"Heh, since the Ice Queen is interested, then I'll entertain her for a while."
Yi Tianxie's eyes gleamed with interest as he looked at the ferocious Ice Dragon, letting out a faint, sinister chuckle.
Bright moon, ice dragon!!
The Ice Dragon soared into the sky, casting a terrifying shadow on the ground. Strangely, the shadow beneath it looked even more menacing than the dragon itself.
Without even moving his body, Yi Tianxie pointed directly at the shadow under the Ice Dragon. Instantly, that shadow bizarrely detached from the Ice Dragon and transformed into a pitch-black Shadow Ice Dragon, roaring as it lunged at the real Ice Dragon.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blades of icy blue and pitch-black sword light intertwined, sword energy raged wildly across the sky, carving deep cracks into the surrounding glaciers. The dragon's claws even showed visible fractures.
Inside the Shadow Ice Dragon, not only did it contain the extreme cold of profound ice energy, but it also held a strange Evil Shadow Power. Any attack it endured was significantly reduced, while its own power infiltrated like a sinister force, entering everywhere.
Crack!!
Cracks appeared across the Ice Dragon's body—it shattered in an instant, once again turning into countless ice swords that scattered into the void. These blades formed a terrifying Frost Sword Formation, enveloping the Shadow Ice Dragon. Sword aura pierced the skies, razor-sharp and unstoppable, shredding everything in its path with icy gales.
Yet, just as the Ice Dragon dispersed, the Shadow Ice Dragon followed suit—disintegrating into countless pitch-black Evil Ice Swords that also formed a sword formation, clashing with the Frost Sword Formation.
In that moment, sword light crisscrossed, and endless sharp clangs echoed across the battlefield. It was a horrifying sight—sword energy rampaging, blades falling like rain, destroying nearby structures and shredding any snow beasts that strayed too close into frozen fragments.
Within moments, the blinding sword lights vanished.
With the dissolution of the Frost Sword aura, the Evil Ice Swords also disappeared without a trace.
"Shadow Manipulation."
The Ice Queen's face revealed a peculiar expression as she softly uttered the phrase.
Still seated on her frozen throne, she showed no intention of moving. Her gaze locked onto Yi Tianxie, a faint blue light flashing in her eyes.
Whoosh!!
Yi Tianxie instantly sensed danger. Without hesitation, his figure flickered and disappeared. In the spot where he had just stood, an ice sculpture suddenly emerged, exuding chilling frost. Had he stayed, he would have been frozen solid in an instant.
The frost energy contained within was terrifying, more so because it was imbued with powerful laws.
"Come on then, behold my Shadow Arts."
Yi Tianxie laughed, his voice drifting erratically, echoing throughout the icy mountain. A strange scene followed—all across the mountain, countless ice beasts' shadows suddenly distorted and transformed into pitch-black Shadow Beasts, letting out monstrous roars as they lunged at the Ice Queen.
Their surge was like a tidal wave of destruction.
"Courting death!"
The Ice Queen's gaze turned colder, and the frost around her thickened dramatically.
From beneath her throne, countless sword lights erupted, sweeping toward the shadow beasts like a tidal wave. These sword lights were imbued with the laws of ice and snow, and under their power, the shadow beasts were pierced and shredded at a speed visible to the naked eye, vanishing without a trace.
"Well then, Ice Queen. Let's call it a day. We'll meet again."
As the shadow beasts were obliterated by the sword light, Yi Tianxie's voice echoed from beyond the floating ice mountain—he had clearly left.
He had come like the wind and departed just as effortlessly.
"Such a bizarre Evil Shadow Technique."
The Ice Queen did not pursue—not because she couldn't, but because Yi Tianxie's retreat was too swift, vanishing into the shadows without a trace. Tracking him down would be nearly impossible.
"Unfathomable…"
Outside the floating mountain, Yi Tianxie's figure reappeared. He glanced back deeply and muttered to himself.
Although the battle had appeared overwhelming, neither he nor the Ice Queen had unleashed their full strength. Had they gone all out, the outcome would've been vastly different.
After all, this floating ice mountain was the very heart of the vortex.
Yi Tianxie scanned the surroundings with a devilish grin. Watching the tigers fight from the mountain top—what a beautiful thought.
And just like that, he disappeared again, silently.
"Surpassing the Law Phase Realm, at least Nascent Soul level… actual cultivation undetermined."
