Lin Qiuluo was hovering high up in the sky. Her long hair spread out loosely and messily, her face twisting ferociously, which made her look like some foul ghost. A bright ball of lightning with the same look as a shuttle was held in her right palm. Every now and then, a nearly ten feet long lightning bolt would dart out from it, piercing through the air and smiting on the ice layer below which never melted since the ancient era, opening up a large hole measuring over one thousand feet in diameter, and several miles deep.
The loud booms from the explosion had stirred up the once peaceful and quiet snowfield. Countless wild beasts were running madly in packs, using the quickest speed possible to flee from this land of death. The tremendous impacts cracked and broke the land made entirely from ice, causing the once flat and open snowfield to be covered with numerous rifts, long and deep, with a dark bottom. Some large chunks of ice pierced through the snowfield from below, thrusting their sharp tips and edges into the sky, which glinted coldly under the reflection of bright sunlight.
Another lightning bolt thrust down whistling. But this time, it smote right into a layer of ice filled with countless cracks and rifts. A loud boom that shook the heaven and earth echoed out. More cracks and rifts appeared in the area that measured roughly one hundred miles in circ.u.mference, then suddenly crumbled and collapsed. Countless streams of cold air that were as sharp as blades shot out from the opening, blotted the sky and covered the surroundings, veiling everything behind a vast expanse of whiteness. A chain reaction was caused by the breaking of the ice layer, and the collapse spread to a further distance. Amidst the loud rumble that seemed to never end, an enormous hole that was over three hundred miles in diameter and one hundred miles deep, was opened up in the middle of the snowfield right below Lin Qiuluo.
It was mostly deep ocean that was found underneath the layer of ice, which was as thick as one hundred miles on the surface of Xue Yuan Planet. When this part of ice collapsed, the ocean that had never been exposed to the sunlight was finally revealed. Many ice blocks were bobbing up and down listlessly on the pitch black surface of the ocean. Vaguely, some very huge, dark figures were seen swimming underneath the water surface at top speed, while very powerful demonic energies were towering into the sky indistinctly.
Lin Qiuluo looked at the ocean that suddenly appeared below her with great surprise. Even among the natives of Xue Yuan Planet, not many of them knew what exactly was hiding underneath the one hundred miles thick ice on the surface of the planet. Therefore, the sudden appearance of the ocean filled Lin Qiuluo"s mind with curiosity. Especially the indistinct demonic aura, as some of it actually gave her an instinctive fear, causing her hair to stand on the ends.
She gasped, then put away the shuttle-shaped offensive immortal item. She had no idea how wide the ocean stretched across the planet. If she kept attacking it, an unmanageable chain reaction might occur and cause the entire layer of ice to collapse. If that really happened, the consequence would be something she could never handle.
She coldly glanced across the snowfield filled with a vast expanse of whiteness, then clenched her teeth in bitter hatred and cursed under her breath, "B*stards! You better don"t let me catch you, or I"ll make sure your desire for death exceeds the desire to live! Also, with so few energy stones, that b*stard actually made me provoke such a tricky enemy, and even stirred up such a serious calamity! If I don"t let you pay one hundred times more than you were supposed to, how am I going to answer to the three major clans in Snowflake City?"
While she was cursing there, a huge dark figure was seen suddenly below her, shooting towards the surface of the ocean at an incredible speed. A long, deafening cry echoed out, as an enormous, menacing looking ocean creature thrust out from the water. It looked like a Goosefish, but it had a body that measured over one hundred miles long, and a huge mouth which was over ten miles in circ.u.mference. Around it, several hundred extremely long tentacles were stretching out. At the tip of these tentacles each grew a huge pearl that measured several hundred feet in diameter, and shone with a bizarre gleam that could confuse one"s mind.
In addition to that, the enormous ocean creature had a pair of very large, half-transparent wings on its back. Flapping the wings, it soared nearly one hundred miles up into the sky, and came to a distance of fewer than three miles from Lin Qiuluo. An over ten miles wide dark hole suddenly emerged midair, which was the big mouth of the creature. Within it were countless triangular-shaped, sharp teeth. In the next moment, a very strong suction came from the mouth. It pulled Lin Qiuluo and the group of twelve Nascent Divinity cultivators, causing them to sink down uncontrollably.
