Chapter 21 - Insects

Xie Ren blinked in amusement. Another reincarnated sovereign? What kind of luck was this? First, the Demon Sovereign, and now the Icejade Sovereign?

His shifted his focus to the scene in front of him.

Through the crowd, he spotted a young girl in a flowing white dress, her cultivation at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

She was surrounded by over ten cultivators, each at the late stages of the Foundation Establishment. From the looks of it, if no one intervened, she wouldn't make it out of this alive.

But Xie Ren wasn't the type to follow the righteous path. This was an opportunity. Why let it go to waste?

"Little girl, come and be my disciple. I'll help you out of this situation!" he called out.

Hearing his voice, Mo Wushuang glanced over at him, an incredulous look crossing her face.

She sneered, her eyes cold and sharp. "Insect, you'd better mind your own business!"

Xie Ren's expression remained composed, unbothered by her harsh words. He replied calmly, "An insect? I suggest you reconsider your words, given your current situation."

As they exchanged words, a few of the cultivators who had been surrounding her began to break off and move toward Xie Ren, their intentions clear.

They didn't take kindly to anyone stepping into their business, especially a mere Qi Refining cultivator like him.

Before Xie Ren could even consider taking Mo Wushuang as his disciple, he wasn't about to get involved in her mess.

He swiftly grabbed Lan Yue and Chen Yinyin by the arm and pulled them inside the Celestial Currents Formation.

Mo Wushuang stood frozen, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her gaze darted around frantically. If it weren't for the massive formation blocking her path, she would have never been cornered by these cultivators. But how did these three entered the formation so easily.

Mo Wushuang turned her sharp, commanding gaze toward Xie Ren.

"Insects, how did you enter this formation? Tell me, now!" she demanded, her tone as cold and haughty as a queen giving orders to her subjects.

Xie Ren's expression filled with amusement like always. He merely shrugged watching Mo Wushuang struggle. No matter her past, she was just an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator now. Why was she acting so arrogant? Was she still blind to the reality of her situation? He had to humble her.

Grinning, Xie Ren took out a small pack of crackers he had brought from the Chen family's storage and began munching on them without a care. The crunching sound was almost mocking, and he chewed slowly in front of her.

"Insects! I said, tell me how to enter the formation!" Mo Wushuang's voice grew icier, her patience rapidly evaporating.

Xie Ren glanced at her, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

She really had some serious issues, he thought.

If she wasn't a candidate to become his disciple, he would've slapped her across the face by now. But for now, he decided to let her stew in her own arrogance.

"Insects..." Mo Wushuang began again, her voice trembling with fury, but before she could finish her demand, a sharp, sudden pain sliced across her shoulder.

A thin, half-meter-long cut appeared, streaking across her flawless skin.

The pain caused Mo Wushuang to gasp, momentarily distracted. Seizing the opportunity, the disciples of the Mystic Frost Sect attacked with vigor, launching their strikes at her.

There was no time left for her to scold Xie Ren or worry about the formation.

With the battle escalating and her focus pulled in every direction, Mo Wushuang had no choice but to defend herself, her plans for escape put on hold.

Though Mo Wushuang had once been a mighty sovereign, her cultivation now was far from sufficient. Surrounded and outnumbered, she was steadily being forced back, her body bruised and bloodied with each strike.

"Insects!" she shouted, her voice a growl of fury. "Do you really think I'm so easy to bully?!"

In a desperate bid to turn the tide, Mo Wushuang made a dangerous choice.

With a flick of her wrist, she tore off a fragment of her sovereign Soul, a piece of her very essence, and burned it. The move was reckless, a last resort that would give her a temporary surge in power.

Her body shuddered violently as the power coursed through her. In an instant, her cultivation soared to the peak of the Foundation Establishment.

But she knew this power would not last. It would only hold for the time it took for one incense stick to burn, and the toll it took on her body was severe.

This was a double-edged sword, gaining power at the cost of her own vitality. The damage to her soul would leave her weakened, and if she used it too often, she risked destroying herself entirely.

But for now, it was enough.

With the techniques of her past life and her cultivation raised to its peak, Mo Wushuang spun around, her white dress swirling with each movement.

Her enemies, once so sure of their victory, now found themselves on the receiving end of her wrath. In less than half the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Mo Wushuang had slaughtered the dozen Mystic Frost Sect disciples who had surrounded her.

Their bodies fell to the ground like broken dolls, their blood staining the earth beneath her feet.

Mo Wushuang's breath came in gasps, and her hands trembled as the energy from her Sovereign Soul burned through her veins. Her white dress was stained with blood, and her pale face betrayed the toll the technique had taken on her. She was on the edge of collapse, barely able to stand.

Her gaze turned toward Xie Ren.

"Insect," she said again. "Tell me how to enter the formation, or I'll make you regret it. You'll die where you stand."

Xie Ren gave her a smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. His finger pointed lazily to the sky, as if he had all the time in the world. "I won't die, but you might."

Mo Wushuang's gaze followed his finger, her heart sinking as she saw two figures descending from the sky.

They were riding swords, their forms cutting through the air with terrifying speed.

The two newcomers were unmistakably Golden Core cultivators.

Though she had briefly reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, it was still a far cry from being a match for the might of Golden Core experts.

Even with her sovereign Soul's power, she had no chance against two opponents of such caliber. There was nowhere left to run.