Chapter 21 – Ice Elemental Core

Tian Ling headed towards the vortex that would lead him to the Ice Mythic Realm, and without hesitation, he passed through. As soon as he arrived, the system echoed in his mind, as usual:

[You have entered the Ice Element Mythic Realm. The ice Qi is abundant here.]

When he opened his eyes, Tian Ling was faced with a landscape dominated by towering ice mountains that stretched to the horizon. Even the ground beneath his feet was a vast frozen expanse. Feeling the icy Qi invade his body, he quickly enveloped himself in fire Qi to resist the intense cold.

"This place lives up to its name... Everything is frozen. But I can't keep using fire Qi around me if I want to fill my ice core. I'll have to endure this intense cold," he muttered, fully aware that this task would be much more challenging than the previous ones.

Determined to overcome the difficulties, Tian Ling sat in a lotus position and began to absorb the icy Qi around him. As the Qi entered his body, he felt the cold intensify, freezing every cell within him. Nevertheless, he maintained his focus, fighting to withstand the unforgiving environment.

Meanwhile, in a grand hall dimly lit by flickering torches, a large table was surrounded by mysterious figures. Their presences exuded dark and oppressive auras. At the center, a sinister figure spoke, his eyes gleaming in a deep, ominous tone.

"Sect Master, the forty-year deadline is approaching. When will we attack?" asked Wei Duan, one of the elders of the Dark Sect, his voice laced with impatience.

"Exactly, Master. We need to act soon. My infiltrated disciples are already growing restless," added another elder, even more anxious.

"I agree with the elders. When will you break through, Master?" a third figure spoke, their words filled with anticipation.

The atmosphere was tense; everyone present was eager for a major assault. However, the imposing figure leading the meeting, Bai Jian, the Master of the Dark Sect, remained calm and unshaken.

"Do not worry," his voice echoed through the hall, deep and commanding. "My breakthrough is taking longer than I expected. Even with the help of the Cursed Lotus, it's taking more time than anticipated. But wait just another ten years. I will definitely break through by then."

Bai Jian had received the Cursed Lotus from a mysterious figure. This mythical-grade treasure was highly coveted in the cultivation world, but it was also a double-edged sword. The Lotus helped its user break through cultivation bottlenecks, allowing for ascension to a higher realm. However, the price was steep: any Qi accumulated after using the Lotus would be devoured, preventing further advancements.

For Bai Jian, who had been stuck in the True Soul Realm for hundreds of years, this was his only option. After all, even while stagnant, once he reached the perfected True Soul Realm, he would become invincible in the Nine Stars region.

Back in the Ice Mythic Realm, Tian Ling continued his intense process of absorbing the icy Qi. His body began to adjust to the overwhelming cold, but he knew the time required to fill the ice core would be long.

"I'm getting closer to completing another core, but there's still a long way to go. I need to be ready for the next challenge... the pressure of the Ice Mythic Realm won't be my only trial."

Tian Ling took a deep breath, feeling the cold bite into his skin like a thousand sharp needles. The icy Qi flowed slowly into his core, but the process was far from easy. Each portion of Qi he absorbed seemed harder than the last, as if the realm itself resisted his attempt to master its element. The cold grew more intense with every moment, threatening to freeze him to the bone.

"This realm... it's not just the cold. There's a pressure here that seems to want to test me at every turn," he murmured to himself, struggling to maintain control over his trembling body.

The system manifested, as usual, with its indifferent voice:

[Progress in absorbing Ice Elemental Qi: 25%]

"Only 25%?" He frowned. "This is going to take longer than I thought."

Tian Ling decided to intensify his focus. Closing his eyes once more, he allowed the fire Qi that surrounded him to dissipate. The cold, without the protective barrier of Qi, was relentless. The cutting wind blowing through the ice mountains made his skin burn, as if it were being flayed. Each breath seemed to crystallize within his lungs.

"I need to become one with the ice," he thought, recalling the words of one of the sect's elders. "To master an element, you must first submit to it."

