Hearing Loren’s words, Jiang Lin thought it over carefully, and it seemed to be true.
He had acquired the 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 ability back when he was rank-0.
In all his battles since then, the 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 had become his most fundamental means of combat.
Consequently, in many instances, he did not need to use much brainpower to ponder or predict his opponents' actions.
In battles against opponents of the same rank, the absence of this ability would not have mattered much.
After all, given Jiang Lin’s strength, he could easily crush same-rank opponents with sheer force.
However, once he engaged in cross-rank combat, his lack of actual combat experience became slightly apparent.
Therefore, sealing his right eye now was indeed a sound choice.
With his master by his side, he likely wouldn't face any significant danger.
Even if he were to leave his master and encounter genuine peril, this seal would unlock his 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 after discharging a single strike of sword qi.
And his opponent would then have to face a Jiang Lin who had entered the boss's second phase.
Jiang Lin touched his right eye, which now bore a faint mark.
With a flick of his hand, he retrieved a mirror from his spatial ring to examine the condition of his right eye.
He saw that a shallow sword scar had appeared on his otherwise flawless face, situated precisely over his right eye.
Yet, this did not ruin his extreme handsomeness; instead, it added a touch of decisive, mature masculinity to his previously gentle temperament.
It was as if he had transformed from a pampered noble youth into a paladin who had truly battled on the front lines.
It seemed this sword scar on his right eye was proof of the bloody battles he had fought.
Still, Jiang Lin remained somewhat puzzled.
After all, in the past, his 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 had almost never erred.
If the future held multiple possibilities, he could always see multiple phantoms.
Yet, his master was able to fundamentally avoid such issues and mislead him by targeting his habit of relying on future predictions.
Perhaps it was simply because the gap in their levels was too vast?
He wondered if his master would still be able to interfere with his judgment once his own level increased...
Loren turned and walked toward the edge of the ice pillar forest:
“The frost ghosts on the outskirts have been hunted enough. Rest for the night, and tomorrow we head deeper into the ‘Frostblade Abyss.’ The frost ghosts there are stronger and more densely packed.”
Jiang Lin followed, suddenly remembering something:
“Master, is the Frostblade Abyss... the Extreme Ice Abyss you mentioned?”
“Yes, and no.”
Loren didn't look back.
“The Extreme Ice Abyss has three layers.
“The outer layer is the ice plains, where we are right now.
“The middle layer is the ‘Frostblade Abyss,’ the former core area of the frost giant tribe.
“The deepest part is the ‘Eternal Ice Cave,’ a forbidden zone where life can barely exist. Due to the overly violent elements, only the most powerful life forms can survive there.”
He paused, his tone deepening:
“At the same time, there is an 8th-rank overlord-tier frost ghost residing there.”
8th-rank overlord-tier!
Jiang Lin’s heart tightened.
With his current combat power, a 4th-rank commander-tier was his limit, and an 8th-rank overlord...
“Rest assured, I won't have you throwing your life away just yet.”
Loren seemed to have seen through his thoughts.
“That is not an opponent you need to face. I will ensure your safety.”
By the time they returned to the ice-crystal pavilion, it was already late at night.
The aurora flowed across the sky, shrouding Frostblade Peak in a dreamlike halo.
Jiang Lin sat cross-legged on the ice platform and performed internal observation of his dantian.
After a day of hunting, the ice-blue crystal had grown from the size of an infant’s fist to that of an adult’s, its internal deep-blue light flowing like liquid and emitting stable, powerful energy fluctuations.
“Almost there.”
He calculated silently.
“Hunting seven or eight more 4th-rank or higher frost ghosts should bring it to its limit.”
Afterward, he ceased his musings, closed his eyes, and began circulating his breathing technique.
Operating three breathing techniques simultaneously, holy light circulated within his body, repairing the minor damages sustained during the day.
The ice-blue crystal also spontaneously emitted ice soul power, resonating with his breathing techniques and accelerating his recovery even further.
The night passed in silence.
The next morning, Loren took Jiang Lin deep into the Frostblade Abyss.
The scenery here was vastly different from the outskirts.
The sky was darker, and the aurora had turned into an eerie deep blue, flowing much slower.
There was no longer snow on the ground; in its place was deep-blue ice, smooth as a mirror, with the ruins of ancient buildings faintly visible beneath the surface.
“This was once the outer city of the frost giant tribe.” Loren said as he walked. “Those ruins beneath the ice are what remains from back then.”
Jiang Lin looked down.
Beneath the ice, he could faintly see collapsed ice pillars, shattered statues, and some unrecognizable debris.
Every ruin silently told the story of a tragedy from a thousand years ago.
“Frost ghosts.”
Loren suddenly stopped and looked into the distance.
Jiang Lin followed his gaze.
About five hundred zhang ahead, in the center of a ruin, seven or eight frost ghosts were floating silently.
