230: Beiming Xuanjie

"Daoist Friend Lin."

A familiar voice came from behind. The Xuanming War General arrived through the air, his body surrounded by ghostly blue Xuanming Qi. A rare trace of a smile appeared on his face, which was usually as cold and hard as ten-thousand-year-old profound ice: "By imperial decree, I have come specifically to welcome you into the city."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly. The two stepped onto the Xuanming Bridge side by side. With every step, an ice lotus automatically condensed on the bridge surface to support their feet, isolating the bone-chilling cold. This was the highest level of hospitality the Tianyuan Dynasty offered to distinguished guests.

"The Profound Realm Hegemony Competition is different from the Heaven Realms," the Xuanming War General transmitted his voice. "The Beiming Profound Realm governs ten thousand Heaven Realms. Each Heaven Realm's top champion is a peerless Prodigy who has swept across their region. What's even more terrifying is..."

His voice sank slightly: "This time, several descendants of hidden ancient clans have emerged to compete. Although they didn't show their faces in the Heaven Realm competitions, their strength is definitely not weaker than the likes of Sword Without Dust."

Lin Yuan's gaze shifted slightly: "For example?"

"Ice Without Trace of the Ancient Ice Clan. It is said he possesses the 'Absolute Zero Body' and has cultivated the 'Ice Dao' to 11%, breaking the theoretical limit of the Feather Transformation Realm!"

"Zang Hongchen of the Yellow Springs Sect. He Cultivates the forbidden secret technique 'Burial Scripture' and has mastered 10% of the 'Death Dao.' The 'heaven burial coffin' in his hands can even Seal powerions of the Hunyuan Realm!"

The Chaos Heart Light flickered slightly in Lin Yuan's eyes. 11% of the Ice Dao? 10% of the Death Dao? These hidden descendants were indeed not to be underestimated.

During their conversation, the two had already crossed the Xuanming Bridge. The full view of Tianyuan City suddenly opened up—countless palaces and pavilions carved from profound ice loomed in the ghostly blue light. In the center, a towering 'Tianyuan Battle Stage' shaped like an inverted iceberg stood majestically, its body entwined with nine lifelike Xuanming Ice Dragons, emitting a terrifying Aura that seemed to freeze eternity!

"The competition starts tomorrow. Today, you will first rest at the Imperial Guest Courtyard." The Xuanming War General handed over an ice crystal token. "This is the Competition Entry Token, and it also symbolizes your status as a Two-Star Guest Elder of the Tianyuan Dynasty."

Lin Yuan took the token; it felt warm and cool to the touch. The front of the token was engraved with the words 'Tianyuan,' while the back featured a pattern of a budding chaos green lotus—this was clearly customized specifically for him.

Right at that moment, a sudden change occurred!

Boom!

Above Tianyuan City, one of the nine inverted icebergs suddenly shook violently! A ghostly blue ice pillar as thick as a mountain descended from the sky, smashing down ruthlessly toward Lin Yuan's location! Everywhere the ice pillar passed, space froze and shattered, and the terrifying cold caused the temperature within a ten-thousand-foot radius to plummet to absolute zero!

"Ice Without Trace! How dare you!" the Xuanming War General roared. His Xuanming battle Qi surged into the sky, transforming into a ferocious, roaring ice dragon to meet the ice pillar!

However, another figure was even faster than the Xuanming War General!

The chaos wings behind Lin Yuan's back suddenly unfurled, and the terrifying pressure of the fourth-tier wings erupted! He gripped the air with his right hand, and a Dao sword condensed from pure Qi of Life and Death instantly took shape. He slashed out with the sword toward the ice pillar!

"Life and Death Reversal Slash!"

Ssh—!

Wherever the sword light passed, the frozen space shattered inch by inch like fragile glass! That ghostly blue ice pillar, which was enough to freeze those of the Myriad Dao Realm, was split in half from the top by a single sword strike! The sword light, its momentum undiminished, shot straight into the clouds and struck the inverted iceberg ruthlessly!

Crack!

A deafening sound of shattering echoed through Tianyuan City! A corner of that ten-thousand-foot-tall iceberg was actually sliced off by this single sword strike! Countless blocks of ice fell like meteors, turning into powder as they were blocked by the Xuanming Grand Array!

