Gently releasing the powerful and warm hands, Yuan Lixun took firm steps, following the exact path that Liu Changju, the Master of the Glazed Cave, had just taken, moving forward one step at a time.

Her stature was not imposing, and her cultivation in martial arts was undoubtedly the weakest among everyone present. She might not even stand a chance against Bao Zhu.

Yet, the moment she stepped forward without hesitation, a dazzling, almost blinding radiance seemed to envelop her. This brilliance captivated the eyes of the crowd, causing them all to momentarily freeze in astonishment.

Bing Xiaotian and the others exchanged glances, their eyes holding an indescribable shade of emotion. All this time, they had believed Yuan Lixun to be a compliant, gentle woman whose fortune lay in heeding the arrangements of her elders. But at this juncture, their perception had undergone a subtle but definite shift.

A light suddenly manifested upon Yuan Lixun, causing her body to erupt in an even more spectacular display of brilliance.

It was the Five Elements Robe. By the time Yuan Lixun was halfway across, this divine defensive artifact, which had consumed the dedication of countless hearts, was already draped over her body.

However, having witnessed the fate of the Fire Dragon unleashed by Liu Changju, no one retained strong confidence in the efficacy of the Five Elements Robe anymore.

They all understood that if Yuan Lixun were struck directly by that kind of power, the protection afforded by the Five Elements Robe would likely prove negligible.

Bao Zhu suddenly leaped up, landing squarely on He Yiming’s head, letting out a series of grunts that sounded remarkably agitated and aggrieved.

The Qilin Beast turned its head, perhaps intentionally or perhaps not, and spoke in its aged voice, "Little Bao Zhu says you shouldn't have let her go."

Subtle changes flickered across the faces of Bing Xiaotian and the others. In truth, when they had first observed He Yiming’s expression, they had vaguely sensed that he would try to stop Yuan Lixun from taking such a risk.

But no one had anticipated that Yuan Lixun would actively step forward. The handshake, brief as it was, brimming with warmth and the scent of farewell, had expressed her resolve and determination with absolute clarity.

He Yiming stared fixedly at Yuan Lixun. He reached out, gently patting Bao Zhu, and murmured, "She has made her decision. This is the first time she has actively requested anything of me; I... cannot refuse."

His voice sounded dreamlike, as if he were utterly immersed in some peculiar state of being.

At that moment, in He Yiming's mind, scenes familiar, or perhaps buried deep within his memory and threatening to fade, began to unfold one by one.

Ever since meeting Yuan Lixun, she had always quietly remained by his side, never voicing a demand. Even when she went to the Northern Border Ice Palace to study, it was only because he had proactively offered her the choice that she decided to go there.

In the eight years since they first met when she was sixteen, this was actually the very first time she had articulated her own will regarding an action.

In that instant, he felt all the emotions contained within her eyes—a depth of affection as vast as the sea and a resilience as steadfast as a mountain.

For some inexplicable reason, He Yiming found himself nodding in tacit agreement to her request.

Yet, now, watching her slender, almost fragile silhouette receding, his heart was thrown into turmoil.

He questioned himself, but found no answer.

Am I... regretting this?

※※※※

The road to Ice Island might be long, but even the longest journey eventually reaches its end.

The true Qi flowed ceaselessly around her, and the Five Elements Robe—that treasured artifact forged from the combined efforts of several supreme experts—radiated an intense light never before seen.

Gazing at the massive, majestic, and world-renowned thousand-year-old Ice Island, an unexpected, profound calm settled over her.

Before heading to the North Sea this time, she had entertained countless fantasies about what her reaction and feelings would be upon seeing the legendary Ice Island and confronting the Ice Mirror, the artifact guarding it.

But now that she truly stood here, she realized how utterly placid she felt.

Within her heart resided a single aspiration, one that the former Yuan family girl, Lixun, could never have even dared to dream of achieving.

And perhaps, this was the very moment to fulfill that wish.

She extended her hands, smooth as white jade, and a perfect circle of moonlight slowly materialized upon them.

The Imitation Artifact—the Ice Mirror.

A faint, gentle smile touched Yuan Lixun's lips, accompanied by a rather peculiar sensation.

Using a replication artifact to draw forth the light of the true divine artifact was indeed a specialized technique often employed in the ancient Divine Age.

It was a compromise adopted when some individuals sought to refine a divine artifact but were not recognized by it. Of course, the prerequisite for such a method was that the practitioner’s physical constitution must align with the artifact’s requirements; if they conflicted, the attempt was suicidal.

However, in this current world where the Divine Age had vanished, no one could guarantee whether such a method would still yield any significant effect.

Raising the Imitation Ice Mirror against her chest, silvery light began to coalesce. Her mind settled completely, entering that wondrous state devoid of both sorrow and joy.

