223: Chapter 222 Inner Alchemy

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted slightly.

He could sense that this mystic tortoise's aura was thirty percent stronger than that of Blood Bone Venerable, whom he had encountered on Black Stone Island.

Moreover, its intertwined aura of ice and fire merged perfectly with the valley's environment; here, it could exert at least one hundred and twenty percent of its power.

Teng Yuzhi stood up, her right hand resting on the hilt of the sword at her waist.

Her expression was solemn as her gaze remained fixed on the mystic tortoise.

"It has its eyes on us," she said in a low voice. "This is its territory, and we've intruded."

Jiang Hanzhou stood up, his right hand gripping the tiger soul saber at his waist.

The blade trembled slightly, as if responding to his Battle Intent.

"Can we run?"

"We can't," Teng Yuzhi said. "In Ice Fire Two Energies Valley, the Ice-Fire Black Tortoise's speed is comparable to the Peak of the Primal Elephant Realm. We can't outrun it."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment, then he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable sharpness.

"Then... let's kill it."

Teng Yuzhi glanced at him, a strange look flickering in her cold eyes.

Then, she smiled as well.

That smile was more pronounced than before.

"Alright."

As soon as she spoke—

The Ice-Fire Black Tortoise moved!

With a single step, its massive body was as fast as lightning!

Its left claw rose, wreathed in crimson flames, and slammed down toward Jiang Hanzhou's head!

Its right claw rose, encrusted with deep blue frost, and clawed fiercely at Teng Yuzhi!

As one claw struck down, even the air seemed to burn!

As the other clawed forward, the void itself seemed to freeze!

Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat.

He simply took a deep breath, his blood and Qi surging wildly within him!

Deep within his Dantian, that three-colored flame suddenly expanded!

Dark gold, dark red, and invisible—the three colors intertwined, flowing frantically through his Meridians and pouring into the tiger soul saber!

A layer of crimson-gold flames instantly ignited on the blade!

As the flames churned, the golden sharpness at the edges grew brighter and keener—traces of the Golden Sharpness True Intent.

As the flames flowed, they carried a continuous, wave-like quality—the blessing of the Tidal True Intent.

He slashed out!

This strike was aimed at the incoming giant flaming claw!

The moment the saber glow collided with the giant claw—

BOOM—!!!!!!

A loud noise like a thunderclap erupted over the entire valley!

The moment the flaming claw was struck by the saber, the flames upon it shuddered violently!

But it was only a shudder.

In the next instant, an indescribable force surged from the giant claw, numbing Jiang Hanzhou's arms and splitting the webs of his thumbs. He was sent flying back ten zhang!

He flipped in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground, looking down at his hands.

His hands trembled slightly, blood dripping from the webs of his thumbs.

A full-strength strike from the Late Stage of the Primal Elephant Realm was indeed extraordinary.

But—

He wasn't truly injured.

His Physical Body, tempered by the Blood Burning True Flame, combined with the Dragon Blood Power fused from the Dragon Blood Pool, allowed him to withstand the strike head-on.

He looked up at the mystic tortoise.

On the mystic tortoise's left claw, the saber wound he had inflicted was slowly healing. Flame power surged, and after three breaths, the mark vanished completely.

However, a hint of solemnity appeared in its red and blue eyes.

It had sensed it.

Although this human's cultivation was far inferior to its own, the power contained in that strike was enough to wound it.

On the other side, Teng Yuzhi had also made her move.

She didn't meet the claw head-on.

Her figure whirled, darting across the ice like a blue streak of light!

The claw swept past, grazing the hem of her robe and striking a massive boulder by the lakeside.

"Boom—!"

The boulder was crushed to pieces, with countless stone fragments spraying in all directions!

She used the momentum to leap up, her longsword unsheathing with a ring!

The moment the blade was drawn, a pale blue sword light shot from the tip, aiming straight for the mystic tortoise's right eye!

A trace of disdain flashed in the mystic tortoise's eyes.

It simply closed its eyes.

The sword light struck its eyelid, leaving only a faint white mark.

By the time it opened its eyes, the white mark had already disappeared.

Teng Yuzhi's expression changed slightly.

The mystic tortoise's defense far exceeded her expectations.

But just then—

An invisible blade light shot out from between Jiang Hanzhou's brows!

