Holy Maiden from the Snowdrift Sage Hall

Holy Maiden from the Snowdrift Sage Hall . . . 

In the ethereal realm, Qin Wentian's gaze met that of a resplendent woman suspended in the air. His expression was one of bemused curiosity as he inquired, "Oh, hello there. Are you addressing me?"

The woman's countenance grew increasingly frigid, her patience waning. However, a spark of recognition soon illuminated her features. "It's you, isn't it? The individual with the saint-grade immortal foundation."

Qin Wentian's response was a nonchalant offer. "Care to join me for some barbecue?" He extended an invitation, his demeanor surprisingly affable for the enigmatic circumstances.

The woman's eyes gleamed momentarily, her resolve weakening. She descended gracefully, gracefully drawing nearer to Qin Wentian. An immortal-ranked dagger materialized in her hand, and she began slicing portions of the succulent meat. Qin Wentian found himself momentarily taken aback. This woman exuded an air of elegance and nobility, unmistakably a figure of distinction. She wasted no time in striking up a conversation, her smile as beguiling as her beauty. "I hail from the Snowdrift Sage Hall in the Central Regions of the immortal realms. Back when you were merely at the second level of immortal foundation, your foundation was already flawless. Did you happen upon a rare stroke of luck and acquire a secret art?"

Qin Wentian regarded her with measured interest but chose to remain cryptic. He continued to savor his meal, his responses laced with a mischievous sense of vagueness. "Rare fortuitous encounters are commonplace in the immortal realms, wouldn't you agree?"

The woman's charm deepened, her eyes dancing with intrigue. "What did you obtain, then?" Her inquiry was direct, but Qin Wentian opted to keep his revelations veiled in secrecy, merely offering a genial smile in response.

"What do you desire? I can offer you anything in exchange," she boldly declared, her intentions transparent. She was unapologetic about her motives, acutely aware that Qin Wentian had likely discerned her true purpose. Yet, he remained unperturbed, his smile unwavering.

"Do you desire me?" Her words dripped with condescension, an indulgent smirk curling her lips. She regarded his proposal as little more than a fanciful daydream. Nevertheless, her captivating presence drew nearer to him, her fragrant aura enveloping him.

Qin Wentian, guided by the art of truth, saw through the layers of her allure. Beneath the facade of charm lay a profound disdain for him—a loathing so intense that she might well have entertained the notion of beheading him on the spot. Still, he maintained an outward facade of geniality, his eyes reflecting the unfettered truth of her emotions.

He sensed her revulsion distinctly, an unexpected revelation of the art of truth. Her inner disgust for him was palpable, an unsettling undercurrent beneath her alluring facade. It was a revelation that cast a chill over his heart. He was a stranger to this woman, and yet, it was she who had initiated this encounter, seeking his secret art for the saint-grade immortal foundation. Her overtures, combined with her evident aversion, painted a portrait of a woman consumed by her own self-importance.

"Why not?" Qin Wentian chuckled, his demeanor unfazed by her inner turmoil. In a surprising turn of events, he extended his hand, encircling her waist with a casual intimacy. She trembled ever so slightly, her eyes flickering with icy resolve. Yet, her radiant smile endured as she played along, her voice laced with a seductive tone. "Teach me the secret art, then."

In the midst of this intense confrontation, the atmosphere was charged with tension and intrigue. Qin Wentian's voice resonated with unwavering determination as he stood face to face with the enigmatic woman, Qing'er. The secret art they both sought hung in the balance, like a priceless gem on the edge of a precipice.

With a subtle yet deliberate gesture, Qin Wentian's hand traced a mesmerizing path up and down Qing'er's silken figure. She leaned into his touch, her eyes locked onto his captivating face. It was impossible to deny the allure of this woman, her beauty like a masterpiece painted by the gods. Yet, beneath his façade of calm, Qin Wentian concealed a sly grin. He was curious, eager to discover just how much Qing'er could endure.

