56: Chapter 56 The Ambush at Icewind Valley, the Swan King's Wrath

The two exchanged a glance and tacitly restrained their auras, using the cover of the wind and snow to quietly climb up a towering ice cliff.

Peering down, the scene in the valley caused their pupils to contract instantly.

Dozens of Spirit Masters dressed in black robes were surrounding a group of snow-white Spirit Beasts in the center.

Those Spirit Beasts resembled swans, with pure white, flawless feathers and elegant postures; they were the social Spirit Beasts unique to the Extreme North Land—Snow Feather Swans.

In the center of the black-robed Spirit Masters, a middle-aged man who looked like a leader held his hands high, a strange black lotus slowly rotating above his head.

The black lotus emitted an evil dark light, transforming into black chains that coiled around the Snow Feather Swans.

The swans let out piteous cries as their life essence was being frantically extracted by the black lotus, turning into streaks of blood-colored air currents that were injected into a bizarre formation taking shape on the ground.

“They're Evil Soul Masters from the Holy Spirit Cult!” Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth, his fists clenching until they cracked.

Just then, an exceptionally petite Snow Feather Swan cub broke free from the gaps in the energy chains amidst the chaos.

In its panic, it let out a shrill, mournful cry and flapped its tender wings, stumbling right toward the direction where Su Chen and Huo Yuhao were hiding, seemingly seeking protection.

“These animals!” Anger flared in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and he almost couldn't stop himself from taking action.

Su Chen pressed him down and shook his head calmly, his gaze fixed intently on the increasingly blood-red formation on the ground.

“Don't be impulsive. Look at that formation. This isn't just a simple hunt for Spirit Beasts; it looks more like a premeditated blood sacrifice.”

“Chirp—!”

The mournful cry of the Snow Feather Swan cub pierced through the wind and snow, carrying into the distance.

In the next moment, a terrifyingly immense pressure descended from the sky!

The blizzard in the entire Ice Wind Valley seemed to freeze at this very moment.

A massive shadow loomed over the earth as a giant Swan King, several times larger than the other Snow Feather Swans and wearing an ice crystal crown on its head, descended from the sky with its eyes burning with raging fire.

Its gaze immediately locked onto the fleeing cub, as well as Su Chen and Huo Yuhao on the ice cliff where the cub was heading.

In its view, these two were in league with the Evil Soul Masters below!

“Roar!”

The Swan King let out a heaven-shaking roar and, without the slightest hesitation, directly spread its wings.

The terrifying power of a ten-thousand-year Spirit Beast fully erupted!

Its innate soul skill—Blizzard Dance!

In an instant, the world lost its color.

The static wind and snow turned violent again, transforming into countless sharp ice blades and forming an all-encompassing death storm that swept toward Su Chen and Huo Yuhao.

“Not good! It misunderstood!” Huo Yuhao was greatly alarmed.

Yet at this life-and-death moment, Su Chen made a move that Huo Yuhao never expected.

He didn't release his Spirit, nor did he dodge; instead, he stood his ground and, in a flash of inspiration, concentrated all his mental power at the center of his brow.

A crystal-clear snowflake imprint slowly emerged on his forehead.

It was the imprint left by the Snow Empress.

This imprint seemed to sense the same-source Ultimate Ice aura on the Swan King. Without Su Chen needing to activate it, it automatically emitted an incomparably pure and noble pressure.

Within that pressure was also a trace of a unique spiritual fluctuation belonging to the Snow Empress.

The Blizzard Dance sweeping toward them suddenly halted just a few meters away.

The ice blades filling the sky instantly froze in mid-air.

The Swan King's attack came to a screeching halt.

Its huge eyes, filled with anger, stared intently at the snowflake imprint on Su Chen's brow. The violent rage was instantly extinguished, replaced by endless shock and sorrow.

That is... the Master's aura!

Though it was faint, it would never mistake it!

In the next second, the snowstorm that had swept through heaven and earth turned into gentle snowflakes, slowly drifting down.

The way the Swan King looked at Su Chen had completely changed.

Just as the tense atmosphere had begun to ease, a pressure even colder and more evil than the Swan King's descended from the sky without warning.

This pressure was filled with deathly stillness and misfortune, as if it could freeze one's soul.

Huo Yuhao and Su Chen both felt a chill in their hearts and looked up sharply.

