Mu Wu secretly clicked his tongue.
Hai Bodong glanced at Mu Wu and said flatly, "What did you think?"
"My Ice Dragon Soar isn't just for show."
"…That's true."
Mu Wu nodded, looking as if he suddenly understood.
With such a powerful attack, if Ye Xishui and the others left nothing behind, that would indeed be strange.
"By the way, where's Xuanzi?"
Mu Wu looked around and finally remembered something.
"This… I didn't pay attention, but shouldn't you be the one asking about that?"
Hai Bodong replied.
In his eyes, only Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui mattered. As for someone like Xuanzi, a weakling like that was insignificant.
From start to finish, he hadn't spared Xuanzi a single glance.
Mu Wu: "…"
Hearing Hai Bodong's words, Mu Wu fell silent.
Looking at the empty battlefield before him, he speculated, "Could Xuanzi have been completely obliterated?"
Mu Wu recalled that Ye Xishui had once trapped Xuanzi using a soul tool.
Under such a terrifying energy assault, a trapped Xuanzi might have been wiped out entirely.
That kind of energy had even gravely injured an Ultimate Douluo. What was Xuanzi compared to that?
Hai Bodong shook his head and said, "Who knows? Maybe he's dead, or maybe Ye Xishui took him before she escaped."
"Either way, he's just Xuanzi. Nothing to worry about."
"I've already heavily injured Long Xiaoyao and Ye Xishui. What kind of trouble could Xuanzi possibly stir up?"
"But the mission the young master assigned…"
Mu Wu scratched his head, looking troubled.
This was the first time he had failed a task given by Su Yu, and he didn't know how to face him upon returning.
"The young master won't blame you. Just put your mind at ease."
"The young master may dislike evil soul masters, but protecting ourselves comes first."
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters."
"As for Xuanzi, it's best if he's dead. If he's not, we'll just kill him the next time he shows up. It's no big deal."
Hai Bodong said casually.
He truly didn't care. A crippled Xuanzi, even if he somehow miraculously survived, was still just a weakling.
In a few more days, once he recovered to the Quasi-God realm, he would care even less.
All in all, it wasn't a problem at all.
"High Priest, you're carefree."
Mu Wu smiled wryly.
Hai Bodong waved a hand dismissively. "You just overthink things. You've been with the young master for so long—don't you know his personality by now?"
"Enough talk. Come back with me. Look at you, covered in injuries."
"Getting beaten this badly by a woman—don't you feel embarrassed?"
Mu Wu's gaze darkened with shame, but he quickly clenched his fist and said, "One day, I will take my revenge and defeat that woman, Ye Xishui!"
"When that day comes, I'll bring her back to serve the young master!"
"The young master wouldn't be interested in trash like her. Does she even deserve it?"
"She's just a used-up woman. Do you think the young master is as desperate as you?"
Hai Bodong rolled his eyes at Mu Wu and smacked him on the head.
"Let's go. We need to report back to the young master."
With that, Hai Bodong grabbed Mu Wu, and in a few flickers, they disappeared into the sky.
—
—
Hundreds of miles away.
In a desolate mountain.
The space trembled, and a flash of blood-red light appeared, followed by golden and black flashes.
Two figures suddenly emerged.
As soon as they appeared, they both staggered and collapsed onto the ground.
"Ugh—! x2"
Both spat out large mouthfuls of blood, with shards of ice mixed in, exuding an eerie chill.
"Xishui, are you okay?"
Long Xiaoyao gasped heavily, the strong scent of blood filling his mouth and lungs.
This time, he was severely injured.
Hai Bodong's Ice Dragon Soar was no joke, and on top of that, he had taken much of the damage on Ye Xishui's behalf.
The fact that he hadn't died on the spot was a testament to his cultivation.
But he hadn't escaped unscathed.
His internal organs had shifted out of place, and he had no idea how many bones were broken.
Most serious of all, Hai Bodong's Ultimate Ice soul power had infiltrated his meridians and organs.
It wasn't fatal, but it was an enormous problem.
Hai Bodong's Ultimate Ice soul power was overwhelmingly tyrannical and incredibly difficult to expel.
It would leave him with long-lasting consequences.
Long Xiaoyao estimated that for at least the next few decades, this cold energy would continue to torment him.
Not only would it severely harm his body, but his strength would also be greatly diminished.
Just like what had happened to Mu En in the past.
