Chapter 1724 – Umbral Heaven Ice Array … … … “Let’s hurry and get out of here!” “Leave them behind to deal with the Undying Polar Ice! We’ve got to make it to a safe area!” The eight trial challengers leaving were shocked and filled with dread as they witnessed the earth-shaking scene of the Undying Polar Ice being born. But from that initial shock and fear, it slowly became a gloating schadenfreude. No matter how powerful the Undying Polar Ice was, it was Lin Ming that would have to withstand it; it had nothing to do with them. The eight people all launched their movement techniques and used their energies to break past the massive ice crystals floating in the air, shuttling through the wild and frenzied cold winds. Because the Divine Seal Altar’s transmission channel had closed, they were temporarily unable to leave the fifth level. But as long as they were far away from the Undying Polar Ice they shouldn’t suffer any major disasters. After all, when they first arrived at the fifth level they were quite a distance from the Undying Inferno and hadn’t suffered any attacks. As the eight people flew away, terrifying snow gales and ice storms blew through the world. Massive chunks of ice fell on the ground, immediately covering the ground in thick glaciers. Lin Ming and the others soared into the air. Sheng Mei once again created the Extreme Cold Ice Array around her, enveloping everyone. Immediately, everyone felt the pressure on them be reduced. Lin Ming looked towards Sheng Mei and couldn’t help but admire her strength. He could tell that a dreadful amount of energy was required to maintain this Extreme Cold Combat Array, and a normal Holy Lord would only be able to keep it up for half an incense stick of time before being completely drained. Yet not only was Sheng Mei able to persist for such a long time, but she also managed to control the Extreme Cold Battle Array to a profound degree that was able to withstand the strikes of the Undying Inferno and Undying Polar Ice. The reason she was able to accomplish this was because she had an incredibly deep understanding of the Ice Laws and could utilize her origin energy to its full potential. She was even able to absorb the power of ice from the world and minimize the use of her soul force. But, even though Sheng Mei was able to perfectly accomplish all of this, it still placed a tremendous pressure on her to face the Undying Polar Ice in continuous battle. “Empress…” Seeing the heavy burden of defense fall on Sheng Mei’s thin and delicate shoulders, Dragonscar felt inexplicable pain in his heart. “Focus your heart on the battle before you!” Sheng Mei icily said as she saw Dragonscar be distracted. Dragonscar grit his teeth and turned his head towards that horrifying snowstorm that was breeding in the air. As he turned back he also maliciously stared at Lin Ming, warning him that he better not be playing tricks here or he would never forgive him. Lin Ming didn’t bother arguing. At this time, words had become meaningless. This battle would be his only way of proving his words. “Take these…” Lin Ming took out thick stacks of divine runic symbols and passed them to Suya, Mo Brightmoon, Fanny Fafa, and the others. These were divine runic symbols that Lin Ming had drawn up in Tragic Death Valley, all in order to prepare himself for the final battle. Taking them out now when they were all standing on the blade’s edge was the perfect time to do so. The greatest advantage of a divine runic symbol was that its strength wasn’t too related to the user’s strength. Even if Lin Ming didn’t use them, the strength wouldn’t be much weaker. Suya and the others received the divine runic symbols, feeling their heavy weight in their hands. “Use them freely. Don’t bother saving any.” Lin Ming warned. Suya, Mo Brightmoon, and the others all looked at each other, speechless. Every single one of these divine runic symbols was priceless. To recklessly use them was the same as burning money. But, Lin Ming was extremely rich and also a divine runic master so he had the capital to burn as much as he wanted. “This boy…” Dragonscar’s pupils shrank. He was someone that could instantly judge the quality of treasures and he could see that these divine runic symbols were extraordinary! Rumble rumble rumble! The ice storm became increasingly intense. The wild winds reverberating in the air were like volcanic eruptions and endless thunderclaps! The glaciers on the ground were cut open by the ice storm, causing massive fissures to open up. Giant chunks of ice flew into the air. It was like a divine being was using saber light to carve down mountains and open rivers. If a mortal’s body were sucked up into such an ice storm they would instantly perish without even their bones left! And in this ice storm, the ice energy that was emitting strange and mystical Ice Laws suddenly began to condense together, forming an ice essence soul. This ice essence soul contained an incomparably terrifying cold energy. All around it, even the void began to freeze and shatter! Ka ka ka! As the cold energy condensed to the extreme, cracks appeared in the ice essence soul. Pure freezing ice energy gushed out from the cracks, forming a giant ice blue phoenix in the air! This ice phoenix looked up towards the heavens and released a shrill cry. Icy cold energy shot up into the air, causing the entirety of the boundless skies to freeze into limitless ice crystals. Then, its icy eyes that emitted a horrifying aura suddenly locked onto Lin Ming and the others within the Extreme Cold Battle Array. “Undying Polar Ice!” Xiao Moxian slightly shook as she felt a great pressure push down on her. She was originally of the fire-attribute Dark Phoenix lineage and this Undying Polar Ice was her natural inborn nemesis. Everyone’s complexion turned solemn. This was a critical situation! “I have returned from the earth and yet you remain here to offend my invincible divine might. There are no words to excuse your crimes, only death!” The Undying Polar Ice’s dreadful voice rumbled in everyone’s hearts. It was like an invisible mountain was pressing down on them, horrible to the extreme. For a time, Ice Law runes began to shimmer all over the body of the Undying Polar Ice. It opened its boundless wings and countless white lines spread through the world, carrying with them the endless freezing aura of the Ice Laws that rapidly proliferated like weeds. Wherever it went, there would be crackling freezing sounds as even space began to rupture apart. As the white lines collided with Sheng Mei’s Extreme Cold Battle Array, the glass-like battle array emitted the sound