The Ice Flame Gauntlet

The words that spilled from Lin Mo’s lips, like poisoned icicles, precisely and unerringly pierced through the last vestiges of Qiu Yue’s crumbling fantasy.

Every syllable resonated with terrifying clarity, devoid of furious roars or trembling fear, carrying only a pure, undeniable negation that seeped into her very bones.

For Qiu Yue, who stood atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, having just secured her ‘victory’ through inhumane means, this was the heaviest burden she could bear.

The twisted, almost demonic smile on Qiu Yue’s face, as if welcoming her beloved home, instantly froze, then shattered and crumbled.

Though only a month had passed, why… why was everything so different?

Qiu Yue simply could not comprehend it.

Lin Mo’s face bore neither anger nor fear; he stood before her like a meticulously carved, lifelike statue.

He was still as handsome, as captivating as ever.

‘The love has vanished.’

‘No, I just need to reshape it properly.’

‘Love must be generated, it must be created.’

Her empty, cerulean pupils contracted violently, the turmoil surging from the depths of her abyss consuming all other madness.

‘They stole my Lin Mo, so I just need to get him back.’

‘Don’t waver, Qiu Yue.’

‘Don’t waver!’

‘Everything they say is merely to distract you!’

‘Lin Mo still loves me; he’s just been led astray by those people.’

‘As long as he returns to my side, Lin Mo will become anything I desire.’

‘What is love?’

‘Love is hatred.’

‘Love is fear.’

‘Love is dread.’

‘Love is control.’

‘Love is possession.’

‘As long as I possess power, I will have everything.’

‘I was taught this from a young age.’

‘This path cannot be wrong.’

In that instant, a sharp, bestial roar tore through the background noise of the erupting lava.

Gone were the previous saccharine tones or mocking jeers; only the pure, uncontrolled snarl of a wild beast remained.

The newborn bloodline trembled violently with extreme fury, and the terrifying pressure of her Foundation Establishment stage, surging with chaotic Source Energy, erupted with a deafening roar, cracking and sinking the already scorched permafrost beneath her feet anew!

There was no strategy, no probing.

Qiu Yue, like an unleashed beast, surged forward, cloaked in a potent aura of gore and savagery—a crimson lightning bolt hurtling towards Lin Mo!

Her right arm, formed from the congealed blood of her fellow disciples, instantly swelled and mutated.

Countless scarlet threads writhed and coiled beneath her skin like living things, transforming her entire arm into a monstrous, twisted, blood-dripping blade of gore.

It descended with a chilling rush of air, poised to cleave him in two!

The air in the chamber shrieked, torn apart as the blade plunged down!

The very air was rent, leaving behind a dark crimson trail and emitting a wail like that of a thousand ghosts.

The sheer might of its eruption, the ferocity of its energy, and the destructive aura it harbored far surpassed any strike she had previously unleashed upon Ji Xue!

When this power violently burst forth, even the Myriad Manifestation Secret Realm, constructed by fundamental rules, seemed to groan under the unbearable strain.

The earth trembled wildly as if boiling, and the very sky appeared to rip open with countless dark fissures!

The distinct characteristics of the Molten Fire Domain were utterly disrupted and shattered by the sheer, brute force of this impact!

Amidst the earth-shattering tremors, what erupted was no longer sporadic pillars of molten rock, but torrents of lava carrying countless massive, twisted, burning soul fragments, as if a gaping maw had opened to hell itself!

Even the souls that had been utterly consumed by the Molten Fire Domain were forcibly reversed by this power, dragged back from the depths of hell.

The ground ripped open, and pillars of black flame shot skyward, piercing the heavens like desperate roars of defiance.

Torrents of magma, imbued with the aura of death, soared aloft, exploding and shattering in quick succession high above!

The ferocious might of this strike, transmitted clearly through the projection to those outside the arena, sent tremors through the hearts of all spectators, many of whom gasped in stunned awe.

The higher-ups of the Xuan Nv Sect, moreover, watched with their hearts pounding in terror!

“Golden Core power… and certainly not merely early-stage!” Grand Elder Qing You exclaimed, a look of profound worry instantly clouding her face.

“Furthermore… this is the Molten Fire region, which counters her element, yet she still possesses at least mid-stage Golden Core power. If this were any other area…” an elder trailed off, their voice fading into silence.

Everyone present knew full well that this Molten Fire region was precisely Lin Mo’s domain of stillness.

‘How could he possibly withstand such an attack?’

‘How could a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner possibly block an attack comparable to a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator?’

A pall of absolute silence immediately descended.

Even the Empress, seated regally on her throne, now wore a slightly dazed expression.

She had always known that the Qiu family’s eldest legitimate daughter possessed extraordinary talent, but she had never anticipated such a terrifying extent.

