193: Baptism in the Secret Realm, Resonance of Nirvana

With two dead and one severely injured among the three Hall of Souls experts, the crisis on the platform was temporarily resolved.

The five Elders of the Ice Spirit Clan, who were maintaining the Formation and unable to move, looked at Li Ao and Medusa with gazes that were completely different, filled with shock, gratitude, and an indescribable complexity.

Especially Grand Elder Ice Crack, his face alternated between green and pale.

He had previously obstructed and questioned Li Ao and Medusa in every way, yet the facts now proved that without these two, the Ice Spirit Clan would not only have failed to protect the Secret Realm today but might also have suffered heavy losses.

This humiliation left him with mixed emotions, yet he could not utter a single word of rebuttal.

Clan Chief Ice Origin took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and said in a deep voice, "The passage is stable. Ling'er, enter the Secret Realm quickly! Use the ice origin heart to suppress the backlash!"

Jin Ling recovered from her earlier shock.

Looking at the tall, mountain-like black figure blocking her path, her heart was filled with indescribable gratitude and a sense of security.

She nodded vigorously, no longer hesitating.

Holding the glowing ice spirit talisman, she stepped into the rotating ice-blue light gate.

The moment her figure vanished inside the light gate, the entire gate shook violently, emitting an even more dazzling light, as if a deeper connection had been established with a certain existence within it.

"The Secret Realm passage needs to be maintained for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, ensuring Ling'er can reach the ice origin heart," Elder Bing He said, his gaze fixed on Li Ao and Medusa, his tone conveying sincere gratitude, "We owe you both greatly for this."

Li Ao nodded slightly in response.

However, his gaze did not linger on the light gate; instead, he slowly closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness inward to carefully sense the surrounding changes.

After Jin Ling entered the Secret Realm holding the ice spirit talisman, he could clearly feel that what surged out of the light gate was no longer just pure ice energy.

It was mixed with an extremely faint, yet strange fluctuation that seemed to contain the Origin of the Ice Law.

This fluctuation created a mystical resonance with the nirvana star core in his Qi Sea!

The rotation speed of the nirvana star core clearly accelerated, like a thirsty traveler encountering a spring, spontaneously beginning to absorb and analyze that trace of the Ice Law Origin fluctuation.

Li Ao understood in his heart.

Ice is the static state of water, the extreme of condensed energy.

It inherently contains the meanings of "stillness" and "freezing," which share some commonality with the "deathly stillness" and "end" within the Nirvana Law.

However, the nirvana of ice is physical solidification and low temperature, while his Nirvana is the conceptual annihilation and return to nothingness.

"So that's how it is... All things can achieve nirvana, and all Laws can be verified."

Enlightenment struck him.

He no longer tried to forcibly "control" or "Fusion" his Saber Intent and Nirvana, but instead relaxed his body and mind, allowing the nirvana star core to sense and absorb the Ice Law implication coming from the depths of the Secret Realm.

He seemed to "see" that at the core of the Secret Realm, there was an indescribably massive, ice-blue light source pulsating like a heart

that was the ice origin heart.

Every pulsation stirred the energy tides of the entire Secret Realm, emitting the most fundamental power of "stillness" and "freezing."

And Jin Ling, currently bathed in the radiance emitted by the ice origin heart, felt the restless, nearly uncontrollable icy Bloodline within her becoming docile and refined under the guidance and soothing of this Origin power, integrating more closely with her own Soul.

The painful expression on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by a sense of peace and sanctity, and her aura was steadily rising...

In this unique way, Li Ao "observed" the baptism within the Secret Realm.

His understanding of "Nirvana," especially his grasp of its "stagnation" and "end" characteristics, was deepening at an unprecedented speed.

The prototype of the third form of the Three Forms of Nirvana

[silent ruin]

which had been stagnant, suddenly became much clearer!

He vaguely touched the threshold of that form

it was not a simple energy explosion, but rather the invocation of the Nirvana Origin to create an absolute "Dead Zone," stripping away all vitality, energy, and even the activity of Laws within it, forcing them to return to Chaos and nothingness!

Although he was still far from truly creating this form, the direction was clear, and the path ahead suddenly opened up.

Medusa guarded Li Ao's side.

She could feel a subtle change occurring in the aura around Li Ao, making him deeper and more unfathomable.