of metal striking metal. The entire Extreme Cold Battle Array shivered, clearly withstanding a tremendous pressure. However, the millions and millions of runes that formed the Extreme Cold Battle Array began to shine with incandescent light. The ancient freezing cold energy began to absorb the aura of the Ice Laws contained in the white lines. As it was, even though the runes of the Extreme Cold Battle Array were being constantly destroyed, they could simultaneously absorb the aura of the Ice Laws to restore themselves. “Sheng Mei’s Ice Laws… are above those of the Undying Polar Ice. Far, far above!” Lin Ming’s eyes brightened. Sheng Mei was indeed Sheng Mei. Even though her strength was suppressed to the Holy Lord realm and she was weaker than the Undying Polar Ice, in terms of Laws she actually suppressed it instead! “Interesting. Then, let me see just how long you can last!” The Undying Polar Ice cried out and unraveled its wings to their full extent, wide enough to blot out the skies. Countless pillars of ice shot out, tearing through the void as they hurtled down onto the people within the Extreme Cold Battle Array. Dang! Dang! Dang! The Extreme Cold Battle Array emitted more heavy striking sounds as massive runes shattered again and again, crushed as easily as glass. Many sections broke down, seeming as if the entire array would collapse at any moment. The Undying Polar Ice wanted to use its absolute strength to trample over Sheng Mei’s Laws. Sheng Mei’s complexion changed. From her two pupils that resembled six concentric ice crystals, a dark light began to shoot out. This black light was twined together with runes; it was threatening and suppressive. Her two pupils seemed to become black vortexes, as deep as the fathomless abyss. A mystic strength constantly revolved within as more and more black light shot out. This was another variation of pupil-type cultivation methods. The eyes were the windows to the soul and the eye techniques of the spiritas could mean soul attacks, illusions, or a nearly endless number of other attack methods. Many soul cultivation methods used the eyes as the medium to channel soul force. However, compared to Dragon Fang’s Three Lives Pupils, Sheng Mei’s pupil techniques had the flavor of shattering all existence and swallowing it up. As Sheng Mei’s pupils changed, all of the runes around the Extreme Cold Battle Array began to change with them. They started to dazzle with black ice energy. In the blink of an eye, the Extreme Cold Battle Array became as dark as ink. Still, faint traces of black freezing energy rose up like countless pieces of frozen ice, covering everyone within. “Primal Chaos Law Eyes and the Umbral Heaven Ice Array… Empress! You…!” Dragonscar cried out, his voice shaking. The Primal Chaos Law Eyes and Umbral Heaven Ice Array were higher evolutions of the state of her Laws. If she still had her Empyrean realm strength then using these two secret techniques wouldn’t be difficult at all. But now, Sheng Mei was only at the early Holy Lord realm; she would just barely be able to use these two techniques and she might even have to use up her source soul force! “Focus on yourself!” Sheng Mei’s voice was frosty, her expression as calm as ice. Just looking into her eyes that seemed like an endless abyss was enough to make one’s hands and feet go cold. Dragonscar didn’t dare to say another word. He knew that speaking any more would just disturb her mentality. He could only grit his teeth and focus on his own battle. The ice pillars that the Undying Polar Ice shot out emitted terrifying sonic booms as they smashed into the Umbral Heaven Ice Array. The Umbral Heaven Ice Array was different from the Extreme Cold Battle Array. It was far colder and far darker, and the inside rippled with mystical strength. The freezing black darkness formed by the array formation suddenly shot out like the quills of a porcupine to meet those innumerable ice pillars. With each collision, two types of Ice Laws smashed into each other, tearing apart large tracts of space. But even as space tore open it would be directly frozen shut; it was an extremely unusual sight. At first glance, it was like the sky was filled with countless snow-white patches. However, this array formation withstood the endless attacks of the Undying Polar Ice, resisting and weakening them a great deal. The surrounding earth, even if it were struck by shards of the Ice Laws, would be torn open with wounds as great as rivers and large as mountains. The might of this collision was astonishing. Seeing this, Lin Ming was shocked. “Sheng Mei is indeed terrifying! It’s unimaginable that she could display this kind of combat strength at the Holy Lord realm. Not just that, but the power of her Laws seems to be infinitely varied. Each time she uses one of her Laws it is extremely formidable!” As Lin Ming was thinking this, his eyes touched upon Sheng Mei’s proud and focused face. He discovered that crystal beads of sweat were dripping down her nose and then turning into ice crystals that fell down like pearls. Without knowing why, Lin Ming was touched by this scene, as if he pitied her and couldn’t endure seeing it. He could imagine just what sort of pressure Sheng Mei was facing. One only needed to look at Dragonscar’s visibly shaken response to understand it. In this battle he could only succeed, he could not fail! Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming’s eyes became calm and tranquil. He shut his eyes and closed off his senses, allowing his mind to enter into an ethereal state. Behind Lin Ming, an auspicious light began to glow. Faint petals fell around him and the sweet trickling murmur of spirit springs filled the air. In this environment of spiritual springs and falling leaves, the phantom of an old tree appeared. This old tree’s bark was withered and its leaves had mostly fallen off. But, the tree trunk and roots were powerful and vigorous, like the claws of a dragon. The few leaves that remained shined and glittered as if they were carved from the purest green jade. This was the Bodhi Tree. When Lin Ming was at Mount Potala, he had meditated under a Bodhi Tree and fused the Samsara, ethereal, and Primordius martial intents together. Now, Lin Ming summoned this fused martial intent, forming a pure land of ultimate bliss around him. No matter what crazy storms raged outside, whatever attacks came crashing down, nothing could disturb him. He had already completely handed over the task of defense to Sheng Mei. As for him, he wholeheartedly invested his focus into adjusting his condition, preparing for the final fatal strike!