55: Chapter 55 The Power of the Ice and Fire Seal

An ice-fire cyclone, thin as a strand of hair, spun faintly.

Like a candle in the wind, it looked as if it would be swallowed at any moment by the oncoming, sky-blotting storm of flames.

However, at the very moment this faint cyclone made contact with the phantom of the giant fire bird—

There was no world-shaking explosion, no blindingly brilliant light.

There was only a strange, heart-palpitating silence.

The rampaging phantom of the giant fire bird suddenly stiffened, its massive body freezing mid-pounce.

Within its cold eyes, formed entirely of flames, that insignificant ice-fire cyclone was clearly reflected for the first time.

Along with Ye Chen's calm, expressionless face behind the cyclone.

In the next second, centered on the point of contact, a visible ripple of grayish-white waves spread out silently.

Everywhere the ripples passed, the blazing body of the giant fire bird phantom...

...unexpectedly became transparent and faded bit by bit, like charcoal marks being rubbed away by an eraser.

Finally... it vanished completely!

There was no burning, no explosion; it simply annihilated into thin air, as if it had never existed.

The ripples of annihilation continued to spread, sweeping across the surface of the churning lava lake.

The boiling lava solidified instantly, turning into black, cracked rock.

The scorching airwaves were smoothed out, and the sulfurous toxic mist permeating the air dissipated completely.

The temperature throughout the lava lake space plummeted, transforming from a hellish sea of fire into a cold place of deathly silence.

Deathly silence.

Absolute silence enveloped the entire space.

Everyone stared with wide eyes and open mouths, as if under a binding spell, even forgetting to breathe.

Scarface, Lin Dong, Chen Feng, Liu Yiyi, Ghost Old Man, Zhao Qian, and Wang Mang.

Every face was filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and fear.

What kind of power was that?!

A single cyclone... had just wiped out a fire spirit body comparable to a Tier 4 or even Tier 5 Yao Beast?

It had even "frozen" nearly half of the lava lake along with it?

This was completely beyond their scope of understanding! This was absolutely not a power that someone in the Meridian Opening Realm, or even the Wheel Sea Realm, could possess!

Was that a Law? Or something of an even higher level?

Lin Qingxue stared blankly at the center of the lava lake.

At the youth in green robes who was slowly retracting his finger, his aura restrained yet seemingly harmonized with the surrounding ice and fire environment.

Her heart pounded wildly, nearly bursting from her chest.

She cultivated the Profound Ice Art and had a keen perception of icy power.

The extreme cold contained within that cyclone just now made her Soul tremble.

Yet, the trace of golden-red fire intent within it carried a strange, warm vitality that seemed capable of nurturing all things.

Ice and fire, destruction and creation, were actually fused together so perfectly?

How did he do it?

Ye Chen slowly exhaled a long breath of turbid air, which condensed into ice crystals in the cold air and rustled as they fell.

He looked down at his fingertips.

The ice-fire cyclone had dissipated, but beneath the skin of his fingertips, patterns of interwoven ice-blue and golden-red flickered briefly.

This was the result of his preliminary Fusion of the ice lotus Origin and the power of that earth core fire crystal.

Combined with the Nirvana Concept, he had created a new power—the "Ice Fire Seal."

Although it was only a prototype, its power far exceeded his expectations, and the drain on his mental state was also immense.

That strike just now had nearly drained the True Yuan and spirit he had just mostly recovered.

Ye Chen looked up, his gaze calmly sweeping across the scene.

When Ghost Old Man, Zhao Kun, Wang Mang, and the others met his gaze, they couldn't help but shudder.

They subconsciously took a step back, their eyes filled with alarm and wariness.

Their previous greed and killing intent had long been completely extinguished by that terrifying strike.

"Now,"

Ye Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying an unquestionable tone.

"The things here belong to me. Who has an objection?"

No one spoke.

Ghost Old Man's body beneath his black robes trembled slightly, and Zhao Kun's expression shifted uncertainly.

Wang Mang's face was as pale as death, his teeth clattering, yet he didn't dare make a sound.

Strength is the best language.

The power Ye Chen had just displayed had completely overturned the situation; forget about stealing things, even leaving alive was now a question for them.

Ye Chen ignored them.

He turned to look at that fire spirit root, which had already fully bloomed, with a small clump of blood-red fire spirit marrow at its center emitting a rich fragrance.

This was what he needed most right now.

This fire spirit marrow contained incredibly pure Earth Fire Origin, which would be of immense benefit for stabilizing his newly fused ice-fire power and tempering his Physical Body and Meridians.

It might even help him completely break through the barrier of the Wheel Sea Realm.

Ye Chen walked to the edge of the lava lake and carefully plucked the pigeon-egg-sized clump of fire spirit marrow.

He placed it into a pre-prepared cold jade box and sealed it.

As for the fire spirit root plant that had lost its essence, although it was still quite valuable...

...he did not touch it, considering it leaving a thread of life for this place.

Having finished this, Ye Chen returned to Lin Qingxue and the others.

Scarface, Lin Dong, and the others looked at him with complex expressions, filled with awe and even a hint of estrangement.

The Ye Chen from just now was so powerful it felt surreal to them.

"Brother Ye—no, Young Master Ye, you..."

Lin Dong opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Ye Chen smiled; that smile still carried his former warmth, dispelling some of the coldness and distance from before.

"I was lucky to have successfully fused the power of that fire crystal. I've made everyone worry."

Scarface took a deep breath and solemnly cupped his fists.

"Young Master Ye's natural talent is truly a blessing for our Lin family!"

"Let's not talk about that for now," Ye Chen waved his hand and looked at the damaged white jade teleportation Formation.

