The snow and ice stretched as far as the eye could see, covering the land, mountains, and sky in a pure white hue that inspired both awe and tranquility. Everything seemed as if it had emerged from an eternal dream, where time did not exist, and there was no place for warmth or life. The frozen trees stood like intricately carved crystal statues, their branches covered in thick layers of gleaming ice, sparkling whenever touched by the sun's rays reflected from the gray sky.
The wind howled softly, carrying with it a faint sound like the whispers of spirits, flowing between the icy hills as if telling stories from forgotten ages. The ground itself seemed to breathe, occasionally releasing puffs of cold vapor from deep cracks, reminding anyone who stepped here that this place was not dead… but sleeping, watching all who entered with a hidden eye.
The sky above was overcast with misty clouds, and the sun was barely visible, merely a pale silver disc suspended over a world of ice and frost.
Amidst this white silence, Xichen flew quietly, cutting through the sky in a straight line, his black robe embroidered with golden threads trailing behind him like the shadow of a falling star. His captivating eyes shone with unparalleled focus, while his senses spread across the icy expanses searching for the desired prey.
He had already found three Profound Beasts of the Tyrant Profound Realm, but none of them possessed the Water Seed. And this last one… was the final target.
"This is the last one. It must be the one that swallowed the Water Seed." — Xichen muttered in a low voice, but his tone was as sharp as a sword's edge.
What confirmed his suspicions even more was not just the beast's aura, but that rare flower growing near its aura… a flower that only blooms where celestial energy intersects with a high concentration of the Water Law — the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus.
The flower shimmered like a blue crystal star amidst a field of ice, emitting a gentle, life-pulsing light, as if whispering secrets of divine awakening.
Xichen calmly raised his right hand, and in the next moment, golden flames gathered around him, dancing like spirits of fire, before beginning to take the shape of the Star Scorching Demon Lotus. The fiery petals slowly unfolded, each one carrying enough energy to melt an entire glacier.
In an instant, the ground yielded under the heat, layers of ice melting beneath his feet, exposing blackened, scorched rocks.
The imperial lotus flew towards him as if it had sensed an irresistible, supreme call, and without him touching it, it vanished inside his Storage Ring.
But the silence lasted only a moment.
Rooaaar!!!
A roar echoed from the depths of the earth, a terrifying, deep roar, as if the world itself trembled at its sound. The ground cracked, chunks of ice scattered as if from a hidden volcanic eruption, and a colossal beast emerged from beneath the earth, covered in thick scales of metallic frost, each scale pulsating with ancient, destructive energy.
It was an Earth Dragon — a giant, exceeding tens of meters in length, its eyes gleaming with a malevolent emerald light. Although its lineage descended from a low-ranking dragon, the energy emanating from its body was terrifying. That was because it had swallowed the Water Seed long ago… and its energy flowed with indescribable madness.
Its huge, sharp fangs dripped with poisonous water energy, and its claws dug into the surrounding earth as if challenging the world itself. Its aura rivaled the 3rd level of the Tyrant Profound Realm due to its physical strength and draconic lineage which, despite its impurities, granted it durability comparable to celestial steel.
"…" — Xichen stared at the Earth Dragon indifferently as the Star Scorching Demon Lotus shifted from bright gold to a dark gold with a touch of red, radiating a powerful aura of death and destruction.
This was but the power of the second path from his Six Paths Spiritual Profound Veins, the Path of Destruction, which allowed him to control the power of destruction.
Rooar!!
The Earth Dragon unleashed a blast of ice towards Xichen, having sensed danger from the small human in the sky and wanting to kill him as quickly as possible to reclaim the Emperor Awakening Heart Lotus.
The ice beam was incredibly fast, reaching Xichen in the blink of an eye and piercing his body.
But…
That wasn't his body, but an afterimage; the person in question had already vanished from the spot.
"Die…" — Xichen said indifferently and released the terrifying Star Scorching Demon Lotus towards the Earth Dragon below.
The moment Xichen uttered the word "Die," the eternal silence of the Heaven Basin Secret Realm was torn apart, as if the very laws of nature had trembled.
The Star Scorching Demon Lotus shot from his hand like a meteor descending from the sky, slowly rotating in the air, leaving behind a trail of dark golden flames mixed with crimson, pulsating with pure demonic energy. Each petal was like a blade of living fire, revolving around a dim core from which flashes of pure destructive force emanated.
The colors in the sky shifted, the cold winds turned into scorching currents, and even the misty clouds burned at their edges from the energy emitted by the lotus, as if retreating in fear.
The Earth Dragon — despite its brutish stupidity — realized that what was coming was irresistible. It reared up on its hind legs and unleashed a deafening roar, a final attempt to defy fate. Its hardened icy scales began to glow, and dense water energy gathered around it, creating a swirling, moving water shield, akin to a sphere of frozen waves.
But it wasn't enough.
The Star Scorching Demon Lotus touched the shield.
And in the next moment…
BOOOOM!!!
The sky exploded.
A tremendous blast tore through the frost, followed by an echo that pierced the depths of the icy valleys. Consecutive shockwaves erupted, mixing fire with water, frost with flame, and the ground beneath the beast's feet shook, parts of it collapsing into a vast abyss that opened of its own accord.
Under the overwhelming pressure of the demonic lotus, the Earth Dragon's scales began to crack, one by one. Its body resisted, trembled, screamed, but the destruction was merciless. The death energy coming from the Path of Destruction within Xichen's veins was like an eternal curse, annihilating everything, dismantling both body and soul together.
In mere seconds, the flames engulfed the beast's icy entity, and the Earth Dragon turned into a charred skeleton, then into ashes that scattered amidst the cold wind that no longer whispered, but screamed.
Silence.
The sound of the explosion faded, the roar vanished, and the traces of the battle melted back into the white ice, as if nothing had ever happened.
Xichen landed quietly, his feet touching the cracked ground without a sound, his robe billowing behind him, untouched by the chaos he had caused. He looked at the scattered ashes, then extended his right hand, and the Water Seed floated slowly before him, glowing with a deep, aquatic blue light, pulsating as if it held the heart of an entire watery world.
[ Ding! , The host has obtained the Water Seed and prevented Yun Che from acquiring it. Yun Che has lost 1000 Fortune Value, and the host has received 5,000 Destiny Points. ]
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