Heart Blade, Soul Slaying!

The blade light was intangible and formless, fast as lightning, slashing directly into the depths of the mystic tortoise's Sea of Consciousness!

The mystic tortoise's body suddenly stiffened!

In its red and blue eyes, a flicker of indescribable confusion and tremors appeared—the instinctive reaction to its Divine Soul being struck.

Though it was only for an instant.

That instant was enough.

Teng Yuzhi moved!

Her hands formed a seal, and the water-blue light surrounding her suddenly surged!

The light condensed in the air, transforming into countless fine blue threads that streaked toward the mystic tortoise!

The threads intertwined, forming a massive blue net around the mystic tortoise!

Ice True Intent—Ice Seal!

The moment the net tightened, the crimson flames on the mystic tortoise's body suddenly stalled!

The flames were frozen!

Frost spread across its body, freezing its limbs, its torso, and its head—layer by layer!

The mystic tortoise let out a shrill cry!

It desperately circulated the ice and fire powers within its body, trying to break free from the constraints of the blue net!

Flames burned and frost melted!

Under its struggle, the blue net began to show cracks!

But at that moment—

Jiang Hanzhou arrived!

He stepped forward, his figure like lightning!

On the tiger soul saber, the crimson-gold flames ignited once more! As the flames churned, the golden saber glow at the edges was even more brilliant and sharp than before!

He didn't slash at the mystic tortoise's head, nor its limbs.

He slashed at its—right eye.

That deep blue, ice-like eye.

The blade light flashed!

"Chih—!"

The moment the tiger soul saber pierced the mystic tortoise's right eye, a surge of deep blue liquid erupted! The liquid was extremely cold; as it splashed onto the blade, it instantly condensed into a thick layer of frost!

But Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat.

He simply gritted his teeth, gripped the saber with both hands, and shoved it inward with all his might!

The entire blade sank in!

The mystic tortoise let out an earth-shattering roar!

The roar was filled with pain and fury!

It exerted all its strength, and the ice and fire powers around its body exploded!

The blue net shattered instantly!

Teng Yuzhi let out a muffled groan, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth as she was sent flying back ten zhang!

But Jiang Hanzhou did not retreat.

He gripped the tiger soul saber tightly, standing atop the mystic tortoise's head, hacking down frantically, strike after strike!

Blade lights flashed, and flesh and blood flew everywhere!

The mystic tortoise struggled and roared madly, its massive body rolling and crashing within the Ice Fire Lake, crushing countless boulders and whipping up monstrous waves!

But Jiang Hanzhou simply wouldn't come down.

He as if a stubborn plaster, he stuck fast to the mystic tortoise's head, slashing again and again!

Finally—

The mystic tortoise's struggles gradually slowed down.

The light in its red and blue eyes slowly dimmed.

It let out a low whimper, its massive body collapsing into the Ice Fire Lake, sending up a towering spray of water.

Jiang Hanzhou jumped down from its head and landed by the lakeshore, gasping for breath.

He was soaked in blood from head to toe.

Some was his own, some was the mystic tortoise's.

On the tiger soul saber, the layer of frost was slowly melting, revealing fine cracks across the blade.

He looked down at the spirit weapon that had accompanied him for so long, remained silent for a moment, and then sheathed the saber.

Teng Yuzhi staggered to his side, her face as pale as paper, traces of blood still on the corner of her mouth.

She looked at the fallen mystic tortoise, then at the blood-covered Jiang Hanzhou, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, she spoke, her voice raspy:

"Are you... insane?"

Jiang Hanzhou looked up at her.

His eyes were full of exhaustion, yet they held a faint smile.

"I'm not," he said. "I just... don't want to die."

Teng Yuzhi looked at him, a complex light flickering in her cold eyes.

Then, she sighed, took out a healing Medicinal Pill from her robes, and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou.

Jiang Hanzhou took it and swallowed it.

The moment the pill's power entered his body, his internal minor injuries began to heal slowly.

He took a deep breath, walked to the mystic tortoise's corpse, and sliced open its head.

Inside the head, a fist-sized Inner Core floated quietly.

The Inner Core was red and blue; half was as crimson as blood, and the other half as deep blue as ice. The two colors flowed slowly within the core, and with each rotation, wisps of ice and fire power drifted out.

Ice-Fire Black Tortoise Inner Core.