"What a fine successor of the Great Dao of Life and Death."

A cold voice came from the peak of the iceberg. A young man dressed in ice-blue robes with a face as beautiful as a demon stepped down through the air. With every step he took, an ice lotus automatically condensed beneath his feet. Nine ice crystal runes that were constantly being born and destroyed circled his body, emitting a terrifying Aura that froze all things. Most striking were his pupils—they were composed entirely of ghostly blue ice crystals, without a trace of human emotion!

The descendant of the Ancient Ice Clan, Ice Without Trace!

"Can your power of life and death break my absolute zero?" Ice Without Trace's voice was like the grinding of ten-thousand-year-old ice, piercing and cold.

Lin Yuan did not answer. He simply gave the chaos wings on his back a light flap, and a world-shaking Dao rhyme of life and death erupted, forcibly shattering the surrounding frozen space!

The gazes of the two clashed in mid-air, and the invisible collision of Aura caused even the Xuanming Bridge to begin cracking!

"Enough!" the Xuanming War General barked coldly. "If you want to fight, show your true skills on the Tianyuan Battle Stage tomorrow! Now, both of you, stop!"

Ice Without Trace gave Lin Yuan a deep look before his figure dissipated into a sky full of ice crystals.

"This person is dangerous," the Xuanming War General said solemnly. "His Absolute Zero Body has reached Major Achievement; he can even briefly freeze time. If you face him tomorrow, you must be careful."

Lin Yuan nodded slightly, the Chaos Heart Light flickering in his eyes. 11% of the Ice Dao—while it broke the theoretical limit of the Feather Transformation Realm, the Ice Dao was merely a basic Dao, nothing more than a clown's trick... Three days later, the Tianyuan Battle Stage.

When Lin Yuan stepped onto this ten-thousand-foot ice stage, the spectator stands were already packed. Representatives from various forces of the Beiming Profound Realm, friends and relatives of the prodigies, and even spies from other Profound Realms crowded the stage area. Everyone's eyes were focused on the ten thousand figures in the center of the stage—they were the champions from the ten thousand Heaven Realms under the Beiming Profound Realm, each one a peerless Prodigy who had swept through their own region!

"The Beiming Profound Realm Feather Transformation Realm Hegemony Competition officially begins!" As the Referee Elder's voice echoed through the clouds, countless barrier light screens rose around the battle stage. On the screens, a dense list of matchups scrolled rapidly before finally settling.

Lin Yuan's first opponent was unexpectedly the champion of the 'Netherworld Heaven Realm,' Zang Hongchen!

"Jie jie jie..." Amidst a burst of hair-raising, eerie laughter, a man dressed in tattered burial clothes and carrying a bronze ancient coffin on his shoulder floated onto the stage. His face was withered like a corpse, but his eyes were as blood-red as gore, and his body was entwined with materialized death energy. Most eye-catching was the bronze ancient coffin on his shoulder, its surface inscribed with countless twisted runes, emitting terrifying fluctuations that could Seal the heavens and earth.

"Lin Yuan..." Zang Hongchen's voice sounded as if it came from the depths of Hell. "Your corpse... I want it..."

Lin Yuan looked at this bizarre opponent expressionlessly and slowly raised his right hand.

"The match begins!" the Referee Elder commanded.

"heaven burial coffin, Open!" Zang Hongchen shouted, and the bronze ancient coffin on his shoulder burst open! A deathly Aura so thick it was tangible surged out, transforming into countless hideous ghostly hands that clawed at Lin Yuan! Even more terrifyingly, a hair-raising suction force emanated from inside the coffin, as if it wanted to forcibly pull Lin Yuan's Divine Soul into the coffin to be sealed!

"It's the heaven burial coffin!" some spectators cried out in alarm. "Legend has it that this coffin once sealed a powerion of the Hunyuan Realm!"

Facing this bizarre and terrifying attack, the Chaos Heart Light flickered slightly in Lin Yuan's eyes. The chaos wings on his back gave a light flap, and Void Shuttle was activated! His figure instantly appeared behind Zang Hongchen, his right hand's fingers joined like a sword, piercing straight toward the man's heart!