Chapter 143: Xuanbing Array

What was originally expected to be the pavilions and towers of Feilong Villa has now turned into an endless expanse of ice and snow.

Beneath his feet is an immensely thick slab of Primordial Ice, its cold sensation racing up his shoe soles.

Even with Inner Force protecting his body, it still made Jiang Feng shiver instinctively.

The sky held no sun, moon, or stars, only lead‑gray clouds pressing low, and goose‑feather‑like heavy snow falling steadily.

Each snowflake carried a bone‑chilling cold, and when it landed on skin it felt like tiny ice blades, faintly pricking.

The surroundings were terrifyingly silent, save for the howling wind and snow echoing endlessly across the open ice field, making it especially eerie.

Jiang Feng furrowed his brows as his Inner Force subconsciously began to circulate, forming a thin aura around his body that shielded him from the surrounding severe cold.

He had merely pushed open a wooden door, yet it felt as if he had crossed into another world; this bizarre spatial shift was clearly the work of a high‑level Formation Technique.

"You clueless creature, how dare you trespass into the forbidden ground of my Cold Hall."

At that moment, an extremely indifferent voice suddenly echoed from the void, as if sounding from all directions at once, laden with scorn.

The voice seemed carved from cold ice, each word exuding a bone‑piercing chill, causing the air temperature to drop a few more degrees.

Jiang Feng's gaze hardened.

"Su Xueyan, where are you? Hand her over!"

"Hahaha…"

The voice from the void burst into an unrestrained, mocking laugh, full of derision.

"If you want to save her, you must first get through my Xuanbing Array."

As soon as the words finished, Jiang Feng felt the surrounding cold suddenly turn violent.

What had been a slowly spreading chill now transformed into countless icy currents, surging toward him like a raging tide.

These currents were not chaotic; they followed a strange rhythm, weaving into a massive ice net that enveloped him tightly.

"This Xuanbing Array is an ancient inheritance, a formation that can condense the Primordial Ice Force of heaven and earth, and release it at will."

The indifferent voice sounded again, tinged with a hint of flaunting and cruelty.

"Anyone who enters the formation, unless their cultivation can crush it, will be continuously eroded by the Primordial Ice Force. In the end, the whole body will freeze into an ice pillar, forever remaining on this ice plain."

Jiang Feng clenched his teeth, his Inner Force raging within, trying to resist the terrifying cold.

He could feel his aura being gradually eroded by the cold; the once solid Inner Force shield now showed tiny cracks, and the icy breath seeped through them, coursing through his Meridians, delivering wave after wave of excruciating pain.

"You may have some strength, barely a standout among the younger generation, but you are still a mortal, unable to withstand the erosion of this Primordial Ice Force."

The voice carried a countdown‑like pressure.

"You don't have much time. Either you scramble out of the formation now and maybe keep a sliver of life, or just wait to become an ice sculpture."

"Dragon‑Prison King Suppression Technique!"

Jiang Feng let out a low shout in his heart and immediately began circulating his own cultivation method.

As his method ran, a scorching Inner Force instantly ignited within Jiang Feng's dantian.

This Inner Force differed from ordinary gentle currents; it bore an unrivaled, domineering power, scorching like magma as it surged swiftly through his Meridians.

Where it passed, the invading cold in his Meridians instantly vaporized, the previously stiff vessels regained elasticity, and blood flow gradually accelerated.

The Inner Force in his dantian boiled like hot water; golden Inner Force coursed through his limbs and bones, forming streams of warmth that protected his internal organs and all Meridians.

…

At the same time, deep within Feilong Villa, in a secret room hidden inside the mountain, the cold was even denser than outside.

This place was not ice and snow, but a massive ice altar.

The altar was entirely carved from a single block of Primordial Ice, emitting a faint blue glow; at its center were complex, eerie runes that seemed alive, slowly flowing across the ice and radiating powerful energy waves.

Four ice pillars stood around the altar, each also engraved with runes that echoed those at the center, forming a complete formation.

Su Xueyan was gently placed by Su Xiaonuan at the altar's center; she remained unconscious, her complexion as pale as paper.

Su Xiaonuan knelt at the altar's edge, her hands tightly gripping Su Xueyan's cold hand.

Her shoulders trembled violently, her voice choked, filled with endless guilt and pain.

"Sister Xue Yan, I'm sorry, truly sorry…"

She whispered repeatedly, her voice low and hoarse.

"I didn't mean to betray you, I truly had no choice."

She lifted her head, tears blurring her sight, looking at Su Xueyan's bloodless face, her heart feeling like being cut by a knife.

Su Xueyan slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze still held a hint of the bewilderment from just waking from unconsciousness, but it was quickly replaced by icy disappointment.

She quietly stared at Su Xiaonuan without speaking, only the light in her eyes dimming bit by bit, like a dying flame.

She heard Su Xiaonuan's words just now crystal clear.

It turned out that the sister she had always trusted was the one who betrayed her.

The warmth and care of the past now turned into blades stabbing her heart, making her pain so intense she could barely breathe.

Su Xueyan slowly withdrew her hand, the movement light yet carrying a complete detachment.

Her lips moved, but in the end she said nothing, merely turning her head aside, no longer giving Su Xiaonuan another glance.

She no longer wished to question, to be angry, or even to say another word to Su Xiaonuan.

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart; at this moment, she was utterly disappointed in Su Xiaonuan.

This disappointment, like the ice on the altar, froze the last trace of warmth in her heart.

Su Xiaonuan watched Su Xueyan's resolute gaze, her heart feeling as if an invisible hand clenched it tightly, the pain nearly taking her breath away.

She knew that this time she had truly broken Su Xueyan's heart; they could never return to what they once were.

She wanted to say more, to explain further, but found her throat blocked, unable to utter a single word, only letting tears continuously fall.

At that moment, a cold footstep sounded.

Dantai Li walked in slowly, still wearing a black cloak, her exquisively beautiful yet pallid face bearing a smug smile. Her steps were light, making not a sound.

She went to the edge of the altar, her gaze falling on Su Xueyan, the corner of her mouth curling into a teasing smile.

"You woke up rather quickly; I must congratulate you—having such a lover who would dare to breach the Dragon Pool and Tiger's Den for you."

Su Xueyan's body suddenly stiffened, she abruptly turned her head, her eyes fixed tightly on Dantai Li.

"What did you say? Jiang Feng—he... is he coming?"

"What? Are you surprised?"

Dantai Li let out a light laugh, her tone full of mockery.

"That Jiang Feng is indeed deeply devoted to you. To save you, he even dared to venture alone into my Xuanbing Array."

"But his fate, I'm afraid, won't be very good."

Dantai Li's smile grew even more cruel.

"My Xuanbing Array is not so easy to get through. Countless self‑proclaimed strongmen have turned into ice statues within the formation. Even Jiang Feng, no matter how powerful, is just a mortal; trying to breach the Xuanbing Array is simply a pipe‑dream."

"You two are ultimately an ill‑fated pair of mandarin ducks; today is the day you are separated by yin and yang."

Su Xueyan's complexion grew even paler; she bit her lips hard, her lips almost bleeding.

She inhaled deeply, her gaze becoming incredibly resolute, and spoke to Dantai Li word for word.

"Dantai Li, I know what you want is the Cold Earth Heart Lotus within my body. I can give it to you, I can sacrifice myself so you can refine it. But I have one condition: you must let Jiang Feng go, not harm him in the slightest."