Chapter 851: Desperate Prison Cage

The sequence of events unfolded dramatically: first, the Little Demon Empress defeated Xuanyuan Wentian; then, he retaliated, engulfing her in a dark abyss. Just as they were gripped by immense terror, the extinguished Golden Crow flames inexplicably surged skyward once more, incinerating all the encompassing darkness.

The hearts of the world's most powerful cultivators were subjected to repeated, violent shocks.

The dark profound energy and Xuanyuan Wentian's aura completely vanished, and the last vestiges of icy white disappeared from their sight. Just as they were about to erupt in cheers, they suddenly noticed the Golden Crow flames, which had filled the sky, extinguishing at an unnaturally rapid rate. Moreover, while Xuanyuan Wentian's aura was undetectable, the Little Demon Empress's aura was also nowhere to be found.

"Sister Little Demon Empress!" Feng Xue'er cried out anxiously. She raised her hand, dispelling the Phoenix Flame barrier, then soared towards the Little Demon Empress's location, trailing crimson fiery light.

The three-hundred-mile distance rapidly closed. Feng Xue'er arrived at the site of the fierce battle between the Little Demon Empress and Xuanyuan Wentian, quickly finding the Little Demon Empress amidst the scattered flames. She lay still on the scorched, parched ground, her colorful robes miraculously unsullied, but a shocking trail of blood marred the corner of her mouth, and her aura was incredibly faint.

Feng Xue'er descended swiftly, landing beside the Little Demon Empress. Sensing that the Little Demon Empress was unharmed, a slight tension eased in her heart, and her gaze upon her became remarkably complex.

Before meeting the Little Demon Empress, Feng Xue'er had harbored a deep curiosity and an indefinable complex emotion towards her, influenced by her relationship with Yun Che and her moniker, "Little Demon Empress." Today, she finally met her—a figure far more powerful, awe-inspiring, cold, decisive, and composed than she had ever anticipated.

Compared to her own youth and lingering innocence, the Little Demon Empress exuded an unattainable aura.

Now, she lay there, as fragile as a mortal, yet the image reflected in her eyes was far more profound than before.

She had saved all of them, by herself.

Feng Xue'er crouched down, carefully helping the Little Demon Empress to a sitting position. "Sister Little Demon Empress…" she softly called out.

As someone who also inherited the divine flame bloodline, Feng Xue'er immediately recognized that the Little Demon Empress had clearly burned her own Golden Crow Source Blood. Although the Little Demon Empress was now extremely weak, she hadn't sustained any other severe injuries. However, for at least the next month, her Golden Crow bloodline would remain completely dormant, making her unable to ignite the Golden Crow flames.

"I'm fine," the Little Demon Empress said, her voice calm yet chilling despite her pale face. After uttering those three words, she wearily closed her eyes and did not open them for a long time. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Not only was her Golden Crow bloodline dormant, but her profound energy was also utterly depleted.

Feng Xue'er gently supported the Little Demon Empress, feeling her body's feather-lightness in her hands. It was hard to believe such a delicate frame could house such terrifying power. "Xuanyuan Wentian's aura has completely vanished," she said. "That great villain has finally met the end he deserved."

"Are they... alright?" the Little Demon Empress murmured softly.

"Yes!" Feng Xue'er nodded emphatically. "All of us are fine, thanks to you, Sister Little Demon Empress. We'll find a place to settle down temporarily right away... and Brother Yun will surely wake up very soon."

As Feng Xue'er spoke, she placed her palm on the Little Demon Empress's chest, unreservedly transferring her Phoenix profound energy to her.

The Little Demon Empress did not refuse. Soon, a little color returned to her face, and her breathing gradually stabilized.

"Little Demon Empress!!" Tianxia Diyi and Xiao Yun practically scrambled over. As soon as they landed, they gasped, unable to catch their breath. "The Little Demon Empress... how is she...?"

