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To contend with this formidable foe, Bai Lan knew she would need to unleash her full power.

The techniques she had learned from the Luoshen Sect, while potent, were clearly insufficient for the task at hand.

Therefore, she resolved to employ the forbidden arts of the Snow Clan.

This secluded location, isolated from the outside world, ensured that no one would witness her use of these secret techniques.

However, without the legendary Snow Divine Body, she was still unable to cast certain supreme abilities.

Even so, the techniques available to her were more than enough.

“Wind and Snow Ice Armor Art,” Bai Lan declared, initiating a defensive technique unique to the Snow Clan.

As the secret art activated, a torrent of frigid energy erupted from Bai Lan’s body.

This icy mist coalesced around the crystalline scales of her armor, forming a layer of unyielding, hardened ice.

This was a closely guarded secret of the Snow Clan.

As long as cold energy pulsed within her, the ice armor would instantly repair itself, even if shattered.

Moreover, it drastically diminished the force of incoming attacks, its defensive strength directly proportional to the potency of her internal cold energy.

Given that Bai Lan’s Primordial Yin Qi far surpassed the Snow Divine Power of her clan, her ice armor promised an even greater resilience against powerful impacts.

Having bolstered her defenses, she began to weave intricate hand seals and chant an ancient incantation.

The cold energy within her body surged upwards, gathering above her head, until, at last, a magnificent ice dragon materialized.

This was the Snow Clan’s Ice Condensation Dragon Transformation Art, another of their closely guarded secrets.

Clutching the Hanpo Sword, Bai Lan leaped gracefully onto the ice dragon’s head, directing it to charge towards the Blood Flood Dragon.

The battle had begun.

In this form, Bai Lan exuded an awe-inspiring aura, akin to a goddess of war.

The ice dragon was inextricably linked to her power, destined to remain until her energy was utterly depleted.

Though she wielded these techniques for the very first time, Bai Lan felt no unfamiliarity.

Every one of them was etched into Xue Yue’s soul memories, which now resided within her.

The ice dragon, under Bai Lan’s command, let out a thunderous roar.

It opened its jaws wide, unleashing a torrent of Primordial Yin Qi directly at the Blood Flood Dragon.

The Blood Flood Dragon bellowed in response, its eyes flashing with crimson light.

It, too, spewed forth a sanguine aura, which violently collided with the ice dragon’s frigid breath.

The two opposing forces met with a deafening crash, generating a colossal vortex of wind and energy.

Yet, Bai Lan remained firmly embedded within the ice dragon, unperturbed by the concussive force.

Her layered armor and the ice plating absorbed the brunt of the shockwaves, shielding her from harm.

Following the impact, Bai Lan’s side suffered a slight disadvantage.

The Blood Flood Dragon, seizing the moment, flew forward with outstretched claws and bared fangs.

Bai Lan swiftly maneuvered the ice dragon to engage the beast.

The ice dragon clamped its jaws onto the Blood Flood Dragon’s body, eliciting a pained cry.

The Blood Flood Dragon thrashed violently, tearing free from the ice dragon’s grasp.

With a powerful swipe of its draconic claws, it carved a massive gash into the ice dragon’s body, sending countless ice crystals scattering.

However, the wound on the ice dragon’s form swiftly mended under the continuous flow of Bai Lan’s cold energy.

“Shattered Snow, Frozen Blade,” Bai Lan murmured, not idling for a moment.

She simultaneously commanded the ice dragon and unleashed her most proficient sword art, assailing the Blood Flood Dragon.

Under her precise control, a barrage of ice cones rained down, striking the Blood Flood Dragon’s body with relentless force.

Nevertheless, these attacks served primarily as a distraction, merely harassing the Blood Flood Dragon and diverting its attention.

They were insufficient to pierce its formidable defenses.

‘As expected, this creature is far more troublesome than the Golden Core demon beast from before,’ Bai Lan mused inwardly.

‘Even though it’s only at the early Golden Core stage, its defensive capabilities likely rival those of a mid-stage Golden Core beast.’

‘My combined Sun and Moon Conjunction effect can’t even wound it.’

‘Even if I froze it with Frigid Moon Divine Radiance, killing it would still be incredibly difficult.’

‘In that case, there’s only one move left.’

Slowly, she closed her eyes.

The Hanpo Sword, guided by her spiritual power, floated upward to hover above her head.

The cold energy within her body began to flow into the sword, and the power emanating from the Hanpo Sword grew increasingly volatile.

“Snow Divine Sword Art—Boundless Wind and Moon.”

