Chapter 130: Arctic Ice Crystal Prison
Chapter 130: Arctic Ice Crystal Prison
“Ah!”
“What kind of monster is that!”
…
Just as Ye Rong finished giving a few instructions to Hengheng Haha and prepared to leave, sudden screams erupted. Turning to look, he saw several Qingcheng Disciples vanishing into white light. The entire scene descended into chaos.
Chongming Bird, Elite Tier, Level 50 flying monster.
“Whoa! Is this thing an upgraded Chongming Beast?”
The culprit causing all this looked like a rooster, its cry resembled a phoenix’s. The only difference from a Chongming Beast was that instead of being bare, it was covered in breathtakingly magnificent plume feathers. Especially its tail feathers—about ten meters long and shimmering with seven colors—flowed majestically.
“Everyone, scatter!” Ye Rong shouted.
The Chongming Bird’s attack was vastly stronger than the Chongming Beast’s; a single swipe of its tail could instantly kill any Player caught in it.
Stepping onto Casting Snow, he charged towards the bird. Right as he closed in for an attack, he switched tactics. Twin swords appeared in his hands, slashing down hard onto its protective layer of seven-colored radiance—probably the so-called Seven Avian Divine Light.
Ever since that critical moment in the Sect Minor Competition finals where Ye Rong had unexpectedly switched into Twin Sword Style to attack, he had gradually gained new insights, glimpsing a different path.
That day, he’d relied on falling feather magic to drift down safely. But through experimentation, he discovered it wasn’t impossible without it. The momentum from his previous high-speed flight could keep his body stable in the air for five to six seconds—the perfect window for unleashing his strongest twin-sword strikes. Then, he’d switch one flying sword back to Sword Flight mode to stabilize himself before switching again to inflict more damage.
This method achieved the ideal offensive power of Twin Sword Style, but it demanded extraordinary reflexes and perfect timing. Ye Rong failed his first few attempts, plummeting to the ground and bruising himself badly. He nearly became the laughingstock of Qingcheng—the Tianshu Hall Chief dying from falling off his Flying Sword!
A stream of black flame and a blast of snow crystals bombarded the Chongming Bird’s Seven Avian Divine Light, exploding in a shower of colors. In those few seconds, Ye Rong unleashed his full power, determined to cripple this elite avian monster.
His Qingcheng Disciples below were his own people. Losing even one weakened his team and hampered their quest to collect Flying Swords and Magic Treasures—something he absolutely could not tolerate.
The Seven Avian Divine Light wasn’t indestructible. Under constant assault, it clinked and clanked, cracks appearing, seemingly on the verge of collapse. Yet the energy shield possessed surprising resilience. Every strike felt like hitting thick syrup that gradually trapped his Sword Light, drastically slowing his momentum.
What should have been a decisive victory turned into a frustrating stalemate. The rubber-like shield rebounded his attacks. With a flash of multi-colored light, the cracked shield mended itself, looking almost undamaged.
As impressive as this made the Seven Avian Divine Light—increasing the value of the Seven Avian Feather Fan—Ye Rong desperately wished it wasn’t performing this well right now.
The Chongming Bird swept its huge seven-colored tail aggressively towards him, forcing Ye Rong back. He dared not directly block something that could turn Players to dust instantly.
“Crap, this is trouble! Hengheng Haha! Distract it! I’ll hit it hard!”
Spotting Hengheng Haha nearby, Ye Rong called out, putting some distance between himself and the beast. Even the hot wind stirred by the passing tail feathers scraped off over a hundred points of his Qi and Blood, nearly blowing him away.
“Whoa! Boss Yijian is that strong?!”
“Seriously? Did you think he won the Sect Minor Competition by accident? I was there! Saw him defeat opponent after opponent with just two Flying Swords…”
Ye Rong considered his failed attack a miscalculation. Yet, the display completely awed the sixty-plus Qingcheng Disciples. They burst into excited whispers. Many had only heard the name “Yijian Kurong” but never met the person. Barely twenty to thirty had briefly leveled with him in Tuojiang River Basin before. Most remained unfamiliar.
This unfamiliarity bred doubt. Some Players quietly questioned why Yijian Kurong deserved the title of leader. Witnessing that one attack changed their minds completely. Who could stand head-to-head against a Level 50 Elite Monster that killed others instantly? Even knocking the Chongming Bird back several steps? Such strength was beyond imagination.
