Chapter 421: Frost Moon Emerges

In the Ghost Realm of Purgatory, shrouded by the Gates of Hell, the temperature was already extremely low. As Wang Yu focused his thoughts, an endless cold wave spread outwards from him.

Frost rapidly crystallized on the ground, visible to the naked eye. Sharp ice spikes shot up, quickly shaping the battlefield to best suit his ice-based divine abilities. In earlier years, this task would have belonged to Xueyu, but now, empowered by his vast demonic essence, an ice arena formed almost in the blink of an eye.

A storm of extreme cold swept through the high altitudes, forcing the three thousand Foundation Establishment disciples of the Sword Sect to land their flying swords. It was simply too cold up there, a deadly kind of cold!

Master Bagua's expression turned solemn.

"Three Nascent Soul cultivators," he declared. "From their stance, they appear to be from the Cold Blood, Savage Ghost, and Fierce Shadow Peaks of the Reversed Spirit Blood Sect. Disciples of Bagua Peak, follow me to form the Qimen Sword Array."

This move was intended for the disciples' self-preservation; once the chaotic battle began, not only Foundation Establishment cultivators but even the eighteen Core Formation Envoys risked being killed by the residual energy.

Hundreds of Qimen sword cultivators acted in unison. The Bagua characters—Xun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Dui, and others—formed a golden sword array. It rapidly expanded, blocking all the frigid currents blowing down from above. However, the disparity in cultivation was too great. Even though the opponents weren't fighting seriously and only used ordinary spells, it made them extremely uncomfortable, and their faces visibly paled.

Master Bagua swept his sleeve, and a fire sword shot out, instantly releasing immense heat to help the disciples mitigate the effects of the cold current.

The Savage Demonic Monarch snorted coldly. The diminutive giant, over three meters tall, moved so fast that not even an afterimage could be seen. With a spread of his arms, six dark fist imprints thundered down, aimed directly at Master Bagua. These were the Six Forms of the Abyssal Demonic Fist, one of his signature techniques! The fight began with him immediately revealing his trump card, indicating his intention to leave none of them alive.

Seeing this, the Old Ancestor in Linen suddenly drew the iron sword from his back. One of the most common methods for sword cultivators is the Giant Sword Art. Enveloped in sharp sword qi, it instantly transformed into a hundred-zhang giant sword that slashed down towards the Savage Demonic Monarch.

At that moment, the dark beast Nether Tiger merged into the Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch's body, transforming him into a tiger-headed beast-man wielding a black mace, which he swung down. It forcefully shattered the giant sword into countless fragments that scattered everywhere. The storm intensified, and the cold current became even more severe.

The Old Ancestor in Linen's face instantly changed: "Mid Nascent Soul?!" The trickiest aspect of cultivators who practiced the Dark Beast Dao was their ability to temporarily merge with their natal dark beasts. Their Qi flowed in harmony, and their lives were linked. Their cultivation techniques were extremely harmonious, and this fusion was their trump card, allowing the Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch to briefly attain the Mid Nascent Soul realm, making his combat abilities incredibly formidable.

Nearly five hundred years had passed since the last great war between the righteous and demonic factions. Information on these Nascent Soul cultivators, who rarely made appearances and had advanced during this period, was scarce, unlike the extensive knowledge and fear associated with the truly powerful grand cultivators. In this regard, Wang Yu and the two Nascent Soul cultivators of the Sword Sect were in the same boat. It was a matter of being completely in the dark. As for how the Savage Demonic Monarch obtained intelligence on the Sword Sect, that was another matter; infiltration and spies were common tactics in the conflicts between various factions.

The Nascent Soul cultivators from both sides ascended to the sky for their battle. The intense rumbling was confined within the area enveloped by the Gates of Hell, making it a fierce battle for the lower-cultivation cultivators.

Fifty-four black-robed demonic cultivators gathered behind Wang Yu. Solid black ice condensed into a long spear in his hand. As his Silver Blood Divine Power activated, a force field transformed into a sharp drill bit, covering the black ice spear.