His hands continued their deliberate ascent, teasing the sides of her heart-stirring twin peaks. The tension in the air was palpable, and just when it seemed Qin Wentian might push the boundaries further, Qing'er summoned a reserve of strength and gently pushed him away. Her smile was as enchanting as a moonlit night. "Who's to say what kind of man you are? What if you were to disappear after taking advantage of me? Wouldn't that leave me at a disadvantage? Why not share the secret art with me first? I promise you won't be disappointed with my gratitude."

Qin Wentian's eyes twinkled with a hint of skepticism. "What if, after obtaining the secret art, you turn against me?" His words hung in the air, casting a shadow over Qing'er's face. She took a step forward, and suddenly, the temperature plummeted as snowflakes danced around them.

"Though I may not end your life here, remember that the boundaries between this dimension and reality are thin. I can torment you until you beg for death, leaving you with a heart demon that will haunt your future endeavors," Qing'er warned, her demeanor shifting dramatically.

Qin Wentian couldn't help but mock her. "From a disciple of Snowdrift Sage Hall to a potential traitor, your transformation is quite remarkable." With that, he ascended into the sky with the grace of a golden-winged roc, moving at astonishing speed.

Qing'er's face contorted with rage, her murderous intent turning palpable. With a wave of her hand, the entire space transformed into a world of ice and frost, freezing the air particles and slowing Qin Wentian's movements.

However, Qin Wentian's body radiated with runes of truth, making him appear divine. As Qing'er approached, her frost-formed sword aimed at him. "Suppress!" Qin Wentian's voice was filled with authority as ancient runic characters emerged, colliding with her icy weapon and causing it to crack.

He continued to chant words of truth, creating characters of 'Suppression' and 'Annihilation' that shot toward Qing'er. A transcendent melody filled the air, resonating in Qing'er's ears with immense power.

The layers of snow piled up, burying the space under their weight, while a formidable law energy enveloped the area. The ancient characters slowed, finally grinding to a halt as they succumbed to the freezing influence of the law energy. Qing'er's hands formed intricate seals, binding Qin Wentian with a relentless grip, leaving him with no escape route in sight. The battle between these two formidable forces had only just begun, with secrets and power hanging in the balance.

With a chilling air that could freeze the very marrow of one's bones, the woman declared, "I shall subject you to a fate more harrowing than death." Her voice sliced through the frigid wind, accentuating her aura of unbridled arrogance. Her ebony tresses danced wildly in the tempestuous breeze, and her visage bore the unmistakable mark of supreme confidence. As if on cue, an ethereal blanket of snow descended upon Qin Wentian, threatening to encase him in an icy tomb—an ominous promise poised to be fulfilled.

In response, the runes etched upon Qin Wentian's form blazed with renewed brilliance, and an illusory embodiment of truth emerged behind him, imbuing him with newfound strength. Simultaneously, the protective shadow of a divine turtle materialized, cocooning him within an impervious shell of defense, impervious to all assailants.

Summoning forth his immortal foundation, Qin Wentian transformed his perfect saint-grade immortal foundation into the majestic form of a colossal roc. With a single mighty palm thrust, an array of destructive rocs manifested, hurtling towards the woman at breakneck speed, their voracious intent to rend her asunder palpable in the air.

Thus, a violent clash of titans unfolded, their fierce combat causing the very space they inhabited to tremble in protest. The woman, the Holy Maiden hailing from the Snowdrift Sage Hall, boasted an indomitable combat prowess and a cultivation base that stood at the fifth level of the immortal foundation stage, granting her a two-tier advantage over Qin Wentian. Nevertheless, Qin Wentian's physical prowess and the formidable defense of his corporeal form defied her expectations, rendering him virtually peerless at the immortal foundation level.

In a resounding crescendo, the rocs overcame her defenses, slamming into her with brutal force, eliciting a pained, blood-soaked cough and sending her hurtling through the celestial expanse.

Qin Wentian achieved his objective with a single, decisive blow. Without pause, he continued to invoke the ancient words of truth, further subduing his adversary. Gone was any semblance of compassion, for the heart of this woman oozed malevolence, harboring a desire to consign him to a fate more nightmarish than death. Having learned a valuable lesson from his prior encounters with individuals like Xiao Lengyue, Qin Wentian harbored no illusions of kindness when dealing with beautiful yet sinister women. He pressed on, relentlessly launching attacks until his adversary could muster no further resistance.

