Bound Beauty's Shadow

Her dazzling crimson hair cascaded down her back, a stark contrast to her skin as white as snow, her features so striking they were almost overwhelming. This was Murong Xue, the cherished jewel of the Murong family. At this moment, the proud, renowned young lady of the capital fixed her arrogant, burning phoenix eyes on an ancient scroll hanging on the wall. The scroll appeared unremarkable, yet it was precisely her target for this visit – the "Dragon Binding Scroll." Murong Xue’s gaze shifted from the "Dragon Binding Scroll" to the cool, distant silhouette before the worktable. She observed Xiao Wanqing's seemingly boneless, delicate form, a dismissive sneer curling her lips. Murong Xue spoke coldly, her voice clear and frosty, "Hand over the Dragon Binding Scroll, or I'll tear down your little shop." Xiao Wanqing responded calmly, "This painting is not for sale at the moment." Her tone was gentle, yet carried an icy undertone, unhurried. She set down her brush, her sleeve slipping to reveal a plain white ribbon on her wrist. Murong Xue scoffed dismissively, flicking her slender finger. A silken rope, like a white serpent in the waves, slithered from her sleeve, instantly coiling towards the ancient painting behind the counter. She intended to strike first, to seize the object with her rope, and to put Xiao Wanqing in her place. Xiao Wanqing tapped her toe lightly, the floor sinking slightly. A low mechanical hum sounded, and over a dozen long ropes shot out from the gaps in the floor, like serpents, wrapping around Murong Xue's ankles, then her knees, pulling and twisting to make her lose her balance. After a brief grunt, she was pulled forward. Her hands instinctively reached back, but the ropes seized the opportunity, binding her wrists. The ropes slid along the inside of her arms, the inner leather armor creating a faint rustling sound. The ropes circled her wrists, tightening, biting into her skin and leaving faint red marks. Several rope ends then moved upwards, pressing into the crook of her elbows, forcing her arms back towards the center of her spine. With her arms forced behind her, her chest was lifted, the front of her fitted attire stretching tauter, her collarbones and bustline forming an elegant curve. The ropes tightened at her shoulder blades, emitting a faint hum, the knot hidden securely on her back, intricate yet firm. Murong Xue felt a slight tightness in her chest, her breathing growing hot. The ropes simultaneously widened the angle of her knees, lowering her center of gravity. She was enveloped as if in a tight net, any movement causing the ropes to pull taut. Her legs were not spared either. The ropes began to coil from her ankles, one loop pressed tightly against another, like vines clinging to a tree trunk, spreading from her calves all the way up to the middle of her thighs, just above her knees. The ropes dug deeply into her firm leg muscles, binding her two slender legs together tightly, leaving almost no gap from her ankles to her knees. The ropes also wrapped around her knees horizontally several times, securing them firmly, rendering her legs completely incapable of bending or straightening. The entire process took mere moments. When the ropes ceased their movement, Murong Xue was suspended in mid-air, a foot off the ground. Her arms were bound behind her back, her elbows forced as far back as possible, her chest pushed high, and her legs, from ankles to thighs, were tightly bound and held together. Her entire being presented a posture of utter subjugation, yet made exceptionally alluring by the powerful restraint of the ropes. Her fiery red fitted attire was deeply creased and indented by the ropes, outlining every curve of her body. She gasped for breath, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson from shame and struggle, her eyes burning with rage as she glared at the calm Xiao Wanqing below. "Let me go, you despicable wretch! Using such a vile trap." Xiao Wanqing stepped out from behind the counter, untied the ribbon from her hair, and wound it into a small loop around her fingers. She bent down, picked up a white goose feather, and approached the bound, delicate woman. "You, let me down quickly!" Murong Xue, suspended in mid-air and unable to move, her pride transformed into an angry roar by this sudden humiliation. She struggled, but the more she struggled, the tighter the ropes around her became, the sensation of constriction around her chest and waist growing more pronounced. Xiao Wanqing slowly stood up from her chair, smoothing the slightly wrinkled hem of her clothes from her earlier movements, ignoring Murong Xue's furious outburst. She walked with light steps, slowly approaching the suspended Murong Xue, tilting her head back to admire the masterpiece she had personally created.

