Chapter Ninety-Five: The Ice Coffin Maiden

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As Gu Fanshuang limped into the cave, the battle outside had already reached a fever pitch.

At this moment, Xi Menghe was bitten by countless insects and poisonous creatures; around him lay heaps of dead bugs and snakes, yet the relentless waves of venomous pests kept coming.

He had lost count of how many antidote pills he had consumed, but waves of fatigue still washed over him like relentless tides.

Xi Menghe knew the poison was spreading rapidly—if he didn’t end the fight soon, today would be the day he perished beneath the insects’ onslaught.

Though he had skillfully avoided the worst bites, the accumulated poison had severely slowed his movements and dulled his reflexes; his ability to react in battle was far from what it once was.

As time passed, he had all but lost the strength to resist.

“Ah!”

With a pained scream, the long-awaited Phantom Spirit Snake finally unleashed its venomous dart, poised to strike.

Just as the deadly projectile was about to hit, Xi Menghe leapt aside, narrowly evading a fatal blow, though his left arm was gravely wounded.

Staring at the poison seeping into his body, a fierce glint flashed through Xi Menghe’s eyes.

Without hesitation, his sword sliced through the air, severing his left arm, then he tore a piece of his garment to staunch the bleeding.

As Xi Menghe fought like a cornered beast, a crow perched silently on a nearby treetop, watching the scene unfold.

The crow was about a foot tall, but aside from its larger size, it looked no different from an ordinary crow.

The poison had wholly consumed Xi Menghe’s body; he tilted his head back and shouted to the heavens, “I am not willing to die like this!”

In the final moments of his life, he saw a three-eyed crow appear overhead, its golden vertical pupils radiating an unfathomable mystery.

“So that’s how it is,” came a voice—strangely, it was the crow speaking to him.

Within moments, Xi Menghe’s emaciated body was devoured completely by the poisonous insects, his clothes corroded away as well.

After finishing the corpse, the venomous creatures turned their gaze to the three-eyed crow perched on the treetop.

The crow’s expression was filled with disdain. “A bunch of mindless creatures trying to attack me, ha.”

With a gentle flap of its right wing, hundreds of poisonous insects instantly collapsed, not a single scar or sound left behind—just a simple flick.

The golden vertical eyes pierced through the cave’s shadows, locking onto Gu Fanshuang, who carried Su Bai on her back.

Tilting its head, the three-eyed crow murmured, “Interesting. I didn’t expect a fourth person involved. A thousand-year scheme, sacrificing millions of lives just to defy destiny?”

Then it shook its head. “How naive. You think you’ve altered fate, but all this is merely the Way of Heaven consciously letting you think you’re changing it. Ah well, under the heavenly path, who isn’t a mere pawn?”

With that, the crow closed its golden pupils, becoming an ordinary raven again, and flew away into the distance.

Inside the cave:

Gu Fanshuang staggered forward, carrying Su Bai on her back. After an unknown length of time, she finally spotted a massive bronze door.

The ancient gate radiated a fierce aura, causing Gu Fanshuang to instinctively step back two paces.

Her right leg was nearly crippled; the backward step caused her to lose balance and fall, sending Su Bai tumbling beside her, rolling twice before landing face down.

Gu Fanshuang’s pale face was drained of color—her severe leg injury had caused massive blood loss.

Su Bai’s fall revealed the snake head tattoo on his back; just a glance into his purple eyes captivated her as if a magnetic force tried to draw her soul from her body.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort suddenly echoed in Gu Fanshuang’s mind, snapping her back to full awareness.

“Don’t look at his back. I can only help you this once,” a familiar icy female voice whispered in her head, as if residing within her mind.

Gu Fanshuang nodded and replied, “Thank you, senior. Please tell me how to open the door.”

The voice did not respond again, as if that sentence was the final instruction.

At that moment, an unexpected change occurred.

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Suddenly, the heavy bronze door displayed the head of a python, identical in appearance to the tattoo on Su Bai’s back. Caught off guard, Gu Fanshuang locked eyes with the serpent once more.

Realizing something was amiss, she quickly averted her gaze. Unlike the strange phenomenon on Su Bai’s back, this time there was nothing unusual.

Examining closely, Gu Fanshuang noticed a clue: the snake’s tongue pointed directly toward a lit lamp beside the bronze door.

Gathering her strength, she limped painfully toward the lamp.

The five-step distance depleted her energy. When she reached out to turn the lamp, her body gave out and she fainted to the ground.

At that very moment, the purple-green python head on the door vanished abruptly; accompanied by the creak of turning gears, the massive door slowly opened.

As it opened, the floor tilted downward like a slide extending below.

Because Su Bai was near the door, he rolled down the slope along with the floor.

———

Hundreds of miles away, inside the Moon Sound Sect.

Qian Biman, seated cross-legged on a meditation cushion, suddenly felt uneasy. She stopped her cultivation, furrowing her brows.

“What happened to unsettle me so deeply?”

At her level, she was no longer ignorant like ordinary people; she sensed the shift in life-and-death tides and great celestial changes.

“Could something have gone wrong with Xi Menghe?” The more she thought, the more uneasy she grew. Just as she was about to rise and rush to him, she sat back down.

“It’s too late for me to intervene now. This matter is irreversible. So be it—everything follows the will of Heaven.”

Looking into the distance, she sighed deeply. “It seems we are not destined to be master and disciple.”

———

Su Bai tumbled down the slope and landed in a pool of water.

The liquid was murky, concealing whatever lay beneath.

One by one, his clothes were stripped off by an unseen force, his entire body immersed in the pool. Lying flat, his breathing and heartbeat stopped completely.

