It's a Misunderstanding!

*Whoosh!* Heavy snow whirled through the air. Suddenly, a dazzling streak of sword light pierced through the snowy domain. Around the beam, the dancing snowflakes melted away in silence, and the raging squall subsided. Immediately after, a figure burst forth alongside the sword light. Qin Sang effortlessly escaped the range of the Midwinter Talisman's power. Shi Xue sensed what was happening behind her. Seeing him break free of the restriction so quickly, terror seized her anew. Qin Sang paused for a fraction of an instant, shifting his gaze. He saw Shi Xue hurtling westward, and just as he was about to strike, his instincts stirred. He raised his eyes and looked straight ahead of her path. In his perception, two formidable auras were closing in at astonishing speed. No wonder she was fleeing in that direction. *It really is Xuantian Palace, and she isn't alone! Two mid Nascent Soul elders arriving at once—truly worthy of the foremost sect in the North Sea! Who knows how many more experts are on their way...* Thoughts raced through Qin Sang's mind. His divine sense swept swiftly over the surroundings, confirming that no one else had appeared for the moment. Rather than flee, he pointed a finger toward the Jinchen Sword and rapidly formed a sword incantation. The Jinchen Sword gave a soft tremor and shot forth like lightning. Its resonant hum sounded like the roar of dragons and tigers, or the crash of thunder, shaking the very soul. Though the area around them was not blanketed by the Midwinter Talisman's power, the creeping chill had cast a heavy pall over the sky, plunging the world into a winter night. In this dark, frozen expanse, the Jinchen Sword blazed with brilliant light, streaking across the sea like a falling star, aimed straight for the back of Shi Xue's neck. Then, with a flap of the thunder wings on his back, Qin Sang surged forward in close pursuit. Sensing the piercing aura behind her, Shi Xue felt a chill run down her spine, followed by a sharp prickling pain at the nape of her neck. Her pupils contracted violently. At the same time, Elder Lan and Elder Mei took in the scene from afar, exchanging glances filled with shock. Though Shi Xue's cultivation was slightly lower, she was by no means weak. Moreover, as the current head of the Tingxue Tower lineage, she possessed considerable resources. Yet judging by the situation, she had already expended a Midwinter Talisman and was still completely overpowered—utterly routed and running for her life! Her opponent was only one man, and barely any time had passed! Just who was he? Waves of astonishment crashed through the two elders' hearts. Flying forward at breakneck speed, they fixed their eyes on the figure pursuing Shi Xue, seeing only a blur of silver-white lightning. The man had clearly detected them, yet he showed no intention of fleeing, continuing his relentless pursuit without the slightest hesitation. Whether driven by a vindictive nature or some other design, this behavior proved he possessed immense confidence in his own strength. A heavy dread settled over the two elders. They had vastly underestimated their opponent! Shi Xue was in grave peril; the situation was dire. With no time to deliberate, they hastily unleashed their magic treasures. Elder Mei pinched her fingers together, and out of nowhere, a tiny snow-white vortex formed at her fingertips. Limitless frigid air seemed to swirl within, until a single drop of icy water condensed and fell from her finger. *Crack, crack, crack...* The sea suddenly froze over, forming an icy path that raced toward Shi Xue. Meanwhile, a transparent bracelet appeared in Elder Lan's hand, which he hurled into the air. Spinning rapidly, the bracelet did not fly toward Qin Sang, but soared high into the heavens. As it climbed, it swelled dramatically in size, shining with radiant splendor like a full moon rising on the horizon. This was Elder Lan's renowned magic treasure, the Sun-Snaring Ring. By this point, however, the Jinchen Sword was already inches away from Shi Xue. Seeing that the spiritual sword was about to pierce through the back of her neck, Shi Xue dared not place all her hopes on the two elders. She clutched a jade pendant at her waist, carved with the pattern of a doorway. The pendant flared with blinding light, and her figure vanished into thin air. An instant later, a halo of light flickered in the void nearby. Shi Xue stumbled out, her face paler still, while the jade pendant in her hand shattered into dust. Yet the danger had not passed! The familiar stinging sensation struck again. The spiritual sword's speed and her pursuer's reaction time surpassed imagination, closing in once more without the slightest pause. Before Shi Xue could catch her breath, her nerves tightened to the breaking point. Just then, reinforcements finally arrived. The icy path had reached beneath her feet without her realizing it, stopping abruptly before curving upward. Layer upon layer of frost spread out, instantly assembling into an ice shield behind her. *Thud!* A dull thud rang out as the Jinchen Sword struck the ice shield. Frost splinters flew as the shield shattered into pieces, but it succeeded in halting the blow. Moreover, an endless stream of ice surged upward, forming a new shield in an instant. Almost at the exact same moment, the full moon in the sky blazed with an imposing brilliance, and the opening of the ring aimed directly at Qin Sang's true body, blasting a pillar of light downward. Alerted by instinct, Qin Sang shifted laterally, yet he was still grazed by the moonlight. A colossal force capable of freezing bone marrow poured down from above, accompanied by an unfamiliar wave of power. His first reaction was to summon the Nascent Soul talisman puppet to take the hit for him—a habit so ingrained it had become instinct. Yet Qin Sang immediately noticed that the fluctuation felt somewhat familiar, resembling the freezing binding force from moments ago. His expression shifted slightly. Abandoning the thought of summoning the puppet, he channeled his mind toward the Ruyi Pearl in his sea of qi, instantly conjuring a pale-gold barrier around his body. *Boom!* The immense force slammed into the barrier. The barrier contracted and flickered erratically, but it held firm against the blow, never shattering. *Not bad!* Qin Sang nodded inward, thoroughly pleased with the Ruyi Pearl's performance in its first battle. As for the freezing restriction, it was just as he had expected: shielded by his armor of demonic fire, its effect on him was negligible. On the other side, having just escaped disaster, Shi Xue breathed a sigh of relief. Turning her head to see Elder Lan's Sun-Snaring Ring unleashing its might, she suddenly remembered that she had been so consumed with running that she had not warned them. She shouted frantically, "The Midwinter Talisman didn't work on him...!" Hearing this, Elder Lan realized the truth at once. The binding power of the Midwinter Talisman and the Sun-Snaring Ring shared a similar origin. If the talisman had failed completely, the Sun-Snaring Ring would hardly fare any better. He hastily pushed his magic treasure, attempting to expand the binding force and draw upon the seawater to erect an ice cage to hold Qin Sang for a moment, but it was already too late. Unharmed, Qin Sang casually stepped out of the light pillar. With a flicker of his figure, he retracted the pale-gold barrier and silently formed a sword incantation. *Swish! Swish! Swish!* The sword multiplied into thousands of copies, blotting out the sky and sun. *Rumble!* In a flash of light and shadow, the ice shield blew apart with a roar. Shi Xue's almond eyes went wide. She swallowed the rest of her words as the familiar dread surged through her heart once more. Right at that moment, two silhouettes materialized before her. The two elders had finally arrived. With a flick of her sleeve, Elder Mei shoved Shi Xue forcefully into the distance, sending her far from harm's way. This strike, too, had failed to claim its target. Yet far from being angered, Qin Sang smiled slightly, murmuring inward, *Seven Po Killing Array!* This was the very moment he had been waiting for: to trap both elders within the sword formation at once! Silently, the two elders felt the ambient light turn far darker than before. An ominous foreboding struck them both simultaneously. Without a word, they lunged outward to the left and right, shouting in unison: "It's a misunderstanding...!"