She glanced around, confirming the shop was empty, before cautiously approaching the counter. Her eyes immediately fell upon the "Ling Que Jade Pendant" she had lost. A sigh of relief escaped her. She reached out to grab it, but just as her fingertips were about to touch the jade, a faint mechanical sound echoed from above. She instinctively looked up, only to see a large net woven from countless fine, tough ropes descending like a dark cloud. Chu Ling Que reacted with lightning speed, attempting to retreat and dodge. However, the net covered an enormous area, leaving no room for escape. Her vision went black as the incredibly resilient rope net enveloped her completely, from head to toe. Xiao Wan Qing materialized silently from the shadows of the rafters, a long rope in her hand, its other end tied to the main knot of the net. She watched Chu Ling Que struggle within the net, only tightening the ropes further, a hint of admiration in her eyes. With a flick of her wrist, the rope began to slowly tighten. Under her control, the net seemed to come alive. Each strand found its perfect position, constricting inwards. Chu Ling Que felt an unbearable pressure all over her body, rendering her immobile. Her limbs were twisted into awkward positions by the net, her wrists and ankles cinched tightly by the rope loops, leaving not even a finger free to move. The more she struggled, the tighter the net became, until she was bound into an airtight cocoon of rope, able to do little more than tremble in place. Xiao Wan Qing descended gracefully from the rafters, landing steadily before the rope-bound Chu Ling Que. She didn't release her immediately. Instead, she took out another rope, threaded it through the net's openings, and skillfully wrapped it around Chu Ling Que a few more times, securing the cocoon completely. Once finished, she finally untied the net's opening and slowly "peeled" Chu Ling Que out of the layers of restraint. As soon as Chu Ling Que was free from the net, Xiao Wan Qing flicked her wrist, changing her approach. Her objective was clear: to re-bind her in the most secure way possible. She first grabbed Chu Ling Que's hands, crossing her wrists behind her back, and wrapped the rope around them five times, tightening each loop with force before tying a knot. The rope then moved upwards, spiraling around her slender forearms. At each elbow joint, she pulled with deliberate force, forcing her arms to bend backward until her elbows nearly touched. Next, the rope passed under her arms, looped over one shoulder, crossed diagonally across her chest, wrapped around the other shoulder, and returned to connect with the main rope behind her back. This process was repeated, creating a crisscrossing diamond pattern on her chest and back, firmly immobilizing her upper body and rendering her arms completely immobile. Following this, Xiao Wan Qing turned her attention to her legs. Keeping Chu Ling Que standing, she secured one end of the rope to her left ankle, then led the rope upwards, wrapping it twice behind her knees and tightening it into a knot. She continued upwards, around her upper thighs, securing them just as tightly. Then, the rope traversed from her upper thighs to the other leg, binding her right leg in the same manner, from ankle, behind the knee, to the upper thigh. To prevent her legs from sliding together, Xiao Wan Qing specifically connected the ropes at her knees with a secure knot in the middle. At this point, Chu Ling Que was completely bound from wrists to ankles. Her shapely curves were accentuated by the ropes, making her appear even more alluring. Xiao Wan Qing admired her handiwork. The notorious thief was now like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, her face flushed with shame and indignation. Her usually bright, lively eyes now stared at Xiao Wan Qing, wide and teary, lacking their usual ferocity and filled instead with a touch of helplessness. Xiao Wan Qing removed her left shoe and extended a finger. She didn't use much force, merely a light touch on Chu Ling Que's stocking-clad sole. "Ah!" Chu Ling Que's body jolted as if struck by electricity. A suppressed gasp escaped her throat, and her toes instinctively curled. Xiao Wan Qing's eyes lit up. Just as she suspected. A playful smile touched her lips as she picked up a translucent peacock feather from nearby and leaned in again. This time, there was no hesitation. The tip of the feather gently, yet with absolute precision, glided across Chu Ling Que's sensitive sole. "Ah… haha… No… Don't…" Chu Ling Que's body writhed violently, but the ropes held her fast. All her struggles were in vain. An uncontrollable tickle surged from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She desperately tried to suppress her laughter, to maintain her last shred of dignity, but her body betrayed her will. A clear, tinkling laugh, like silver bells, escaped her tightly clenched teeth, impossible to contain any longer.

