Within the Altar Hall at the bottom of the Permafrost Abyss, the battle had reached a fever pitch.
Tang Chen, Snow Empress, Ice Empress, and two Clear Sky Sect elders stood back to back in a battle formation, barely holding on beneath the frenzied siege of countless Evil Spirit Masters and ice-type soul beasts corrupted by evil energy. The Abyss High Priestess floated above the altar, swinging his skeletal staff as streams of dark-red evil light—carrying the power to corrode souls and freeze the source of life—lashed at the five like venomous serpents. Worse still, the evil god's whispers drifting from the twisted vortex above the altar relentlessly eroded their minds.
"Pfft!" One of the Clear Sky Sect elders failed to dodge in time, and a streak of evil light grazed his shoulder. His entire arm instantly turned black and withered, radiating an aura of deathly stillness. He let out a muffled groan, his face deathly pale.
"Fifth Elder!" Tang Chen's eyes nearly split with rage. His Clear Sky Hammer swept out, forcing back several pouncing evil beasts, before he sent a stream of pure Soul Power into the elder's body to temporarily suppress the spread of evil energy through his arm.
"This can't continue!" Snow Empress's cool voice carried a trace of urgency. Her hands formed seals as Extreme Ice transformed into layers of ice walls to block the attacks, but the walls continually shattered beneath the bombardment of evil light. "The altar's evil energy is too powerful. Our Soul Power is being drained too quickly!"
A ruthless glint flashed through Ice Empress's emerald eyes. "Damn it, let's take these bastards down with us! Even if I have to self-destruct my martial soul, I can drag them to their graves!"
"No!" Tang Chen stopped her sharply. **"It's not time