**Chapter 281: Black and White**
Father and son of the Chen family strolled into the courtyard with the calmness of two people on a casual Sunday outing. Meanwhile, a surge of intense and complex energy surrounded the entire courtyard, wrapping it in a shimmering barrier that made it impossible to penetrate from the inside out—like a cosmic burrito.
“Like shooting fish in a barrel! Hmph, I wonder if my four little friends realize the depth of this idiom?”
The voice of the Chen Family Head was deep and chilling, a sinister smile creeping across his lips as if he was sharing an inside joke with a ghost in the night. His laughter echoed like the whispers of spirits haunting a dark forest.
He scrutinized Mu Jixue and her two companions with the keen eye of a predator, his look dripping with greedy malice.
“Seems like our humble Chen family is just a second-rate family, so you’ve all underestimated us. I didn’t mean to limit your choices, but since you’ve so audaciously crashed into our forbidden grounds, I reckon you’re ready to become the next ‘sacrificial offerings,’ hehehe…”
There was a playful tone in his words, his tongue sneaking out to lick his lips, radiating a sense of wickedness and greed.
His expression grew increasingly sinister, like a cat enjoying a mouse trapped under its paw, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.
This place was the forbidden zone protected by the Chen family for generations. They had poured countless resources into creating this barrier with the family’s secret techniques. They were so confident that even members of the Immortal Alliance would think twice before entering and try to leave with their skin intact.
“Father, just think; if we dealt with them all at once, wouldn’t it be a waste? Look at these beauties, each one a rare gem! Haven’t you always been craving grandchildren? Why not bless me with them, so you can enjoy the joys of family life? It sounds like a win-win!”
Young Master Chen’s vile voice surfaced, his eyes sparkling with lascivious intrigue as he approached Mu Jixue and the others, as if planning to scrutinize every inch of their skin.
Especially lingering over Su Xiaoxiao, a perverted smile twisted his face as he made several indecent gestures that would make any onlooker retch.
He had not forgotten the grudge of having his steed killed and was constantly plotting revenge. Who would have thought that fate would be so kind, bringing these annoying foes straight to him? He couldn’t let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away!
The Chen Family Head’s eyes gleamed with heat at these words. He could sense the extraordinary talents radiating from Mu Jixue and her friends, remarkable potential that shocked even him.
He let out a boisterous laugh, his voice brimming with pride: “Hahaha! Excellent, excellent, just what we need to improve the quality of the Chen bloodline!”
Before he could finish his sentence, suddenly, a surge of spiritual energy pulsed under their feet.
Two ice spikes erupted from below them! Each spike was as tall as a person and shimmered with a chilling sharpness that could penetrate even the hardest Xuan Iron, let alone flesh!
Villains often talk too much, and she had zero patience for their rambling. Without delay, Mu Jixue discreetly made a hand gesture, while the Chen father-son duo totally missed her actions.
Clearly, the Chen family’s combat abilities were lacking, and their sense of awareness was even worse.
However—
A pair of muffled grunts suddenly echoed in the air as the two glimmering ice spikes shot through not their bodies but two nearby zombies.
Mu Jixue’s gaze turned serious; she had not noticed when those zombies appeared.
The zombies shielded the Chen duo, standing firm even as the ice spikes pierced through their skulls, brain matter splattering everywhere like a slow-motion horror film—a gory spectacle, yet they stood unwavering.
Clearly, despite the Chen family’s weak real bodies, they could command zombies as meat shields!
“Hahaha! I like her spunk, son! Why don’t we take turns enjoying these lovely ladies, huh?” The Chen Family Head chuckled with pride and lewdness, his eyes practically mocking Mu Jixue with the challenge, “What are you going to do about it?”
“Father, that sounds like an absolute blast! I can’t wait to play!”
The father-son duo seemed to be riding high on their supposed victory, openly arrogant.
Then, a thick river of bright red spiritual energy flowed from under their feet, spreading rapidly like a rushing bl**d river, forming a bl**d pool as it spread.
As the bl**d pool expanded, dozens of zombies began to claw their way up, radiating potent energy similar to that of “Chen Leling,” suggesting they were formidable constructs created through special methods!
At the same moment, “Chen Leling,” severely battered by Su Xinghe’s flames, and the two rickety zombies that Mu Jixue had just stabbed earlier began to visibly heal at a speed that was almost comical. In no time, they stood as if their earlier injuries had never existed.