Her legs locked tightly around the other's waist, preventing her from rising; while her hands, using the momentum of the fall, lightning-fast grabbed Yin Mingge's whip-wielding wrist, twisting it forcefully to bind both her arms behind her back. Rainwater, at this moment, was madly washing over the two bodies pressed tightly together. Yin Mingge was pinned beneath, her cheek pressed against the cold ground, her back feeling the warmth of Xiao Wanqing's body. This dual pressure, from top to bottom, from outside to inside, stirred an unprecedented sense of powerlessness within her. She struggled with all her might, but Xiao Wanqing's legs were like cast iron, and her arms were twisted at a painful angle, making it impossible to channel her internal energy. Xiao Wanqing gave her no chance. She freed one hand, unfastened a new rope from her waist, and in the pouring rain, began meticulously binding the former top assassin. She clasped Yin Mingge's wrists tightly together behind her back, tightening the rope with loop after loop. Each knot was tied with extreme firmness, as if to embed the other's bones within it. Deprived of arm support, Yin Mingge could no longer resist. Xiao Wanqing flipped her over, making her lie face up in the accumulating water. The rain instantly soaked her hair and face, leaving her in a state of disarray. Next came Xiao Wanqing's "artistic creation" time, filled with a wicked sense of amusement. She threaded the rope from behind Yin Mingge's neck, then down and around her full, perky breasts encased in the tight leather suit. This time, Xiao Wanqing used more rope, wrapping it several extra times around her chest, each loop deliberately tightened, making the already breathtaking curves even more exaggerated, as if they were about to burst free from the clothing at any moment. The rope continued downwards, cinching her slender waist, outlining a startlingly narrow waistline, then sliding further down over her lower abdomen, before binding her long legs from knees to ankles, leaving no gaps. The pitiable Yin Mingge, thus, in the cold rain, was bound into a work of art for all to admire. Having completed all this, Xiao Wanqing leaned down, letting the rain wash over her own back. Her fingers, carrying the chill of the rainwater, began to trace over Yin Mingge's bound body. From her slender neck, to the collarbones exposed by the rope, then to her breasts, made more prominent by the binding, each touch caused Yin Mingge's body to tremble uncontrollably. It was a complex sensation, a mixture of coldness, shame, and a strange stimulation, that ravaged her last defenses. Under Yin Mingge's gaze, her eyes filled with frost and shock, Xiao Wanqing slowly lowered her head. She kissed Yin Mingge's cold lips, then, without permission, used the tip of her tongue to pry open the other's teeth and explore within. It was a dominant and possessive forced kiss. Rainwater trickled from the corners of their mouths, carrying a hint of sweetness, blood, and cold. Yin Mingge's mind buzzed, going blank. She had never imagined she would have such a humiliating, and yet so... disorienting day. Just as Xiao Wanqing was preparing for deeper torment, she felt a barely perceptible, highly rhythmic tremor from the person she was kissing. Xiao Wanqing, being extremely perceptive, immediately stopped her actions and looked up. She saw that with her hands bound behind her back and her fingers restrained by the rope, one of Yin Mingge's fingers had flicked out a small pellet. The pellet burst in the air. Xiao Wanqing's heart stirred; she understood seven or eight parts of it. This was some kind of signal flare for her own people. As expected, in the next moment, from the end of the distant street, came faint whistling sounds. The sound traveled exceptionally far in the rainy night, yet was exceptionally clear. It was Yin Mingge's companions; they had come so quickly. Xiao Wanqing's gaze instantly turned serious. She released her hold on Yin Mingge and stood up. She knew that, alone, trying to take Yin Mingge away from a top assassin of the "Soul Reaping List" was an almost impossible task. She glanced at Yin Mingge, lying in the rain, soaked, bound and unable to move, yet still looking at her with cold eyes. A myriad of reluctance surged within her. Xiao Wanqing said no more, merely giving her a deep look, then her body sprang up, leaping onto the nearby wall.

