“Clang… clang…” Inside the Ice Palace, Old Liu stylishly swung his Demon-Breaking Sword to fend off the incoming ice blades. These shards originated from the fathomless depths of the palace, striking Old Liu’s defense with brutal force each time. Old Liu leaped into the air, holding the sword horizontally before him; the shadows of seven swords instantly coalesced into a single, pure white ice dragon that coiled and surged toward the incoming ice blades.

“Rumble!” A deafening crash ensued—ice against ice. From the far end of the palace erupted an endless barrage of razor-sharp ice splinters, the momentum akin to an avalanche sweeping down ruthlessly.

Old Liu summoned the Demon-Breaking Sword, which spun swiftly to his left and right, and he stepped onto it, attempting to use his sword-flight technique to evade the torrent of ice shards. However, the shards were fine and multitudinous; even with swift evasions, he sustained numerous cuts. Both he and the Demon-Breaking Sword were blasted clear outside the Ice Palace. At that moment, the world beyond the palace gates was a vista of vast, featureless snow.

“Damn it, beauty! If you have the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!” Old Liu looked at the countless bloody scratches marring his skin, a surge of anger rising within him. He climbed up, pointing at the palace, “What 'Five Marquises of the Underworld'? All just smoke and mirrors! Come out and fight Old Liu if you dare!”

“Hahaha, a mere junior Daoist dares to look down upon the Five Marquises?” A wave of intense cold air billowed out from the Ice Palace. Though the voice was feminine, it carried immense authority. “Boy, if the Ksitigarbha Relic hadn't sealed away half my power, you, with your level of cultivation, would not even be worthy of speaking to me. The Gate of Descent has been opened; it won't be long before my Underworld sweeps across the mortal realm. By then, not just you, but every cultivator of the Dao will perish!”

Old Liu gritted his teeth, finally recognizing the terrifying might of the Five Marquises of the Underworld. His exchange with the ice blades earlier could only be called an even match with the North Sea Snow Marquis. If, as she claimed, the Ksitigarbha Relic truly bound half her strength, then he was no match for this Lengshuang. He stood on a patch of snow, which suddenly began to writhe violently. He watched as layers of snowflakes rolled up, and beneath them emerged four colossal beasts, their fur entirely snow-white, their visages fierce and terrifying.

“Let the Snow Beasts keep you company for a while; it will pass the time until my return to the Human Realm! Hahaha.” Mei Lengshuang still made no move to appear, truly hidden deep within the Ice Palace. This entire world of ice and snow was under her command.

“Awooo…” The four Snow Beasts bared their fangs and surrounded Old Liu from four cardinal directions. They moved with human posture, yet their faces were unmistakably bestial. Most strangely, each held snowballs in their paws, throwing them wildly toward Old Liu in the center as if playing a game.

“What the hell, a snowball fight!” Old Liu normally paid no mind to common beasts. He was light on his feet and dodged several snowballs with a single leap. But as he calmed down, preparing to counterattack, he realized the snowballs were flying faster and faster. It turned out the four Snow Beasts weren't aiming for him; they were tossing the snowballs in their hands to the beast opposite them, just like children playing catch. Old Liu weaved left and right, finding that the snowballs swirling around him were accelerating and multiplying due to the beasts’ coordinated passing—he was clearly trapped in a formation of wildly flying snowballs.

“Hmph, even a child’s game can ensnare you!” Mei Lengshuang’s words were laced with mockery, seemingly testing Old Liu’s true capability.

Old Liu seized an opportunity, leaping up and slashing his Demon-Breaking Sword toward several incoming snowballs. With a sharp clang, the snowballs struck the blade, yet the impact repelled Old Liu several steps backward. A snowball behind him slammed into his waist, sending a deep, rigid pain shooting through his muscles and body, bringing him crashing to his knees.

“Awooo! Awooo!” Seeing Old Liu severely wounded, the Snow Beasts all raised their paws and roared, as if proclaiming their victory.

“Pfft…” Old Liu plunged the Demon-Breaking Sword deep into the snow, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He hadn't expected these toy-like snowballs to be so hard that even the holy sword of the Underworld couldn't shatter them. The piercing agony that shot to his marrow was unlike anything he had ever endured.

“Snow Beasts, kill him now that you’ve had your fun!” Mei Lengshuang commanded. A merciless, cold wind swept through the Ice Palace, conjuring blades of ice that sliced through the four Snow Beasts, causing them to leap in pain.

Old Liu scrambled up, wiping the blood from his mouth. When he stood firm again, he saw the four Snow Beasts, their faces flushed red. They huddled together, incessantly scooping up thick handfuls of snow from the ground, and in a short time, they had compacted a gargantuan snowball.

Damn it! Old Liu stared at the snowball, which was vastly larger than he was, his heart sinking. If something that massive struck him, survival would be impossible.

“Hah!” The four Snow Beasts hoisted the massive snowball together, throwing it with immense force high above Old Liu’s head. Their intention was clear: they weren't relying on projectile arcs to hit him; they meant to crush him flat by dropping it directly from above.

Old Liu watched this seemingly foolish attack method, finding it almost comical. He could simply shift his feet slightly to avoid it. “Beasts are just beasts; don't they know how to use their brains?”

“Howl…” After successfully throwing the giant snowball high, the four Snow Beasts dissolved into drifting flakes of snow and merged into the ground. At that moment, the snow layer beneath Old Liu began to churn. Soon, tendrils of frost snaked up to his ankles, gradually creeping toward his calves.

“Good grief, so that’s how it works…” Cold sweat broke out on Old Liu’s brow as he tried to wrench his feet free, but the frost was impossibly rigid, locking his movement. Watching the snowball descend from the sky, his legs buckled, and he stumbled to the ground.

“Jiji!” At the critical moment, the Thin-Faced Blade shot out from Old Liu’s sleeve. The blade now housed the vital essence of the Earth Mole's Fire Spirit. Seeing its master in peril, it immediately reverted to its original form. The Fire Spirit originated from the volcanoes of Mount Buxian; though its flames weren't as potent as the Death Realm's Purple Flame, they were more than enough to counter the ice frost generated by the Snow Beasts. It coiled into a circular wheel shape, darting beneath Old Liu’s feet, instantly vaporizing the encroaching frost.

“Thanks!” Old Liu dragged his feet, spun his body, and shot across the snow for ten feet. By the time the massive snowball smashed into the ground with a heavy thud, he was already standing safely away. Exultant, he directed the Fire Spirit to whirl around the surrounding snow several times. The previously accumulated snow instantly liquefied, and the Snow Beasts had vanished without a trace. Old Liu grinned proudly, “North Sea Snow Marquis, Mei Lengshuang, now it’s your turn to show yourself personally. Let this old man see if you truly have a face as beautiful and icy as frost.”