Hovering before the now-weakened woman, Qin Wentian uttered, his tone unyielding yet filled with conviction, "You seek to force me into a life of unending suffering, unable to escape the clutches of death? Do you even warrant the utterance of such words? I was willing to engage with someone of your ilk earlier, solely because I detected a concealed blade behind your beguiling smile. Your heart is steeped in malice, and I merely toyed with you by design."

With a flourish of his robes, Qin Wentian departed from the scene, leaving his adversary behind.

"I, Chu Qingyi, shall never forget nor forgive," she hissed through gritted teeth, her voice as frosty as the bitter chill of winter. However, Qin Wentian was already leagues away. She surveyed her surroundings and struggled to prop herself up, realizing that her escape from this realm was likely to be an arduous endeavor.

Qin Wentian chose not to end Chu Qingyi's life, recognizing that his current cultivation remained far from the pinnacle. He had no immediate interest in vying for supremacy in the Supreme Might Rankings; his primary objective was to embrace danger and fortify himself within this realm, where the line between reality and illusion blurred. In this context, her life or death held no significant consequence.

Laboriously dragging her wounded form, Chu Qingyi embarked on a journey toward the exit, yearning for a temporary respite from the Sky Connecting Realm.

Yet, fate had other designs. Along her path, she encountered the silhouettes of two young men. As their gazes met Chu Qingyi's, their eyes flickered with a spark of intrigue.

"Out of our way!" Chu Qingyi commanded, her tone icier than the polar winds. She recognized the pair as members of the Nibblesky Sacred Cult, a faction locked in ceaseless conflict with her Snowdrift Sage Hall. Moreover, she recalled a past encounter when she had taught these two upstarts a painful lesson, a memory that added another layer of tension to their present confrontation.

The eyes of the two of them flickered. One among them said, "She seems to be injured?"

Chu Qingyi stiffened as she turned ashen. She gathered her immortal might and blasted it out, causing the two of them to retreat backwards slightly. However, upon noting how Chu Qingyi's aura was fluctuating, one of them said, "Let's continue to probe her."

As he spoke, he audaciously stepped forward as a gust of poison wind blew over to Chu Qingyi. Chu Qingyi gathered frost energy trying to defend but very soon after, she actually coughed out blood. The eyes of the two man gleamed with sharpness. The poison wind invaded her body, and Chu Qingyi couldn't even stand straight, swaying about before she decided to be in a sitting position.

"To think that Holy Maiden Chu was injured by someone." The two of them could instantly deduce what happened. They walked to the front of Chu Qingyi, one of them then squatted down and propped Chu Qingyi's chin up. Staring at her beautiful features, an intense expression of lust appeared on his face.

"Scram!" Chu Qingyi's countenance was as pale as paper. She knew what people from the Nibblesky Sacred Cult are like. These people are all despicable characters, capable of doing anything.

"I still remember Holy Maiden Qingyi's insult to us earlier. You want us to scram?" The other man coldly spoke, his eyes roaming on the graceful figure of Chu Qingyi. "The Sky Connection Realm is just like the external world. If the two of us can enjoy the Holy Maiden's body, wouldn't that be an extremely wondrous thing?"

"You all dare?" Chu Qingyi's eyes flickered with coldness.

"Right now, you don't even have the strength to commit suicide. Let me help you out." A nefarious light gleamed in the eyes of this young man. He actually ripped the clothes on Chu Qingyi apart, causing her perfect skin to be revealed. The sight of her snowy peaks was so mesmerizing that they stared at her, panting with desire.

"Holy Maiden Qingyi is truly a famous beauty." The two of them panted as their eyes gleamed with lasciviousness. They glanced at their surroundings and after that, they actually carried her up and shuttled through the air, bringing her away.

"ARGH!" Chu Qingyi screamed, filled with humiliation. But she was filled with even more worry regarding her fate!