"Ah!" Chu Lingque cried out, her body involuntarily thrown into the air. Just as her body reached its apex and was about to fall, Ye Mei on the high platform moved. With a flick of her wrist, the leather whip inlaid with metal scales shot out like a viper's tongue, whistling through the air. Instead of striking, the whip's tip precisely coiled around Chu Lingque's waist. Then, Ye Mei's other hand flung out several specially made black ropes with tiny barbs. The leather whip around her waist provided a pivot, while the ropes, as if alive, instantly wrapped around Chu Lingque's wrists, forcibly pulling her arms overhead and binding them together. More ropes coiled around her ankles and thighs, binding her legs together. Ye Mei yanked the leather whip. *Swish.* Chu Lingque shrieked as she was pulled by the force, landing heavily into a giant swing seat suspended in mid-air, made of black leather and metal chains. The ends of the whip and ropes were quickly secured to the swing's metal frame, firmly binding her within this suspended "cage." Her arms were hoisted high, wrists tightly bound to the top crossbar of the swing, her legs together and secured beneath the seat, her entire body in a posture of humiliation and helplessness, gently swaying with the swing's momentum. "Let me go," Chu Lingque exclaimed, a mixture of shock and anger, struggling with all her might. But the tiny barbs on the ropes snagged her clothes and skin, making her afraid to exert too much force, while the whip around her waist provided immense restraint. "Let you go?" Ye Mei slowly descended the high platform, the click of her high heels on the ground like the beat of death. She walked up to Chu Lingque, bound on the swing, and extended a finger clad in a black leather glove, gently brushing across Chu Lingque's flushed cheek, bringing a touch of icy coldness. "The game... has just begun, little sparrow." She turned and retrieved several tools from a nearby stand. A long feather duster with soft white ostrich feathers at the tip, a slender, soft black lambskin whip like a lover's caress, and a handheld device with two small metal rollers at the front, emitting a faint blue glow. Ye Mei picked up the feather duster first. A cruel smile played on her lips as the tip of the feather lightly brushed Chu Lingque's exposed neck, then slowly slid down, grazing her sensitive collarbone, finally landing precisely at the edge of her heaving chest. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she began to gently tickle. "Hahaha... Don't... Don't touch there. It tickles. It tickles so much." Chu Lingque was most ticklish, and the feather's gentle touch instantly made her skin crawl. She couldn't help but burst into laughter, writhing violently in her restraints, trying to escape. "Ticklish? What a charming weakness." Ye Mei chuckled, her feather movements becoming more precise, focusing on Chu Lingque's armpits and slender sides. "How about here? Is this even more sensitive?" "Hahaha... Stop. You bastard. Stop it. Ahahaha..." Chu Lingque laughed until tears streamed from her eyes. The violent struggles made the swing sway wildly, the ropes tightening, the barbs causing a slight sting mixed with intense ticklishness, plunging her into a chaotic state of mingled pain and uncontrollable pleasure. Next, Ye Mei put down the feather duster and picked up the soft lambskin whip. The whip's touch was cool and delicate, like a lover's fingers. It didn't lash out, but like a slithering snake, with a teasing rhythm, it gently stroked the inner thighs of Chu Lingque's legs, bound tightly by the ropes, her calves, and the sensitive soles of her feet. "Ugh." Unlike the pure ticklishness of the feathers, this cool, delicate sliding sensation brought a strange, brain-piercing stimulation, causing Chu Lingque's screams to carry an uncontrollable tremor, her body tensing, her toes curling involuntarily. Finally, Ye Mei picked up the blue-glowing handheld device. She pressed a button, and the two small metal rollers at the front of the device began to spin at high speed, emitting a faint hum, with weak blue arcs of electricity dancing at the edges of the rollers. "No... Don't use that." Chu Lingque's eyes widened with genuine fear as she saw the arcing electricity. "Don't be afraid, I just want to let you experience... a more 'profound' sensation." Ye Mei's smile grew more cruel as she slowly brought the arcing rollers towards Chu Lingque's abdomen, her most ticklish spot, which was now slightly heaving from the previous stimulation. Chu Lingque's eyes widened in terror, her body stiffening from extreme fear and anticipation. At the critical moment, just as the arcing rollers were about to touch Chu Lingque's