Chapter 348: The Soul-Devouring Witch, Heaven's Arrival

Chapter 348: The Soul-Devouring Witch, Heaven's Arrival

In the Ice State, there lay a mysterious cavern known as the Celestial Grotto.

Floating above this grotto was a bed, surrounded by billowing silk that hinted at the languid figure within. Hundreds of beautiful women encircled the bed, each veiled in silk of various colors—pink, white, black, green, and yellow. They were once warriors of the Quiet Snow Palace.

"We have prey," purred the witch, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "Are you ready, my dears? To grant you a quick death would be a mercy, for I, the Soul-Devouring Witch, am truly benevolent."

"What is that?" exclaimed the powerful warriors, Wu Tiannan, Xin Mengrou, and others, as they beheld the once Quiet Snow Palace, now transformed into a pitch-black cave.

"Is that the Celestial Grotto?" Xin Mengrou furrowed her brows.

"It seems to be, but why would the Quiet Snow Palace have one? There should only be one such grotto in the Spirit Realm," added the Lord of Thundercloud Villa, confusion lacing his voice.

"The Celestial Grotto is a mysterious cave that exists separately from the earth, almost like a small, independent realm," Xin Mengrou explained to Wu Tiannan, the only non-Transcendent Stage warrior among them. "The Spirit Realm has a Celestial Grotto ruin that holds opportunities for cultivators. However, due to its ancient origins, those opportunities are likely long gone."

"The quota for the Heaven's Pride competition is to enter this Celestial Grotto ruin," she continued.

"How did the Celestial Grotto come to be here?" Wu Tiannan asked, his brows knit together.

"We don't know," the others shook their heads.

"There's something amiss about the Celestial Grotto appearing in the Quiet Snow Palace. Be cautious, as there might be danger," the Lord of Spirit Control warned, his voice grave.

"Those are the people of the Quiet Snow Palace!"

"Is that the Jade Palace Master of the Quiet Snow Palace?"

"They are all..."

The group of Transcendent Stage warriors were astonished as they gazed upon the beautiful women encircling the grotto. The members of the Quiet Snow Palace seemed to have undergone a transformation, exuding a carefree and uninhibited air.

"Something's not right!"

"They might no longer be the same people, or perhaps their hearts have drastically changed?"

"I never imagined the Jade Palace Master would become like this..."

An elder from the Spirit Control Palace lamented, his heart heavy with sorrow.

"Welcome, guests from afar. Please forgive us for our lack of hospitality," the Jade Palace Master cooed, a playful smile on her face. "Since you're already here, why don't we engage in some deeper exchanges?"

An elder from the Spirit Control Palace, his face grim, stepped forward. "Let me investigate this strange change." With that, he strode towards the Jade Palace Master.

"Forget it," one of the elders sighed. "He had a crush on the Jade Palace Master back then, but now..."

"Keep a close eye on them. Let's hope nothing goes wrong," another elder added, his voice filled with concern.

The rest of the group watched intently, ready to act at the first sign of trouble.

As the elder from the Spirit Control Palace approached, the Jade Palace Master greeted him with delight. But to everyone's shock, she suddenly crouched down, yanked at his pants, and opened her mouth wide...

The onlookers were left stunned and incredulous.

"Ah!" A horrified scream escaped the elder's lips.

"Quick, stop them! They're no longer themselves. Be careful, they might devour your souls..." the elder warned, his eyes wide with fear.

Boom!

The Lord of Spirit Control unleashed his power, the might of his divine artifact reverberating through the air.

However, a faint pink glow emerged, effortlessly blocking the attack. The elder from the Spirit Control Palace crumpled into a desiccated corpse.

"What a delightful taste! So wonderful!" The Jade Palace Master laughed, her face flushed, and she even burped daintily.

The onlookers' hair stood on end, a chill running down their spines.

"What sorcery is this? Soul Parasitism? How could the Jade Palace Master, with her own considerable strength, become a host? Moreover, this technique doesn't belong to her..."

"Has the Spirit Realm ever seen such an eerie method?"

"The appearance of the Celestial Grotto forebodes a crisis. We must act now and put an end to this!" The Lord of Thundercloud Villa and the others spoke with grave concern.

"Let's move!"

Xin Mengrou stepped forward, dream-like illusions swirling around her as she advanced.

"Impressive!" The Lord of Thundercloud Villa and the others exclaimed, their faces tense with concentration.

Boom!

Wu Tiannan brandished his Ruler, striking out at the Jade Palace Master from mid-air.

As he unleashed his attack, the Lord of Thundercloud Villa, the Lord of Spirit Control, and the Great Emperor Zhou exchanged glances, sensing that Wu Tiannan's strength had grown even further.

"Attack!"

The group of Transcendent Stage warriors unsheathed their divine artifacts and struck out in unison.

