Chapter 1166: Snow Emperor

"Lord Siming, you jest," Lu Yang said, slowly backing away and calculating his escape routes. "I am but a junior; how could I possibly have clues about the Four Ancient Immortals?"

The gap between the Tribulation Transcending stage and Immortals was insurmountable by any means. Just as he could overwhelm Yang Kongtong, Siming could overwhelm him.

"Oh, you know me?" Siming asked, looking at Lu Yang with interest. Both the Central Heaven Emperor and he were figures from 300,000 years ago; their appearances had long faded into the river of history. Current cultivators shouldn't recognize him.

No, wait. The Demon Subduing Divine Lord and the Demon Exterminating Divine Lord had fallen in the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace, so the high-ranking officials of Great Xia already knew what he and the Central Heaven Emperor looked like.

"You are Lu Yang? It seems your status in Great Xia is higher than I imagined."

Siming smiled. Whether this junior had any information about the Four Ancient Immortals or not, capturing him would reveal everything.

He poked his skull-topped staff, and a bony hand emerged from its side. The hand clenched and unclenched its five fingers, as if just waking from a deep sleep.

Lu Yang unleashed a sword strike, but it only left a white mark on the bony hand's palm and did nothing to slow its assault.

"Little Yang, let this Immortal try."

Immortal Censor directly took control of Lu Yang's body.

Controlling Lu Yang's body, Immortal Censor lightly tapped her toe in the air, causing the bony hand to miss its target.

"Oh, so there's something to you after all." Siming raised an eyebrow. Logically, Lu Yang shouldn't have been able to dodge that attack; in fact, no Tribulation Transcending cultivator should have been able to.

A coincidence?

It didn't matter.

A mere Tribulation Transcending cultivator wasn't worth his effort. Given his status, he presided over the sacrifices of the Great Qian Dynasty, and even the nascent Dao Fruits condensed by divine lords using the power of faith passed through his hands, creating countless Half-Immortals. It could be said that a single word from him could decide the life or death of any Tribulation Transcending cultivator.

Siming threw his staff. The staff transformed into a full skeleton as it flew into the wind. "Go, capture him," he commanded.

At Siming's command, two eerie green ghost fires ignited in the skeleton's eye sockets. This was his Natal Artifact, refined from his own bones, equivalent to his clone and capable of numerous divine abilities and spells.

The skeleton split into 206 bones, which scattered and hovered in the air.

Then the bones rearranged themselves into a different configuration, forming a cage that trapped Lu Yang.

Immortal Censor wasn't adept with a sword. She used the Green Edge Sword as a hammer, smashing it fiercely against the cage, which made her arms tingle.

Siming crooked a finger, recalling the cage.

This was his Natal Magic Treasure; it was impossible for Tribulation Transcending cultivators to escape it.

Immediately after, a large explosion occurred within the cage. When the explosion subsided, Lu Yang appeared outside the cage.

Siming frowned. Lu Yang's actions once again defied his expectations.

"Is that some kind of Demonic Disintegration Art, self-destructing and then reforming in another space?"

"Interesting. Let's see how many times you can use that technique."

Then the cage trapped Lu Yang, only for him to self-destruct and escape. The cage trapped Lu Yang, he self-destructed and escaped. The cage trapped Lu Yang, he self-destructed and escaped...

Siming's eye twitched, and he was starting to lose face.

Could the Demonic Disintegration Art be used repeatedly?

Had he guessed wrong? Was this not a spell, but a nascent Dao Fruit?

No, that wasn't right either. If it were a nascent Dao Fruit, at most one could self-destruct a part of the body. How could the entire body continuously self-destruct?

If it was a full Dao Fruit, that would be even more absurd. This junior was only at the peak of Tribulation Transcending, and had only temporarily fluctuated to that realm. Where would he get a Dao Fruit?

"Little Yang, see?" Immortal Censor said, "Self-destruction isn't just for attacking; it's great for escaping too." She even had the leisure to describe the blueprint of the Immortal lineage to Lu Yang.

Siming made an "X" shape with his index finger. Two ribs from the skeleton flew from Lu Yang's left and right sides and pierced him. The ribs carried spatial power, like two nails, pinning Lu Yang firmly in that space!

