Chapter 524: Two Negotiations, Prison King Spirit Officer

The Fire Crow King’s eyes widened.

“The Heavenly Peng King… Peng Zhan… How is this possible!”

Those two ice sculptures were the Heavenly Peng King and Peng Zhan, two demon beasts who had been severely wounded by the Ice Phoenix and then led out of the secret realm by Peng Zhan. Given their condition at the time, leaving the secret realm was indeed their primary choice. However, they were ambushed by this group of Ice Clan members, which led to their deaths. This was truly unexpected.

Upon seeing this scene, the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable knew that the newcomers meant trouble, but he lacked knowledge of the outside world. Relying solely on the accounts of the two kings made it easy to overlook crucial information.

“The Ice Clan? I never thought that after so many years, this Venerable would still see traces of the Ice Clan. Bring out your Snowfield King.”

The Snowfield King was the Ice Clan’s king from a thousand years ago. He was at the early stage of the Soul Transformation cultivation level and had been slain by the Heaven-Refining Demon Venerable in the Endless Ice Plains during the last war between the righteous and demonic factions. After that battle, the Ice Clan declined, leaving only one tribe with a lineage: the Gatekeeper Tribe of the Frozen Demon Sealing Ground. This was the final battle that led to the complete decline of the Ice Clan.

The Azure Dragon Demon Venerable’s mention of ancient history was tantamount to a provocation. However, this group, composed mainly of mixed-blood Ice Clan members, knew little about the Snowfield King. They didn’t even recognize the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable. As engineered beings, they developed extremely quickly but were generally less than a hundred years old. Their limited understanding directly led the situation to escalate into a battle.

Bing Li, a Son of the Ice God from a certain generation, had not yet given a command when he saw someone unleash a natural ability and attack directly. A mixed-blood Ice Clan member, still exhilarated from killing a Heavenly Peng, charged forward upon seeing more people emerge from the secret realm. He was the first to rush out, pointing his right hand towards the sky. Dark clouds instantly covered dozens of miles, and from the frost and snowstorm, an ice sword, resembling a gigantic peak, descended with fierce momentum, heading straight for the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable.

The latter looked utterly bewildered. With a flick of his sleeve, a thunder dragon burst out, instantly shattering the giant sword into dust. It then continued its charge, undiminished, straight towards the mixed-blood Ice Clan member. The latter’s full efforts were in vain. The terrifying disparity in cultivation levels, a complete suppression, caused him to turn into a charred black object in less than a breath, tumbling to the ground and breaking into five or six pieces.

Instantly, the field fell silent. Bing Li’s pupils contracted. Although he didn't recognize the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable, he could tell that the power of that move far exceeded the limits of the Nascent Soul stage.

“Soul Transformation! He’s a Soul Transformation expert… Activate the formation!”

The Ice Clan reacted as if triggered, immediately resorting to their ultimate hidden method: the profound formation flags given by the Gatekeeper Tribe’s Great Priest, combined with the power of nearly a hundred Nascent Soul Ice Clan members present. This instantly enveloped the Azure Dragon Demon Venerable. The latter’s face was utterly bewildered, and his anger intensified. The Azure Dragon truly hadn’t expected that in less than a thousand years, his reputation would count for nothing. This was simply outrageous.

“Hmph, a bunch of weaklings, how dare you underestimate my Demon Clan!”

A violent sea of thunder rapidly spread, centered around him. It faintly formed a trend of holding its own against the formation. However, the Azure Dragon was actually very anxious. Since negotiation was impossible, he had to find a way to cripple the enemy in one fell swoop. Otherwise, if he delayed for too long, he feared that the Heaven-Refining Demon Venerable would catch him before he even returned to the Northern Demon Clan’s ancestral land. The animosity between them had existed for a long time. The Heaven-Refining Demonic Flames within his body were the best way to locate him; he believed his opponent would have sensed him the moment he exited the secret realm. He couldn't waste too much time!

