Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

Just as Mira was about to collapse from exhaustion, Nova and the others rushed over to support her. Though, they still kept their distance, using just their Qi to help her.

Now that Mira was finally out of the fog, they could see her condition, and needless to say, it wasn't good.

From the tips of her fingers to the curve of her ankles, her body told a tale of pain and agony.

Except for her chest, belly button, and head, where she had fiercely concentrated her energy to shield those vital areas, her once fair skin was tainted by a gruesome display of burns and exposed tissue. In some places, there was no skin at all, revealing raw, glistening muscle and stark white bone beneath.

Her flesh writhed and pulsed with life as her almost near-endless vitality worked tirelessly to heal her injuries at a remarkable rate.

Despite the rapid regeneration, the venomous toxin coursing through her veins continued its relentless assault, burrowing deeper and deeper into her body.

It was a cruel dance between life and death, where the wounds closed only for the poison to tear them open once more, keeping her trapped in a never-ending cycle of pain.

Her body was fighting a relentless battle against the poison, neither one gaining any advantage over the other.

Watching this unfold, Nova, Seraphina, and Everly felt their stomachs churn as they cringed in disgust. Of course, they weren't disgusted with Mira personally, but it was just creepy watching Mira's almost mummified-like body regenerate, only to keep returning to her corpse-like state.

Her once pristine clothes were now tattered and stained with blood, while her nine fox tails appeared to have lost their lush, silken quality. Mira's body trembled with every step she took, her weakened legs barely able to support her weight.

However, despite her constant pain, she didn't release so much as a grunt.

"F-Find someplace for me to rest." Mira stuttered.

"Are... A-Are you alright?" Seraphina asked hesitantly, still shocked by Mira's appearance.

Mira just gave her a cold glance that said, "Do I look alright to you?"

Seraphina shut her mouth and looked away, a little embarrassed she had asked such a dumb question. Of course, Mira wasn't okay! Her body was literally falling apart in real-time!

"I-If you have an antidote, that would be much appreciated," Mira said, but she knew they were unlikely to have something like that.

However, unexpectedly, Rayna stepped up, a black pill appearing in her hands.

"Here," She said, shoving the pill into Mira's free hand, "Not an antidote, but it'll help."

Mira didn't even question Rayna's words. Though, it's not like she had the energy to do so even if she wanted to.

Gulping the pill down, Mira immediately felt a cooling sensation spread out from the pit of her stomach, washing over the rest of her body as the pill began to take effect.

The regeneration of her skin and muscles seemed to accelerate while the poison's progress appeared to slow down. Though it wasn't a complete solution, it provided Mira with some much-needed respite from her agonizing pain.

"Thank you," Mira whispered, gratitude filling her bloodshot eyes as she looked at Rayna. She could tell that the pill was no ordinary medicine and must have been something precious to Rayna.

What Mira didn't know was that not only did Rayna dabble in the art of poison-making, but she even had an extremely rare and unique Poison Affinity. However, unlike most affinities that people have, this one was not innate.

In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to call it an artificial affinity, as it was something she had "earned" throughout her life rather than a gift that was granted to her by the Heavens.

Since she often dealt with poisons and even had an affinity for one, Rayna always kept all kinds of pills, antidotes, and things of that nature with her, just in case something went wrong.

"Well, let's go back to the Sect and get you patched up while we wait for good news from Sect Master Leona," Nova said, and the others agreed. With their Qi, they lifted Mira off the ground and flew into the branch Sect.

As they flew into the Sect, the Elders and other disciples greeted them with expressions of astonishment and admiration. They were gathered together closely in tight-knit groups, gripping their weapons, anticipating the outcome of the fierce battle and uncertain about what the future held for them.

Could they really trust these girls to protect them? Why didn't they want help? Were they just here to show off and gain a reputation? Would they really risk their lives for a bunch of people they didn't know?

These kinds of questions swirled through the minds of the disciples, as they found it hard to believe that the "high and mighty" disciples from the main Sect would come down their lofty mountain and assist them.

However, those thoughts changed when they saw Mira being carried in the air, her body riddled with wounds, holes, and burns all over her body.

Worst of all, and what made them shudder in terror, was the fact that they could hear Mira's body sizzling like she was a fat piece of meat being cooked in a skillet.

The disciples were shocked by the sight of Mira's battered body, their previous doubts and suspicions about the main Sect disciples evaporating in an instant.

Nova and the others carried Mira to a room to rest. Nova, Everly, and Rayna left the room to deal with the aftermath of the battle, but Seraphina stayed behind.

"D-Do you need something?" Mira tilted her head up from the pillow and asked.

"This..." Seraphina wasn't sure what to say. While she was guilty that Mira ended up in this state because she couldn't protect her, she felt a bit awkward just outright saying that.

So, instead, she walked over to the side of the bed and said, "As someone with a water affinity, I can help soothe your pain and even hasten your recovery. Considering how potent this poison is, it might not be of much help, but I should be able to provide you with enough relief, at least so that you can get some sleep. That is if you're interested in something like that..."

Mira stared at Seraphina for a second before slowly nodding, "...Sure."

Seraphina smiled and kneeled down beside her bed. With a wave of her hand, she covered Mira's entire body in Water Qi, carefully injecting it inside her. She didn't do anything to fight off the invading poison and instead just helped Mira's body relax, giving her something akin to a massage.

As a cool yet strangely soothing sensation washed over her body, Mira's eyes involuntarily closed, gently guiding her into a peaceful slumber.

Seraphina was stunned at how fast Mira fell asleep, but it was not like she didn't understand why. The pain Mira must be feeling right now is probably something she couldn't even imagine.

'I don't know how she could walk and talk while her body was dissolving and regrowing countless times per second. Rather, it's a miracle she's alive right now!' Seraphina shuddered at the thought of being in Mira's position.

She felt like death probably wouldn't sound so bad if she had to experience something like that...

'For now, this is all I can do as thanks for saving me.' Seraphina thought as she focused on making Mira feel as 'comfortable' as possible.

As Mira received treatment, her companions anxiously awaited news from Sect Master Leona. Battles among those in the Mortal Shedding Realm weren't ordinary battles. Just a simple spar could completely reshape the terrain, much less a battle to the death.

Contrary to how Mira made it look, killing someone in the Mortal Shedding Realm was no easy feat, even for those in the same Realm. If Leona was unable to kill her opponent in the first strike, then the battle was unlikely to end any time soon.

However, since Nova and the others took care of the army, leaving no survivors, they could begin clearing and looting the battlefield.

Nova still kept the Elders in the Sect in case someone snuck in while they weren't looking, but Nova put the rest of the disciples to work.

There were thousands of disciples from the Crimson Slayer Sect, each one equipped with weapons, armor, and storage rings filled with resources.

As the victors, it was their right to claim the loot of the fallen!

Not long after everything settled down, Eden and Rhydian came down with the three corpses of their attackers, both of whom immediately rushed to Mira's side to provide aid.

Finally, after hours of waiting, Sect Master Leona returned, her clothes torn and her body bloodied and battered. Exhaustion shone in her eyes, but a proud smile hung on her lips.

Seeing this, Nova and the other's eyes brightened!

"The Sect Master is back!"

"It's finally over! The Sect Master won!"

"I knew you could do it, Sect Master!"

All the disciples breathed a massive sigh of relief and cheered for their Sect Master.