"So many delightful flavors! How intriguing!" The Soul-Devouring Witch on the bed murmured, her eyes narrowing with pleasure.

Boom!

A fierce battle erupted as the Lord of Thundercloud Villa and his companions, some of the strongest beings in the Spirit Realm, unleashed their might. Wielding divine artifacts, they channeled their overwhelming power.

The Lord of Thundercloud Villa, brandishing his Thundercloud Hammer, sent lightning arcing across the sky. The fierce lightning bolts crashed down, targeting the group from Quiet Snow Palace.

A pink glow gradually spread out, filling the air and rippling in all directions.

Jade Palace Master and her companions also took action, and their moves caused a chill to run down the spines of the powerful onlookers.

The battle raged on.

Xin Mengrou faced off against Jade Palace Master, her dream-like power shifting and changing, blurring the line between reality and illusion, and hiding her deadly intent.

Wu Tiannan, holding the Ruler, struck out repeatedly, forcing several Quiet Snow Palace warriors to retreat.

As the group drew closer to the Celestial Grotto, the bed behind the Quiet Snow Palace women came into view, and the figure within it was revealed to be the mastermind.

"Who are you, to create such a calamity and bring chaos to the Spirit Realm?"

Great Emperor Zhou's body was wreathed in crimson flames as he demanded in a deep voice.

"A hunting ground for the Soul-Devouring Witch is naturally a place of death. You are all my prey."

The Soul-Devouring Witch smiled seductively.

Boom!

Suddenly, the light silk on the bed fluttered, and for a fleeting moment, that enchanting figure was revealed. At that instant, a tender, white hand reached out from the bed, grasping towards Great Emperor Zhou.

"Your Majesty, beware!"

One of the Great Zhou's strongest experts beside him cried out, moving to block Great Emperor Zhou. His divine artifact lashed out violently.

However, the tender white hand ignored the ferocious attack and grabbed the elder by the neck.

Swipe!

The helpless elder was pulled onto the bed in an instant.

Through the billowing silk, the onlookers saw the beauty on the bed open her small mouth and suck in the elder's soul.

"Ah!"

A terrified scream escaped the elder's lips.

Smack!

The corpse was thrown out and caught by one of the Quiet Snow Palace women, who opened her mouth wide and bit into the body that had lost its soul.

In the blink of an eye, the corpse withered away.

This horrifying scene sent shivers down the spines of the powerful onlookers, and they trembled in fear.

Great Emperor Zhou's face turned deathly pale.

"Sucking out people's souls... What kind of demonic art is this?"

The Lord of Thundercloud Villa exclaimed in horror.

The past Blood Demon calamity was nothing more than the refinement of mortal lives to cultivate blood energy. Nothing compared to this bizarre act of directly sucking out souls, and there seemed to be no defense against it!

"The hunt begins!"

On the bed, a tender white hand reached out and grabbed towards an elder from the Palace of Spirit Control.

"Kill!"

Wu Tiannan and Xin Mengrou retreated, no longer attacking the Quiet Snow Palace women. Instead, they targeted the white hand.

Boom!

The tender white hand seemed to ignore the ferocious attacks and grabbed the elder, pulling him onto the bed.

"A bit old, but that's fine."

The Soul-Devouring Witch said as she opened her mouth and sucked in his soul. The lifeless corpse was then thrown to the Quiet Snow Palace women.

"This woman is too strong. Retreat!"

The Lord of Thundercloud Villa's face changed drastically as he gave the order.

Wu Tiannan and Xin Mengrou were the strongest among the group, but at this moment, they felt their scalps tingle with fear.

The woman on the bed was too bizarre and too powerful.

"She might be from the Celestial Grotto. Why does this place harbor such a terrifying existence?"

Great Emperor Zhou said with a heavy expression.

Boom!

The tender white hand reached out again, this time towards an elder from the Thundercloud Villa.

The group unleashed their attacks frantically, but they still couldn't stop that white hand.

Another powerful expert fell!

At this moment, everyone's heart was trembling.

Moreover, the enemy was starting with the weaker ones, toying with the group's emotions.

"Retreat from Ice State!"

The Master of the Palace of Spirit Control said in a low voice.

This enemy was beyond their capabilities.

"The Thousand Martial Arts Palace has probably already requested the Heavenly Lord's presence. Let's return to Rainbow State and ask the Heavenly Lord for help!"

Great Emperor Zhou suggested.

The group began to retreat cautiously.

"Where do you think you're going? We've only just started!"

A light laughter rang out, and the bed floated towards them. The tender white hand reached out again, this time towards one of the Thundercloud Villa elders.

Another loss of life!

The group fled in panic, but before they could even reach the border of Ice State, they found their escape route blocked.

The bed hovered silently in their path.

