209: Chapter 209 Soaring Strength
Ice Phoenix Palace, Martial Arts Arena.
When the one hundred and eight sets of ice soul battle armor and frost blade longswords, exuding a bone-chilling cold and covered in profound runes, were neatly arranged at the center of the Martial Arts Arena, the entire arena erupted!
The one hundred core disciples who had been waiting there for a long time, upon seeing what seemed like custom-made 'divine gear' tailored just for them, erupted with unprecedented... fervor and... excitement in their eyes!
"Heavens! This... this is the spiritual artifact Palace Master personally forged for us?!"
"It's... it's too awesome! I feel like just looking at it makes the Profound Ice True Essence in my body boil uncontrollably!"
"Sniff... To be able to join the Ice Phoenix Palace, to become a disciple of Palace Master... I could die without regrets now!"
After receiving Lin Qingzhi's permission, they could no longer contain the... ecstasy in their hearts!
With incredibly 'excited' and 'devout' hearts, they stepped forward and donned the ice soul battle armor that seemed to still carry the 'warmth' of Her Majesty the Empress!
They grasped the frost blade longswords that seemed capable of freezing souls completely!
*Hum—!*
The instant they equipped the gear!
They felt a surge of cold, immense... power madly rushing from the battle armor and longswords into their... limbs and bones!
The Profound Ice True Essence within their bodies, which had originally been circulating somewhat awkwardly, seemed to find a perfect... outlet at this moment!
Its circulation speed abruptly increased by at least... thirty percent!
Waves of powerful, cold, 'confident'... aura soared into the sky from their bodies!
"Form the Profound Ice Sword Formation!"
Lin Qingzhi's clear, cold voice rang out once more!
"Yes, Palace Master!"
The one hundred and eight disciples, now completely transformed, shouted in unison!
They swiftly shifted their stances, once again forming the Profound Ice Sword Formation they had practiced countless times!
And this time—
*Boom—!!!*
The efficiency with which the sword formation drew upon the world's spiritual energy was not just several times faster than before!
A visible, massive... spiritual energy vortex violently took shape above their heads!
The size of the 'Profound Ice Greatsword' condensed through the combined efforts of a hundred people swelled from several dozen meters to a full... one hundred meters!
Countless profound, frost runes brimming with an aura of 'laws' madly swirled and flickered across the massive blade!
The terrifying pressure it emitted actually made the unruly demon beast army observing from a thousand meters away feel waves of... palpitations!
"Not bad." Lin Qingzhi nodded in satisfaction.
Immediately after, she turned her gaze towards me.
"Your 'sparring partner' should take the field now."
I helplessly spread my hands.
Then, I issued an order to the 'silly' Kong who had been yawning nonstop off to the side.
"Kong, go play with your 'little junior nephews'."
*Roar—?*
A look of confusion appeared on Kong's massive, highly 'expressive' face.
It glanced at the group of human disciples below, who seemed like 'little specks' in its eyes, then looked at the hundred-meter greatsword that, though it looked intimidating, still seemed like a 'flashy but useless show' to it.
Its huge eyes filled with disdain.
This?
Is worthy of being my 'sparring partner'?
I could blow a hundred of them away with one breath!
But, the King's command must be obeyed.
Reluctantly, it got up from the ground and walked with heavy steps to the... center of the Martial Arts Arena.
It couldn't even be bothered to assume any defensive posture.
It just stood there nonchalantly, looking at the group of human disciples who were nervously standing guard against it with a gaze full of 'mockery', as if watching 'little kids'.
"Come on, little ones."
"Let this old man see what kind of... 'fancy but useless moves' you've learned these past few days."
However—
When that 'hundred-meter runic greatsword', carrying an aura of laws sufficient to freeze all things, viciously struck the skin it was so proud of—skin that even main battle tank shells couldn't scratch—
*Squelch—!!!*
A crisp, utterly 'incredulous'... sound of a blade cutting into flesh rang out!
A deep, bone-exposing... huge gash appeared for the first time on Kong's previously indestructible... chest!
Blood gushed out like a spring!
*Roar...?!*
Kong was stunned.
It lowered its head, looking at the hideous wound on its chest that kept bleeding. For the first time, a look named 'shock' and 'disbelief' appeared in its massive, highly 'expressive' eyes!
I... I'm injured?!
I was actually injured by a bunch of... 'little specks' who aren't even at the Demon Rank?!
*ROAR—!!!!*
Boundless 'humiliation' and 'rage' instantly flooded its simple... mind!
It went completely berserk!
It let out an earth-shaking roar, then charged like an out-of-control, ten-thousand-ton super tank towards the frost barrier that looked utterly fragile!
However, no matter how it charged or roared, it could never break through that frost barrier formed by a hundred disciples—a barrier that seemed as thin as a cicada's wing but was actually indestructible!
Finally, after exhausting its strength, it was frozen... half of its body solid by the terrifying cold constantly emanating from the sword formation!
Unable to move!
...
Outside the Martial Arts Arena.
All the watching Demon Kings were dead silent!
They watched as those human disciples, who seemed like 'ants' in their eyes, actually defeated Kong—the one among them with the strongest defense—head-on!
At this moment, the way they looked at those human disciples was filled with unprecedented... awe!
And I, looking at this 'ace force' I had personally built, then glancing at the peerless beauty beside me, whose lips were curled into a 'content' smile...
My heart was filled with a tremendous sense of achievement, like running a 'mom-and-pop shop' that was about to 'go public'!
However, just as jubilation filled the Martial Arts Arena and I was about to announce the start of the 'victory banquet'—
*Hum—!!!*
The Communication Blood Jade at my waist, soul-bound to the Rat King, lit up without warning with a blinding, 'ominous' and 'crisis'-filled... bloody light!
Immediately after—
The Rat King's sharp, utterly terrified shriek, filled with unprecedented and extreme horror, exploded in my mind!