The one in the very center was exceptionally large, its body a near-ink deep blue, with the light flowing inside like solidified deep-blue flames.
It was a 4th-rank king-tier.
Surrounding it were three 4th-rank transcendent-tier and four 4th-rank elite-tier ones.
“Eight of them.”
Jiang Lin gasped.
“Master, this...”
“What? Scared?”
Loren gave him a flat look.
It was clearly a simple taunt.
Jiang Lin nodded seriously, gripping the Eight Extremities Holy Sword:
“Yes, I don’t think I can win.”
Loren was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Lin to be so honest about the pressure.
After a moment of silence, he said:
“Go. Clear the outskirts first, and deal with the king-tier one last.
“I will keep an eye on it for you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lin exhaled in relief, tapped his toes, and streaked out like the wind.
The battle began once more.
Under the dark blue sky of the Frostblade Abyss, eight frost ghosts floated like spirits above the ruins.
The king-tier frost ghost in the center had a body nearly as dark as ink, its internal deep-blue light like frozen fire; every pulse caused the surrounding air to condense into fine ice crystals.
Jiang Lin took a deep breath, casting the sensation of his sealed right eye to the back of his mind.
Without the pre-judgment of the Chronowalker's Evil Eye, he could only rely on the perception of 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 and the instincts honed in previous battles.
“Start with the outskirts.”
He tapped his toes on the ice, his figure transforming into a pale-gold streak of light as he lunged directly at the 4th-rank transcendent-tier frost ghost on the left.
The frost ghost sensed danger, its hollow eye sockets turning toward Jiang Lin as deep-blue rays erupted instantly!
Jiang Lin sidestepped; 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】 allowed him to blend into the wind, and the trajectory of the rays appeared clearly in his perception.
He did not dodge entirely, instead letting the rays graze his shoulder.
A layer of white frost instantly condensed on the surface of his constant-temperature protective suit, but he had already closed within ten zhang of the frost ghost.
Second style · Ice Prism!
The Eight Extremities Holy Sword flashed, and hundreds of ice-blue sword qi erupted from the void like standing prisms, sealing off all of the frost ghost's retreats.
The frost ghost attempted to condense an ice shield to block, but the sheer number and speed of the ice prism sword qi pierced through its hastily formed defense instantly.
“Ssh-ssh-ssh!”
The sword qi pierced the frost ghost’s semi-transparent body, leaving countless fine holes.
The deep-blue light within it flickered violently before exploding with a bang, turning into a sky full of ice crystals.
A wisp of deep-blue light drifted into Jiang Lin’s chest.
“First one.”
Jiang Lin did not stop, turning his body and lunging at another transcendent-tier frost ghost on the right.
This time, he used a combination of the third style · Snow Dance and the fourth style · Cold Current.
The sword momentum was as light and graceful as snow, yet as continuous as a cold current.
The frost ghost was misled by the chaotic sword shadows of Snow Dance, unable to lock onto Jiang Lin’s true body. By the time it reacted, the Cold Current sword qi had surged from all directions, engulfing it completely.
“Second one.”
Jiang Lin sheathed his sword, panting slightly.
Killing two 4th-rank frost ghosts in succession was no small drain, but it was trivial for him.
The remaining five 4th-rank frost ghosts finally reacted; they no longer fought individually but launched their attacks simultaneously.
Five deep-blue rays shot from different angles, sealing off all of Jiang Lin’s evasion routes.
“Hmph.”
Jiang Lin advanced instead of retreating, and the eighth style · Extreme Cold erupted suddenly!
The ice-blue light at the tip of his sword collapsed violently, transforming into an expanding ice ring.
Wherever the ice ring passed, even light seemed to freeze. The speed of the five rays plummeted, struggling forward through the ice ring before finally solidifying into five deep-blue ice pillars three feet from Jiang Lin.
At the same time, Jiang Lin had approached the nearest elite-tier frost ghost.
Seventh style · Ice Soul!
This style pointed directly at the soul.
The moment the sword tip touched the frost ghost’s body, ice soul power surged in, and the deep-blue core within the frost ghost trembled violently, as if gripped by an invisible icy hand.
It didn't even have time to emit a silent screech before the core shattered, and its entire body crumbled into ice crystals.
“Third, fourth, fifth...”
Jiang Lin moved through the frost ghosts like a phantom, each sword strike claiming another life.
When the last elite-tier frost ghost fell, the ice plains were covered in shards of ice.
Five wisps of deep-blue light drifted into Jiang Lin’s chest simultaneously.
The ice-blue crystal in his dantian trembled violently, its light flaring, the deep-blue radiance inside swirling like boiling water.
He could clearly feel the crystal growing at a visible rate, progressing from the size of an adult’s fist toward a larger dimension.
“Not bad.”
Loren’s voice came from afar; he remained standing at the edge of the ruins, hands behind his back.