The hearts of Muxue City's residents leaped into their throats. They had thought that once Yang Kongtong was dealt with, everything would be over. Who could have imagined an even more terrifying being descending?

The various city lords who had come to watch the battle were filled with regret. From Siming's nonchalant demeanor, it was clear his cultivation absolutely crushed Yang Kongtong and Lu Yang.

In other words, this was an Immortal!

If an Immortal were to become serious, they could level a thousand square li with a flick of a finger. Although they were revered Integration stage cultivators, they were no different from mortals in front of an Immortal!

At Tiger Roar Martial Arts Academy, Xue Shilou was meditating with his eyes closed. Scenes from his past flashed through his mind: learning swordsmanship from a young age, practicing pole standing in the snow, gaining minor fame, personality integration, bloodline awakening, shining brightly in the far north, and then, guided by Fellow Daoist Lu, learning rake and shovel techniques.

Everything in his past had a reason. His experiences must hold some meaning.

Fellow Daoist Lu expertly used a shovel to bury people. It seemed he had done this quite often.

So, a sword cultivator's true path was to act secretly, killing invisibly?

Further still, it meant the sword acts without self, a single strike to the throat!

The rake technique held the profound mystery of "one sword becoming ten thousand swords" and "ten thousand swords returning to the origin" united as one.

Yes, actually, a rake was also a type of sword.

Xue Shilou cast his sword aside and picked up his rake. At that moment, the nine tines of the rake were no longer tines, but nine swords!

Meng Jingzhou occasionally looked up at Lu Yang above him, and then turned to look at the mumbling Xue Shilou beside him. He felt he didn't have enough eyes.

Xue Shilou seemed to achieve perfect synchronicity with the rake. Numerous phantoms appeared around him, within which small figures wielded swords, demonstrating various sword techniques. Then, these phantom figures successively merged into the rake, forming a unique sword technique belonging solely to Xue Shilou.

"This is the... Iron Rake Sword Art I created!"

"The Iron Rake Sword Art is not easily seen by others; once revealed, it must end in death!"

Xue Shilou didn't need to verify the power of the sword art he created. The moment the sword art was created, the third trial of the Snow Emperor's bloodline was automatically passed!

This was the best proof!

"I want to fulfill my wish!" Xue Shilou declared. Completing the three trials of the Snow Emperor's bloodline allowed the Snow Emperor to grant any one wish.

This was the only way to save Fellow Daoist Lu!

Space warped, and a white-robed, white-haired, and white-bearded old man stepped out.

With every breath the white-bearded old man took, the entire far north seemed to breathe with him. His will commanded the will of the far north.

He was the Snow Emperor—a being who only existed in the legends of the far north, whom no one had ever seen!

The white-bearded old man's expression was solemn, radiating authority without anger. With his appearance, no one knew who this white-bearded old man was, except for Xue Shilou. Yet they held their breath, not daring to even let out a gasp.

It was as if even legends were an affront to divine power before this white-bearded old man!

"Were you the one who completed the three trials?" the Snow Emperor spoke. He exhaled cold air, freezing the very atmosphere.

"This junior, Xue Shilou, greets the Snow Emperor!" Xue Shilou knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"What? He's the Snow Emperor!" Old Master Murong, a native cultivator of the far north, had, of course, heard the legends of the Snow Emperor. He hadn't expected this suddenly appearing supreme expert to be the Snow Emperor!

So, the Snow Emperor was real?

"Indeed. It has been eighty thousand years since a qualified person appeared." The Snow Emperor's expression remained unchanged, but his tone conveyed his high regard for Xue Shilou.

"Henceforth, you shall be the new Snow Emperor. You have passed the three trials, and according to the rules, I can grant you one wish. What is your wish?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Shilou excitedly pointed at Lu Yang, who was pierced by ribs in the sky.

"I want to save him!"

The Snow Emperor looked up, gazing coldly at the young man in ancient ritual attire. His expression turned serious, his eyes profound, as if he were an omniscient and omnipotent being who saw through all things.

He spoke slowly, with an undeniable authority.

"An Immortal. I cannot defeat him."