The black expanse slowly began to shudder, and the fluctuations of the power of heaven and earth grew increasingly intense.
The gazes of He Yiming and the others had long since fixed upon that spot, no one lingering on the question of why Bai Lingba and the Divine Path Coagulated Blood Man could still fly.
As if an entire century had passed, or perhaps only a single instant, a feeling of profound contradiction suddenly surged in everyone’s heart.
It was as if the endless, dark space was perpetually oscillating, tugging at the heartstrings of all who watched.
Finally, after a prolonged period of transformation, it all ceased. At the very center of that darkness, a sudden light erupted. It was a minuscule point of luminescence, and the moment it ignited, it began to spread outward. In the mere blink of an eye, this ray of light had traversed the entirety of the dark expanse.
The next moment, a radiance as dazzling as the sun burst forth.
Without conscious thought, everyone squeezed their eyes shut. Under the glare of this sudden, fierce light, even the Qilin Beast and the White Horse Lightning, possessing divine beast bloodlines and possessing toughness beyond comprehension, could not avoid closing their eyes.
Feeling the sting of that intense illumination, the hearts of the group were filled with utter dread.
They had never imagined that such a terrifying light could exist in this world. Even He Yiming, a master who commanded the power of Light and Dark Convergence and had endured the shining of the Light power before the Western Temple, felt a similar sensation.
However, compared to the others, He Yiming’s perception was deeper.
Because he was certain that this method—the instantaneous shift from utter darkness to extreme brightness—was unequivocally the work of Light and Dark Convergence.
That there was the West’s most powerful martial art, the power of Light and Dark Convergence, about to manifest upon the impending appearance of the Thousand-Year Ice Island, was now beyond doubt.
Slowly, as the unbearable radiance began to fade, the crowd opened their eyes one after another, and gasps of astonishment escaped their lips.
The Thousand-Year Ice Island, an isle existing only in legend, had truly appeared before them.
It was a colossal island of white, occupying the entire territory that had just moments ago been shrouded in black.
No one knew where this island originated; it seemed to have spontaneously grown out of the icy sea, manifesting amidst the scattered floes.
Of course, He Yiming and the others had thoroughly surveyed the terrain before the island’s arrival. Thus, they were all acutely aware that unless the earth’s crust underwent a cataclysmic transformation, such a massive island could not simply materialize here.
And yet, within their range of sight, only this single ice island had been added; no other changes were visible.
Therefore, the island was absolutely not the result of topographical changes.
“Spatial ability,” Zi Luli murmured, “This is the spatial ability of the Divine Path…”
He Yiming and the others gazed silently at the island, their hearts filled with reverence. The might of the Divine Path was truly beyond imagination.
The power of space was certainly something the Human Path realm could not fathom.
He Yiming’s gaze shifted, and he suddenly spotted Bai Lingba and the Divine Path Coagulated Blood Man.
The moment the island appeared, they had flown to the side of the group and landed safely. The intense stimulus from the ice island’s emergence had momentarily made He Yiming forget everything. Seeing them now, he couldn't help but ask, “Brother Bai, how are you two still able to fly?”
Evidently, this question captured the attention of nearly everyone; even the Qilin Beast retracted its gaze from the island and looked toward Bai Lingba.
Although some present were seeing Bai Lingba for the first time, they had long heard of his great name. Since stepping onto the main peak of the Heavenly Pool, He Yiming had always been accompanied by an unfathomably profound master.
This master possessed a miraculous power, having defeated the Diviner using divination arts, and no one had ever discerned his identity or true strength.
As He Yiming’s status and power rose, Bai Lingba’s presence ceased to be a secret, reaching the ears of these pinnacle Human Path experts.
At this moment, though many were meeting him for the first time, none dared to show the slightest disrespect. For Bai Lingba and the Divine Path Coagulated Blood Man had demonstrated powers that defied belief.
When the energy of heaven and earth was so chaotic it could even affect the flight of Divine Weapons, the fact that these two were flying about as if nothing were amiss—this ability and divine skill left the others far behind.
“I was not affected by the power of heaven and earth,” Bai Lingba stated calmly. “I cultivate the ‘Science’ cultivation method.”
He Yiming nodded as if enlightened, but truth be told, even to this day, he had no real understanding of what the Science cultivation method actually entailed.
Di Shitian burst into laughter. “Esteemed sirs, this Mr. Bai Lingba cultivates the marvelous art known as the ‘Science’ method. To practice it, one must possess the ‘Cunning Ploy’ physique.” He paused. “Perhaps this special physique prevents the influence of the power of heaven and earth, allowing him to continue flying.”
The others nodded in agreement, but like He Yiming, they only knew that it happened, not why.
