The air within the icy barrier trembled. The cracks spreading through the snowflakes gleamed faintly under the pale light, each one resonating with the rhythm of the cultivators' breathing. The several illusory snowflakes seemed to tremble a lot, their crystalline beauty marred by the subtle quiver running through them. Though they looked fragile, each snowflake contained countless seals of Yin techniques, interwoven with killing intent.
Outside of the pocket world, the mortals who watched through the magic screens were already leaning forward, unable to breathe properly, due to anticipation. "It's breaking…" someone whispered. "The formation can't last much longer!"
Inside the pocket world, Tang Jiyan's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he and the others—Dong Chen, Xiang Xiaoli, Shi Meixiu, and Guo Bohai—attacked without pause. Every strike landed like a mountain pressing down, causing the snowflakes and even the icy barrier to tremble violently. Though the formation could withstand a thousand more, at this pace, it would shatter within seven minutes or less.
Inside the snowflakes, the five women from Ma Bingxue's team bit their lips until blood appeared. Yin Qi surged from their bodies like crazy, trying to stabilize the formation. Their leader, a pale woman dressed in icy coloured robes, muttered through clenched teeth, "Hold for a few more breaths! We can't lose the rhythm—"
But before she could finish, Tang Jiyan's voice cut through the chaos. "Again!"
Another wave of attacks struck. The snowflakes flickered, their glow dimming.
A smirk curved Tang Jiyan's lips. "It's starting to crumble."
Then suddenly, hundreds of chains of pure ice burst out from the snowflakes, twisting and shooting toward them like fangs of a dying beast. The air screamed as the chains lashed out.
Dong Chen's body flashed sideways, his figure splitting into afterimages as the chains tore through them. Guo Bohai ducked, his sword leaving a streak of silver as he cut through a few of the chains. Xiang Xiaoli barely rolled aside as one of the icy chains grazed her sleeve, freezing it instantly.
She quickly tore the part of her sleeve that was frozen before it could spread further.
"Now!" Tang Jiyan's shout was sharp, commanding.
The others instantly understood. They clasped their hands together, forming seals with blinding speed. Above them, the cold air rippled—then five incorporeal rings appeared, floating a few meters above the giant snowflakes.
At first, the rings seemed faint and transparent. But in the next heartbeat, they solidified, glowing in the color of a setting sun.
The rings pulsed once. Then again.
The five women within the barrier froze mid-seal, their pupils shrinking. "Not good!"
"Call the chains back!" their leader ordered.
The icy chains began to retreat, but it was too late. The rings blazed with light, their radiance mingling into a brilliant golden hue. Bolts of lightning and rays of sun-like energy crashed downwards.
The golden light slammed into the snowflakes.
Clang!
The sound reverberated across hundreds of meters, echoing like a thousand bells struck at once. Frost and light collided, frost runes shattering, golden lightning spreading like wildfire. For a moment, the sky seemed split into two—half frozen, half aflame.
Outside the pocket world, the audience gasped.
"They broke through it!" someone cried.
"Impossible! That's Spirit Ice Pavilion's one of the top 10 formation—"
The golden light flared even brighter. For a minute that felt like eternity, the only thing visible inside the dome was that overwhelming radiance. Then, slowly, it began to fade.
When it vanished completely along with the icy barrier, the sight stunned everyone.
The twenty kilometers of land previously buried under ice was now charred black. Steam rose from cracks in the earth. Trees were gone, stones had melted, and the scent of burnt soil filled the air. The soil was so burnt that it could have been used as coal.
The icy formation—one of the grand defenses of the Spirit Ice Pavilion disciples—was gone.
"The snowflakes…" one mortal whispered outside the pocket world. "They're… gone?"
But before anyone among Tang Jiyan and the others could rejoice, movement stirred within the scorched ground. Five figures shot out like streaks of light.
"They escaped the blast!" Guo Bohai shouted.
The five women had abandoned their formation at the last possible moment, dispersing their qi and retreating just before the golden light struck. Though their robes were tattered and their faces pale, they still stood.
They hovered in the air, glaring at Tang Jiyan and his companions. Their expressions were no longer calm or confident—only cold contempt remained.
Tang Jiyan raised an eyebrow. "You're still standing," he said lightly, brushing the dust from his sleeve.
The leading woman spat a mouthful of blood and sneered. "Don't celebrate too early."
Without another word, all five women attacked.
Yin qi exploded outward, covering the sky.
The temperature plummeted; even the mortals watching through the magic screens shivered involuntarily.