skin. Two figures shot out like phantoms from the deep purple curtain shadows of the hall. From the left, Murong Xue. Her eyes glinted with cold light, her Ruyi rope like a golden lightning bolt, whistling through the air with a sharp sound, striking precisely at Ye Mei's wrist holding the electrified device. The target was clear – to disarm her. From the right, Yin Mingge. She had somehow acquired a small silver spray can, and without hesitation, she pressed the spray button towards Ye Mei's face. A colorless, odorless, but intensely irritating mist instantly erupted. Ye Mei's entire focus was consumed by the pleasure of tormenting Chu Lingque, and she was caught completely off guard by these two surprise attacks from the shadows. She felt a sharp pain in her wrist, as if struck by a red-hot iron, and involuntarily let go. The electrified device flew from her hand. At the same time, a pungent, acrid smell rushed into her nose and mouth, instantly blurring her vision, tears uncontrollably welling up, and her breathing catching in her throat. "Ugh." Ye Mei grunted, staggering back, instinctively shielding her nose and mouth with her arm. Murong Xue, having struck true, changed the direction of her Ruyi rope, which coiled like a serpent towards the connection point of the whip and ropes binding Chu Lingque. Yin Mingge, with a flash of movement, had already leaped onto the swing seat, the sharp finger blades in her hand instantly cutting through the ropes binding Chu Lingque's wrists and ankles. "Lingque." Xiao Wanqing and Su Qinghe also rushed forward. Freed from her restraints, Chu Lingque's body went limp, and she was supported by Yin Mingge and the arriving Su Qinghe. She gasped for breath, her small face still flushed and tear-streaked, her body trembling slightly from the intense stimulation, her eyes filled with lingering fear and grievance. Ye Mei retreated to the edge of the high platform, finally clearing the blur from her vision and the obstruction in her breathing. She looked at the rescued Chu Lingque, then at Murong Xue and Yin Mingge, who had ruined her fun. The predatory gleam in her eyes vanished. "Good... Very good." Her voice came, chillingly cold. "You have succeeded in enraging me."

"Bind," Xiao Wanqing's sharp cry echoed as she raised her hands. Two grey ropes, already concealed in her palms, shot out like venomous serpents, whistling through the air. Their targets were not the vital points of the Twin Envoys, but their ankles, the very anchors of their movement. The ropes moved with lightning speed. Yueying and Xinghen, still reeling from the disorientation and their vision blurred by illusions, reacted a beat too late. They couldn't fully evade. *Thwip. Thwip.* With pinpoint accuracy, the ropes coiled around Yueying's right ankle and Xinghen's left. The moment they made contact, they snapped taut, tightening instantly. This was no fatal blow, but the subtle, expertly applied force in the ropes sent both women stumbling, their balance shattered. "Attack," Xiao Wanqing commanded. Chu Lingque and Yin Mingge, poised and ready, sprang forward like arrows loosed from a bow. Chu Lingque's target was Yueying, Yin Mingge's, Xinghen. Chu Lingque unfurled two supple leather cords, which danced like agile vines. Seizing the moment Yueying was off-balance and tethered by her ankle, the cords wrapped around her arms. They weaved and tightened in Chu Lingque's hands with astonishing speed, binding Yueying's arms behind her back within moments, securing her firmly. Another cord snaked around her waist, connecting to the first, forming a secure "reverse bind." Yin Mingge's approach was more direct. She moved like a dancer in the dark, closing the distance to Xinghen in an instant. Her finger blades didn't strike, but instead, with lightning speed, clamped onto Xinghen's wrist, the one holding the whip. A subtle force flowed through, numbing Xinghen's wrist, and the crimson whip clattered to the ground. Immediately, another rope, flung from Yin Mingge's other hand, coiled like a viper, binding Xinghen's arms behind her back in the same manner. The rope dug deeply into Xinghen's fiery red dress. The Twin Envoys were subdued almost simultaneously. They struggled fiercely, but with their arms bound behind them, their ankles restrained by Xiao Wanqing's ropes, and the lingering effects of the soporific, they were powerless to break free. "Let us go," Yueying snarled at Chu Lingque, straining against the ropes that held her tight. "Despicable. Using sleeping drugs," Xinghen spat, glaring at Yin Mingge. "Heehee, all's fair in war, isn't it?" Chu Lingque clapped her hands with glee. Her large eyes darted, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Sister