Chapter 796: Giant Ice Flame

Yun Che arrived at the entrance of the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair, where he had entered previously. He stopped before the barrier, simultaneously channeling profound energy into both arms, igniting a fierce flame in his left hand and condensing ice in his right. Crimson profound light and icy-blue profound light rapidly coalesced and expanded between his hands. He then closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and activated the Heretic God's profound energy, slowly merging these two mutually exclusive and repellent forces.

Three days ago, he dared to remain in the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair, which was sealed by an incredibly strong barrier, because he thought his Ice Flame might be able to forcibly melt it open. Although this barrier was reputed to be the strongest on the Profound Sky Continent, impenetrable even by the combined might of the Four Sacred Masters, his Ice Flame defied the laws of heaven and order, making it an existence that went against nature itself. When his profound energy was still at the Sky Profound Realm, he could use Ice Flame to forcibly melt the barriers of the Primordial Profound Ark. Later, upon entering the King Profound Realm, Elder Ye Shi of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall was instantly incinerated upon mere contact.

"Jasmine," Yun Che said confidently, "though this barrier is said to be the strongest on the continent, it shouldn't be tougher than the Primordial Profound Ark, right? Ice Flame could damage the Ark, so it must be able to break this barrier too."

Originally, when holding the Ice Flame, he had to maintain extreme mental focus, and his profound veins and body would experience immense pressure. A slight lapse could cause the Ice Flame to go out of control and harm him. But now, he could wield it with considerable ease.

"The Primordial Profound Ark is an ancient artifact; this sealing barrier is nowhere near comparable," Jasmine said with disdain. "But don't forget, it took you half a year and nearly a thousand Ice Flames to create an exit on the Ark's wall. Furthermore, the Ark's walls had no self-healing ability. While this sealing barrier is much weaker than the Primordial Profound Ark, it regenerates quickly once damaged! So, if you want to get out, you'll need to blast open a sufficiently large hole in a single attempt!"

"I know that," Yun Che nodded slightly. "Then, do you think I can succeed?"

"I don't know," Jasmine replied without hesitation, dismissing the idea directly. "That so-called Ice Flame in your hand utterly defies the laws of heaven! I've never even heard of it before. I can't sense its power laws, nor can I grasp its true might... or perhaps, it doesn't even have a concept of 'might' in the usual sense, making it impossible to predict its effects using common sense or knowledge. Half a year ago, at the Frozen Cloud Asgard, the elder from the Sun and Moon Divine Hall was instantly incinerated without resistance upon mere contact with the Ice Flame; that outcome was entirely beyond my expectation. Today, I naturally cannot make any definitive judgment. You'll just have to try it yourself."

"Alright, I'll try!" Yun Che retracted his arms, then gently pushed forward, moving the Ice Flame towards the isolating barrier.

The destructive power of the Ice Flame was undoubtedly terrifying; Yun Che was certain it could severely wound even the Four Sacred Masters if it hit them directly. However, generating it required intense concentration and a long time, controlling it demanded extreme caution, and he couldn't even throw it with much force. Thus, while it might be useful for occasional sneak attacks, it was almost impossible to use in actual combat. Otherwise, if Ice Flame could be ignited as easily as other flames and unleashed with full power, he could undoubtedly stride through sacred lands and dominate the Profound Sky Continent.

The Ice Flame touched the barrier and ignited silently. The Ice Flame's incineration was always silent, and this time was no exception. By its fading light, Yun Che clearly saw a circular imperfection instantly appear on the incredibly tough isolating barrier, which had existed for ten thousand years, under the Ice Flame's touch. It was as if a piece of cloth had been burned through by fire. This imperfection was palm-sized. As the Ice Flame consumed it, the damaged area deepened, reaching half a foot before the Ice Flame completely dissipated... yet, it still hadn't penetrated the barrier.

A sharp, sizzling sound erupted! A series of lightning-like crackles followed as blue light flashed sharply at the damaged part of the barrier, and surging power rushed in from all directions, creating ripple-like waves across the barrier. After one breath, the ripples subsided, and the hole created by the Ice Flame had vanished without a trace, leaving no sign of damage.

Yun Che: "..."

***

Outside the Barrier.

"Xue'er, please go back with your father for now... Your father will immediately arrange for someone to guard this place twenty-four hours a day, and you'll be informed immediately if there's any movement, alright?"

Feng Hengkong looked at his daughter with a pained heart, trying his best to persuade her. For the past three days, he had visited daily, and each time, he saw her looking a little more drawn than the day before. Yet, no matter how he pleaded, Feng Xue'er remained unmoved. Based on his understanding of his daughter, she was not a stubborn person; on the contrary, she had always been compliant and obedient, both to the Phoenix God and to him... But when it came to Yun Che, she became incredibly stubborn... even resolute.

Once, Yun Che was the person he hated most, wishing he could personally ensure his miserable death... Now, however, he was desperately praying that Yun Che wouldn't die, hoping not even a single hair would be harmed. Because he feared that if something truly happened to Yun Che, it would take away his daughter's joy for her entire life.

"Father, you don't need to worry about me. Brother Yun will be fine, and since he cares for me so much, he wouldn't bear to make me wait too long," Feng Xue'er said softly, her eyes closed and her hands still clasped before her chest.