Perhaps not to the extent of being as frail as a candle in the wind, ready to be snuffed out at any moment…
But he would be much weaker.
If he were to engage in a prolonged battle, he would likely run out of strength first.
And given his age, his body was already in decline.
This injury might haunt him for the rest of his life.
How frustrating.
He had been fine when he arrived, but now he was returning battered and broken—this time, he had suffered a huge loss.
"Ugh—!"
Ye Xishui coughed up another mouthful of blood, which froze the moment it hit the ground.
White frost rose into the air, and her blood-red eyes were filled with bone-deep hatred.
"Damn it!"
She cursed bitterly, utterly seething with hatred toward Hai Bodong.
She had never been in such a miserable state before.
Not only had she been forced to flee, but she was also covered in injuries—all thanks to Hai Bodong.
She wished she could skin him alive and grind his bones to dust.
But the reality was that she was no match for him. If she hadn't escaped quickly, she would have died there.
This humiliation was unbearable.
"Xishui, are you alright?"
Seeing Ye Xishui still coughing up blood, Long Xiaoyao asked worriedly.
Ye Xishui glanced at him and said, "I won't die."
Long Xiaoyao sighed in relief. "Xishui, your body…"
Ye Xishui's body was surrounded by golden flames, radiating a strong light energy.
The glow illuminated her delicate face, giving her an aura of holiness.
Long Xiaoyao had never seen Ye Xishui like this before.
For a moment, he was entranced.
Ye Xishui looked at Long Xiaoyao, her gaze softening slightly. She sighed and said, "Xiaoyao, are you also surprised that I have twin martial souls?"
Long Xiaoyao nodded.
Not only was he surprised that she had twin martial souls—but he was even more shocked that her second martial soul was the Radiant Phoenix.
Two completely opposing martial souls exist within one person…
Who wouldn't be shocked?
Ye Xishui gently touched Long Xiaoyao's face and said softly, "Actually, I have always had twin martial souls from the beginning, but I have hidden this second martial soul for over two hundred years."
"Even that old ghost Zhongli doesn't know about this martial soul of mine."
"It came in handy today. If not for borrowing the power of Phoenix Nirvana, I fear I wouldn't have been able to retreat safely."
"Xiaoyao, who exactly is that guy? How is he so powerful?"
Ye Xishui was deeply puzzled.
She had always prided herself on knowing every strong expert in the world.
As one of the three human limits, she had always believed that only Mu En and Long Xiaoyao could stand on equal footing with her.
She had looked down on all others.
Yet today, Haibodong had given her a harsh lesson.
That terrifying strength filled even Ye Xishui with deep apprehension.
If not for her Radiant Phoenix martial soul and Long Xiaoyao's protection, she might not have made it back alive.
Long Xiaoyao sighed softly and said, "That man is from the Ice God Palace. He is the High Priest of the Ice God Palace, named Haibodong, known to the world as the Ice Emperor."
"Xishui, this time we have offended someone we shouldn't have. The Ice God Palace is an ancient and powerful force, rumored to worship a deity."
"It seems that even among Ultimate Douluo, the Ice God Palace has more than one. If they decide to come after us, we will be at a great disadvantage."
"Hmph, so what? Do you think I, Ye Xishui, would be afraid of them… ugh!"
Ye Xishui snorted coldly, but before she could finish speaking, she coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Her injuries were no lighter than Long Xiaoyao's. Haibodong's Ultimate Ice soul power had also invaded her body.
Unlike Long Xiaoyao, whose cultivation was deeper, she could not resist such injuries, and soul tools were of little help.
"Xishui!"
Long Xiaoyao was alarmed and quickly caught Ye Xishui, letting her lean against his chest.
Ye Xishui was not as resilient as he was. On top of using Phoenix Nirvana, she had also used Blood Escape while fleeing.
Her condition was far from good.
"I will take revenge for today's humiliation."
Ye Xishui gritted her teeth.
"Xishui!"
Long Xiaoyao felt a headache coming on. He had spoken those words to dissuade her from seeking revenge.
After all, Haibodong was too strong.
Not to mention that behind Haibodong stood the entire Ice God Palace—getting entangled with them was unwise.
But Ye Xishui had not listened at all. Instead, she was determined to fight to the death.
Long Xiaoyao felt helpless.
"Xiaoyao, are you… afraid?"
Ye Xishui looked at Long Xiaoyao coldly.
