In the firmament, deep thunderclaps echoed, as if Heaven itself vented its profound discontent.

Upon the icy expanse, four colossal beasts of varying forms, alongside a single human figure, radiated surging divine power, incessantly unleashing their formidable, booming might.

Since the dawn of time, to ascend the Divine Path, one was invariably required to absorb vast reserves of Heaven and Earth energy to enhance a creature's capabilities and ultimately achieve true (Supernatural Abilities).

This was true whether one followed the Human Divine Path or the Divine Path of the beasts.

Thus, throughout the last five millennia, as the energy of Heaven and Earth began to wane, no new divine beings had manifested in the mortal realm. The peak of the Human Dao and the realm of the foremost Divine Beasts had become the ceiling of ascent for all mortals and beasts alike.

Yet, in this very moment, this iron law was being shattered.

Though the energy of Heaven and Earth upon the ice island was immense, it was far from the level traditionally required for a Divine Path promotion. Nevertheless, over the span of these past months, five Divine Path powerhouses had emerged in succession.

Among all the Divine forms, the Dragon-Snake retained the most colossal physique.

However, compared to its initial state, the Dragon-Snake's size had not continued to expand. In fact, it had shrunk considerably. While to human eyes the Dragon-Snake remained a monstrous entity, all beasts and humans present knew that it was now less than half its original size.

Yet, this reduction in mass had not diminished the Dragon-Snake's combat prowess; rather, it had brought about a more pleasing transformation to its appearance.

Beneath the Dragon-Snake's massive frame, four enormous claws had sprouted. Had He Yiming been present, he would surely have recognized them instantly as the Claws of the Divine Dragon.

An incomparably vast aura surged from the Dragon-Snake. When it inhaled, colossal currents of air vented outward, carrying the sound of faint, rolling thunder far across the landscape.

This was not the Dragon-Snake deliberately showing off; it was simply that having just ascended to the Divine Path, it had yet to gain complete mastery over its own body. Thus, the uncontrolled overflow of immense power was unavoidable.

Aside from the Dragon-Snake, the second largest in stature was unexpectedly not the Qilin Beast or the White Horse of Lightning, but the originally smallest creature, the Precious Pig.

The Precious Pig's body had elongated to nearly fifteen zhang, and its head had magnified by several dozen times as if by magic. If not for the fact that its facial features remained unchanged, no one would have recognized this behemoth as the small, lovable Precious Pig from before.

Upon the Precious Pig’s head now rested a pair of strange deer antlers. While nowhere near as exaggerated as the horns on the Dragon-Snake’s head, they were certainly not small.

It shifted its bulk, appearing profoundly unaccustomed to its new form. Grunts and snorts escaped its mouth continuously, as if it were endlessly complaining about something.

Once they had all successfully advanced to the Divine Beast realm, the temperaments of the Dragon-Snake, the Qilin Beast, and the White Horse of Lightning underwent earth-shattering changes, their intense auras sweeping out to demonstrate the majesty of the Divine Beasts. Yet, only the Precious Pig lacked any trace of divine majesty; its large eyes remained as clear as still water. If not for its immense size, the horns adorning its head, and the surging divine power within its form, no one would have believed it had entered the Divine Dao.

A low growl resonated across the ice. A faint, fiery crimson hue began to surface across the Qilin Beast's body. Its form was covered in fine, intricate scales, and its pair of eyes shimmered with a subtle red light. Though its raw might might not equal that of the Dragon-Snake, its gaze held an indescribable, brilliant intelligence.

Among all the Divine Beasts, the Qilin Beast, having spent the longest time in the company of humans, was undoubtedly the most astute—or perhaps, the most cunning.

In this regard, it far surpassed the solitary Dragon-Snake, the proud and elegant White Horse, or the mercurial little Precious Pig.

As the Qilin Beast began its low growl, the White Horse of Lightning tossed its head back and let loose a resounding, high-pitched neigh.

Its sound conveyed an overwhelming pressure, and as it propagated through the void, it summoned peals of thunderous cracks.

The White Horse had achieved the absolute pinnacle in the art of manipulating lightning. Coupled with the possession of nearly an entire set of twenty Thunder Shock Foci within its body, its lightning power could instantly be elevated to its peak state.

If these four Divine Beasts were forced into a fight to the death, the White Horse of Lightning, possessing the divine artifact Thunder Shock Foci, would likely be the last one standing.

Besides this Divine Beast, there was also a woman clad in snow-white robes, suspended motionless above the ice sheet. She bore no gleam of divine armament; she maintained her steady stance in mid-air purely by commanding the energy of Heaven and Earth.

In her hand, she held a divine weapon resembling a mirror.

Were Mou Zilong and the others to see her now, they would surely be aghast, for this divine weapon was the very Artifact of Ice Mirror they had previously used to seal the ice island.

This supreme ice-attributed artifact had shown particular favor to those possessing the Frost Body since its creation.

