Chapter 351-353 (Patreon)

351. Return to the Glacier

"System."

Lin Fei accessed the system panel to review the progress of his Divine Abilities.

Host: Lin Fei

Martial Realm: Mid-stage Martial Sovereign

Great Divine Ability: Black Wind Prison: Perfect

Great Divine Ability: Gravity Domain: Perfect

Great Divine Ability: Dual-World Saber: Perfect

Great Divine Ability: Annihilation: Perfect

Great Divine Ability: Undying Seal: Perfect

Great Divine Ability: Pierce: Mastery (Progress 8%)

Saber Domain: Transcendence (Progress 10%)

Upon seeing the Saber Domain, Lin Fei was astonished to find it had advanced again, having reached a cultivation progress of 10%. The Great Divine Ability: Pierce had also evolved from its beginner stage to mastery. This breakthrough was due to it pierced the Heavenly River Orb. Thus, his skills had ascended to mastery.

Lin Fei had been overseeing the Nine Profound Sect for several days. During this time, he stayed within the sect, observing. He was curious to see if any Martial Sovereigns or Golden Core True Persons would defy his "decree". If they did, he was ready to act.

However, the days passed uneventfully. Everywhere remained calm, with no Martial Sovereign or Golden Core True Person daring to breach Lin Fei's mandate. All were impeccably compliant.

Perhaps Lin Fei's execution of True Person Youming and the other seven Golden Core True Persons had sent a clear message. Or it could be the result of slaying Yuan Dragon True Person and his cohort of Golden Core True Persons.

"Since all is calm, it's time for me to venture to the Northern Territories," mused Lin Fei.

His heart was also set on seeking treasures. As there were no pressing matters in other areas, Lin Fei prepared to depart.

With a swoosh, he transformed into a beam of light, instantaneously exiting his cave residence and vanishing into the horizon. Shortly after, he arrived in the Northern Territories, flying ceaselessly towards the far North.

The land here was perennially frigid, with snowflakes settling to form a thick carpet of snow. Before him stretched an endless glacier, seemingly boundless. Yet, Lin Fei knew better. It might appear to be a grand illusion, with the glacier not as vast as it seemed, but imbued with a peculiar power that could lead one in endless circles atop it.

In the past, when Lin Fei was merely a Martial Saint, he couldn't detect any flaws or traces of a magical formation on the glacier. Now, as a Martial Sovereign, he was vastly more powerful than a Martial Saint. Yet, as far as his eyes could see, all he witnessed was still the vast expanse of the white glacier. Even as a Martial Sovereign, he discerned no anomalies.

Thus, Lin Fei, just as before, took a step, entering the heart of the glacier.

As Lin Fei took his steps into the glacier, an immediate surge of piercing cold engulfed him.

"Crack, Crack."

His body quickly started forming layers of ice crystals, seemingly trying to encase him entirely. However, Lin Fei didn't even need to activate his Saber Domain. His flesh had gone through numerous transformations over time.

"Bang."

With a slight vibration of his body, the icy layers on him shattered instantly. The ice crystals covering him broke and crumbled, revealing a scorching aura emanating from his very being.

This was the pure power of Lin Fei's flesh. He hadn't frequently utilized the power of his physical body, but that didn't mean it wasn't formidable. Before achieving the status of Martial Sovereign, he had condensed the Energy Flower, and his body had undergone subsequent transformations. Even by merely relying on his flesh's power, Lin Fei could easily overpower numerous martial saints.

Thus, these mere ice crystals and biting cold were of no match to Lin Fei's robust physique. He proceeded forward, leaving footprints with each step.

After what felt like an eternity, Lin Fei felt a sense of déjà vu. Just like before, he felt like he was continuously moving in circles within the glacier.

"There's no trace of any formation... There isn't any obvious seal either. Even a Martial Sovereign or a Golden Core True Person can't detect any flaws..."

Lin Fei contemplated in silence. There was undoubtedly something off about this glacier. But with just his eyes, he couldn't discern the anomaly. However, his expertise in formations wasn't his strong suit, and he had no intention of searching for any formation flaws.

"Boom!"

The next moment, his Saber Domain descended. It expanded mightily in every direction, stretching far and wide. Sometimes, the eyes can deceive, the body can lie, and even sensations can be misleading. But the Saber Domain? It never lied. As it kept expanding, Lin Fei felt resistance.

"Hmm?"

As his Saber Domain faced this obstruction, Lin Fei opened his eyes. It seemed something, some force was preventing the spread of his Saber Domain.

"So, there is resistance after all," he murmured. But when he tried to walk on his own, he never felt this impediment. Yet, his Saber Domain didn't lie. This glacier wasn't as vast as it appeared to his eyes. It might even have a limited range.

