Chapter 239

The palace was silent.

The red ice had spread along their feet up to their thighs.

Everyone, including Olyana, was immobilized by the thick ice—except Tang Luo and the female sorcerers.

The grey-clad Sword Saint charged at Olyana and thrust his sword.

Then the grey-clad Sword Saint collapsed, turning into a puff of ash.

Li Huan and the others stared wide-eyed, their faces showing undisguised shock.

Their reliance, their strongest trump card, just died like that?!

To be fair, Edmond's strength still surpassed Olyana's—even the current Five Sins Incarnate Olyana was not actually stronger than Rudolf.

Back then, Edmond and Rudolf had fought, and it wasn't as he claimed: "I could win, but there's no need."

Their strength was roughly equal, with Rudolf having a slight edge.

Over the years, both had improved rapidly, and the gap hadn't widened much.

The current Olyana still wasn't strong enough to kill Edmond through sheer frontal force.

Unfortunately, Edmond hadn't surpassed Olyana by much either—not to the point where, even if he were careless, negligent, and completely unaware of his opponent, he could easily defeat them.

No matter how strong Edmond was, he was still just a mortal body; to kill him, one only needed to seize a single opening.

Olyana had seized that opening well, becoming the victor in this life-or-death battle.

If Olyana had made even the slightest mistake earlier, failed to seize the moment, then right now it would be her headless corpse lying on the ground—assuming no outsiders intervened.

She reseated herself on the throne and gazed at the crowd.

Inside the palace, ice and fire stood in stark contrast; the outer flames gradually died down, while the ice had already spread to everyone's necks.

Wrapped and fixed in thick ice shells, the terrifying cold seeped deep into the marrow, followed by numbness after the initial sting.

As for those on her side, their ice shells quickly melted.

But those people were shivering violently from the cold, unable to speak for a moment, and even forcing smiles.

Olyana said nothing, breathing slightly.

Now she was also quite exhausted, yet her heart felt immensely relieved: "I'll give you one more chance..."

"Submit, or die!"

These people before her could be spared one or two, making it easier for Olyana to quickly and smoothly control Taosent.

Killing them all would be fine too, though it would require more effort later in state affairs.

So many vacancies would need to be filled.

The female sorcerers also stopped casting, slowly approaching, watching the royalists with interest, their teasing expressions like those observing prey fallen into a trap.

"Go die! Go die!"

Before the nobles could surrender to save themselves, Charles let out a loud roar.

His face twisted to the extreme, hair standing on end, fury blazing!

If wrapped in a golden glow, he'd look like a Super Saiyan.

Charles naturally wasn't a Super Saiyan, but as his roar echoed, the ice shell covering his body began to tremble.

Numerous cracks appeared, as if he were about to break free, "shatter the shell and emerge"!

The surrounding sorcerers and Olyana were stunned—none expected Charles to possess such strength.

But it didn't matter.

They still had reserves.

Large chunks of ice shell fell to the ground as Charles seemed about to break free.

The sorcerers cast again; the thin ice on Charles's body frenziedly spread, becoming even thicker than before.

Charles only managed to take two steps forward before being frozen again—this time, not even his head remained exposed.

Instead, his entire body was completely encased in ice, forming an irregular, massive "ice coffin."

A terrifying chill radiated from within.

One could see a nearby noble whose face had already turned a strange color—he had already frozen to death.

Li Huan and Luo Bu struggled desperately to endure the cold.

The sword masters were in similar straits; Robert even lowered his head, as if already fainted.

He might never wake up.

Li Huan and Luo Bu showed no expression on their faces, but their eyes were filled with utter despair, inwardly cursing the unfairness of this mission.

Why, with Tang Xuanzang possessing such immense personal strength, must the mission target be so powerful?

They had racked their brains but could not bridge the gap between them.

Unfortunately, in the God-Demon Game, there has never been such a thing as fairness.

"You can't live," Olyana said, slowly extending her hand as cracks began to appear on the great ice coffin.

However, these cracks were not Charles struggling inside to break free.

These cracks would shatter the ice coffin—together with Charles inside.

At that moment, a shard of stone flew from the side, instantly piercing Luo Bu's skull, then striking the ice coffin.

The massive ice coffin exploded with a boom, shattering into countless pieces that fell to the ground.

Charles inside also followed suit, breaking into fragments.

Olyana instantly turned her head toward the direction the small stone had come from.

"No need to thank me," Tang Luo said, noting that no skill aura had appeared at Luo Bu's position.

In terms of triggering skills, Tang Luo was quite "African."

Olyana's pupils contracted slightly; she said nothing more, then looked at the remaining people.

"I... I... I am willing... to submit."

"Queen... Your Majesty!"

Soon, someone spoke up; in fact, they had wanted to say it just now, but the cold, numb feeling made even moving their jaw extremely difficult.

Their tongue felt like a startled horse out of control, completely unresponsive to command.

