Chapter 18 --- The Siantess of Ice Palace and The Flame Serpent
Su Xiaoyao and the three girls travelled the canyon and many other cultivators where also going to a place so they went there soon many cultivators appeared in there line of sight
As Su Xiaoyao and others gathered there, two people were standing out in the crowd
one was a young man with red hair his hair a wild mane of crimson embers that seemed to flicker with actual fire. His scarlet robes were etched with golden draconic runes that pulsed in sync with the lava below, matching the arrogant, predatory glint in his eyes as he looked down upon the "lesser" cultivators.
Jing Xue noticing Su Xiaoyao was seeing the young man said "He is Huo Yan the saint of the Flame Valley"
Su Xiaoyao nodded then looked towards the another figure
Draped in frost-patterned silks that radiated a faint, lunar glow, she stood like a lone winter lotus amidst the scorching hellscape, her very presence lowering the temperature of the surrounding air by several degrees. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall of liquid silver toward her slender waist, framing a face of jade-like perfection with skin so translucent it seemed carved from ancient, unmelting glaciers. Most captivating were her sapphire eyes—crystalline depths that held a chilling, indifferent aura, yet sparkled with a natural, transcendent elegance that made every common cultivator feel instinctively unworthy of her gaze.
"She is Bei Xueruo our Ice Palace Saintess"
Bei Xueruo notices Jing Xue and others then she flew and comes to JIng Xue and others ,they greet her "Junior greets saintess" she nods towards them and asks
"Are you alright"
"Yes saintess young master Su saved us or we wouldn't be here"
Bei Xueruo nods then looks towards the now exceptionally handsome Su Xiaoyao
Su Xiaoyao stood with a poise that defied his ten years of age, his silhouette sharp against the roiling heat of the canyon.
His face was a masterpiece of jade-like carving, featuring high, elegant cheekbones and a jawline that held a matured, cold sharpness. His most striking feature was his eyes—deep, ink-black orbs that held the weight of a starry abyss, possessing a crystalline depth that seemed to perceive the very fibers of the world. Dressed in pristine white robes trimmed with gold, his presence didn't just radiate power; it exerted a silent, primordial pressure that made him seem less like a child and more like an ancient sovereign observing his domain with chilling indifference.
She was slightly surprised by his presence but she sensed only Qi Refining Cultivation
She turned to Su Xiaoyao and said "Thank you for saving the disciples of our Ice Palace"
Su Xiaoyao said "Its nothing I was passing by it is natural to save"
Bei Xueruo didn't say anything further but she will repay this later.
Then Bei Xueruo and Su Xiaoyao started talking,
From Bei Xueruo, Su Xiaoyao got to know that these cultivators are gathered by Huo Yan for killing the beast in the centre of this canyon for herb its guarding and the beast core of it which is needed by Flame Valley Sect Master for breakthrough and who participate in this expedition will be rewarded by Flame Valley, Bei Xueruo is helping him as he has a herb needed by her.
As they were talking, a slight smile appeared on Bei Xueruo's face.
Su Xiaoyao felt a hostile eyes directed towards him then he turns and sees
The saint of Flame Valley Huo Yan who was standing in the side, now he was looking Su Xiaoyao his Eyes spitting fire towards Su Xiaoyao.
Bei Xueruo also noticed this she said "I am sorry, I think I brought you trouble"
Su Xiaoyao shook his head and said "It's not your fault, you don't need to apologies"
Huo Yan came towards them both and said to Bei Xueruo " Sister Xueruo everyone has gathered we should go"
Bei Xueruo said in cold tone "We are not so close, please respect yourself"
Huo Yan continued as if he didn;t listen and said in condescending voice "Qi Refining Cultivators can only serve as canon fodder so they shouldn't go thinking they are something and die"
Bei Xueruo's face looked displeased but she didn't say anything.