Lin Qiuluo immediately gave a shrill cry, and pulled out the shuttle-shaped immortal item again. Within a blink of an eye, she injected all her energy into it, forcing out tens of green lightning bolts, each measuring one mile long, piercing through the air and smiting brutally at the gigantic and fearful looking ocean creature. A series of loud booms echoed out one after another, while a huge fireball engulfed half of the creature"s body. The explosion of green lightning bolts opened up several dozens of large holes on its smooth and scaleless skin, each reaching its internal organs. Blood oozed and sprayed out from these holes, which made the creature spew out sharp and jarring howls, turn its head and plunge back into the ocean.
However, before it fled for its life, the several hundred tentacles near the creature"s big mouth swayed and aimed their tips right at Lin Qiuluo and the twelve Nascent Divinity cultivators. A blinding light burst out from the pearls on top of each tentacle. Amidst some bizarre hissing noises, several hundred strong beams, tens of feet long each and taking a grayish-white hue, shot out from the top of tentacles and smashed viciously onto Lin Qiuluo and her company.
A white light shone from Lin Qiuluo"s immortal armor, blocking off the full power attack unleashed by the ocean creature before it retreated. On the other side, miserable howls were heard coming from the group of twelve Nascent Divinity cultivators hovering behind Lin Qiuluo"s back. Among them, five of the weakest had their body armors shattered to pieces by the attack, while the strange demonic beams melted their bodies like a candle melting in a raging flame. In just a blink of an eye, they had turned into some fluid that sent forth a delicious aroma of meat and fell towards the ocean.
The ocean creature plunged back into the ocean, then opened its big mouth joyfully, gulping down every single drop of fluid into its stomach.
Five Nascent Divinities soared up into the sky, howling and cursing in a towering wrath. Lin Qiuluo looked at them as she tasted bitterness in her mouth. After losing their fleshly bodies, these Nascent Divinity cultivators would have to either seize someone else"s bodies, or continue cultivating in the form of pure Nascent Divinity.
However, the cultivation technique practiced by Grand Martial Palace emphasized more on the tempering of fleshly body, and seventy percent of their cultivation base was actually in their fleshly body. After losing it, it was nearly impossible for these Nascent Divinity cultivators to reach the peak-stage of Nascent Divinity realm, transcend their Heavenly Tribulation, and step into the realm of Heaven Immortal. Also, if they went for the route of seizing someone else"s body, the body would have to be able to withstand the enormous energy of a Nascent Divinity cultivator, and thus, the minimum requirement was the body of a peak-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. But, would any peak-stage Nascent Soul cultivator be willing to give up their fleshly body?
On top of that, Grand Martial Palace"s cultivation technique was rather unique, as it required a body with Spirit Root different than ordinary cultivators. This made it even tougher to find a suitable fleshly body!
Perhaps, they could reincarnate and start their cultivation all over again. But, giving up the hard work of several thousands of years?
Lin Qiuluo was nearly broken down with all these sudden turns of events! In Grand Martial Palace, Immortal Chang Wu only had slightly over thirty disciples of Nascent Divinity realm, and what happened just now had reduced the number by twenty percent! Although she was Immortal Chang Wu"s favorite spouse, it was still a responsibility she found tough to bear. These disciples had been following him for several thousands of years. The relations.h.i.+p between them was profound, whereas she had just become Immortal Chang Wu"s spouse for less than one thousand years!
"You... you!" Staring at the five Nascent Divinities, who appeared to be in a trance, Lin Qiuluo suddenly scolded them in a hysterical manner, "You useless fools! How can you let an ocean creature destroy your fleshly bodies?! You are a disgrace to the Grand Martial Palace!!"
The sudden loss of her temper startled all the disciples. A flame of anger rose from the hearts of five disciples who had their fleshly bodies destroyed, while the other seven Nascent Divinity cultivators" faces flickered. Led by three peak-stage Nascent Divinity cultivators, they suddenly backed off and kept a distance from Lin Qiuluo, hovering in a formation and guarding around the Nascent Divinities of their fellow disciples. They had totally stopped providing protection to Lin Qiuluo.
Their leader, the Nascent Divinity cultivator who had the round s.h.i.+eld grasped in his hand, gazed coldly at Lin Qiuluo and said, "Madam, that demon beast has an incredible cultivation base, and because of Madam"s "personal affair", five of our junior brothers had their fleshly bodies destroyed. What you said just now is bitterly disappointing!"