It seemed… Lin Wan’er of the Xuan Nv Sect was doomed to lose.

Meanwhile, every member of the Qiu family wore a smile of profound satisfaction.

Truly worthy of a future family head; to possess such strength at such a young age was nothing short of astonishing!

They would be unstoppable in the future!

In that moment, everyone was convinced that Lin Mo was destined for defeat.

Even Lin Ruoli, watching from the viewing platform, now had a face etched with worry, her gaze fixed anxiously upon the projection.

The worry and terror in her eyes were utterly unconcealed.

She almost clapped a hand over her mouth and nose, unable to bear watching any longer.

This once fearless legend, for the first time, closed her eyes in fear, silently praying to every deity she knew.

Mu Qingli, too, clutched her sleeves tightly, her delicate lips bitten taut.

Within the Secret Realm.

Lin Mo’s eyes held no fear, only an ultimate, serene focus.

Just as the blood-blade was about to descend upon him, Lin Mo moved.

He neither dodged nor attempted to forcefully block.

He simply raised his left hand, a movement that appeared slow yet was completed in an instant.

With his palm facing upwards, a peculiar substance quietly materialized.

It was neither pure flame nor solid ice.

Instead, it manifested as a flowing, translucent crimson hue, like a solidified sunset, yet seemingly ablaze.

It resembled fire, yet also seemed like shimmering Profound Ice.

The crimson aura rapidly expanded and solidified, yet it did not form a defensive weapon out of thin air, neither a shield nor a barrier.

Instead, it adhered to Lin Mo’s hand and even his entire arm.

It was… a gauntlet?!

Outside the Secret Realm, the spectators who witnessed this scene—from ordinary disciples to venerable family elders—were all profoundly shaken, utterly speechless with shock!

Could Lin Wan’er be so utterly arrogant… as to attempt to confront that world-ending strike, already possessing mid-stage Golden Core power, with merely a single spirit-powered gauntlet arm?!

Madness… this was sheer, suicidal insanity!

Such unimaginable madness plunged everyone into an icy abyss, sending shivers down their spines!

Gasps of disbelief instantly rippled through the crowd, and a wave of exclamations and questions swept across the entire viewing platform in a flash!

Even the Xuan Nv Sect’s higher-ups, and indeed Xian Chengyue, renowned for her composure, were utterly captivated by this illogical decision, their eyes reflecting only the tumultuous waves of shock.

Only the Qiu family members scoffed with disdain.

“I believe this girl has lost her mind. How could she possibly attempt to parry Young Lady Qiu’s strike with a single hand?”

After all, Young Lady Qiu’s abilities defied common sense, so a passive response wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Besides, one couldn’t truly die in this Secret Realm, so she was probably just trying her luck.

The Qiu family members collectively displayed expressions of disdain and contempt.

They had initially thought that Lin Mo, who had been slow to appear, might have some brilliant move, but they never expected such a foolish tactic to be displayed openly before everyone.

From the projection, the gauntlet merely appeared aesthetically unique; its surface, though not smooth, bore countless intricate and enigmatic frost-flower patterns naturally formed upon it, with magnificent currents of fiery color surging within the depths of these grooves.

But what good could that possibly do?

What purpose could these extra patterns serve?

Yet, no one could have predicted what happened next!

Lin Mo’s eyes narrowed, and the Profound Yin Qi, personally refined by Mu Qingli within his dantian, burst forth, bone-chillingly cold!

The colossal blood-blade, carrying the power to cleave mountains and shatter peaks, descended!

The Ice Flame Gauntlet fearlessly met it!

The earth-shattering explosion everyone anticipated did not occur!

Instead, only silent electric arcs violently sparked where blade met gauntlet!

Before the sparks could even fully erupt, they were frozen by the Profound Yin cold qi, transforming into tiny, glittering ice crystals!

Immediately after, a scene that defied all understanding unfolded before their very eyes!

Lin Mo’s wrist twisted with a peculiar, almost illogical arc, and with a pull—the terrifying blood-blade, capable of annihilating late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, suddenly bent its edge as if an unseen giant hand had diverted a surging torrent!

Its lethal trajectory was forcibly altered!

The berserk blade qi roared past Lin Mo’s side, slamming into the earth with devastating force!

“BOOM—RUMBLE!!!”

A terrifying, bottomless chasm, its edges flowing with molten lava, instantly stretched for dozens of meters!

Turbulent, searing lava, mixed with pulverized earth and stone, surged skyward like a fountain, carrying destructive power!

Crimson pillars of fire shot straight into the heavens, illuminating the already dim Secret Realm sky as if it were a purgatorial sea of blood.

The air, superheated, warped and blurred, emitting a piercing shriek.

Yet, this world-ending spectacle seemed to be forcibly separated by an invisible boundary mere inches from Lin Mo!

