Chapter 2353: Succubus

Under the cover of the blizzard, several snowdrifts subtly moved towards the vortex.

Suddenly, a pained cry echoed near the vortex.

A puff of snow flew up from the ground, accompanied by a gray blur, as if something had been forcibly pulled from the snow by an unseen force.

The gray blur was a small, squirrel-like creature. Its face contorted in terror as it was involuntarily pulled towards the vortex.

It frantically flailed its short limbs, struggling in vain. From its mouth, it continuously spat out plumes of yellow mist, but before the mist could fully materialize, it was sucked into the vortex and shredded to pieces.

Finally, the creature was sucked into the vortex in terror, its cries abruptly silenced.

Witnessing this scene, the surrounding snowdrifts hastily retreated.

The vortex had no clear boundary; the wind force constantly shifted. The small creature had approached too closely, believing it wouldn't be caught by the vortex. When the wind suddenly changed, it had no time to react and was pulled in.

However, the snowdrifts didn't retreat far. Pairs of eyes remained fixed on the vortex, still burning with fervent anticipation.

A moment later, from the direction where the creature had vanished, the vortex made a "puff" sound, like a bursting bubble, blooming into a white flower. This was, in fact, a phenomenon caused by turbulent wind. The white flower withered instantly, finally expelling a puff of white mist.

The white mist was mixed with snowflakes and fragmented ice, and among them, several delicate, crystalline streaks of light appeared, looking extraordinary.

Upon seeing these streaks of light, the surrounding snowdrifts immediately stirred.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The snowdrifts burst open, and dozens of monstrous beasts—flying creatures, land animals, jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards—scrambled out. It turned out that beneath this snowfield, scores of beasts had been hiding. There was even a black-shelled tortoise that slowly burrowed out of the snow, struggling to crawl forward.

A snow wolf charged at the forefront, just as a streak of light flew directly towards it.

Enclosed within the streak of light was a crystal-clear ice shard. The ice shard emitted a chilling aura, yet unlike the biting cold of the surrounding snow and ice, it carried a unique, refreshing coolness.

The snow wolf's eyes lit up, a fleeting look of greed crossing its face. It opened its fanged maw, ready to swallow the ice shard.

Just then, a sudden sharp pain shot through its flank.

A fox-like beast had bitten it fiercely, tearing off a bloody chunk of its flesh.

"Awooo!"

No sooner had the snow wolf cried out than its back was struck again. A colorful monstrous bird swooped down, delivering a powerful blow with its talons.

Severely wounded, the snow wolf was sent flying sideways and, coincidentally, crashed into the vortex. Its cries shifted from rage to terror, ultimately meeting the same fate as the smaller creature.

Neither the fox nor the bird managed to get the ice shard. After teaming up to drive away the snow wolf, they turned on each other. The beasts from behind, not far off, caught up in the blink of an eye.

Soon, a group of beasts engaged in a brutal struggle over this single ice shard, with flesh and blood flying everywhere.

Surprisingly, the slow-moving tortoise became the ultimate victor. It found the ice shard amidst the scattered limbs and dismembered bodies, swallowed it whole, its small eyes darting around. It then quickly buried itself in the snow and fled beneath the surface, daring not to linger.

Once the few ice shards had found their owners, the fighting ceased. Heavy snowfall quickly covered all traces, making it seem as if nothing had ever happened.

Subsequently, similar scenes unfolded elsewhere. Each time the vortex ejected ice shards, it triggered a commotion, and these disturbances grew increasingly frequent. Anyone with keen observation could discern that the vortex was about to undergo a significant transformation.

At this point, the snowdrifts furthest from the vortex also began to move. As the monstrous beasts within these snowdrifts revealed their potent auras, the beasts previously surrounding the vortex immediately panicked and fled in all directions.

The timid ones scurried away in terror, while the bolder ones hid nearby, hoping to capitalize on the chaos.

*Boom!*

*Boom!*

The vortex began to pulsate like a heartbeat, one throb after another. With each tremor, the wind force at the vortex's edge would dissipate, simultaneously ejecting the same type of ice shards as before.

By now, the area around the vortex was occupied by formidable beasts, each emanating a powerful aura.

Their gazes swept over the ice shards, showing little interest and no desire to claim them, only occasionally snatching one.

When the ice shards flew further out, they immediately triggered larger-scale scrambles, resulting in countless casualties in a short time. Compared to the sheer number of beasts, the quantity of ice shards was far from sufficient; the lucky ones were ultimately few.

The beasts at the very front ignored the chaotic skirmish behind them, their eyes fixed on the vortex. Suddenly, a snowy white pillar of light shot from the vortex's center, piercing the sky and becoming strikingly prominent. The constantly swirling vortex seemed to momentarily halt, then emitted a thunderous roar.

Many beasts were paralyzed with fear by the deafening sound.