His brows relaxed, his expression serene as if peacefully deceased.

At that moment, a jade pendant fell from above the pool, sinking steadily onto Su Bai’s forehead.

Suddenly, Su Bai entered another realm.

Inside, he looked around in confusion. “I remember receiving Xi Menghe’s palm… What happened after that? Why am I here? Where is this place?”

His last memory was being struck unconscious by that blow. He was certain he would die, praying Gu Fanshuang wouldn’t act rashly on his behalf.

Now, the situation left him utterly baffled.

As he tried to leave the temple, the wide-open door suddenly became an invisible barrier; no matter how hard he pushed, he could not break through.

“What is going on? Let me out!” he shouted, pounding the transparent barrier.

Suddenly, an earthquake-like tremor shook the temple, and a loud rumbling came from behind him as if the entire structure was about to collapse.

Not wanting to wait for death, Su Bai continued striking the barrier.

A sense of crisis surged within him; he turned sharply to find an ice crystal coffin before his eyes.

The coffin was intricately carved with hundreds of evil spirits and auspicious beasts—spirits on the left, beasts on the right.

“What is this? Why is it here?” Su Bai was utterly stunned, questions flooding his mind.

He still didn’t understand why he was here, and now an ice coffin appeared out of nowhere.

“Finally, you’ve come. Though this is not the way I wished to meet, it’s not unexpected,” a cold voice suddenly resonated from within the coffin.

Under Su Bai’s watchful gaze, the coffin lid slowly opened.

Then, a delicate jade-white hand emerged, resting atop the coffin’s edge. Another hand followed.

Gradually, a woman rose from the coffin.

Surprised, Su Bai watched as the woman stepped out—clad in white robes, her long hair tied back with a white ribbon, flowing down her back.

She radiated an elegant, noble aura; skin as white as snow, eyes as clear as a spring.

Her complexion was translucent like jade, her beauty like a crescent moon haloed with light.

Her expression serene, yet she exuded an unapproachable sanctity—truly a celestial being, not of this mortal realm.

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“Compared to your father, you really fall short—I don’t understand why he chose to trust you.”

The woman shook her head, disappointment flickering in her eyes.

“Where is Fanshuang?” Su Bai had no time to listen to her critiques; he asked directly.

“The woman who brought you here? She’s lost too much blood. Without treatment within a few hours, she may not survive,” the white-clad woman replied indifferently.

“Then let me go! I have to save her!” Su Bai pleaded urgently.

She shook her head. “Calm down. This isn’t something your worry alone can fix.”

Turning, she bent down and took the jade pendant hanging at the coffin’s center, continuing, “Besides, you’re in a more dangerous state than she is. If not for your luck, you wouldn’t even have the chance to speak with me.”

“Then why am I unharmed and standing here?” Su Bai could hardly believe it. Except for his inner strength being sealed, he was no different from before.

The woman turned, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Do you think you’re really in the real world?”

Su Bai froze, speechless.

The woman softly continued, “Your presence here is fate. The Fanshuang you care about is merely a guide leading you here to meet me. There’s no need for excessive sorrow.”

As she spoke, she approached Su Bai and placed the jade pendant around his neck.

“We are both inside this pendant now. Your wounds are gradually healing. It was meant to help you break through your cultivation realm, but unexpected troubles forced me to help you shatter your previous barriers. Reaching the Heart-Guard Realm is already your limit.”

“How long before I can leave this pendant’s space?” Su Bai, resigned, accepted the situation. He was unwilling to be involved, but unseen hands had pushed him into this game.

“About two days.”

“Two days?!” Su Bai exclaimed. “How can I save Fanshuang then?!”

“I told you, she’s just your guide. No need to fret over her so much,” the woman’s unchanging face showed a trace of impatience.

“I don’t know why I’m here, but if anything happens to Gu Fanshuang, I’ll fight you to the death,” Su Bai said firmly, clenching his fists.

"You’re bold but lacking ability, much like your father. Funny how father and son are alike—both hopeless romantics,” she sneered disdainfully.

“You can save her now, but the seal on your inner strength can’t be broken, and you can’t break through your realm either. This is a rare opportunity; miss it, and you’ll waste a long time.”

“No need to say more. I never regret,” Su Bai declared decisively.

“Fine. When you wake, carry her into the pool. But her condition is poor; even the remaining energy won’t fully awaken her, let alone cure her hidden injuries.”

“What should I do then?”

“Aren’t you clear on that already? Do I need to tell you?” she retorted. “You should have seen the three-eyed crow.”

“You…” Su Bai frowned deeply, feeling utterly exposed before her, a profound sense of danger rising.

“Want to know how I know?” The woman smiled faintly. “Don’t look at me like that—I’m also one of those who found the three-eyed crow and glimpsed the future.”

Suddenly, Su Bai recalled the scene: an ice coffin sealing a woman, with a jade pendant on it… Could she be this very person?

“Looks like you’ve figured out who I am.” The woman sat beside the ice coffin. “I am Qu Qiuzhuo, the first sect leader of Xuanji Palace. Why you’re here, what will happen in the future, and why I say your arrival is inevitable—you’ll understand in time. Even if I told you now, you wouldn’t believe it.”

Su Bai was speechless. Her words stunned him and blocked all avenues for questions; he couldn’t think of a single thing to ask.

“It’s time. A day has passed; your wounds are mostly healed. I’ve unsealed your inner strength without your permission, but it won’t affect your beloved’s treatment. It’s just enough to keep her alive.”

No sooner had Qu Qiuzhuo spoken than the surroundings shattered like broken glass with a loud crash.

The dark interior of the cave gradually appeared before Su Bai’s eyes.