She did not disturb him, simply standing quietly, like the most loyal guard.

The time it takes an incense stick to burn quickly passed.

The ice-blue light gate rippled, and Jin Ling's figure slowly walked out of it.

At this moment, she was completely different from before she entered!

Her previously pale face was now rosy and radiant, her skin fair and translucent, like the finest mutton-fat jade.

Her ice-blue long hair was even more lustrous, resembling a flowing glacier waterfall.

The most significant change was in her eyes; the light blue pupils were no longer anxious or melancholic, but clear and serene, seeming to contain endless ice and snow wisdom in their depths.

The aura emanating from her had stabilized at the Dou Huang level!

Moreover, it was incredibly solid and pure!

The Ice Soul backlash was completely suppressed!

Not only that, her Ice Spirit Clan Bloodline had undergone unprecedented purification and Awakening, making her future path of Cultivation smooth sailing!

"Ling'er!" Elder Bing He called out excitedly.

Jin Ling looked at the five Elders, especially Elder Bing He, and bowed gracefully, "Ling'er has fulfilled her mission. Thank you, Elders, for your help."

Her voice was still soft, but it carried a new sense of composure and stability.

Immediately after, she turned around, her gaze settling on Li Ao.

Her clear, ice-blue eyes were filled with endless gratitude and an indescribable sentiment bordering on adoration.

She walked up to Li Ao and bowed deeply:

"Young Master Li Ao, Jin Ling will never forget the kindness of saving my life and granting me this rebirth!"

Li Ao awoke from his epiphany.

Looking at the transformed Jin Ling, he smiled slightly, "Congratulations, Young Miss Jin Ling. It seems this trip has reached Karma Perfection."

He could feel that the pure Ice Spirit Clan Bloodline within Jin Ling was perfectly compatible with the environment of the Permafrost Domain.

She had finally found her true belonging here.

Clan Chief Ice Origin watched this scene, sighed with a complicated expression, and then said seriously, "Young Master Li, Queen Medusa, the Ice Spirit Clan has taken note of this great kindness.

We ask for your forgiveness for any previous disrespect."

His attitude clearly placed Li Ao and Medusa on an equal footing, or even in a position where they needed to be befriended.

Li Ao waved his hand, "We each took what we needed, Clan Chief, there is no need to be polite.

Since matters here are concluded, it is time for us to depart."

His goals had been achieved: the nine nether cold iron was in hand, Jin Ling had been safely sent into the Secret Realm and obtained the Legacy, and a good relationship with the Ice Spirit Clan had been forged.

It was time to leave and continue his path of forging the saber and reviving Xiao Yi Xian.

Clan Chief Ice Origin pondered for a moment and said, "Wait, please.

I observe that Young Master Li seems to have gained some insight into the stillness implication of ice.

Although our clan is reclusive, we possess some ancient Incomplete Manuals regarding the Laws of Heaven and Earth and the Nirvana of all things, which might be helpful to the Young Master.

If the Young Master does not mind, you may stay with the clan for a few days and browse them; consider it a small token of our gratitude."

Ancient Incomplete Manuals?

Regarding Nirvana?

Li Ao's heart stirred.

This was an unexpected gain.

The Ice Spirit Clan's Legacy was ancient, and their collection might indeed hold something worth studying.

He glanced at Medusa, and seeing her nod slightly, he cupped his hands toward Clan Chief Ice Origin and said, "In that case, we will impose upon you."

Over the next few days, Li Ao and Medusa temporarily stayed with the Ice Spirit Clan.

Li Ao spent his days immersed in the ancient ice cave Library Pavilion, covered in the marks of time, reading the Incomplete Manuals recorded with strange ice patterns.

Although most were fragmented and vague, some descriptions regarding the "Ultimate Nirvana of All Things" and the "Ice Sealing Era" still gave him significant inspiration, making his comprehension of the Nirvana Law more systematic, and the concept for the [silent ruin] form became increasingly perfect.

Several days later, Li Ao and Medusa bid farewell to the Ice Spirit Clan, leaving the Permafrost Domain under the reluctant gaze of Jin Ling, Elder Bing He, and the others.

The gains from this trip far exceeded expectations.

Next, it was time to officially embark on the journey to reforge "silent ruin" and search for the remaining Materials needed to revive Xiao Yi Xian.

The Central Plains and the wider world still awaited them.