Chapter 118: Thousand-Year Ice Corpse Blood

Chapter 118: Thousand-Year Ice Corpse Blood

The clash between the two peerless geniuses was imminent. Outside the martial arena, silence fell as thousands of eyes fixed on the two figures within.

This battle drew even more attention than the one between Yu Tiadi and Lu Qing.

He Jia struck first, his body enveloped in a blue mist of cold qi, the icy layer beneath his feet shattering. Dozens of needle-thin ice swords shot from his palm.

These were no ordinary swords formed from Profound Qi—they were condensed from the True Yin Qi within He Jia’s body, making them at least ten times more powerful than typical Profound Qi Swords.

"Swish!"

The dozens of ice swords were as fine as embroidery needles.

Ning Xiaochuan extended a palm, summoning an electric sphere that unleashed thirty-six bolts of lightning with a thunderous crackle, freezing the ice swords mid-air.

"Break!"

With a single word from Ning Xiaochuan, the dozens of ice swords shattered into wisps of cold qi.

A shadow flickered before Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes—a palm strike infused with freezing cold qi was already inches from his forehead, the icy chill threatening to freeze even his soul.

The ice swords had merely been a feint. The real killing move was only now revealed.

He Jia’s fourth innate ability was the "Heavenly Shuttle Cloud Step," granting him incredible speed. His body moved like a phantom, his palm strikes accompanied by twelve illusory afterimages, making them nearly impossible to defend against.

Ning Xiaochuan took a sharp breath and retreated abruptly, his legs wreathed in lightning, his speed barely slower than He Jia’s Heavenly Shuttle Cloud Step.

He Jia’s palm strike missed, but his body transformed into a shuttle, his feet gliding on flowing clouds as he launched another strike.

This palm was saturated with cold qi, a chilling mist swirling around it in the shape of a massive hand—a meter-wide strike, like the palm of a deity.

Ning Xiaochuan’s Martial Arts Profound Qi surged within him, lightning crackling around his body as he countered with a palm strike of his own, his hand completely engulfed in electricity.

"Boom!"

Their palms collided, sending shockwaves through the ground and kicking up a storm of yellow sand.

Both were sent flying backward, landing 33 meters apart.

"Boom! Boom!"

In an instant, they clashed again, stirring up waves of sand as they exchanged countless palm strikes.

Cold qi and lightning crisscrossed the arena, the two figures locked in relentless combat, each blow a direct, brutal exchange.

Yu Tiadi stood outside the arena, watching intently. "Both are at the Fifth Level of the Divine Body Realm, but He Jia cultivates the 'True Yin Ancient Scripture.' A single palm strike from him can freeze an entire pond. Even I would likely be frozen solid by his cold qi in a direct clash. Yet Ning Xiaochuan has traded over a hundred blows with him using sheer physical strength. How is his body so strong?"

He Jia’s combat prowess far surpassed that of ordinary warriors in the same cultivation realm. Back in the Yiyuan Sect, he had defeated a peak Fifth Level Divine Body Realm senior with a single move, earning him the title of the strongest in his realm.

Yet Ning Xiaochuan, also at the Fifth Level of the Divine Body Realm, fought him to a standstill. Gradually, He Jia began to regard Ning Xiaochuan as a true rival, realizing that defeating him would be no easy task.

"Heavenly Brilliance Mirror!"

He Jia took out a blue treasure mirror and aimed its surface at Ning Xiaochuan, firing a beam of Cold Qi toward him.

Ning Xiaochuan sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the beam.

Boom!

The beam struck the ground, leaving a massive crater two meters deep. The pit was instantly filled with ice, and thick layers of frost spread across the surrounding area, covering a vast expanse of the battlefield.

The mirror in He Jia’s hand was crystal-clear, its edges engraved with ancient patterns resembling birds, beasts, vines, and ears of grain. Its surface was smooth and luminous, shrouded in Profound Qi.

This was a Fourth-Grade Mystic Artifact, forged from Blue Crystal Jellyfish Stone. Sealed within its mirror were thousands of Frozen Ice Stones. Once activated by Profound Qi, it could elevate a cultivator’s combat power by an entire minor realm.

With the Heavenly Brilliance Mirror in hand, He Jia was like a tiger with wings—his combat strength surged once more.

Boom! Boom!

Beams of light continuously shot from the mirror, blasting the entire martial arena into a pockmarked wasteland, completely encased in ice.

Standing atop a mound of frost, He Jia brandished the Heavenly Brilliance Mirror and taunted, "Ning Xiaochuan, do you only know how to run?"

"Fine. If you want to witness my true strength, I’ll oblige."

Ning Xiaochuan halted and fixed his gaze on He Jia.

Earlier, he had merely been testing He Jia’s limits. Now, having gauged his opponent’s strength, it was time to strike back.

He Jia channeled all his power, condensing Cold Qi into a swirling cloud before funneling it into the Heavenly Brilliance Mirror.

The mirror’s surface grew blindingly bright as a half-meter-wide beam erupted, distorting the air as if its sheer force threatened to tear through space itself.

"Star Shifting!"

Ripples formed before Ning Xiaochuan like a Tai Chi diagram, deflecting the beam back at He Jia—only now, its power was amplified.

Thud!

The beam slammed into He Jia’s chest, sending him flying. His body was instantly encased in thick ice, frozen solid like a block tumbling across the battlefield.

Through the ice, He Jia could be seen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

It was a shocking reversal—Ning Xiaochuan had defeated He Jia in a single move, sealing him in a prison of frost.