Lin Fei decided to shut his eyes and allow his Saber Domain to guide him. Within its bounds, he was the omnipotent ruler.

"Shoo."

In an instant, Lin Fei teleported towards the area where his Saber Domain sensed the obstruction.

"Swohh."

Upon opening his eyes, all he could see was the vast expanse of white ice. Turning around, he realized he had only moved less than a hundred meters. Nothing seemed unusual here. He could still progress further. However, it was here that his Saber Domain sensed an obstruction as if an invisible wall blocked its spread.

Lin Fei reached out his hand. He stretched it forward. Yet, everything felt normal. His hand didn't touch anything unusual. Lin Fei then took another step, continuing to walk ahead.

"Hmm?"

With each step he took, in the perception of his Saber Domain, it felt as if he was walking backward, moving further away from where the Saber Domain was obstructed.

"No, something is definitely wrong there," Lin Fei thought. He returned to the spot where his Saber Domain was hindered. He was now certain that there was an issue.

"No matter what this place is, be it a formation or a seal," Lin Fei murmured, "If the power is strong enough, it can break all barriers!"

Determination shone in Lin Fei's eyes. The next moment, the Life Wheel appeared behind him. The Life Wheel was enormous, with its six layers of light shining brilliantly, making it appear sacred, mysterious, and powerful. It radiated a terrifying pressure.

"Divine Ability, Gravity Domain!"

The second layer of light shone brighter. At the same time, the Gravity Domain descended. A terrifying gravitational force instantly covered the entire glacier.

Loud rumbling sounds resonated as the glacier shattered. While this glacier might pose a threat to martial saints, under Lin Fei's Gravity Domain, it was nothing. Under Lin Fei's overwhelming force, the glacier was reduced to cold water in an instant. The glacier was gone, replaced by endless water.

Yet, despite the transformation of the glacier to water, Lin Fei still stood in the same place, without noticing any anomalies. In the perception of his Saber Domain, there was still an invisible barrier.

"Divine Ability, Annihilation! Divine Ability, Dual-World Saber!"

After Lin Fei executed both the Annihilation Divine Ability and Dual-World Saber, it seemed like he was striking at empty air. It had no effect. If not for the perception of Lin Fei's Saber Domain sensing the invisible barrier, he might not have noticed any anomalies.

"Divine Ability, Pierce!"

Lin Fei had one more Divine Ability that could penetrate everything! A massive beam of light shot out, heading straight into the void. There was a slight distortion in the void, and the beam of light disappeared. However, a small, pitch-black hole was left in its place.

"Is this..." Lin Fei was taken aback. It seemed that he had truly discovered something!

352. Azure Flood Dragon King

The small dark hole was only as thick as a thumb. This was because the beam of light from Lin Fei's Pierce Divine Ability was not particularly wide. The more condensed the beam, the stronger its power. The size of the beam wasn't crucial; what mattered was its penetrating power. But this didn't pose a challenge for Lin Fei. If the beam was too small, he could enlarge it or even use it multiple times.

"Divine Ability, Pierce."

Once again, Lin Fei activated the Pierce Divine Ability. Beams of light pierced through the "void", creating numerous small holes. These beams were consecutive, linking the holes together. Over time, these connected small holes grew into a larger one.

After an unknown number of uses of the Pierce Divine Ability, a person-high large hole formed in front of Lin Fei. Surprisingly, the hole was slowly recovering. If Lin Fei didn't continue to use his Divine Ability, in about half an hour, the hole would probably "recover" to its original state.

Inside the large hole was profound darkness, like another world. However, Lin Fei faintly guessed that this might be a seal! Or perhaps, a formation!

Lin Fei hesitated, wondering what lay on the other side of this large hole. After a long pause, he decided to step in and see for himself. The legends of the Ancient Continent must have their origins. There was indeed something wrong with the Great Chang. Such a seal or array couldn't have been set up by someone of the Golden Core or Martial Sovereign level. Even a Nascent Soul Great Being might not be capable of it.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Fei no longer hesitated. With a whoosh, he stepped into the large hole. A buzzing sound filled his ears, and everything went black as if he had arrived deep underground. However, when he looked up, he was met with a shocking sight.

Floating in the void was a creature so colossal it defied imagination, resembling a Flood Dragon. Its body was covered in pitch-black scales and spanned tens of thousands of feet. Yet, such a gigantic dragon was bound in the void by massive chains. These chains seemed to be forged from pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth. An endless stream of spiritual energy gathered, forming the chains that directly bound the Flood Dragon.

"Roar..."

Occasionally, the Flood Dragon would raise its head and roar, expressing intense pain. Then, unable to resist, the Flood Dragon spat out a massive inner core from its mouth. This was the inner core of the Flood Dragon. As it spun, countless Spiritual Qi converged around it, seemingly condensing into a clear and sparkling droplet. The nature of this liquid was unclear and seemed to require a lengthy time to form. Below the Flood Dragon was a pond.