"Don't worry," Feng Xue'er said, smiling as she removed her hand from the Little Demon Empress's chest. "Sister Little Demon Empress is truly incredible. She didn't sustain any serious injuries, merely some weakness. And…" She paused, then, considering the identities of Tianxia Diyi and Xiao Yun, she continued, "She won't be able to use the Golden Crow flames for at least the next month."

Feng Xue'er's words immediately made Tianxia Diyi realize the Little Demon Empress had burned her Golden Crow Source Blood. He let out a slight breath of relief, then clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "It doesn't matter," he declared. "Once we return to the Illusory Demon Realm, with our Guardian Families standing by, no one will dare harm a single hair on the Little Demon Empress."

"Hmph!" The Little Demon Empress suddenly opened her eyes and let out a cold scoff. "If your Guardian Families were truly so capable, the Illusory Demon Imperial Family would not have withered to just me, almost driven to desperation!"

Leaning on Feng Xue'er's arm, she slowly stood up. Although she still had no profound energy, merely regaining the strength to stand through the vital energy Feng Xue'er transferred to her, her supreme aura still involuntarily caused Tianxia Diyi and Xiao Yun to lower their heads completely.

"It's... Diyi's incompetence," Tianxia Diyi admitted, his face flushed with shame. If not for Yun Che, and relying solely on the Guardian Families, there would be no Illusory Demon Imperial Family left.

"It's good that the Little Demon Empress is alright," Xiao Yun mumbled with an awkward chuckle, not daring to look up.

This immense crisis was averted, though at a profound cost. The price included not only the dormancy of the Little Demon Empress's Golden Crow blood and the depletion of her profound energy, but also the disappearance of Ice Cloud Asgard and the Extreme Ice Snow Region.

The Golden Crow flames had completely extinguished, but their effects still lingered. The air in the formerly bone-chilling Extreme Ice Snow Region was now filled with an unbearable, scorching heat.

Feng Xue'er assisted the Little Demon Empress, and the four of them soon reunited with Tianxia Qiqi, Cang Yue, Xiao Lie, Xiao Lingxi, and the women of Ice Cloud Asgard.

Murong Qianxue approached the Little Demon Empress and bowed deeply. "If not for your intervention, Senior, my Ice Cloud Asgard would surely have been annihilated here. The great debt of gratitude for saving our lives will be etched in the hearts of all two thousand disciples of my palace."

"No need!" the Little Demon Empress said coldly. "Xuanyuan Wentian is someone I was destined to kill. Whether you live or die has no bearing on me."

Murong Qianxue paused in surprise, then nodded slightly without a word, turning to check on Yun Che's condition.

With the Little Demon Empress having defeated Xuanyuan Wentian, and Feng Xue'er providing full protection, none of them suffered injuries except the Little Demon Empress herself. Yun Che also appeared entirely unaffected. This was undoubtedly a significant stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

"Let's leave here first and find a place to settle down. Such a massive commotion here will surely alert many people," Tianxia Qiqi said, her face still showing lingering fear. She touched her lower abdomen and bitterly added, "That detestable Xuanyuan Wentian, I never expected him to be so formidable. He's even more sinister and hateful than the Ming King! If Father and the others knew, they'd be absolutely shocked. Letting him die like that is far too lenient!"

"Exactly!" Tianxia Diyi gritted his teeth. "He should have been treated like the Ming King—his profound energy crippled, his limbs severed, subjected to daily torture, and kept alive at all costs. Let him live forever in agony and despair!"

"Heh... a very good suggestion." A low, cold chuckle, and a hoarse voice, eerily sinister as if from the depths of hell.

In an instant, everyone's hearts seized. The scorching heat in the air seemed to instantly transform into the most extreme cold, and countless bone-chilling currents permeated every pore of their bodies, piercing directly into the deepest parts of their souls.

Boom! The quiet ground erupted as a pillar of black light shot skyward. As the light dissipated, a dark figure appeared at the edge of the fractured earth. His entire body was charred black, his face smeared with blood. A dense, violent black aura swirled around him, and the jet-black greatsword in his hand emitted an eerie, chilling glow.

"Ah... ah... ah..." Xiao Yun's mouth hung open, unable to utter a single coherent word.

