Chapter 147: Restraint

Shortly after, following a bout of torment, Xueze and Liu Li plunged into a sea of red light. This place resembled a dried-up well, where only a faint crimson glow allowed them to see their surroundings.

There was nothing on the ground save for dust.

"Xueze, are you alright?"

Liu Li helped Xueze to her feet. Her attire was disheveled and her hair ornaments askew, yet she possessed an indescribable, ethereal beauty.

"I am fine. How are youing holding up?" After pondering for a long moment, Xueze regulated her breath and stabilized her inner core.

"I am well!" Liu Li looked at Xueze, a warm and tender sentiment welling up in his heart.

Xueze paid no heed to these subtle emotional shifts. Instead, she looked around, meticulously searching for the tiny ice needle.

"Is the young lady looking for a magical artifact?"

Xueze nodded, crouching down to feel around in the dust until her hands were coated with grime.

"Searching like this is bound to be too slow!" With that, Liu Li produced his folding fan. "Rise for a moment, and let me fan away this dust. You will naturally be able to see the artifact!"

"But this is the Fire Demon's array; I cannot even use my magic. Can you really..."

"Although this folding fan of mine is a mortal object, it is sturdy and finely crafted. There is no harm in trying; perhaps it will be of some help!"

Xueze stood up, watching Liu Li with a mixture of doubt and curiosity. With a gentle wave of his fan, all the dust billowed into the air, leaving the ground as clean as new.

Before long, in a corner, Xueze spotted a silver needle glinting faintly.

"Wait!"

Xueze stopped Liu Li just as his hand came to a halt and the final gust of wind swept past. The silver needle and the dust rose, suspended in mid-air—it was precisely her magical artifact.

"The Cold Lotus Ice Needle!" Xueze smiled in pleasant surprise and reached out to catch it.

Liu Li watched as the ice needle landed in Xueze's palm, shedding all its dust and beginning to gleam radiantly, as if it had just been awakened from a deep slumber.

"Can magical artifacts even fall asleep?"

"Indeed. This is a divine artifact, yet it was sealed away by the swirling red current. Fortunately, young master, you helped me find it! But why is your fan imbued with such immense power?"

Liu Li was momentarily stunned, and asked in astonishment, "What about the fan?"

"This is the array of Shuo, and I cannot even muster my spiritual power. How was your fan able to whip up the dust? Furthermore, although my artifact is small, it weighs as much as a cauldron. How were you able to lift and carry it out?"

"Could there truly be such a wondrous marvel?" Liu Li exclaimed in amazement.

Just as the two of them were about to examine the fan more closely, they felt a sudden tremor beneath their feet.

"Not good, let's go!" Xueze cast a glance around, grabbed Liu Li, and leapt onto the ice needle, piercing their way out.

Moments later, the pair emerged above the river, where Shuo stood smiling at them.

"To think you could escape from my array—truly remarkable! However, even if you have retrieved your artifact, you are no match for me!"

Xueze froze. Feeling utterly exhausted in both body and mind, and drained of all strength, she cast a resentful and sorrowful look at Shuo. "What trickery have you played this time?"

"Hahaha! Although my magical cultivation is already more than half complete, I still wish to avoid a fight with you to prevent mutual destruction. Therefore, I merely took your ice needle and added a little something to it. Now, your own artifact has become a burden to you. Let us see how you intend to fight me!"

"Was all of this meticulously plotted by you?" Realization suddenly dawned upon Xueze, and she could not help recalling the scene before descending the mountain:

Faced with mortal affairs, the Heavenly Sovereign feared what Shuo might do to the Emperor in Youzhou, and thus dispatched people down the mountain for protection. This time, Jianrong reminded Heavenly Sovereign Jiucang of a previously established rule regarding official assignments.

Jiucang nodded in agreement and asked Baiyu with a smile, "Since you are in charge of deciding this time, who do you think is the most suitable candidate?"

Baiyu glanced at Lanshui, and replied with a slight look of distress, "Actually, Baiyu believes the Eldest Senior Brother is most suitable, but he has numerous affairs to attend to recently, so—"

"No matter. Since Fairy Baiyu has chosen me, I shall take on this task!" Lanshui declared.

Jiucang smiled and said to Lanshui, "Baiyu hasn't finished speaking yet. Do not be so eager!"

"Baiyu believes that Junior Sister Xueze can share the burden for the Eldest Senior Brother! After all, Junior Sister Xueze only inspects the Snowy Domain once every five days and does not toil day and night. Lately, she has been diligently practicing her skills, so she surely needs an opportunity for actual combat and training!"

