199: Dry Blue Ice Flame

Lin Feng and Fang Lingyao walked one after the other, moving slowly through the scorching tunnel.

Waves of heat, accompanied by wisps of eerie cold, surged toward them one after another. They had to slow their pace and circulate their spiritual power to protect their bodies.

Lin Feng held the dou su sword, and deep blue water spiritual power formed a gentle yet tough curtain of light in front of him, isolating all the scorching heat and cold.

At the end of the tunnel, a massive underground vault came into view. In the center of the vault stood a circular altar, silently supported by an invisible force field and constructed entirely of ten-thousand-year mystic ice. The altar was crystal clear, radiating an ancient chill.

Above the altar, three pearls the size of fists, surrounded by golden flowing light, rotated slowly in a mysterious trajectory. Extremely pure supreme Yang power spread out like a tide; it was the red emperor flowing pearl.

However, an extremely discordant, terrifying chill that seemed capable of freezing the Soul was diffusing from beneath the altar, forming an eerie balance with the supreme Yang power of the pearls.

At the base of the altar, it was not solid mystic ice, but rather a strange, ice-blue flame that burned silently. The flame was soundless, yet it caused fine ice crystals to condense in the surrounding space, and light twisted as it passed through.

"This chill... is it actually a hundred times stronger than mystic ice?" Lin Feng felt a trace of sluggishness in the water spiritual power of his dou su sword.

Beside him, Fang Lingyao's voice carried irrepressible shock as she subconsciously stepped closer to him: "qianlan ice flame... it must be the qianlan ice flame!"

Lin Feng's gaze sharpened: "qianlan ice flame?"

"Legend has it that it was formed from the Origin power of the Profound Nether Ice Phoenix after it was suppressed by the Red Emperor," Fang Lingyao said, her speaking speed increasing, "It is supreme Yin and supreme cold, capable of restraining all fires in the world! Look at that altar and the pearls..."

Lin Feng followed her guidance and immediately grasped the key: "They appear to be opposites, but in reality... they have achieved a balance?"

"Yes!" Fang Lingyao nodded heavily, "It's just that this balance seems too fragile. Any external force could trigger a backlash from the ice flame or a rampage from the pearls."

Lin Feng's expression was solemn as he slowly raised the dou su sword and struck out tentatively, sending a strand of Gui Water Sword Qi toward the perimeter of the altar.

However, as soon as the Sword Qi entered that area, its speed plummeted, and its surface was immediately covered by a thick layer of deep blue ice crystals. Before it could even touch the main body of the altar, it "cracked" in mid-air, completely freezing, shattering, and dissipating, without even stirring a ripple.

Lin Feng's brows knitted tightly. This qianlan ice flame was not only bone-chillingly cold but also possessed a quality of annihilation, far more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Although the Gui Water of the dou su sword was also Yin water, compared to the grade of this ice flame, while the attributes were similar, the essence was worlds apart.

To force his way through now would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

Just as Lin Feng was lost in thought, discussing with Fang Lingyao in low voices while desperately searching for a way to break this stalemate...

Deep in another tunnel filled with nether Evil Qi, Li Feiyu was facing a life-and-death struggle. He was at the edge of a massive underground cold pool; the pool water was as black as ink, thick and cold, constantly emitting wisps of Yin Evil Qi that could erode the Divine Soul.

In the center of the pool, an energy entity resembling a black dragon was churning crazily, emitting an extremely pure nether Aura; it was the nine nether earth yin fiend.

The formation of this fiend stemmed from the red emperor flowing pearl continuously absorbing the supreme Yang fire spirit of Heaven Burning Valley for thousands of years, leading to a severe imbalance of Yin and Yang in this area. When things reach an extreme, they reverse; Yin is born from extreme Yang. To maintain the delicate balance of certain heavenly Laws, this extremely Yin cold pool had bred this energy of supreme Yin and supreme evil.

At this moment, the Earth Yin Fiend sensed the Yin Qi of the same source on Li Feiyu. Instead of feeling close, it attacked manically, like a Vicious Beast whose territory had been invaded.

Seven condensed whips of Evil Qi, accompanied by piercing whistles, lashed toward Li Feiyu from different angles.