"Xuanyuan... Wentian!!" Tianxia Diyi's pupils constricted to pinpricks, his entire body felt plunged into an ice cave, and his insides churned with fear.

"You..." The Little Demon Empress's body trembled violently; even she could not believe her own eyes.

They had only just begun to revel in their hard-won relief when they were plunged into an even greater terror. Xuanyuan Wentian was not dead; he had returned as if from the depths of hell, reappearing before them, radiating endless malice and resentment.

And the Little Demon Empress, the only one among them capable of fighting him... was utterly drained of power.

"I, the Demon God, clearly achieved my full power... yet you... you made me taste fear and death! Unforgivable... unforgivable!!"

Xuanyuan Wentian dragged his demonic sword, shuffling forward. His steps were slow and heavy, his body even swayed slightly, and his aura was significantly weaker than before. Yet, it seethed with resentment, fury, and killing intent dozens of times more potent than before.

"Run, quickly!!" Feng Xue'er cried out urgently. A fierce gust of wind swept up, pushing everyone backward as her body transformed into a Phoenix flame shadow, striking Xuanyuan Wentian with the "Phoenix Wing Sky Vault."

Xuanyuan Wentian's bloodshot eyes widened, and he let out a beast-like roar. The demonic sword in his hand violently clashed with Feng Xue'er's fiery light.

*Boom!* The fiery light exploded, and the earth instantly tore open, forming a rift miles long and dozens of feet wide. Amidst the exploding flames, Xuanyuan Wentian stumbled back more than a dozen steps, while Feng Xue'er was sent hurtling backward like a falling leaf. She barely managed to land, but before she could steady herself, a mouthful of crimson blood gushed forth, staining a large area of the ground before her.

Even though Xuanyuan Wentian was heavily wounded and had significantly depleted his profound energy, he was, after all, someone who had stepped halfway into the Divine Profound Realm. Furthermore, he still wielded the Everlasting Night Demonic Sword, now with an awakened demonic soul. He was still far beyond Feng Xue'er's ability to contend with.

"Princess Xue!!" Everyone cried out in alarm. Feng Hanyue and Feng Hanxue rushed forward to support her.

"I... I'm fine," Feng Xue'er said, her vision momentarily dimming as her profound energy churned chaotically like boiling magma. The recoil from her full-power Phoenix Wing Sky Vault attack was immense, and despite it being only a single clash, she had already suffered significant internal injuries.

But with the Little Demon Empress's profound energy depleted, Feng Xue'er was the only one left among them who could potentially stop Xuanyuan Wentian.

The Little Demon Empress had burned her Golden Crow Source Blood for their sake... how could Feng Xue'er allow herself to fall now?

Feng Xue'er stood her ground firmly, her Phoenix flames flaring up simultaneously. The blinding blaze made the panting Xuanyuan Wentian suddenly look up. He gasped, roaring furiously, "You... an undeveloped... little phoenix... you think you're worthy of fighting me?!"

"Darkness... Prison!!" The light abruptly dimmed as countless black beams suddenly appeared in the void. Before anyone could react, they were enveloped by an eerie, cold black radiance.

Feng Xue'er's newly ignited Phoenix flames were almost instantly extinguished. The black radiance engulfing her was like an irresistible giant hand, fiercely suppressing her profound energy and locking her entire body, making it impossible for her to break free even a single inch, despite putting forth her full strength.

She couldn't even move her feet or lift her arms, let alone launch an attack. Every part of her body felt as if it were nailed down within a desperate, inescapable cage.

If even Feng Xue'er, with the strongest profound energy, was so completely immobilized, then others had no chance of breaking free, not even a shred of strength to struggle.

"Ah... heh..." After unleashing the Darkness Prison, Xuanyuan Wentian's body went limp, and he collapsed onto his knees, trembling. After a long moment, he slowly rose, leaning on his demonic sword, and let out a sinister laugh. "Haha... hahahaha... I am now a Demon God... how could mere mortals like you... possibly... escape my grasp... hahahahaha..."