"The priority is to leave this place. Although this teleportation Formation is damaged, its core runes share the same Origin as the profound ice token. Perhaps we can use the profound ice token and the residual power of this fire spirit marrow to activate it once. I just don't know where it will teleport us."

He took out the dimly glowing profound ice token.

Then, he opened a crack in the jade box containing the fire spirit marrow he had just obtained and hadn't yet had time to absorb and refine.

A wave of pure fire spirit diffused out.

Then, Ye Chen brought the profound ice token close to the jade box while slowly injecting a trace of True Yuan, which had just recovered and was fused with the ice-fire Origin, into the token.

"Buzz."

The profound ice token lit up with a faint glow once more, but this time, the light carried a hint of golden-red.

The snowflake patterns on the token resonated with the white fragments at the core of the teleportation Formation, emitting a soft white light.

On the damaged teleportation Formation, those dim runes seemed to be injected with vitality, beginning to light up one by one.

Though the light was faint and flickering, it finally lit up!

A highly unstable white light gate, barely large enough for a few people to pass through, struggled to condense and spin in the center of the Formation.

"The Formation is activated! But it's unstable and could collapse at any moment!"

Lin Qingxue said urgently.

"Go!"

Ye Chen made a prompt decision, grabbing Lin Qingxue with one hand and shouting to Scarface and the others.

The group didn't dare delay and immediately rushed toward the light gate.

Ye Chen stuffed both the profound ice token and the fire spirit marrow jade box into Lin Qingxue's hands.

"Hold onto these and stabilize the Formation!"

He then turned around and looked coldly at the restless Ghost Old Man, Zhao Kun, Wang Mang, and the others.

Although his True Yuan consumption was massive, the residual prestige of that world-shaking strike remained.

Combined with his unfathomable aura after the Breakthrough, it was enough to deter any petty troublemakers.

Ghost Old Man and the others had extremely ugly expressions, watching helplessly as Ye Chen and the others stepped into the light gate one by one, yet not daring to step forward and stop them.

The terror of that ice-fire cyclone had chilled their hearts and Souls.

"Kid! Today's humiliation will be repaid in the future!" Wang Mang roared unwillingly.

Ye Chen didn't bother to respond, being the last to step into the light gate. At the final moment before the gate closed, he looked back at the now-silent lava lake.

And at those enemies whose faces were full of resentment yet helpless, his gaze remained calm.

"See you at the Tianyun Sword Sect."

This was the last sentence he left behind.

Immediately after, the light gate flickered violently and dissipated with a bang.

Leaving behind only the even more damaged teleportation Formation that had completely lost its luster, and a few enemies standing there like wooden chickens.

"Tianyun Sword Sect..."

Zhao Kun chewed on those words, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

The Tianyun Sword Sect selection in three months. Is this kid really going?

With the potential and strength he has shown now...

Ghost Old Man gave a cold harrumph, his figure turning into black smoke and vanishing into the depths of the cavern, his destination unknown.

Wang Mang let out a few resentful low growls and left with a stumble; he had to recover from his injuries as quickly as possible and pass the news of this place to the Family Head.

...

The familiar dizziness and sensation of space tearing came, but it was much milder than the previous teleportation from the ice cave.

A moment later, his feet hit solid ground, and fresh air and a cool night breeze brushed against his face.

Everyone fell onto a patch of soft grass; above them was a brilliant starry sky, and in the distance were the outlines of continuous mountain ranges.

This was no longer the scorching Molten Fire Abyss, nor was it the cold bottom of a frigid pool.

It was an unknown mountain forest.

"We're out! We're out!"

Lin Dong was the first to jump up, shouting excitedly.

Scarface also breathed a sigh of relief, plopping down on the ground and panting heavily.

Chen Feng and Liu Yiyi smiled at each other, both feeling the exhaustion of having survived a disaster.

Lin Qingxue, holding the still-warm profound ice token and fire spirit marrow jade box, looked around.

Then she looked at Ye Chen beside her, who was also somewhat drained but had bright eyes, and asked softly.

"This is..."

Ye Chen took a deep breath of the air scented with plants and trees, feeling the power slowly recovering within his body.

He looked at the last bit of light on the profound ice token in his hand as it completely went out, turning it into an ordinary jade tablet.

He shook his head.

"I'm not sure, but we've definitely moved far away from the Molten Fire Abyss. Looking at the Spiritual Qi concentration and the terrain, we seem to still be within the Black Wind Mountain Range, but likely on the outskirts."

He looked up at the starry sky to discern the direction and sensed the now-calm state of the jade booklet within him, his mind settling slightly.

Although the teleportation destination was unknown, they had finally escaped from that death trap.

Moreover, the harvest from this trip was enormous, far exceeding expectations.

Not only had his strength surged, touching the threshold of the Wheel Sea Realm...

...but he had also obtained supreme treasures like the Ice Lotus Imprint, the earth core fire crystal Origin, and the fire spirit marrow.

His bond with Lin Qingxue had also deepened.

More importantly, Ye Chen now knew about the Tianyun Sword Sect and had a clear goal.

Next, what he needed to do was find a safe place to digest his gains and stabilize his cultivation.

And then... go to the Tianyun Sword Sect!

"Let's find a safe place to settle first; everyone's injuries are not light and we need to rest."

Ye Chen said to everyone.

No one had any objections.

Supporting each other, the group followed Ye Chen into the mountain forest, gradually disappearing into the night.

A new journey seemed about to begin.

And the name of Ye Chen would surely spread in all directions at an even faster pace following the shocking events in the Molten Fire Abyss.