Chapter 118: Ice and Thunder Lock Horns, An Equal Confrontation
The approval that flashed in Lei Chen's eyes and the meaningful smile that played on his lips were not without purpose.
His initiative in proposing this sparring match went beyond merely allowing the Xue Di to familiarize herself with the power of a First-level God and to verify his own reforged Authority of the Thunder God. A deeper purpose was to use this high-intensity divine-level battle as the most intense crucible, catalyzing the ultimate metamorphosis of the Xue Di's life-bound divine artifact—the ice extreme divine sword!
The Xue Di had already attained the status of a First-rank Deity. The essence of her divine power and her mastery over the Ice System Law were already on a completely different level from before.
In theory, as long as she spent sufficient time patiently nourishing it with the essence of her First-level Godhood, the ice extreme divine sword's promotion to a great divine artifact would be a natural progression.
However, for Lei Chen, who was determined to rapidly enhance the strength of the plane, time was precisely the resource that needed to be most meticulously managed. A full-force divine war could undoubtedly compress that lengthy nurturing process to its absolute limit!
Now, as the Xue Di unreservedly poured the vast divine power of the First-level God realm and her complete comprehension of the Ice System Law into the ice extreme divine sword, coupled with the immense external pressure and stimulation from the great divine artifact, the Nine Heavens Thunderstrike Sword, quantitative change finally triggered a qualitative transformation!
"Huummm—!"
The tremorous hum from the ice extreme divine sword grew increasingly piercing. The profound dark-blue radiance on the blade pulsed violently like a heartbeat. The originally somewhat indistinct natural patterns on the sword body suddenly became clear, transforming into streams of profound and inscrutable Ice System origin runes that flowed as if alive!
The point of extreme, condensed cold light at the blade's edge was no longer merely sharp. It now emanated a Law-like power capable of freezing concepts and delineating a domain of "absolute zero"!
A vast wave of power, not the slightest bit inferior to that of the Nine Heavens Thunderstrike Sword, erupted explosively from the ice extreme divine sword!
The seemingly insurmountable chasm between a divine artifact and a great divine artifact was forcibly bridged by the Xue Di and the ice extreme divine sword under this extreme pressure from both within and without!
At this very moment, the ice extreme divine sword finally became a great divine artifact!
The sword, having attained spiritual awareness, felt the leap in its own life. It conveyed to the Xue Di an unprecedented sense of exhilaration and immense confidence.
A brilliant divine light erupted in the Xue Di's ice-blue eyes. She let out a long cry that shook the heavens, integrating the full might of the newborn great divine artifact, her own First-level God cultivation, and the authority of her Ice God's Position as the Ice God into this heaven-defying strike—"Imperial Sword: Ice Extreme Peerless"!
The dark-blue stream of light instantly expanded, transforming into a crystalline divine sword phantom not the least bit inferior to the giant thunder sword. Around its form, space and time seemed frozen, all things returning to silence and extinction. Only that sword tip, carrying the Xue Di's million years of cultivation and the pride of her newly ascended Ice God's Position, resolutely clashed against the violet-gold thunder sword representing heavenly judgment!
In the next instant, the two giant swords, each containing the ultimate might of different Laws, clashed fiercely in the firmament above the peak of the Extreme North!
"BOOOOM—!!!"
It was not a simple explosive roar, but the violent collision and annihilation of two supreme Laws!
On one side, a violet-gold sea of thunder churned, electric serpents dancing wildly, carrying the majestic heavenly might to judge all things and vanquish evil to reveal righteousness. On the other, a dark-blue prison of extreme cold spread, a storm of ice crystals sweeping forth, containing the absolute chill capable of freezing space-time and returning all to eternal nothingness.
At the center of the collision, space shattered inch by inch like fragile glass, revealing the chaotic void behind, unable to mend for a long time.
A terrifying spherical shockwave of energy spread madly in all directions. Where it passed, the majestic glaciers below were silently sheared flat and annihilated, distant clouds were instantly cleared, as if a massive hole had been punched through the sky.
The energies of ice and thunder wildly intertwined, eroded, and clashed, erupting in a blinding, intense light capable of outshining the sun and moon.
