Chapter 118: A Matter of Life and Death

Enduring head-on the assault of the supreme icy energy unleashed by Qingxu’s self-detonation of the inferior profound ice needles, most quasi-saintly supreme beings might have suffered minor wounds. Yet, Minghe was an exception. As the embodiment of the Netherworld Placenta and rightful ruler of the Blood Sea, Minghe possessed an intangible form—his true essence a primordial, netherworldly blood quintessence. He was, without doubt, the embodiment of the utmost yin and malevolence in the cosmos. Even the purest yang treasures could not scratch him, and the effects of yin-yang energies on him were severely limited.

Without relying on divine arts or mystical artifacts, the mere touch of Minghe’s netherworldly body could turn immortals and mortals alike into pus and blood. Now, having reached the quasi-saint realm, it was estimated that even a Great Luo Golden Immortal would suffer grievous wounds—or worse—upon contact with him. Innate spiritual treasures would be defiled and their spiritual essence severely damaged. Truly, a terror beyond measure.

Qingxu’s Yellow-Black clone paled vastly in comparison to Minghe, utterly powerless to retaliate. Attempts to muddy the waters and exploit the chaos of the Ice Soul Mine proved futile. Minghe’s Netherworld Blood Eyes pierced through the myriad illusions of the heavens and earth; Qingxu’s every change and concealment was in vain before Minghe.

Seizing Qingxu’s trace, Minghe, possessing overwhelming cultivation, proceeded with measured calm, playing the classic cat-and-mouse game. The matter of the God-Slaying Spear seemed to have slipped from his mind, at least outwardly. Yet it was not that Minghe did not care for the spear; on the contrary, he valued it deeply. He simply understood the situation too well—now, strong contenders abounded like rain and forests. Not only was the hope of seizing the spear slim, but even if successful, he would face the wrath of all. The proverb “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down” held true across all ages. Better to let others be the scapegoat while he waited for the opportune moment.

Unhurried by the God-Slaying Spear, Minghe had ample time to leisurely engage Qingxu.

The endless peculiarities of Qingxu sparked Minghe’s curiosity. It was precisely because Qingxu possessed Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation that Minghe refrained from outright capturing him to perform the grand soul-seeking and spirit-peering technique to inspect his memories. Otherwise, he would not have bothered with such painstaking provocations.

A Great Luo Golden Immortal, with the Three Flowers blooming atop the head and the Five Qi returning to the origin, possessed boundless divine powers. Reversing the postnatal, forging the innate primal essence, their primordial spirit roamed the vast void of the Nether, seeing clearly the mind and nature, illuminating the emptiness of all phenomena, traversing past and future alike. Their being was indelible through myriad kalpas, immune to calamities. Even a quasi-saint of the chaotic yuan scatterer rank could not forcibly peer into the true spirit and memories of such a soul. As for a saintly teacher of the chaotic yuan Great Luo Golden Immortal rank, that remained uncertain. How great a saint’s divine power truly was remained an enigma in the primordial wilds, for none had yet made a move.

The ancients passed down that all beneath the saint were but ants—divine powers unimaginable, and saints served as the emissaries and custodians of the Heavenly Dao. So long as the Heavenly Dao endured, saints would not perish.

Though the ancient era was fraught with unprecedented chaos and destruction, no saints had intervened. Hongjun Daoist defeated the demon ancestor Luo Hou, achieving the Great Luo Golden Immortal rank and spreading the doctrine of Zixiao, yet never acted further. The Six Saints of the Heavens maintained a low profile after their enlightenment, harboring no conflicts with the strongest of the primordial wilds. Thus, to this day, the true extent of a saint’s might remains a mystery to the creatures of the primordial wilderness.

A single successful sneak attack, even at the cost of an inferior profound ice needle, only slowed Minghe’s pursuit a little, with almost no effect. Instead, Qingxu’s divine king primordial spirit suffered some injury. Now, seeing Minghe closing in again, Qingxu’s heart filled with anxiety. He deployed continuous profound transformations, blending into the chaotic masses, but all was to no avail—under the gaze of the Netherworld Blood Eyes, there was no hiding.

Concealing himself from Minghe was impossible; direct confrontation held no hope; a second sneak attack would be useless. Even if successful, Minghe, now forewarned, would not be affected.

The Ice Soul Mine’s space was vast but limited. In a panicked, desperate flight, Qingxu crashed headlong into the underground vein’s forbidden zone, following its passage toward the Frozen Ice Patriarch’s domain.

“Damn it! The underground forbidden passage connects the upper and lower spaces of the earth vein—no other routes remain. Above looms the ferocious and malevolent Minghe Patriarch, below stands the Frozen Ice Patriarch with many quasi-saints. Truly a wolf before and a tiger behind! Not a near-death escape but a certain death!” Qingxu was so frustrated he wished he could die outright. His many plans, so close to success, now dashed by Minghe’s inexplicable frenzy—how could a dignified quasi-saint chase so relentlessly after a mere early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal?

“Such insolence, Minghe! I’ll remember this grudge. If I escape, I’ll repay you tenfold.” His painstaking schemes foiled, Qingxu’s hatred for Minghe deepened. He resolved to make him pay, though the timing depended on circumstance. If his Yellow-Black clone escaped safely, revenge could come sooner; otherwise, relying on Qingxu himself might take an age.

