112: The Ice Phoenix's Rise and...Future Crisis

In this clash of rules that transcended limits, the Ice Crystal Phoenix grew stronger with each battle!

The ice-blue runic light surrounding its body became increasingly brilliant; with every flap of its wings, every cry, it seemed to resonate with the frigid power between heaven and earth, drawing forth even more immense ice and cold energy.

It was like the sovereign of ice and snow, thriving in the extreme cold domain, its mastery of rule power becoming increasingly refined and exquisite.

In contrast, the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's condition gradually deteriorated!

Its aura, which had surged in its berserk state, began to fluctuate unstably and recede like a punctured balloon.

Dark red light flickered erratically on its carapace, and its three wildly thrashing scorpion tails also showed signs of fatigue, with both the frequency and power of its attacks declining.

The toxic flames it spewed, though still terrifying, visibly shrank in range, and their color seemed to dim slightly.

"What's going on?!"

Chen Feng's expression changed drastically; his mind was connected to the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion, and he clearly felt the pain, weakness, and... a sense of exhaustion originating from its life essence!

"Impossible! The potion Grandpa gave me clearly..."

He suddenly remembered how his grandfather, Chen Xuantong, had used various rare but potent potions to forcibly boost the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's strength, like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, pushing it to the threshold of touching rules.

This kind of enhancement came at the cost of overdrawing and damaging the pet's life essence!

The Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's essence had long become riddled with holes, like fractured Colored Glaze, under the erosion of the medicinal power!

It could maintain itself under normal circumstances, but under the high-intensity, high-severity rule clashes brought about by an opponent of equivalent strength like the Ice Crystal Phoenix, which wielded orthodox rule power, this massive inherent flaw finally erupted completely!

High-intensity combat, after all, could not be sustained for too long!

"Roar... woo..."

The Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion let out a low hiss filled with pain and exhaustion, and its massive body trembled violently!

The wild dark red flames burning on its body abruptly extinguished with a "puff," as if doused by cold water!

Its forcibly activated berserk state was forcibly dispelled!

What was even more fatal was that at the moment the state was dispelled, its utilization of the "Corroding Bone Rule" power inevitably experienced a momentary stagnation and disorder!

The surging dark green toxic flames, as if their source had been cut off, suddenly paused, and their power sharply decreased!

A chance for a killing blow!

"Now's the time!"

Qin Yuyan's eyes flashed with cold light, her will in perfect sync with the Ice Crystal Phoenix!

The Ice Crystal Phoenix seized this fleeting opening, and its long-prepared attack instantly erupted!

Its high-pitched phoenix cry pierced the clouds and shattered stones; its wings suddenly folded, and an ice crystal core, formed by countless ice-blue rule runes, only fist-sized yet exuding a terrifying fluctuation capable of freezing stars, instantly materialized before its chest!

"Extreme Cold: Eternal Silence Ice Coffin!"

The ice crystal core transformed into an ultimate stream of light, whose speed and coldness were beyond description, instantly piercing through the thinned toxic flame barrier, which had become disordered due to the rule disruption, and accurately struck the core of the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's massive body—its lava-like heart!

Crack! Crack! Crack!!!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a chilling, absolute silence spreading, as if all things were frozen!

Centered on the point of impact, a layer of pure, ultimate, deep blue solid ice, as if alive and capable of freezing time, spread wildly!

Wherever it passed, the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's hard carapace, its thrashing scorpion tails, and even the dark green toxic flames remaining on its body were instantly frozen and encased in ice!

The terrifying power of the ice rule ignored its surface defenses, directly invaded its body, frantically freezing its blood, muscles, and even its essence!

In just a single breath, the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion, which had just been overwhelmingly formidable, had already transformed into a lifelike, giant ice sculpture exuding absolute zero coldness!

Its ferocious posture, the remaining rage and pain in its eyes, were all eternally solidified within the deep blue solid ice!

"No!!!"

Chen Feng's eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a desperate roar; he felt his soul connection with the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion being severed by a terrifying cold!

Boom!!!

Inside the ice sculpture, a dull, extremely loud sound suddenly erupted!

The frozen Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion, at the brink of death, unleashed its last vestiges of primordial power, forcibly impacting the ice rule within its body!

Dark red light flickered wildly inside the ice, and massive cracks spread across the surface of the deep blue ice coffin!

Bang!!!

The giant ice coffin exploded with a crash!

Countless ice crystal fragments containing terrifying coldness scattered like sharp blades!

The Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion broke free from its icy prison!

However, the scorpion that broke free was in an incredibly miserable state!

Its carapace was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, the dark red light completely extinguished, leaving only an ashen color.

Two and a half of its three scorpion tails were broken, with viscous, foul-smelling dark green pus and blood oozing from the severed ends.

Its massive body swayed precariously, its aura like a flickering candle in the wind, extremely weak, its flame of life seemingly ready to extinguish at any moment.

In its compound eyes, only endless pain, weakness, and the despair of impending death remained.

Forcibly breaking through the ice had exhausted its last primordial strength and accelerated the end of its life!

In the Professional Association's Supreme Council Hall, a giant circular light screen was broadcasting every detail of the battlefield in real time.

When the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion was instantly frozen and then struggled to break free, revealing its dying state, an uncontrollable gasp echoed through the hall.

"Hiss... what an overbearing ice rule! The Ice Crystal Phoenix's understanding and application of rules far surpass the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's!"

A white-haired old council member adjusted his glasses, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"The Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's condition... something's wrong!"

Another stern-faced middle-aged council member pointed at the scorpion's cracked carapace and oozing pus and blood on the light screen.

"Its essence... is depleting too quickly!"

"Elder Chen's 'Corroding Bone Potion' is indeed effective, but the cost is probably the complete overdraft of the pet's potential and life essence!"

As his words fell, the hall fell into a brief silence.

However, Chen Xuantong's expression remained unchanged, as he had long known about the Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion's damaged essence.

On the light screen, the Ice Crystal Phoenix circled gracefully, its body enveloped by continuously flowing ice-blue runes, its aura stable and powerful, forming a stark contrast with the dying Bone-Corroding Poison Scorpion below.

At this moment, an old man in a research uniform, who had been silently observing, slowly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of complexity.

"It seems the gap between man-made potions and natural treasures is still too vast."

"That's right! Qin Zhenyue must have used the star marrow we gave him on his granddaughter."

"No wonder! No wonder the Ice Crystal Phoenix's rule power is so pure and stable! Its foundation is incredibly solid! That is a gift of creation from heaven and earth, fundamentally different from potions that promote growth prematurely!"

"The efficacy of natural treasures like star marrow is indeed miraculous, almost defying fate! But..."

The council member's tone shifted, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Such treasures are too rare! We can't expect to rely on such materials to mass-produce Transcendent-level combat power!"

"Exactly!"

Someone immediately seconded.

"Although the 'Corroding Bone Potion' damages the pet's essence, most of its main ingredients can be obtained through artificial cultivation or substitutes, with only one or two core ingredients being difficult to acquire. This means it has the potential for large-scale mass production!"

"As long as we can mass-produce pets with Transcendent-level combat power, even if they become Waste after one battle at the same level, their strategic value is immeasurable!"

"Right! On the future battlefield, a legion of pseudo-Transcendent-level, or even Transcendent-level, pets that wield rule power could instantly turn the tide of a major battle!"

"Damaged essence? As long as we can win the war, as long as we can mass-produce Transcendent-level combat power, such a cost... is completely acceptable!"

"The 'Extraordinary Potion' project represents the future direction for large-scale, sustainable improvement of overall combat power!"

"Although it still has flaws, its strategic significance is irreplaceable!"

"Time is pressing. In the past year, news of Transcendent-level creatures escaping from spatial rifts has constantly come from all over the world. In the past six months alone, the number of Transcendent-level creatures that have rushed into our world has already exceeded the total of the past decade! At this rate of increase, within half a year, our currently controlled Transcendent-level combat power will no longer be able to maintain human stability..."

"We must devote all our efforts and focus our investment on the 'Extraordinary Potion' project!"

"Focusing solely on the 'Extraordinary Potion' project isn't enough; high-end, stable Transcendent-level combat power must also be cultivated as quickly as possible, such as geniuses like Qin Yuyan and Lin Feng! We must also prioritize their training!"

"And that kid from the Nangong family, and that kid from the Wang family are also good..."

"We need to tackle both aspects vigorously! Although the star marrow obtained in the Barren World this time is not abundant, it's not a small amount. After deducting the necessary 'sharing' with other forces, the remaining star marrow is barely enough to allow us to add seventeen or eighteen more Transcendent-level individuals..."

"And Lin Feng's Gold-level Xenomorph Legion, if necessary, can all be evolved to awaken a trace of rule power using Old Chen's 'Corroding Bone Potion'..."

"And the pets of other geniuses..."