While everyone was setting up camp and resting, the entire ice field remained deathly silent. The Emperor of the South Pole made no move whatsoever, neither sending his demons to launch Demon Beast attack nor releasing his Emperor aura to intimidate.
Chen Lang stood at the edge of the fortress, gazing at the dimly lit ice peaks in the distance, pondering to himself. He figured that the Emperor of the South Pole was either too busy to deal with them or simply didn't take them, these humans who had intruded into his territory, seriously, regarding them as insignificant ants, and too lazy to personally intervene.
He gently shook his head, banishing these jumbled guesses from his mind.
Any further speculation at this point is merely conjecture and meaningless. Only by venturing deeper into the heartland and personally confronting that eternal Emperor can we obtain the final answer.
Fortunately, the Fire Array in the center of the fortress continued to burn, spreading warmth layer by layer, completely isolating the pervasive Ice Invasion Force from the outside world, and the group finally escaped the torment of the bone-chilling cold.
Chen Lang, who was accompanying him, found a corner near the Fire Array, closed his eyes, sat cross-legged and meditated. Star Seed slowly circulated around him as he took the time to replenish the Magic Power that had been exhausted during the previous river crossing and to adjust his state to deal with the subsequent crisis.
Inside the entire Ice Prism Fortress, only the crackling of the burning Fire Array and the steady breathing of the mages meditating remained. Everyone was seizing this brief moment of peace to gather strength for battle; the atmosphere was quiet yet extremely tense.
After a full day of rest, the team was fully recovered, with their depleted Magic Power and physical strength replenished. They packed their belongings and set off again, heading deeper into the Antarctic Glacier.
But less than ten miles from the fortress, the once flat and open ice field suddenly narrowed, ice peaks appeared ahead, the road became rugged and difficult to travel, and the road ahead was no longer smooth.
A heavy, Vicious Qi suddenly swept over them, making everyone hold their breath and stop in their tracks.
Looking up, all they could see on the icy plain ahead were countless enormous beasts lined up in formation, completely blocking all paths forward. Their beastly eyes gleamed with a cold red light as they stared intently at the group that had intruded into their territory, exuding a fierce and menacing aura.
" Icefield Demon Bear!"
One of the most knowledgeable Holy Arbitration Mage in the group gasped and blurted out the names of these colossal creatures blocking their path.
These colossal beasts were as large as small mountains, their bodies covered in thick, stiff, ice-blue fur with Ice Veins on their fur. Their paws were incredibly broad and could crush boulders with a single slap, and they exhaled white, frigid air from their mouths and nostrils. Just standing there, they exuded a chilling aura.
Everyone stared intently, their hearts sinking instantly, their expressions turning solemn.
A quick glance revealed nearly fifty Icefield Demon Bear blocking the way. What was even more alarming was that, without exception, they were all Monarch Level Demon Beast, each possessing formidable strength capable of standing alone. In the outside world, they would be enough to wreak havoc on a city.
Among these demonic bears stood two exceptionally large beings, their auras far surpassing their counterparts. Their icy power was condensed to its extreme, clearly indicating they had already reached the level of Invincible Monarch!
Nearly fifty Monarch-Level Demon blocked the road. Such a lineup was enough to sweep away most forces in the world. Even though everyone present was a top expert, they couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.
Shaja remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. As the leader of the group, she immediately issued a stern command, her clear voice carrying throughout the entire ranks. " Holy Arbitration Mage, make your move!"
Her eyes were sharp, and her plans were clear and well-defined.
The accompanying Holy Arbitration Mage were specifically designed to deal with miscellaneous battles and Demon Beast from those below the Emperor-level, undertaking the tasks of frontal assaults and clearing out the mobs.
She, Chen Lang, and the summoned Forbidden Curse Mage faced the Emperor of the Extreme South.
As soon as Shaja gave the order, the group of Holy Arbitration Mage immediately responded, their footsteps swiftly overlapping, instantly forming a neat magical battle formation.
Each person was enveloped in dazzling magical light, with various elemental forces intertwining and swirling. Several super-level Fusion Magic spells were successfully charged and then erupted, sweeping towards the Icefield Demon Bear herd ahead!
These Holy Arbitration Mage are all among the world's top experts.
Ice-blue icicles, blazing firestorms, and sharp Wind Blade clashed together, crashing against the Icefield Demon Bear's icy breath and massive paw strikes. The deafening roar reverberated across the entire icefield, scattering shards of ice and magical aftershocks in all directions. The battle instantly intensified, becoming exceptionally fierce.
As for Shaja, Chen Lang, and other top-tier experts at the Forbidden Curse Level, they remained standing in place, watching coldly from the sidelines, and none of them offered any assistance.
In such a desperate situation as the heart of Antarctica, their Magic Power and physical strength are of paramount importance. Every bit of strength must be reserved for the final showdown with the Emperor of the South Pole Ice, and not a single bit can be wasted on these Monarch-Level Demon blocking their way. This is a tacit understanding that everyone has already reached.
The Holy Arbitration Mage were already at a disadvantage against a horde of Monarch-Level Demon, and the ferocious pressure of the demonic bears forced them to retreat steadily. Many of them were already injured, their breathing disordered, and they were having an exceptionally difficult time.
Each of them possesses the ability to fight a monarch alone; however, the Demon Beast on the Antarctic Glacier are far stronger than ordinary Demon Beast of the same level.
According to some estimates, it is at least three times stronger than Land Demon.
But they gritted their teeth and fought with all their might to entangle the bear pack, sacrificing their own lives to keep these enormous creatures at bay and prevent a single bear from escaping the battlefield and interfering with the main force's advance.
"Let's keep going!"
Shaja's gaze was icy. She didn't turn back to look at the fierce battle behind her, nor did she care about the lives of these Holy Arbitration Mage. She simply gave a deep signal to the forbidden spell experts who had been summoned beside her, and the team continued to move forward.
For her, the core of this mission was simply to kill the Emperor of the South Pole Ice; everything else was just a prelude.
These Holy Arbitration Mage were there to clear out the fodder and cover the main force; that was their mission. She didn't have the extra energy to worry about individual lives or deaths; the overall victory or defeat was the top priority.
At this moment, no one in the team raised any objections, and even the Holy Arbitration Mage fighting bloody battles behind them did not show the slightest dissatisfaction.
They knew in their hearts that the top combatants like Shaja were not indifferent and did not take action, but rather that they were facing the Emperor of the South Pole Ice, which had occupied Antarctica for thousands of years and was one of the Three World Ridges. It was an existence capable of destroying the world. If they were to deplete their power in advance, they would surely lose this battle, and the entire human world would be plunged into crisis.
Their sacrifice was willingly made for the final victory.
The group quietly bypassed the two combatants along the edge of the battlefield, continuing their rapid journey deeper into the glacier without stopping.
After traveling for about an hour, the surrounding scenery changed completely. The originally flat ice field disappeared, replaced by a treacherous area with towering Ice Mountain.
Towering Ice Mountain rise abruptly from the ground, scattered about, their translucent ice exuding a chilling aura. Their steep, smooth slopes point directly to the dark sky, completely blocking the way ahead.
Logically, the Antarctic interior should be a vast expanse of ice sheet plains, and such a dense cluster of Ice Mountain should not exist. Clearly, this is not a natural formation, but rather a territorial barrier personally erected by the all-powerful Emperor of the Extreme South, the final barrier leading to his core domain...