Then, he relaxed. He stopped trying to resist the cold and instead embraced it. He felt the ice not as an enemy, but as part of the world around him. Slowly, the icy Qi began to flow more freely into his body. His Qi core seemed to respond, adjusting to the new energy circulating within his veins.

Meanwhile, deep within the Ice Mythic Realm, something began to stir. The realm, which had seemed dormant and still until now, began to react to Tian Ling's presence. A low, almost imperceptible sound reverberated through the frozen ground, as if a creature was moving within the shadows.

Suddenly, a deep blue glow appeared in the distance, flickering between the ice mountains. Tian Ling, still absorbing the Qi, did not notice the presence that was slowly approaching, moving with deadly precision. The creature, hidden by the icy mist, had eyes that gleamed like twin blades of ice, watching him intently.

[Danger detected] — the system finally alerted, breaking Tian Ling's focus.

His eyes snapped open, and he leapt from his meditative position, preparing for whatever was coming. He glanced around, trying to locate the threat. The blue glow continued to approach, moving through the frozen shadows.

"What is that...?" he whispered, instinctively activating his fire Qi to surround his body, ready to react.

The creature finally revealed itself. Emerging from the shadows of the mountains, an enormous beast made entirely of ice appeared. Its body, translucent and sharp like crystals, reflected the pale light of the realm. It was imposing, with sharp claws and glistening fangs. Each step it took made the ground beneath it tremble slightly.

Tian Ling narrowed his eyes.

"A mythical beast..." he murmured, recognizing the power that the creature radiated. "It seems the Mythic Realm won't let me absorb the Qi so easily."

The beast growled, revealing rows of jagged, icy teeth, and charged at him with surprising speed. Tian Ling reacted immediately, summoning his sword and enveloping it in a layer of fire Qi, which burned fiercely against the cold air.

The battle was swift and brutal. The creature attacked with vicious swipes of its claws, each imbued with ice Qi that froze the air around them. Tian Ling dodged skillfully, using his speed and agility. Every strike he delivered with his sword was cloaked in flames, melting small portions of the creature, but the ice regenerated quickly, turning the fight into a true test of endurance.

"This thing won't stop so easily," he remarked between strikes, realizing that direct combat wouldn't be enough.

Seizing a momentary distraction from the creature, Tian Ling leaped backward, creating some distance. He focused his Qi and, instead of trying to defeat the creature with fire, he chose something different.

"If I want to master the ice Qi, perhaps I need to use ice against it."

Briefly closing his eyes, he let the fire Qi that surrounded him dissipate and, in its place, began to channel the icy Qi around him. The temperature dropped even further, and the creature hesitated for a moment, sensing the change in the air.

Tian Ling opened his eyes, now filled with renewed determination. His hands, once surrounded by flames, now emitted a freezing aura, as if the very ice responded to his command. He charged at the creature once more, this time using ice Qi in his sword.

The next strike was different. When his ice Qi-imbued blade struck the creature, it paused for a moment. Instead of regenerating, the beast's icy body began to slowly fracture, as though it was being eroded by a force similar to its own. The creature growled, now visibly affected, and attempted to retreat.

But Tian Ling didn't allow it. With a final movement, he concentrated all the ice Qi he had absorbed and delivered a precise blow, slicing the creature in half. The ice that composed it shattered into the air, dissipating like snow on the wind.

Panting, Tian Ling knelt, feeling the exhaustion take over his body. The battle had been physically and mentally draining. But he had learned something crucial in that moment: controlling ice Qi wasn't just about resisting the cold; it was about mastering its very nature.

[Progress in absorbing Ice Elemental Qi: 60%]

He smiled slightly, knowing that he was closer to completing his mission in the Ice Mythic Realm. However, there was an unsettling feeling in the air, as if something even greater awaited him.

"It seems like things are just beginning..." he murmured, rising to his feet, determined to continue.

With the creature defeated and his control over ice Qi enhanced, Tian Ling returned to his meditation, determined to complete the absorption of the Qi and continue on his cultivation path.