The snowflakes shattered in the wind.
With a flash of the blade, the giant collapsed onto its altar, the one that belonged to him. The heavy iron armor fell away inch by inch, revealing a thin, bony frame. Its flesh had long since dried up, and its bones stood starkly defined.
A gaping hole had been torn into his abdomen, and blood like molten lava gushed forth.
There was an almost imperceptible cut on his heart—that was the fatal wound.
No growls nor roars, only a sigh of loneliness built over thousands of years.
"Worthy of being a warrior who once roared in the Ancient Times."
The Moon Princess sheathed her Tang Blade and bowed deeply. "I honor your indomitable fighting will."
This was an Ancestor from the Ancient God Clan, a mighty warrior who once thrived in the Barbaric Era tens of thousands of years ago. Fortunately, his peak strength and status were not terribly high, and his recovery state was poor—he could not even utilize Primordial Return. Only because of these factors were the group able to kill him by combining their might, burying him forever in the Abyss of Death.
The group stood stunned, speechless.
They had fled all the way here from Balensa City, exhausting themselves utterly.
Unexpectedly, the Moon Princess showed not even a shred of hesitation, drew her blade, and charged in.
And miraculously, they won.
Of course, Ji Xiaoyu, known as Duobao Child, also contributed greatly. She was covered head to toe in countless Mythical Weapons and, being a sturdy Ancient Martial herself, could serve both as damage output and as a tank.
Lu Qingqing, walking the Overlord Path, contributed extremely high damage as well. The gaping hole in the Ancestor's abdomen was her doing.
"Well done."
Lu Zijin, her elegant face pale, acknowledged how dangerously close they had come to losing the battle. If not for her observations and pointers on the Ancestor's patterns and weaknesses, the team likely would have faced annihilation.
Yet, the one who had contributed the most might be someone else entirely.
"Captain Lin, are you alright?"
Chen Qing's pupils glimmered with an eerie pure white as he supported the trembling shoulders of the woman beside him, speaking in a low voice, "Take a break now. If you keep going like this, you won't make it to the Sea of Eternal Life."
Lin Wanqiu's eyes glimmered with a menacing blood-red hue, but she gritted her teeth and continued casting Holy Light Skill for them.
The sacred beams of light danced across the girls, healing their injuries and dispelling the icy chill.
If not for the Holy Light Skill Lin Wanqiu provided every step of the way, the group would have long been frozen stiff, losing their combat effectiveness.
"Aren't you going to ask when I became infected?"
Lin Wanqiu's pale face turned upward to gaze at the group.
Due to the overload of her power usage, she was already teetering on the edge of Deformation.
This time, however, her teammates failed to show any signs of wariness or contempt.
Only concern.
Because her efforts throughout the journey had completely won them over.
Previously, people had perceived her as someone who curries favor and behaves vainly and opportunistically—a true green tea personality.
But now they realized that beneath the façade, she harbored an unbelievably resilient inner strength.
"Captain Lin, take the medicine."
Two Alchemists earnestly presented the secret medicine they had just concocted, scratching their heads awkwardly. "This is the secret medicine supervised by the Little Princess. Though everyone says she's unreliable, the formula she found in Buzhou Mountain, after years of study, turned out to follow some logic—at least it's somewhat effective."
"This medicine can genuinely delay your mental pollution, but sadly, there's only one bottle."
They added, "For now, you should use it."
Lin Wanqiu froze for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Thank you."
Ji Xiaoyu had no objections either, only crossing her arms with a rather smug attitude.
"Wait a second."
Lu Qingqing suddenly alerted the group. "Have you noticed? The You Ying Group hasn't caught up with us for quite some time now."
The Moon Princess took a deep breath, her ample chest rising and falling faintly as she gripped her blade. "We've been fighting for three hours."
Chen Qing suddenly sensed something, his head snapping upward.
"The Ether Association is here."
Lu Zijin spoke softly.
Being in the Ice Field, she was wrapped up tightly and even had facial disguises on. Her Life Rhythm had been altered using medication, allowing her to pass off as someone else and avoid exposure.
The group felt as if they had been granted salvation, believing they had found reinforcements.
After all, having come this far, the team was on the brink of collapse.
Who knew if there were still slumbering Ancient God Seeds nearby...
Or Ancestors resurrected from the Ancient Tombs...
Or if the You Ying Group caught up, they'd all face annihilation!
However, at that very moment, Lu Zijin's voice grew urgent. "Careful, don't approach!"
A military helicopter burst through the swirling snowstorm, its icy voice echoing across the frozen expanse: "The people below, pay attention. Immediately drop your weapons, kneel on the ground, and place your hands behind your head. You have been designated as hostile targets. Should you show any resistance, I will adopt all necessary measures to enact severe punishment."
The voice continued coldly, "You have three seconds to consider."
Each person was either associated with the Ether Association...
Or had once been part of it.
They could recognize whose voice this was.
Minister Zhang Xuzhi.
The helicopter unleashed a cannon below, as terrifying lightning converged together.
It nearly pierced through the snow-filled skies.
This was the vehicle's modified Alchemy Weapon—the high-voltage Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
A weapon once banned for its inhumanity, reserved only for battlefields against the Ancient God Clan!