1091 - I Became a Villainess and Was Pestered by Beautiful Girls

Beside the Void Lake. Holding the Ice Authority Staff, Bing approached the lake, her eyes scanning the men and women before her. "Have I not mentioned," she began, "that this newly emerged artifact is special and that no unrelated persons should come near?" "Bing, Lady Bing, we just wanted the new members to feel the warmth of our family..." stammered a burly man, whose true form was the Divine Axe of Mountain Splitting. Snap. The Ice Queen snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, the man, towering over her by half a body, turned into an ice sculpture. The other members succumbed to the pressure, one by one kneeling down. "Lady Bing, we were wrong!" "You knew it was wrong, yet you dared?" Bing's face slowly broke into a cold smile. "Excellent. It's been a while since I last exercised my means of interrogation. I hope you provide me—" "No, please, no—ah!" Hiding on another floating island, three people watched as Bing, with her queenly demeanor, trampled over several artifacts. They couldn't help but swallow hard. What sort of artifact is this? Why does she appear to be much stronger than the others? "The Ice Authority Staff, the most powerful presence within the artifact space," explained Chu Qing Suo, wiping the cold sweat off her forehead. "Her birth isn't very long, roughly a few thousand years, yet even those artifacts of ten thousand years can't suppress her." "All artifacts are the same," Senior Xue was puzzled. "Why is she so powerful?" "Artifacts are very special entities. It's not just about putting materials together with a set process to create one. A strong artifact requires the alignment of timing, environment, and people, along with unpredictable circumstances." "In other words, you don't know why she's this strong either?" "Exactly..." While other things might be faked, at their level of mastery, the sense of life and death wouldn’t deceive. The Ice Queen before them was a terrifying entity! "The strange thing is, she rarely appears at the Void Lake," A-Suo furrowed her brows. "Lady Bing is one of the few assigned 'free access' by the Heavenly Dao, allowing her to travel freely to the Void Continent, and thus rarely stays in the artifact space." "Most likely sent by the Heavenly Dao," surmised the White-Haired Witch, stroking her chin. "Perhaps it had already guessed something when I blocked its perception." It seems the Heavenly Dao won't intervene "directly." Perhaps because of some limitation, or maybe it just wants to see how far we can go. "Optimistically, this might also be good news," Yao suggested. "We don't have to confront the Heavenly Dao directly; we just need to snatch them from the Ice Authority Staff." "Right. It's better to fight a super artifact than the Heavenly Dao... Let's wait. Once Xiao Zhou ascends to a true artifact, we'll act!" The Ice Authority Staff continued its merciless interrogation on the guilty artifacts, coming across as less of a "just" character. In the artifact space, good and evil didn't divide the artifacts. They had seen the "righteous" Exorcism Sword as well as the "demonic" Soul Devourer Bead upon their arrival. This was because the power system of the Void Realm had no clear distinction between good and evil. Some bloodlines might be inherently violent or bloodthirsty, but that didn't equate to evil. Additionally, regardless of their alignment, they were under the governance of the Heavenly Dao, being controllable and part of the "order and rule" faction. "I understand why you don’t wish to return," Senior Xue patted A-Suo on the shoulder. "Getting trampled on like this daily, who could endure it?" "...Though it's not for this reason, I still appreciate your understanding." In the Void Lake, Xiao Zhou didn't keep them waiting too long. Two days later, the center of the lake emitted rhythmic waves of radiant energy, swiftly gathering the surrounding energies to elevate it. The Ice Authority Staff kicked aside the person beneath her and steadily stepped forward on ice blocks forming spontaneously, approaching the radiant sphere. Whoosh—whoosh! Inside, the sphere spun faster, growing ever brighter, and gradually a young woman's form emerged. Ding! Senior Xue confirmed hearing a sound reminiscent of a timer going off. A staff emerged from the light beyond, its patterns now more complex and mysterious, seemingly infused with profound significance. The shaft's color became more subdued, and its aura underwent a dramatic transformation. The young woman, clad in tight leather armor, opened her eyes and with a wave, the staff melded into her form. "An artifact with dual forms? Interesting." The Ice Authority Staff crossed her arms, her lips curling into a self-assured smile, as she addressed her with an imposing tone. "I have been sent by heavenly decree to mark you. From now on, you’ll work under me, and I will unlock your full potential." "Mark?" Xiao Zhou frowned. "What do you mean, I've been recruited? Are you kidding me? Tang Xin will use the Passionate Lock to bring me back!" "You overestimate," the Ice Authority Staff sneered. "Your master severed the connection with the Heavenly Dao, choosing the opposing stance." "Impossible!" Xiao Zhou retorted loudly. "Tang Xin wouldn't abandon me! There must be some misunderstanding!" "A misunderstanding?" the Ice Queen smirked. "There’s none. Anyone against the Heavenly Dao is an enemy." "You all intended to backtrack from the beginning," Xiao Zhou declared icily. "Then I won't hold back either. I'll go find Tang Xin myself for answers!" "Has evolution's euphoria clouded your judgment?" With a casual wave, the Ice Queen enclosed the entire lake with a massive ice wall. "Do you think you can escape from me?" "I love rebellious artifacts like you. The sounds you make during training are surely delightful!" "Pervert!" Without hesitation, Xiao Zhou rammed against the ice wall, attempting to flee. However, before even reaching the shore she was frozen into an ice statue, suspended mid-air. The difference in their strength was a world apart. "There's no time to wait," Senior Xue leaped up, shouting. "If it gets marked, there's no escape!" Swish, swish, swish! The three shot forward, blasting through the ice wall in a flash, reuniting with the frozen Xiao Zhou. "Not just the body, even the artifact spirit is frozen?" The White-Haired Witch performed a bloodline spell, melting the ice, deeply impressed by the enemy's methods. "Tang Xin," Xiao Zhou said, looking at her master who came to rescue her, seemingly unsurprised. "I told you, that treacherous Heavenly Dao was up to no good!" "I know, I know," Senior Xue reassured, patting its head. "Don't worry. I'll definitely get you out of here!" "Mm..." Usually so combative, the artifact spirit this time remained silent. "The real threat isn't lurking outside, but dares appear before me?" Hovering above them, the Ice Authority Staff enveloped the entire floating island in life-draining cold. "Good. Once I deal with you, she'd surrender, wouldn't she?"