Mingge, look at them, bound face-to-face. Isn't that amusing?" Yin Mingge's eyes, alluring and dark, glinted with mischief. "Indeed. A rare opportunity." They exchanged a knowing smile and moved in unison. Chu Lingque produced a long, sturdy rope and walked between the bound Yueying and Xinghen. She looped the rope over Yueying's bound arms, then threaded it under Xinghen's bound arms, repeating the process several times before pulling it taut and knotting it securely. Now, not only were their arms bound behind them, but their bodies were also tightly lashed together by this single rope, pressing them face-to-face, intimately close. They could feel each other's breath and the friction of their bodies as they struggled. "You... what are you doing?" Yueying's voice trembled with a mixture of shock and anger as she looked at Xinghen so close and their bodies so tightly bound. Xinghen also struggled, but the rope was unforgiving. The more they thrashed, the deeper the rope bit, pressing their bodies closer, their posture becoming increasingly awkward and intimate. "Don't rush, sisters," Chu Lingque chirped, as if conjuring something from thin air, she produced two long, pristine white goose feathers. She dangled them between her fingers. "You must be tired from fighting. Let's relax and play a little game." She moved to their side and crouched down. Under the shocked and furious gaze of Yueying and Xinghen, Chu Lingque extended the two white goose feathers and, simultaneously, gently, began to tickle the soles of their feet, which were now immobile due to the binding. "Ahhh—" "Mmm. Stop. Haha... itchy." Almost in unison, Yueying and Xinghen's bodies jolted. An irresistible, intense itch surged from the soles of their feet, spreading like an electric current throughout their bodies. Yueying fought to maintain her composure, but the corner of her mouth twitched uncontrollably. Xinghen, however, couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. "Heehee, it seems Sister Xinghen is more ticklish," Chu Lingque giggled wickedly, her feather-play continuing, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, on their sensitive soles. "Hahaha... Stop... Chu Lingque... you... hahaha..." Xinghen's laughter shook her body uncontrollably. But as she was bound tightly to Yueying, her movements inevitably caused Yueying to sway as well, their bodies colliding and rubbing. Yueying bit her lip, desperately trying to preserve her dignity, but the maddening itch felt like a thousand tiny insects crawling on her skin. Her cheeks flushed crimson, her body trembled slightly, and suppressed, broken giggles escaped her throat: "Mmm... Hmph... Don't... don't do that... Haha..." Bound face-to-face, one convulsing with laughter, causing the other to shake, and the other struggling to suppress her own amusement, only to be made more sensitive by her companion's movements and laughter, the scene devolved into a chaotic, strangely intimate, and comical spectacle. Watching this, Murong Xue's stern face showed a rare hint of helplessness. Su Qinghe turned her head slightly, her hands clasped together. Xiao Wanqing observed the "tormented" Twin Envoys with a calm gaze, but a thoughtful calculation flickered deep within her eyes. The "Frost Flower Charm" jade pendant continued to emanate its chilling aura.

"Sister Qinghe. Three o'clock." Chu Lingque reported quickly as she sprinted towards the next formation node. Su Qinghe's figure followed closely. Instead of directly attacking the guards, she focused the power of her Qinghe Rope on suppression and purification. Whenever a guard attempted to reform their ranks, or when ice crystal formations in a certain corner were about to take shape, the white light of the Qinghe Rope would project like a precise spotlight. The gentle yet powerful purifying force descended, making the guards' movements sluggish and clumsy as if trapped in an invisible mire. The runes of the formations also dimmed and dissipated rapidly under the white light. The two cooperated seamlessly. Chu Lingque acted as the most敏锐 sapper, precisely dismantling the enemy's "claws and teeth"—traps and formations; Su Qinghe, on the other hand, served as the most steadfast rear guard, using her purifying power to suppress the enemy's "strength"—the guards' actions and the formations' development. Their collaboration cleared the biggest obstacles for Murong Xue and Yin Mingge's frontal assault. As for Xiao Wanqing, she was like the central nervous system of the battlefield. She did not directly engage in the most intense combat but moved through the gaps in the fray. Her gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, constantly observing the overall situation. Whenever