The beautiful woman, as graceful as jade, smiled charmingly, but her presence made the group break out in cold sweat.

"Men, go die. As for the women, become my puppets and help me devour the essence of men. It's delightful."

The group felt a chill run through their bodies.

"Let's fight with all we've got!"

Wu Tiannan raised the Ruler, and his aura surged. In an instant, he unleashed his full power, shocking the Lord of Thundercloud Villa and the others.

Thundercloud Villa Lord and the others unleashed their might, brandishing their divine artifacts with explosive auras, ready to deploy their secret techniques at a moment's notice.

Boom!

Suddenly, several flags appeared in the sky, summoning wind, fire, lightning, and smoke to envelop the bed in a chaotic mess, confusing their enemies.

"Quick, escape!"

Fang Hao's figure appeared in the distance, only to turn and flee immediately.

Wu Tiannan and the rest seized the opportunity and fled for their lives, leaving the witch ensnared by the array.

"Interesting trick, but too weak!"

Boom!

The array was broken, and the witch stood atop the bed. With a single step, she blocked their escape once more, raising her hand to capture Fang Hao, who was attempting to flee.

However, Fang Hao's figure flickered, and he vanished from sight.

Instant Movement Talisman!

The witch's eyebrows furrowed; this was an unusual ability.

"I'm off to catch that little brat. No time to play with you all. Prey should accept their fate!"

The witch lifted her delicate, white hand.

Despair filled Wu Tiannan and the others' faces. The witch's power had surpassed the limits of the Spirit Realm, and even their combined efforts could not stop her.

Just then, an overwhelmingly mighty presence filled the heavens and the earth. A figure clad in black armor and wielding a long spear appeared, his voice cold and commanding: "You scum from the Celestial Grotto, cease your insolence!"

The Heavenly Lord had arrived!

"We're saved! The Heavenly Lord is here!"

Thundercloud Villa Lord and the others were overjoyed.

At that moment, they were truly grateful for the shameless actions of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace, for without their request, how could they have been rescued?

The witch turned her head, her expression turning solemn.

"Heavenly Lord, this witch devours souls and is extremely bizarre. She is a calamity for our Spirit Realm!"

Thundercloud Villa Lord shouted.

Seizing the opportunity, Wu Tiannan and the others fled for their lives, escaping far from Ice State and taking refuge behind the Heavenly Lord.

The Heavenly Lord's expression was grave, his long spear radiating a chilling light. With each step he took, the laws of heaven and earth manifested, and the mighty power of the world converged upon him.

The power of wind and cloud merged into his being, and the might of the heavens was in his grasp.

He was the Law-Condensing Heavenly Lord!

"By my command, seal off Ice State. No one is to leave. After I slay this foe, we will conduct a thorough investigation."

The Heavenly Lord issued his orders in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

Thundercloud Villa Lord and the others replied respectfully.

The Heavenly Lord advanced step by step towards the witch, who had lost her previous nonchalance. Her eyebrows furrowed as the appearance of this Law-Condensing Heavenly Lord had caught her off guard.

Moreover, he had arrived in the Spirit Realm so swiftly.

"An interesting prey has arrived. By devouring you, I will become even stronger."

The witch smiled coldly.

Boom!

A pink radiance enveloped her, and the warriors of Quiet Snow Palace behind her collapsed, their lives extinguished.

The souls that had occupied their bodies returned to the witch's body, further enhancing her strength.

Even so, she did not underestimate the Heavenly Lord.

"It's impossible for the Celestial Grotto to appear in the Spirit Realm. How did you manifest here?"

The Heavenly Lord asked coldly.

"Nothing is impossible."

The witch smiled brilliantly.

"Although the Spirit Realm is weak, if you gradually erode it bit by bit over a long period, you can create a breach. It's just a matter of investing a portion of your power."

The Heavenly Lord's eyes narrowed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I see. So, you dared to intrude alone, seeking your own demise!"

The witch covered her mouth and laughed, her allure intensifying. The pink radiance that surrounded her seemed to captivate and bewitch all who beheld it.

Above her head, a pink lotus-shaped flower appeared, exuding a subtle, sweet fragrance that seemed to stir the primal desires of those who inhaled it.

Within the pink lotus sat a figure resembling the witch, yet not quite the same. This figure had a lotus mark between her eyebrows, and her hair resembled slender little snakes.

The spiritual energy of the world seemed to be in disarray around the witch, and strange auras converged from the Celestial Grotto, gathering above her as a pink cloud.

"My hunting ground is naturally mine alone. Why would I share it with others? You, my prey, are quite interesting."

The witch smiled radiantly.

However, upon seeing the pink lotus above the witch's head and the figure within it, the Heavenly Lord's expression changed drastically, and he tightened his grip on his spear.

His eyes were filled with grave concern.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end