Gasps echoed from the onlookers!
Danger! Danger! Very dangerous!
Those three words rang like thunder in Mu Jixue’s mind, setting off alarms. The situation had far surpassed her ability to cope.
She instinctively glanced back, desperation and helplessness swimming in her eyes as she sent a pleading look toward Yun Zhonghe.
But…
“Brother Yun, are you okay?”
Su Xiaoxiao cried out, supporting the gasping Yun Zhonghe, her voice breaking and her eyes red with worry.
Yet, her cries fell on deaf ears; Yun Zhonghe’s consciousness was drowning in agonizing pain.
It hurt! It hurt so bad! Something uncontrollable was wreaking havoc inside him, tearing him apart.
At this moment, a vast area of his chest was engulfed by this Yin energy, turning it pitch black, even his neck covered in ominous markings. The blackness seemed alive, creeping along his meridians as if trying to intrude into his Sea of Consciousness.
Yun Zhonghe gathered his remaining strength, tapping into every last bit of spiritual and mental energy within him, attempting to suppress this evil force.
But the Yin energy was too powerful; the agony of his fleshy body was almost debilitating, his face as pale as a ghost, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead like a broken dam.
d*mn… what the hell is this? I’m going to be killed by this evil force!
Bloodshot eyes stared out from Yun Zhonghe.
“Uh… Aaaahhhhh!!!!”
Finally, he could no longer withstand the relentless agony and let out a soul-rending scream.
His harrowing cries dug deep into the hearts of the three girls, like sharp blades, causing waves of unbearable heartache.
Moments later, as Yun Zhonghe slipped into unconsciousness, his breath grew faint, as if all life was being drained from him.
“Yun… Brother Yun?” Su Xiaoxiao trembled, her voice shaking, eyes glossing over with tears.
“Brother Yun?” Su Xinghe cried, an unmistakable panic and fear lacing her voice.
Too shocked to believe, they rushed to support Yun Zhonghe, but the moment they touched his cold, lifeless body, they realized his breathing had nearly stopped.
They were frozen in disbelief.
Especially Su Xiaoxiao; upon confirming that Yun Zhonghe lacked any pulse, her mind buzzed, her body shaking uncontrollably.
She felt as if she had turned to ice, her body clammy and devoid of strength.
He did this to save her… Yun Zhonghe…
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Her heart pounded outrageously, each heavy throb feeling like it might split her apart. An unearthly emotion surged within her, threatening to drown her.
No… no… I don’t want this…
“What have you done to him!!!”
Meanwhile, Mu Jixue’s eyes turned crimson, her silver hair floating in fury as she glared at the Chen duo, her voice laced with boundless wrath and hatred.
How dare they… how dare they hurt him!
Unforgivable! Unforgivable!
At that moment, Mu Jixue felt something inside her being forcefully awakened in her rage, a surge of overwhelming power erupting from her!
Her eyes sparkled with chilling intent, and her entire being radiated a cold, dangerous energy.
Extreme Cold fully unleashed! Maximum power!
Suddenly, the barrier transformed into a frozen world.
“Holy cr*p!”
That exclamation escaped the Chen duo’s throats, their disbelief palpable as Mu Jixue’s sudden eruption resembled a blizzard that swept through winter, freezing their sinister grins and wide-eyed terror in place.
What’s happening?!
How could this brat possess such power…
Shouldn’t she be at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment?!
That overwhelming icy energy was fierce and domineering, radiating an aura of superiority as if a regal monarch had arrived.
With a simple flick of her finger, the nearest two zombies were grasped by an invisible hand, splitting apart in an instant!
Snap! Snap!
The sound resonated in the air as their bodies thudded to the ground, bl**d spraying everywhere, the stench of it saturating the atmosphere.
Yet even after shattering, the zombies’ bodies still showed signs of healing, as though they’d been blessed with immortality.
Without delay, Mu Jixue waved her hand again, a cold beam flashed, completely freezing the shattered remains.
This sudden outburst made Mu Jixue feel exponentially more powerful, pushing her potential to the limit for Yun Zhonghe.
She was getting the kind of treatment normally reserved for female protagonists, yet it had fallen to the yellow-haired boy.
Although Yun Zhonghe had fainted from pain, completely missing Mu Jixue’s fury and fighting spirit for him.
“You’ve hurt him, and for that, you must d*e!”
Mu Jixue seethed, her teeth grinding, her gaze fiendishly cold enough to freeze fire.
