Chapter 32: Under the Frosty Sky (Please add to favorites! Please keep reading!)

Zhu Wushuang was currently contending with a snake demon. The silk gauze in her hands was a first-grade magical tool, imbued with twenty-nine layers of Daoist trace restrictions, possessing formidable power.

Coupled with her cultivation of the low-grade immortal technique "Seven Star Flying Light," her combat strength was among the elite of her realm. No matter how ferocious the snake demon's nature, the situation remained under her control.

She only needed to slay this white snake demon and then reclaim the jade fruit from the female cultivator.

As for whether 'Yan Ning' had seen through her intentions?

A mere early-stage First Realm cultivator—even if she possessed some self-defense methods to deal with the small snake—was of no consequence.

Zhu Wushuang's advantage continued to expand. Just as she appeared to be driving the silk gauze forward to slice off the snake demon's head like a guillotine, a sudden numbness shot up her spine, accompanied by a chilling gust of wind.

Surrounding her with shimmering radiance, she immediately blurred her physical form. The incoming arrow passed straight through her body without leaving a single wound.

Though Shao Heng felt a sense of regret, she was not frustrated.

Due to Zhu Wushuang's momentary lapse in concentration, the white snake demon had already escaped the killing blow. Even knowing she might have been used as a pawn, the demon could only fight desperately for survival in the current situation, seizing the opportunity to spray a cloud of emerald-green venom toward Zhu Wushuang.

Zhu Wushuang was protected by a halo of light, upon which seven shimmering stars could faintly be seen. She looked back, her gaze toward Shao Heng filled with gloom, devoid of any previous kindness.

"You are also in the mid-stage of the First Realm? I suppose I've bitten off more than I can chew."

Seeing this, Shao Heng's expression remained impassive. She pulled the bowstring, releasing arrow after arrow with extreme speed; in the blink of an eye, arrows fell like rain.

The arrows deliberately avoided the white snake demon. In the demon's eyes, it was more meaningful to kill Zhu Wushuang, whom it perceived as the stronger threat, and thus it launched successive attacks under the cover of the arrow rain.

While Shao Heng used her dual focus to force Zhu Wushuang to expend energy dodging the arrows, thirty-six Jade Bee Needles shot through the air.

These needles were first soaked in the rare poison "Jian Shou Qing" and then coated with the snake demon's venom. Their toxicity was so violent that even a late-stage First Realm cultivator would have to be wary.

"Yan Ning, I was reckless before; I overlooked the fact that a small snake demon still remained in the cave. I am a disciple under Elder Cihang of the Wenxing Sect, I hope you can show some magnanimity. Once I deal with this snake demon, how about we split the jade fruit equally?"

Zhu Wushuang sent her voice through a divine transmission, but Shao Heng turned a deaf ear.

Either do nothing, or go all the way.

The magical power within her body surged into the bow, causing it to glow with a deep azure light.

Within her sea of qi, the [Azure Emperor] rune suddenly absorbed Shao Heng's Yellow Sprout magical power, condensing a wisp of pitch-black airflow that surged toward the arrowhead.

It had been over three months since she began her cultivation. During this time, Shao Heng had continuously used 'Ze Si Fang' to condense spiritual liquid to nourish the spiritual rice and precious medicines, while also accumulating a unique surge of vitality.

Upon breaking through to the mid-stage of the First Realm, her mastery over her divine abilities grew stronger. That vitality had undergone a qualitative change through accumulation, causing the cyan-gold tree-like runes to extend several new patterns, much like the continuous growth of a tree.

This was also the symbol of her second transformation.

The Azure Emperor governs the Wood element of the East.

The spring moisture of the four directions is the beginning; the winter frost of the world is the end.

The final blow Shao Heng had dealt to the demonic cultivator Tang Dong, and the one she was now using against Zhu Wushuang, was precisely the second transformation of the [Azure Emperor].

Frost of the World!

The death energy condensed by this transformation was such that, aside from its master, any living being that touched it would have its life force stripped away, clinging like a maggot to a bone until death arrived.

As the arrow took shape, Zhu Wushuang felt a sudden sensation of numbness and chill. While dealing with the snake demon's assault, she cried out sharply.

"Yan Ning! My master, Elder Cihang, has already condensed her divine ability. She is proficient in the arts of divination and the Eight Trigrams; she can calculate karma and lock onto the true culprit. You wouldn't dare!"

Hearing this, Shao Heng instead released the string, and the arrow flew forth with lightning speed!

"Die."

Her killing intent was thick, yet her face remained as steady as a quiet lake.

