Chapter 162: Yan Xuelian’s Obsession [PART 2]
Yan Xuelian clasped her hands together, frost energy beginning to swirl between her palms. The spiritual force gathered slowly, growing denser with each passing moment. She had always wondered what it would feel like to truly freeze her heart—to complete the Frozen Heart Scripture and become the perfect sect master her position demanded.
The scripture required her to sever all emotional ties, to become an empty vessel filled only with ice-cold determination. Yet whenever she stood at the precipice of that final transformation, hesitation always crept in. She had convinced herself it was her feelings for Shantian that held her back, that her love for him was too precious to abandon.
But if she was honest with herself—truly honest—those feelings had withered away long ago. The real reason she hesitated wasn’t love at all. It was fear. Fear of losing the very essence of who she was. If she surrendered all her desires, all her passions, what would remain? Would she become nothing more than a hollow shell, would she even be herself then? Or just a shadow of the person she once was?
Her eyes snapped open, frost already forming on her eyelashes. The sect was in mortal danger. There was no room for selfish attachments anymore, no luxury of clinging to personal desires. Yet even as she prepared to make that final sacrifice, one thought burned through the ice forming in her heart—there was still something she couldn’t bear to lose.
Her hand, already emanating waves of bone-chilling cold, reached out to touch Tiangang’s broad back. He stood protectively before her, his massive frame shielding her.
"Tiangang," she whispered, her voice carrying an otherworldly chill, "will you become my obsession?"
Her eyes glowed, frost particles dancing in the air around her. Tiangang turned to look at her, confusion etched on his face. He didn’t understand what strange words she was speaking in this moment of crisis, but something deep in him told him to agree.
He nodded once, firmly. "I will."
A smile curved her lips. In the next moment, frost erupted from her. The ice spread outward in crystalline patterns, forcing Tiangang backward with its sheer intensity. He stumbled several steps, his eyes wide with astonishment as he watched the transformation unfold.
Even the Nascent Soul expert paused in his brutal assault on the First Elder, though his grip on her throat remained firm. The First Elder’s gaze flickered toward Xuelian.
The ice cocoon surrounding Xuelian crackled a couple of times before exploding outward in a shower of glittering shards. Yet frost still clung to her, reshaping itself into an ethereal outfit that was made purely of ice.
Ice began to crystallize beneath her feet, forming a perfectly transparent staircase on which she descended.
"Let the First Elder go," she commanded. With a casual wave of her hand, ice began forming on the Nascent Soul expert’s arm, spreading throughout his arm towards the other parts of his body.
He hurled the First Elder away with ease despite his actively freezing arm. Her body crashed through several walls before coming to rest in a pile of rubble. Then he turned his full attention to Xuelian in amusement.
"That’s an interesting trick," he remarked casually. "Too bad it doesn’t work on me." He swung his arm sharply, shattering the forming ice.
Xuelian’s expression remained resolute. She already knew this wouldn’t work—the power gap between them was simply too vast. But simply giving up wasn’t in her nature.
She sensed slight movement in the frost particles surrounding her. Her arms rose instinctively, and a MASSIVE wall of ice materialized before her.
Just as she had expected, the Nascent Soul expert appeared instantly before her, but they were separated by the wall of ice. But he didn’t let this bother him as he threw a fist. His fist punched through the ice as if it were paper, stopping mere inches from her face.
"You’ve improved quite a bit," he spoke mockingly. "But it’s still not enough."
He pushed forward, his spiritual energy annihilating the remaining ice in an instant. Xuelian’s hands rose to form another defensive technique, but before she could complete the gesture, a huge hand wrapped around her body. She then felt herself being yanked backward.
Tiangang had grabbed her, throwing himself between her and that devastating fist. He raised both arms in a desperate block, the impact driving him back several meters, his feet carving deep grooves in the ground.
The Nascent Soul expert barely spared him a glance, already moving to bypass this insignificant obstacle. His focus remained fixed on Xuelian whom he thought to be a little entertaining.
He sensed movement behind him and turned to catch the ice sword aimed at his back. The blade shattered in his grip.
"You guys are starting to get under my nerves," he snarled.
Power erupted from his body in a visible shockwave. The three cultivators were thrown backward, their bodies smashing through buildings before finally coming to rest among the ruins. The destruction spread outward in a perfect circle, flattening any and all nearby structures.
They all lay scattered across the devastation, struggling to rise. Xuelian managed to lift her head, her vision blurring as she struggled to focus on their opponent. She tried to stand, commanding her body to obey, but her muscles refused to respond.
She gritted her teeth. Was this truly how it would end? Did all her years of cultivation amount to this?