He raised his arm and fired!

"Boom!!!"

With an explosion, smoke and ice shards burst forth. The Qimen Sword Array, led by Master Bagua's Li-character sword, shattered like paper. The hundreds of Foundation Establishment Qimen sword cultivators were instantly pulverized into blood mist. The more than two thousand people protected by the Qimen Sword Array also vomited blood continuously. Those who were close died instantly, while those a little further away barely survived.

Wang Yu shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied with his efficiency. "Slaughter them all."

At his command, fifty-four elite demonic cultivators, along with two junior Foundation Establishment cultivators and a bewildered snow fox, charged forward like hungry wolves unleashed. In an instant, they formed an overwhelming force. While various demonic artifacts might be slightly inferior in potential, their lethality was no less than that of sword cultivators, and perhaps even more unpredictable and sinister.

Wang Yu's gaze, however, lingered on the eighteen Core Formation Envoys. All Sword Sect Envoys came from the Institute of Righteous Qi, and their abilities were somewhat interconnected. Among them, the slender woman in a moon-white gauze dress was the most striking. Her figure was alluring and curvaceous, and her ice-cold beauty created a sharp contrast with her enticing physique. Even in desperation, she maintained a calm mind.

"Junior brothers, let me be the core, and activate the Eighteen Sword Shadows Dragon-Struggling Array!"

There was no escaping, no getting away. A desperate last stand was their only hope. With someone willing to bear the main pressure, the others naturally wouldn't falter or hold back.

"It has to be this way."

"Junior Sister Moonlight, it's up to you now."

The eighteen figures quickly took their positions. As spiritual energy surged, chain-like array patterns spread beneath their feet, rapidly forming a gigantic array diagram. Moonlit Immortal Chang Xi, at the center, emitted a brilliant golden light from her body. Audaciously, she unleashed a sword strike toward Wang Yu.

The platinum crescent sword qi seemed unstoppable. Yet, Wang Yu effortlessly dispersed it with a flick of his sleeve. With a step, he transformed into a streak of aurora, suddenly appearing before Chang Xi and reaching out to touch her smooth, delicate cheek.

Wang Yu gazed at her, seemingly with "emotion," and said, "Chang Xi, long time no see."

The ice-cold beauty's pupils contracted. She paid no mind to the intimate gesture, but stared at Wang Yu with profound shock, her normally clear voice becoming slightly sharp. "This is impossible... This is impossible, clearly..."

"Clearly, when we last met, I had just reached Foundation Establishment, and you were already at the peak of Foundation Establishment." Wang Yu's answer was exactly what Chang Xi had been thinking. And this was less than two hundred years ago.

Her talent was actually not bad; among the 1,008 Envoys of the Institute of Righteous Qi, she could rank in the upper echelons, with some potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage. The most outstanding talents in the Void Heaven Sword Sect were always the twelve direct disciples, the Sword Sons; the top three could even become disciples of Soul Transformation Venerables. Wang Yu was significantly superior even to these twelve Sword Sons. His innate demonic embryo body gave him the potential to reach Soul Transformation.

Chang Xi's change in expression brought great satisfaction to Wang Yu. In life, besides cultivation, one should not neglect beauty and fine food, but the most satisfying thing is still to show off. To demonstrate one's power before others, how could it be done without acquaintances to witness it!

"Senior Sister, don't fall for the demonic cultivator's illusions."

"Dragon Binding Lock, rise!"

The chain-shaped array diagram suddenly spun, transforming into long dragons of golden chains, attempting to bind Wang Yu. In response, Wang Yu merely moved his thoughts. The Ice Chain God-Binding Spell, empowered by his demonic essence, activated, sending millions of black ice chains spiraling back. A minor array formed by a mere eighteen Core Formation cultivators was no match for him.