Outside the formation, the Fire Crow King and the Thunder Qilin King were under even greater pressure. They had reason to suspect that the Ice Clan had chosen to ambush them at the secret realm entrance because they had likely wiped out the Ice Clan’s team before the secret realm opened, making it highly probable that this was an act of revenge. After all, this was the Endless Ice Plains, where the Ice Clan could fully utilize their bloodline’s greatest advantages, typically allowing them to fight at a slightly higher cultivation level. The overall boost to their strength was unimaginable.

Seeing the Demon Venerable trapped, they instinctively exchanged glances.

“What do we do now? Fight our way out?”

The Thunder Qilin King, his body shimmering with lightning, was already prepared to break through. Regardless of the number of Ice Clan members, in the eyes of a Nascent Soul Grand Perfection expert like him, wiping them all out might be difficult, but breaking through would be effortless. Their escape techniques alone were a reality these people couldn't avoid.

“Let’s defend for a while until Lord Demon Venerable breaks the formation.”

“Alright.”

Outside the secret realm, the trap battle was in full swing. Inside the secret realm, Wang Yu was also engaged in a fierce battle with the Five-Colored Sacred Master. Two streaks of black light violently collided, and one was decisively slammed into a small underwater mountain, which caused the entire small mountain to explode. The disheveled Five-Colored Sacred Master climbed out of the rubble, hurriedly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His originally calm expression finally showed significant fluctuation.

In fact, even at the moment Wang Yu appeared, he hadn't been flustered. His inherent strength and the Great Void Escape Technique meant he was in an invincible position. How could Wang Yu, a mere youngster, be his match? Therefore, when faced with the sudden treasure snatching, he had confidently met the challenge, and then… it turned into this. Just one punch had almost finished him off. If he hadn't dispelled the force in time and worn his defensive Dragon Flood Inner Armor, that punch would have directly pierced his physical body. The savage brute force was already incredibly strong.

“You broke through to fifth-tier Body Tempering? How is that possible! There are absolutely no treasures in the Heavenly Palace secret realm that cultivators can use to break through in Body Tempering!!”

“Ignorant.”

Wang Yu scoffed. Empowered by the Black Demonic Thunder, he unleashed an explosive technique—the Secret Art of Thunder-Fire Heavenly Pivot! The fourth-tier lightning and fifth-tier flames, combined with his fifth-tier physique, significantly increased the potential he could unleash, nearly doubling his physical capabilities. Coupled with his escape technique under the Aurora Insight, his speed was like instantaneous movement. In less than a quarter of a breath, he appeared behind the Five-Colored Sacred Master.

A fierce side kick connected with the Five-Colored Sacred Master’s waist before he abruptly reacted. As he desperately twisted his body, numerous talismans activated, forming layers of repulsive spiritual membranes. His natal magic treasure, a demonic entity, drilled out from his Qi Sea. It transformed into a malevolent demonic head, opening its mouth to bite Wang Yu’s thigh.

Wang Yu’s peerless divine strength was delayed for a brief moment by a single-use talisman. Although the repulsive spiritual membranes were broken in an instant, the demonic head’s attack immediately arrived. The Five-Colored Sacred Master was clearly intending to trade injuries, wanting to force Wang Yu to withdraw his kick. But… Wang Yu’s ruthlessness was not something a single leg could make him abandon. Furthermore, with the basic defensive power provided by his Undying Body, he wasn’t afraid of the demonic head’s bite at all. What if it was a lost demonic artifact? He would still kick!

Just as this fierce kick directly cleaved the Five-Colored Sacred Master in half, the demonic head’s large mouth bit into Wang Yu’s thigh. Its sharp teeth pierced through flesh but were directly blocked by his hard bones. No matter how the Five-Colored Sacred Master urged it, it couldn’t bite through his undying bones.

