ebookland Chapter 95 The Snow Maiden's Soul
Chapter 95 The Snow Maiden's Soul
As soon as it left the group's range, Lingjingxin jumped up happily, dispersed its tracks and hid in the wind and snow, occasionally devouring a large chunk of demonic energy, eating with great relish.
The novice snow woman is only just taking shape and does not have a smooth thinking ability. Their appearance should be related to the ice-blue snowflake on her wrist.
Ning Ziqing followed behind Ning Xiaoxi, his spiritual energy flowing rapidly through his spiritual veins. He could feel the wind and snow around him intensifying, and the demonic energy becoming denser.
The Spirit Crystal Heart stirred up the surrounding demonic energy, forcing the Snow Maiden to reveal herself. Once they showed themselves, Ning Ziqing's immobilization talisman would follow, and then the demonic energy would be devoured by the flames of the Spirit Crystal Heart.
The two sides cooperated very well, and soon the wind and snow began to subside and gradually stopped.
Although the snowstorm had stopped, Ning Ziqing did not relax. He activated a tracking talisman again, and a clear demonic aura appeared behind him.
Ning Ziqing swung the spirit crystal in her hand and smashed it away, instantly dispersing the demonic energy.
The air fell silent. Before the last trace of spiritual power from the tracking talisman dissipated, the demonic energy still appeared behind him.
Then, Ning Ziqing felt a wave of dizziness, as if he had appeared in his home in the capital. His study contained his favorite travelogues and classic texts, his writing brushes and ink placed in their usual spots, and the gentle aroma of tea calmed his restless mind. What he once considered ordinary had now become a luxury.
The demonic energy gradually revealed its slender form, light and translucent with a hint of coldness, seeping into Ning Ziqing's mind, and its body slowly pressed against Ning Ziqing's back.
"boom!"
Suddenly, flames engulfed the snow woman, the misty snow fog dissipated, and her faint figure within the flames began to melt.
"boom!"
The fog turned into smoke.
Ning Ziqing appeared in the smoke and blew out the tinder in her hand.
Ning Xiaoxi smiled.
"When will this dagger be finished?" Ning Ziqing asked, looking at the oddly shaped spirit crystal in his hand.
"I feel like I have much better control over spiritual power these past two days when I draw talismans." Ning Ziqing was also examining the spirit crystal in his hand. He had already figured out how to refine this weapon.
When the brother and sister returned to the group, the snowstorm had gradually stopped, and apart from Ning Shi and Ming Luoying, no one noticed their whereabouts.
As the distance between them and the grain transport team widened, Xiong Wei did not order his troops to chase after them.
Ning Xiaoxi looked at the ice-blue snowflake mark on her wrist. [Tuanzi, how do I get this off?]
This is a special soul mark of the Yuki-onna clan. Once marked, it cannot be removed unless one obtains the heart of a Yuki-onna. Only high-ranking Yuki-onna can use their lives as a medium to place it on their enemies.
[The Snow Maiden's Heart? The Snow Maiden has no elixir and no soul, how could she have a heart?] Ning Xiaoxi felt truly wronged; slaying demons and monsters had brought her a side effect.
[Those who transcend higher levels will develop a heart.]
Ning Xiaoxi was speechless. A high-level Snow Maiden was already rare enough, but someone beyond high-level? That would have to be a Demon Lord-level existence, [Frost Soul Demon Lord?]
No, the Frost Soul Demon Lord is merely the Snow Maiden's master, not the Snow Maiden herself, and does not possess the Snow Maiden's heart.
[If I can't break free, will I be tormented by the Snow Woman forever?]
[You've already wiped out a wave of Yuki Onna from high to low ranks; none of the next ones coming will pose a threat to you.]
The icy blue snowflakes neither affected her spiritual power nor made her feel unwell. Could it be that they simply marked her location so that the snow women could find her and take revenge?
Lingjingxin circled the snowflake a few times, even pressing it against herself to warm it up. Even though it burned herself to a crisp, the snowflake didn't change at all.