Their gazes turned toward the Divine Path Coagulated Blood Man, but this time, no one was inclined to ask.
This individual had already unleashed the Heaven and Earth Might belonging to the Divine Path; thus, his ability to fly in such harsh conditions seemed less noteworthy.
“The Ice Island…” The Qilin Holy Lord sighed deeply. “She has finally appeared.”
A shock rippled through the group, and even He Yiming could detect the deep emotion in the Qilin Holy Lord’s words.
What truly resonated with him was not the island’s appearance, but the yearning and anticipation for the Divine Path.
This was their sole opportunity to advance to the Divine Path, a chance none would easily forfeit.
Taking a deep breath, Bing Xiaotian said gravely, “Gentlemen, the Ice Island is here. Who will test the waters first?”
“I will.”
Liu Changju possessed the most fiery temperament among them, and upon seeing the Ice Island, the faint redness of his skin grew even more pronounced.
Bing Xiaotian nodded slightly. “Be careful.”
Liu Changju gave a slight nod and strode forward.
The ice surface was now calm, as if everything had returned to normal; even the highly chaotic power of heaven and earth from before had settled. If there was any difference from the initial state, it was that the power of heaven and earth was now even denser, perhaps even more potent than before the island materialized.
Liu Changju marched forward with great strides. His movements appeared reckless, but in reality, he was cautious, his True Qi constantly circulating, forming a unique and powerful aura outside his body.
He Yiming and the others watched intently from behind. Though they knew it was unlikely he would face real danger, they couldn't help but feel a secret pang of anxiety.
After witnessing the true Heaven and Earth Might unleashed by the Ice Island’s arrival, and nearly being swept up in it, no one dared to guarantee that no new mishaps might occur.
Finally, Liu Changju halted a hundred zhang before the Ice Island, his expression intensely serious. After a brief period of self-adjustment, he slowly extended both hands.
His palms, extending up to his forearms, had turned blood-red. The ambient temperature slowly rose, and the crimson currents swirled ceaselessly, resembling two faintly visible red fire dragons coiling around his arms.
The two fire dragons grew larger, soaring upward until they merged into one colossal fire dragon in mid-air. After circling once above Liu Changju’s head, it charged headlong toward the massive, mysterious island encased in a shell of white ice.
As the fire dragon instantly covered dozens of zhang with unparalleled speed toward the island, a massive white light suddenly flared when the dragon was only ten zhang away from the Ice Island. This light was different from the initial burst of pure Light power. The moment it appeared, the surroundings were instantly enveloped in a world of ice and snow.
That light shot out and instantly met the aggressive fire dragon, and then something utterly bizarre unfolded before the observers.
The fire dragon was instantly frozen. The dragon, condensed from pure flame energy, was sealed within a massive block of ice.
The coldness was so intense that even pure Fire power could be frozen solid in an instant.
Liu Changju’s face drastically changed, and he rapidly retreated backward. The speed he exhibited in that moment even surpassed that of his desperate flight earlier.
Under the immense pressure of facing near-death, Liu Changju completely unleashed his latent potential.
Ji Mofan Shu’s face twitched slightly. Such speed, even he would likely have to admit defeat to. This demonstrated that human potential was indeed limitless.
The fire-dragon ice block plummeted from the air, making its first full contact with the ground. Yet, astonishingly, this piece of ice was incredibly dense; even the force of the high-altitude fall failed to shatter even a speck of ice from the block.
The only relief for the observers was that the white light vanished instantly after freezing the fire dragon, not continuing its attack on Liu Changju, the fire dragon’s master. Otherwise, under such powerful and bizarre freezing power, even if Liu Changju escaped, it would surely have been a monumental struggle.
Shaking his head slightly, Liu Changju quickly returned to his original spot and stated gravely, “The ancient texts were correct; the Ice Island is indeed guarded by the miraculous Ice Ling Mirror.”
The gazes of the others immediately shifted toward Yuan Lixun.
They had expended immense effort and resources, almost at any cost, to nurture Yuan Lixun, all for this moment.
He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. Having witnessed the white light that casually froze the full-force fire dragon unleashed by Liu Changju, he couldn't help but feel a touch of apprehension.
Taking deep breaths, He Yiming made a decision at that moment: he could not let Yuan Lixun venture out lightly. For her sake, he would not hesitate to turn against all the pinnacle Human Path experts present, if necessary.
However, just as he reached this decision, a pair of gentle small hands tightly, and uncharacteristically proactively, grasped his own.
Then, He Yiming saw a pair of eyes as clear as autumn water.
Within those eyes, there was deep tenderness, a faint thread of terror, but overwhelming it all was something called steadfastness—an unwavering conviction, a determination that would not turn back even if a thousand armies stood before her.