The 4th-rank king-tier was bound in place by him, unable to move throughout the entire time Jiang Lin was fighting.
It could only express its impotent rage on the spot.
Once Loren’s binding was released, the 4th-rank king-tier frost ghost finally moved.
It drifted down slowly, and the moment it touched the ground, the temperature within a hundred zhang plummeted by dozens of degrees.
Countless fine frost flowers condensed on the ice, and the ice crystals falling through the air hung suspended in mid-air as if frozen in time.
Its hollow eye sockets “gazed” at Jiang Lin, and it slowly spread its arms.
“Hum!”
An invisible fluctuation expanded outward.
Jiang Lin felt a tremor in his soul, as if touched by an invisible icy hand.
This was not a physical attack but a pressure acting directly upon the soul.
At this moment, Loren’s voice came:
“This 4th-rank king-tier has already touched upon the prototype of a soul domain. Give it a bit more time, and it would likely break through its racial level once more to become an overlord-tier creature.”
Hearing this, Jiang Lin felt a sense of awe.
He exhaled a long breath, silently adjusting his physical state.
He gripped the hilt with both hands, the tip of his sword lowering slowly to point at the ground.
Ninth style · Eternal Ice Flower!
The next moment, the technique was activated.
There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a state of absolute “stillness.”
Centered on Jiang Lin, everything within a hundred zhang seemed to solidify.
The falling ice crystals were fixed, the deep-blue light stagnated, and even the cold current wreathing the frost ghost stopped flowing.
This was the domain prototype Jiang Lin had grasped after breaking the limits of the original king-tier sword technique!
Domain Prototype · Extreme Cold Stagnation!
The frost ghost seemed to perceive the threat; it spread its arms violently, its deep-blue light surging, and a ray far thicker than before shot out with a roar!
Wherever the ray passed, even the space frozen by “Eternal Ice Flower” began to tremble and crack.
Jiang Lin’s gaze sharpened; he advanced instead of retreating.
He stepped forward, the Eight Extremities Holy Sword held high above his head, its radiance restrained to the limit, leaving only a condensed point of ice-blue brilliance at the tip.
First style · Frost Condensation, second style · Ice Prism, third style · Snow Dance, fourth style · Cold Current, fifth style · Ice Seal, sixth style · Frost Brilliance, seventh style · Ice Soul, eighth style · Extreme Cold, ninth style · Eternal Ice Flower...
Nine styles as one!
This was the ultimate sword strike he had comprehended after breaking his limits, merging the entire essence of the 【Ice Flower Nine Styles】 into a single blow.
The sword light was silent, with only a faint ice-blue trajectory cutting through space.
Wherever the trajectory passed, even light seemed to freeze, leaving behind a pale ice scar.
The frost ghost’s deep-blue ray met this sword light.
The ray split slowly from the center, like silk cut by a sharp blade, dividing to both sides and dissipating into countless deep-blue points of light.
The sword light continued undiminished, sweeping across the frost ghost’s body.
Time seemed to stand still for an instant.
The next moment, a thin, pale sword scar appeared in the center of the frost ghost’s ink-blue body.
The scar spread rapidly, covering its entire body like a spiderweb.
It tried to emit a silent screech, but the cracks had already spread to its core.
“Crack!”
With a crisp shattering sound, the 4th-rank king-tier frost ghost exploded, turning into a sky full of ice crystals.
A wisp of deep-blue light, as thick as a thumb and solid as substance, drifted out and submerged into Jiang Lin’s chest.
The ice-blue crystal in his dantian trembled violently, its light flaring to a blinding degree.
Jiang Lin performed internal observation and saw the deep-blue light inside the crystal swirling madly like a vortex, its volume expanding rapidly from the size of one fist, eventually stabilizing at the size of two adult fists.
Fine patterns appeared on the surface of the crystal, as complex as Frostblade runes, and the deep-blue light inside flowed like liquid metal.
“Reached the limit.”
Jiang Lin understood in his heart.
He could clearly feel that the connection between this crystal and himself had become inseparable.
With every breath, ice soul power surged from within, merging into his meridians and blending perfectly with his holy light magic essence.
“Take a rest.”
Loren’s voice sounded; he had arrived beside Jiang Lin at some point, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his purple eyes.
“The crystal has reached its limit; what follows is the most critical refinement.”
Jiang Lin nodded and sheathed the Eight Extremities Holy Sword.
He walked to an ice rock at the edge of the ruins and sat down, taking out high-energy nutrition paste and magic restoration potions to silently replenish his consumption.
Loren stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the bottomless Frostblade Abyss, his voice as cold and clear as an icy spring:
“Do you know why I scattered my cultivation and started over back then?”
Jiang Lin swallowed the nutrition paste and said seriously:
“Master said before that it was because my upper limit was constrained by the gods.”
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