The Sect Minor Competition champion lived up to his name. A leader worthy of respect. These thoughts echoed in the Players’ minds.
Ye Rong had no idea his “failed” strike had earned him such authority. His frustration was focused entirely on breaking through that deadly tail.
Feigned attacks yielded nothing. The Players below launched Flying Swords wildly at the Chongming Bird. Their Sword Lights just bounced harmlessly off the Seven Avian Divine Light—not even rippling its surface. The original spell’s barrier was clearly leagues stronger than the version from the Seven Avian Feather Fan.
“This Seven Avian Divine Light is stiff and awkward, only good for passive defense. Not versatile like the Parting-Union Divine Light, which can attack and defend perfectly. But… its focus makes it flawless at protection—airtight and unyielding.”
Ye Rong sighed internally, probing with a few more deceptive strikes. He understood the bird now. Sadly, Hengheng Haha was being chased all over the place, looking ragged.
Despite being a Level 50 Elite Monster, the bird possessed few skills. Beyond physical attacks, it only used the protective Seven Avian Divine Light and the offensive seven-colored tail feathers.
Those incredibly long, splendid feathers weren’t its natural tail. It was some Dao Spell learned by the monster—a manifestation condensing additional spiritual feathers behind its real ones.
The tail feathers’ destructive power was horrifying. Ordinary Qingcheng Disciples died instantly upon contact. Ye Rong had zero interest in testing their damage output personally.
Under these conditions, relying on numbers to grind it down wasn’t an option.
“Ten Thousand Snowflakes Fall! Arctic Ice Crystal Prison!”
In his helplessness against the Seven Avian Divine Light, Ye Rong resorted decisively to Casting Snow’s attached spell: Arctic Ice Crystal Prison.
Two more Qingcheng Disciples, unable to dodge quickly enough, were smashed into white light by the tail feathers below. Ye Rong ground his teeth. Snowflakes swirled, and ice lotuses bloomed instantly.
The Chongming Bird within the spell’s range became covered in a thick layer of frost weighing down its lavish plume feathers. Flying became laborious.
-15! -15! -15!… Fierce icy winds, carrying diamond-hard crystals, bit deep. Even Seven Avian Divine Light couldn’t block this piercing cold.
Hengheng Haha, sensing the danger, had already fled. He was clearly outmatched; even briefly distracting the bird almost killed him earlier.
“So strong… this strong… The gap between me and the Boss is really that huge…” Hengheng Haha whispered to himself. As a disciple just one step from entering Tianshu Hall, he’d been confident his skills were close. Now… they clearly weren’t even playing the same game.
Against a Level 50 Elite Monster, besides Hengheng Haha, the others were barely qualified to be cannon fodder. A single tail sweep would delete them instantly, only hindering Ye Rong.
“Can’t fly easy now, can you? About to join your Brother Beast as a featherless rooster!”
The Arctic Ice Crystal Prison’s second stage activated. Endless ice spears plummeted from the sky above the imprisoned area. No matter where the Chongming Bird flew, barrages struck relentlessly at its position. Ensnared by Ye Rong, it couldn’t escape this frozen world.
One spear, ten spears, hundreds… The onslaught was endless. Despite its stability, the unceasing battering made the Seven Avian Divine Light ripple violently like disturbed water, surface swirling continuously.
Watching the once mighty bird become disoriented and dazed under the icy assault, Ye Rong let out a clear shout. Three diminutive figures formed from the rapidly accumulating snowdrifts below.
Each Ice Spirit stood only waist-high, possessing ethereal, elegant forms that radiated icy beauty.
Ye Rong examined them, startled to find all three had distinct abilities.
One wore ornate silver armor and wielded an ice crystal staff—possessing Icy Soul Six-Pole Staff, Level 15.
Another, clad in soft, fuzzy white fur, swirled frigid brilliance between her small hands—possessing Icy Soul Divine Light, Level 10.
The third, curled naked and shivering, suddenly dissolved into mere light before flowing straight into the Casting Snow hovering in his grasp.
A spectral image of an Ice Spirit shimmered faintly upon the Flying Sword. Ye Rong’s eyes widened in surprise. Casting Snow was now a Sixth-Rank Flying Sword! Its attributes surged dramatically—granted, only temporarily, lasting only as long as the Arctic Ice Crystal Prison held—half an hour.
These three spirits formed the spell’s third stage. The two manifested Ice Spirits bravely hurled themselves towards the beleaguered Chongming Bird.