Sage Monarch

Swish!

The ice sword's final attack slashed through the air toward what was now two Cosmic Sunflare Sword nascent divinities. To the ice sword, the might of the godmammoth was so intense that it was almost impossible to bear.

However, because of the increasing levels of power emanating from the two nascent divinities, the sword could also tell that, because of the apex cold wave, its enemy, the human up above on ground level, had succeeded in tempering his own sword energy.

Although it was both confused and enraged, it couldn't help but wonder who exactly this person was. How could his true energy be so strong? He hadn't run low on energy even after three days and three nights of continuous effort, something only Legendaries should be able to do.

As the vibrations of the final sword technique rolled out, the apex cold wave seemed to surge to life again within the layers of ice. Then, a voice could be heard, a voice which seemed to come from the awakening of an ancient soul.

"Ice-soul of antiquity…."

As the soul awoke within the sword energy, countless soul-like apparitions appeared within the layers of ice, which then rushed toward Yang Qi's two streams of sword energy, where they then exploded.

Boom. Boom. Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!

Explosions rippled out through the depths of the spring, and frigid energy erupted out into the air above, spreading out to obscure the sun. The entire island of peach blossoms was covered with an icy cloud, after which, snow began to fall.

This was the ultimate expression of frigid yin energy.

Yang Qi didn't seem affected by it at all, though. In fact, he simply poured more true energy into the depths of the spring.

"Scorching hot godmammoth; eliminate these soul apparitions!"

The two manifestations of Humanoid True Energy grew larger and larger, until they glowed with godly light as they fought back against the incoming attack. Meanwhile, the godmammoth wrapped its trunk around the weakened ice dragon sword, and then began to drag it upward.

Before long, more frigid energy rippled out of the spring as a dark green sword appeared, which was slowly pulled up like a fish on a hook.

Yang Qi reached out, grabbed the sword and waved it through the air. Flames surged, creating fiery clouds that filled the sky, driving away the ice clouds, and evaporating all of the snowflakes. Within moments, it was a clear day again.

'What an incredible divine sword!' As he held the sword, pulses of frigid energy surged through his meridians toward his dantian region. At the same time, layers of frost began to build up on his skin. An ordinary Lifeseizer who experienced something like this would be frozen and turned into a zombie. But all Yang Qi had to do was shiver, and the frost shattered and turned into steam.

The scorching hot true energy of the Cosmic Sunflare Sword then entered the ice sword, subduing the frigid energy, and causing complex, golden designs to appear on its surface.

Furthermore, characters written in ancient-style script became visible, which read: Ice-Soul God-Sword.

Clearly, this was the sword's name.

It was impossible to determine what material it was made from, but clearly, the power of a lunar corona had been part of its forging. When its frigid energy encountered the scorching hot energy of the Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique, the two were originally completely incompatible. However, with the help of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, the two of them were combined into the supreme, ultimate balance of yin and yang.

The three days and three nights of battle had caused the fundamental nature of the Ice-Soul God-Sword to emerge. And as Yang Qi poured more true energy into the sword, he slowly but surely subjugated it.

It was a powerful sword, on the same level as a Nonary Lifeseizer, and covered with complex patterns that were none other than the manifestation of internal meridians. Clearly, this sword had its own sea of energy, although, at the moment, it was completely empty.

After completely suppressing it, Yang Qi flicked his finger, sending a drop of life force springwater into the Ice-Soul God-Sword. Instantly, the sword began to shine, and at the same time, emit such powerful frigid energy that the island and even the surrounding water began to freeze over. Of course, Yang Qi could already control the sword in its entirety, even including such effects.

Without any hesitation, he swept the sword through the air toward the sea water.

Swish!

A blast of frigid energy erupted out, and when it hit the water, it created a pathway of ice dozens of kilometers long.

'Such incredible power!' Yang Qi waved his hand, and the Ice-Soul God-Sword swept nimbly through the air, becoming an ice dragon surrounded by powerful frigid energy.

'Awesome! However, now I need to temper the sword even more, to make sure that it perfectly coordinates with the Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique.' He waved his finger, and a fire dragon appeared, which swirled out to meet the ice dragon. The two of them intertwined, making an S shape in the middle, and a circle without. Ice and fire together created a perfect .

With that, he went about refining his sword technique.

The Ice-Soul God-Sword was powerful enough to temper the Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique, and vice versa. The combination of yin and yang together allowed his sword technique to advance by leaps and bounds.

With the combination of these two, it seemed highly likely he could dominate the Inter-Institutional Martial Arts Competition. After all, he wouldn't need to fear anyone under the Legendary level.

