[Host drinks Ascension Immortal Wine, progress of Nine Demon-Slaying Sword Techniques increases by twenty percent!]
[Congratulations, Host. Progress of Nine Demon-Slaying Sword Techniques has reached one hundred percent, successfully mastering the Sage-Level Sword Technique—Nine Demon-Slaying Sword Techniques.]
The moment Ye Qing opened his eyes, the poisonous mist was already right before him.
The two Savage Tigers had also leaped into the air, baring their sharp fangs and claws.
“What fresh meat!”
A faint smile curled at the corner of Ye Qing’s lips as he leisurely drew his sword from the crevice in the ground.
“First Form, Frozen Soul-Severing Strike!”
The woman’s heart had already sunk into despair, convinced that even if Ye Qing wasn’t torn apart by the Savage Tigers, he would surely perish from the serpent’s venom.
But then, her eyes widened in shock.
Holding his sword with one hand, Ye Qing swung it out unhurriedly.
The moment he swung the sword, the temperature around him plummeted abruptly.
In the midst of June, snowflakes drifted down from the sky, accompanied by a biting cold wind.
Witnessing this strange phenomenon of snow in June, the giant serpent and the Savage Tigers felt a surge of fear, but it was already too late.
A deep blue chill gathered along the blade of the sword, radiating outward in all directions.
The Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent’s poisonous mist was instantly frozen into a massive block of ice, shattering into pieces upon contact with the sword’s edge.
As for the two Savage Tigers, they were frozen into ice sculptures mid-air.
Ye Qing strolled leisurely, tapping his sword lightly.
The two Savage Tigers were instantly pulverized into dust, vanishing without a trace.
Only a tiger’s gallbladder and two hind legs remained.
“So… so powerful…”
The woman stared in stunned disbelief once more, murmuring in astonishment, “So earlier, Senior was still concealing his true strength.”
“He can effortlessly neutralize the attacks of a Great Demon in the Void Refinement Realm.”
“Could it be that this Senior… is a Sword Immortal of the Ascension Realm?!”
Meanwhile, the Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent, realizing it had provoked someone it couldn’t afford to offend, was utterly terrified.
It immediately spewed a cloud of poisonous mist, intending to escape into it.
“Hah, trying to flee?”
Ye Qing smiled faintly, swinging his sword toward the serpent from a distance.
“Thank you for coming to me willingly, adding another dish to my meal.”
The grassland around the serpent instantly transformed into a layer of icy frost, chilling to the bone.
It froze the lower half of the serpent’s body, pinning it firmly in place, unable to move an inch.
“Damn it!”
The Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent’s face twisted in terror as it exclaimed in horror, “You… you’re actually a Sword Immortal of the Ascension Realm!”
“The Great Qi Dynasty only has three Ascension Realm cultivators, and they’re all decrepit old men on their last legs!”
“Where did you come from?”
“You can ponder that slowly once you’re inside my stomach.”
Ye Qing smiled gently, walking unhurriedly toward the Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent and thrusting his sword into its body.
Starting from the wound pierced by the sword, a thick layer of Mystic Ice instantly froze, slowly spreading upward from the bottom.
“No… no, stop!”
The Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent struggled desperately but was utterly powerless to halt the spread of the ice.
As the Mystic Ice reached its neck, the serpent let out a shrill, resentful roar.
“I, a Great Demon of the Void Refinement Realm, will die here!”
“Damn Ascension Realm Sword Immortal, even if I become a vengeful ghost, I won’t let you off!”
With this final, futile roar of rage, the Blood-Eyed Giant Serpent’s entire body was completely frozen, unable to utter another sound.
Ye Qing leisurely poked it with his sword.
The Mystic Ice shattered, stripping away the serpent’s thick scales and skin entirely.
Only the succulent snake meat and gallbladder remained, neatly sliced into uniform segments.
“Senior, you truly are an Ascension Realm Great Power!”
