This scene had appeared in the Extreme North many years ago.
Black clouds pressed down from the heavens, scarlet lightning flickering within them.
Gray-black tentacles as thick as pythons churned and twisted among the clouds.
Deep in the gaps between the clouds,
a massive, cold, and tyrannical eye suddenly opened—
spanning a thousand meters, overlooking all living things with contempt.
Its appearance and aura—
Exactly the same as the Evil-Eyed Tyrant Empr, located across an entire ocean, deep within Evildemon on the other continent.
"Th-this aura…"
"The Evil-Eyed Tyrant Emperor… nearly eight hundred thousand years of cultivation!"
Skydream Ice Worm gasped sharply.
"Why would it come to the Extreme North?!"
Li Zhexian placed his palm on his sword hilt and said coldly:
"About two years ago, Senior Ice Empress and Senior Snow Empress accompanied me into the Evildemon Forest.
We fought this Evil Emperor once."
"Two years ago? You went and battled the Evil Emperor?"
The Skydream Ice Worm shouted in shock:
"With how far the two continents are from each other, it must've started crossing the sea the moment you left!"
"No wonder it injured even Di Tian—
its thirst for battle and grudges are carved into its bones!"
Around the Ice Empress, an aura of ultimate ice roared forth, freezing even the air.
"Sister Xue is undergoing her tribulation.
She must not be disturbed."
"Li Zhexian—watch over Little Yazi."
BOOM—!
With that—
the Ice Empress shot into the sky, a streak of emerald light piercing the heavens, charging straight toward the oppressive blood-clouds.
"Ice Empress!"
The Skydream Ice Worm called out and prepared to chase.
"Brother Tian Meng, your current state is not suitable for combat."
"Take care of Little Yazi. I'll support Senior Ice Empress."
CLANG—!
A clear sword cry split the air.
Li Zhexian became a streak of sword-light, racing forward.
Just in time to see the Ice Empress struck back by a tentacle of the Evil Emperor.
With a turn of his hand, he released a stream of gentle force beneath her back, helping her stabilize mid-air.
The Ice Empress, seeing it was Li Zhexian, didn't waste words and only said sternly:
"Be careful."
"Entangle it—do not try to clash head-on."
"Once Sister Xue finishes her tribulation, she will handle the rest."
"Understood."
One human, one scorpion, Spirit Power surging—
charged at the Tyrant Emperor once again.
Centered around the Tyrant Emperor,
a hundred-kilometer stretch of eternal ice
was reduced to a sea of annihilating spiritual turbulence.
The surrounding snow and ice stained crimson, churning like tides.
The Tyrant Emperor's massive body floated in the storm-clouds.
From its sinister eye, waves of blood-light surged forth—
a dark-red spiritual power like a material tsunami rolled toward Li Zhexian and the Ice Empress.
This beam was not merely a spiritual impact—
it carried a soul-rending shriek, and countless warped illusions that tore the mind.
Emerald light shot skyward.
Behind the Ice Empress, the magnificent phantom of the Ice Jade Scorpion Empress rose, ultimate-ice Spirit Power erupting without restraint.
She pressed both hands downward.
The ten-thousand-year icefield beneath them shattered.
Countless slabs of ancient profound ice—harder than refined steel—rose at her summons, each forming giant ice pillars over a hundred meters thick.
They rammed into the dark-red spiritual tsunami.
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
BOOM BOOM BOOM—!
Under the apocalyptic spiritual force,
even the infinite pillars strengthened by the Far North's blessing
were crushed instantly, like rotten wood.
And just as the spiritual flood was about to swallow the Ice Empress—
Li Zhexian's Great Vertebra Sword Bone rang like thunder.
Nine Qinglian Swords—manifested from nine different sword intents—circled around him.
His second purple Spirit Ring lit up.
And simultaneously—
a blood-black domain spread outward.
"Second Spirit Ability — Three Swords of Elegance!"