Wang Yu opened his mouth and exhaled again. The Yellow Springs Insight was unleashed, and simultaneously, demonic energy transformed into a turbid Yellow Springs current, forming a murky yellow water column that drenched the demonic head artifact. The latter immediately flickered with spiritual light a few times, as if short-circuiting. It then lost power and could no longer sustain itself, falling towards the ground. The Five-Colored Sacred Master was both shocked and enraged.

Without hesitation, he activated the backup plan given by the Prison King Spiritual Official. After only a few exchanges, he clearly understood that he was no match for Wang Yu after his breakthrough. If he didn't use his trump card now, he might die before he could use it. His natal magic treasure, being connected to him, was eroded by the Yellow Springs, directly causing the Five-Colored Sacred Master to vomit a large mouthful of fresh blood. With only his upper body remaining, he formed a hand seal and cried out to the heavens.

“Summon—Sacred Master Token!”

The hundred and eight sacred tokens forged by the Ice Phoenix back then were not all of them; there was also one representing the first Sacred Master, and it was also the inheritance item of the Demon Clan’s Sacred Master. To some extent, it was like the Coiled Dragon Ring: in the right place, it could grant the holder “administrator privileges.” However, the true identity of the first Sacred Master was that of an Ice Clan member. This Sacred Master Token also had a contingency plan, making it unusable against the Ice Clan. But in a conflict where no Ice Clan members were present, its authority clearly surpassed Wang Yu’s.

As soon as the Sacred Token appeared, the entire Phoenix Abyss Cold Pond vibrated. The method the first Sacred Master used to imprison the true Ice Phoenix in the past was activated. However... this time, it was used against Wang Yu. A method capable of imprisoning even true spirit bloodlines would severely impact Wang Yu with his current strength if he were to be hit.

Suddenly, cracks opened in the void. Dark purple threads penetrated the void from all directions. Their extreme sharpness caused cracks to appear in the stable secret realm space wherever they passed, wrapping around Wang Yu’s limbs and body. The latter dared not touch them at all, transforming directly into an aurora and beginning to weave through the giant web of threads. Using his speed advantage, he forcibly avoided the cutting of each thread.

The Five-Colored Sacred Master, seizing the chance to breathe, quickly took out a healing elixir from his spatial ring and retrieved his severed lower body. After taking the pill, his wounds quickly healed, and he regained his complete body. He then turned and fled without hesitation. At the same time, Yan Ling, at the edge of the battlefield, suddenly sensed the almost tangible resentment within the soul imprint. Her body instinctively reacted, beyond her control. The Ice Phoenix’s innate divine ability, which she, a human, shouldn’t have been able to use, was unleashed through her instincts.

Two frost wings, like scythes, suddenly slashed down. One severed the Five-Colored Sacred Master’s escape route, and the other broke a gap in the strange spatial thread formation, allowing Wang Yu to escape from the encirclement. Before the Five-Colored Sacred Master could react, the Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow appeared in Wang Yu’s hand. The Frost Moon phenomenon manifested behind him, and the Taiyin Star Arrow condensed. The Guanghan Insight and the power of the Twelve Phases converged onto this arrow, further enhanced by a top-tier spiritual treasure, and combined with his incredibly powerful brute force. It could be said that this was the ultimate manifestation of his offensive power in his cultivation career, an unprecedented and most potent killing move! Using it against the Five-Colored Sacred Master was like using an ox cleaver to kill a chicken.

A deadly sense of crisis engulfed the Five-Colored Sacred Master’s heart. He looked back, utterly terrified, and had no choice but to wave the Sacred Master Token again, forcibly controlling the spatial threads to continue tangling around Wang Yu. An extreme sense of sharpness assailed him, yet Wang Yu did not dodge. He maintained his aiming stance, but the evolving Fiend Dragon Armor was already on his body, and the Glazed Pagoda appeared above his head, casting down a transparent protective light screen. While unafraid, basic respect and defensive measures were still necessary; he couldn't simply take the cutting of the spatial threads head-on.