Xiang Xiaoli reacted first. Her instincts screamed danger as she twisted her body just in time. A glint of ice flashed past her cheek, grazing her skin. Had she been a heartbeat slower, the blade would have pierced through her spine.
She turned, eyes narrowing. "Courting death!"
Her fingers moved, forming a fiery seal. Two massive orbs of fire appeared beside her, roaring with heat. With one wave of her arm, the fireballs shot forward, cutting through the frozen air toward the woman who just sneak attacked her.
The woman opposing her sneered, Yin qi swirling around her palms. "Such crude flames…"
Cold wind erupted. The fireballs slowed, dimming as frost crystals spread across their surface.
But before the frost could extinguish them fully, a figure flickered behind the woman—Xiang Xiaoli had vanished from her original spot.
The woman's pupils shrank. She barely had time to turn before a burning palm slammed into her back.
Boom!
The impact sent shockwaves across the battlefield. The woman's body convulsed, blood spraying from her lips as she crashed to the ground.
"Speed amplification technique…!" The woman murmured.
On the ground, the wounded woman trembled, looking up at Xiang xiaoli, who hovered above her, flames flickering around her form. She gave a faint, bitter smile. Her gaze flickered toward Ma Bingxue, who stood afar.
Ma Bingxue's eyes met hers, emotionless. A single nod.
The injured woman closed her eyes, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate her qi, trying to heal.
On the other hand, Guo Bohai was locked in fierce combat with another woman. Unlike Xiang Xiaoli's opponent, this one fought up close, each strike carrying terrifying weight. Her fists alone could make sonic booms.
She had an advantage of physical strength over Guo Bohai.
Guo Bohai blocked a punch, but the impact sent blood running from his mouth and nose. He staggered backward. The woman pressed forward relentlessly, a glint of triumph in her eyes.
"You're finished!" she shouted, thrusting her fist toward his chest.
Guo Bohai's lips curved into a faint smile. His qi surged.
Buzz!
Sword light erupted from his body, countless streaks of sword qi bursting outward like a tide. They condensed in an instant into multiple illusory blades surrounding him.
The woman's eyes widened. She tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The swords fired at once, each beam faster than lightning.
Puchi! Puchi!
Dozens of sword lights pierced through her body. Her eyes dimmed, life fading instantly.
Guo Bohai exhaled shakily, falling to one knee on the ground. He was bleeding badly, but still alive.
Across the battlefield, Shi Meixiu's duel was already nearing its end. Her opponent was barely standing, coughing blood. Shi Meixiu's strikes were merciless—each blow precise, efficient, devoid of emotion. With one final kick, she sent the woman crashing into the ground.
The fallen woman groaned, pale as death, and quickly sat in the lotus position, desperate to heal.
Dong Chen, however, showed no such restraint. His opponent's head fell before she even realized she had lost.
Even though the fights sounded like it happened, one after another, in reality all of them occurred at the same time.
The mortals watching from outside, screamed. Some cheered. Others turned pale.
"Two dead already…, wow!"
"Monsters… they're all monsters!"
"How can these brutes be so heartless toward such beauties?!"
Inside the pocket world, Tang Jiyan glanced at his surroundings calmly. His team had suffered wounds, but victory leaned in their favour. Two of Ma Bingxue's teammates were dead; two were gravely injured. Only one remained unscathed.
Ma Bingxue, however, still seemed unphased. Though, if one looked very closely they would see a slight irritation in her eyes, only very few saw it.
That last woman now faced Tang Jiyan himself, it was the leader among the five women.
For a moment, neither moved. The world seemed to fall silent.
The charred land beneath them crackled softly, the faint hiss of dissipating frost filling the space between them.
Their eyes met—sharp, unwavering, probing into each other's souls.
The woman's breath steadied. Her aura shifted, cold mist spreading around her feet. The frost beneath her turned into spikes, rising slowly like blooming ice flowers.
Tang Jiyan smiled faintly. "Interesting."
His hand lifted slightly, and golden energy began to flow around his arm, coiling like serpents.
Outside, the mortals held their breath once more.
The elders of the great sects watched silently in their chamber, their gazes unreadable.
An elder with long beard and tired eyes, too, seemed to have interest in this fight and leaned forward, it was an elder of the Twin Soul Sect. "I can feel this would be interesting… very interesting."
The frost mist thickened, wrapping around the woman like a living shroud. Her figure blurred, becoming translucent.
Tang Jiyan's expression grew serious. He could no longer sense her aura clearly.
Then she vanished.