"Killing God Domain!"
"Qinglian Sword Song, Eighth Form — Purifying Glaze!"
His figure flickered—
and he stood before the Ice Empress.
A crystal-glasslike sword light erupted from his blade.
This strike was impossibly pure—
as if all the world's clarity had condensed into one gleaming edge,
cutting straight into the filthy, violent, negative-emotion-filled dark-red wave.
When the two completely opposite forces collided—
A hiss rang out,
like molten iron quenched in ice water.
Where the sword light passed—
The filthy red tide was split cleanly in half.
The murderous intent, illusions, and twisted malice within it
met the pure, cleansing aura of that sword—
and dissolved like morning frost under the sun.
The aura of purity spread outward.
Even the drifting snowflakes—already flawless by nature—underwent a subtle transformation.
The tiny specks of dust within each flake were quietly cleansed,
making them even more crystal-like,
as though they had become holy glazed crystals falling from the nine heavens—
so pure they held not a single trace of mortal impurity.
However—
"Urgh…!"
A muffled groan escaped Li Zhexian's throat.
The Evil Emperor's spiritual power was simply too immense.
Even though the purifying sword-intent kept cleansing and slicing through it,
the overwhelming volume and fundamental impact still pierced through his sword-intent
and crashed directly onto him.
His spiritual power now was no weaker than an ordinary Titled Douluo's.
Yet before the Evil Emperor's power,
he was still insignificant.
It felt as if billions of steel needles stabbed into his mind and twisted violently.
Li Zhexian's head felt as if it were splitting apart.
His complexion turned ghost-white, and he staggered backward uncontrollably,
each retreating step making the very air tremble and boom.
Bright red blood streamed from his seven orifices,
blossoming into crimson stains on his robe.
"Li Zhexian!"
The Ice Empress caught him quickly as he nearly collapsed.
"I'm fine."
His voice was hoarse.
The Evil Emperor's power undoubtedly reached the level of a human Level 99 Limit Douluo.
Clashing head-on with such an existence, even for a single exchange,
had severely injured him.
He now had a clearer understanding of his own power.
Drip—
Drip—
More and more blood gushed from Li Zhexian's mouth and nose.
This was no physical injury.
Even his Quadform Glaze Body was useless here.
"Li Zhexian, you…"
The Ice Emperor's eyes trembled violently—
her normally cold tone carrying a rare hint of panic she could not suppress.
"I… I'm fine."
Li Zhexian bit down hard on the tip of his tongue,
regaining a sliver of clarity.
Then—
He brought his fingers together like a sword.
A mysterious power swirled around his fingertips—
so profound that even the falling snow seemed to rewind upward into the sky.
Under the Ice Emperor's shocked gaze—
he slashed at himself.
A hazy radiance enveloped Li Zhexian.
His entire state rewound to the moment before the Evil Emperor wounded him.
All injuries vanished without a trace.
The Ice Emperor froze completely.
Never had she witnessed such bizarre, unfathomable sword light.
But Li Zhexian remained calm.
This was merely one application of the power of time.
Limit Douluo possessed all sorts of unfathomable abilities.
While none could directly control time,
many Spirit Abilities could very likely shatter his Time-Reversal Sword if struck directly.
"Senior Ice Empress—stay sharp!"
Li Zhexian's expression remained solemn.
At this moment—
Snow Empress' fifth round of tribulation hovered on the verge of descending.
The heavenly tribulation churned restlessly.
The Evil Emperor suddenly sensed this.
His aura twisted, growing even more savage and violent.
Gray-black tentacles writhed around its body, forming a mass of blood-flesh clouds that blotted out the sky entirely.
A shriek tore open the heavens,
sending the falling snow flying upward in reverse.
A terrifying spiritual shockwave surged out
from the depths of the Evil Emperor's massive eye
Even powerhouses like Li Zhexian and the Ice Emperor
couldn't suppress the chill running down their spines.