"To perish and vanish into oblivion? Hahaha..."
The woman burst into a disdainful laugh, her gaze fixed on Ye Cangtian. She licked her pale lips.
"Little ant, do you possess such strength?"
"Throughout countless millennia, countless have sought to kill me, Bing Ji!"
"Yet they either became ice sculptures or fertilizer. Thus, you shall be no exception!"
As she spoke, the woman gestured towards Ye Zhenghao and the other two beside Ye Cangtian, adding, "It's not just you; they won't escape either!"
"There's no point in talking further. Let's settle this with our fists!"
Ye Cangtian had no intention of wasting more words. He glanced at Ye Zhenghao, who, before Ye Cangtian could speak, stepped forward with understanding.
"Understood!"
With his voice echoing, Ye Zhenghao had already activated his Blazing Indestructible Body.
Although Bing Ji remained motionless on her throne, she exuded an invisible, immense pressure upon him.
Observing the volatile aura surrounding Ye Zhenghao, Bing Ji chuckled and said, "Little ant, you've destroyed the most ice sculptures. Now you dare to step forward. Very well, today I shall make an example of you!"
As she spoke, Bing Ji slowly rose. She brushed her slender hand in front of her, and an ice crystal sword materialized in her grasp.
"Hmph!"
Ye Zhenghao snorted coldly, his figure flashing. In an instant, he appeared before Bing Ji, unleashing a barrage of Fierce Tiger Punches.
Facing Bing Ji, he showed no restraint, each punch delivered with savage force.
In response to the ferocious Fierce Tiger Punches, a wicked smile played on Bing Ji's lips. As she swung her sword, ice crystals drifted down, and ice crystal shields silently formed.
In mere moments, the sound of shattering echoed through the grand hall.
One by one, the ice crystal shields shattered under the impact of the Fierce Tiger Punches.
In their exchange of offense and defense, they were nearly evenly matched. While Ye Zhenghao could shatter the ice crystal shields, each strike also nullified his attack, leaving him with no discernible progress.
Meanwhile, Ye Cangtian cast a glance at the ongoing battle and then, with Bing Yao, moved towards a corner.
Together, they freed the individuals bound to the ice crystal cross. Afterward, Ye Cangtian began to examine the injuries of the four.
Gradually, Ye Cangtian's expression grew solemn.
The injuries of the four were far more severe than he had anticipated. Their meridians were severed, and their internal organs were gravely damaged.
Such injuries alone would render them people already destined for death.
Most crucially, in addition to these wounds, there was a potent frost-sealing power within the four.
Their meridians, internal organs, blood, and even bones were completely frozen.
Under the effect of this frost-sealing power, even if they were given miraculous elixirs, it would be difficult for them to absorb them.
*Thud!*
Just then, a sound came from the side. Ye Cangtian turned to see Bing Yao kneeling before him.
Her eyes pleaded as she looked at Ye Cangtian, "Big Brother, I know you possess the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir. I beg you, save my Senior Sister and the others..."
Bing Yao had previously witnessed him casually toss a Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir to the Wolf King, indicating that such elixirs were not scarce in his presence.
In Bing Yao's understanding, the Nine Revolutions Golden Elixir could not only enhance cultivation but also heal the sick and save lives.
Therefore, seeing her dying Senior Sister and companions, she could only swallow her pride and seek Ye Cangtian's help.
However, just as she was about to prostrate herself and kowtow, Ye Cangtian helped her up, and a gentle voice reached her.
"Since I promised you I would save your Senior Sister, I naturally won't be stingy with these elixirs."
To be honest, Ye Cangtian was also moved by her loyalty and righteousness. Otherwise, he would indeed have had to carefully consider such a precious elixir.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian activated his devouring power. To save these individuals, he first had to remove the frost-sealing power from their bodies.
Perhaps because the woman and the others were all near death, the frost-sealing power within them was not too formidable.
Before long, Ye Cangtian had completely absorbed the frost-sealing power from the woman.
However, when Ye Cangtian attempted to heal the other three, the three men had already succumbed to their severe injuries and breathed their last.
Seeing this, Ye Cangtian glanced at Bing Yao and spoke slowly, "I'm sorry, I was a step too late. They have already passed. My condolences..."