The next moment, the center of the vortex erupted like a volcano, spewing out countless snowballs and ice chunks that converged into a raging torrent.

The sky turned a blinding white. A terrifying cold burst forth with the torrent, and countless snowballs and fragmented ice pieces were hurled skyward, then rained down like scattered blossoms.

The herds of beasts vying for control in the outer perimeter were startled awake by the anomaly. Feeling the intense cold, they shivered uncontrollably as primal fear overcame their greed, finally causing them to scatter and flee.

However, the beasts at the forefront did not retreat; instead, they surged forward, scrambling towards the sky.

In an instant, spiritual lights intersected in the sky, and powerful abilities continuously clashed. Though few in number, these beasts created a spectacle far grander than the earlier hordes.

"Roar!"

A brown-furred bear demon stood upright on its hind legs, its paws planted on the snowy ground. It opened its cavernous maw, and a visible gray wind vortex formed around its mouth.

Above its head were four beasts—two flying creatures and two land animals—all simultaneously rushing towards an ice mass.

With a single inhale from the bear demon, the four beasts were drawn simultaneously towards its mouth. Only then did they remember the bear demon's formidable power, and they struggled desperately against the pull, scrambling to escape outwards.

The bear demon did not trouble them further, its gaze fixed intently on the ice mass.

*Snap!*

The ice mass burst open near its mouth, revealing three ice shards. They were similar in size to the previous ones but significantly purer.

The surrounding beasts, upon seeing the three ice shards, all displayed greedy eyes, yet none dared to snatch them from the bear.

The bear demon swallowed the three ice shards in one gulp, smacking its lips as if savoring their taste. Finally, it let out a joyous roar, then leaped on its hind legs and lunged elsewhere. Wherever it passed, the other beasts scattered, a truly imposing sight.

Inside the vortex.

Hearing a muffled sound, Qin Sang and Vermilion Bird decisively retreated to the surface of the ice layer.

After eliminating the pursuing ice beasts, Qin Sang landed, immediately feeling a slight vibration emanating from the ice layer.

He exchanged a glance with Vermilion Bird, and then another muffled sound resonated, causing the ice layer to vibrate more intensely.

Qin Sang was now certain that the source of the vibrations and sounds lay deep within the ice layer. What exactly was hidden in a place even he dared not venture?

As he hesitated whether to investigate, the vibrations in the ice layer suddenly intensified, and the ice tide above also began to undergo unusual changes.

At that moment, Qin Sang felt a formidable power beneath him, accumulating until now, finally reaching its limit and on the verge of breaking free.

Qin Sang was reminded of an impending volcanic eruption. This had never occurred in three hundred years. He speculated that the power had been accumulating and was already near its eruptive threshold, and their disturbance of the ice tide had triggered an early eruption.

Every volcanic eruption was a catastrophe for the creatures on the mountain.

Qin Sang now stood atop this "crater." He feared he would be drawn into the catastrophe, yet he had nowhere to hide.

His thoughts raced. Qin Sang looked upward, the only way out. If the power within the ice layer erupted, it might be able to breach the ice tide, allowing him to use its force to escape.

With this in mind, Qin Sang immediately activated all his defensive abilities. Instantly, white cold mist began to emanate from the surrounding ice caves.

*Rumble...*

The ice layer shook violently.

The suppressed power, pushed to its limit, finally broke through a certain boundary.

Qin Sang's heart leaped. He muttered, "It's coming," and then felt the power from deep within the ice layer suddenly unleash itself.

*Crack!*

The weak points in the ice layer couldn't bear the strain and instantly crisscrossed with fissures. Through a crack before him, Qin Sang saw countless ice chunks forming a freezing storm, surging out from underground.

Surrounded by ice caves and cracks, there was almost no foothold at that moment. Qin Sang had nowhere to hide. He fully activated his divine abilities and spirit treasures, feeling as if a heavy hammer had brutally struck him, sending his body involuntarily flying upward.

The spiritual light of his outermost Bright Mountain Armor twisted violently. Qin Sang performed the Great Vajra Wheel Seal, yet still felt a searing pain throughout his body, clearly demonstrating the immense power of the impact.

Qin Sang was like a floating stone in the middle of a river, swept up by the freezing storm and propelled towards the ice tide.

He struggled to control his speed within the storm, to avoid becoming the vanguard, feeling countless ice chunks rush past him and plunge headlong into the ice tide.

The ice tide itself was composed of fragmented ice, making it difficult to distinguish them for a moment. The freezing storm and the ice tide merged, continuing their powerful surge with even greater momentum.

With no ice beasts blocking the way and the emergence of the freezing storm, the previous suction force had transformed into repulsion. Qin Sang utilized this power, carried outwards by countless ice chunks.

It now seemed that as long as Qin Sang could withstand this impact, he would easily escape from this place.

