Long Chen was startled. The oppressive force within this glacier world was overwhelming, yet the Divine Sovereign realm expert hadn't given any prior warning.
Long Chen had Huo Ling'er's strength to support him. Huo Ling'er herself possessed the power of the Ice Soul, and the pressure of the Ice Soul Divine Flame posed no harm to him.
But for other powerful beings, it was extremely deadly. Their protective divine light was crushed in an instant, and in the face of the oppressive Ice Soul Divine Flame, they appeared so weak.
"No..."
Some people frantically resisted the pressure of the Ice Soul Divine Flame, but in despair, they discovered that the flame domain they had opened was also ignited, and within a single breath, it couldn't hold on and exploded with a thunderous crash.
Within the Glacier World, it became a living hell, with disciples of the Sacred Pill Hall shattering one after another, turning into blazing ice fragments.
Some began calling for help from the powerful beings outside the barrier, while others realized it was a trap and desperately charged outward.
"The path of the strong is paved with flesh and bones. Once the grand formation is activated, there is no return—no one can save you.
If you want to survive, you must move forward. If you can't even withstand the will of the Ice Soul, you are not qualified to become followers of Lord Brahma. "Outside the barrier, the Divine Sovereign realm expert spoke coldly.
While that person was speaking, millions more powerful beings exploded, turning into raging flames. Forty million warriors, in just a few breaths, ten million vanished, leaving only thirty million.
When these powerful beings die, their bodies are crushed into ice fragments and begin to burn fiercely. As they burn, others seem to feel much less stressed.
"Everyone, stay calm, don't panic, focus your mind, suppress your inner fears. Their deaths have bought us time, so don't waste it." A Supreme-level prodigy shouted loudly.
It was a burly man, with fiery red hair standing on end, like an angry lion.
With his sharp shout, countless people calmed down, suppressing their fears and beginning to confront the oppressive power of the Ice Soul Divine Flame.
As their fear faded, they realized they could slowly adapt to the terrifying pressure, and for a moment, they were overjoyed.
However, as the corpses of those dead disciples burned away, the pressure of the Ice Soul Divine Flame grew stronger once again. Only then did people understand what the Supreme-level elder meant.
This is clearly a test of survival of the fittest. When the weak die, their bodies burn, giving the strong a chance to catch their breath.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
someone had already begun rushing forward along the mountains and rivers. These powerful figures were all supreme-level prodigies, and they seemed to understand something.
As they moved, the others also accelerated forward. They understood that if they wanted to survive, they had to keep charging forward—there was no way out.
They didn't know what kind of test this was, but they knew that none of them would die; as long as they were strong enough, they could survive.
And a strong enough manifestation means charging toward the glacier's summit, where the true body of the Ice Soul Divine Flame is sealed. Only by getting close enough can one prove their strength.
Watching countless people grit their teeth and flee wildly, a cold glint flashed deep in Long Chen's eyes. He understood the intention behind the Sacred Pill Hall.
This grand array has a strange ability: if a strong person dies here, it dilutes part of the power of the Ice Soul Divine Flame. The diluted power is sealed by the formation and does not dissipate, eventually being absorbed by the living experts here.
Long Chen didn't understand formations, but through Huo Ling'er, he could sense everything here.
The experts here are all fire-attribute experts. After death, their contribution is specifically to counter the Ice Soul Divine Flame. The Ice Soul Divine Flame is sealed and powerless to resist. Long Chen could even feel the fury of the Ice Soul Divine Flame within the mountains and rivers.
"Ruthless!"
Long Chen snorted coldly and followed the crowd's lead, rushing toward the glacier's peak. The higher one climbed, the stronger the pressure of the Ice Soul Divine Flame became, as if an invisible world was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.
But as people kept dying and flames kept rising, the pressure fluctuated, and for true strongmen, it didn't pose a fatal threat.
Glaciers span hundreds of thousands of li. Under normal circumstances, crossing them would be a piece of cake for these powerful beings.
But now, under the pressure of the ice soul, people struggled to move, their bodies wrapped in flames. Yet the bone-chilling cold could penetrate their souls. Countless powerful beings' soul power was weak, and their heads exploded instantly, killing them on the spot.
"No... I don't want to die... Some
people broke down, watching those around them die one by one, while the peak of the glacier seemed out of reach. That feeling was utterly hopeless.
From departure until now, only the time it takes to burn an incense stick has passed. Thirty million people, then ten million, have turned to ashes. Advancing, the future is hopeless; retreating, the retreat is cut off. They can only perish in unwilling howls.
Meanwhile, the powerful figures outside the barrier watched this scene without a trace of pity, simply watching quietly.
"Huo Ling'er, can you communicate with it?" Long Chen asked.
"Not yet. I can clearly sense it and have sent it divine thoughts, but it ignores me." Huo Ling'er said.
"This is trouble. Just now I could feel its anger, but now its will is weakening and weaker. It's probably already exhausted and can't hold on much longer." Long Chen was a bit worried.
Long Chen glanced around. This couldn't go on. The flames burned by these people after death would continuously dilute the power of the Ice Soul Divine Flame, so he had to obtain it first.
Long Chen suddenly gritted his teeth, thunder wings appearing behind him, and in an instant, he shot away like a bolt of lightning.
"What?"
As soon as Long Chen exerted his strength, he immediately stepped ahead, charging ahead and speeding toward the mountaintop, causing countless people to shout in surprise.
"Want to get the Ice Soul Divine Flame first?" Dream on! As
Long Chen exerted his power, the man with fiery red hair formed hand seals, the void trembled, and a deafening roar echoed. A flaming qilin appeared, riding it and charging toward the glacier, closely following Long Chen.
"Ancient Fire Qilin?"
Long Chen was startled. The qilin was not a flame spirit beast, but an ancient divine beast. He hadn't expected that this red-haired man actually possessed a life-bound divine beast. The creature summoned inside the barrier must be a life-bound divine beast.
The Fire Qilin flew with its four hooves like lightning, closely chasing Long Chen. At this moment, the other Supreme-level prodigies roared in anger. Some summoned fiery wings, others stepped on flying swords, and those without special abilities swung their legs like wheels, their speed pushed to the limit.
Hundreds of Supreme-level experts sprinted wildly, heading straight for the mountain peaks. At this moment, they were all fighting for their lives.
Long Chen hadn't expected the Flame Qilin to be incredibly fast; in just a few breaths, it had caught up behind him.
"Damn it, forget it."
Long Chen suddenly shouted, thunder erupting around him, transforming into a thunder falcon that instantly left the Fire Qilin far behind.
The moment Long Chen transformed into a thunder falcon, the expressions of those outside the barrier changed. The Divine Venerable realm expert shouted:
"Kill him quickly, he's not one of our Saint Dan Hall."