Chapter 58: " Ice Seraph, Slash "

As Ramiris returned to the cave, she handed Liu Ying her parents. When she saw their pale faces and closed eyes, she couldn't help but cry. She thought they were dead.

Fortunately, after checking them, she found that they were merely unconscious. Letting out a sigh of relief, she began healing them slowly with a healing spell.

After a few hours, they both woke up. When they saw their daughter beside them, they couldn't believe it. For a moment, they thought they had died and met her in the afterlife. Tears welled up in their eyes as they reached out to her.

"Ying'er… is it really you?" her mother whispered, her voice trembling.

"Mother! Father!" Liu Ying sobbed, clutching their hands tightly. "You're alive! I thought I lost you forever!"

Her father gave a soft, shaky laugh. 'We... we thought we were lost, beyond return. How are we alive?'"

Liu Ying quickly wiped her tears and smiled. "Master Ramiris saved you! She brought you back to me."

Hearing this, her parents turned to look at Ramiris, gratitude filling their eyes.

"We owe you our lives," her mother said, her voice filled with emotion.

Ramiris waved her hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. Just focus on recovering."

Liu Ying's father nodded. "Even so, we will never forget this kindness."

Liu Ying smiled, holding her parents' hands tightly. "We're together again. That's all that matters."

A heavy silence hung in the air before her parents' eyes filled with a silent, profound sorrow, their gazes softening as they looked at her

"Ying'er," her father said hesitantly. "That night… we thought you were dead. After the incident, everything fell apart. we fell ill… we lost all hope."

Her mother's eyes turned red as she held Liu Ying's face. "How did you survive?"

Liu Ying smiled softly. "Jiang Cheng saved me. That evil cultivator almost killed me, but he appeared just in time. He's been taking care of me ever since."

Her parents turned toward Jiang Cheng with gratitude in their eyes.

"Young Master Jiang, we are forever in your debt. Thank you for saving our daughter and protecting her all this time." Her father cupped his fists respectfully.

Jiang Cheng coughed awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed. "Ah, it was nothing… really. Just a small matter."

But deep down, Jiang Cheng couldn't suppress a dark thought: Benefactor? I was this close to killing her myself! It was just the power of the plot that saved your daughter!"

Seeing his slightly stiff expression, Ramiris smirked. "He's shy, but don't worry. He's treated Liu Ying very well."

Liu Ying pouted. "Hmph! He bullies me all the time!"

Jiang Cheng let out a tired sigh. "Nonsense. This Taoist has done nothing but show mercy."

Liu Ying's parents exchanged glances, sensing something was off. In the end, they chose to ignore it.

Her mother smiled warmly. "Regardless, we are truly grateful."

Jiang Cheng simply nodded, feeling like he had been wronged but unable to argue.

As he returned to meditating, he felt himself approaching a breakthrough to the Eighth Level of Qi Training. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he quickly stood up.

"I'll let you enjoy your family time," he said casually before heading to the secret room to continue his cultivation.

Ramiris, who had been quietly observing, also decided to take her leave.

"I'll leave you to it," she said with a smile before slipping away.

The quiet left in her wake was brief.

Meanwhile, far from the warmth of Liu Ying's reunion, chaos reigned. The once-thriving cities lay in ruins, shattered by an endless battle.

Now, the world was a vast expanse of devastation. Cities that once stood proud were reduced to nothing more than shattered remains. The earth itself had been split open, lifeless, incapable of supporting life. The battlefield was littered with the remains of both beasts and humans, an ocean of blood turning the land into a macabre tomb.

Boom!

The life-and-death battle between seven powerful monsters and humans had raged on for several days before finally reaching its conclusion. Then, a curtain of silence draped over heaven and earth.

As the silver moon rose into the night sky, the mountains were Quite as deathly air loomed over them. The nigh wind whistled mourn fully across the area.

No one knew the true outcome of the battle. All they knew was that an Elder from the Taiyi Sect had been seriously injured, so they returned to the Sect. However, no one mentioned who had ultimately obtained the treasure. In the end, the Dao Essence Fruit had fallen into the hands of one of the monsters.

...

It was in the midst of this turmoil, far away, in the depths of the Endless Mountains, a terrifying Giant Sparrow descended from the sky, crashing into the mountainside with a deafening thud. It laughed maniacally, the sound echoing through the silent void of the mountains.

"Hahaha! The Dao Essence Fruit is mine at last!" the devil sparrow cackled, its wings flapping fiercely as it steadied itself. It looked toward the Taiyi Sect, the thought of vengeance burning in its eyes.

"Just wait until I break through to the Fifth-Level Demon Emperor realm. Then, I will wipe out the entire human domains and ascend to the Upper Realm!"

Its eyes burned with hatred as it looked toward Taiyi , but as it shifted slightly, the devil sparrow winced in pain. Its body was still healing from the previous battle, but the lingering effects of the powerful weapon it had encountered continued to wreak havoc within its body.

It glanced down at the talisman in its claw, muttering, "If it weren't for this teleportation talisman, I would have perished in that fight…" A deep shiver of fear ran through it as the memory of that near-death experience lingered.

Suddenly, the devil sparrow paused. It felt something—an eerie stillness in the air followed by the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps. The temperature around it dropped sharply, A sharp chill cut through the air, creeping into its bones. The air grew colder with every step.