He cupped his fist indifferently, shook his head and said, "Madam, please continue your pursuit at your own pace. At any rate, they can never escape from Xue Yuan Planet. I have to escort my junior brothers to a safe place so they can stabilize their Nascent Divinities. They had yet to reach the stage where their Nascent Divinities could leave their bodies at will, and thus, we need to use various spirit herbs to help stabilize their Nascent Divinities, so they can still have the slightest chance of continuing their cultivation. Madam, are you going to leave with us?"
Lin Qiuluo was struck dumb. How could Grand Martial Palace"s disciples treat her like that? Fixing her eyes at these Nascent Divinity cultivators, she roared at the top of her voice, "You rascals! Are you trying to disobey my order? I"m your Master"s wife. How dare you be so disrespectful to me?"
The leading Nascent Divinity cultivator gave Lin Qiuluo a disgusted gaze, then he turned to look at the five Nascent Divinities of his junior brothers and said coldly, "The Master of Grand Martial Palace has more than ten wives. Lin Qiuluo, do you really think that you are the only hostess of Grand Martial Palace? If not because of your Nine Yin Meridians, why would our Master marry you, a vain, shallow, imperious fool who has no appreciation of a thing"s importance?"
After giving Lin Qiuluo a round of scolding, the group of twelve Nascent Divinity cultivators paid no heed to her anymore. They spun, stepped onto their sword beams, and began to fly towards Snowdrift City. At the same time, the cultivator with the round s.h.i.+eld used a mystic technique of Grand Martial Palace to inform what happened here to his Master.
Looking into the direction where the group of disciples disappeared, Lin Qiuluo was struck dumb.
"You... are you really going to leave me alone here? Do you guys really want to revolt?"
She watched blankly as the bright beams flew away at top speed. Suddenly, she howled with a hysterical manner, "I will never forgive you! You will be punished! Be it your disciples, your clan members, your descendants, I"ll never let any of them go easily! Who do you think you are? I am Grand Martial Palace"s hostess! How dare you..."
Below her, when the ocean creature saw those Nascent Divinity cultivators fleeing away and leaving Lin Qiuluo alone here, its mind was immediately seized by greed. It threw its head back and gave a loud roar, twisting the huge body and shooting up into the sky. It opened its gigantic mouth and swallowing towards Lin Qiuluo.
Lin Qiuluo screamed. Like a mad woman, she performed an incantation gesture and cast it at the shuttle-shaped immortal item. Taking no consideration that it might damage its source, she used the method that would overdraw the source power of the immortal spirit in the immortal item, forcing it to burst out with a blinding purple-gold light.
In just a twinkle, a shuttle-shaped purple-gold lightning bolt appeared in her hand. It measured over one thousand feet wide, and the twitching and darting electric arcs did not produce any noises. Instead, it wheeled around Lin Qiuluo like a sticky, melted crystal. Face twitching and eyes staring straight ahead, Lin Qiuluo raised the lightning bolt high up and smashed it down towards the approaching creature.
"Go die! Go die!!! d.a.m.n woman, because of you, Snowflake City is destroyed! If you don"t pay me one hundred million upper-grade energy stones, I"ll kill every single member of your entire clan!!!"
The lightning bolt smote into the ocean creature"s mouth, then exploded with the most frightening power. The creature gave a despairing howl. It spun and tried to plunge back into the ocean, but it was all too late. Soundlessly, the purple-gold lightning bolt exploded within its body, turning its gigantic body into a wisp of green smoke that wafted across the clear sky. After that, the purple-gold lightning bolt spread out quietly across the snowfield, sweeping across the icy land that was over one thousand miles wide.
Without even producing a single sound, all the ice swept across by it vanished into nothingness. Finally, the purple-gold thunderbolt faded away.
The dimmed shuttle-shaped immortal item flew back into Lin Qiuluo"s hand. The weapon that was once full of sentience and immortal pressure looked like a rusty bronze item, losing all its mighty appearance. Lin Qiuluo had overdrawn its source power, and nearly caused the item spirit to be destroyed, turning this immortal item into a sc.r.a.p metal.
As all the ice in the surrounding disappeared, a pale-purple smoke could be vividly seen off in the distance. Then, in just a blink of an eye, the smoke shattered, revealing three figures in their desperate state.
Lin Qiuluo fixed her gaze at the three figures, and immediately cried out at the top of her voice, "So there you are, rascals!! Come here and face your death!!"
She waved her hand, thrusting out five razor-sharp blasts of air, piercing through the air and shooting straight at the three figures at top speed.