The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 374: I Know Who You Are

I Know Who You Are . . .

As Xiu-Er descended from the heavens, a profound sigh escaped her lips. In the absence of her celestial restraint, she could have obliterated that enigmatic woman in the blink of an eye, reducing her to insignificance. It was a stark reminder that they did not occupy the same echelon of power.

Alas, she remained ensnared by the constraints of divine punishment, rendering her powerless to eliminate the woman.

Undoubtedly, her adversary was a formidable cultivator within the Land of Han-Yang, a realm renowned for its martial prowess.

Xiu-Er gazed intently at the masked woman in white. A narrow red line, like a vivid scarlet ribbon, adorned Xiu-Er's otherwise pristine attire. She questioned her masked counterpart, her tone tinged with suspicion, "Who are you?"

The masked woman regarded her with an air of gentle tranquility. While her mask concealed her visage, her bearing betrayed a certain elegance. Her response was laced with delicacy, "Chaotic Storms. Xiu of Heavens? Lady Xiu-Er, your aura is truly exceptional."

A wry smile danced upon Xiu-Er's lips. "Are you here to impede my progress?"

The woman in white, shrouded in anonymity, offered no verbal answer. The mask, after all, shielded her identity, and Xiu-Er ceased probing with questions of "who" she was. Her determination was to unveil this mysterious enigma at a later time.

A fleeting thought traversed Xiu-Er's mind—she would discover the truth in due course.

The woman in white's voice maintained its soft-spoken cadence as she shared, "Chen-Xing City has fallen into disarray. Chaos reigns, and cultivators converge in throngs. It does not befit you, Lady Xiu-Er, to involve yourself in such tumult. It does not align with your regal stature."

With earnestness, she continued, "Moreover, there exists a surfeit of coarse individuals within. It would be unfitting for a refined lady like you to immerse herself in that midst."

Xiu-Er's countenance hardened, her tone revealing a trace of chill, "Are you casting aspersions upon my integrity?"

Chaotic Storms; Xiu of Heavens.

A time existed when Xiu-Er oversaw the business affairs of the House of the Chaotic Storms, and her influence was formidable. In the annals of history, she had played a pivotal role during times of upheaval and turmoil. The woman's words triggered a cascade of suspicions within Xiu-Er, leading her to conclude that she was being ridiculed.

Undeterred by Xiu-Er's evident vexation, the woman in white maintained an air of nonchalance. "Lady Xiu-Er, I entreat you not to misunderstand. My intention is rather for us to partake in a leisurely teatime, as sisters should."

Xiu-Er responded with a disdainful humph before vaulting upward, transforming into a crimson streak of light racing across the heavens. Her destination was the capital.

Verbal exchange proved futile. Actions, she believed, were far more efficacious. If her enigmatic interlocutor truly intended to obstruct her, this would be the opportune moment to do so.

Observing Xiu-Er's movements, the woman in white chose to tail her, effortlessly vanishing from sight. In an instant, Xiu-Er felt a presence obstructing her path, warning that any further advance would culminate in a collision with the mysterious woman.

Xiu-Er reacted with a disdainful humph before decisively altering her trajectory, an act executed so seamlessly that she portrayed no hint of embarrassment.

The figure in white remained in close pursuit, repeatedly positioning herself directly in Xiu-Er's path. It was an irksome dance of obstruction.

Frustration festered within Xiu-Er, eventually impelling her to unleash a fierce palm strike, determined to forge a path forward.

The woman in white, in contrast, sighed and inquired, "Is this truly necessary?" With a composed countenance, she reciprocated with a palm strike of her own.

Their palm attacks collided with equal power, generating a resounding boom that echoed through the air. The outcome starkly revealed the difference in their capabilities. Xiu-Er found herself catapulted through the air, somersaulting several times before descending like a kite severed from its strings. Remarkably, her landing site precisely mirrored the location from which she had initiated the confrontation.

The woman in white had not budged from her original spot, her gaze fixed upon Xiu-Er, exuding an air of tranquil serenity.

For Xiu-Er, it seemed as though the preceding encounter had played out solely within her own imagination, leaving her rooted in her initial position.

Darkness enshrouded her countenance as she realized the woman in white's astounding prowess. This enigmatic figure existed far beyond the ordinary bounds of the Land of Han-Yang, her cultivation transcending the realm's limitations.

In the current context, comparing Xiu-Er to the woman in white was akin to equating an ant with an elephant. Irrespective of the ant's uniqueness and tenacity, it stood no chance against an elephant. The dynamics were similarly lopsided.

However, Xiu-Er remained ensnared by her divine restraint. She possessed no means to counter the situation without temporarily casting off her divine shackles.

The woman in white's potency vastly surpassed the confines of this realm. She was an outsider, yet she had ventured into this world with the unwavering resolve to thwart Xiu-Er.

In the grand scheme of things, there was no denying that Xiu-Er would need to relinquish her restraint if she intended to overcome this impasse. Yet, she didn't have to unshackle her full potential. A mere ten to twenty percent release of the restraint would suffice to overpower the woman in white with ease. Her strikes, even at a fraction of their might, could dismantle the entirety of the Land of Han-Yang. If half of her restraint were removed, even the Qing-Yun Realm would crumble under the onslaught. However, the repercussions were grave. By doing so, Xiu-Er would incur a steep price—a rendezvous with the nine extreme heavenly punishments upon her next rebirth.

It was not merely these nine penalties that Xiu-Er would face; her judgment would entail both the penalties she warranted and the nine extreme punishments concurrently. The initial extreme punishment would be twice as severe as the deserved penalty, with each subsequent punishment escalating exponentially. The third would be fourfold the second, the fourth eightfold the third, and so on, culminating in the ninth—an indomitable torment.

This daunting fate loomed ahead, inescapable, and even Cha Nantian's legendary Mighty Man father would have faltered in the face of such an ordeal. Removing the restraint was a path to self-destruction—a form of ritual suicide.

Undeterred by the imminent threat, Xiu-Er inhaled deeply and addressed the woman in white with a poised tone. "So, you have no intention of allowing me to pass?" Her gaze locked onto the serene figure before her. "Are you aware of who I am?"

The woman in white, bearing a sorrowful expression in her calm and tranquil eyes, nodded slowly and replied, "I am indeed aware of your identity."

A faint smile played upon Xiu of Heavens' lips as she continued, "Well, I may not know who you are, but if you persist in challenging me, I will soon unveil your secrets as I wish.".