At this moment, even Rosalyne frowned.
She had thought it was merely a corrupted Seelie, but clearly there was something far deeper hidden within.
She could faintly sense the aura of a demon god concealed inside—like a beast awakening from slumber, its greed barely contained as it eyed the prey delivered to its doorstep.
The black dragon formed from the Dark Seelie suddenly lunged downward, marking the first time Shenhe's frost domain was breached.
Terrifying black light surged and swallowed the surroundings.
Forced back step by step, Shenhe wielded her ice-blue spear as if it were part of her own body, yet even so, she could not block every strike.
Each time the beast's claws crashed down, they collided with her spear in showers of sparks, accompanied by dull, ringing clangs that echoed endlessly.
A faint crimson flickered within Shenhe's eyes as her normally indifferent nature was gradually stirred into ferocity.
When that familiar aura erupted, the Dark Seelie grew even more enraged.
Ignoring the scales torn open by the spear tip, it relied on sheer brute force to shake the earth, battering Shenhe repeatedly until her limbs went numb.
With the space completely sealed, escape was impossible—even if they wanted to run.
The moment things turned abnormal, Yun Jin immediately moved in front of Luo Li.
Seeing that he carried no visible Vision, she feared he might be injured.
The ground rolled like ocean waves, as though an earthquake had struck.
At the same time, the remaining two Geovishaps burrowed straight into the earth and vanished.
"Mr. Luo Li, be careful!"
Yun Jin urged her Geo energy forward, intending to suppress the surging earth while keeping a wary eye on her surroundings, fearing a sudden ambush.
But in the next instant, Rosalyne—wearing her crown-like mask—stepped forward with long strides, a cold gleam flashing in her magnificent eyes.
In the blink of an eye, frost sealed the underground chamber.
The writhing earth veins froze solid.
Even the Dark Seelie was affected, its movements slowing noticeably.
More than that, Rosalyne spoke coldly:
"Lowly vermin—get down here."
As her words fell, frost spread visibly through the air, forming a massive ice tree that bound the Dark Seelie tightly in midair.
Shenhe glanced at Rosalyne, surprised that this woman could also command ice elemental power.
But it worked perfectly—Rosalyne's intervention amplified the strength of Shenhe's adeptal arts.
At once, the talisman-spirit divine maiden expanded dramatically, forming an ice spear nearly ten meters long that pierced straight through the immobilized Dark Seelie.
Yun Jin froze for a moment—only to realize that the Geovishaps hidden underground could no longer stay concealed.
They burst out violently, razor-sharp claws tearing toward Shenhe's chest.
This was no moment for anything graceful—only a gruesome, bloody end awaited if they struck true.
"Not happening!"
Yun Jin shouted, her spear moving like a swimming dragon as heavy Geo light surged and smashed downward.
One Geovishap was sent flying instantly.
But the other broke through her defense, forcing itself forward despite its abdomen being pierced, jaws snapping toward Shenhe's head.
"Watch out!" Yun Jin cried.
Shenhe glanced sideways, her expression utterly calm despite the danger.
It was the blinded Geovishap—the one that still held a grudge.
Willing to trade its life for hers.
A murderous glint flashed in Shenhe's eyes.
She did not retreat—instead, she charged forward, stepping out of the divine maiden's protection.
With one hand, she seized the horned ridge atop the Geovishap's head, her knee slamming brutally into its jaw.
A sharp sound of dislocation rang out.
Shenhe's slender fingers, delicate as they looked, were harder than steel—she plunged them straight into the Geovishap's throat, seized its spine, and tore it apart with raw force.
Luo Li clicked his tongue in awe.
This was Shenhe restrained by red ropes—already holding back.
He could scarcely imagine how terrifying she would be without them.
Releasing the Geovishap's lifeless body as it fell, Shenhe did not spare it another glance.
Her gaze locked firmly onto the Dark Seelie.
If elemental beings bled, her body would already be drenched crimson—a divine maiden fallen into the image of a demoness.
"Ahhhhh—!"
In a flash, the Dark Seelie—now standing alone—finally broke free.
The gaping hole in its chest looked grotesque.
It swept its furious gaze across everyone present, eyes filled with chilling malice as its pupils narrowed into vertical slits.
Serpent-like. Dragon-like.
A foreign aura surged from its body—far more violent, carrying an overwhelming, hateful will.
At the same time, its already massive form continued to expand.
Its body seemed to regrow flesh, foul black blood spilling out, reeking of decay.
When it finally stabilized, its body was like a small mountain, nearly pressing against the ceiling of the underground chamber.
An enormous, frigid presence that inspired sheer terror.
The aura of a demon god erupted wildly, turning the entire space into hell itself.
Even the previously slain Geovishap corpses began to twitch.
Slowly, impossibly, they stood back up.
Under the influence of the demon god's aura, even freshly dead bodies were repurposed.
Their eyes were pitch black—utterly devoid of reason.
Faced with the towering monstrosity looming overhead, Yun Jin's face turned pale.
This had long surpassed what humans could possibly handle.
Even Shenhe's expression grew solemn.
She stood tall with spear in hand, fingers resting on the red rope at the end of her braided hair—ready to untie it at any moment.
Rosalyne stood protectively in front of Luo Li, cold flames flickering faintly in her eyes.
Having once held divine authority, she wasn't worried about escape.
Whether or not they could defeat a demon god remnant was uncertain—but retreat was always possible.
Unlike the three women standing on guard, Luo Li—at the rear—slowly raised his head, realization dawning across his face.
"So that's why it felt familiar… These are the chi-beasts we slaughtered back then."
He remembered clearly—when the Sea God invaded Guili Plains, he and Morax fought from opposite directions.
Morax slew chi-beasts at Qingce Village, sealing the land and giving rise to places like Wuwang Hill, where spirits lingered.
Meanwhile, Luo Li carved his way south of Mt. Tianheng, leaving behind forests saturated with lethal miasma.
That was why his explanations to Yun Jin earlier had been so vivid.
Because this land
Was once destroyed by his own hand.