Li Feiyu waved the soul defilement banner, and strands of black energy transformed into ghost shadows to meet them, but they constantly dissipated before the pure Earth Yin Fiend energy.

"Damn it! How can the spirituality of this Earth Yin Fiend be so high?" He was both shocked and furious, his figure dodging in embarrassment in the narrow open space by the pool. His protective Yin Evil Qi was struck by the whips of Evil Qi, and waves of stinging pain went straight to his Divine Soul, leaving him in constant danger.

Seeing his protective light dimming and about to be swallowed by the Evil Qi, he suddenly let out a sharp cry. Risking taking a hit from the Evil Qi, he spat out a mouthful of blood and pulled a black jade talisman from his bosom.

This was the life-saving secret treasure, the Xuan Yin Suppression Talisman, given to him by his father, the Sect Master of the Xuan Yin Sect, when he left.

"With my essence blood, I invite the Xuan Yin! Suppress the fiend and Seal the Soul, ten thousand ghosts obey orders! Seal!" He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of essence blood containing his fundamental Origin Qi onto the jade talisman.

The jade talisman suddenly erupted with monstrous black light. Five massive ghost-head vortices appeared out of thin air, emitting silent roars and generating five enormous suction forces, forcibly binding the churning Earth Yin Fiend.

The Earth Yin Fiend struggled violently, causing the entire cold pool to surge with waves. Taking this opportunity, Li Feiyu crazily drove the soul defilement banner. The main Soul on the banner roared, turning into a giant mouth, crazily devouring the Earth Yin Fiend energy that was temporarily suppressed.

The process was extremely dangerous. Li Feiyu's whole body trembled violently, blood even seeped from his seven orifices, and his Divine Sense felt as if it had been pierced by thousands of ice needles, but he relied on a ruthless drive and his deep-seated hatred for Lin Feng to hold on.

After an unknown amount of time, the violent Earth Yin Fiend finally let out an unwilling hiss and was completely sucked into the banner.

As the Earth Yin Fiend was completely absorbed, the form of the soul defilement banner changed drastically. Countless dark golden mysterious patterns appeared on the banner surface, the banner pole turned into a dark jade color, and the chill was bone-piercing.

In the center of the banner surface, the main Soul completely solidified, turning into a ferocious ghost shadow with eerie fire burning in its eye sockets, emitting a terrifying Evil Qi that made one's heart palpitate.

Li Feiyu collapsed to the ground, his face pale as paper, his Aura withered, but his eyes were filled with near-manic joy and surging self-confidence: "Hahaha! Success! The netherworld ten thousand ghosts banner is complete! Lin Feng! I will make you pay for the humiliation you gave me with your life!"

He swallowed a few Medicinal Pills, adjusted his breath slightly, then impatiently turned into a black wind, rushed out of the cold pool, and dashed crazily toward the left tunnel where Lin Feng was located.

On the other side, Lin Feng was concentrating on observing the strange ice-blue flame when suddenly, a surge of Evil Qi rushed from the tunnel behind him, accompanied by a sharp shout.

"Lin Feng! Give me your life!"

Li Feiyu's figure shot over, wrapped in black mist. The banner in his hand was already vastly different.

Dark golden patterns flowed on the banner surface, a phantom of a Netherworld Ghost General roared ferociously, and the Evil Qi it unleashed turned into countless wailing ghost shadows, covering the sky and earth as they enveloped Lin Feng with an icy cold that eroded the Divine Soul.

The temperature in the tunnel plummeted, and even the crimson rock walls were instantly covered in a layer of frost. Its Aura was several times stronger than before.

Lin Feng's brows furrowed slightly. He did not move, but flipped his wrist, and the dou su sword drew a smooth arc.

"Vortex Shield."

The tip of the sword guided the water Origin energy around him, gathering a rapidly rotating dark vortex in front of him.

The ghost shadows collided with the vortex like mud oxen entering the sea, all being crushed and absorbed by the high-speed rotating vortex, stirring up only ripples of fluctuations, failing to shake Lin Feng in the slightest.

"Impossible!" Li Feiyu's pupils constricted, and he roared, driving the precious banner with all his might.