136: Chapter 136 Inside the Ningyin Palace, Xiao Nianyin coldly observes the situation.

Deep within Ningyin Hall, in an ice-sealed secret chamber.

Xiao Nianyin sat cross-legged on a Mystic Ice meditation cushion, her eyes slightly closed, while an aura interwoven with ice-blue and blazing-gold slowly circulated around her body.

Floating before her was a mirror formed from freezing ice. The mirror's surface reflected the arrogant and domineering figure of Situ E outside the mountain gate, as well as the scene of the Mountain Protection Array trembling violently.

In the mirror, Situ E was laughing wildly towards the sky, his voice piercing through the Formation barrier and echoing over the entire Hehuan Sect:

"Xiao Nianyin! You bitch! Get out here!"

"It has been three hundred years! Three hundred years ago you humiliated me in public, and today, I will get it all back with interest!"

"And that precious Disciple of yours—Xu Ruyu, right? I heard you let him live in Ningyin Hall? Hahahaha! Once I break this damn Formation of yours, I will be the first to extract his soul and refine his spirit, letting him know the consequences of touching my woman!"

The filth and foul language were unbearable to listen to.

Yet Xiao Nianyin did not even lift an eyelid.

Her expression was terrifyingly calm; there was not a ripple on her ice-sealed face, as if the person cursing her in the mirror was merely a buzzing fly.

Only the blazing-gold stream of light that occasionally flashed deep within her eyes revealed that she was not completely unmoved.

But she suppressed it.

The Mystic Maidens Sun-Stealing Art slowly circulated, transforming all anger, disgust, and killing intent into nothingness.

"Liu Rurao..."

Xiao Nianyin whispered to herself, her voice echoing in the secret chamber with the chill of ice and snow.

She did not need to guess at all.

For Situ E to arrive at the Hehuan Sect at this critical moment, and specifically name Xu Ruyu upon arrival—if that demoness Liu Rurao wasn't behind the instigation, she would write her name, Xiao Nianyin, backward.

"Having just suffered a huge loss here, she immediately turned around to go to the Jile Sect to fan the flames..."

Xiao Nianyin's lips curled into a cold arc:

"Adding fuel to the fire is inevitable. Perhaps she even fabricated some stories about how 'intimate' Xu Ruyu and I are, which is why that old lecher Situ E rushed over in such a hurry."

She understood Liu Rurao too well.

What that woman excelled at most was using other people's hands to kill.

She also understood Situ E—that madman who was severely wounded and humiliated by her in public, yet developed a pathological obsession with her instead.

Three hundred years have passed, and this obsession has not dissipated; instead, because he could not attain what he desired, it has become increasingly twisted and intense.

If it were normal times, Xiao Nianyin would not mind taking action personally to give Situ E another lesson he would never forget for the rest of his life.

But now...

She examined her Dantian internally.

Although her Saint Realm cultivation had recovered more than half, her Foundation had not yet completely stabilized.

When the overbearing true Qi of the Mystic Maidens Sun-Stealing Art, interwoven with ice and fire, circulated through her Meridians, there were still some points of stagnation.

Those were the hidden dangers left behind from losing all her cultivation and forcibly recultivating; they needed time to be polished and harmonized.

If she were to fight Situ E with all her strength at this moment, while she would not necessarily lose, it would very likely damage her Foundation and even trigger a backlash from her Cultivation Technique.

It was not worth it.

Risking her future in the Dao for a mad dog?

Xiao Nianyin slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with icy coldness.

With a flick of her finger, a stream of ice-blue light flew out of the secret chamber.

A moment later, the secret chamber door opened, and Leng Ningshuang, dressed in white, walked in quickly and bowed to salute:

"Sect Master."

Xiao Nianyin looked at her, her gaze lingering on her for a moment.

In these three days, under her personal guidance, Leng Ningshuang had begun to grasp the seventh level of the Mystic Ice Heavenly Maiden Art, "Heavenly Maidens Descent." The icy aura on her body had become increasingly pure, and there was even a faint, nascent form of a "Mirror Heart"—although not yet a Major Achievement, it already possessed more liveliness and tolerance than her previous state of deliberately pursuing emptiness.

"Not bad." Xiao Nianyin rarely offered praise, "With the 'Mirror Heart' initially formed, you should have a seventy percent chance of winning the competition three months from now."

A flash of joy crossed Leng Ningshuang's eyes, but she immediately restrained it and respectfully said: "It is all thanks to the Sect Master's guidance."

Xiao Nianyin did not say anything more and removed an ice-blue jade hairpin from her hair.

The jade hairpin was transparent throughout, with fine cloud patterns carved into its body, and a budding ice lotus at its head.

The moment the jade hairpin left her, the temperature inside the secret chamber dropped by three degrees, and even the air seemed to be on the verge of freezing.

"This is the ice soul ningyin hairpin." Xiao Nianyin handed the jade hairpin to Leng Ningshuang, "Take this hairpin and go to the Grand Elder to convey my oral order—"

She paused, then articulated clearly:

"Order the Grand Elder to lead all the Elders to activate the full 'Nine Nether Mystic Ice Formation,' using this hairpin as the Formation Eye, to block Situ E outside the mountain gate. No matter how he curses or provokes, do not pay him any mind."

Leng Ningshuang received the jade hairpin with both hands, only to feel a bone-chilling coldness upon contact; even with her Physique cultivated through the Mystic Ice Heavenly Maiden Art, she could not help but shiver.

Although she had doubts in her heart—why did the Sect Master not take action herself? With the Sect Master's cultivation, suppressing Situ E should not be difficult—she dared not ask more and only respectfully replied: "Disciple obeys."

"Also," Xiao Nianyin added, "tell the Grand Elder that this Formation only needs to be maintained for three days. Three days later, I will come out of seclusion myself to personally settle this matter."

"Yes."

Leng Ningshuang bowed and withdrew, holding the ice soul ningyin hairpin, and walked quickly out of Ningyin Hall.

After the secret chamber door closed again, Xiao Nianyin slowly closed her eyes.

Her lips curled into a faint, cold smile.

"Let me see..."

"In this Hehuan Sect, just how many people... will choose to disobey my orders at a time like this."