Chapter 78: A Duel of Ice and Fire

As the laughter faded, the Demon Star slammed his palm down, unleashing a torrent of resplendent golden flames. Like a raging flood, the fire surged through the domain, encircling it as though intent on burning a crystal sphere.

Within that domain, the Phoenix Truefire’s blaze twisted the very air, the space itself seeming to warp under the intolerable heat. Yet if one looked closely at the ground, a layer of blue crystalline ice formed a protective barrier, shimmering with runes that flowed across its surface. These runes, arranged in a formation, released an overwhelming chill that withstood the assault of the Phoenix flames, preventing them from invading the inner sanctum.

Inside the barrier, Blue Lotus Frost sat cross-legged, her steady gaze unwavering. Her hands pressed against Jiang Xiaofei's back, channeling a vast reservoir of magical power through her palms and into his body, aiding him in suppressing the fiery poison within.

Suddenly, Jiang Xiaofei’s face flushed crimson and he spat a mouthful of fresh blood, unable to bear the excruciating pain of the poison’s eruption.

Blue Lotus Frost frowned slightly. “If you can’t hold on, say the word and I’ll stop. Don’t force yourself.”

“I won’t die. Let it come,” Jiang Xiaofei gritted out, his eyes fierce with resolve.

“Very well,” Blue Lotus Frost nodded briefly, then formed a seal with both hands and struck sharply at his back.

A muffled bang sounded; Jiang Xiaofei’s body jolted forward and he spat out another mouthful of blood. This time, the blood was icy black, laced with flickers of flame.

Blue Lotus Frost’s eyes brightened. “The fire poison has been expelled. Now, I’ll heal your wounds and restore your strength.”

Jiang Xiaofei wiped the blood from his lips and shook his head. “You’ve done more than enough. My powers won’t recover so quickly. Don’t exhaust your cultivation for me—save it for Demon Star.”

Blue Lotus Frost hesitated, concern clouding her features. “But…”

“No buts. I’ll manage,” Jiang Xiaofei replied coldly, focusing inward to tend his wounds.

Seeing this, Blue Lotus Frost said no more. She rose, gazing through the shield at the billowing sea of flames outside. Her blue eyes turned cold as ice, evoking the chill of a frozen realm.

With a thunderous cry, her aura surged, crystalline runes of frost swirling around her, casting her as an empress of ice and snow.

Jiang Xiaofei watched, stunned by the terrifying force she now commanded. Even the aura Blue Chenzi once displayed at Maoshan paled by comparison. Could it be that Blue Lotus Frost had surpassed the Transformation Heaven stage?

At that moment, a wave of chilling power erupted from her body, a storm of frost that shattered the surrounding sea of fire and struck the very walls of the space.

A deafening crash echoed as the barrier, under the onslaught of that icy force, fractured like a mirror. A terrifying current of cold swept outward, freezing air and flame alike, transforming the entire cavern into a world of ice and frost.

Demon Star recoiled at the sight, his face contorted in disbelief. “Impossible! How could you possibly break through my domain? This can’t be real. I must be hallucinating—yes, that must be it.”

High above, Blue Lotus Frost looked down like a queen of winter and declared coldly, “For this, I willingly endured the backlash of the seal, trading my suffering for power at the ultimate boundary. How could I fail to break such a paltry domain? Now, I’ll claim your life to pay for what I’ve lost.”

Demon Star snapped back to reality, snorting coldly. “You think you can kill me? Keep dreaming.”

“Die!” he roared. “Phoenix Truefire—Heaven-Scorching Fury!”

At once, vast waves of Phoenix Truefire erupted from his body, the flames distorting space and swiftly melting the world of frost.

Feeling Demon Star’s overwhelming aura, Blue Lotus Frost narrowed her eyes and brandished her ice spindle. With a soft incantation she called, “Essence of Ice—Sweep the World!”

Endless runes of frost howled from the spindle, swirling before her like a spinning galaxy, coalescing into a massive shield of ice.

