The Icy Shackle and the Azure Descent

Liu Ruyan’s right arm, thrusting forward with every ounce of her strength, abruptly froze.

The lifeless black dagger, poised to pierce Qiu Yue’s vulnerable chest, halted precisely one foot away, utterly motionless.

The very space around them seemed to solidify.

The mask of calm and the flicker of madness on Liu Ruyan’s face instantly rigidified.

This was swiftly replaced by an expression of profound shock and utter disbelief.

She willed herself to move.

With every fiber of her being, she desperately tried to push that final surge of power, to plunge the dagger forward.

The black aura emanating from the dagger flickered violently, trembling in response to her internal struggle.

Yet every inch of space surrounding her, every joint, even each delicate muscle fiber, felt as if it were ensnared by invisible, yet utterly unbreakable, shackles.

No matter how she desperately tried to activate the already strained spatial energy, or even attempted to burn her life essence once more, her body remained as unyielding as a boulder, immovably fixed in that agonizingly close yet impossibly distant position.

She could not advance, not even by an inch.

She could not retreat.

She could not even collapse.

Only her eyes, rapidly bloodshot from the searing pain, utter exhaustion, and the profound humiliation of the moment, remained fixed on Qiu Yue’s chest, mere inches away.

‘What is happening?’

‘How—how can I not move?!’

Qiu Yue’s serene smile slowly twisted into something manic, her low laughter escalating into a deranged cackle.

“Plunge it in, and you can snatch Lin Wan’er away. Why hold back?”

“Ah, I see. You agree that Lin Wan’er is better suited for me, don’t you?”

Qiu Yue chuckled mockingly, then reached out and grasped Liu Ruyan’s wrist.

With no apparent effort, as casually as plucking a zither string, the dagger, still radiating murderous intent, was effortlessly pried from her grip.

Her body refused to obey, as if the very connection between her mind and limbs had been severed.

The intense agony that wracked her made it impossible for Liu Ruyan to discern what was truly happening; while she had grown accustomed to the pain, the profound paralysis offered no discernible cause.

‘Why?’

‘Was she poisoned?’

‘But she hadn’t revealed herself, and there was no toxic mist lingering in the air!’

‘How could Qiu Yue have poisoned her?’

A violent, paralyzing sensation, like an icy tide, surged upward from her extremities, relentlessly invading her spinal cord and overwhelming her mind.

This paralysis did not seem to affect her flesh and blood; rather, it felt like a direct shackle on her very soul, forcibly severing and freezing the ‘threads’ that connected her consciousness to her body’s control, one by one.

She attempted to move a finger, to provoke even a single twitch.

It was futile.

She couldn’t even shift her gaze, to tear her eyes away from Qiu Yue’s face, so close, adorned with that chilling, mocking smile.

It was impossible.

“Pfft…”

Qiu Yue’s low, eerie laughter echoed once more, clearer and far more grating than before.

Within that sound, there was no hint of relief from a narrow escape, only a cruel, almost sadistic delight in toying with her prey.

“Was the soup you brewed yourself quite palatable?” She tilted her head slightly, her gaze assessing Liu Ruyan’s bloodshot eyes, her voice light and airy, imbued with the casual provocation one might use when looking at a small dog. “Are you wondering how I administered the poison? Even though you tested the soup for toxins every single time you prepared it?”

‘What…?’

These words, like a colossal tidal wave, churned violently within Liu Ruyan’s mind, turning her world upside down.

Qiu Yue’s gaze slowly descended, finally settling upon Liu Ruyan’s right hand, which now appeared skeletal.

Deliberately, she pried open each of Liu Ruyan’s fingers, one by one, before forcefully snapping them.

The sharp, sickening crack of bone joints resonated through the air.

“Was it the first time you witnessed Lu Ping’an adding poison? Did you secretly discard it and then brew a fresh pot of soup? By not speaking up, were you intending to turn my own scheme against me?”

“Junior Sister Liu, in truth, my initial target for the poison was never Lin Wan’er; it was always you. With one less person by Lin Wan’er’s side, my chances of success only increase, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Whether you are as transparent as you appear or a hidden master, poisoning one more person ultimately benefits me, doesn’t it?” Qiu Yue’s voice was a venomous whisper in her ear. “Yet, the heavens truly favor me; I never anticipated you’d be quite so formidable.”

For a trial where the use of numerous magical artifacts was restricted, Liu Ruyan was undoubtedly the most formidable opponent.

Qiu Yue’s smile deepened, becoming both profound and perilous, laced with the cruel satisfaction of someone who saw through every deception.