"Who goes there?" the devil sparrow called out, its voice low and filled with a menacing edge. But the only response was the soft sound of footsteps growing ever closer.

As the sparrow expanded its spiritual sense, it saw a figure approaching—a beautiful girl, her long black hair cascading like a waterfall. A golden jade hairpin adorned her head, and a red bandage covered both her eyes and neck. Her robe was jet black, and black stockings and boots added to her eerie appearance. Three black swords were strapped to her wrists.

The closer she got, the more the temperature plummeted. An icy aura began to spread, creeping outward for miles.

The Devil sparrow's claws dug into the earth, its gaze narrowed. Despite its injuries, it was not afraid. It stood firm, awaiting the woman's approach.

"Who are you?" the Devil sparrow demanded, its voice low and cold.

Ling Xueyi's lips curled into a serene smile, yet an unnatural chill followed her every movement.

"I'm Ling Xueyi, a cultivator from the Frost Domain—also known as the Ice Seraph."

The Devil Sparrow eyed her with disdain. "Never heard of you." It prepared to strike, already channeling its spiritual energy.

Ling Xueyi smiled, unfazed.

"No problem. Now you know me."

The sparrow let out a derisive snort, its patience running thin.

"So, what do you want?"

Ling Xueyi's smile didn't waver.

"I sensed an opportunity to break through to the God Transformation Realm here. Fate has led me to you."

The Devil sparrow's expression twisted into a sneer.

"Hypocritical humans… Just say you want my Dao Essence Fruit. No need for all this nonsense."

In an instant, the Devil sparrow surged forward, its claws slashing through the air. But Ling Xueyi moved with lightning speed, her body flickering as she effortlessly dodged the attack, stopping a ten miles away. The sparrow's strike gouged the earth beneath, leaving a massive crater in its path.

She shook her head, still smiling politely.

"No, you've misunderstood, Mister Sparrow." Her voice remained eerily calm. "I'm here to collect the merit of your head. There's far too much bad karma surrounding you, and I'm here to relieve you of your sins and send you to reincarnation."

The devil sparrow's eyes widened, rage flashing through them as it bared its teeth.

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

She smiled warmly as she unsheathed her sword, assuming a stance and preparing to deliver the final blow.

The Devil sparrow felt an overwhelming sense of doom wash over it. Before it could react, it flapped its wings with all its might, attempting to escape. But Ling Xueyi's voice rang out with chilling finality.

"Frozen Domain."

The air seemed to freeze as her domain expanded miles outward, enveloping the devil sparrow. The temperature plummeted, and ice crystals began to form on the landscape. The Devil sparrow's wings faltered, its movements sluggish as the cold took hold of it.

"Divine Art: Frost Phoenix Slash!"

With a fluid motion, Ling Xueyi swung her blade, and the world seemed to darken. Her sword cut through the air with such force that chattered the space with it. A massive shockwave surged outward, and the devil sparrow, who was already thousands of miles away, was struck by the full force of the attack. Its body was split in two, frozen instantly by the overwhelming power of the slash.

"No!" The Giant Devil Sparrow's anguished cry echoed as the sword's intent pierced through its body, freezing it in place. Its Nascent Soul shattered, scattering into countless fragments that drifted away like ice particles in the wind.

The surrounding lands turned to a frozen wasteland. Frost spread across tens of thousands of miles, and the once-mighty creature was reduced to nothing more than a frozen, shattered corpse. The earth itself seemed to mourn, the temperature plunging further into an eternal winter.

In its final moments, regret and confusion clouded the Devil sparrow's mind. Its relentless pursuit of power, hatred, had led to this—its end. So consumed with ambition and the promise of a glorious future, it had never considered the cost.

As the sword descended, the Devil sparrow's last thought was a simple, painful realization: I was just trying to survive, to become Stronger...

But the thought was fleeting, drowned by the biting cold as its consciousness faded into darkness..

As Ling Xueyi stood, gazing at the shattered remains of the once-mighty Giant Sparrow, her expression softened. The once-raging beast now lay in pieces, its life extinguished by her hand. The cold winds whipped around the scene, but to her, everything felt eerily still.

She sighed, a faint melancholy in her voice as she speaks to herself. "Those who kill will eventually be killed," she murmured softly, her voice barely carrying over the howling wind. "The cause of yesterday's slaughter is the result of today's end, Mister Sparrow."

Ling Xueyi's gaze lifted to the heavens, where dark clouds swirled, casting a shadow over the desolate land. Slowly, snow began to fall, each flake delicate and pure, but fleeting in its existence. As the snowflakes danced in the cold air, she smiled faintly, her lips whispering a beautiful poem, a reflection of the fleeting nature of life and death:

, "The past is always with us, in shadows and silence. The blood spilled today will one day turn to ice, but in that stillness... perhaps, there is a chance for rebirth."

Her voice lingered in the wind as the final line faded into the cold air, the poem a testament to the balance of life and death. The snow continued to fall, covering the battlefield with a blanket of white, as if the land itself sought to cleanse the stains of violence and destruction.

With one last glance at the frozen corpse of the sparrow, Ling Xueyi turned, her footsteps leaving no trace in the freshly fallen snow. The storm had passed, but the memories of the battle would linger in the silence for eternity.