The Bai Clan prepared themselves as thousands of Demonic Cultivators made it past Bai Zihan.
They were also fighting with Demonic Beasts, so in a sense they were already preoccupied.
However, they weren't overly worried since they weren't fighting using their full strength either.
Ever since Bai Zihan gave a Heaven-grade Cultivation Technique to the Clan, the once-secret Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique, Azure Dragon Breathing thod which was reserved for the Bai Clan's elite was taught to everyone in the Bai Clan.
With that, they-who were already the strongest in the Desolate Heaven Empire-had beco invincible. In the sa realm, there was hardly anyone who could match them.
They had been keeping their true strength hidden because they didn't only need to worry about external threats but also allies.
They didn't want to show too much to the Li-Zhao and other enemies from the alliance, so they kept fighting without showing their full strength.
So, while they were fighting Demonic Beasts, it was not as if they were struggling against them.
Moreover, Bai Zihan was keeping the annoying Demonic Elder pests away.
So, Bai Clan Elders could contribute more toward fighting weaker opponents and finish them off easily.
Also, the ones who managed to slip past Bai Zihan were far fewer than the Demonic Cultivators had initially planned.
And even those few-were marching straight into a nightmare.
"Don't hold back! Kill these Demonic Beasts and focus on the Demonic Cultivators!"
One of the Elders commanded.
Fighting on both fronts would be very difficult even with their strength, so it was better for them to take care of them one by one.
As the command was given out, Bai Clan mbers-who were seemingly struggling against the Demonic Beasts-suddenly increased their qi and then-
Slash! Slash!
Thousands of Demonic Beasts who had been fighting dropped to the ground.
!!!
This obviously startled the Demonic Cultivators, but since they had already pushed through, they couldn't stop now.
Not to ntion, they assud that the Bai Clan must be exhausted after expending so much qi to handle the Demonic Beasts.
The first clash erupted like a thunderstorm.
"Kill them! Don't let-"
CRACK!
The leading demonic cultivator's voice froze mid-command.
More accurately-
He froze.
Everything froze.
A wave of glacial light swept across the battlefield as Bai Xueqing flicked her fingers.
"Glacial Heaven Seal-Absolute Frost Domain!"
The temperature plumted so abruptly that frost burst along the ground like crystalline flowers.
Within a heartbeat, dozens-no, hundreds-of Demonic Cultivators were sealed from the knees up in transparent, crystal-blue ice.
Their limbs froze mid-motion.
Their qi circulation halted.
And then-
crack... crack... CRAAACK!
Several shattered instantly as the ice expanded, tearing their bodies apart.
Those who survived were left unable to move even a fingertip.
The Bai Clan's frontline didn't hesitate.
"Finish them!"
Spirit Severing and Soul Formation Bai cultivators surged forward like a sharp blade cleaving through rotted flesh.
Frozen bodies broke apart like brittle sculptures.
Limbs scattered.
Blood misted the air.
Then there was the Bai Clan's Elder- even without any support, they were enough to kill five Spirit Severing Realms by themselves.
Without themselves having Many Void Refinent Demonic Cultivators on their side due to being preoccupied with Bai Zihan, there weren't many who could stop them.
The Demonic Cultivators who ca expecting to butcher the Bai Clan instead found themselves being erased before they could even form a proper battle
line.
The battlefield erupted into chaos.
The Demonic Cultivators who had broken through felt triumphant for all of three seconds until the Bai Clan surged forward like a silent, icy tidal wave.
Swords flashed.
Seals ignited.
Frost blossod.
Every Bai Clan cultivator, from Soul Formation to Nascent Soul, moved with the
sa terrifying precision-as if their every movent was part of a greater,
unified killing formation.
Even while still fending off roaming Demonic Beasts, their formation tightened
with lethal efficiency.
Then-
A ripple of sinister qi.
A screech of twisting demonic mana.
From the cluster of Demonic Cultivators erged a woman in crimson robes
with her signature Black Scythe.
Her eyes glowed purple.
Her aura twisted the air.
Dugu Lianxin!
Saintess of the Hundred Sins Hall.
The battlefield itself seed to darken at her arrival.
Her lips curled.
"Bai Xueqing!"
Bai Xueqing, still hovering above frost-coated ground, lifted her gaze coldly.
Last ti in the Ancient Ruins, their clash had been even though it was only a
short clash.
However, this was not the sa Bai Xueqing as before, and it could be said the
sa about Dugu Lianxin.
Dugu Lianxin snarled and launched forward first.
Her scythe tore through the air with a shriek that split the battlefield.
WAAAHHH!
Sinful demonic qi exploded outward, twisting into writhing specters that clawed at the earth itself. Every arc of her weapon seed to drag the cries of
tornted souls behind it.
"Ninefold Sin Execution-Severing Wraith Slash!"
A crescent of purple-black light howled toward Bai Xueqing, carving a trench
across the ground before it even made contact.
Bai Xueqing didn't blink.
With one smooth motion-
SCHING!
Her sword flicked upward.