The martial technique "Star Shifting" burned itself into the minds of every warrior present. It was unfathomably bizarre—capable of reflecting an opponent’s attack while amplifying its force.

This was a technique of divine craftsmanship.

Many felt a chill of dread, silently vowing to guard against this move if they ever faced Ning Xiaochuan in battle.

"As long as my strength is overwhelming, I can shatter his Star Shifting, pierce through the ripples, and stab his heart," Ming Yang calculated inwardly. With his Supreme Sword Dao, he was tenfold confident he could break the technique and slay Ning Xiaochuan with a single strike.

In his eyes, no martial technique in the world could withstand his sword.

The Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy narrowed his eyes. "Is this young man the peerless genius of our Three Masters Martial Academy?"

"Yes, it’s him—Ning Xiaochuan," a senior instructor replied respectfully.

The Deputy Headmaster of the Three Masters Martial Academy nodded and said, "He’s truly a promising talent in martial arts. It seems our Three Masters Martial Academy is finally about to regain its pride. Who the hell dares to say Heart Nurturers lack combat prowess now? I’ll tear them apart!"

"Deputy Headmaster, dignity, dignity… There are many people here. Think of our academy’s image," a mentor hurriedly reminded.

"I’m just excited! It’s not easy for our Three Masters Martial Academy to produce such a talent!" The Deputy Headmaster let out a long sigh, carrying an indescribable sense of weariness.

On the martial field, a sudden change occurred.

The ice block cracked.

The cracks spread outward, dense and intricate like a spider’s web.

Boom!

The ice shattered, and He Jia burst out from within.

His skin was deathly pale, even his hair had turned white. Only his eyes remained pitch black.

He Jia let out a long roar, moving as fast as lightning, and struck Ning Xiaochuan’s chest with a palm strike.

Ning Xiaochuan’s body slid over 20 meters before stabilizing, leaving two deep grooves in the ground. His chest was completely encased in ice, sending waves of piercing pain through him.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the ghastly pale He Jia, feeling that his current appearance was far too monstrous—no longer resembling a human, but more like a zombie frozen for a thousand years.

Within He Jia’s Martial Arts Heart Palace, a drop of Ice Corpse Blood had been suspended.

That drop of Ice Corpse Blood came from a supreme Martial Venerable of the Ninth Level of Earth Venerable Realm during their lifetime—a peerless master whose body, after death, was preserved by ice essence, remaining uncorrupted for millennia and transforming into an ice corpse.

That ice corpse had been excavated from the North Ice Sea, its identity now impossible to verify, and was currently stored in the Spirit Tomb of the Yiyuan Sect.

He Jia had originally intended to use this drop of Ice Corpse Blood to deal with Ming Yang, defeat him, and claim the title of Champion in this competition. But he never expected to be forced to use it prematurely because of Ning Xiaochuan.

The drop of Ice Corpse Blood had melted within his Martial Arts Heart Palace, merging into every part of his body, making it incredibly rigid—impervious to blades, immune to fire and water, and endowed with immense strength.

Unless the power of that drop of Ice Corpse Blood was exhausted, he would be an invincible existence.

"Ning Xiaochuan, forcing me to use this trump card is proof enough of your strength. But this is where it ends. After this battle, I will advance, while you will either be eliminated or die." He Jia’s voice was hoarse, icy, as if he had become an entirely different person, exuding a sinister aura.

Ning Xiaochuan grew cautious. Whatever method He Jia had used to forcibly enhance his power, his combat strength had increased at least fivefold.

He Jia exhaled Cold Qi, stomped the ground, and shot into the air like a cannonball, rising over 10 meters before swiftly descending, aiming a kick straight at Ning Xiaochuan’s head.

Ning Xiaochuan raised his arm, gripping He Jia’s foot with five fingers. A tremendous force surged through his arm into his body, extending all the way to his feet.

Boom!

Half of Ning Xiaochuan’s body sank into the yellow sand, leaving only his torso and above exposed, his hand still clutching He Jia’s foot.

Time seemed to freeze.

Crackle!

Hundreds of lightning bolts surged from Ning Xiaochuan's palm, transforming into electric snakes that struck He Jia's feet, completely enveloping his body in crackling electricity.

"Roar!"

He Jia let out a long howl and lunged forward again. Taking advantage of Ning Xiaochuan being partially buried in the ground, he threw another punch aimed directly at his chest.

From their previous clash, Ning Xiaochuan could already sense that He Jia's strength had significantly increased. Even now, his chest throbbed faintly with pain. If not for his physical strength being comparable to a Seventh Level Divine Body Realm martial artist, He Jia's earlier kick would have inflicted severe injuries.

Had it been a Fifth Level Divine Body Realm martial artist struck by that kick, they would have been crushed into a bloody pulp.

"Heavenly Thunder Bell!"

Ning Xiaochuan concentrated his Martial Arts Profound Qi in his chest, staring at He Jia's incoming fist as a thunderous explosion erupted from his mouth.

Sound waves burst forth, coalescing into a massive divine bell, 9 meters tall, encasing Ning Xiaochuan within its protective shell.

The colossal bell grew increasingly solid, spinning rapidly around Ning Xiaochuan's body.

It was as if a true divine bell from the heavens had descended upon the mortal world, streaks of lightning coursing across its surface. The battlefield was engulfed in a violent sandstorm, whipped into chaos by the sheer force of the technique.