All living beings in the Far North Land, regardless of strength, prostrated and trembled before this apocalyptic spectacle, their hearts filled with boundless awe for the might of the gods.
Lei Chen hovered in the air, the lightning around his form steady as bedrock. Watching the deadlocked center of the Law collision, he gave a slight nod.
He could perceive that, after the ice extreme divine sword's promotion to a great divine artifact, the Xue Di's strike had truly reached the level of a First-level God in terms of Law concentration and power, sufficient to stand as an equal to his own sword.
The Xue Di's heart also surged with emotion. She clearly felt that wielding the transformed ice extreme divine sword to execute this ultimate strike was a world of difference compared to before.
That feeling of power flowing seamlessly, as natural as moving her own arm, gave her a deeper comprehension of the power of a First-level God.
After a deadlock lasting roughly several breaths, the two annihilating energies finally reached a critical point of balance. Accompanied by a sharp screech that seemed capable of tearing the soul, they simultaneously vanished, leaving behind only a constantly twisting, slowly contracting spatial black hole, and the lingering, violent elemental turbulence that permeated the heavens and earth.
The energy storm gradually subsided, the celestial phenomena in the sky slowly dissipating. Lei Chen and the Xue Di stood facing each other across several kilometers, their divine auras still resplendent, but the previous tense, drawn-battle intent had been withdrawn.
The Xue Di looked at the ice extreme divine sword in her hand, its radiance now restrained yet appearing even more profound and powerful. She took a deep breath and sheathed it.
Facing Lei Chen, she performed another solemn bow. Her clear, cold voice carried a trace of barely detectable excitement and gratitude: "My thanks to the Plane Master for making this possible! The gains from this battle far surpass a century of secluded cultivation for this Xue Di."
She now understood the true, deeper intent behind Lei Chen's proposal for the spar.
Without the immense pressure and opportunity brought by this battle, the ice extreme divine sword's natural promotion would likely have required a not-insignificant amount of time.
Lei Chen smiled faintly. His figure flickered, appearing before the Xue Di. He waved his hand dismissively. "No need for thanks. This is merely the result of your own sufficient accumulation coming to fruition. Now that the great divine artifact is complete and you have a preliminary familiarity with controlling First-rank Divine Power, the purpose of this trip has been achieved."
His gaze swept over the ravaged ice plain below, then turned to the Xue Di. His tone became calm yet carried a hint of deeper meaning: "Since the position of the ice god has been reforged, and you have already sensed the cross-planar faith connection..."
"...In the future, the governance of the Far North Land, and indeed the vaster laws of ice and snow, shall be entrusted to you. I hope you will wield this power wisely, to protect this world, and also not forget... the call from beyond the sea of stars."
The Xue Di's expression turned solemn. She instantly grasped Lei Chen's implication. Wielding a First-level God meant her responsibilities and perspective were now different, no longer confined to a single corner of the Extreme North.
She nodded gravely. "This Xue Di understands. I will strictly fulfill my duties, not failing the trust placed in me by the Plane Master, and will also cautiously explore the source of that faith from afar."
"Very good." Lei Chen nodded in satisfaction.
This journey to the Extreme North had been immensely fruitful: assisting the Xue Di in achieving godhood, catalyzing the divine artifact's transformation, verifying his own Authority of the Thunder God, and even unexpectedly discovering the secret of cross-planar faith.
He said no more. Subtle ripples stirred in the space around him.
"With matters here concluded, I shall take my leave first. The matter of the plane's consumption still requires attention, and you also need time to stabilize your realm and familiarize yourself with your new power."
As his words fell, Lei Chen's figure quietly merged into the void, as if he had never been there.
The Xue Di stood alone atop the icy peak. Gazing in the direction where Lei Chen had vanished, feeling the surging First-rank Divine Power within her and the profound, blood-deep connection from the ice extreme divine sword in her hand, she then lifted her head to look at the seemingly boundless sky. A flicker of infinite longing and unwavering resolve for the future passed through her clear, cold eyes.
The wind and snow of the Extreme North continued as ever. But a supreme deity belonging to ice and snow had truly risen. Her gaze was no longer confined solely to this frozen world.
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