The mountain gate of the Xuanming Sect was situated among the mountain ranges to the northeast of the Dou Ling Empire. Surrounded by clouds and mist year-round, the terrain was treacherous. The Sect was built against the mountainside, with layered halls and pavilions that indeed possessed the grandeur of a major Sect.
But... it didn't quite look like a hidden Sect.
Just by the way this mountain gate was built, it lacked the appearance of a hidden Sect.
Ao Yao stood on the ancient path outside the mountain gate, looking up at the giant stone archway engraved with the three large characters 'Xuanming Sect,' the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Is this the place?"
Snow Empress had appeared by his side at some point, her slender figure appearing exceptionally cold in the twilight. She glanced toward the mountain gate, her tone as flat as if she were asking what was for dinner tonight.
"Mm, this is it." Ao Yao stretched. "Sorry to trouble you all."
"It's no trouble."
Ice Empress's reply was concise to the point of being perfunctory, but the chilling killing intent in the depths of her eyes was not hidden in the slightest.
"According to the gathered information, the current Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect is named Xu Degang, a Rank 95 Super Douluo with the Black Tortoise Spirit. There are several Elders below him, around Rank 92 or 93. Further down, there should be some Spirit Masters at the Spirit Douluo, Spirit Saint, and Spirit Emperor levels."
"Above Spirit Emperor, leave none alive?"
"Correct, kill everyone above the Spirit Emperor level."
Ao Yao's tone when saying this was as calm as if he were ordering from a menu.
Ice Empress nodded, her lotus steps moving lightly as she took a step forward.
It was just this one step.
Merely a single step.
The moment her toes touched the ground, a terrifying chill exploded from beneath her feet. It wasn't a Spirit Ability, nor was it even an intentional attack—it was simply the natural aura leakage and terrifying pressure generated by being a Four-hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast.
But this 'aura' alone was already enough to rewrite the rules of the entire world, especially since Ice Empress had now accepted the Ice God's Legacy.
With Ice Empress as the center, the ground began to freeze. The ice layer spread rapidly along the ground at a staggering speed, freezing everything in its path—the bluestone path, weeds, rubble, and even the moisture in the air condensed into fine ice needles, rustling as they fell.
The Xuanming Sect's mountain gate bore the brunt of it.
The giant stone archway, which was a full thirty feet high, emitted a tooth-aching 'creak' the moment it touched the ice layer. White frost flowers quickly crawled over the stone surface, and in an extremely short time, the entire process from freezing to brittle cracking was complete—with a 'rumble,' the entire archway instantly collapsed into countless fragments, crashing to the ground and splashing ice chips everywhere.
The Disciples guarding the mountain gate didn't even have time to scream a warning.
When the ice layer spread to their feet, they only had time to look down once before realizing they had completely lost all sensation from their toes to the tips of their hair. Their bodies were frozen into ice sculptures within a short two seconds, maintaining their final posture in life—some with mouths open, some with eyes wide, some turning around preparing to flee.
Then, Ice Empress took a second step.
This time, she was no longer just releasing her aura.
A faint green light lit up in her eyes, and simultaneously, the phantom of the Ice Jade Scorpion emerged behind her. It was a giant scorpion, emerald green all over and covered in diamond-shaped crystal armor, its tail hook raised high, radiating a suffocating pressure.
The next instant, the tail hook of the Ice Jade Scorpion phantom behind her swung down violently.
An emerald green cold light shot out from the tip of the tail hook, silently sweeping across the sky above the Xuanming Sect.
Wherever the emerald green cold light passed, the moisture in the air completely desublimated into ice crystals, forming a visible band of ice mist. Those ice crystals refracted a strange and beautiful light in the afterglow of the sunset, like countless tiny emeralds suspended in the air.
The warning bell finally rang.
The urgent tolling of the bell came from deep within the Sect, one after another, panicked and sharp. Dozens of figures quickly flew out; their cultivation ranged from Spirit Saint to Titled Douluo, but at this moment, every person's face was written with the same expression.
Fear.
Because that chill, even across a distance of several hundred yards, still made their very Souls tremble.
The last one to appear was the Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect, Xu Degang.
He walked through the air, surrounded by nine spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, five black—with his body covered in a layer of heavy black phantom.
His face was so dark it could drip water. His gaze crossed the collapsed mountain gate and landed on the woman in the distance who was surrounded by emerald green cold light.
With just one look, Xu Degang's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.
He was a Rank 95 Super Douluo, so his vision was naturally not something those ordinary Disciples could compare to. The aura emanating from that woman... that was absolutely not a level a Titled Douluo could possess.
A Rank 98 Super Douluo... or even very likely a Limit Douluo!
"Sen—Senior—"
Xuanmingzi's voice became hoarse with fear. He forced down the urge to turn and flee, cupping his hands and making his posture as respectful as possible.
"I do not know where my Xuanming Sect has offended Senior, but I ask Senior to please clarify. This Junior will certainly—"
His words were not finished.
Because Ice Empress glanced at him.
Just one glance.
The moment those emerald green vertical pupils looked at him, Xu Degang felt as if his Soul had been frozen. The phantom of the Black Tortoise behind him suddenly let out a wail, and white frost flowers began to crawl over that layer of black tortoise shell he was so proud of.
"Noisy."
Ice Empress faintly spat out two words.
Then she raised her right hand, her five fingers slightly curved as if she were gripping something.
She didn't even bother to pay attention to this fellow—Ice Empress's target was the entire Xuanming Sect.
Domain of Perpetual Frost!
Ice Empress's innate Domain instantly enclosed all the experts above the Spirit Emperor level of the Xuanming Sect within a fixed range—Xu Degang, three Elders of the Titled Douluo level, nine Spirit Douluos, and over twenty Spirit Saints and Spirit Emperors.
Those Disciples whose cultivation was below Spirit Emperor were instead completely isolated outside, only able to watch blankly, unable to even get close.
"Xue'er."
Ice Empress called out softly.
In the next instant, Snow Empress suddenly moved.
Since her appearance, she had been standing quietly by Ice Empress's side, her presence so low she was almost ignored. Xu Degang's attention had also been focused entirely on Ice Empress, subconsciously ignoring her.
But when Ice Empress called her name, everything changed.
Snow Empress took a step forward, her white clothes fluttering and her long hair as white as snow. She simply raised her right hand slowly, palm facing upward.
Then, she lightly struck out with her palm.
A light, airy palm strike that seemed to have no force at all.
But this strike was one of the Snow Empress's Three Extremes, the Empress's Palm: Great Coldness, No Snow!
Seeing this, Ao Yao couldn't help but click his tongue.
This is like... using a cleaver to kill a chicken!
For a tiny Xuanming Sect to actually have Ice Empress and Snow Empress strike simultaneously, it really is a waste!