Long Xiaoyao shook his head and said, "How could I be afraid? Though I am no match for Haibodong, if I stake my life, I can still heavily injure him."
"What I worry about is you, Xishui. I don't want anything to happen to you."
Ye Xishui's gaze softened as she touched Long Xiaoyao's face, but in the next moment, any trace of warmth in her eyes vanished.
She suddenly laughed wildly, almost maniacally: "Xiaoyao, as long as you're not afraid, that's enough."
"As for me, what could happen to me?"
"Even if I have to be shattered to pieces, I will make them pay the price sooner or later."
"Hahaha!"
Seeing the madly laughing Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao felt as if she had become a stranger.
In recent years, Xishui had become more and more unlike her former self.
Not only was she moody and cold, but she also exhibited bouts of madness.
He felt truly exhausted.
Shaking his head, Long Xiaoyao held Ye Xishui and said, "Xishui, we should leave here as soon as possible before more trouble arises."
Ye Xishui restrained her frenzied expression and nodded emotionlessly.
Long Xiaoyao carried her, suppressing his injuries while mobilizing his remaining soul power, swiftly taking her away.
...
...
...
The cold wind howled, and snowflakes danced in the air.
The world seemed covered in an endless expanse of white.
At a glance, there was nothing but swirling snow.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, more than ten meters deep. The biting wind pierced through clothing and seeped into joints, making one's entire body shiver.
The temperature here was as low as the extreme northern lands, a place considered a death zone for humans.
Yet in this frozen wasteland, several figures could be seen moving forward.
They wore only light clothing, yet they walked through the snow as if strolling on solid ground.
"The Ice God Palace is here?"
A clear yet cold and melodious voice rang out.
A young woman in a long, ice-blue palace gown curiously observed her surroundings with a pair of gem-like, radiant eyes.
Her silver-white hair cascaded down to her waist, her delicate face breathtakingly beautiful, exuding a transcendent and otherworldly aura.
In this snowy world, her presence added an ethereal and pure quality.
And in this world, only one person possessed such an unearthly aura—Snow Empress.
"Yes. The Ice God Palace is near the Extreme North, located in the northern borders of the Heavenly Soul Empire."
"We'll be there soon."
Beside Snow Empress, Su Yu spoke lightly.
Their group consisted of four people—Su Yu, Snow Empress, Chen Xin, and Ma Xiaotao.
Chen Xin was a high-level cultivator, having formed a soul core and reached rank 97, making him one of the continent's top experts.
Meanwhile, Ma Xiaotao, after evolving into the Ultimate Fire, was already as strong as an average Titled Douluo.
Ultimate Martial Souls were truly formidable.
A Soul Sage with an Ultimate Martial Soul could already rival a regular Titled Douluo.
Thus, even in this extreme cold, they moved unhindered.
"How soon is 'soon'?"
Snow Empress playfully challenged.
Su Yu blinked. "Take a guess?"
"Hmph!"
Snow Empress snorted and glared at Su Yu with feigned annoyance.
At this moment, she seemed to have shed some of her supreme, domineering aura, showing a more playful and girlish side.
Su Yu smiled and stepped forward, gently taking Snow Empress's delicate hand.
Snow Empress pretended to shake it off in disdain but, after failing, simply accepted it with a helpless expression.
Holding her soft, ice-cold hand, Su Yu felt delighted and quickened his pace.
Half a quarter of an hour later, Su Yu suddenly stopped.
"We're here!"
"Hm?"
Snow Empress looked ahead in confusion. Before her eyes, there was only an endless stretch of white. Nothing seemed unusual.
"Is this… a barrier?"
Snow Empress seemed to realize something and guessed.
Su Yu gave her an approving look and smiled. "That's right, it's a barrier."
As he spoke, he retrieved an ice-blue token from his Black Dragon Ring.
The token was crystal-clear like a piece of pure ice, glowing with a soft blue light.
It had an ancient "Ice" character engraved on it, with a pattern of snowflakes beneath.
Su Yu raised the token, and suddenly, the "Ice" character lit up. A beam of ice-blue light shot forward.
Buzz!
With a low hum, the empty space ahead began to distort, revealing a shimmering ice-blue barrier, as if separating two worlds.
Whoosh!
The barrier fluctuated, and under the illumination of the ice-blue light, a three-meter-tall, two-meter-wide portal slowly emerged.