However, the reasons for this anomaly and what awaited him outside required careful consideration.

"Huh? What's this?"

Qin Sang glimpsed an ice chunk not far away that seemed unusual.

The ice chunk was the size of a room, continuously being battered by the storm and shrinking, all while emitting an unusual glow from within.

Qin Sang's heart stirred. He rushed towards it, and his Gray Oriole Sword transformed into a beam of sword light, cutting the ice chunk in half.

The light revealed its true form: a cluster of rice-sized ice crystals, numbering about thirty to forty.

As the ice crystals came into his hand, Qin Sang felt a wave of coolness. He knew these crystals must be treasures but was unsure of their specific effects.

With a glance, Qin Sang quickly discovered traces of other ice crystals. These crystals were originally in clusters, sealed within the ice. As they were ejected, the ice would shatter, scattering the crystals.

Qin Sang didn't know what kind of ice crystals these were, nor did he have time to investigate their effects. However, they were clearly formed deep within the ice layer and were undoubtedly a rare treasure.

Qin Sang collected a few more, knowing when to stop.

By now, the freezing storm had carried him tens of thousands of feet high, yet there was no end in sight. He hadn't expected to descend so deeply. Without the force of the storm, escaping would have been extremely difficult.

*Boom!*

A continuous roar filled his ears. Qin Sang fully protected himself, his gaze fixed on the sky above.

Suddenly, Qin Sang's brows furrowed slightly. He sensed a familiar aura.

"Six-Day Ancient Qi?"

Qin Sang was surprised. This aura was extremely chaotic, remarkably similar to the ubiquitous Six-Day Ancient Qi found in the River of Karma, though far fainter.

He was intimately familiar with the River of Karma, having dealt with it from the Talisman Realm to the Sea of Mist.

"Could I have ended up near the River of Karma?"

A thought flashed through Qin Sang's mind. He suddenly felt the surrounding pressure lighten significantly, realizing he had finally escaped. A flash of lightning crossed his body, and he instantly vanished from the freezing storm.

Through the myriad ice fragments, Qin Sang vaguely saw the long-unseen clear sky, and the gloom in his heart was instantly dispelled.

He found himself carried high into the sky by the freezing storm, the momentum of the surrounding ice chunks having dissipated, causing them to scatter in all directions.

The situation was better than Qin Sang had anticipated. He sensed some auras around him, but none were strong. There was no powerful faction waiting for him outside, which would have been inexplicable otherwise.

Qin Sang flashed, passing through countless ice chunks, and arrived at the edge of the storm, where he saw boundless dark clouds beneath him.

A blizzard was raging below.

The heavy snowfall and the countless ice fragments complemented each other. Amidst the ice and snow, many beasts were locked in battle, none of them noticing him.

Qin Sang's gaze swept over the scene, and he immediately noticed the crux of the matter: these beasts were fighting over the very same ice crystals he held.

"It really is Six-Day Ancient Qi!"

After a careful inspection, Qin Sang confirmed that the Six-Day Ancient Qi was indeed drifting in the surroundings, though it was even more diluted here than in the Talisman Realm.

"Where exactly is this place? It couldn't be some minor realm within the River of Karma, could it...?"

The spiritual energy here was sufficiently dense, and he hadn't detected any Waymark Gates, so it should still be within the Spirit Realm.

Just as Qin Sang was about to descend, his expression subtly changed, and he silently teleported away from his position.

A moment later, a patch of colorful clouds flew from the horizon. The clouds resembled a soft brocade, and a woman sat cross-legged atop it.

The woman wore a palace gown as vibrant as the colorful clouds. Her appearance was bright and captivating. As she flew on the clouds and saw the fighting beasts, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. She waved her sleeve to conceal herself and quietly flew closer to the vortex.

Her gaze swept around, and a look of doubt appeared in her eyes. She had faintly sensed an unusual aura just moments ago, but found no traces of it here. Could it have been her imagination?

Glancing back at the vortex, still furiously spewing ice chunks, the woman extended her hand and collected a cluster of ice crystals. After a moment of hesitation, she ultimately did nothing further, then mounted her colorful clouds and flew away.

After the woman departed, a crack appeared on the summit of a snow-capped mountain in the snowfield, and Qin Sang emerged from within.

"Void Refinement stage... but she seems to be a demon cultivator..."

Qin Sang murmured, then looked at the battling beasts, then at the direction the woman had left. He made his decision and silently pursued her.

He trailed far behind the woman, following her for some time, until she vanished from his Heavenly Eye Butterfly's sight.

Qin Sang was startled. He flew over to the spot where the woman had disappeared and found a patch of forest within the ice plains.

The vegetation in the forest was remarkably unique; the tree trunks resembled ice and were extremely resistant to cold.

He looked around, surveying his surroundings, but had completely lost all trace of the woman.