The Mysterious Ice Spirit-Locking Array had been forcibly broken, and the backlash caused the eight Mysterious Ice Pavilion disciples' qi and blood to churn, their auras withering considerably. Leading disciple Han Li's face was iron-dark, his eyes filled with murderous intent. He hadn't expected these two seemingly insignificant rogue cultivators, plus a strange rabbit, to possess such strength—especially that leading youth, whose sword intent was sharp and peculiar, actually able to counter the Mysterious Ice Pavilion's techniques.
"Good, very good!" Han Li wiped a trace of blood from his lip, his voice cold as ice. "I underestimated you! However, though the array is broken, the advantage remains with us! Form the 'Mysterious Ice Sword Fiend Array'—finish this quickly!"
He no longer underestimated them, commanding his subordinates to change formations. The remaining seven disciples forcefully raised their spiritual power and quickly shifted positions, each producing ice crystal long swords radiating cold energy. Sword tips pointed remotely at Xiaoqi and his companions, sword qi linking together. An even sharper, more condensed killing sword intent spread out, firmly locking onto the two. This Sword Fiend Array was clearly more offensive than the previous Spirit-Locking Array.
Xiaoqi's eyes grew heavy. He could sense that once this sword array was activated, it would be an earth-shattering combined strike. He and Zhao Tiezhu had consumed much breaking the previous array—a head-on confrontation would likely put them at a disadvantage.
"Tiezhu, mobile warfare, break through one point first!" Xiaoqi called lowly, his body transforming like a swimming dragon as he actively charged toward a mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciple on the flank whose aura was slightly weaker, trying to tear open the sword array's encirclement.
Zhao Tiezhu understood, roaring as he ignored his injuries. The Vajra Subduing Demons Divine Art was pushed to the limit as he charged like a wild elephant toward another side, his fist winds howling, trying to attract most of the firepower.
"Stubbornly resisting! Sword Fiends, condense!" Han Li sneered, his sword seal guiding.
Seven ice crystal long swords simultaneously trembled, their tips' cold light greatly intensifying. Seven condensed dark blue sword fiends instantly took shape, carrying sharpness sufficient to tear through anything, shooting like seven venomous dragons toward Xiaoqi and Zhao Tiezhu's vital points! Before the sword fiends arrived, that cold killing intent seemed about to freeze people's souls.
Xiaoqi's fingertip again raised crimson sword intent, precisely pointing at two sword fiends shooting toward him while his body desperately dodged. Zhao Tiezhu roared, both fists swinging continuously, forcefully meeting three sword fiends. Golden light and dark blue sword radiance violently collided, producing ear-piercing metal-scraping sounds.
However, the combined power of the sword array far exceeded individual might. Though Xiaoqi extinguished one sword fiend, another grazed past his shoulder, bringing up a trail of blood flowers that instantly froze. A sinister cold sword qi tried to invade his meridians but was immediately dispersed by his Purification Origin. Zhao Tiezhu had it worse—he barely shattered two sword fiends, but the third pierced through his fist qi defense and savagely struck his chest!
"Pu—"
Zhao Tiezhu's massive body shook violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A wound deep enough to show bone instantly froze on his chest. His whole person flew backward like a kite with a cut string, heavily smashing onto the ice surface. His aura instantly withered, and the golden light on his body dimmed to near extinction.
"Tiezhu!" Xiaoqi's heart tightened.
"Squeak!" The rabbit spirit anxiously shrieked, leaping down from the ice rock, trying to check on Zhao Tiezhu's condition.
"Kill this one first!" Han Li's eyes flashed with murderous light. Seeing Xiaoqi was the core and especially wary of the sword intent that could harm him, he commanded the sword array. The remaining four sword fiends and newly condensed sword lights mostly enveloped toward Xiaoqi! The sword light formed a net, sealing all his escape routes.
Xiaoqi's face was grave. Though his Crimson Flame sword intent was sharp, the enemy's sword array was continuous and mutually reinforcing, making him exhausted from dealing with it. Seeing the sky-full of sword fiends coming, he took a deep breath, preparing to use the Southern Ming Departing Fire at any cost to forcibly break through.
Just at this critical moment—
"Screech—!!!"
A clear phoenix cry full of anger and majesty suddenly exploded from high altitude like nine heavens' thunder!
This phoenix cry contained powerful spiritual impact and extreme cold pressure, causing all Mysterious Ice Pavilion disciples' movements to simultaneously freeze, their ice-cold spiritual power momentarily thrown into chaos! That originally fierce Sword Fiend Array also showed obvious hesitation.
Everyone looked up in shock to see a massive ice-blue figure, like clouds covering the sky, rapidly approaching from the distant sky. Its wings spread, covering the heavens—none other than the departed Ice Crystal Phoenix!
It had actually returned!
The Ice Phoenix's ice-blue eyes burned with rage. It had left earlier out of gratitude for Xiaoqi's help, not wanting to cause trouble, and was anxious to refine the comfort from clearing accumulated impurities. But it hadn't gone far, landing at a nearby ice peak's summit. When the Mysterious Ice Pavilion group launched their attack with violent energy fluctuations, it immediately detected it. Especially sensing that familiar, loathed Mysterious Ice Pavilion technique aura, and that Xiaoqi and that honest body cultivator were in danger, new and old grudges (the Mysterious Ice Pavilion had certainly long coveted the snow lotus and had previous conflicts with it) surged up together. Without hesitation, it came charging back!