Lin Mo remained standing precisely where he was!

Only the earth beside him bore the full brunt of that terrifying power!

Outside the Secret Realm, silence!

Absolute silence!

Time seemed to freeze.

All who witnessed this scene—from the Xuan Nv Sect’s high-ranking disciples to the Qiu family’s formidable experts, and even Ji Fengyi, seated upon the high platform—lost the ability to speak, their minds filled only with a storm of horror potent enough to scorch away all reason!

“What… what was that?!” Grand Elder Qing You’s choked scream tore through the suffocating silence.

Her voice, sharp and high-pitched, was laced with an undeniable tremor of disbelief.

Her gaze was fixed intently on Lin Mo’s left hand, enveloped in a crimson aura within the projection—or more precisely, on the gauntlet forged by that hand, shimmering with ice flame patterns!

Everything that had transpired in that fleeting, lightning-fast moment had completely overturned centuries of her cultivation knowledge!

Block head-on?

No!

Everyone had clearly seen it: Lin Mo’s hand, adorned with the crimson light gauntlet, had not blocked directly.

Instead, at the very instant it met the blood-blade, he had used an almost illogical, ingenious technique, subtly—one might even say ineffably—bending the lethal arc that should have continued its unstoppable descent.

With a precise pull, the terrifying blood-blade, capable of annihilating late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, had its edge suddenly diverted as if an unseen giant hand had bent a surging torrent!

Its lethal trajectory was forcibly altered!

The berserk blade qi roared past Lin Mo’s side, slamming into the earth with devastating force!

The disdainful smile on her face had long since frozen into a stony mask of astonishment, her eyes wide, as if threatening to pop from their sockets.

“This is impossible! How could a mere early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator so effortlessly deflect Young Lady Qiu’s strike?! How much power would that require?”

Her voice was hoarse, a clear indication that Lin Mo’s actions had utterly shattered her understanding.

The triumphant smiles that had graced the faces of the Qiu family elders were now gone!

Not vanished, but rather, they had transferred entirely to the Xuan Nv Sect’s side!

Zhao Qiubai, meanwhile, found her mouth dry, her trembling fingers letting her teacup slip, shattering on the floor.

“This, what kind of cultivation art is this? Is that gauntlet some kind of rare treasure? Junior Nephew! When did you acquire such a precious item? To redirect Dao power, to neutralize killing intent. This is no ordinary skill!”

Even in Xian Chengyue’s usually placid eyes, a mix of shock and wild elation was undeniable!

As the Pavilion Master of the Scripture Pavilion, she had witnessed and cultivated countless wondrous and esoteric arts; it was safe to say no one in the world understood cultivation techniques better than she did!

Yet, the technique Lin Mo displayed fell completely outside the scope of her understanding!

Mu Qingli felt as though an invisible hand had tightly clutched her heart, only to suddenly release it, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Lin Ruoli, at this moment, felt tears stream uncontrollably down her translucent cheeks.

These were not tears of sorrow, but of extreme excitement and… pride!

The Empress, seated regally behind her pearl curtain, her gaze suddenly sharpened, as if she had discovered a priceless treasure!

But the treasure was not the gauntlet; it was Lin Mo himself!

That gauntlet was merely an artifact constructed from pure spiritual energy, meaning Lin Mo had deflected that terrifying attack relying solely on his own abilities!

A ripple of understanding spread through her heart!

No wonder her daughter, though she said nothing, had revealed everything through her gaze at Lin Mo before the match even began.

She had initially thought her daughter was simply too kind, unwilling to see a hard-won friend perish, but she had never expected… such a profound technique!

For the first time, she truly placed the name Lin Wan’er in a position deserving of the highest attention.

The one who felt the most direct and intense impact, however, was Qiu Yue herself!

Her pupils trembled violently, her gaze locked immovably onto Lin Mo’s arm, covered by the crimson ice flame gauntlet.

‘What was that?!!!’

‘What in the blazes was that thing?!’

‘Her most confident attack… it had… gone astray?’

Trembling gradually faded from her face, replaced for the first time by sheer terror and bewilderment on her usually composed features.

‘But Lin Mo remained silent, charging forward and instantly seizing Qiu Yue by the throat.’

He tightened his fingers, immense power imbued with bone-deep hatred, threatening to crush her windpipe directly!

“Ugh—!” The suffocating agony forced Qiu Yue to tilt her head back, only to see the bone-chilling white mist surging around Lin Mo rapidly condense and materialize like a living entity—in an instant, it draped itself over his entire body, as if he had plucked the evening glow from the sky and donned it as a cloak!

His fist tightened further, and the frost accumulating on his hand burned like flames, dancing upon his knuckles with a sound like tinkling wind chimes.

He slammed his fist down!

Blood splattered!