With a sweep of his hand, Demon Star unleashed the Phoenix Truefire, a surging river of flame crashing into the icy barrier with a force that threatened to consume all.

The impact set space humming and trembling.

The Truefire struck the shield, shaking the world. Waves of force rippled outward, shattering rock and sending tremors through the cavern as if it might collapse at any moment.

Jiang Xiaofei watched, heart pounding, forced to retreat behind a rock for safety. Only then did he allow himself a breath of relief and turned his gaze toward the platform above.

There, two forces collided with unbridled might, creating a tumultuous clash of auras—a contest of power.

Blue Lotus Frost wielded the ice spindle with all her strength, unleashing torrents of frost to resist the Phoenix flames. For a time, neither side gained ground; she even seemed to have the upper hand.

Jiang Xiaofei’s heart eased at this. Demon Star’s power was monstrous; if even Blue Lotus Frost at her current state could not hold her own, who else in this world could stand against him? Even if the masters of Maoshan, Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and Daluo Temple all joined forces, would they be able to subdue Demon Star?

With that thought, he silently cheered for Blue Lotus Frost, willing her to defeat the enemy.

But then, Blue Lotus Frost’s body trembled and she coughed up blood.

Demon Star’s eyes gleamed with delight. With a surge of malicious will, he drove the Phoenix Truefire on. The river of flames smashed against the ice spindle.

With a crash, space shuddered. The ice spindle was sent flying, and Blue Lotus Frost was hurled into the rock wall, leaving a massive crater before she slid to the ground, unconscious.

Demon Star burst into wild laughter. “Hahaha! You thought to challenge me? How foolish. Now I’ll burn you to ashes—how delightful!”

With a sinister glint in his eyes, he gathered Phoenix Truefire in his palm and hurled it toward the fallen Blue Lotus Frost.

Jiang Xiaofei, frantic, darted forward to shield her, forming a seal with both hands. An emblem of yin and yang materialized before them, standing against the Phoenix flames.

Demon Star, seeing Jiang Xiaofei, only laughed more arrogantly. “You think you can save her from me? Ridiculous!”

With a flick of his fingers, the Phoenix Truefire pierced the yin-yang seal.

A deafening bang—Jiang Xiaofei was blasted away, smashing into the wall. Already injured, he spat blood at the impact.

He struggled up from the rubble, clutching his chest. “If you want to kill her, you’ll have to go through me first. As long as I draw breath, I won’t let you harm her.”

“Very well, I’ll grant your wish,” Demon Star sneered. With a sweep of his palm, a fiery sigil appeared, striking Jiang Xiaofei square in the chest.

He was slammed back into the wall, falling amid the debris, bloodied and unable to rise.

As Jiang Xiaofei struggled in the rubble, Demon Star laughed maniacally. “Hahaha! This is too pleasurable. I no longer wish to simply kill you—I’ll torment you slowly, make you die in agony.”

Jiang Xiaofei bared his teeth. “Do you really take pleasure in torturing others?”

“Indeed! That’s a joy you’ll never understand. Hahahaha!” Demon Star cackled, then sneered, “But you, you really annoy me. I’ll start with you—let you feel your flesh seared away bit by bit. How does that sound? Wonderful, isn’t it? Hahaha!”

“You demon! You’ll die a miserable death!” Jiang Xiaofei roared, struggling to rise but failing.

Demon Star only laughed. “Whether I die or not is not for you to say. Curse me all you like—you won’t live much longer. Hahaha!”

Suddenly, his laughter cut off, as if choked in his throat. His eyes widened in terror.

Before him, a figure emerged—a man shrouded in black robes, wearing a mask of black and white, his face hidden from view. He stood silently in the void, unmoving, yet exuding a pressure so great it seemed to press directly upon Demon Star.

The space around Demon Star warped, as if unable to withstand the presence.

In horror, Demon Star cried out, “You—you are King Xiao!”