42: Chapter 42 Palace Master Bai Ningbing: One more step closer, and you're dead!

As that palm descended, the Ice God Palace's proud protective formation completely shattered, transforming into shimmering ice shards that filled the sky, like a tragic and desperate blizzard.

The golden carriage crushed the scattered debris, arrogantly stopping on the white jade plaza in front of the Ice Palace's main hall.

Nine True Dragons snorted hot Dragon breath from their nostrils, melting the accumulated snow that hadn't thawed for ten thousand years. The terrifying pressure from the Primordial Remnant beasts scared the surrounding female Disciples, who had just gotten up, into trembling, their sword-wielding hands shaking.

“What? Is no one coming out to greet me?”

Xu Chen stood on the carriage, still holding Jiang Liuli in his arms, his expression lazy as he scanned his surroundings.

“It seems the Extreme Cold Ice Palace's hospitality truly isn't up to par.”

His voice wasn't loud, but it was imbued with powerful spiritual energy, echoing across the vast ice plain, making the ice-sculpted, jade-built palaces hum.

“Evil rogue! Don't be so arrogant!”

The Senior Sister who had been blasted away earlier clutched her chest, blood staining the corner of her mouth, yet she still forced herself to stand, her eyes filled with venom and resolve.

“You destroyed my sect, injured my Disciples. Today, even if I have to self-detonate, I will drag you down with me!”

With that, the spiritual energy within her body began to wildly surge in reverse; she was actually going to self-detonate.

“Tsk, not only is her brain not working well, but her temper is quite fiery.”

Xu Chen shook his head, preparing to have Dark Elder suppress her.

Just then.

“Stop.”

A voice, utterly cold, as if devoid of any worldly emotion, suddenly came from deep within the Ice Palace.

The voice wasn't loud, nor did it carry any anger. It was like the crisp sound of ten-thousand-year mystic ice cracking in the dead of night—slight, yet piercing directly to the Soul, chilling one from the skull to the heels.

As the voice fell.

The temperature between heaven and earth suddenly plummeted.

The air, which had barely been flowing, now visibly condensed into frost.

“Palace Master! The Palace Master has emerged from seclusion!”

The female Disciples, who had just been in despair, instantly felt like they had found their pillar of strength upon hearing this voice. Tears streamed down their Faces in excitement as they all knelt on the ground.

“Welcome, Palace Master!”

Amidst the gaze of all.

The main gate of the Ice Palace slowly opened.

A white cold current surged out like a tangible entity. Wherever it passed, even the Void Realm was frozen, developing fine cracks.

At the center of that cold current, a graceful figure dressed in a snow-white palace gown, barefoot, stepped out, treading on the Void Realm, one step at a time.

With each step she took, a crystal-clear ice lotus would form beneath her feet, supporting her jade-like soles.

Xu Chen's gaze was instantly drawn to this figure.

She was a breathtakingly beautiful woman.

She was tall, and even wrapped in a loose palace gown, her proud curves were hard to conceal. Especially the astonishing curve of her chest, which subtly trembled with her steps, as if containing a terrifying power that could tear her clothes apart.

If one didn't look at her Face, just her figure alone would mark her as a femme fatale.

But when you saw her Face, all romantic notions would instantly freeze.

What a coldly beautiful Face it was.

Her skin was whiter than snow, her features exquisitely carved as if from the most perfect ice. Her long, silver-white hair cascaded down to her ankles, gently swaying with the cold wind.

The most terrifying were her eyes.

They were a pair of emotionless eyes, a strange pale blue, as if containing a desolate ice plain, devoid of any vitality or emotion.

Even looking at the scattered mess and the shattered sect gate, her gaze showed not the slightest ripple.

As if all things in the world were but fleeting clouds in her eyes.

Palace Master of the Extreme North Ice Palace—Bai Ningbing.

“System, scan.”

Xu Chen silently recited in his heart, instinctively swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

【Ding! Target locked.】

【Name: Bai Ningbing】

【Identity: Palace Master of the Extreme North Ice God Palace】

【Height: 175cm (Regal sister height, aura two meters eight)】

【Measurements: B98 (E) | W60 | H96】

【Beauty: 96 points (Iceberg cold beauty, ceiling of asceticism)】

【Current Status: Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions Art backlash, severe emotional deficiency, cold poison has invaded all five vital organs, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, Meridians will rupture if spiritual energy circulation exceeds thirty percent.】

【System XP Comment: Host, do you see? This is the legendary—childlike Face, massive... cough, Iceberg Giant Peak! This extreme contrast between coldness and extreme figure exists purely to be conquered! Host, you must use your passion (physical) to melt this iceberg!】

After reading the System's data, Xu Chen inwardly exclaimed, “Good heavens!”

E?

This wasn't just big waves; this was a tsunami!

No wonder the System had previously hinted at a “tremendous” Opportunity; it truly didn't deceive him.

“You, are you the man who trespassed into the palace?”

Bai Ningbing stopped in the Void Realm a hundred zhang away from the carriage.

She looked at Xu Chen, her pale blue eyes showing no anger, only an indifference as if looking at a dead person.

“You do have a handsome appearance.”

“Unfortunately, you are a man.”

