In the ice landscape where snow never ceased, over 100 young men, clear-browed and with comely eyes, were frozen still, not dead but deeply chilled. Their lips turned white and their ears cracked and bled in the harsh frost of the Harmony Divine Palace, making for a pitiable sight.

Yun Xiao stepped forward and greeted the group with a nod. “Hey, what brings you all here?”

The young men silently turned and glanced at him. None spoke; they merely shuffled quietly, making room for Yun Xiao to squeeze in.

In the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, no man was an exception.

“Why not flee, with no one watching?” Yun Xiao's words hung in the air, instantly recognizing them as futile.

There was but one exit in the whole realm, and all men lived here as prisoners. Where could they possibly escape to?

They seemed even more numb than the four youths he had encountered earlier.

“To them, perhaps even speaking has lost its meaning…” Yun Xiao mused silently, unsure of what to say to comfort them.

“Let it be. When the chance arises, I’ll solve this at the root once and for all.”

He patted his

brothers

on the shoulders, planning to leave.

Just then, two dazzling streaks of sword light blazed from a distant icy peak, spiraling down through the fog with ferocious speed, reaching overhead in an instant.

It was too late for Yun Xiao to escape!

He looked up sharply, his keen eyes catching the figures atop the swords in a single glance.

They were two young Sword Immortals, twins by the look of them, with identical stances and visages, regal as ice princesses with frost-laden blue hair streaming behind them.

In the eyes of the 100 or so slaves, they were nothing less than snow goddesses, exalted and untouchable, their dignified noses and detached expressions speaking volumes of their nobility and the sanctity that forbade any profanity.

"Keep up!" snapped one of the ice-cold Sword Immortals, not even glancing at the throng of slaves as she moved forward.

Instantly, the slaves, who had stood as if frozen moments before, sprang to life. They summoned all their celestial power, gritted their teeth, and charged forward like wild oxen, following the twin celestial maidens into the fray.

Yun Xiao found himself caught up in the surge, almost carried along without a moment to think. If he fell slightly behind, the

Good Samaritans

around him would shove him forward.

Amid this chaos, Yun Xiao lifted his head. Looking up from the perspective of the slaves, the two celestial maidens above seemed to oppress them so heavily they could hardly breathe. It was an untouchable, unreachable kind of feeling.

Being looked down on was one thing, but being powerless added a layer of true despair. Despair so profound, it turned them into walking corpses.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Following the 100 or so slaves, Yun Xiao traversed mountains and valleys, leaving trails of blood on the sharp ice spikes. Even when slashed by the ice, these young men felt nothing; their bodies were already battered and bruised beyond their years.

BOOM!

Ahead, atop a frosty peak, a grand and chilling ice palace loomed into view. Its signboard grandly labeled it as the Jade Moon Divine Palace, each stroke of the characters sharp as a sword, cutting to the bone.

BUZZ!

The twins landed, their ice-blue capes billowing, whipping up a storm of snowflakes.

The snow scraped across the faces of the slaves following behind, drawing blood—yet they felt nothing as they entered the palace together.

Inside the Jade Moon Divine Palace, everything was lavishly decorated, with a training room, technique room, cultivation room, etc… all neatly organized.

"Sister, do you think this batch of 120 slaves is enough? I'm worried it's not enough, the Ice River Pills might be flawed," one of the blue-haired twins asked, frowning.

"We have no choice," the other replied. "The Snow Lineage's Diva has taken too many slaves. We're short on materials and can't wait any longer for the Ice River Pills—we had to make do with what we could get."

"Fine then! What is the Snow Lineage Diva up to, inspecting all the slaves of the Harmony Divine Palace? What's there to inspect in these beasts?" the two discussed as the grandest palace yet came into view.

This was the alchemy room!

Upon their arrival, with a wave of their hands, the doors of the Pill Immortal Hall burst open, sending ice dust swirling into the air!

Inside, a chilling aura assaulted them, and a massive pill furnace dominated the view. The front of the furnace was adorned with the fierce carving of an ice beast, its lid sealed tight, emitting puffs of ice-blue smoke.

Beneath the furnace, a fierce white celestial fire burned, not with heat, but with a biting coldness.

"The fire's dying out!" The faces of the twins showed a flicker of concern.

"Quick!"

They turned, glaring at the slaves.

Seeing the furnace, the faces of the slaves, numb for too long, finally showed deep fear and despair.

They instinctively curled up together, trembling, some starting to whimper in panic.

"What are you crying for? A bunch of male beasts," the younger twin said with anger and disbelief at their behavior.

From her perspective, the fear and despair of these men were utterly meaningless.

"Get in!" She grabbed a slave by his collar, yanked him up from where he stood, and was about to throw him into the furnace.

Why had they brought these slaves back? The answer was revealed! Their flesh and blood were to be used as ingredients in their alchemy.

The cold, white fire roared—how many bones had already been consumed by its flames?

With a huff, the younger twin, strong in her fury, could hurl even a giant beast into the furnace.

However, when she flung the slave, he did not fly off but landed smoothly, standing right before her.

"Huh?" The younger twin was about to throw another slave but was momentarily dumbfounded by the unexpected resilience of the first.

She clearly remembered the force of her throw, which under normal circumstances would turn a slave into pulp, fueling the fire directly.

How had he slipped through the air like an eel? And how dare he?

The younger twin stood frozen, her eyes wide with astonishment at this peculiar slave. That look might have been akin to suddenly finding a cow rather handsome… Of course, handsome or not, it was still a cow.

There was no fluttering heart, just an eerie feeling.

"You dare to defy me?" she asked, incredulously.

"Yup, just did," the handsome slave replied.

"What…!?" The younger twin was completely taken aback.

"Hurry up, Shuiyue!" the older twin called from above the furnace, tending to the fire.

Hearing this, the younger twin Bing Shuiyue, without further attention to Yun Xiao, grabbed another slave and hastily threw him toward the furnace.

WHOOSH!

Yun Xiao darted forward, caught the swiftly flying slave, and set him down gently, once again facing Bing Shuiyue.

Now, not only Shuiyue but her sister took notice as well.

"Sister, there seems to be a clown among the slaves," Shuiyue said, tongue-tied.

"Kill him, don't waste time," the older twin instructed.

"Alright then!" Bing Shuiyue rolled her eyes and summoned a fearsome Sword Soul, wielding the power of 300 Sword Prisons…

JustLivingJL's Thoughts

The younger twin stood frozen, her eyes wide with astonishment at this peculiar slave. That look might have been akin to suddenly finding a cow rather handsome… Of course, handsome or not, it was still a cow.

Speak for yourself....