Su Xiaoyao also didn't say anything he just ignored Huo Yan and added each other in their communication Jades
Huo Yan felt humiliated that a nobody at Qi Refining Cultivator ignored him and a he thought of something and a cold smile appeared on his face 'You wouldn't live long'
Then Everyone went towards the center lead by Huo Yan, Jing Xue and others didn't follow as they were not strong enough
As everyone travelled towards there were many beasts but with so many cultivators they were nothing and were killed
Two days passed
They arrived to the place Infront of them there stood a huge volcanic mountain lava gurgling out from it then Huo Yan set up a formation disc around the mountain given by the sect master of Flame Valley for this expedition and was also given many treasures.
The formation is killing and trapping formation its a saint rank treasure and can be controlled by Huo Yan but needs many people to control it as his strength is not strong enough to control fully and exert full power.
soon everything was set up then as if the beast inside the volcanic mountain noticed the disturbance, A roar sounded from inside.
The earth groaned as the tectonic plates shifted, a fountain of white-hot magma erupting from the crater to herald the beast's arrival. From the heart of the liquid fire, the Flame Serpent ascended, its presence instantly turning the surrounding atmosphere into a suffocating furnace.
It was a titanic engine of destruction, its body stretching nearly a hundred meters, covered in jagged obsidian scales that pulsed with the rhythmic, vengeful glow of a dying star. As it uncoiled, the very air distorted and shimmered, the heat so intense that the spirit of the world itself seemed to ignite in its wake. Its head had already begun its draconic transformation—two crystalline, white-hot horns jutted from its brow like crown spikes, and its eyes were vast, swirling vortexes of molten gold that held a terrifying, cold intelligence.
The beast stood at the Perfection of the Core Formation Late Stage, a mere half-step away from shedding its mortal coil to become a dragon. The pressure it radiated was not merely a physical weight but a spiritual tsunami that crashed down upon the hundred cultivators gathered at the volcano's mouth.
The Formation activated fully and the beast cultivation suppressed a level from perfection to late stage.
The Flame Serpent, feeling its power throttled by the Saint-rank formation, unleashed a roar that sent ripples through the very fabric of the canyon's space. Opening its massive maw, it did not merely breathe fire; it spat a torrent of Solar-Core Magma, a concentrated stream of white-hot liquid fire infused with the primitive laws of destruction.
The torrent of magma swept across the front lines like a reaper's scythe. Over thirty cultivators, who had stood too close in their rush for the Flame Valley's rewards, were erased from existence before they could even circulate their protective Qi. Their screams were swallowed by the roar of the volcano, serving as a brutal reminder that in this world, greed without strength is a death sentence.
Huo Yan, standing at the center of the formation disc, turned pale as the violet barrier rippled and cracked under the thermal shock. "Steady! Pour your Qi into the formation!" he screamed, his previous arrogance replaced by a frantic desperation. Even with a Saint-rank treasure, suppressing a beast at the peak of the Core Formation realm with their cultivation they couldn't exert the full power of formation and was like trying to cage a storm with silk threads.
Bei Xueruo moved with the grace of a winter spirit, her frost-patterned silks billowing as she unleashed a wave of Absolute Zero Glacial Qi. The collision of her ice and the serpent's fire created a blinding explosion of steam that obscured the battlefield. Her brow was matted with sweat; even as a Saintess, the spiritual tsunami radiating from the beast was forcing her to exert her full strength just to remain standing.
In the midst of this chaotic hellscape, Su Xiaoyao remained a point of unnatural stillness. While those around him were being slammed into the earth by the beast's "Manifested Will," he stood perfectly upright, his white robes untouched by ash or blood. To the Saintess, who glanced back in concern, he appeared like a solitary mountain peak that the storm could not move. She couldn't understand how a "Qi Refining" cultivator could withstand a pressure that was crushing Foundation Establishment cultivators and a hint of appreciation appeared in her heart.
Inside his Sea of Consciousness, the God-Slaying Soul Guarding Bell hummed softly, automatically shattering every wave of spiritual pressure the serpent emitted before it could even touch Su Xiaoyao's mind.
Huo Yan noticed this and was infuriated by this scene and made the next full attack of the flame serpent directly towards Su Xiaoyao without anyone noticing.
Bei Xueruo noticed the attack going towards Su Xiaoyao but she can't reach there in time to save Su Xiaoyao
Su Xiaoyao noticed the attack coming towards him and he took one step forward...