a guard, frozen by Murong Xue's sword energy or temporarily incapacitated by Yin Mingge's precise strikes but not completely "defeated," attempted to struggle to their feet, or when a guard being disrupted by Chu Lingque and suppressed by Su Qinghe tried to break free from their control, Xiao Wanqing would intervene. With a slight flick of her wrist, gray ropes shot out as if imbued with life. The ropes traced precise trajectories in the air, coiling around the guards' necks, arms, waists, and ankles. Her movements were fluid and effortless, without any wasted motion. The ropes intertwined, threaded, and tightened, forming complex and efficient knots in an instant—"Flowing Water Bind." The guards bound by the ropes, regardless of whether they were previously frozen or acupunctured, were now like puppets controlled by invisible threads, completely losing their ability to resist. They were firmly bound to the ground, only able to twist in vain. The ropes dug deep into the gaps of their ice armor but caused no additional damage. Xiao Wanqing's binding was efficient, precise, and ruthless, like the most skilled artisan completing their works, swiftly eliminating unstable elements on the battlefield one by one. The five individuals each performed their duties, their coordination reaching the pinnacle of默契. Murong Xue's sword energy swept across the battlefield, Yin Mingge's finger blades were elusive and unpredictable, Chu Lingque's mechanisms were precisely dismantled, Su Qinghe's purification was as steady as a rock, and Xiao Wanqing's crowd control was flawless. The guards outside Frost Blossom Palace were not weak, and the power of the ice crystal formations was sufficiently deadly. However, in the face of this team, which operated like a precision machine, their resistance seemed utterly futile. The shattering of ice crystals, the tightening of ropes, and the annihilation of energy intertwined, forming a symphony of breaking ice. The battle did not last long. When the last guard attempting to activate a corner ice crystal cannon was bound like a dumpling by Xiao Wanqing's "Flowing Water Bind," and when all the flickering runes on the platform were extinguished, the sharp alarm also abruptly ceased. The ice crystal platform was in disarray. Dozens of ice-armored guards lay scattered, frozen, acupunctured, or bound on the ground, rendered combat-ineffective. The platform returned to silence, with only the slight breaths of the five individuals echoing in the emptiness. They stood at the starting point of the Ascending Cloud Steps, looking up at the towering, tightly shut, massive ice crystal palace gate. Intricate ice crystal patterns were carved above the gate, emanating a chilling aura. The outer perimeter defense had been thoroughly cleared by their thunderous assault. "Let's go." Xiao Wanqing wiped a nonexistent bead of sweat from her brow, her gaze sharp as she looked towards the closed palace gate. Without any hesitation, the five individuals followed the long Ascending Cloud Steps, rapidly advancing towards the main hall of Frost Blossom Palace—the "Ice Condensation Hall." The closer they got to the palace gate, the heavier the invisible, cold pressure emanating from the depths of the palace became.

Inside the Hall of Frozen Silence, time seemed to have stopped. Within the cage of ice crystal and glazed porcelain, four pairs of eyes were fixed on the figure perfectly bound in white Heavenly Silkworm Silk in the center of the hall. Shock and ecstasy surged in the depths of their numb pupils. Xiao Wanqing stood three steps away from Fairy Shuanghua, breathing lightly. The vital spiritual energy of Qingluo Valley flowed ceaselessly within her, rapidly soothing the bone-chilling cold from the Ice Soul Condensing Dew and the lingering tremors in her body. The restraints were gone, leaving only the white priestess robe, which now served as the victor's mourning attire. She lowered her head, looking at the Moon Soul Heavenly Silkworm Silk scattered on the floor. These divine objects, once representing absolute confinement, now lacked the support of their master's spiritual energy. Like silver snakes stripped of their souls, they lay dim and disordered on the cold crystal floor. She lifted her foot and gently kicked aside a strand of silk blocking her path, her movement casual, as if brushing away dust. Then, she strode towards Fairy Shuanghua, who was bound by the backlash of her own power. Fairy Shuanghua held her head high, her neck unable to turn due to the Heavenly Silkworm Silk. She could only watch as Xiao Wanqing approached step by step. In her ice-blue eyes, the initial shock and anger had been replaced by a deeper, colder humiliation. She tried to