At the moment, the pond was filled with this crystalline "water." However, it wasn't really water but droplets from the Flood Dragon's inner core, which had gathered over time to form this pool. The time it took to form such a pool was uncertain.

"Young man, kill me! End my suffering!" The Flood Dragon seemed to have noticed Lin Fei and, astonishingly, spoke in human language, begging Lin Fei to end its life.

"Eh? Where is this? Who are you? Why are you trapped here?" Lin Fei bombarded the dragon with questions.

The Flood Dragon roared to the heavens, "I am the Azure Flood Dragon King! Kill me, and you can have my flesh and blood. For a Martial Sovereign like you, consuming me can greatly benefit your progression to becoming a Martial King. If you end my life, all of my flesh and blood are yours!" The Flood Dragon bellowed, clearly enduring tremendous pain, so much so that it would rather die.

Lin Fei was taken aback. Flood Dragon King! Clearly, this was an exotic beast, or perhaps, a sea beast. Any creature with the title "King" indicates its high status. A king-level exotic beast is equivalent to a Martial King among martial artists, or a Nascent Soul Great Being in the Daoist world.

Lin Fei never expected to encounter such a beast here, chained and seemingly in great agony. Who could have possibly chained the Flood Dragon King?

"At last, someone has entered..."

Just as Lin Fei's attention was focused on the Flood Dragon King, an ethereal voice entered his ears.

"Who's there?" Lin Fei immediately became alert, looking around.

A hum resonated. Gradually, a phantom figure took form in the void. It was a man dressed in Daoist robes.

"I am Dubhe, the artifact spirit. Your arrival here might be fortunate or perhaps unfortunate. Entering this place merely proves you are worthy of my allegiance. However, if you wish for me to serve you, you must pass a test," the spirit named Dubhe stated directly.

"A test? What kind of test? And where is this place?" Lin Fei inquired, full of questions. He had arrived at this strange location, met the Flood Dragon, and now faced a spirit that inexplicably wanted him to prove his worth. Lin Fei was utterly puzzled.

"Pass the test, and all your questions will be answered," Dubhe said. "If you fail, you'll die. Knowing or not knowing the answers then won't matter."

"Die?" Lin Fei's eyes narrowed. Dubhe's words revealed a hint: the test could be fatal.

"You're a Martial Sovereign, so the test will only be at the level." Dubhe waved his hand, and with a roar, a terrifying exotic beast appeared: a massive python, thousands of meters long, emitting a dreadfully oppressive aura.

"White Python, if you kill this man, you'll be free!" Dubhe declared, "And Martial Sovereign if you can kill the White Python, you'll pass the test. The loser will die!"

With that, Dubhe vanished, leaving Lin Fei alone with the menacing python.

Without hesitation, Lin Fei's Life Wheel emerged powerfully from behind him. Surprisingly, he felt a potent threat emanating from the python, a force far surpassing any Martial Sovereign-level beast he had ever encountered.

"Divine Ability, Gravity Domain!" From the second layer of Lin Fei's Life Wheel, a radiant light shone, and suddenly a crushing gravitational force descended upon the White Python.

Caught off guard, the Gravity Domain pressed the python heavily to the ground. But its body seemed extraordinarily robust. Even when slammed into the ground with such force, it appeared unscathed, merely shaking its head to recover.

But Lin Fei's powers weren't limited to the Gravity Domain. In the next instant, a saber materialized before him. Countless energies from the Life Wheel converged, and the third layer of his Life Wheel radiated brilliantly.

"Divine Ability, Dual-World Saber!" With a swift motion, Lin Fei unleashed his attack. Silently, the Dual-World Saber struck the White Python.

353. The Invincible White Python?

Lin Fei's Dual-World Saber was mighty and had never missed its target. As the blade struck the White Python, its massive body began to crumble inch by inch. Its consciousness grew blurry as if Lin Fei's attack had destroyed its spirit. After all, the Dual-World Saber was known to kill the body with one blow and destroy the spirit with another.

However, in the next moment, the White Python roared furiously. A large phantom image began to form around it – a white dragon! The python had the bloodline of a white dragon and had now fully activated it.

"Crackling..."

Scales, those of a dragon, started appearing on the python. As these scales grew, the seemingly dying python began to rejuvenate rapidly. Its initially disoriented consciousness became clear with the manifestation of the white dragon phantom.

With a thunderous leap, the python shot into the sky, aiming for Lin Fei. It swung its massive tail fiercely towards him.

"Saber Domain!"

Without hesitation, Lin Fei activated his Saber Domain.

"Fire!"

A rain of flames descended. Yet, when the python's tail swept through after the Saber Domain's activation, Lin Fei instantly vanished from its sight.