As the power within the Hanpo Sword reached its apex, Bai Lan performed a decisive hand seal.

The Hanpo Sword fractured into two, then rapidly multiplied, soon exceeding a hundred blades and reaching a staggering two hundred.

‘Indeed, the power of Primordial Yin Qi allows me to manifest even more ice swords. This should be enough. Go!’

Bai Lan gripped the true Hanpo Sword.

As she swung the sword array, hundreds of ice blades, like a tempestuous whirlwind, enveloped the Blood Flood Dragon, assailing it without pause.

This onslaught proved too much for the Blood Flood Dragon.

A blood-red demonic aura billowed from its body, desperately trying to fend off the ice blades.

Bai Lan had no intention of engaging in a war of attrition with this creature.

After all, she was only at the early Foundation Establishment realm.

To engage an early Golden Core demon beast in a prolonged battle of exhaustion would be the act of a fool.

After trapping the Blood Flood Dragon with the sword array, Bai Lan soared away from the ice dragon.

Ice wings, formed on her back, propelled her into the air.

She then continued to control the ice dragon, directing it back towards the Blood Flood Dragon.

The ice dragon swiftly plunged into the sword array, tightly coiling around the Blood Flood Dragon, preventing its escape.

The Blood Flood Dragon thrashed madly, desperate to shake off the ice dragon, but the frigid energy clinging to its body was like glue, adhering ever more firmly.

The Primordial Yin Qi began to infiltrate the Blood Flood Dragon’s body, steadily eroding the defensive strength of its scales.

Now, the hundreds of ice swords could easily lacerate its flesh.

With every sweep of the ice sword storm, vast quantities of its dragon scales were torn away.

In moments, the Blood Flood Dragon’s body was a mangled mess of blood and flesh.

Unable to dislodge the ice dragon clinging to it, and powerless to defend against the relentless assault, it was left with only one final resort.

The Blood Flood Dragon opened its maw, and a blood-red orb flew forth.

This was the Blood Flood Dragon’s demon core, the equivalent of a human cultivator’s Golden Core.

Normally, a demon beast would never expel its demon core, as it was incredibly fragile.

They would only do so in moments of extreme peril, intending to unleash its full power.

Whether human or demon, activating the power of a Golden Core or demon core would drastically boost one’s strength for a short period.

Bai Lan knew that a demon beast would resort to using its demon core as a last-ditch effort.

Would she allow it to succeed?

Clearly not.

Bai Lan had been waiting for precisely this moment.

“Heh, so you’ve finally resorted to your inner core,” Bai Lan exhaled, a sense of relief washing over her.

She then revealed her Moon Goddess Physique and unleashed the Frigid Moon Divine Radiance.

Even a Golden Core realm cultivator would be frozen for several seconds by the activation of the Frigid Moon Divine Radiance.

The Blood Flood Dragon, utterly incapable of resisting, instantly transformed into a frozen draconic sculpture.

Its demon core was also frozen solid, rendered unusable.

In that same instant, Bai Lan transformed into a streak of sword light, piercing through the ice and flashing past the Blood Flood Dragon’s demon core.

The demon core was inherently fragile, easily shattered even by a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.

Moreover, Bai Lan’s combat prowess, enhanced by various powers, was more than enough to transcend the Foundation Establishment realm.

The Blood Flood Dragon’s demon core exploded moments later, its life extinguished.

It shattered into countless ice crystals, vanishing from existence.

“Congratulations, Challenger Bai Lan, for successfully clearing the Heaven-Piercing Tower and unlocking the second level of the Void Heaven Realm.”

“Reward: 10,000 trial points,” the Void Heaven Realm’s consciousness announced.

The challengers on the first level were slightly astonished to hear that Bai Lan had cleared the Heaven-Piercing Tower.

Even many mid-to-high-tier prodigies struggled to pass it in one go.

Only the exceptional talents from major powers, utilizing various realm-transcending methods, or those possessing extraordinary innate talent, could hope to succeed.

“It’s that Bai Lan again!”

“She actually cleared the Heaven-Piercing Tower.”

“Sigh! In the outside world, I’m considered a genius, but here in the Void Heaven Realm, geniuses are clearly tiered,” some ordinary challengers lamented.

“Congratulations, Challenger Long Lingyu, for successfully clearing the Heaven-Piercing Tower…” Not long after Bai Lan, Long Lingyu also passed.

After clearing the tower, she was enveloped by a golden light descending from the heavens, then swiftly teleported to the second level of the Void Heaven Realm.