mobilize the vast Ice Soul spiritual energy within her, but the Heavenly Silkworm Silk wrapped around her body acted like the most venomous seal, not only locking her limbs but also completely imprisoning the source of her spiritual power—her spiritual脉 core. Not a trace of power could escape. She had become a prisoner bound by her own divine weapon. Xiao Wanqing stopped before Fairy Shuanghua, her gaze calmly sweeping over the body's curves perfectly outlined by the Heavenly Silkworm Silk. The moon-white ceremonial robe was tightened by the silk threads, clinging to her skin and accentuating breathtaking undulations. Her arms, bound behind her back, her legs, bound together, her waist, tightly cinched, and her heaving chest… every restraint was imbued with a cold artistry, yet also showcased absolute powerlessness. "Supreme Immortal Fairy…" Xiao Wanqing began, her voice calm but carrying a penetrating power, "How does the 'Eternal Stillness' you personally wove taste?" Fairy Shuanghua pressed her lips together tightly, her ice-blue pupils fixed on Xiao Wanqing, filled with boundless hatred and humiliation, yet she could not utter a sound. Xiao Wanqing did not expect a reply. She slowly raised her hand, not to unleash spiritual energy, but to reach into the wide sleeve of her priestess robe. When she withdrew her hand, something was in her palm— A simple hemp rope. Rough brown hemp fibers, with natural barbs and knots, no spiritual energy flowed through it. It formed a primitive, glaring contrast with the ice crystal hall bathed in moonlight and the flawless Heavenly Silkworm Silk cocoon binding Fairy Shuanghua. The moment she saw the hemp rope, Fairy Shuanghua's ice-blue pupils contracted sharply. An unprecedented emotion, a mixture of absurdity and extreme humiliation, flooded her heart like a cold venom. Xiao Wanqing ignored the fury almost bursting from the other woman's eyes. She deftly twisted the rough hemp rope between her fingers, her gaze falling on Fairy Shuanghua's arms, bound behind her back by the Heavenly Silkworm Silk. The Heavenly Silkworm Silk restraint was perfect and subtle, but Xiao Wanqing wanted a more overt mark of conquest. She moved behind Fairy Shuanghua. *Screech.* The rough hemp rope rubbed against the moon-white ceremonial robe, making a faint sound. Xiao Wanqing's movements were not rough, but they carried an undeniable sense of control. She tightly tied one end of the hemp rope to the Heavenly Silkworm Silk binding Fairy Shuanghua's wrists, making a firm knot. Then, she began to use the hemp rope to reinforce the bindings on Fairy Shuanghua's arms, already layered with Heavenly Silkworm Silk. The hemp rope wound around and around, pressing tightly against the surface of the Heavenly Silkworm Silk. With each tightening wrap, the rough fibers rubbed against the luxurious fabric, emitting a grating, subtle sound. Xiao Wanqing's technique was not simple binding, but possessed a unique rhythm—the wheat-ear knot. A folk knotting technique used to tie sheaves of wheat, extremely secure yet extremely crude. The hemp rope dug deep indentations into Fairy Shuanghua's slender arms, creating a cruel contrast between the coarse and the exquisite against the smooth, cold Heavenly Silkworm Silk below. The binding itself was the most naked declaration of humiliation. Fairy Shuanghua's body trembled violently the moment the hemp rope tightened. Not from pain, but from the rough texture, the primitive and savage binding method, which ruthlessly trampled upon her lofty divine status. She bit her lower lip fiercely, almost drawing blood. Xiao Wanqing remained unmoved. She continued to reinforce the binding around Fairy Shuanghua's waist with the hemp rope. The rough rope tightly cinched the slender waist already shaped by the Heavenly Silkworm Silk, tying an ugly yet incredibly secure wheat-ear knot at the small of her back. Then came the legs; the hemp rope wound around the legs already spirally bound by the Heavenly Silkworm Silk, tightening again. Each wrap was accompanied by the sound of the rope rubbing against the fabric, like a dull knife scraping at Fairy Shuanghua's proud soul. After completing the secondary reinforcement, Xiao Wanqing returned to face Fairy Shuanghua. At this moment, Fairy Shuanghua was covered in the divine Moon Soul Heavenly Silkworm Silk, yet crudely bound and reinforced by the most mundane hemp rope, like a statue chained by mortal iron, filled with sacrilege and conquest. Xiao Wanqing's gaze fell upon Fairy Shuanghua's face, slightly contorted by humiliation, yet still breathtakingly beautiful. She slowly raised her hand, her fingertips devoid of spiritual energy, just ordinary fingers with warm body temperature.