A World of Ice

Pumped up by the empowering qi that the white lotus pill bestowed, Zhen engaged the Monkey King in a grand melee. The near limitless qi gathered since time immemorial was simply glorious, heightening all of Zhen's abilities.

The agility of Wukong's innate monkey style had been, hitting Zhen with all four of his limbs in alternating succession. Having mastered many forms throughout her immortality, Zhen took the martial art that would deter and slip through Wukong's wild strikes.

Baguazhang.

Zhen's footwork spun and weaved with celestial grace, her open palm guiding Wukong's punches and kicks away from her extremeties. Savoring the confusion and frustration in the monkey's face, Zhen smirked.

A jumping kick, followed by a furious punching combination of left and right, Zhen's palm went through his guard. A vicious hit straight in his sternum, Wukong coughed blood before tumbling backwards from the impact.

Hands behind her back, Zhen taunted as she slowly approached, "Is this all that the will of beast race amount to?"

Wukong slammed his fist into the ground, the tremored from his tantrum. Wukong sensed her spike in qi, but that alone should not enough for her to match him!

"How!? How can you keep up with me? Even more bizarre, you should not be able to hit me! You are a mere Trandscendant, I AM A GOD!"

"You want to know the secret why I can hit you? Too bad, why should clue you in before your inevitable defeat by my hands?"

"Cheeky fucking woman! I will bite off your scalp and devour your brain!" Wukong roared, charging with his Xuanwu staff in hand.

The sword of Zhen shattered from the attempted deflection, testimony to the turtle's hardness. Wukong's staff slammed into Zhen's stomach, but the Ice Empress's rebuttal was quick. Zhen reformed another blade that stabbed Wukong in the shoulder.

The two unleashed a barrage of strikes from their weapon, each hitting the other. Zhen bludgeoned with forces enough to shatter bones into dust. Wukong, enduring a thousand cuts and stabbing all over.

One kick to the head, Zhen used Wukong as a stepping stone to launch herself into the air.

"Let this mountain of swords become your grave, you arrogant ape."

The sun in the sky, blotted out by the number of swords that manifested above Wukong. Hundreds? Thousands - No, It's ten thousand swords that brought forth a sword eclipse!

With point of Zhen's sword, Wukong's demise rained down on him.

The Monkey Lord's staff spinning in a rapid pace, but the sheer volume of the Zhen's blades overwhelmed him! His guard swarmed by the endless onslaught of ice swords. Wukong's legs and stomach now stabbed with ice.

Combining Baihu's tiger roar that with his, Wukong's primal shout hammered all the incoming projectiles. A bestial scream that unleashed Wukong's anger, a blast of soundwaves sending Zhen flying far up into the sky, almost crossing the treshhold of space. The fury within Wukong's shockwave roar bruised and tattered Zhen.

In that split second before Zhen re enters the atmosphere, she drifted at the boundary. The stars in the skies like dots of lights amidst the infinite darkness. A sublime view. As beautiful as Jiawei's eyes.

The records of a Spirit Beast being restored after becoming a soul core was scarce. Zhen will not give up, she shall find a way to restore Jiawei's consciousness. But first, she needed to pull Jiawei away from this ape's universe and back into her arms, where Jiawei rightfully belonged.

Zhen breathed in deep, her descent now imminent. Zhen focused on the connection from Wukong into her. Elevating the Empress into a God. Wukong's divinity boasted martial supremacy through his Divine Beasts, a peerless ape that thrived in battle. He will no doubt best Zhen as the battle continues for that was his creed, an ape that empowers himself with the chaos of the clash.

It was now time to pit Zhen's universe against his. Hers was a simple one, focusing on the purity of her element.

Now pulled by gravity, Zhen's lips uttered her mantra. A technique she can only use now as temporary Goddess.

[The merciless cold is upon you.]

[An ice majestic that even time may bow.]

[Let ice consume all]

[Cryo frost!]

Bracing for another [Bestial Roar] Wukong's entire wold froze...it wasn't just his, the entire heavens had been devoured by Zhen's ice, freezing even the concept of time!

With her universe manifested, Zhen gathered every ounce of her qi into a pristine ice dragon, more exuberant and brimming with power from her usual design. A construct of primordial ice that would swallow even this God of Beasts.

The Dragon and Zhen both moved freely in this universe of frozen time. Its draconic jaws opened, readying to ram itself into the unmoving monkey, spearheading the final attack, Zhen assumed the form of a kick.

Zhen's fell from the sky like a meteor, her kick piercing the defenseless Wukong's stomach, followed by the Dragon of Ice crashing into them.

The world of frozen time now recanted. Everything returned to its rightful order. Except for the Monkey collapsed on the ground, vomiting blood and confused as to why there is a hole in his stomach.

(Wha...how!? Fuck...I don't understand!) Another wave of blood spewed from Wukong's mouth. No matter, the Phoenix's healing is about to kick in soon, once he fully recovers, he should be able to finish off this..."Gaaaah!" Wukong screamed from the pain as Zhen's hand appeared from his blindspot, her arm prodding into his gaping wound, forcefully using it as a window into his meridians.

"Do you want to know why I was able to defeat you? Through Dual Cultivation, Jiawei and I became one long before you absorbed her. Through our connection, your divinity flowed into me." A weak smile formed into Zhen's lips, her next words no longer directed to the monkey, but to the Qilin inside of him. "The insides of this ape is no proper place for you. Let us share an embrace for one last time, I swear upon my title as Ice Empress that I will soon restore your consciousness, no matter how long it might take."

"No...she is one of my guardians, Jiawei will never leave my universe!"

Spiting the monkey even further, Zhen chuckled for he was clueless about the bond, the love they shared.

With one final draw, Zhen's arm pulled out what appeared to be a regal bagua carved with the image of a Qilin at the center.

The soul that fueled Wukong's divinity had been ripped out from his body, making the other sould cores eject from the wound in his chest.

The Monkey King's wound now about to heal, it was time he destroyed this Heavenly Court instead. He can look for a fresh batch of Generals at another time, right now, none in the court would stand up against his 95 stars!

The Buddha from above spoke, his holy voice echoed, "Wukong, you have the potential to change for the better. Let us both meditate and channel all that chaos into a force that would bring harmony instead."

"Harmony my ass! Eat shit and die, you useless Buddha!"

The Buddha's palm once again crashed into the court, the moment it hit Wukong, both him and the spectral Buddha dematerialized.

Just like that, the danger that threatened to wipe out all of humanity vanished with a single Buddha's palm.

Zhen embraced tight the soul core upon her chest.

"One day, Jiawei, you and I will share another evening under the stars. This, I promise."

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VOLUME END