No! She wouldn’t accept this fate. But what good was defiance without power? What use was determination when faced with absolute strength? She had committed the cardinal sin of the cultivation world—she had been weak.
As she was thinking of this, a voice suddenly rang out across the entire sect grounds. It carried power and authority that made the very air tremble.
"Bullying the weak, is this the way of the Wuming Sect?" The words dripped with contempt. "Well, what else could one expect from trash?"
Xuelian raised her head with tremendous effort, her eyes widening at the sight above. Li Yao descended from the heavens like a deity, lightning crackling around her form as she surveyed the destruction below.
...
"And who are you to judge how my Wuming Cult does things?" The man spoke arrogantly as he gazed up at Li Yao. Though his tone was overbearing, beneath the surface, he was a little nervous.
How had she approached without him noticing? As a Nascent Soul realm expert, his divine sense blanketed the entire sect and stretched far beyond its borders. Nothing should escape his awareness—not a bird in flight, not a leaf falling from a tree. Yet this woman had materialized from nowhere, as if she’d simply stepped out of thin air.
Even more unsettling, he couldn’t sense even a trace of cultivation from her. It was as if she were a mere mortal.
"You want to attack my sect and you don’t even know me?" Li Yao’s voice rang with mockery.
Understanding dawned on the man’s face, and his tension eased slightly. "Ah, so you are the new sect master." His earlier nervousness evaporated instantly. He had already heard the information about the new sect master. Apparently, it was just a kid playing house. As for how she concealed her realm and approached undetected—obviously some high-grade concealment treasure. Such items were rare but not unheard of.
"Let’s get acquainted." The man’s lips curved into a condescending smile as he performed an exaggerated bow. "My name is—"
Before he could finish his introduction, Li Yao had crossed the distance between them in an instant. Her sword was already descending towards his face. His weapon materialized in his hand just in time to block the strike.
CLANG!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air.
"Don’t care, didn’t ask," Li Yao stated flatly as their weapons locked. It was now a battle of strength as she pressed down and he tried to push her away.
"Such speed!" The thought flashed through the man’s mind as he struggled against her blade. Had he tried to block with his bare hand, he would have lost the entire arm. How could this child possess such overwhelming strength?
He opened his mouth to speak again, but Li Yao beat him to it.
"Twenty percent power."
The force pressing down on him suddenly increased. His knees trembled, threatening to buckle.
"What? Twenty percent?" Cold sweat broke out across his forehead. "She’s bluffing. She has to be bluffing."
"Thirty percent power."
The pressure increased once again. His legs shook violently as he fought to remain standing, his earlier arrogance crumbling as he struggled desperately to remain standing.
"Forty percent."
His knees finally gave in and hit the ground, cracking the stone beneath them. The color drained from his face as he finally accepted the situation—he was completely outmatched. Since when did the azure cloud sect have such a monster?
No, he couldn’t die here. He needed to report back to the cult leader.
Gathering every ounce of his power, muscles straining and meridians burning, he managed to push himself up against Li Yao’s crushing force.
"Ho? You can still fight back?" she spoke, showing genuine surprise.
He forced a smile through gritted teeth. "Don’t think you’ve won just yet."
His body flickered, employing a high-level movement technique. In an instant, he reappeared several meters away, putting distance between them.
"You dare to humiliate me like this?" His voice trembled with rage. "Today, I’ll show you the might of the Wuming Cult!"
"Oh? Let’s see it." Li Yao spoke in amusement as she casually lifted her sword from where it had been pressing him down.
He raised both hands dramatically. "Witness my trump card!"
A blinding light erupted from his arms. Anyone looking directly at it would be temporarily blinded.
Li Yao raised a hand to shield her eyes, squinting against the glare. "Is that your trump card? I have to say, it’s quite effective."
[Idiot, he’s running away!] The Empress’s voice thundered in her mind.
Realization finally dawned on her. The actual trump card was running away. "Dammit, I was tricked!" She launched herself skyward, immediately giving chase.
Miles away, the Nascent Soul expert allowed himself a satisfied smile as he glanced back. "Lol, what a noob," he chuckled to himself. "I’ve lived for so long—do you think I don’t have a few tricks up my sleeve?"
His laughter echoed through the sky. "At my full speed, she shouldn’t be able to catch up to me."
"Is that so?" a voice inquired.
"Of course it is. After—" His words died in his throat. The blood in his veins turned to ice as he slowly, reluctantly, turned his head forward.
Li Yao flew beside him, matching his speed effortlessly.
...
Author’s Corner
I’m feeling a little sick so just one chap today.
I wanted to do some more of Xuelian’s backstory before this since it was her Chapter but...