The fountain's heart-shaped spray beat a few times, spewing out several streams of bluish gas that swirled around the snowflakes. Instead of removing the snowflakes, the gas created wisps of misty, hazy light on them.
Ning Xiaoxi rubbed the snowflakes. Did this even give her a beauty filter?
If it were just those low-level snow maidens from before, it would be good for my brother to practice against and improve his combat strength. He channeled his spiritual energy into them, and the icy blue snowflakes flickered a few times, releasing wisps of cold air—it looked quite beautiful.
In the evening, the exiled group caught up with the grain transport team.
Finally, they could rest, and the prisoners breathed a sigh of relief. In the cold wilderness, having many people gave them a sense of security.
"Xiaoxi, what's that on your wrist?" Ming Luoying noticed the mark on Ning Xiaoxi's wrist by chance. The eerie ice-blue color had a strange beauty under the reflection of the flames.
"My brother and I fought the Snow Maiden today, and we saw these strange flowers on their bodies. They looked so beautiful that we couldn't resist making one." Ning Xiaoxi showed it off, with tiny, icy blue snowflakes on her fair and slender wrist, both strange and beautiful.
When Ning Ziqing saw the icy blue snowflakes, his eyes instantly turned cold. He could sense that the snowflakes exuded a faint demonic aura, which was definitely not what his sister had said—that she had created them for decoration.
Ning Xiaoxi smiled and shook her head slightly at Ning Ziqing, "Don't worry, Mother. After a few days, when the novelty wears off, I'll get rid of it."
"You shouldn't put these things on a girl so easily," Ming Luoying said softly, and then didn't mention it again.
"Yes, daughter understands."
Ning Shi sat on the side the whole time, looking at Xiao Xi's smiling face, then at Zi Qing's serious face, and finally patted Ming Luo Ying's hand reassuringly.
The next morning, Ning Xiaoxi had Ning Ziqing deliver six immobilization talismans to Lin Yitian, three each of spirit-gathering grass juice and ink.
Around noon, the grain transport team headed northwest, while the exile caravan headed northeast.
When Ning Xiaoxi drove the carriage to the fork in the road, she saw Lin Yitian standing by the roadside. After thinking for a moment, Ning Xiaoxi asked her brother to drive the carriage and then went to Lin Yitian's side.
Lin Yitian raised his chin. "It's another half-day's walk from there to Kuangcheng."
Ning Xiaoxi looked in the direction he indicated and could see a mountain range in the distance, but no signs of human habitation.
"The Xiong family is a family of military generals, an old and established family in Youzhou. Xiong Wei and Xiong Yan are both sons of the city lord of Kuangcheng. Fufang County is one of the ten border cities. Only when you get there will you truly be in a land of death."
"I have heard my father mention that the King of Youzhou was stationed to guard the border, but I don't know what lies beyond the border? Why would a large army be needed to guard it?"
"Beyond the border lies a forbidden land for humans." A faint fear flickered beneath Lin Yitian's calm expression. "Within a hundred miles of the border, humans are not allowed to build cities; only those ten county towns are permitted to survive." With that, Lin Yitian shook his head. "You'll understand when we get there; there's no point in saying more now."
Ning Xiaoxi gave Lin Yitian a strange look. Was he stopping her just to say these few nonsensical words?
"Immobilization charm, thank you."
Ning Xiaoxi felt that Lin Yitian was making conversation for the sake of it. "I promised, so of course I should keep my word." Ning Xiaoxi felt a little awkward. "Officer Lin, you and I are comrades-in-arms who have fought side by side. Please speak frankly."
Lin Yitian seemed to have finally made a decision, pointing at Ning Xiaoxi's wrist, "The Snow Maiden's soul trace will only emit a faint demonic aura in the early stages. If we don't find a way to remove it, it will confuse people in the later stages, and those below the Earthly Fiend level will not be able to determine whether it is human or demon."
Ning Xiaoxi suddenly opened her eyes wide.