"It's that beast! How is it back?!" Han Li's face changed drastically, shocked and terrified. He had thought the Ice Phoenix had long fled, that's why he dared to act—never expecting this guardian beast to be so vengeful, or... so protective of these two humans?
The Ice Phoenix gave them no time to think. Flames of vengeance rose in its eyes. Its wings suddenly flapped, and countless ice crystal feathers, like crystal carvings with sharp edges, poured down like a violent storm, covering the entire area where the Mysterious Ice Pavilion disciples stood! Each feather contained terrifying Golden Core-stage demon power and extreme cold energy—the power far exceeded any previous attack!
"Scatter quickly! Defend!" Han Li's soul fled in terror, screaming hoarsely, no longer caring about maintaining the sword array. He was the first to produce an ice crystal shield, pouring all his spiritual power into defense.
The other disciples were even more panicked, each using their own methods to dodge or defend. But that feather storm covered too wide an area and moved too fast!
"Pu pu pu pu—!"
Screams immediately rang out. Two mid-stage Foundation Establishment disciples couldn't dodge in time. Their protective spiritual light was pierced like paper, their bodies instantly turned into sieves. Blood hadn't even sprayed out before freezing, and they fell straight down, their breath completely gone. Three others were grazed or partially hit—either dead or injured, instantly losing combat capability.
In just one exchange, the Mysterious Ice Pavilion's eight members were reduced by more than half. Only Han Li and two other late Foundation Establishment disciples barely withstood this wave of feather storm through their cultivation and decent magical weapons, but all were wounded, their faces pale.
The Ice Phoenix hovered in mid-air, cold eyes looking down at the Mysterious Ice Pavilion remnants below like ants. It let out a cry full of disdain and killing intent. Its wings rose again, gathering even more terrifying cold ice demon power, clearly preparing for the next round—the finishing blow.
Xiaoqi watched this sudden reversal, relieved in his heart. He looked up at the Ice Phoenix in mid-air, clasping his hands and sending a spiritual message: "Thank you, Venerable One, for your assistance!"
The Ice Phoenix glanced at him, its spiritual response carrying a hint of haughty anger: "Not for you lot! These thieves have long coveted my spiritual medicine, repeatedly harassing me—today I settle all accounts together!" Though it said this, the timing of its attack had clearly saved Xiaoqi and Zhao Tiezhu.
Xiaoqi understood this in his heart without pointing it out. His gaze turned to the shaken Han Li and his two companions, cold light flashing in his eyes. Strike while they're down—now was the time for counterattack!
"Tiezhu, can you still fight?" Xiaoqi looked at Zhao Tiezhu, who was struggling to stand. Though Zhao Tiezhu's chest wound was terrifying and his aura weak, the fighting fire in his eyes hadn't extinguished. After swallowing several pills, he nodded fiercely: "Can't die! Let's f*ck them up!"
"Good!" Xiaoqi called lowly. "Venerable One, we'll help you clear out these disturbers of your cultivation!"
His figure shot out first, targeting the least injured but core figure—Han Li! The Crimson Flame sword intent rose again, this time not for defense and breaking moves, but full of offensive blazing heat and sharpness!
The Ice Phoenix, seeing this, showed a trace of satisfaction in its eyes. With a clear cry, its wings swept, sending two massive cold wind beams like ice dragons, coordinating with Xiaoqi's attack, spiraling toward Han Li and his companions!
Zhao Tiezhu also roared, ignoring his injuries, pouncing toward another late Foundation Establishment disciple like a mad tiger, using an entirely mutually-destructive fighting style.
The rabbit spirit wasn't idle either, once again using its ghostly characteristics to constantly disrupt the remaining disciple's spellcasting with spiritual impacts from the side.
For a time, above the ice plains, sword qi crisscrossed, fist winds howled, phoenix cries shook the heavens, and ice dragons rampaged! Xiaoqi, Zhao Tiezhu, and the Ice Crystal Phoenix—originally just a temporary transaction combination—now coordinated tacitly against a common enemy.
Han Li and his two companions, facing this three-dimensional assault from air and ground, especially the Ice Phoenix's terrifying Golden Core-stage power, couldn't resist at all.
"No—!" Han Li let out a desperate scream. His ice crystal shield, under the dual assault of Crimson Flame sword intent and cold wind beam, only held for several breaths before shattering. In the next instant, he was swept by a wind beam's aftermath, half his body instantly frozen, then penetrated through his dantian by a condensed sword intent from Xiaoqi following close behind!
The other two disciples met even worse ends—one had his head crushed by Zhao Tiezhu in an injury-for-injury exchange; the other was specifically targeted by the Ice Phoenix, directly frozen into an ice sculpture, then sneakily shattered by the rabbit spirit patting it with a claw.
The battle, after the Ice Phoenix joined, showed a one-sided crushing momentum, quickly ending.
The wind and snow continued, but the originally pure white ice plains now held several cold corpses and mottled blood colors. Xiaoqi stood with sword in hand, panting slightly; Zhao Tiezhu leaned on his knees, coughing blood heavily; the rabbit spirit hopped back onto Xiaoqi's shoulder; and the Ice Phoenix circled elegantly in mid-air, cold eyes sweeping over the battlefield, finally landing on Xiaoqi.
This brief united resistance created a strange trust and tacit understanding in this forbidden land.