"Your ice spring? Ridiculous. Blessed lands between heaven and earth belong to those capable of claiming them. You are nothing more than a group of plants living here by parasitism—how could you possibly call it yours?"
Staring at the enormous ice spikes wrapped by a frigid fountain dozens of meters tall, Snow Empress's expression remained utterly cold. She raised both hands and clasped them in the air.
The ice-white, extremely cold fountain of icy essence that had surged toward her suddenly erupted upwards instead. Its offensive force weakened instantly, as though returning to the embrace of the true ruler of ice and snow, becoming Snow Empress's backdrop.
"Spring water, instead of helping me, you help her!"
The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass felt the ice spring slipping from its control and panicked immensely. For tens of thousands of years, the spring had been like its mother—yet now it abandoned it.
"In the control of ice and snow, this Emperor stands far above you."
"Fall."
Snow Empress swung her hand downward. The ice spring behind her rushed downward wildly, far faster than before.
Not only that—the icy fountain, under her command, split apart, forming a gigantic hand, which forcefully swept toward the Fiery Apricot Jiaoshu beside the blazing sun spring.
"Emperor's Palm — Great Cold Without Snow!"
"No!!!"
The Fiery Apricot, which had been resisting attacks from beast spirits nearby, suddenly felt a chill down its back. Looking upward at the raging icy torrent, terror instantly filled it.
"Octagonal! Why did your fight drag onto me?!"
It was truly suffering disaster while lying down.
Facing the enormous palm radiating terrifying pressure, it couldn't help but question whether its tiny body could survive such a strike.
"Rumble!!!"
Under Snow Empress's fierce attack, the entire valley trembled three times. The originally separate ice and fire springs began to merge, with vast amounts of mist rising.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Two screams erupted simultaneously. The Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass beside the ice spring and the Fiery Apricot beside the fire spring collapsed instantly, leaves falling everywhere.
And this was Snow Empress holding back—otherwise the two immortal herbs would already have been reduced to dust. After all, they still held great value.
"Cough, cough…"
The Fiery Apricot's body oozed fiery red liquid like lava. Within its flower, a dark red transparent gel-like substance formed, preparing to refine.
High above, Snow Empress's eyes brightened sharply. She flashed forward and arrived directly before the Fiery Apricot.
Seeing Snow Empress suddenly appear, the flower tightly contracted, but Snow Empress raised a hand and thrust it directly into the flower's center, searching inside without hesitation.
When she withdrew her hand, she held that gel-like substance. Its appearance distorted the air despite her strong aura suppressing it—evidence of its terrifying heat.
"W-What are you doing?! You can't kill me! Heaven will punish you!"
The Fiery Apricot screamed, trembling.
"Heaven's punishment? Hahahaha! Heaven's punishment!"
Snow Empress's voice suddenly rose.
"Punishment? This Emperor has already endured six heavenly tribulations! To escape the seventh, I was forced into this condition. You dare speak to me of heaven's punishment?"
"Fine. I'll fulfill your wish."
She slowly raised her right hand, weighted like a thousand tons, countless snowflakes gathering in her palm.
Her hand fell, and the Fiery Apricot reverted to its original form as an immortal herb, sealed and motionless.
Immediately after, the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass followed, sealed in the same manner.
"So restless—let this Emperor grant you a taste of imprisonment."
Snow Empress snorted coldly, turned, and lifted the two immortal herbs to hand them to Jiang Jue, while she herself floated above the ice spring to absorb cold energy and stabilize her strength.
Because what came next required both her and Jiang Jue at full strength.
"You two just had to provoke Snow Empress. Now look what happened."
Jiang Jue held the herbs. With both sealed and still ten-thousand-year soul beasts, there was no risk of medicinal energy leaking, so he simply tossed them into the Soul-Refining Banner.
Meanwhile Ice Empress was dominating her battle—Swan Kiss's toxins were useless, the Qiluo Tulip and Fragrant Qiluo Immortal Flower were poor fighters, and the Phoenix-Crested Sunflower was completely suppressed by ice attributes.
In moments, four ten-thousand-year immortal herbs were beaten black and blue.
"Stop! Stop!"
"Human, you win! We surrender! Take all the immortal herbs—just spare us!"
Swan Kiss looked at Jiang Jue trembling, fear overwhelming its earlier arrogance.
"Yes yes! Spare us! All the immortal herbs are yours! There are even several other ten-thousand-year herbs but we sealed their intelligence. They're all yours!"
Jiang Jue floated beside Ice Empress. Looking at them, he smirked and spoke lightly:
"Fools. If I kill you, the herbs are mine anyway."
"Besides… even you will become mine."
"No! Wait! I still have treasure! Left by that person! It will definitely help you!"
Panicked, Swan Kiss quickly retrieved a book from within its petals.
The book was pure white, material unknown, without any words on the cover.
"This book was left for his descendants—extremely valuable. The power he founded outside is enormous. In the human world they were once rulers."
It pushed the book toward Jiang Jue with soul power.
"Y-Yuyou, that's our benefactor's legacy…"
Phoenix Sunflower stared in disbelief.
"Survival first," Yuuyou replied coldly.
Jiang Jue looked at the book, expression darkening. He knew exactly what it was—Tang God-King's Tang Sect manual.
As for Tang Sect, it had already declined beyond salvation, its headquarters gone.
But within this manual… there was definitely more than met the eye.
"Jiang boy! Danger!"
In his spiritual sea, Electrolux's voice roared.
Before the book reached him, Jiang Jue swept his spear, knocking it away. It rolled on the ground and dropped into the dual-spring pool.
"Ah?? You— you don't want it? That was a great opportunity!"
Yuuyou stared in shock.
That person was a God!
"No, no. I fear you were planning to ambush me."
"But now—it's fine."
Jiang Jue smiled with relief.
Because just now, when the book appeared, Electrolux told him:
Two divine consciousnesses appeared.
And one carried a destruction attribute…