The instant that vast surge of soul power erupted, dust and fallen leaves within several dozen meters around Xiao Yan exploded into the air, swirling wildly before slowly drifting down again.
Far away...dozens of miles from that place...a quiet cave lay hidden within a mountain.
Inside, Little Fairy Doctor sat with Lan Ying and Xiao Lan.
Her gaze swept toward the distant horizon, her beautiful eyes flickering slightly as she noticed the faint ripple spreading outward.
From that fluctuation alone, she could tell it came from Xiao Yan.
With her current strength, she couldn't see what he was doing, but she could faintly sense that he was brewing something frightening, something that made the heavens themselves hold their breath.
Vast soul power surged from within Xiao Yan's body like a raging tide.
His eyes remained tightly shut as his perception stretched outward through that torrent, probing the space for several miles in every direction.
Although with his present cultivation he could hardly wield such immense soul power, the experience of his previous life....and his profound understanding of the laws of space...made his control even more refined than Yao Lao's own.
At the level of a true Sovereign, one's comprehension of space had already surpassed ordinary understanding, brushing against the very essence of law.
Those who stood at that peak...like Xiao Yan and Lin Dong once had....needed only one more step to reach the realm of "one flower, one world; one tree, one enlightenment."
Yao Lao was long accustomed to Xiao Yan's extraordinary mastery.
He casually lent his soul power, even diverting a fragment of his mind to continue studying the three secret arts Xiao Yan had imparted to him.
Xiao Yan's powerful will sank into that sea of soul energy, dividing it into countless invisible tendrils that spread outward, carefully analyzing the fabric of space itself.
Had it been the Xiao Yan of his former life, he could have discerned the secret of this place with a glance.
Now, even borrowing Yao Lao's strength, he needed time. Yet his insight into space was too deep.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his eyes suddenly snapped open.
"There it is… Teacher, lend me your Bone Spirit Cold Flame."
As his thought rang out, the dark ring on his hand trembled, and a wisp of pale-white flame shot forth.
Though the air was bitterly cold, that flame distorted space wherever it passed.
It was a terrifying fire.....one that many high-tier alchemists couldn't hope to subdue.
Yet in Xiao Yan's hand it twisted like a living thing, curling and folding as he guided it.
With a flick of his finger, it slowly condensed into a long sword of ghostly white flame.
"Blade of Space.....break!"
His low cry thundered through the valley. The fiery sword shimmered, wrapped in invisible spatial force, and stabbed fiercely at an empty point in the air.
Instead of passing through, the blade struck something unseen and sank slowly within it, disappearing like a ripple in still water.
The space at that point began to distort violently.
Expression calm, Xiao Yan formed new hand seals, controlling the Bone Spirit Cold Flame hidden within the distortion.
A chill like that of the underworld spread outward, frost blooming across the ground as grass blades froze solid in an instant.
"As expected… the remnants of someone who cultivated ice-type Dou Qi."
Xiao Yan smiled faintly. He knew this power wasn't from the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.....it belonged to whoever had left this place behind.
If memory served, that person had been known as the White Tiger Venerable.
As that thought passed through his mind, his hand seals changed again.
The ripples of space grew ever stronger until fine cracks appeared, spider-webbing outward.
Crack… crack…
No one could tell whether it was ice shattering or space itself breaking apart.
The fluctuations intensified, the fissures widened....and finally...
Boom!
The fabric of space exploded. The collision between the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the frigid energy unleashed a devastating shockwave.
The canyon froze in an instant, plants and herbs turned to brittle ice, then shattered to dust under the impact.
Within moments, the entire valley became a frozen world.
Even as the storm subsided, the air remained deathly cold, freezing to the marrow.
Residual ripples slammed into the cliffs, shaking nearby peaks.
Inside her mountain cave, Little Fairy Doctor felt the tremors distinctly.
.......
Hello readers,
Wishing you all a Happy Christmas 🎄 and an Advance Happy New Year 🎉
Due to the Christmas holidays, there will be no chapter updates from December 30th to January 1st, as I'll be taking a short break.
Regular updates will resume after January 1st.
If you'd like to read new chapters early and support my work, you're always welcome to join my Patreon for exclusive updates and early access.
Link : patreon.com/HeavenlyYinYang
Thank you for reading and for your continued support.
See you soon!