Her sword was filled with Ice Qi, and despite just using pure swordsmanship, it
was as if she was using an Ice Technique.
SHHAAAA-!
Cold light t demonic sin head-on.
The two attacks collided.
BOOOOM!!!
A shockwave blasted outward in a blinding sphere of white and violet.
Demonic cultivators not even involved in the duel were sent skidding across the battlefield.
So slamd into the ground hard enough to cough blood. Frost stead off their bodies.
The ground beneath Dugu Lianxin cracked like shattered glass.
She staggered back half a step.
Just half.
But Bai Xueqing... didn't move at all.
Dugu's pupils shrank.
"Impossible...! You-!"
Bai Xueqing stepped forward, cold air swirling around her like a divine mantle.
Dugu Lianxin grit her teeth and lunged again.
"Don't get arrogant!!"
Her scythe wove a deadly dance-spinning, slicing, tearing, every motion a killing blow.
Her demonic qi roared like a storm.
"Hundred Sins-Chains of Eternal Damnation!"
Dark chains erupted from the ground, writhing and snapping like venomous serpents, aiming to bind Bai Xueqing from every direction.
But Bai Xueqing's gaze didn't waver.
Bai Xueqing's eyes sharpened.
"Nine Shadows Flowing Light Sword!"
FWOOOOSH!
Nine afterimages burst from her body-nine silhouettes of Bai Xueqing, each perfectly identical, each wielding the sa frost-laced sword.
They moved like flowing moonlight, weaving between the demonic chains so fluidly that even shadows failed to catch them.
Dugu Lianxin's expression warped.
"What-?!"
The chains stabbed into one Bai Xueqing-
It vanished.
Another was cleaved in half by her scythe-
Again it vanished.
But the real Bai Xueqing slipped through the chaos like a phantom.
One step.
Two steps.
Three-
She appeared behind Dugu Lianxin.
Her blade flashed.
SHHNK-!
Dugu Lianxin felt ice kiss her throat.
Instinct saved her-she twisted her entire body, scythe sweeping back in a desperate arc.
"DAMN YOU!"
CLAAAAANG!!
The clash of blade and scythe sent both won flying apart.
Dugu Lianxin skidded back dozens of ters, boots carving deep marks in the frost-covered ground.
Her breathing turned sharp. Frost clung to her arms, forming crystalline veins beneath her skin.
"How-how are you THIS strong...?"
Her voice trembled with fury and disbelief. She has been going through intense training and hardly resting and in hope of surpassing Bai Xueqing.
Bai Xueqing didn't even pant.
Her condensed breath drifted calmly into the air.
Bai Xueqing's sword rose.
"Nine Shadows Flowing Light Sword!"
SHHHK!
Her body blurred.
Then split.
Nine flickering silhouettes burst outward like streaks of flowing starlight,
weaving effortlessly through the forest of demonic chains.
Even a Spirit Severing expert couldn't tell which was real.
Dugu Lianxin swung her scythe in a wild arc.
"Sever them all!"
BOOM!
Her scythe tore through two shadows-
Only for them to lt into light.
A cold whisper brushed past her ear.
"You attacked the wrong one."
Dugu whirled-
SHING!!!
A fine cut appeared across her cheek, so thin it didn't bleed for a second.
Then-
drip...
A single drop rolled down.
"You-!"
Dugu Lianxin recoiled, fury igniting in her eyes.
She roared, demonic qi flooding out again, crushing the ground beneath her.
"Don't think you're the only one who improved!"
Her scythe spun like an executioner's wheel, dark runes igniting along its edge.
"Hundred Sins-Soulflayer Reap!"
The attack tore through several of the shadows at once, shredding them into
drifting fragnts of sword-light.
But-
Bai Xueqing was already behind her.
SHILING!
Dugu blocked, barely in ti.
Sparks erupted.
The scyhe trembled from the force-this ti she was pushed back three steps.
"What...? You weren't this strong before!"
Bai Xueqing advanced without responding to her words.
Bai Xueqing stepped in-
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Each motion forced Dugu back.
Each stroke targeted a weakness in the scythe's rotation.
Dugu Lianxin gritted her teeth and roared again.
Demonic qi erupted from her body in a violent storm.
"Chains of Eternal Damnation-Bind Her!"
Hundreds of dark chains erupted at once, twisting toward Bai Xueqing like
starving serpents.
But Bai Xueqing wasn't there anymore.
She stepped lightly-
And vanished.
A heartbeat later-
She appeared above Dugu Lianxin, blade descending in a vertical line of
blinding radiance.
"Icebound Severing Sword!"
Dugu Lianxin raised her scythe in a desperate guard.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The ground cratered beneath her feet.
Her arms trembled.
Her knees buckled.
Her scythe vibrated as cracks spider-webbed along its spine.
The force sent her skidding backward tens of ters, boots digging trenches in
the dirt.
She spat blood.
She looked up, blood trailing from her lips-only to realize she was standing before a wall she could never break, a peak she could never surpass.
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