Heavens—am I seeing things?! Master Yun Zheng?!

Outside the Ice Soul, the world was collapsing in chaos.

Above the Ice Soul, Huo Junxiao knelt on one knee, holding the unconscious and still hazy Bai Ke tightly in his arms.

The soul in the air, under his control, held the ravenous black claws in place, but the Ice Soul was not something that could be dealt with so easily. Its spiritual energy was so dense that even ten great experts combined could not match it. How could Junxiao, relying on just his own strength, fight against it effortlessly?

At first, controlling the soul had not seemed too difficult, but as the pressure from the Ice Soul's released spiritual power intensified, the force pushing against the acupoints around his body grew stronger. Several key meridians seemed completely blocked, as if an entire mountain was pressing down on his chest, yet he still had to pour more spiritual energy and qi into the soul.

Caught between internal and external pressures, any cultivator with lower cultivation would have exploded and died by now. However, he simply pressed his lips together, his face as cold as water, holding Bai Ke close, and then, with a deep gaze, injected more qi into the soul.

But the Ice Soul was like an endless abyss. The more energy he expended, the thicker the spiritual power leaking out from the Ice Soul became, layer upon layer, constantly accumulating. The black claws continued their relentless battle against the soul Junxiao controlled.

As the Ice Soul's defiant power grew heavier, the thunderous strikes from the heavens became more frequent and dense. Each flash of lightning was followed by another, striking down on the Hengtian Sect, shaking its very foundation.

On the ground, cracks blackened with scorched earth spread out. The mountains collapsed, and the buildings of the Hengtian Sect, which had been built upon these mountains, crumbled along with them into ruins. However, the Hengtian Sect disciples didn’t have time to care. While avoiding the strikes of the thunder, they clashed fiercely with the other sects.

The formations were continuously deployed, and magical artifacts were summoned one after the other. Hengtian Sect’s long-standing dominance was not without merit; in terms of cultivation, talismans, and magical weapons, they had the upper hand over the other sects.

Among the three main sects and six smaller sects, aside from the fallen Yu Sheng Sect and the long-vanished Changling and Xuanwei Sects, only five sects remained strong enough to challenge Hengtian Sect. Of those, three were much weaker, leaving Hengtian Sect with a numerical disadvantage. When it came to actual combat, however, the side with more disciples did not necessarily have the upper hand.

In fact, Hengtian Sect found itself in a position where its traps were now shattered. The sect that had been standing for a thousand years was crumbling amid the disruption of the land. The monstrous beasts it had bred had been killed, and the Ice Soul, which had been hiding within the sect, was now in a state where no one could contain it. Everything they had relied on was gone. However, they were fighting fiercely, with each strike full of deadly intent.

This sect had always been known for its unscrupulous ways, and now, in this true battle, they unleashed one underhanded move after another. After a brief period of disadvantage, their fortunes began to turn, and they slowly gained the upper hand.

As the buildings of the sect collapsed and the protective barriers shattered, the Hengtian Sect disciples, who had been cut off from the rest of the world, rushed to the scene of the battle. Without time to fully understand the situation, they quickly aligned themselves with their sect’s elders and joined the fight, adding more strength to Hengtian Sect’s side.

The only force that could suppress Hengtian Sect outside the Ice Soul was likely Yu Xian. However, Yu Xian could not afford to join the chaotic battle. He had to protect the young disciples who had been unintentionally dragged into this conflict. As someone who understood the Ice Soul deeply, he knew that Junxiao alone would not be able to hold out much longer. So, he joined forces with Junxiao to resist the oppressive spiritual pressure of the Ice Soul from outside.

But even with the help of these two powerful cultivators, it was still not enough. The spiritual power leaking from the Ice Soul continued to grow thicker. Even though the young disciples were sheltered under Yu Xian’s protection, they could still feel their bones being crushed with excruciating pain—this was still because they had some cultivation. If ordinary people were here, they would have been reduced to dust by the overwhelming pressure, leaving not even a trace behind.

These young disciples were still in their youth, and their hearts were full of passion. Unable to just watch Yu Xian give his all while they did nothing, they began to pour out their own spiritual energy, forming weak streams of qi to help him resist the Ice Soul’s power.

But even with their assistance, Junxiao did not feel any relief, as the Ice Soul’s spiritual power continued to thicken.

They were like gamblers, constantly increasing their stakes. Every time they pushed a pile of chips onto the table, the Ice Soul responded by pushing more. They raised their bet, and the Ice Soul did the same. They continued to add everything they had, but the Ice Soul could still raise its power, and it still had plenty of strength left to spare.

It was impossible to even measure how much energy was left.

Finally, outside the Ice Soul, Yu Xian was shaken. In an instant, all his disguise vanished, revealing his true self. His long hair blew wildly in the wind as an immense wave of spiritual pressure burst forth from him, clashing with the force of the Ice Soul in the air. The sharp, ringing sound of weapons clashing filled the space, and a dazzling golden light filled the surroundings.