Historical records indicated that three individuals with the Frost Body had interacted with this artifact. Two of them separately became its wielders in their respective eras. The third, though not a Divine Path expert and thus ineligible to become its master, still had their physique enhanced by the artifact’s divine power, gaining unimaginable, vast benefits.

When first entering the ice island, Yuan Lixun had not yet advanced to the Divine Dao, and the Ice Mirror had not impeded her entry. But now that Yuan Lixun had successfully achieved the Divine Dao with the assistance of Bai Lingba, the Ice Mirror had autonomously descended from the island and settled into her grasp.

After millennia of quiet waiting, when an artifact encounters a human capable of truly communing with it, it generally makes a choice of recognition.

It was the same with the Nine Dragons Furnace in He Yiming’s possession. Before He Yiming reached the Divine Dao, the furnace had remained aloof. While it offered aid in many respects, it refused ultimate acknowledgment. But the moment He Yiming successfully ascended and possessed an immeasurable surge of Heaven and Earth energy, they immediately shed their reserve and fought alongside him without any hesitation.

The five newly ascended Divine Ones gathered. Although they made no deliberate show of their individual pressure, the mere unintentional leakage of their auras was enough to stir up tidal waves across the human world.

Within a thousand li of their location, every Spirit Beast, and indeed all stronger creatures, fled in abject terror.

When the ice island first appeared, many top-tier Sacred Beasts from the North Sea rushed towards it, but following the great slaughter, the vast majority dared not easily enter this forbidden zone again.

As the Heaven and Earth energy overflowing from the island increased, they became even more fearful of approaching.

Then one day, a colossal aura suddenly spread beneath the sky. Any creature with even slight sentience that sensed this aura was gripped by a primal, disorienting terror. They felt as though they had encountered their ultimate predator, a horrifying entity capable of tearing them to shreds in a single bite.

From that day forward, all powerful creatures retreated as far as possible, never daring to linger near that place again.

What terrified them even more was the successive emergence of these terrifying auras. Each time one appeared, every sentient creature within a thousand li felt the profound sensation of imminent doom.

Consequently, by the current moment, not a single Spirit Beast remained in that zone saturated with dreadful power.

At this juncture, the gaze of the one human and four beasts converged upon the front of the ice island. Here, Bai Lingba was lightly tapping a massive white stone, seemingly calculating something.

The power latent within the white stone was far beyond anyone's imagination. After facilitating the birth of five Divine Ones, more than nine-tenths of its volume remained.

In other words, it had used less than one-tenth of its power to create five Divine Path experts.

This was an astonishing figure; without witnessing it firsthand, no one would ever believe it.

However, at this moment, while the Dragon-Snake’s eyes still held a flicker of avarice when looking at the white stone, the focus of the other beings was not on the stone itself, but on Bai Lingba, who was tapping away upon it.

After a long pause, Bai Lingba finally stopped, nodding slightly. "It is done."

Yuan Lixun’s eyes brightened. "Brother Bai, is the power inside enough?"

Bai Lingba nodded casually. As he performed this gesture, the stiffness that characterized his neck upon their first meeting was gone, replaced by a much smoother motion.

The Dragon-Snake let out a low roar. Even though it had deliberately modulated its voice, it still sounded like rolling thunder.

The Qilin Beast shook its massive head. "Dragon-Snake, the power inside this thing is indeed excellent, but the most crucial task now is to seal the passage. Only by closing this gateway can we eliminate future trouble."

Bai Lingba slowly turned his head, studying the Dragon-Snake with focused attention.

The Dragon-Snake's eyes grew colder, seemingly perceiving a challenge to its dignity.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, the Dragon-Snake harbored a deep sense of apprehension toward the one who had orchestrated its ascension to the Divine Dao, and ultimately, it did not act out.

Bai Lingba lowered his arm from the white stone and stated calmly, "Dragon-Snake, I have a piece of news for you."

"Roar..."

"I have calculated that while the power within you is formidable, to preserve this power, you must reside in a world filled with even greater energy."

The Dragon-Snake blinked its millstone-sized eyes, revealing deep confusion.

The Qilin Beast paused before speaking. "Mr. Bai Lingba, are you saying that if we fail to close the passage, our cultivation base itself will be severely affected?"

Bai Lingba replied with measured certainty. "Precisely. If the passage cannot be sealed, the Heaven and Earth energy in this world cannot recover. And although you have now ascended to the Divine Dao, if you continue to live long-term in a world starved of vital energy, the divine power within you will gradually dissipate. Perhaps..." He paused, glancing at the seemingly displeased Dragon-Snake, "...perhaps in a few decades, you will regress to your former realms, losing the might of a Divine Path expert altogether."

A look of shock immediately dawned in the Dragon-Snake’s massive eyes. It stared intently at Bai Lingba, clearly attempting to judge the veracity of his statement.