Her voice was ethereal and pleasant, yet it carried a chilling despair.

“What's wrong with being a man?”

Xu Chen stood up from the carriage, meeting her gaze without fear, a familiar roguish smile even on his lips.

“Men can hold up half the sky.”

“And...”

Xu Chen's gaze unapologetically fell upon the magnificent expanse of her chest, and he said meaningfully:

“I see that Palace Master's 'broad-mindedness' is so vast, yet your vision is so narrow?”

“Men and dogs not allowed?”

“Such a rule is simply unreasonable.”

Hearing Xu Chen's teasing words, the female Disciples below trembled with anger.

This lecher! Still daring to tease the Palace Master even at death's door?!

However, Bai Ningbing did not fly into a rage as everyone expected.

She merely frowned slightly, as if looking at a buzzing fly.

“Reason?”

Bai Ningbing raised her hand, and in her palm, a long sword entirely forged from ten-thousand-year mystic ice materialized out of thin air.

The sword tip pointed remotely at Xu Chen.

A terrifying cold Qi instantly locked onto Xu Chen's Qi mechanism; even the space around him was frozen, emitting a series of grating, squeezing sounds.

“In the Extreme North, I am reason.”

“Since you have trespassed, then leave your life behind.”

“Sacrifice the sword.”

Before her words finished, the ice sword in her hand trembled slightly.

Buzz!

There was no earth-shattering Sword Qi explosion, but the temperature of the entire world instantly dropped to absolute zero.

Countless tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, transforming into thousands of transparent small swords, densely suspended in mid-air, all pointing their tips at Xu Chen.

This was the Dao Severing King's Domain—Absolute Zero!

“Husband, be careful!”

Jiang Liuli's Face turned pale as she felt the terrifying killing intent, instinctively wanting to shield Xu Chen.

“Don't be afraid.”

Xu Chen gently pulled her behind him, giving her a reassuring look.

Then, instead of retreating, he took a step forward.

This step took him directly out of the carriage's protective range, suspending him in the Void Realm.

“Palace Master Bai, don't be so angry.”

Xu Chen faced the thousands of Sword Qi without batting an eye.

“I really came to save you this time.”

“I see your fortune palace is dark, your Qi is weak, and especially...”

Xu Chen pointed to her chest.

“The cold Qi accumulated here is too heavy. If not cleared in time, it will likely block your heart Meridians. By then, even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal wouldn't be able to save you.”

“Furthermore, there's a problem with your cultivation of the Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions Art.”

“Forgetting emotions isn't severing emotions. If you sever all your seven emotions and six desires, are you still Cultivating the Human Dao? That's the Wooden Dao.”

“Shut up!”

A ripple finally appeared on Bai Ningbing's Face, which had been as still as an ancient well.

It was the vexation of having a sore spot hit.

The fact that something went wrong with her Cultivation was an absolute secret; how could this man see through it at a glance?!

“Nonsense!”

The killing intent in Bai Ningbing's eyes surged.

“One step closer, die!”

As the word “die” left her lips, the myriad ice swords hummed in unison, as if they were about to turn Xu Chen into a hedgehog in the next second.

Xu Chen acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

Not only did he not stop, but he took another step forward.

He even pushed his luck, taking a second step, a third step...

“You tell me to stop and I stop? Wouldn't that make me lose too much Face?”

Xu Chen said with a smile as he walked:

“Besides, I have a flaw.”

“The prettier the woman who threatens me, the more excited I get.”

“You want me to die?”

“To die beneath the peony is to be a romantic ghost.”

He was gambling.

Gambling that Bai Ningbing currently dared not use her full power.

The System showed that she was “outwardly strong but inwardly weak,” and her Meridians would rupture if her spiritual energy circulation exceeded thirty percent.

That seemingly terrifying Domain earlier was actually her putting on a strong front.

Indeed.

Seeing Xu Chen ignore her sword Domain and approach step by step, Bai Ningbing's expression subtly changed.

She wanted to activate Sword Qi to kill this arrogant man.

But the Meridians in her body transmitted a tearing pain at that moment.

“Pfft!”

A mouthful of fresh blood surged up her throat, which she forcibly swallowed, but her already pale Face became even more ashen, and even the hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Damn it!

The backlash had to act up at this precise moment!

“What? Not making a move?”

By this time, Xu Chen had walked to within ten zhang of her.

He stopped, his hands clasped behind his back, his deep eyes seemingly seeing through all her disguises.

“Do you feel a sharp pain in your chest? Is your spiritual energy circulation not smooth?”

“Do you feel... your hands and feet are cold, yet there's a heart-fire raging within your body?”

With each sentence Xu Chen spoke, Bai Ningbing's heart sank further.

All correct!

This man... who exactly is he?

“You...”

Bai Ningbing stared at him intently, a trace of panic finally entering her voice, “What exactly do you want to do?”

“I told you, I came to save you.”

Xu Chen spread his hands, a harmless smile appearing on his Face.

“Palace Master Bai, only I have the medicine for your illness.”

“And...”

Xu Chen took another step forward, leaving only an arm's length between him and Bai Ningbing.

He could even smell the cool, snow lotus-like fragrance on her.

“The medicinal primer, is myself.”