Descending along the earth vein’s forbidden passage, Qingxu felt a terrifying chill seep through his skin and into his body, nearly freezing his qi, blood, and primordial spirit. The deeper he went, the stronger the cold became.

The earth vein was a solid mass of profound ice essence, harder and colder than any ice aged hundreds of billions of years. Even with Great Luo Golden Immortal power, damage was minimal. It was truly a supreme treasure of ice refinement. Qingxu had hoped to seize some advantage but, with his own safety at stake and Minghe in relentless pursuit, he had no choice but to let go.

Seeing Qingxu enter the earth vein passage toward the Ice Soul’s heart, Minghe was pleased. This way, both the God-Slaying Spear and Qingxu could be attended to simultaneously. He had decided that once inside the underground space, he would capture Qingxu immediately; otherwise, complications were inevitable. After all, anyone pursued so fiercely by Minghe was no simple foe. Other quasi-saints, though perhaps ignorant of the details, might still intervene.

Minghe knew Qingxu was no fool and understood his predicament. Though Minghe was still playful now, once within the subterranean chamber surrounded by many quasi-saints, Qingxu would certainly become his prisoner. His fate thereafter was uncertain but hardly favorable.

“Calm—must stay calm. Panic is forbidden. In despair, there is always hope. Nothing is absolute. There must be a sliver of chance. The key lies in whether I can seize it. Though this seems a dead end, it might also be my chance to break free from Minghe. If I can evade his capture, I can survive amidst the many quasi-saints and await an opportunity to escape.” Between life and death, terror reigned, but only a heart unburdened and a calm mind could turn peril into safety—to find life where none seemed possible.

Before Qingxu lay only two paths: descend into the Ice Soul Heart’s earth vein and be captured by Minghe, surrendering his life and honor to his hands; or fight fiercely for a chance to slip past Minghe’s grasp, buying time among the quasi-saints and seeking escape.

To rely on mere early-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal cultivation to evade Minghe’s pursuit bordered on fantasy—an almost impossible feat. Yet, with freedom and life at stake, Qingxu resolved to try. Having reached this point, the line between life and death was but a breath.

“My fate is mine to command, not others’, Minghe. Since you seek battle, I will fight with my life. If I cannot escape, I will self-destruct and make sure you do not benefit.” Though not his true self, Qingxu lamented the loss of his Yellow-Black clone but accepted it. A hero in crisis can cut off his own arm—what else was left to do?

As he pondered, his eyes brightened. The narrow passage of purple-hued ice essence abruptly opened into a vast space. The chamber spanned thousands of miles, sealed airtight on all sides by the seamless walls of purple profound ice essence. There was but one entrance and exit—this was the principal branch point of the Northern Abyss earth vein.

The Northern Abyss earth vein had three major branch points, twelve secondary points, and countless minor points. Each branch held a Heart of Ice Soul. Yet, only the Frozen Ice Patriarch knew of this particular one; the other two remained mysteries. As for the secondary and minor points, they were negligible. Even a Great Luo Golden Immortal could discern their details, but only the main branches could veil heavenly secrets. Thus, when Qingxu’s false information spread, nearly every quasi-saint and Great Luo Golden Immortal gathered at the Frozen Ice Patriarch’s domain without hesitation.

“Success or failure depends on this one gamble.” As he drew nearer to the passage entrance, Qingxu’s nerves tightened. Off in the distance, several Great Luo Golden Immortals appeared faintly.

A hundred feet away!

Ninety feet!

Eighty feet!

The distance closed inch by inch. Time seemed to halt. Qingxu could hear his own heartbeat clearly. Behind him, Minghe’s unique blood-stained aura pressed closer. Clearly, now entering the Ice Soul earth vein space, Minghe’s patience had run out. He no longer cared about any “surprises” Qingxu might have.

At twenty feet from the passage entrance, Minghe struck. His body transformed into a streak of blood light, hurtling toward Qingxu’s back. In his left hand, the two fierce swords Yuan Tu and Aby, wielded themselves to intercept Qingxu’s path. Minghe’s hands reached to seize Qingxu, wrapped in yin-yang energy to prevent another sneak attack.

Two sword-like blades, one ash-gray and one deep green—Minghe’s fearsome weapons Yuan Tu and Aby—blocked the passage’s mouth. These swords were innate spiritual treasures, their killing aura untethered from cause and effect, comparable to the four Celestial Execution Swords yet distinct in nature.

A murderous aura surged, fierce and all-encompassing. The twin blades blocked the exit. To pass through into the Ice Soul earth vein, Qingxu had to overcome these swords first. Behind him, Minghe’s speed was relentless; he arrived as Qingxu confronted the swords.

Blocked both front and back, Qingxu faced unprecedented peril.

Neither Minghe nor the swords Yuan Tu and Aby were easy foes alone, let alone together. Regardless of Qingxu’s formidable divine arts, the odds were grim.

“What to do?”

At the razor’s edge between life and death, Qingxu’s mind raced for a solution.