Chapter 354: 君喜望幽

Xu Yang gently twisted his foot, and his powerful domain force instantly shattered the golden-tipped arrow, protecting the life of the person beside him. Turning his head, he saw that the person was already terrified by the aura of the two powerful experts, trembling and frozen on the spot, unable to utter a sound.

"Don't be afraid. I said you wouldn't die. No one can threaten you."

"Th-thank you, my lord..."

Suddenly, a cluster of lights instantly illuminated at the peak of Wangyou Terrace. Following that, a series of zither melodies began to drift, seemingly changing every wisp of air in the serene jungle.

"Illusory music!"

"What powerful mental energy! Everyone, quickly enter a meditative state and guard your minds."

Xu Yang immediately sent a telepathic message to the people behind him. At the scene, only he and Wushuang remained unharmed by the lingering zither music.

"Your cultivation is admirable. However, if you wish to rescue those rebels, it won't be easy."

The zither music stopped abruptly. On Wangyou Terrace, a slender figure descended from the air. This person seemed to be different from the one who shot the arrow from behind, and their voice was androgynous, hinting at both righteousness and evil.

The moment the dark figure landed, a pair of clear eyes gazed at Xu Yang, then at Wushuang beside him, and the person seemed to give a cold smile.

"A hero and a beauty, what a perfect match! May I ask why you have entered my Flame Nation?"

"To find an old acquaintance, nothing more."

"Oh? Coming to my Flame Nation to find an old acquaintance? This is the first time I've heard such an excuse."

Xu Yang scoffed, "Whether you believe it or not, this is my true intention. As for the person under the lake, I *will* rescue them; no one can stop me."

The mysterious person in front of him didn't refute him. "I won't stop you, rest assured. However, don't think about bringing any helpers into the lake with you. If you truly have the ability, break through this formation alone. As long as you can rescue the Third Prince and those few rebels, you can take them away."

"Oh? Is that a promise?"

The mysterious person scoffed, "A mere 'dog without a home' isn't worth my attention. If you truly value him, go ahead and rescue him. What interests me is the peerless beauty beside you."

As they spoke, the mysterious person's gaze fell upon Wushuang. For some reason, Xu Yang suddenly felt an intense rivalry, as if sworn enemies had met. It was a unique male instinct; it seemed as though these two would spark an unusual confrontation. It was precisely because of the mysterious person's gaze towards Wushuang in that instant that Xu Yang could almost confirm that this masked, enigmatic figure was most likely a woman.

"Leave this woman to me. Go and rescue them," Wushuang said faintly. She merely spoke faintly, simultaneously stepping forward two paces, readying for battle.

In an instant, two immense, invisible mental energies simultaneously spread throughout the entire jungle, chilling the atmosphere of the battlefield by the lake to an extreme degree.

"My heavens... this is a bit scary! Neither of these women is simple!"

"Strange, I've never heard of such a powerful female cultivator in the Flame Nation. Who exactly is this person?"

Xu Yang's team and others retreated, voluntarily leaning against a large tree nearby, leaving the battlefield to these two incredibly powerful women.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake, Xu Yang stepped onto the water, beginning to test the formation's seal on the surface. At the same time, the divine archer in the hidden corner silently focused their attention on Xu Yang, once again drawing their bow and nocking an arrow, ready to strike at any moment.

"The energy of this formation is incredibly powerful, yet it feels somewhat familiar to me." Thinking this, Xu Yang instinctively extended a palm towards the lake surface.

And it was true!

"This formation..."

Xu Yang shared a soul-resonance level of tacit understanding with Empress Xue Qinghan. Little did he know that the energy flow rules within this formation were precisely those of a barrier Empress Xue Qinghan and Xu Yang had once jointly unleashed!

"Could it be... that mysterious woman is Ah Xue?"

Just as he was distracted, several arrows whizzed towards him, leaving Xu Yang no time to ponder anything else. He could only fully concentrate on probing for the formation's core while simultaneously dodging attacks from the elusive archer.

With a soft splash!

With his foot planted in the center of the lake, Xu Yang finally activated the formation's core mechanism. However, at that very moment, incredibly terrifying energy fluctuations ignited around the entire lake surface. Immediately after, the ripples on the lake surface rapidly dissipated, and the entire lake began to freeze solid at an astonishing speed.

"So that's it... This formation is indeed powered by ice-attribute energy, integrating pure ice essence into the core of the lake below. Once the prohibition on the lake surface is touched, the ice-attribute energy is fully released, sealing the lake and naturally achieving the purpose of blocking the entrance."

Not only that, but the entire perimeter of the lake was enveloped in a layer of misty light waves, creating a sense of bewilderment as if entering an illusion. Amidst the confusion, the tall man holding the arrow cautiously approached, emitting an aura of ice-attribute energy from his entire body.

"Now I understand why you've been guarding this place without moving. The ice-attribute energy within your body is the crucial medium for triggering this formation's protective function."

"Very clever. Since you know I'm here, it's impossible for you to enter the water. Give up your resistance. Honestly, I don't like making enemies with powerful individuals like you; it's too troublesome. Leave quickly, and I won't bother you."

Xu Yang sneered, "I never give up on anything I set out to do. Once I start, I will always reach the end; it's a matter of principle. I will never abandon a goal because of obstacles encountered along the way. Instead of trying to dissuade me, you should think carefully about how to stop my power."

The archer smiled playfully, "You are strong, but your confidence seems to surpass your actual strength."

"Then just watch, and see how I break your ice formation."

Xu Yang didn't even use his Asura power, nor did he summon his Asura Sword. He simply slammed his palm onto the ice surface. The moment he closed his eyes and concentrated, Xu Yang instinctively recalled the mental frequency of soul resonance he experienced when fighting alongside the Empress.

Crackle!

In a matter of moments, cracks on the ice surface expanded wildly. As the first fissure appeared, more and more cracks followed, eventually shattering the entire ice-sealed barrier.

"What?! How is this possible! How did he know the operational rules of the ice-attribute energy within this formation? My master personally set up this formation..."

Xu Yang was unaware of the powerful archer's inner thoughts, but from the archer's expression alone, Xu Yang could see how shocked they were.

"I told you, I never give up on where I intend to go. And this formation, it was actually invented and used by me first. You're still too young..."