[A/N: To those who've read chapter 20 before April 3, There are some changes at early chapters due to religious reason. My Mentioning of those Religious figure, some found it offensive, so i had to remove them. go check out first 3 chapters in case you might be confused later on.]
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Mo Wushuang's pulse quickened as dread settled in her chest. Even with the temporary boost from burning her Sovereign Soul, she was still only at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Against Golden Core cultivators, she had no chance of winning.
Her mind raced, searching for a way out. In desperation, she swallowed her pride and looked at Xie Ren.
"Insect, tell me how to enter the formation, and I will grant you a lifetime of wealth and glory," she said, her voice laced with urgency. "If you don't care for money, I can offer you Earth-grade techniques… even Heaven-grade ones!"
Xie Ren smirked, completely unfazed by her offer.
"Sorry, not interested," he said lazily. "If you want to enter the formation, you'll have to kneel and become my disciple."
Mo Wushuang's face darkened instantly. This bastard! He actually wanted her, the Icejade Sovereign, to kneel?
"Insect, you actually think I would kneel? Keep dreaming!" she snapped, her tone filled with disdain.
Turning away from Xie Ren, she gripped her bloodstained long sword and faced the two figures descending from the sky.
The two cultivators from the Mystic Frost Sect landed gracefully, their long robes billowing in the wind. One of them, a sharp-featured man with a cold expression, stepped forward.
"Mo Wushuang, not only did you steal our Mystic Frost Sect's treasure, the Earth-grade Sword, but you also slaughtered dozens of our disciples. Today, my partner Wei Wu and I will take you back to the sect to face punishment!" his voice rang out, carrying a tone of absolute authority.
With a flick of his sleeve, a powerful wave of spiritual energy sealed off Mo Wushuang's escape routes.
Mo Wushuang sneered. "The Mystic Frost Sect really has no shame. I obtained this sword from the Mystic Ruins with my own hands. Since when did it become yours?"
"The Mystic Ruins belong to our Mystic Frost Sect," Wei Wu replied with a smirk. "And since you were once a disciple of our sect, any treasure you obtain naturally belongs to us."
Mo Wushuang clenched her teeth. Shameless bastards! Even if she handed over the sword, they wouldn't let her go. But she had to try.
"If you're so desperate, I could give you the Sword," she said, her expression unreadable. "But you have to let me go."
"Mo Wushuang, you're already a traitor to our sect," the other cultivator, Wei Wu, said coldly. "There's no way we'll let you leave. Surrender now, and we might let you suffer less."
Mo Wushuang's expression turned icy. "Heh, in that case… let's fight!"
The moment the words left her lips, her aura exploded. Even with her battered body, the sheer dominance in her stance was undeniable.
In that instant, she no longer seemed like a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, she radiated the presence of a sovereign who had once ruled the world.
"Courting death!" Wei Wu roared.
A lion never spares its full strength, even when hunting a rabbit. The two Golden Core cultivators unleashed their might, their spiritual pressure crashing down like an unstoppable wave. The very air trembled under their power.
Mo Wushuang braced herself, pushing her body past its limits. But the gap between realms was too vast.
In a single exchange, a terrifying force struck her, sending her body flying. A sharp crack echoed as her ribs shattered. Blood sprayed from her lips, staining the ground beneath her. Her vision blurred, and her limbs felt numb.
Pain wracked her entire body, but her spirit remained unyielding. With the last of her strength, she raised her head and let out a bitter laugh.
"Heaven did not give birth to me, Mo Wushuang…to die like this," she whispered, her voice carrying a sorrowful pride. "As the Icejade Sovereign, even if I die, it will be by my own terms!"
Mo Wushuang lifted her blade, aiming to take her own life, but just as the sharp edge hovered near her throat, she froze.
Her body refused to move, as if unseen chains had wrapped around her limbs, locking her in place. A cold wave of fear crashed over her.
She struggled to break free, but the force restraining her was intangible, unfathomable. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, her enemies struck.
Wei Wu's blade flashed, slicing through the air ruthlessly. A sharp pain tore through her right arm, and a large open wound appeared in his arm, blood splattering across the ground.
The second blow came just as swiftly, shattering the bones in her left arm with a sickening crunch.
Despite the excruciating pain, Mo Wushuang didn't scream. Not even a whimper escaped her lips. Her pale face remained cold, her breath ragged but steady. Even now, she refused to show weakness.
"Mo Wushuang, you've lost all strength to resist. Surrender now," Wei Wu ordered as he reached for her, his tone filled with satisfaction.
Mo Wushuang leaned heavily against the shimmering barrier of the Celestial Currents Formation, her body trembling from blood loss.
She could feel herself slipping, her vision darkening at the edges. Yet, more than the pain, it was the sheer unwillingness in her heart that tormented her.
She had been reborn. A second chance at life, yet she had achieved nothing. Her great vengeance remained unfulfilled. She didn't even know the identities of those who had wronged her, and now she was on the verge of dying again. Was this truly the will of the heavens? Was she destined for nothing but failure?
She clenched her teeth, fury burning within her soul. No, she was not meant to fall like this!
Just as Wei Wu's hand reached for her, her body suddenly sank into the formation. Like a drop of water dissolving into the ocean, she disappeared without a trace.
Wei Wu's fingers grasped at empty air.
"What?!" His eyes widened, and he turned sharply toward Xie Ren. "Kid, did you do this?"
Xie Ren spread his hands with an innocent smile. "I'm just a Qi Refining cultivator. How could I have such power?"
Wei Wu's expression darkened. "Brat, don't play games with me! Do you have any idea what kind of sect you're offending? The Mystic Frost Sect isn't something you can trifle with. We have countless Golden Core experts and even several Nascent Soul cultivators. Hand over Mo Wushuang and the sword, and maybe I'll let you live."
Xie Ren took a step back, shaking his head. "I would if I could, but I'm honestly afraid to touch her. Look how fierce she is! What if she bites me?"
Wei Wu's face twisted in anger. He wasn't stupid, he could tell Xie Ren was mocking him.
"You're courting death, boy!" Wei Wu growled. He took a deep breath to suppress his killing intent before turning to his companion. "I'll stay here. You go back and bring the Sect Master and the Supreme Elder. They'll be able to break this formation."
The man gave a nod before leaping onto his sword and soaring into the sky, vanishing in the distance. Wei Wu remained behind, watching Xie Ren and his group like a hawk, unwilling to make a reckless move.
Meanwhile, within the Celestial Currents Formation, Mo Wushuang lay motionless on the ground, her breathing weak.
Chen Yinyin stood over her, arms crossed, looking down with an expression of amusement and superiority. "I never thought I'd see the great Icejade Sovereign in such a pathetic state."
Mo Wushuang forced her heavy eyelids open, her gaze falling upon Chen Yinyin. Something about the woman felt oddly familiar, yet the memory eluded her.
"You are…?" she asked hoarsely.
Chen Yinyin's lips curled into a faint smile. Then, in a soft, almost poetic tone, she recited,
"Below the ghostly river, where pale remains decay, Beyond the shadowed gates, blossoms bloom in endless gray."
Mo Wushuang's pupils shrank. Her bloodied fingers twitched.
"No… it couldn't be…"
She forced herself to focus, staring at Chen Yinyin in disbelief.
"You… You're the Abyssal Demon Sovereign?!"