C8 Body Seal

Deep within the mine, Hwang Ningxue's delicate form rapidly crystallized into ice at a visible pace.

The frigid air billowed out from her body like a wild smoke, spreading rapidly in all directions and threatening to freeze the very air solid!

"What's happening?"

Qiao Gao was astounded, the abrupt chill making him feel as though he'd plunged into an ice pit. His blood and Qi solidified, rendering his limbs immobile.

And it wasn't just his blood and Qi that were affected. Qiao Gao realized that inhaling too much of this cold air could freeze his soul as well!

Soul damage was no minor issue; it represented a severe, irreversible injury that could result in a lifelong affliction.

"Moo!"

With a sound that echoed both tiger and python, Qiao Gao's bones resonated in response. His body jolted as if struck by electricity, shattering the icy hold on his blood and Qi, which began to boil and restore strength to his limbs.

"The Demon God Body Refining Technique truly lives up to its name as a divine skill. Just a bit of circulation, and it shatters all constraints!" Qiao Gao exclaimed, his expression turning grave. "Without this divine skill, I'd surely have perished in this cold."

The cold was fearsome. Qiao Gao surmised that any martial artist below the ninth meridian would be frozen alive, and even experts at the Soul Connecting Stage could suffer soul damage, leaving them with a lifelong malady.

"What's wrong with Senior?"

Qiao Gao's gaze, sharp as lightning and brilliant, focused intently on Hwang Ningxue. He overlooked her stunning beauty, his eyes clear of any distraction, his soul force converging as if he'd noticed something peculiar.

"Senior, there's a seal inside you."

Qiao Gao's brow furrowed. The seal was incomplete, fractured. The dreadful cold was seeping through its cracks.

"What terrifying entity could be sealed within, to emit such chilling air through the seal's fissures?" Qiao Gao wondered, his curiosity piqued. He dispersed the pervasive cold and, employing the secret techniques from the memories of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, peered into the inner workings of the seal.

Qiao Gao was instantly turned to stone, utterly astonished. "What the hell, a toad?"

The idea that a toad could be found on the person of the inner court's stunning senior sister, a woman of unparalleled beauty and exceptional talent, was utterly preposterous. Who would believe such a tale?

Who would want to believe it?

Who could believe it?

Had Qiao Gao not witnessed it with his own eyes—the toad truly sealed within Senior Sister Hwang Ningxue's body—he himself would have dismissed the notion as sheer fantasy.

The toad was a vibrant green, its body luminous. Far from the repulsive bumps one might expect, its skin was smooth as polished jade, emitting an astonishing chill from every pore.

But the most astonishing feature was the toad's trio of eyes.

"It's the Three-eye Ice Toad."

A three-legged toad might be rare, but a toad with three eyes was an even rarer find!

Despite its unseemly appearance and awkward movements, this Three-eye Ice Toad boasted a noble lineage. Upon reaching maturity, it would be at least a Rank Five Demonic Beast, its formidable strength on par with a human of the Heaven Connecting Stage.

Demonic beasts ranged from Rank One to Rank Nine. Take the Scorpion Tail Tiger at the pinnacle of Rank One, for instance—its unique venom could rival that of an ordinary Rank Two Demonic Beast, akin to a human master at the Soul Connecting Stage. A Rank Five Demonic Beast was not to be trifled with, even by a Heaven Connecting Stage Expert.

The cultivation journey begins with opening the nine meridians, refining the battle soul, soaring through the heavens and earth, and transcending one's fate. These milestones define the four grand realms: Vein Connecting Stage, Soul Connecting Stage, Heaven Connecting Stage, and Life Connecting Stage.

Qiao Gao quickly snapped out of his initial shock. Having assimilated the memories of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, he had encountered numerous Divine Beasts—what was a Three-eye Ice Toad to him?

"Hmm..."