The woman couldn’t help but rush to Ye Qing’s side, exclaiming excitedly, “Ascension Realm Great Powers are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns in this world.”
“Even the deeply rooted Great Qi Dynasty has only three… no, four now!”
“Great Powers like you are those who remain hidden from the world, stabilizing and safeguarding the nation.”
“I truly never imagined I would have such an honor today, to witness an Ascension Realm Great Power with my own eyes!”
Facing the woman’s starry-eyed gaze filled with admiration, Ye Qing’s heart remained utterly unmoved.
“The roasted meat is ready.”
As he spoke, he raised the gourd and took another small sip.
[Host drinks Ascension Immortal Wine, Sword Dao comprehension +503]
The woman: “…”
Indeed, Ascension Realm Great Powers tend to have eccentric and solitary temperaments.
Summoning her courage, the woman introduced herself, “Senior, my name is Qin Xue.”
“Thank you for saving my life today. I will definitely repay you!”
“Qin Xue?”
Ye Qing pondered briefly, then asked tentatively, “Your aura seems unusual. I’ve heard there’s a divine physician in the Eastern Province also named Qin Xue.”
“That is indeed me!”
Being known by Ye Qing made Qin Xue feel intensely flattered.
Ye Qing merely nodded, not overly surprised.
Even though he spent most of his time secluded at home, he had heard of the Snow Divine Physician’s reputation.
This woman was the most famous extraordinary lady in Da Qian.
Though her cultivation wasn’t high, she excelled in medical arts, possessing the skill to bring the dying back to life.
Moreover, she had considerable achievements in fields like Divination, Elixirs, and Formation Arrays.
In short, she was a very versatile talent.
Since she had introduced herself, it wouldn’t be right to remain too aloof. Ye Qing thus replied indifferently, “Ye Qing.”
“This junior pays respects to Senior Ye.”
Qin Xue said excitedly, “This junior has come to the imperial capital this time by the Empress’s invitation to diagnose and treat her illness.”
Ye Qing felt somewhat speechless. Who asked you?
However, her words prompted him to ponder silently.
The Great Qi Empress, Qu Qingyan, had reached the Great Perfection Peak at the mere age of twenty-five.
With her innate exceptional talent and the abundant resources of the royal family, she was highly likely to become another Ascension Realm powerhouse.
Yet, Ye Qing deeply disliked this woman.
During the reign of the late Emperor Qu Yang, who remembered the Ye family’s past contributions, their treatment had been relatively generous.
But ever since the late Emperor passed away and Qu Qingyan ascended the throne, the Ye family had been utterly abandoned.
Not only were all cultivation resources revoked, but even their monthly stipends were cut by more than half.
It was a perfect demonstration of “killing the donkey after it has done its job.”
Perhaps due to accumulating too many misdeeds, Qu Qingyan had suffered from a strange heart ailment since ascending the throne.
It usually had no effect, but once an episode occurred, her heart would feel as if pierced by knives, causing unbearable agony.
He never expected she would summon Qin Xue to treat her.
This woman was truly shrewd.
Qin Xue mustered her courage and asked cautiously, “Senior, the imperial capital is still dozens of miles away. May this junior travel with you?”
“As you wish.”
Ye Qing walked ahead on his own, storing the spoils from the recent battle into his Storage Ring.
Confirming that this meat would last him several meals, he couldn’t be bothered to venture into the Myriad Demon Ridge again.
He simply tightened the reins, mounted his horse, and headed back to the imperial capital with Qin Xue.
On the way back, Qin Xue couldn’t help but exclaim excitedly, “Senior, the Ice-Control Sword Technique you just used was truly incredible!”
“You must have seen through the weaknesses of those demon beasts, which is why you used the Ice-Control Sword Technique against them, right?”
“No.”
Ye Qing shook his head, “Because tiger meat and snake meat taste firmer after being chilled.”
Qin Xue: “…”
“Senior, you’re amazing.”