The Power of True Ice

I gathered everyone here to purify the Shadow Isles, and now, without even seeing Mordekaiser, are we all going to die here?

"Calm down, Yasuo. There's actually another way, but I'm afraid it might hurt everyone," Ashe said.

What method?

"True Ice."

"True Ice? Then you give it a try!"

Ashe's words calmed me down. I had just slowed everyone's descent with the Gale Force. If it were True Ice, it might have frozen this place solid!

As for causing harm, there's nothing we can do about it; everyone shares my opinion and agrees.

Ashe raised her hands, and Crystal Bow slowly materialized. Although only half of her body was exposed, it did not hinder her from shooting arrows!

As the crystalline blue arrows shot into the swamp, I could clearly feel the temperature drop significantly, and soon it truly froze over!

Ashe and Sejuani, both of whom possessed Blood of Ice, naturally broke free, while the others were frozen solid, many unable to even speak.

"It seems like we've succeeded, but the ice-breaking journey ahead won't be easy," Sejuani joked.

"Let's get started! It's better than watching everyone drown in the swamp!" I hurriedly urged everyone to break through the ice.

True Ice is a type of ice magic with sealing power; Lissandra once used it to seal the void rift in the Howling Abyss.

If it were ice of that thickness, it would be very difficult for us to break it, but it's different with the True Ice that Ashe created. She's not that strong yet, and she doesn't shoot that many arrows, so it's possible to break it with a little more effort!

During the process of breaking through the ice, I found that Kayle was incredibly efficient! By the time I had dug Fiora out with all my might, she had already dug out Jarvan, Shvana, and Garen with her Light Sword!

Not long after, we dug them all out!

The people have been rescued, but most of them are already stiff. Swamp magic is inherently Blood Magic, and combined with Ashe's ice magic, it puts too much strain on their bodies!

I continuously nourished everyone with Life Rune, and Kayle also released the Power of Light to create warmth. Gradually, people finally recovered.

"I was terrified! I thought I was going to die here!" Wukong was still shaken.

"Hahaha... There really is strength in numbers!" Garen is truly made of iron; he recovered in such a short time.

"It can even freeze my Giant Sheep Power, what kind of ice is this?" Huo Su was surprised by True Ice's power.

"Come on, Shvana, warm me up with your Dragon Flame!" Jarvan wasn't sure if he was joking.

"I thought I was immune to any kind of cold, but I never imagined there was such a thing as True Ice!" Olaf exclaimed in disbelief.

Seeing everyone slowly recovering was a great relief to me, but several people were still unconscious, including Fiora, Sword Saint, Katarina, and Talon.

They were all experts in Martial Arts, but they were all just ordinary mortals without powerful bloodlines or physiques, making them extremely vulnerable to this kind of injury. Fortunately, their vital signs were all normal, and it was only a matter of time before they woke up.

Previously, the surrounding Black Mist would dissipate after passing each checkpoint, but it didn't this time. It was probably because we were too close to Mordekaiser, so we retreated down the mountain to rest and recuperate.

We've faced many hardships and dangers these past few days, but we're generally out of danger. However, our final encounter with Karthus and Vladimir nearly cost us our lives.

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Facing Mordekaiser head-on will certainly be more dangerous than the last two times, so we must be fully prepared before launching an attack.

As the sun set, Fiora and the others finally woke up. Their bodies couldn't withstand the ordeal, and at my insistence, they returned to Bilgewater.

Accompanying them were Rappor, Silvan, Jikerd, and other strong and healthy men who lacked any special skills; their physical condition prevented them from participating in the final battle.

This was the first time I had ordered them to leave in a commanding tone; I didn't want any more casualties.

The team of over forty people was streamlined down to just over a dozen. Although the number was reduced, their combat effectiveness was still quite sufficient. The key was how to make good use of them.

There are many rumors about Mordekaiser during his lifetime, but they are mostly descriptions of his temperament and are not very helpful to us.

All that is known so far is that LeBlanc and Vladimir were both his subordinates in the past, and his formidable personal strength is beyond doubt.

Furthermore, we don't know how many Death Rune he possesses, or how far he's progressing in mastering them. Can we possibly contend with him using the Life Rune we have?

Just as I was worrying about various problems, Tam and Illaoi arrived. They had been clearing away the undead in the sea these past few days, including some powerful ones. Now, with the surrounding coastline purified, the undead in the sea have been almost completely wiped out.

Tam has changed a lot. He used to be calm and collected every time I saw him, but now he looks very tired, and his big head has suffered a lot of injuries, especially the three hideous wounds on the back of his neck.

"Thank you for your hard work, boss. You should have brought more people with you."

"You all seem to be having a tough time too. Where would you find extra men for me? Besides, not everyone can fight at sea."

What are your thoughts on Mordekaiser?

"Heh, if I had to say what I think, I'd say we should retreat." Tam made no attempt to hide his fear.

Illaoi punched him. "Get out of here, my foot! We've reached the final, crucial moment. If we can't eliminate him in one fell swoop, the Shadow Isles will come back sooner or later!"

"Heh." Tam chuckled emotionlessly, offering no further response to Illaoi.

I could tell he had something to say, so I found him later and asked, "Why do you want to retreat? Illaoi is right; retreating now would mean all our previous efforts are wasted."

"This is not a battle that ordinary people can participate in. Illaoi only wants to use you. Her goal is to protect the seas south of Bill, and she doesn't care about your casualties."

"There's no question of exploitation. Everyone is helping Bilgewater voluntarily, and I've already sent those who are in relatively poor health back. Those who remain are all very strong."

"No matter how strong we are, we are still just mortals, unable to effectively face death, and our enemies are equivalent to death itself."

"Haha, thank you for your concern, boss. But don't worry, we will definitely win this battle!"

"I knew you wouldn't retreat, that's why I didn't argue with Illaoi earlier. But remember, if you can't win, retreat. Sometimes forcing yourself to persist is pointless."

"Of course, I asked everyone to come and help, not to die."

"Hehe, that's good."

"By the way, boss, I need to talk to you about something!"