As the saying goes: “Bow drawn to full moon, arrows shot in rapid succession!” Three-fifths of the Frozen Demonic Essence stored in Wang Yu’s body was instantly consumed as three arrows were simultaneously shot. This was completely different from his previous fight with the Nascent Soul cultivator. Each arrow this time contained the complete power of the Twelve Phases of Guanghan. The extremely fast Taiyin Guanghan Arrows arrived before the Five-Colored Sacred Master almost instantly. At the same time, the strangulation of the spatial threads also reached him.

The protective power of the Fiend Dragon Armor was very high; even when the spatial threads cut against it, there was a clear sense of dullness, like using silk threads to cut fresh meat. Although they could sink in, completely cutting through was difficult. However, with the threads’ strangulation and friction, the dragon armor was eventually cut through. The dark purple threads embedded deep into Wang Yu’s flesh, eventually becoming stuck in his undying bones, unable to completely cut him into pieces.

In contrast, the Five-Colored Sacred Master. Even a single arrow would have been difficult for him to handle, let alone three shot consecutively. He was clearly about to lose his life to the Taiyin Guanghan Arrows. Yet, a faint sigh echoed in the void. The void before him suddenly split open, and the first arrow shot in, immediately vanishing without a trace, as if instantly dissolved by something…

Witnessing this scene, Wang Yu’s brows furrowed. With a thought, the second arrow surprisingly changed direction, arcing in a semicircle directly from the void crack. It shot straight towards the hiding Five-Colored Sacred Master. At that moment, a large hand, formed from condensed magical power, reached out from the crack. It completely ignored the arrow’s power, crushing it on the spot and obliterating its force within the magical hand. The third arrow, controlled by Wang Yu’s consciousness, shot into the sky before turning its trajectory to attack the Five-Colored Sacred Master. Unfortunately… it was still dissolved by that hand of magical power.

“An observer from beyond this realm.”

The opponent had still intervened. Wang Yu’s mind immediately became highly vigilant. In his judgment, even if the opponent intervened, they should have paid a significant price. Otherwise, if the rules set by the Immortals were so easy to violate, it would be too disappointing. The value of the Five-Colored Sacred Master was something he hadn't anticipated. However, if the opponent had something important that only the Five-Colored Sacred Master could accomplish, then paying such a price would be worth it. In an instant, Wang Yu thought of many things.

But his actions didn't stop. Another Taiyin Guanghan Arrow condensed on the bowstring, and a voice immediately echoed from within the void crack. “Wait… inheritor of the Taiyin Gate.”

Wang Yu’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t deny the title but maintained his drawn bow, not lowering it. After a moment of silence, the voice from behind the crack continued.

“Let go of the Five-Colored Sacred Master, and I will promise you a slot for ascension.”

“Heh.” Wang Yu immediately showed a mocking smile. “Senior, why bother with such childish tricks? Since you are bound by duty, I, Wang, will not entertain any illusions.”

“No, you misunderstand. Things are different now. The Ice Prison Realm has reached its limit for ancient demon bodies it can hold. If all goes as expected, within a millennium, the Immortal Palace will formally select jailers here. If you do well, there might even be a chance to ascend to the True Spirit Realm. You are still young and have plenty of time to wait. Why risk offending the Immortal Palace by becoming my enemy?”

Wang Yu simply didn’t believe such unverified news. Moreover, hearing it from an enemy meant that whether true or false, anyone who believed it would be a fool. But… he could try to bluff. Blinking his eyes, Wang Yu suddenly said, “It's not impossible to let him go. Return my Heavenly Human Divine Treasure Vine, and then we can talk.”

Hearing this, before the Prison King Spiritual Official could respond, the Five-Colored Sacred Master vehemently exclaimed, “That’s impossible! This is my Sacred Master’s treasure! When did it become something of yours, you petty thief?!?”