Inside the Saber Domain, Lin Fei was supreme. Flames continuously scorched the python. But after its transformation into a quasi-dragon, the python's physical strength might have surged ten or even a hundred times, even the raging flames couldn't harm it.

With another sweep of its tail, Lin Fei's Saber Domain violently trembled.

"Splash!"

The next moment, Lin Fei's Saber Domain was torn apart. Lin Fei felt a chill in his heart. He was well aware of his Saber Domain's potency. Since its evolution, it had been torn apart only once, by the Taiyi Dao Palace's Great Mountain Divine Seal. And now, the transformed python, although not a complete transformation into a dragon, showcased such tremendous power.

"Divine Ability, Annihilation!"

Lin Fei activated his Annihilation Divine Ability. The power of Annihilation enveloped the python. However, a faint glow emanated from its scales. Despite the eroding force of destruction, the python remained unharmed. The python's tail came sweeping once again, and this time, without his Saber Domain, Lin Fei couldn't teleport away.

"Bang!"

The massive tail of the python fiercely struck Lin Fei. In an instant, an overwhelming force directly exploded Lin Fei into a mist of blood. The python calmed down, and in the void, the tormented Azure Flood Dragon King also settled into a somber silence.

A hint of agony appeared in the eyes of the Azure Flood Dragon King. "He died again," it lamented. "A mere White Python was his undoing. When will someone come to liberate me? The pain..."

The Azure Flood Dragon King's face contorted in anguish. Its core was constantly being tormented, making every moment excruciating for it, a fate worse than death. It wished for someone to end its misery.

When Lin Fei entered, the Dragon King saw hope. But now? Lin Fei was defeated by a mere python. As time ticked by, the python's massive eyes scanned the void.

The Azure Flood Dragon King noticed something amiss. "He's not dead?" Without Dubhe making an appearance, there could only be one reason: Lin Fei wasn't dead!

The python seemed to deduce this as well, attempting to find Lin Fei's trace.

"Hum…" The next moment, the blood mist quickly condensed, and Lin Fei reappeared unscathed. He wasn't dead! Although the python's powerful tail had exploded him instantly, Lin Fei had the Undying Seal Divine Ability. Although he couldn't withstand the python's tremendous power, as it hadn't reached the particle level, Lin Fei remained unharmed. Without touching the particle level, he was essentially immortal.

However, there wasn't a hint of joy on Lin Fei's face. He had been defeated! It was the first time he was overpowered by a being of his level. The python, fundamentally at the Martial Sovereign tier, but seemed to completely suppress him. Even if this python had secret techniques or the bloodline of the white dragon, marking it as an ancient unique species, Lin Fei was being dominated. Only his "Undying Seal" was keeping him alive.

"Divine Ability, Pierce!" Lin Fei's eyes were cold. Techniques like the Dual-World Saber, Annihilation, and Gravity Domain had no effect on the python. But the Divine Ability called "Pierce" was different. This technique, known to penetrate anything, was originally "created" by Lin Fei not for combat or attack but to break seals and confinements on magical treasures.

However, this White Python was too powerful, its defense terrifyingly formidable. It seemed none of Lin Fei's Divine Abilities or techniques had any effect, leaving only the Divine Ability Pierce. Lin Fei wanted to see if Pierce truly was invincible.

"Whoosh." As Lin Fei unleashed the Divine Ability Pierce, a beam of light instantly shot out from him, plunging straight into the python's body.

"Splat." A faint sound. Despite the python's strong defenses and its bloodline of the White Dragon, under the piercing force of the Pierce Divine Ability, all defenses were rendered useless. The beam drilled through the python's body, leaving a bloody hole.

"Roar…" The python let out a furious roar, its massive claws lashing out at Lin Fei.

"Bang."

Lin Fei's body was torn apart by the python once again. However, he quickly regenerated, a hint of a smile gracing his face. His Pierce Divine Ability had worked on the python! Even if it was just a small bloody hole, it was a wound, an undeniable vulnerability, and Lin Fei's opportunity.

"Divine Ability, Black Wind Prison!" Light radiated from the first layer of Lin Fei's Life Wheel.

A cold, bone-chilling wind began to blow. This wind wrapped around the python. While the scales of the python remained unaffected, the wind slipped into the bloody hole left by the Pierce Divine Ability. Inside the python, the corrosive wind raged. As the wind blew, bones were revealed!

With a roar of agony, the python thrashed violently, but to no avail. Its flesh rapidly decayed from the inside out, revealing a skeletal structure. In just a moment, the python turned into a massive skeleton, devoid of any signs of life. It had died. The bone-eroding wind had invaded its body, reducing it to bare bones. Stripped of flesh, the White Python could not escape death.

"Congratulations, you have passed the test." At this moment, Dubhe appeared.