The chasm between Core Formation and Nascent Soul. From ancient times to the present, there had been no precedent of cross-level victory; how could he become a disgrace among his peers? However profound the psychological trauma Chang Xi had inflicted on him back then, he would return it all today.

The Ice Chain God-Binding Spell tangled around them, its domineering extreme cold almost freezing their spiritual power. The sharp sword energy unleashed by their natal swords couldn't even cut through the black ice chains. Wang Yu's extreme cold energy had undergone multiple enhancements: perfected cultivation techniques, absorption of power from exotic cold lands, boosts from heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and demonic essence amplification. These all contributed to his deep foundation in the path of ice. Even the Cold Blood Mountain Master's power was inferior to his extreme cold energy. This was due to fortuitous encounters; each time his ice cultivation technique reached perfection, it was like a profound transformation in his realm. Its simplest effect was to purify his demonic essence and enhance his cold qi, eventually forming a power akin to the wondrous cold of heaven and earth. Just like spiritual flames such as the Ice Flood Dragon Pill Flame, if it's strong, it's strong!

This extreme cold spread very quickly. That useless Eighteen Sword Shadows Dragon-Binding Array shattered completely within a few breaths. The seventeen Sword Sect Envoys, besides Chang Xi, lost their life force completely, like ants, with merely a gentle puff of air.

Not far away, the demonic cultivators cackled eerily, savagely slaughtering the Sword Sect disciples. They drained blood and extracted souls; even the corpses were excellent materials. In the hands of demonic cultivators, people were equivalent to spiritual resources. Every bone had its purpose, highlighting their "frugality."

"—No!"

The battle below was settling. Amidst Chang Xi's despair, Wang Yu suppressed her into the Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda; he still had a use for this woman. Only then did he turn his attention to the wailing and crying figures in the sky.

"Master Bagua..."

Wang Yu's eyes narrowed. With a wave of his hand, he created an ice prison that enveloped the fighting demonic cultivators. This move was both a restriction and a protection, for he was about to unleash a powerful technique! The Savage Demonic Monarch and Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch did not seem to be fighting at full strength. The former's battle with Master Bagua was primarily a struggle to tie him down, preventing him from interfering with Wang Yu. Although the latter was overwhelmingly defeating the Old Ancestor in Linen, inflicting severe damage, a closer look would reveal much blood was shed, but there were no fatal injuries. It was a waste of the Heaven's Lock he had secretly set up.

While Nascent Soul cultivators were difficult to kill, as long as their spatial displacement techniques were sealed, Wang Yu believed he had a high chance of killing them.

The next instant, Wang Yu suddenly appeared behind Master Bagua, and a divine Ice Soul Ray shot forth. He rarely used this divine ability, but that didn't mean it wasn't powerful. He hadn't used it much before because his cultivation realm wasn't perfected, and even after perfecting it, he used it sparingly because he hadn't fully comprehended its profound meaning, making its effect on grand cultivators generally limited. But against opponents of the same realm, its power was still very strong.

How fast is the speed of light? Ordinary people simply couldn't react, let alone with Wang Yu deliberately closing the distance. As the renowned divine ability of the Ice Soul Immortal, when Wang Yu cast it, it reached an extreme. With a sweep of the ice-blue beam, the Bagua swords swirling with wind, lightning, earth, and various other spiritual energies around Master Bagua were instantly covered in frost. Their connection with their master was instantly severed, and they plunged towards the ground.

Not far away, the Old Ancestor in Linen, seeing his old friend in trouble, gritted his teeth and spat out a mouthful of vital blood. He sacrificed it to his sword, instantly stirring up countless bloody sword shadows, directing them to shower the Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch, intending to delay him. At the same time, he transformed into a crimson sword light and lunged towards Master Bagua.

"Find a way to shatter one of the Gates of Hell and retreat quickly!" He sensed a fatal threat. At this point, worrying about the disciples' lives was inappropriate; he had to make a decisive choice.

