The moment Han Jue materialized in the square, the mystical beasts sensed his intrusion. Their territorial instincts flared, and they surged toward him with predatory intent.
"Roar!"
The Star-Eating Grass erupted from Han Jue's body in an explosive burst, its countless vines lashing out with devastating speed. The beasts that had dared to attack were obliterated instantly, their bodies torn apart before they could even register the threat.
After the brief skirmish, Han Jue took a moment to catch his breath and survey his surroundings properly.
The floating palace complex divided itself into two distinct areas: the grand hall and the outer square. Both sections were constructed entirely from some kind of ancient black rock, its surface covered in bizarre golden carvings that seemed to pulse with an inner light. Each carving consisted of countless intricate patterns, law fragments, Han Jue realized, encoded into the very structure of the temple itself.
The square's floor and the palace walls were covered in similar golden patterns, creating a tapestry of incomprehensible power.
As Han Jue's feet touched down on the square, something activated. The golden patterns suddenly blazed with dreamy, ethereal light. Countless rays swept through the surrounding area, converging around the palace's perimeter. They wove together into a series of mysterious formations before solidifying into a barrier of white light that encased the entire structure.
The mystical beasts that had been pursuing him slammed into this barrier, unable to penetrate. They roared in frustration, clawing at the impenetrable shield.
At the hall's entrance stood a peculiar guardian, a rock lifeform composed entirely of the same black stone as the palace itself. Its sole purpose, Han Jue understood instinctively, was to prevent the surrounding beasts from entering the sacred hall.
Han Jue strode past the rock guardian without hesitation. Behind him, the mystical beasts continued their futile assault, but the guardian blocked every attempt with mechanical efficiency.
In terms of raw power, this rock guardian probably matched an Immortal-level being, more than enough to handle ordinary mystical beasts.
Inside the hall, the atmosphere changed completely.
The first thing Han Jue noticed was a massive black stone tablet standing at the chamber's center. As he approached, something stirred.
"Boom!"
A tremendous surge of white cold energy erupted around the tablet, coalescing into strange characters that seemed to write themselves in the air. The symbols were composed of secret patterns, a language Han Jue had never encountered before. Yet somehow, impossibly, he could understand their meaning perfectly.
"Since the establishment of the Cold Ice Heritage Forbidden Land, you are the 212,892nd being to enter the Heritage Temple, qualified to receive the Cold Ice Heritage..."
"Any living being of flesh and blood may come and receive the inheritance."
"But since the establishment of the Heritage Forbidden Land, no one has ever been able to inherit the complete inheritance and earn the title of 'Cold Ice God General'..."
Han Jue read through the flowing text, nodding slowly. The structure mirrored the Demon Sound God General's inheritance almost exactly. The parallel made sense, two sides of the same legendary mountain, each holding the legacy of a different God General.
A vast quantity of white icy mist manifested within the main hall, swirling and condensing. Through the mist, a white jade staircase materialized, approximately three miles wide, each step covered with strange golden secret patterns that emanated a faint golden glow.
Han Jue didn't hesitate. He stepped onto the first step.
"Each step contains a layer of inheritance information," a rumbling voice echoed directly into his consciousness. "When you reach the end of the staircase, you will become a great being in the universe, the Cold Ice God General."
Simultaneously, mysterious cultivation methods began flowing into his mind, complex and intricate beyond anything he'd previously encountered.
This was the cultivation method for power amplitude!
Han Jue's understanding crystallized. If the Demon Sound God General's inheritance focused on soul amplitude, the amplification of spiritual energy and willpower, then the Cold Ice God General's inheritance centered on body amplitude, the physical counterpart.
Soul amplitude could be broken down into telekinetic force amplitude. Body amplitude manifested as power amplitude, the multiplication of one's physical strength beyond normal limits.
The inheritance information contained within this staircase held the secret method to increasing power amplitude systematically. Each step ascended required achieving a one-fold increase in power amplitude.
Han Jue counted the steps extending into the distant void. Approximately ten thousand steps in total.
Ten thousand-fold power amplitude at completion. The implications were staggering.
Meanwhile, in the Ice and Snow Temple, Venerable Lianyi's patience had reached its limit.
"King Cangluo's spot has been taken?" she said coldly, her voice dripping with disdain as she glared at the trembling Immortal Marquis before her. "What does this have to do with me? If his teacher has complaints, tell him to come find me himself. Don't send messengers to whine on his behalf!"
The Immortal Marquis flinched but remained silent, wisely choosing not to respond.
"A mere King-level Immortal, and he thinks a hundred million years is too long to wait?" Venerable Lianyi's sneer was audible. "Does he believe himself more important than my junior martial brother?"