The force of the pressure caused everyone engaged in the battle to recoil, clutching their chests in pain, spitting blood, and most of them were sent crashing to the ground.

But they didn’t immediately rush back into the fight. The younger disciples were confused, but some of the older ones, who had been there since the late days of the Southern Hua period, turned around in disbelief, looking in Yu Xian’s direction. Even Hengtian Sect’s leader paused for a moment, shaken.

The depth of the cultivation power behind this pressure made everyone’s heart skip a beat. The most powerful cultivators of the age were gathered here, yet even they had been knocked down and spat blood. What level of cultivation did this person possess?

They searched their minds but could only come up with a few names, all of them once prominent figures from the Southern Hua period.

Who exactly was this person?! While the sect masters and elders in the chaotic battle were defending against attacks, they couldn't help but rack their brains, but the names they thought of were all more shocking than the last, nearly causing them to falter, almost dropping their magical tools.

The few people among them who had come from the Southern Hua period had only ever seen Yu Xian disguised as an old man, and none of them had seen his true appearance. So even though they wracked their minds, they couldn’t connect this person to the name "Yu Xian."

While they still hadn't figured out who the mysterious figure was, another terrifying wave of spiritual pressure rushed toward them. This time, it seemed to be emanating from the figure in the Ice Soul.

After Yu Xian released his full strength, Junxiao finally narrowed his eyes and unleashed his own most powerful aura. His black robe billowed, and his tied-up hair instantly unraveled. The pressure he radiated was no less than Yu Xian’s, and in fact, it was even stronger, since Yu Xian had not fully recovered from his earlier power loss.

The sect elders, who had just barely spit out a mouthful of blood, were caught off guard again by this force. They spewed another mouthful of blood, nearly collapsing to their knees.

When this aura burst forth, everyone immediately froze in shock, stopping their movements. While avoiding the thunder strikes, they all turned their gazes toward the Ice Soul.

There were many famous figures from the Southern Hua period, but only a few could dominate with crushing power.

Cultivators rarely cared about their clothing, most often wearing simple, white robes, exuding an otherworldly, ethereal aura. Some of the prominent figures from the early stages of the period wore such white robes, but by the later stages, one of them had changed into a black robe, and his aura became dark and imposing, overwhelming anyone who encountered him...

So when the figure within the Ice Soul became clear, everyone immediately exclaimed, “Heaven—am I seeing things?! Master Yun Zheng?!”

In the brief moment of their astonishment, the spiritual power of the Ice Soul surged once again, calling down a thunderbolt so terrifying that it almost rivaled the celestial tribulation lightning during ascension. Two of the elders, whose cultivation was a little weaker, were unable to avoid it and were struck by the lightning, falling to the ground.

Once they were struck down, the thunderbolts relentlessly rained down on them without restraint, the blinding light making it difficult for everyone to look. They almost couldn’t bear to watch as the two elders were hit again and again.

After dozens of thunderbolts had struck, the two unlucky elders were reduced to nothing but charred remains, no longer able to be saved.

Everyone was stunned. The brief pause caused by Junxiao was shattered by the thunder, and they had no choice but to summon their magical tools once more, jumping back into the chaotic battle, all while keeping a heightened sense of alertness to avoid the thunder.

But while they could dodge, and even Yu Xian could make space for himself, there was no escaping for Junxiao, who was bound within the Ice Soul.

The thunderbolts were drawn by the defiant Ice Soul, and while they struck the surrounding areas by accident, their true target was the Ice Soul itself. But the Ice Soul couldn’t be shattered by the thunder; the ones who truly suffered were those locked within it.

Junxiao protected Bai Ke even more tightly as thunderbolts rained down on him, each one almost shattering his bones.

While enduring the thunder, he still had to control the soul to resist the Ice Soul. He felt that he had reached his limit, clenching his fists, his brows furrowed deeply, yet his lips remained silent.

Yu Xian, watching from outside the Ice Soul, saw the thunderbolts strike the Ice Soul and then Junxiao. Each bolt grew stronger, and as the thunder intensified, the white light almost engulfed the entire Ice Soul.

The tribulation lightning for ascension required enduring 81 bolts, but the lightning drawn by the Ice Soul was even stronger.

After nearly a hundred bolts struck, even Junxiao could not withstand it. Blood began to trickle from the corner of his mouth, and his black robe, despite being infused with all his spiritual energy, was torn to shreds. He clung desperately to Bai Ke, his dark eyes losing their focus for the first time, showing signs of mental disarray.

He opened his mouth amidst the thunder but could only produce a low, rasping sound.

First, he whispered, “Master...” After a long pause, he managed to lift his hand, supporting Bai Ke’s head, slightly shifting him. His eyes, unfocused, seemed to focus on Bai Ke as he carefully examined him, then he quietly said, “I’ve taken all these... strikes for you... can I... cough... ask for a reward... just as my final...”

The words "farewell" were caught in his throat as he barely managed to force a smile, pressing his lips on Bai Ke's.

 

Translator : DarNan