As the snowflakes fell, the air suddenly grew bitterly cold, and the surrounding trees were coated in frost.
As Shui Wuhen advanced, a series of Spirit Rings gradually appeared beneath his feet.
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black!
These were not the true colors of Shui Wuhen's Spirit Rings, yet the mere number—six—was enough to shock the pale young man.
Seeing the rings beneath Shui Wuhen's feet, the pale youth's mouth fell open in disbelief: "You… you're a Spirit Emperor?!"
A Spirit Emperor—such a rank was an absolute powerhouse across the entire continent. Even with forbidden techniques, most could only reach this stage in their thirties.
Yet Shui Wuhen, a mere sixteen-year-old boy, had already broken through to Spirit Emperor. The level of genius required to achieve this was almost unimaginable.
The pale youth quickly regained his composure and snorted coldly: "So what if you're a Spirit Emperor? I'm a Level 79 Spirit Saint. Your fate will not change one bit!"
With that, black smoke rapidly spread from the pale youth's body, attempting to turn everything around him into his domain.
"How is this possible?"
In the next moment, his expression changed. His domain couldn't expand.
Then, his gaze darted around the white-transformed world surrounding him, pupils trembling: "This snow… is a domain?!"
Indeed, this snow was the domain of Articuno. Shui Wuhen called it Snow Scene!
Within the Snow Scene Domain, attacks from Shui Wuhen and Articuno were boosted by 50%, defense increased by 50%, while enemies suffered a reduction in various abilities due to the extreme cold.
Whoosh~
At this moment, icy wings spread from Shui Wuhen's back, and the third Spirit Ring began to glow.
"Not a chance!"
Seeing this, the pale youth immediately unleashed a Spirit Skill to attack Shui Wuhen.
Having watched Shui Wuhen's battle with Thunder Academy, he knew that the boy had a powerful close-combat self-created Spirit Skill. He could not let Shui Wuhen unleash it so easily.
"Kehehehe!!!"
Beside the pale youth, a gigantic black skull spewed black-red flames, the immense fire seemingly aiming to engulf Shui Wuhen entirely.
"Ugh!!!"
At this moment, Articuno above Qing Mu's head glinted with icy light and spread its wings.
An endless cold wind mixed with snow radiated outward from it, instantly pushing back the black-red flames and even dispersing them entirely.
"What?!"
The pale youth was stunned. What the hell was this bird? It had previously frozen his skull, and now it was outright countering his flames.
But now he had no time to deal with Articuno. Shui Wuhen's figure had already vanished from his original position, reappearing before him.
Ice Slash: Instant Nine-Slash!
In an instant, nine brilliant slashes emerged, striking from nine directions toward the pale youth.
"No!"
The next moment, the pale youth felt a bone-chilling cold surge from his feet to his crown. He sensed the threat of death in this attack!
The pale youth's fifth Spirit Ring glowed, his eyes turning into skulls, and two crimson beams shot from his sockets.
This attack was not for defense—it was aimed at striking Shui Wuhen.
If Shui Wuhen didn't dodge, even if he survived the blow, he would die alongside Shui Wuhen.
As a Fallen, the pale youth had endured countless brutal battles. His experience and courage far surpassed that of a mere Ivory Tower student like Shui Wuhen.
He had slain many geniuses before and was confident that, under such an exchange, Shui Wuhen would hesitate to risk mutual destruction, allowing him to seize the opportunity for a counterkill.
Yet, as the nine serene and dazzling slashes drew near, the pale youth's calm began to falter.
He truly had encountered a reckless youth—a sixteen-year-old Spirit Emperor with limitless potential—willing to fight to the death!
Just before the slashes struck, the pale youth recoiled. His flesh and blood shriveled, and he retreated almost instantaneously.
Even so, Shui Wuhen's Ice Slash still hit him.
Plop~
A bloodless arm fell to the ground. Eight frost marks cut through most of his body, revealing glimpses of skeletal white beneath the ice.
Yet the pale youth, upon surviving, did not check his injuries. His eyes were fixed on Shui Wuhen.
Since the boy had chosen to exchange injury for injury, he must be dead, right?
But was he?
A faint blue barrier now shimmered around Shui Wuhen, and even the pale youth's fifth Spirit Skill could not disturb it in the slightest.
This was Shui Wuhen's fifth Spirit Skill—Guard!
Created from an Articuno over twenty thousand years old, at Shui Wuhen's current level, it could withstand the lethal strikes of a Title Douluo.
Moments later, the pale blue shield faded. Shui Wuhen glanced at the severely wounded pale youth, eyes narrowing slightly: "Not dead?"
Ice Slash: Instant Nine-Slash was currently his most powerful burst technique. As a Spirit King, he had once killed a near-thirty-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast in a single strike.
Now, as a Spirit Emperor in the Snow Scene Domain, even a fifty-thousand-year-old Spirit Beast would be severely injured by this attack.
Human bodies are far weaker than Spirit Beasts. Shui Wuhen expected this strike to be lethal.
What he hadn't anticipated was that the Fallen could move almost at the speed of instant teleportation. No wonder Shui Yue and Huo Wushuang, even together, had failed to catch him.
"You dare hurt me this much, kid! You! Shall! Die!!"
Seeing Shui Wuhen unharmed despite his grievous injuries, the pale youth's defenses broke.
He had lost an arm and was badly wounded, yet Shui Wuhen was completely unscathed—how dare the boy?!
Next, the pale youth unleashed everything. All seven Spirit Rings lit up simultaneously.
Black mist engulfed his body completely, turning him into a skeletal form, black-red flames dancing in his skull.
This was his Spirit's true form—Skeleton True Form!
Shui Wuhen's eyes narrowed.
Not finishing off the pale youth had consequences. With the Spirit True Form revealed, the next phase of the battle would be troublesome.