Her eyes flashed with barely contained fury. These days, it seemed everyone thought they could challenge her authority. Hadn't they noticed how the other Universe Venerables in the Hong Alliance didn't dare say a word about her decision?
King Cangluo's teacher was merely a newly promoted Universe Venerable, still wet behind the ears, relatively speaking. He didn't dare come to the Ice and Snow Temple himself, so he sent some unfortunate subordinate to deliver his complaints instead.
Did he really think that her strength as a Universe Overlord was just for show?
The more Venerable Lianyi thought about it, the angrier she became. She very nearly decided to hunt down King Cangluo's teacher and teach him some manners personally.
"Please, Your Excellency, calm yourself!" the Immortal Marquis below managed to stammer, not daring to say anything else.
Fortunately, Venerable Lianyi was known for being reasonable, at least by Universe Overlord standards. She waved her hand dismissively, allowing the messenger to leave before he embarrassed himself further.
Then she vanished from the chamber, off to handle whatever business required her attention.
On the first step of the inheritance staircase, Han Jue didn't immediately dive into the body-refining secret technique. Instead, he planned to leverage this unique environment to cultivate the fifth stage of his Heaven's End Ice Derivative Body.
He had named the unknown secret technique "Ice Evolution Scripture." Like Luo Feng's "Demon Sound Codex," his Ice Evolution Scripture divided itself into two parts.
The first part, the foundation, dealt with the strength of power amplitude, accounting for ninety-nine percent of the entire technique's difficulty and importance.
The second part consisted of the actual Ice Secret Technique itself, the practical application of the amplified power.
"Finally... it's done!"
Han Jue exhaled slowly, feeling the transformation complete itself. He had successfully cultivated the fifth stage of the Heaven's End Ice Derivative Body at last.
He clenched his fists, marveling at the changes coursing through his body. The power felt almost intoxicating.
He had invested 1.04 million points, combined with Ice Mountain's unique environment, the Water-Sky Holy Flame's tempering effects, and finally, the insights from the Cold Ice God inheritance itself. The convergence of all these factors had pushed him over the threshold to success.
Originally, the fifth stage would have required nearly ten million points to cultivate. This approach had saved him an enormous amount of resources.
Eight times body amplitude.
Equivalent to eight hundred times power amplitude.
The numbers were almost difficult to comprehend. With this level of amplification, Han Jue's physical strength had increased by a factor of eight hundred compared to his base Universe-level body. Even among geniuses, such rapid progress was virtually unheard of.
And now,
Han Jue turned his attention to the inheritance method contained within the Cold Ice Evolution Scripture, ready to begin his systematic ascent.
He stepped onto the next step, feeling the new layer of information flow into his consciousness.
And then he continued. Step after step. Day after day.
On this inheritance staircase that extended into the endless void, Han Jue advanced steadily upward, each step bringing new insights and greater power.
He knew that once this inheritance trial began, it couldn't be stopped. He had to practice continuously and advance without pause. The process was actually a torture test for his will and consciousness, a crucible designed to break the weak and forge the strong. Once he could no longer withstand this mental and spiritual torture and stopped advancing, the inheritance would automatically terminate.
But Han Jue had no intention of stopping.
His eight hundred-fold power amplitude far exceeded the secret methods contained in the first several hundred steps, which allowed his progress to be remarkably fast. Where others might struggle for months or years on each level, Han Jue blazed upward at a pace that would have seemed impossible.
Soon enough,
He reached the 333rd step.
In the void above, mysterious characters appeared spontaneously, manifesting from nothing. They shared the same style as the characters on the stone tablet below. Though Han Jue couldn't recognize the script itself, he could understand the meaning they conveyed.
"You who have come to receive the inheritance have already accepted one-tenth of the first stage of the 'Cold Ice Heritage'! The Cold Ice God's inheritance consists of three stages. Those who can complete the first stage will receive the title of 'Preliminary' and receive the 'Preliminary' level rewards!"
"The end of the first stage is that distant hall. The Preliminary's rewards await there!"
"Rumble..."
Han Jue looked up, following the staircase's trajectory. It continued to extend into the void, ascending layer after layer into impossible distances. Finally, after extending incredibly far, at the very end of the inheritance staircase, a tiny hall appeared in the distant void, so far away it was nearly impossible to see with the naked eye.
The first stage contained 3,333 floors. Three times the distance he'd already traveled.
Han Jue's eyes burned with determination. He didn't stop to rest or consolidate his gains. Instead, he continued climbing upward, driven by a single goal: to obtain the Preliminary rewards as quickly as possible and see just how far he could push this inheritance.
The Cold Ice God General's legacy awaited. And Han Jue intended to claim every last fragment of power it had to offer.