from beyond the barrier, shredding it apart. The frigid air dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal.
As the cold mist faded, numerous shadowy figures appeared before Xun'er and bowed respectfully.
With a wave of her jade-like hand, they scattered silently around the city to guard against further threats.
"Incredible."
Xiao Yuan nodded in admiration, turning toward the distant battlefield.
There, Qinghai and Tianshuangzi were clearly losing ground against the black-clothed elder. Likewise, the white-haired elder's battle with Binghe raged on, the void itself cracking with every blow.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted as the white-haired elder clashed again with Binghe. He laughed heartily, and dazzling green light flared from his palm as he rapidly formed complex seals.
"Heh! Take my Heaven-Annihilating Seal!"
Xiao Yan's eyes twitched—Heaven-Annihilating Seal? The fourth form of the Imperial Seal Art?!
Binghe was stunned too. That name… it sounded familiar.
"Heaven-Annihilating Seal… Imperial Seal Art?!"
Realization struck. His gaze shifted toward Xun'er, shock and fear flashing across his face.
"She… she's from the Ancient Clan?!"
Even Binghe, master of Ice River Valley, couldn't conceal his horror. The Ancient Clan—legendary, hidden, feared even among elites—possessed unfathomable power.
He hurriedly blocked the incoming seal and then turned to Xun'er, bowing slightly.
"Miss, may I speak?"
"What? Trying to convince me to hand over my sister-in-law now?"
Xun'er smiled with a hint of mockery.
Binghe's pupils shrank. He quickly called, "Tianshuangzi, fall back!"
Grateful for the order, Tianshuangzi broke off his battle and returned to Binghe's side. "Valley Master?"
"This is Ice River Valley's fault today. If we've offended, I ask for your forgiveness."
Binghe gritted his teeth and bowed toward Xun'er.
Tianshuangzi was stunned—he had never seen Binghe bow to anyone!
"What are these people…?" he wondered. They must be far more powerful than just two Dou Zun guards.
"Binghe, what are you doing?! Are you going to disgrace Ice River Valley like this?!"
Alone now, Qinghai broke off his fight and shouted angrily.
Binghe ignored him. Soul Hall might not fear the Ancient Clan, but Ice River Valley certainly didn't have the strength to fight them.
"It's fine. Have those two elders retreat. I'll handle the rest."
Xiao Yuan turned to Xun'er.
"I'll take care of the aftermath in Leaf City. I won't stay longer than needed."
Binghe glanced around at the disbelieving crowd, then looked at Xun'er.
"Miss, I hope today's conflict won't sour future relations."
"I hope so too," Xun'er said with a serene smile. "Because if it happens again, next time I'll come to Ice River Valley."
Binghe's face twitched. He forced a smile and prepared to leave.
But the space passage behind him shattered as a surge of spatial power destroyed it.
"What's the meaning of this?!"
Binghe growled, looking at the broken portal.
"Valley Master Binghe, seems you misunderstood. Xun'er letting you go was her choice. I never said I would."
Xiao Yuan's voice rang out across the heavens.
And beside him, a red-and-white robed elder had appeared—his Dou Qi blazing so fiercely that all present Dou Zun experts turned pale.
(END CHAPTER)
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