Tian Shuang Zi
"Puff!"
A muffled spitting sound of blood broke the brief silence of the battlefield like a thunderclap.
In the distance, Elder Heavenly Serpent of Ice River Valley, whose mind was connected to the Blood Ice Arrow, was struck as if by an invisible giant hammer. He staggered back several steps like a kite with a broken string, leaving a deep footprint on the Ice-Sealed ground with each step.
He clearly felt as if his soul was being violently torn apart by an invisible hand, and the excruciating pain made his vision go black.
Crimson blood gushed from the corner of his mouth, tracing a tragic arc in the air before landing on the cold ground.
Strangely, before the warm blood could even spread, it was instantly frozen by the lingering extreme cold around it, condensing into dark red ice crystals, like broken agate, shimmering with an eerie and desperate light in the sunlight.
At this moment, Elder Heavenly Serpent's face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. His face, which had been flushed from using the Ice God Bow, was now deathly ashen.
His aura was like a candle flickering in the wind, instantly weakening to the extreme. His body, which had been barely standing upright to maintain his momentum, became hunched over again, as if he had aged decades in an instant.
His cloudy eyes were filled with disbelief and deep-seated fear as he stared intently at Lin Ming not far away, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word.
As Half-Step Dou Venerate Tian She, Tian She never imagined that the Ice God Bow, which he had sacrificed his Essence Blood and risked half his life to create— Earth Tier High-grade Dou Skill that would have allowed him to run rampant among Dou Zong —would be so easily neutralized by Lin Ming!
That was his trump Trump Card, his pride and joy, but now it's been completely destroyed, like a child's toy!
The Five Fires Burning Heaven the Heavens completely shattered an Earth Tier High-grade Dou Skill that a Nine-Star Dou Zong had desperately unleashed! Such a feat was enough to shock everyone present!
In the sky, of the five Flame Giant Beasts, only the semi-transparent Flame Flood Dragon remained, slowly circling. Its body seemed to have dimmed somewhat, clearly indicating that absorbing the essence of the ice arrow had also consumed a lot of its power.
Below, Lin Ming's face was slightly pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. It was clear that continuously controlling the Five Rounds Leaving Fire Method had greatly exhausted him, but his eyes were still bright as stars, and his sharp gaze was fixed on the seriously injured Elder Heavenly Serpent without the slightest relaxation.
Silence!
A deathly silence!
The only sounds on the battlefield were the faint flapping of the Flame Flood Dragon's wings and the heavy breathing of the crowd. Everyone was utterly shocked by the scene before them, and their gazes toward Lin Ming were filled with awe and fear.
A cold glint flashed in Lin Ming's eyes, and his Dou Qi surged rapidly into the Star Dragon Saber in his hand. Instantly, dazzling purple-red flames erupted from the blade, emanating a deadly aura.
At this moment, Elder Heavenly Serpent was at his last gasp, and now was the best time to eliminate him completely!
As Lin Ming raised his Star Dragon Saber, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the heavily injured Elder Heavenly Serpent, a voice so cold it seemed to freeze time and Space-Time suddenly rang out across the ravaged battlefield.
"Stop."
The voice was not loud, even somewhat calm, yet it seemed to come from the depths of an ancient glacier, carrying an undeniable majesty that clearly penetrated the soul of everyone present.
The voice seemed to possess a magical power, causing everyone's heart to involuntarily stop for a moment.
As the voice rang out, Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, and Elder Yao were horrified to discover that the surrounding space seemed to have instantly transformed into indestructible amber!
The air, which had been flowing, completely froze, and even the light seemed to slow down.
A terrifying pressure, ten or even a hundred times stronger than that of Elder Heavenly Serpent, crashed down like a ten-thousand-foot glacier, instantly freezing their movements in place. Even the flow of their internal fighting Dou Qi became incredibly sluggish, as if each movement required a thousand times the effort!
Xiao Yi Xian's face turned pale, and the Calamity Poison Gas within her body surged violently under this pressure, almost spiraling out of control;
Zi Yan's small body trembled slightly as the bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon instinctively issued a warning, making her feel an unprecedented danger;
Elder Yao's Soul Body became even more ethereal, and the oppressive aura emanating from the soul level made it almost impossible for him to maintain his form.
Just as everyone was horrified, the space in the distance suddenly distorted violently like ripples on water, and a figure silently stepped out from the distorted space, as if he had always been there and had only just revealed himself.
The newcomer looked even younger than the gray-haired Elder Heavenly Serpent, appearing to be around fifty years old.
His face was cold and stern, as if sculpted from millennia-old ice, devoid of any expression. His temples were slightly gray, adding to his imposing presence. He wore an ice-blue robe embroidered with fine ice patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight, and remained spotless, as if no filth in the world could taint him.
This person did not deliberately exude any aura, but the natural and harmonious majesty that flowed from him made everyone feel as if a heavy iceberg was pressing down on their hearts, making it difficult to even breathe!
He simply stood there, and it seemed as if he had become the center of this world, making everything around him pale in comparison.
"Great Elder!"
The Elder Heavenly Serpent, whose face had been ashen, suddenly had a strong will to survive in his eyes the moment he saw this person. Like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, his face instantly lit up with wild joy, and his voice became hoarse as he shouted excitedly.
Great Elder of Ice River Valley, Tian Shuang Zi!