In the wind and snow not far away, a figure wearing a large black robe stepped out from the shadows like a ghost.

His entire body was shrouded beneath the black robe, his face obscured, with only a pair of eyes flickering with eerie green light in the shadow of his hood.

“Eight rings... he's a Spirit Douluo!” Through Spiritual Detection, Huo Yuhao instantly judged the opponent's strength, and his heart sank abruptly.

The newcomer was one of the high-level members of the Holy Spirit Cult, Elder You Ming, an eighty-first-rank control system Spirit Douluo.

He ignored Su Chen and Huo Yuhao, and didn't even spare a second glance at the Swan King. His gaze fell straight upon the Snow Feather Swan cub that the Swan King had just shielded behind it.

Elder You Ming extended a withered finger and pointed from a distance at the cub.

“Chirp...”

The cub, which had already settled down, suddenly let out an extremely shrill scream.

Its body trembled violently, and its pure eyes were instantly covered in blood-red, filled with pain and struggle.

An invisible soul force, like a venomous snake, coiled around its weak soul.

“Hand over the Snow Empresss Origin Power on your body.”

Elder You Ming finally spoke, his voice as raspy as two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together, filled with an unquestionable tone of command.

“Otherwise, I will let this little thing's pure soul be completely swallowed and annihilated by resentment and pain, bit by bit, right before all of you.”

He laughed coldly and continued, “Don't think about resisting; we have prepared for a long time for today. Sacrificing the lives of these swans was only to draw out this Swan King, and drawing out the Swan King was to set the stage for the Holy Spirit Cult's even greater 'Nether Blood Sacrifice.' Your appearance is a pleasant surprise.”

The Swan King let out an angry low growl, its ice crystal crown shining brightly, but it was wary of harming the hostage and didn't dare to act rashly.

Huo Yuhao was so anxious that sweat broke out on his forehead; this was a complete overt trap, a dead end.

Su Chen's expression was also extremely grim, but he still forced himself to calm down.

He took a step forward, adopting a posture of compromise: “Fine, I'll give it to you. But you must release it first.”

“You are in no position to negotiate terms,” Elder You Ming sneered.

“Then we'll destroy it together,” Su Chen's tone was exceptionally calm. “You should know how strong the power of the Snow Empresss Origin Power is. If I detonate it, no one will have a good time.”

Elder You Ming's eerie green eyes flickered for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

Su Chen had seized upon precisely this greed and caution.

As he spoke, he slowly walked toward Elder You Ming, while secretly pushing the Chaos Thunder Dragon Soul Power within his body to its limit.

The golden lightning power, like a lurking dragon, surged silently through his meridians.

At the same time, Huo Yuhao's voice was transmitted clearly into Su Chen's mind through spiritual sharing.

“To the front left, he's using Soul Power to link with the cub's soul. The connection point is very well hidden, but I've already locked onto the weakest node!”

Now!

In the instant Elder You Ming thought Su Chen had completely surrendered and his mental guard slipped slightly.

Su Chen moved.

He didn't summon his Spirit spear; instead, he held his right fingers together like a sword, and a streak of condensed golden lightning suddenly erupted from his fingertips!

Soul Skill—Golden Thunder Break!

This streak of golden lightning was so fast it tore through the wind and snow, but it wasn't aimed at Elder You Ming's body.

Its target was the invisible soul connection point that Huo Yuhao had locked onto!

“You dare!”

Elder You Ming was both shocked and enraged; he never expected Su Chen would dare to launch a sudden attack under such circumstances. He wanted to withdraw control, but it was already too late.

“Sizzle!”

The golden lightning containing the aura of chaos seemed to be the nemesis of all evil Soul Powers, striking the invisible connection with pinpoint accuracy.

The soul link snapped.

“Puff!”

Elder You Ming felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow; his figure swayed violently, and a muffled groan escaped his throat, clearly having suffered a significant backlash.

“Roar!”

At this very moment, the already fuming Swan King seized the opportunity. With a flap of its wings, a gentle ice wind swept up the cub on the ground, instantly bringing it back to its side.

Amidst the wind and snow, Su Chen's figure slowly emerged, a golden long spear covered in dragon patterns having appeared in his hand at some point.

The tip of the spear pointed diagonally at the ground, surrounded by golden thunder.

He stood alone with his spear, facing Elder You Ming in a direct confrontation.