And he would have no need to conceal the fact that he had acquired the Ice-Soul God-Sword and used it to his advantage.

As he grew more familiar with the combination, it became easier and easier to control the sword. After all, although it had a spirit of its own, it hadn't reached the point of being able to take human form. And thanks to the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, he was able to take what did exist of its spirit and make it a part of his own soul. As of now, the sword was like an extension of himself, and he could completely control its frigid energy.

The sword had been originally forged from some jade-like stone, refined numerous times, and had then experienced cold waves for countless years. It was almost impossible to quantify how much Yang Qi would benefit from it.

For instance, the fact that it had its own sea of energy made it almost like a Nonary Lifeseizer at his side, protecting him.

As he continued to refine the sword and train with it, the sun rose and fell, and the tide came in and out. Meanwhile, the flame spark within his dantian region began to shine more brightly, until it was ten times as powerful as before. Instead of a spark, it was more like a lamp. Furthermore, within the light that shone out from it could be seen all sorts of flame palaces, flame pagodas, and even flame immortals.

There were few people in Yang Qi's cultivation level who had ever pushed the Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique to this level. Perhaps none.

After another three days and three nights passed, Yang Qi was pleased with his level of control over the new sword technique. Furthermore, he was so stabilized within Quinary Lifeseizing that he was fairly certain it wouldn't be much longer before he reached Senary Lifeseizing.

His five most powerful abilities, the Fiend-Devil Wings, Infernal Deity Spear, Infernal Deity Plate Armor, Hellfire Crucible and God-Devil Seal were now easier than ever to use. Even more noteworthy, he could use his God-Devil Seal to almost instantly mask his energy, blood, and true energy vestiges, sucking them into a tiny, imperceptible particle in his dantian region.

When he did that, he would seem like nothing more than a brand new Lifeseizer, weak and powerless. Not even people like the Patriarchs Wind and Cloud would be able to see through the illusion.

Godly-class energy arts truly came into their own during Quinary Lifeseizing, and began to develop aspects that ordinary humans couldn't comprehend. After all, most Legendaries cultivated imperial-class energy arts, with only a few having saintly- or heavenly-class arts.

Truth be told, no one in the Rich-Lush Continent currently had a heavenly-class energy art, much less a godly-class art. Even the chancellor of the Demi-Immortal Institute only had a saintly-class art, namely the Demi-Immortal Sage Magic.

In total, Yang Qi had just spent six days and six nights on the island. The first half had been spent fighting the Ice-Soul God-Sword, and the last half had been devoted to training with the new sword energy, and working on his cultivation.

However, for all he knew, those six days and six nights might as well have been sixty years. He lost track of the passage of day and night and focused completely on his work, using life force springwater to replenish himself whenever necessary. Although he remained at the level of ninety-nine ancient megamammoths, his command of his current powers significantly improved, and he gained incredible insight into the vital energy of heaven and earth, the great sun out in the void, and how fire and ice were like yin and yang.

As the dawn sun warmed Yang Qi's face, he bathed in the spring water, changed into a fresh set of clothing, and then prepared to return to the institute.

Now that the Ice-Soul God-Sword had been removed from the spring, its waters were slowly drying up. Apparently, without the sword, the spring was little more than ordinary in nature. Likely, it would only take a few dozen years for any remaining spirit energy inside to vanish completely.

'It's too bad. I guess these peach trees will probably wither up as well.' Yang Qi sighed.

Without the precious treasure of the Ice-Soul God-Sword, this island would soon lose all of its miraculous qualities.

Just when he was about to leave, he suddenly heard some loud whooshing noises from off in the distance; a powerful energy arts expert was coming. And not just one. Soon, he saw a whole group heading over, all of them with powerful cultivation bases.

'Who are these people? And why are they coming to this island?'

Acting quickly, he activated his defensive true energy, and then slowly sank into the waters surrounding the island. He also sent some true energy into the island itself so that he could observe what happened there.

Powerful winds buffeted the island, and the ground trembled. Some of the trees were even uprooting, causing green sap to stain the ground.

First to land was an old man in white garments, who emanated a powerful frigid energy. He seemed righteous, but not righteous, evil, but not evil. Even more telling, he landed right in the middle of the island, in front of the mouth of the spring.

Moments later, seven other powerful individuals landed behind him, clad in armor. From the feathers which adorned their heads, it was obvious that they were not from a righteous organization. They were obviously from one of the strange nations that existed on the ocean surface.

The old man walked up to the spring, looked in, then shouted, "What?! Someone looted my spirit spring!? The spirit energy is gone, and the Ice-Soul God-Sword was taken away?!"