Jianrong also expressed full approval, smiling as she said, "Among the disciples of Tianshan, apart from my fondness for Baiyu, the one I value most is Junior Sister Xueze! With her natural talent and strength, protecting the Emperor will be no problem at all! Furthermore, there is a Demon King in Youzhou, and Xueze holds the Cold Lotus Ice Needle, which can subdue him. That is the most crucial point of all!"

"That is true. Only the artifact in Xueze's possession can restrain the Fire Demon, so she is indeed qualified for the task. Xueze, what is your view?" Jiucang looked at Xueze, thinking to himself: This matter must fall upon Xueze; otherwise, I cannot rest easy! If a traitor from within were to go down the mountain and stir up trouble, wouldn't things become even more chaotic?

Xueze stepped out of the ranks and accepted the mission. "Xueze is willing to descend the mountain. I thank you all for your appreciation!"

Lanshui's expression turned terrifyingly gloomy, frightening Baiyu and making her cower, though the people of Xuezhu Land understood the nuances of right and wrong and chose not to get involved.

Baiyu lowered her head in silence, shielded behind Jianrong. Lanshui pulled Xueze aside to question her privately.

"Why did you come forward? Why did you insist on stepping out to accept this mission?!"

Xueze bit her lower lip and replied in a low voice, "I knew they wanted to choose me! If I did not step up, who else could shoulder the task of descending the mountain?"

"What about me?" Lanshui glared at Xueze, his brows knitted in anger. "How much skill have you actually learned? Do you have any idea how perilous the mortal world is? They told you to go, so you go—why are you never this obedient when it comes to my words?"

Before Xueze could reply, a summons came from the Heavenly Sovereign for Lanshui. "Senior Brother, go ahead! The Heavenly Sovereign is looking for you!"

"You may encounter the demon lord this time down the mountain. Have you thought of a countermeasure? Saving the Emperor is a matter of utmost importance; under no circumstances can you let him fall into the hands of the Fire Demon. But you must also look after your health at all times..." Lanshui paused. "You must return unscathed!"

Xueze nodded. "Senior Brother need not worry. I have already mastered the Butterfly Dance and Flying Frost; I can use it to evade danger at critical moments. Besides, Master made it clear that this Shuo has not yet attained supreme cultivation and is not yet something to be feared!"

"Not to be feared? Who told you that? How can you treat the enemy so lightly?" Lanshui was extremely agitated, wishing intensely that he was the one descending the mountain instead. "If I didn't have to stay behind to root out the internal traitor, I would truly wish to accompany you. Right now, you only know a few minor spells—your offensive power is low and your defense is weak. How can I rest easy?"

"Senior Brother, you must trust me! I have learned a great deal, I promise you. Rescuing a person will not be a problem, especially since Shuo is still searching for his own supreme treasure, while I possess the Cold Lotus Ice Needle which holds him in check!"

Recovering her wits, Xueze cast a glance at Shuo and thought: It seems the Tianshan traitor is inseparable from Shuo and the fairy. I must break this current deadlock myself! Fortunately, I learned a special technique before coming down the mountain. Let us test Shuo's cultivation and see if he can truly shatter the miraculous arts of Tianshan!

Butterflies danced in a fluttering whirl, their forms graceful and enchanting, resembling startled divine cranes of the immortals.

The wings were gossamer-thin, carrying a piercing glacial frost, akin to a frosty morning ice net.

Shortly after, the entire valley and river surface were completely cordoned off by an icy web that neither reached the heavens nor sealed the bottom. The ice net exuded a pale, bone-chilling cold that made anyone recoil, and Shuo himself felt an involuntary wave of bitter chill, forcing him to step back a few paces.

"Butterfly Dance and Flying Frost?"

Xueze smiled faintly. "This is only a fraction of it!"

With those words, Xueze took Liu Li and soared away, leaving Shuo standing in place, filled with sorrow and frustration.

"To think those old fogies actually found that miraculous text; it was my oversight. It appears they are heavily on guard against me!"

Shuo sighed with emotion, but a sudden thought made him extremely nervous.

"No, I cannot let her return just yet! Jianrong does not necessarily know the full method for entering the Snowy Domain. If I let her go back like this, wouldn't that..." Shuo sighed repeatedly. "No, I must think of a way to keep her here!"

After turning the matter over in his mind, Shuo decided he still needed to make use of Liu Yi. "Forgive me, Empress Dowager! I must borrow your son for a time; I shall not harm him. For the sake of fulfilling our grand ambition, you must learn to make a sacrifice! After all, one is the Son of Heaven, and the other is a Tianshan female official—both of them are exquisitely pure existences!"