From the very beginning, Shao Heng had never believed that a mere acquaintance like Zhu Wushuang would grant her some fortuitous opportunity—especially since the task of simply going to the snake cave to steal the fruit amidst the chaos was far too simple.

She had thought then: *Is Zhu Wushuang not worried that I will flee with the fruit?*

After being attacked by three snake demons in the cave, Shao Heng had deduced the truth and decided she must kill this woman.

She was someone who would fight for her rights even when at a disadvantage; why should she spare a life when she had the upper hand?

The arrow pierced the air, its fletching whistling as it tore through the atmosphere, aimed directly at the vital spot of Zhu Wushuang's heart.

"By decree, summon the soldiers to descend and protect my body!"

Zhu Wushuang gritted her teeth and pulled a brownish-yellow talisman from her sleeve. She channeled her magical power to ignite the runes upon it, and immediately, a pure golden barrier of light rose around her.

Second-grade Talisman: Soldier-Summoning Protection Talisman.

With a snake tail whipping like a lash in front and arrows flying rapidly from behind.

*Bang!*

A muffled sound erupted, followed by a cloud of sand.

Shao Heng chanted a silent incantation, and a whirlwind rose before her. As the wind dispersed the dust, it transformed into sharp blades of wind that slashed forward.

"Hiss."

The golden barrier on Zhu Wushuang's body was strong enough to withstand a strike from a Second Realm Profound Realm cultivator, but it was a single-use item, and it now shattered and dissipated.

Her face was filled with fury, her eyes wide. Relying on her tempered physical body, she endured two wind blades and charged toward Shao Heng.

Seven stars flickered in Zhu Wushuang's right palm. As they converged, the power of the stars was pushed to its limit, descending toward the heart of the snow-clad female cultivator.

"You're lucky! I have only just begun to comprehend this Seven Star Palm, and it's being used on you first. Die!"

Shao Heng looked up at her and let out a cold laugh.

[Three Thousand Miles of Moon] · Moonlit Phantom Body.

Silver radiance swirled around her as she unleashed all the accumulated essence of moonlight, splitting into six silver shadows that scattered in different directions.

Startled, Zhu Wushuang immediately adjusted her magical power and threw out six palm prints, but they ultimately struck nothing but air.

Shao Heng had grasped the essence of this immortal technique, but manifesting the phantom bodies still consumed a significant amount of magical power.

Once she had regained distance and her true body reappeared, she swallowed a Yuan-Returning Pill and remained on high alert.

No matter how strong Zhu Wushuang was, she was only in the mid-stage of the First Realm. With the palm strike missing and too much magical power expended, her decline was evident.

The white snake demon had been fighting Zhu Wushuang for a long time and held a deep grudge against her. Combined with the fact that Shao Heng had created a large distance, the demon seized the opportunity to strike, opening its massive maw toward Zhu Wushuang!

"Vile creature!" Zhu Wushuang's brows furrowed deeply, but while she dealt with the snake demon's assault, several Jade Bee Needles controlled by Shao Heng flew like ghostly shadows, piercing fiercely toward her heart.

*Clang!*

A crisp sound rang out. It turned out that beneath her white robes, Zhu Wushuang wore a set of magical armor. The soft light flowed like water, deflecting the Jade Bee Needles; its quality was certainly not inferior.

"No, that armor is about to break!"

Excitement flashed in Shao Heng's eyes. After the previous intense battles, the armor clearly already had cracks. She manipulated the Jade Bee Needles to strike repeatedly, causing the cracks to deepen.

In the next instant, the white snake opened its mouth wide and bit down directly on Zhu Wushuang. As its teeth ground together, they emitted a glow, and demonic energy soared into the sky!

It completely destroyed the armor and, following a blood-curdling scream, the snake demon swallowed the woman on the spot.

"Good snake!"

Shao Heng praised loudly. She immediately channeled the magical power from her Yellow Sprout into her Thousand-Strike Bow, firing rapid shots at the white snake's vital points.

She used movement techniques to maintain the distance between them—approaching only to strike and retreating as soon as she drew near.

The snake demon was also nearing exhaustion. Its subsequent attempts to fight back all failed, and the situation could no longer be reversed.

When it could no longer hold on, it collapsed heavily to the ground.

Shao Heng fired one last arrow, imbued with the death energy of the Frost of the World. The snake demon showed no movement even after being hit, and only then did the tension in her heart slightly ease.

Completely drained of strength, she collapsed to the ground. Shao Heng covered her face with one hand, unable to stop her body from trembling.

But after a moment, her emotions finally settled, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"I won."