Abruptly, Hwang Ningxue emitted a pained moan, her face contorted in agony, her complexion ashen. Her presence was barely perceptible, as if she might slip away from this world at any second.

"This seal is too crude. The Three-eye Ice Toad has grown too powerful, and the seal is on the verge of breaking." Qiao Gao furrowed his brow, urgently rifling through the memory shards of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch for knowledge on how to reinforce the seal.

"There's a method to reinforce it!"

A spark of hope flashed in Qiao Gao's eyes, but as he absorbed the memories of the sealing technique, his expression grew increasingly grave.

To assist Senior Sister Hwang Ningxue in fortifying the mysterious seal within her, a substantial amount of soul force was required. Given Qiao Gao's current strength, a forced sealing could deplete his soul force, with consequences ranging from minor to severe...

At best, he'd suffer an excruciating headache; at worst, his soul could shatter.

And a shattered soul meant one thing: becoming a complete fool...

Qiao Gao's face was a tapestry of emotions as he wrestled with his decision. Finally, with a steely resolve, he muttered, "I'll save the Senior Sister first."

His choice to employ the soul secret technique wasn't out of a desire to play the hero; it was pragmatic. He had accepted Hwang Ningxue's Emperor Body Paste and half of a Blood Soul Flower. Failing to rescue her could jeopardize his future cultivation prospects.

Weak fate meant a lifetime of misfortune and stagnation, with no breakthroughs in sight.

Strong fate brought a stream of good fortune, possibly even stumbling upon a treasure while wandering the wastelands.

Such was the power of fate, an undeniable force in the lives of cultivators, governed by unseen forces. Some, blessed with immense luck from past lives, were born under auspicious signs, their cultivation journey swift and unstoppable.

"Here goes."

Taking a deep breath, Qiao Gao began the secret technique from the fragmented memories, channeling his soul force...

Time passed...

"Whew."

Exhaling deeply, Qiao Gao was overcome by a searing pain at the core of his mind, his body drenched in cold sweat, limbs weak. He stumbled, collapsing onto the delicate form of his beautiful Senior Sister.

This was the aftermath of soul power depletion!

The chill in the air dissipated, and the cave's temperature normalized.

Hwang Ningxue awoke, stretching languidly. Her captivating curves were unmistakable, her skin as pale and smooth as jade, drawing the gaze of any onlooker. She inhaled deeply, realizing she hadn't slept this well in nineteen years.

Plagued by a severe illness, she suffered periodic episodes of bone-chilling pain that threatened to freeze her very soul. She had even contemplated suicide to end her suffering once and for all. But this sleep had been blissful, akin to basking in the warmth of the sun.

However, Ningxue quickly sensed something amiss. Something wet and warm clung to her flat, smooth belly, emitting a fishy stench...

She remembered that before losing consciousness, Qiao Gao had instructed her to disrobe to expel the Corpse King Poison, and that scoundrel had stripped down as well. God only knows what Qiao Gao might have done to her, especially considering the suspicious wet, fishy-smelling substance...

It was undoubtedly something vile!

And to make matters worse, that scoundrel's head was resting on her pristine abdomen!

"Qiao Gao, you animal!" Ningxue's eyes blazed with fury, her face a portrait of icy rage. Her Origin Energy surged forth like a volcanic eruption as she grasped the feeble Qiao Gao with her delicate, jade-like hand and hurled him violently against the tunnel wall.

"Crash!"

The tunnel trembled, stones scattered, and dust clouded the air. It was a resentful blow from a Soul Connecting Stage expert—if the tunnel hadn't been so sturdy, Qiao Gao would have been entombed.

Qiao Gao was acutely aware of Ningxue's misunderstanding. Frantically, he adjusted his clothing. Weak and powerless, he couldn't put up any resistance.

"Senior, please hear me out."

Qiao Gao cried out, "It's not what you're thinking!"

But Ningxue was beyond reason, her eyes seething with lethal intent. "You've tarnished my purity. I will kill you!"