An identical white, ice-attribute light suddenly flared to life, shooting out from the imitation artifact in Yuan Lixun’s hand toward the massive island before her.

The speed of the light was not fast; compared to the ferocious Fire Dragon unleashed by Liu Changju, the white light seemed to carry no powerful aura whatsoever.

As the white light neared Ice Island, the entire island illuminated.

An even larger and more intense white radiance enveloped the whole landmass, and an unimaginably vast power and presence rapidly saturated the entire area.

The white light emitted by Yuan Lixun’s imitation artifact was instantly diluted into oblivion, much like a stream merging into the ocean.

This was power originating from the same root, yet this channeled power was thousands of times mightier than that of the imitation. The force of the replicated artifact, capable of temporarily freezing and sealing a Saint Beast King, was utterly dissolved by that brilliant glow.

From a distance, He Yiming clenched his fists, true Qi surging around him. The Five Elements Ring had appeared in one hand, while the other shimmered with a power where light and darkness intertwined.

Should any untoward change befall Yuan Lixun, he would unhesitatingly unleash the might of Heaven and Earth. Although he knew that the Heaven and Earth power triggered by the combination of light and darkness could not withstand the attack of a true Divine Artifact, he had never given up hope. For within the Five Elements Ring lay the Nine Dragon Furnace, the foremost Fire Artifact, which was in no way inferior to the Ice Mirror.

The powers of the five divine elements had all entered the Five Elements Ring. While the ring currently couldn't amplify divine power, He Yiming’s aim was not to utilize its augmented strength, but rather to shatter the divine weapon at the critical last moment.

Although the Five Elements World contained many miscellaneous items, He Yiming could not afford to worry about them now.

He had already completely spiritualized the Five Elements Ring; provided he spent a month of arduous effort, he could temper the divine weapon back to its peak. Although most things within the Five Elements World would be lost—especially the bodies of the Saint Beast Kings he had painstakingly collected—he was willing to bear that sacrifice.

Sensing the sudden surge of immense aura emanating from He Yiming, the others were secretly startled.

Bing Xiaotian said gravely, "Brother He, the Ice Mirror is an Ice Artifact. Historically, all cultivators possessing the Deep Chill constitution have found it beneficial, never harmful, when encountering the Ice Mirror."

He Yiming paused, then slowly nodded. Though he did not completely relax his vigilance, the pressure of his aura eased significantly.

A white shield of light abruptly extended outwards, slowly tracing the path of the imitated artifact’s light until it reached Yuan Lixun.

A look of sudden, happy relief bloomed across Yuan Lixun’s face, as she clearly perceived that the power emanating from the Ice Mirror’s light was not the destructive, all-consuming ice force, but rather a subtle, benevolent intent. This feeling intensified as that beam of light intertwined with the light from the imitation artifact in her hand.

She calmly extended her hand and made contact with the white shield of light.

Instantly, an uncountable flood of information surged into her consciousness through that single point of contact. Vast quantities of knowledge poured into her awareness through this miraculous conduit.

Vaguely, she seemed to glimpse impossible scenes: she saw the magnificent power of the glorious Divine Age, and then she saw horrifying, monstrous creatures swarming over the landscape, engulfing the entire world.

Shivering violently, Yuan Lixun’s eyes snapped from confusion to clarity. Although she didn't know what strange transformation had just occurred or what those visions meant, she understood one thing: the Ice Mirror seemed to have accepted her.

Naturally, given her current strength, controlling the artifact’s true power was impossible. However, by using a replicated artifact of the same type, she could temporarily divert this powerful, non-repelling beam of light.

She raised the imitation artifact high above her head, its light growing even stronger. This was the first time the light of the replication had managed to eclipse the light of the genuine artifact.

Countless streams of light rapidly converged, coalescing like physical matter before Yuan Lixun to form a colossal, circular mirror.

This mirror was almost identical to the imitation artifact in her hand, merely several times larger in volume.

From the surface of the massive mirror emanated wisps of power so vast it was almost inconceivable.

He Yiming and the others stared in stunned silence. No one had anticipated beforehand that this process would proceed so smoothly.

The Divine Artifact, the Ice Mirror, had so easily relinquished its guardianship of Ice Island. Although it hadn't followed Yuan Lixun’s will directly, it clearly did not reject communication with her.

At that moment, an intense wave of regret washed over everyone present.

The ancient texts were right: the Divine Artifact Ice Mirror had a special affinity for those possessing the Deep Chill constitution. If Yuan Lixun could have stepped into the Divine Age, this Ice Mirror would undoubtedly have become hers.

"Let's go," Di Shitian took a deep breath. "The divine artifact has been drawn away, but carving a path into Ice Island will not be easy."

The others nodded in agreement, lingering no longer, and surged forward in a mass.