“The third day is drawing to a close, isn’t it? Hoping to earn points for Lin Wan’er? There’s no chance left. He—he will forever belong to me.”

The dagger clattered to the ground, rolling away.

“It’s a pity I can’t kill you with a dagger, for you truly would perish. So I shall spare your life, choosing instead to torment you with this technique. Oh? It will be even more painful than this, won’t it? And, your accumulated points will become the final straw that crushes Lin Wan’er, you see.”

No sooner had the words left her lips than countless minuscule, almost imperceptible azure light particles, shimmering like stardust, swiftly coalesced in the palm of her hand—the very hand that had just shattered Liu Ruyan’s fingers.

They gradually formed a flowing current of water, seemingly capable of encompassing all, swirling within her palm.

Yet, in Qiu Yue’s grasp, this current transformed from gentle to a sharp, icy luminescence—a lethal strike capable of piercing skin and tearing meridians.

Just as that condensed finger-light, brimming with immense water spiritual energy, was on the verge of piercing Liu Ruyan’s body, ending her trial, and seizing her points—at that critical juncture—

Boom—!!!

A muffled roar, however, did not emanate from Qiu Yue’s attack, but rather from directly overhead.

A spectral blue light abruptly illuminated the world like a sun, yet it bore none of the rising sun’s warmth; instead, it seemed to drain all heat from its surroundings.

Qiu Yue’s pupils constricted sharply, and she snapped her head upwards to gaze.

There, enveloped in spectral blue flames, a slender figure plummeted from the heavens like a falling star, imbued with the power to shatter all in its path.

The spectral blue flames danced silently, yet they emanated an icy coldness and an aura of destruction that made Qiu Yue’s very soul shiver.

The newcomer was none other than Ji Xue!

“Perish!” A voice as frigid as ten thousand years of profound ice sliced through the biting wind, imbued with undeniable imperial authority and an inferno of rage.

Following this fierce cry, Ji Xue’s right arm swung out with devastating force!

There were no elaborate techniques, only the raw, unadulterated unleashing of power.

A massive surge of spectral blue flames, akin to the tides of the River Styx, erupted explosively from her fist.

Swoosh—!!!

A pillar of spectral blue fire, condensed to its absolute zenith, surged forth, imbued with a soul-freezing chill and the will to annihilate all creation.

It tore through the stagnant space, hurtling forward with inconceivable speed.

Qiu Yue could distinctly sense the terrifying might contained within those flames, realizing it was far more than a mere clash of spiritual energies.

To directly withstand it would undoubtedly lead to severe injury.

In that perilous instant, Qiu Yue had no choice but to abandon the fatal finger strike she was on the verge of completing.

Her azure figure instantly became ethereal, rippling like a reflection on water, and she glided backward in a motion that almost defied inertia.

Thwack—!

The spectral blue fire pillar grazed the spot where she had stood moments before, then slammed violently into the earth.

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

Only a chilling, heart-stopping silence.

Dazzling spectral blue light proliferated wildly, and everywhere it touched—be it earth, stone, lingering water stains, or even the dissipating water vapor—it instantly froze and solidified, then shattered with visible speed.

A deep crater was left in the ground, its walls coated in a strange, crystalline hoarfrost that shimmered with an eerie blue luminescence.

Despite being flames, they had not evaporated the residual water; instead, they had frozen it into solid frost.

Ji Xue’s figure landed heavily before Liu Ruyan, one knee slightly bent to absorb the impact, and she stood firm.

Her back was to Liu Ruyan, her cascade of crimson hair stirring as if in a phantom breeze, illuminated by the spectral blue flames.

The spectral blue flames, silently burning around her like a living cloak, danced and spread, enveloping both women.

They shielded them from Qiu Yue’s wary, questioning gaze and isolated them from the lingering dangerous aura in the surroundings.

“Qiu Yue… if you desire Lin Wan’er, you will have to contend with me first.” Ji Xue slowly lifted her head, and in the depths of her crimson eyes, the suppressed fury within her solidified into a palpable, icy killing intent, locking firmly onto Qiu Yue, who had just regained her footing a short distance away.

Her gaze was not one reserved for an opponent, but rather for a pile of dust poised to be reduced to ashes.

Yet, confronted by the sudden arrival of Ji Xue, Qiu Yue displayed not a hint of panic; on the contrary, she appeared to welcome her.

“It saves me the trouble of seeking you out, Your Royal Highness.” Qiu Yue chuckled softly. “You wish to seize my Lin Wan’er? Your Highness, that depends entirely on whether you possess the capability.”