“d*mn!”
The Chen father-son duo quietly panicked. Facing Mu Jixue’s unexpected outburst, a sense of unprecedented crisis washed over them.
They hurriedly summoned more zombies to shield themselves, sending dozens of them charging at Mu Jixue.
Who would have thought this seemingly weak girl could unleash such incredible power?!
She should only be at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment; this magic was *too* much!
Extreme Cold not only allowed Mu Jixue to fight above her level, but with Master Youyue’s recent guidance, her combat prowess had taken a drastic leap!
Mu Jixue’s hands moved gracefully, casting ice spikes, ice storms, and freezing blasts as if a tempest of winter engulfed the oncoming zombies.
Though formidable, these custom zombies were as resilient as those with embryonic forms, but Mu Jixue’s magical onslaught rendered them as fragile as tissue paper.
The horde fought tooth and nail against her bombardment, slowly inching closer.
Despite losing numbers, some stubbornly pushed through, determined to reach her.
Realizing this, Mu Jixue’s eyes flashed with resolve as she conjured an icy sword, its blade shimmering and radiating an eerie chill.
Ice shards blossomed from the sword’s tip, resembling beautiful yet deadly flowers.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mu Jixue swung her ice sword, engaging the advancing zombies in melee.
Her magical prowess was impressive enough, but her close combat skills were no slouch either; Master Youyue had taught her well!
Though not overly refined, her sword technique had a level of quality that made it serviceable.
Each collision sent out a deafening noise that vibrated through the air.
One hand directing spells fluidly while the other wielded her glimmering ice sword, she displayed hints of the dual cultivation mastery, astonishing to behold!
The Chen father-son duo could only watch in agony as these carefully crafted zombies, products of their family’s labor, were decimated before their eyes…
This was preposterous! Absolutely absurd!
They must capture this girl, force her into a breeding machine to produce more exceptional descendants, just to slightly compensate for their insufferable losses!
With this thought, they exchanged glances, mutual understanding flashing between them. Together, they activated their spells, and more and more zombies crawled out of the bl**d pool like an unending wave, launching toward Mu Jixue and Su Xinghe.
At all costs, they were determined to capture Mu Jixue alive!
Faced with swarms of zombies swarming from all directions, even Mu Jixue found herself in a bit of a bind despite her power.
At that moment, Su Xinghe stepped forward without hesitation, her hands waving as spiritual flames erupted, igniting the air around them and turning the approaching zombies into smoldering piles with crackling sounds.
“I know you’re at the foundation level with limited powers, conserve your energy. Let me deal directly with the zombies; just focus on freezing the ones I take down.”
“And for goodness’ sake, control your emotions! Your Extreme Cold is affecting the environment, suppressing my fire abilities from reaching their full potential.”
Su Xinghe’s guidance helped Mu Jixue regain her composure.
The Chill of Winter was indeed impacting the surroundings, limiting Su Xinghe’s fire energy and its full effectiveness.
Mu Jixue had to improve her teamwork skills.
Previously, she’d been too consumed by her own strength to consider collaboration.
But… one girl against dozens of zombie doppelgängers wasn’t exactly an equal match. Though these creatures lacked intelligence and were nothing but soulless puppets, Su Xinghe felt immense shock at the scene before her.
She had to admit; she had seriously underestimated Mu Jixue’s power.
“Can you work with me?”
Now that Yun Zhonghe was down, Su Xinghe, being the strongest among them, took on the mantle of leadership.
Hearing this, Mu Jixue couldn’t help but flash a stubborn smirk: “That’s rich coming from you! Just don’t hold me back!”
Their gazes met in midair; despite earlier issues, they were undoubtedly on the same page now.
No matter what, they were going to knock some sense into the Chen father-son duo!
Meanwhile, Su Xinghe’s gaze inadvertently fell on the now-distraught Su Xiaoxiao, who was desperately channeling life energy into Yun Zhonghe.
Suddenly, Su Xinghe realized that something was very off with Su Xiaoxiao.
Her eyes were vacant, as if she’d lost her soul—Yun Zhonghe’s collapse was a devastating blow to her.
Feelings of guilt, regret, and self-recrimination crashed over her like a tidal wave, nearly pulling her into madness.
For a moment, her hair flickered between black and white.
“Eh?”
In that instant, Su Xinghe could’ve sworn Su Xiaoxiao seemed like a completely different person.
Something darker seemed to be surfacing.