Upon hearing this, the tears in Bing Yao's eyes could no longer be held back and streamed down uncontrollably.
Yet, she gritted her teeth, striving to control her grief, and said, "Big Brother, I know you did your best. This is not your fault. It's all my fault; if it weren't for me, they wouldn't have..."
"Live well for their sake."
Unsure how to comfort her, Ye Cangtian simply said softly before retrieving a Nine Heavens Longevity Pill from his Qiankun pouch.
He then placed it into the mouth of the remaining woman.
A Nine Heavens Longevity Pill!
Sun Yao stared blankly as the elixir disappeared into her Senior Sister's mouth.
In her understanding, the Nine Heavens Longevity Pill was already the pinnacle of healing elixirs.
Frankly speaking, even the Snow Peak Master would be reluctant to consume a Nine Heavens Longevity Pill if injured, which spoke volumes about its preciousness.
Yet, he used a Nine Heavens Longevity Pill to save her Senior Sister. Such a gesture overwhelmed Sun Yao.
She wondered what she could possibly offer in return! Perhaps even her chastity would not be worth this single elixir!
Noticing Sun Yao's expression, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and said, "Your Senior Sister should recover soon, but she will need some time to absorb the elixir's effects. Therefore, you will need to look after her."
"It is my duty."
Sun Yao nodded hastily and then said, "Big Brother, thank you for saving my Senior Sister."
Ye Cangtian smiled and waved his hand in response. Then, his gaze shifted towards Ye Zhenghao and Bing Ji, and his expression immediately turned serious.
The battle between the two sides was still fiercely contested, but the scales of victory were slowly tipping towards Bing Ji.
The reason was the frost-sealing power.
Although Ye Zhenghao's Blazing Indestructible Body possessed some fiery energy, it was clearly insufficient against Bing Ji's frost-sealing power.
During their recent exchanges, Ye Zhenghao's body had gradually become covered in ice crystals, and his speed and strength were diminishing.
If this continued, Ye Zhenghao was bound to be defeated.
"Hmm?"
Just then, Ye Cangtian noticed another detail.
Bing Ji, locked in fierce combat, wore a playful smile on her face, akin to a hunter toying with its prey.
This could only mean one thing: Bing Ji was conserving her strength!
Contemplating this, Ye Cangtian slowly said, "Zhenghao, can you be more serious? You haven't even forced out Bing Ji's true strength yet!"
"I understand!"
Ye Zhenghao replied, and immediately, the blazing aura emanating from him intensified, shattering all the ice crystals on his body.
"What?"
Seeing this, Bing Ji revealed a flicker of surprise.
She had intended to slowly wear down Ye Zhenghao, but she hadn't expected him to still have the reserve energy to shatter all her carefully laid plans in one go.
Thinking this, she let out a cold snort and said, "Little ant, since you're so eager to die, I shall oblige!"
As her chilling voice faded, she brandished the ice crystal sword. With each swing, ice crystals condensed, forming a colossal ice crystal greatsword.
"Hmph!"
Seeing the ice crystal greatsword descend, Ye Zhenghao snorted coldly, channeling all his spiritual energy before meeting it head-on.
...
Ye Cangtian, observing from the sidelines, frowned.
From his perception, Bing Ji's current attack was immensely powerful. Ye Zhenghao, even with his full might, might struggle to block it.
A head-on collision could even put his life at risk.
However, without such life-or-death battles, how could one unlock their full potential?
In a moment of hesitation, Ye Cangtian finally decided not to intervene, preparing only to offer rescue if necessary.
*Boom!*
At that very moment, the Fierce Tiger Punch collided with the ice crystal greatsword. Instantly, a torrent of violent spiritual energy swept through the entire hall.
As ice pillars and walls continuously fell, and the ground cracked and shattered, turning into a vast pit.
In this full-power clash, Ye Zhenghao's figure, like a kite with a broken string, was sent flying by the greatsword, spitting a mouthful of blood in mid-air.
On the other side, the ice crystal greatsword was also shattered by Ye Zhenghao's punch, but it had no significant effect on Bing Ji, merely forcing her back a few steps.
In this exchange, Bing Ji had emerged as the clear victor.