"Phoenix Sect Master, there's no need to persuade her anymore. Tomorrow is the Devil Sword Convention, and you surely have many preparations to make. You don't need to worry about Sister Xue'er here," Xia Yuanba interjected.

The sky was dim, adorned with twinkling stars, and night had already enveloped the heavens and the vast sea. When this veil of night lifted, it would be the time for the Devil Sword Convention. By calculation, only five or six hours remained. For this once-in-a-millennium event, which gathered almost all top experts of the Profound Sky, and was rumored to offer insights into the "Mysteries of Divine Profound," all attendees held exceptionally high expectations.

"Sigh..." Feng Hengkong moved his lips, but ultimately could only sigh. The news of Yun Che being sealed inside the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair had already spread throughout the Supreme Ocean Palace, known by everyone attending the Devil Sword Convention. Initially, people constantly came close to inquire if Yun Che could truly emerge. By the second day, those coming to inquire were few and far between. By the third day, everyone believed Yun Che was doomed. Because it was the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair! Even the Four Sacred Masters would not survive a single day inside.

"Xue'er, you believe that boy Yun Che will surely come out alive, and your father believes it too... I'll come back to check on you every day." Lightly patting Feng Xue'er's shoulder, Feng Hengkong secretly sighed and left, his heart heavy with suppressed emotion. He increasingly felt that the Phoenix Divine Sect provoking Yun Che... was simply the greatest disaster in five millennia!

Compared to Feng Xue'er, Xia Yuanba's worries were considerably lighter. With the awakening of his Tyrannical Emperor Divine Veins, his temperament, spirit, and will had been affected, and his mind was far more clear and astute than before. Coupled with his trust in Yun Che, even after three days, he remained convinced that since Yun Che dared to stay in the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair, he must have a sufficient way to get out.

"What kind of method could possibly break open this barrier..." Xia Yuanba stared at the barrier, furrowing his brows, constantly pondering the same question.

Just then, Feng Xue'er's delicate body trembled violently. Her phoenix eyes snapped open, and she excitedly asked, "Big Brother, did you hear anything just now? A sound? What kind of sound?" Xia Yuanba was startled; he had been mostly lost in thought and hadn't heard anything.

"It was a sound coming from the barrier!" Feng Xue'er's body descended, and she shouted with immense excitement, "Brother Yun, is that you... Brother Yun, it must be you, right!"

***

Inside the Moon-Slaying Devil God's Lair.

"Although this barrier is a bit stronger than I expected, it can indeed be destroyed by Ice Flame."

Despite the failure, Yun Che showed little disappointment. He took two steps back and extended his arms again, fire in his left hand and ice in his right... This time, he disregarded his injuries and channeled his profound energy to its maximum. Flames fiercely burned on his left, and cold energy intensely condensed on his right... He continued to condense for more than ten breaths, without stopping.

"You're going to fuse a large Ice Flame?" Jasmine's voice deepened as she realized his intent. "You're taking a completely unnecessary risk! It will only take me one or two days at most to reconstruct my body; can't you even wait that long?! To do this now... your injuries haven't healed, your profound veins are half-depleted, forcing such a large Ice Flame is entirely a gamble with your life!"

"No!" Yun Che shook his head with full confidence. "Before, it would indeed have been a gamble with my life. But now, I have almost complete certainty."

"Complete certainty? Where does that confidence come from?" Jasmine questioned. "You've never fused such a massive Ice Flame before, let alone now!"

"When I woke up just now, I found that my spirit wasn't fatigued at all; instead, it was exceptionally clear. I even felt my mental power had greatly increased. When I ignited the first Ice Flame just now, I knew it wasn't an illusion. Didn't you notice that despite my severe injuries and significant loss of profound energy, the Ice Flame I just fused formed faster than before?"

"...I was also wondering why you felt no mental burden after waking up," Jasmine mused quietly, then murmured to herself: "Could it be that after enduring the extremely cruel Soul-Leaving power... his soul level has actually sublimated? Or... have the Dragon God's Soul, Phoenix Soul, and Golden Crow Soul further integrated with his own soul? Or... both!?"

"Previously, whenever I tried to fuse a larger Ice Flame, I would subconsciously feel self-doubt and even a sense of danger, making me believe I couldn't succeed and that forcing it would have severe consequences. But this time, despite my injuries, that feeling is surprisingly faint."

Yun Che took a deep breath, drew his arms in, and the two intense masses of flame and ice power slowly approached and merged...

A quarter of an hour passed...

Two quarters of an hour passed...

As the third quarter of an hour was about to end, Yun Che opened his eyes. In his palm, a silent, icy-blue flame, a foot and a half tall, burned.

"Unbelievable..." Jasmine took a slight breath. "The Soul-Leaving power of the Underworld Brahma Flower not only didn't harm your soul power but actually increased it so much. You truly are a freak."

Yun Che's chest heaved, his forehead covered in cold sweat, but his face was alight with excitement. A flame a foot and a half tall might be insignificant for ordinary profound flames, but for Ice Flame, it was an extremely terrifying concept. Although it burned quietly in Yun Che's hand, only he knew that despite its recent creation, he was already starting to lose some control over it.

"This time, I'll definitely blast open this barrier!" Yun Che muttered softly, then pushed his hands forward with extreme caution.