Master Bagua's eyes were bloodshot. A Tai Chi Bagua diagram flew out from within him. The Yin and Yang fish enveloped both of them as they charged towards the Gates of Hell in the east. As he glanced back, he gave Wang Yu a fierce look, as if vowing to remember him. To his surprise, Wang Yu returned a smile.

"Crackle~"

In an instant, frost and snow filled the sky. His natal divine ability, specifically charged before release, unleashed its power to the extreme. The Glazed Pagoda spun above Wang Yu's head. Around the cold, icy moon of frost and snow, various wondrous phenomena emerged. Palaces and cassia trees were imprinted on the frosty moon. An immortal figure, with a jade plate on its back and robed in feathers, its face obscured, crossed a cold bridge. Its well-defined figure suggested it was the ephemeral image of a female immortal. An ice axe and a frost sword hung at its waist. It held a sacred bow, with a white jade ruyi scepter forming the bowstring. A moon rabbit leaped into the immortal figure's hand, transforming into an arrow of frost.

Cassia tree, moon rabbit, ice axe, jade plate, immortal figure, palace, cold bridge, frost sword, aurora, feathered robe, ruyi scepter, sacred bow. These twelve manifestations blended into one, achieving preliminary fusion. This meant that this particular natal divine ability was infinitely close to perfection. Once perfected, the twelve wondrous manifestations would appear as truly existing entities. Wang Yu could borrow power from them, partially manifesting the might of some divine abilities, drastically increasing his flexibility. However, at this moment, it brought an extreme sense of horror to Master Bagua and the Old Ancestor in Linen.

They couldn't block it; they could only dodge!

"Whoosh—"

The frosty arrow shadow shot out, and halfway, it transformed into a lovely moon rabbit manifestation. Like the legend of Chang'e flying to the moon, it crashed into the two figures enveloped by the Bagua diagram. This was a rare mid-grade Tier 4 magical artifact, a Bagua diagram. Its Qimen twists activated the forces of the various elements of heaven and earth through different trigrams. While doing their utmost to weaken the Moon Rabbit Arrow, both also shifted their bodies. However, in less than a third of a breath, the Tai Chi Bagua diagram violently shattered, scattering into countless torn fabric fragments.

The Savage Demonic Monarch and Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch widened their eyes. They seemed not to have expected Wang Yu's power to be so formidable. Before they could say anything, the Moon Rabbit Arrow exploded, drawing in the frosty moon manifested by the divine ability. The view turned completely white. A frost storm, several magnitudes stronger, erupted. Dense hailstones shot forth, and the aftershocks riddled the earth with holes. The roaring sound was incessant.

The most important thing was the outcome. A frost flower bloomed in mid-air, as if freezing the void itself. The Nascent Souls of the Sword Sect cultivators, whose physical bodies were utterly destroyed, had to escape from it. Their Nascent Soul states were unstable, but they were still some distance from complete annihilation.

The Twelve Manifestations of Guanghan were very powerful. But currently, it hadn't reached the absurd level of instantly destroying both body and Nascent Soul; its power could only completely suppress early Nascent Soul cultivators. This was also one of the manifestations of his profound foundation.

The two old devils looked numb, but the two victims wished they could tear Wang Yu apart. Having lost their original physical bodies, their path to immortality was halved. If they couldn't find suitable bodies to possess, they would be stuck at this stage for the rest of their lives.

The Old Ancestor in Linen was even more severely injured. He followed the path of ancient artifact cultivation, and that iron sword was linked to his life. It was like the Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch losing his natal dark beast; his injuries were far more severe than Master Bagua's. Such a terrifying rising star would be a great enemy to the Taihu Spirit Domain.

"Go, spatial displacement!"

"Dream on."

Wang Yu clapped his hands together forcefully, and the void instantly became covered with dense spatial chains. He turned to the Savage Demonic Monarch and Nether Tiger Demonic Monarch and roared, "Go, leave them no escape!"