Being able to speak these words now is already the utmost expression of their will to survive.

"That's you all." Having three or five people submit is actually about enough; there's no need to spare everyone.

Those who still can't speak—just consider them unlucky.

"Ah—"

Just as Oliviana was about to shatter the others along with the ice shells together.

A helpless sigh echoed clearly through the hall.

Oliviana and the other female sorcerers immediately turned grim.

Though the sound seemed quiet, it actually rang like a struck bell, echoing in their ears and making them ring.

Li Huan caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye.

Originally bowing his head, appearing as if he might never wake again, the salted fish Robert had already lifted his head, his eyes like a sword being drawn inch by inch, gradually emitting an astonishing sharpness.

"Wait."

Oliviana and them were about to act, but Tang Luo spoke up, stopping them momentarily.

Just like that, Robert's thick ice shell shattered with a boom.

He moved his limbs slightly, glanced sideways, and saw the several sword masters who were his peers—each now on the brink of death.

"You hid your strength?"

Li Huan frantically circulated his inner force, squeezing out his body's potential, using the question to show he wasn't dead and could still be rescued.

This question was also Oliviana's doubt.

Robert had served as a palace sword instructor for not a short time, yet she had never discovered this person was one who hid his abilities.

"No... well, just just now." Robert said, his voice clear and bright, finally free of the salted fish stench.

"Since you're so curious, I'll explain a bit more."

While speaking, Robert completely dispelled the stiffness in his body: "Actually, that old man evaluated me, saying if I put in a little effort, my swordsmanship might improve further—I actually knew that."

"I only need to work a bit harder, and my strength will indeed increase."

"But what's the point?" Robert shook his head and said, "Anyway, my swordsmanship is sufficient—why practice more? Being stronger brings no real benefit..."

"Besides, I seriously spent fifteen days to reach the level of a sword master—truly exhausting."

If not for being frozen, Li Huan would have spat right then.

Fifteen days? Exhausting?

How exactly did this guy link such a short time with hardship?

And isn't it said—including by Robert himself—that he trained painfully in swordsmanship for fifteen years to become one of the top five swordsmen in Taosente, after which he stopped progressing?

"Really, one day a year, I truly don't want to come back again." Robert's following words left everyone questioning.

Well, taking out one day each year to train painfully, fifteen years equals becoming one of Taosente's top five swordsmen.

Truly, you've suffered, Robert!

"So, do you now feel your swordsmanship isn't enough?" Tang Luo asked.

"Not now, but when you threw me out that day." Robert said, "From that moment on, I felt I had no choice—I had to work harder."

"I originally thought with that old man around, I could just loaf beside him, but I didn't expect it to end like this."

"I just want to loaf and wait for death! Why is it so hard?!"

By the end, Robert's tone began to turn fierce.

Is it wrong to want to be a salted fish? Is it wrong to want to loaf and wait for death in a high position?

Why won't you let him live happily like this?

"These past two months of hardship, I intend to make you all pay it back—" Robert's words had just fallen when he vanished from the spot.

Fast!

Unlike the gray-clothed sword saint Edun, whose sword technique directly burst into splendid brilliance.

Robert's "sword" had none of those flashy, ornate things.

He used to have them, but after over two months of painful training, he has completely discarded them.

His sword is just one word—fast!

Ultimate speed, so fast that people can't even react!

The two female sorcerers didn't even have time to open their barriers before the sword light flashed, and blood gushed from their necks.

Before their bodies could fall, another two female sorcerers had their throats slit by Robert's sword.

The afterimage flashed past, their eyes unable to fully follow Robert's figure, yet Li Huan saw his heart race wildly, his blood boiling!

Peak reversal! Dark willows, bright flowers, another village!

In his ecstasy, Li Huan suddenly felt his neck grow cool, then a wave of heat.

He lowered his head and saw blood flowing across the ice shell, winding and twisting into distorted patterns.

"You all, of course including you." Robert stopped beside Li Huan, exhaled lightly, "You want me to do this and that, yet you can't do anything yourselves, and in the end I have to clean up—what use are you?"

"You!"

Li Huan couldn't speak a full sentence, his eyes locked on Robert, at this moment bursting forth with tenacious vitality—just not dying.

Of course, it's also possible the cold slowed the bleeding.

Li Huan felt he could still be rescued.

Robert finished speaking, then attacked again—this time, his target was not someone else, but Tang Luo, standing right beside him!

As Robert charged toward Tang Luo.

Li Huan's eyes simultaneously burst forth with dazzling brilliance.

The ice shell from his right hand to forearm shattered, and a flying knife appeared in his hand—then vanished!

A final flare before death!

Little Li's Flying Knife!

On the verge of death, Li Huan unleashed a strike he had never used in his life—his most stunning blade ever!

But the target of this strike was not Robert—it was, shockingly, also Tang Luo!