The name exploded in Lin Ming's and his companions' minds like a thunderclap!
While Tang Zhen was giving his instructions in Blazing Flame Valley, he also mentioned Tian Shuang Zi, the Great Elder of Ice River Valley.
He successfully entered the ranks of Dou Venerate ten years ago, and now he has reached the terrifying realm of Mid One Star Dou Venerate!
Dou Venerate!
These two words struck Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, and Zi Yan like a heavy hammer, causing their hearts to sink to the bottom instantly.
Dou Zong and Dou Venerate may seem to be only Tier One apart, but in reality, they are like Natural Chasm insurmountable chasm, worlds apart! It is a huge leap in the Life Level and the essence of power! Dou Zun expert have already been able to initially control the Space Power, and can manipulate the power of heaven and earth with every move. Their power is far beyond what Dou Zong can contend with!
Even if they used Trump Card and attacked together, their chances of winning against a true Dou Zun expert were pitifully slim, almost tantamount to suicide!
Tian Shuang Zi's indifferent gaze slowly swept over the corpses of the Ice River Valley disciples scattered on the ground. Those once vibrant lives had now turned into cold corpses. Some were blown to pieces, while others were burned to charcoal by flames. The scene was too gruesome to bear.
Then, Tian Shuang Zi's gaze lingered for a moment on the two charred and twisted corpses of Bing Xuan and Bing Hua. Although his face remained expressionless, a barely perceptible chill flashed in his eyes, a chill like ten-thousand-year-old ice, enough to freeze a person's soul.
Finally, his gaze fell on Lin Ming. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it seemed to see through everything and understand Lin Ming's true nature perfectly.
"To be able to force my Ice River Valley to such a state with the strength of Dou Zong, the Guest Elder of Blazing Flame Valley truly lives up to his reputation."
Tian Shuang Zi spoke slowly, her tone calm yet carrying a condescending scrutiny, "However, this ends here."
The short sentence carried an undeniable sense of judgment, as if Lin Ming's fate was completely under his control.
Lin Ming's pupils constricted sharply, and his heart pounded wildly. Despair? Yes! Anyone would feel despair facing Dou Zun expert. But he knew even more clearly that he absolutely could not sit idly by and wait for death! Once they gave up resisting, only death awaited them!
Lin Ming could clearly sense the situation within his body. The effects of the Heavenly Fire Three Xuan Transformations were continuing, but this explosive power couldn't last long. Once time passed, not only would his rapidly increasing cultivation level vanish instantly, but he would also fall into a severe period of weakness. At that point, he would truly face certain death!
We must strike first!
Taking advantage of Tian Shuang Zi's recent arrival and unstable foothold, and while I am still at the peak of the Heavenly Fire Three Xuan Transformations, I must fight for that sliver of hope, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance!
"Do it!"
Without any hesitation, a resolute glint flashed in Lin Ming's eyes, and a sharp shout shattered the tense atmosphere like a thunderclap!
Lin Ming, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, Puppet One, and Elder Yao, who were already of one mind, unleashed their strongest attacks almost simultaneously!
"The Calamity Poison Domain, Ten Thousand Poisons Corrupt Heaven!"
The Xiao Yi Xian's jade-like hands rapidly formed hand seals, her exquisite face filled with solemnity as she pushed the Woeful Poison Body within her to its limit!
In an instant, the gray Poison Mist that had been spreading around her stopped slowly and instead burst forth like a spring compressed to its limit, transforming into an extremely condensed torrent of venom!
The torrent, like a ferocious venomous dragon, bared its fangs and claws, carrying a pungent, fishy stench, and rushed towards Tian Shuang Zi first! Wherever the venom passed, even the space itself was corroded, hissing white smoke rising from it, and the ground was melted into deep trenches—it was terrifying beyond measure!
"The Ancient Void Dragon Fist!"
With a sharp cry, Zi Yan unleashed a primordial power from her small body that was completely disproportionate to her size!
Her body was surrounded by purple light, and her original childish aura vanished instantly, replaced by a domineering Dragon Might's might originating from ancient times!
Clenching his fist, he slammed it into the void, instantly forming a purple dragon-shaped fist force that had been condensed to its extreme. The dragon-shaped fist force was lifelike, carrying the sound of a dragon's roar, Space-Tearing, and with unparalleled force, Tian Shuang Zi's face! This punch contained the terrifying power of the Ancient Void Dragon, enough to shatter mountains!
"Sunlight Burning Heaven Palm!" Elder Yao's Soul Body ignited with blazing white flames, an ultimate attack achieved by burning his Soul Power!
The Soul Power transformed into a gigantic, fiery hand that blotted out the sky before him!
Flames roared on the giant palm, which seemed to hold a Miniature Sun, radiating an intense heat that could incinerate everything! With a roar from Elder Yao, the giant flaming palm descended from the sky like the wrath of God, carrying the power to destroy everything as it struck Tian Shuang Zi!
Puppet One was even more straightforward. As one of Lin Ming's most powerful Trump Card, it unleashed its full power as Half-Step Dou Venerate without reservation!
Its dark silver body transformed into a streak of light, leaving a trail of afterimages in the air!
Lightning and silver light intertwined on its fist, radiating a destructive aura! It used no fancy techniques, only pure power and speed, like a cannonball, to smash its fist into Tian Shuang Zi's chest!