That was the conclusion drawn from Yi Tianxie's probing.
This thought appeared in Yi Tianxing's mind instantly. As a clone of his true self, their hearts and minds were linked—if desired, memories could be fully shared.
From the memories Yi Tianxie had transmitted, Yi Tianxing vividly saw the confrontation atop the ice mountain and clearly sensed the dangers. The Ice Queen's every move carried the power of laws—such strength was terrifying. Aperture Divine Abilities were formed by condensing the power of Heaven and Earth laws, and Diagram Divine Abilities were even more potent. Ultimately, all were meant to comprehend the laws.
But for the Ice Queen, every gesture and attack already wielded the power of law, indicating her mastery was profound and devastating.
"At the very least, she's in the Nascent Soul realm. I don't have much time left. I must break through—urgently."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath.
He was already seated within a quiet cultivation chamber.
His mind sank into his body. In his Divine Sea, the Heavenly Emperor Dragon Diagram had already solidified, nearly tangible—countless true dragons roamed within, radiating majestic might.
"Law Phase Realm—this is the stage of soul condensation. The seven Po (魄) souls have already been forged. Now comes the condensation of the Hun (魂) soul—but not all three, only the Human Soul (人魂)."
Information on the Law Phase Realm surged through Yi Tianxing's mind.
According to Daoist belief, humans have three Hun souls:
Tai Guang (胎光 / Fetal Light), a pure heavenly Yang essence.
Shuang Ling (爽灵 / Bright Spirit), born of Yin and the Five Elements—this is the Human Soul.
You Jing (幽精 / Dark Essence), impure Yin essence—this is the Earth Soul.
Thus, they are also referred to as Heaven, Earth, and Human souls.
While in the womb, all three souls reside in the body. The maternal womb is full of innate fortune and mysterious energy. But once born, the three souls disperse:
The Heaven Soul returns to the heavens, hidden in the void.
The Earth Soul merges with the land.
The Human Soul inhabits the body. This is the link between person and Heaven-Earth, the very mark of life.
When someone dies, their soul is instinctively drawn underground into the Nine Netherworlds, guided by the Earth Soul. After seven days, the soul merges with the Earth Soul and becomes a ghost—this is "returning on the seventh day."
But the Heaven Soul can never be merged. To do so would mean transcending the river of fate—my fate is mine, not Heaven's.
Thus, in the Law Phase Realm, the soul being merged is the Human Soul, also known as Shuang Ling (爽灵).
Once merged with the Law Body, the soul completes the realm—Law Phase Perfection.
Now, the only question is how to draw out the Human Soul.
Fortunately, unlike the seven Po souls, this process is not too difficult.
This process is called Fetal Breath (胎息)—a state of feigned death.
When a person dies, their Human Soul fuses with the seven Po souls and descends to the Earth Soul. Normally, the Human Soul stays within the body, hidden and dormant. Only when the practitioner enters Fetal Breath, or a "false death" state, can the Human Soul be drawn out. The seven Po souls are already fused into the Law Body—once the Human Soul appears, fusion is inevitable.
This is called soul-merging.
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath and didn't hesitate. With a single thought, the breath in his body vanished.
Even his heartbeat and the operation of his internal organs ceased. No breathing, no pulse, even his pores closed. Blood flow stopped entirely.
His body temperature gradually dropped.
It was as though he had truly died—no signs of life remained.
Had someone seen him, they would surely have thought him a corpse.
By halting all bodily function, he had achieved a state indistinguishable from death.
At that moment, from within his organs, flesh, and bones, wisps of formless energy emerged, gathering together—soon forming a vague human-shaped figure, identical to Yi Tianxing, but composed of mist.
That was the Human Soul.
As soon as the Human Soul appeared, his entire consciousness and will merged into it.
It was a feeling of complete control over his physical body.
Whoosh!!
Without the slightest hesitation, the Heavenly Emperor Law Body within the Heavenly Emperor Dragon Diagram emitted a powerful pull, drawing the Human Soul inward.
This pull was irresistible.
In less than a single breath, the Human Soul had fully merged with the Law Body.
The Human Soul and the Seven Po fused into one.
In that moment, Yi Tianxing's consciousness entered an indescribable state.
He forgot time, space, and even self—he was immersed in a blank void.
It was like a fetus inside the womb, returning to a primordial state of innocence. Empty, pure, and unknowable—his mind submerged in a surreal tranquility.