Chapter 331: Break Fire with Ice

"Old Nine!"

Not far away, the Thirteenth Imperial Prince, clad in a pale moon-white robe, glanced casually at the Ninth Imperial Prince: "How many Phoenix Feathers do you think this fellow has collected so far?"

The Ninth Imperial Prince said: "At least thirteen!"

He had been counting—just the ones the Ninth Imperial Prince had seen, there were already thirteen.

"Even that many won't help!" the Thirteenth Imperial Prince said: "I feel this guy is going deeper each time—he's being pushed back farther from the fire sea's tidal force every time!"

"Have you noticed?"

The deeper one advances, the stronger the tidal pushback—so the farther one is thrown back after being expelled.

The Thirteenth Imperial Prince reached this conclusion precisely from this observation.

"Really?" the Ninth Imperial Prince said: "I didn't pay attention to that."

"Tell me," the Thirteenth Imperial Prince's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing to slits: "Could this fellow be trying to enter the Fire Dragon and steal the legendary Phoenix Egg?"

"Impossible!" the Ninth Imperial Prince shook his head: "In tens of thousands of years, no one has ever entered the Fire Dragon!"

"What makes him think he can?"

"He won't burn to death!"

"Of course not!" the Thirteenth Imperial Prince said: "In tens of thousands of years, no one has ever obtained the supreme Sancha Holy Fruit either!"

"No one has ever walked into the Ice Pillar and taken the 【Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow】 either!"

"Yet didn't someone still get them?"

The Thirteenth Imperial Prince stared at the Ninth Imperial Prince.

The Ninth Imperial Prince thought for a moment: "Can't be…"

"Entering the Fire Dragon is far harder than obtaining the 【Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow】!"

"Besides, he's not Xu Daozhi—what makes him think he can?"

The Ninth Imperial Prince still didn't believe it; he shook his head fiercely.

The Thirteenth Imperial Prince said: "I'll go ask him directly."

Saying this, he strode straight toward He Pingsheng, accompanied at all times by two subordinates.

"Esteemed Daoist, greetings!" the Thirteenth Imperial Prince bowed to He Pingsheng: "I am Liang Zhiyan."

He Pingsheng quickly returned the bow: "Greetings, Daoist Liang."

"What do you want?"

"Hehe…" the Thirteenth Imperial Prince said: "I merely wish to ask—how close did you get to the Fire Dragon the last time you entered the fire sea?"

He Pingsheng frowned, then replied: "About five or six zhang. Why?"

"Of course, with my strength, I can only reach about eight zhang—I made it to five or six zhang only by riding the tidal force!"

He Pingsheng's answer was flawless.

The Thirteenth Imperial Prince asked again: "Daoist, can you go any further?"

He Pingsheng shook his head: "Difficult. I've already pushed the tidal force to its limit—unless I'm given a water-element magic treasure to counter the flames, I can't go any further!"

This statement was reasonable.

Yet just as he finished speaking, He Pingsheng's body trembled imperceptibly.

It was as if he had grasped a lifeline.

Water does indeed quench fire.

But I don't possess a water-element magic treasure.

Yet I don't need a water-element magic treasure—I have water-element spells.

The 【Poisonous Ice Spike Art】 can summon one hundred and eight ice spikes at once.

Could this allow me to advance further—into the Fire Dragon?

Try it!

After dismissing the Thirteenth Imperial Prince Liang Zhiyan, He Pingsheng re-entered the fire sea.

Timing!

Sprinting at full speed.

Ten zhang!

Five zhang!

Three zhang!

More than one zhang!

At that moment, all of He Pingsheng's water-element magic power surged forth—BOOM! Instantly forming one hundred and eight ice spikes that struck the ground.

As expected!

The instant the ice spikes hit the ground, He Pingsheng took two more steps forward.

Now he was only one zhang away from the Fire Dragon.

Three more steps—and he could enter it.

But…

He couldn't!

Even after using every technique he had, he still remained one zhang away, unable to enter.

BOOM BOOM BOOM…

The massive tidal force surged again, hurling him out of the fire sea.

This time, He Pingsheng did not retreat from the fire sea—he closed his eyes right there, swallowed a drop of Golden Bee Holy Nectar, and instantly filled his water-element dantian.

"Again…"

He roared, charging forward once more!

Ten zhang!

Eight zhang!

Five zhang!

Three zhang!

Two zhang!

"Open…"

The 【Poisonous Ice Spike Art】 erupted again!

One zhang!

At this final, seemingly impassable zhang, He Pingsheng suddenly waved his hand and pulled out a two-chi-long piece of Ice Marrow.

"Break… open…"

BOOM…

The Ice Marrow exploded instantly, its immense ice-element spiritual energy freezing the flames before him for half a breath.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow was gone—but the fire-elemental rule force before him had weakened slightly.

He Pingsheng stepped forward—and plunged into the Fire Dragon.

…

Outside!

BOOM BOOM BOOM…

A new tidal wave erupted from the hundred-zhang-tall Fire Dragon, rippling outward in all directions.

In the past, every time, there had been He Pingsheng's figure being thrown out by the tidal force.

This time—there was none.

The bustling crowd around fell silent.

After one breath, someone shouted: "Holy shit… where'd he go?"

"Did he get burned to ash?"

Mingyu True Person of Tianwang Immortal Sect narrowed his eyes: "Impossible… he absolutely cannot have been reduced to ashes by this fire!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

"This…" someone said: "He went in?"

"No way?"

"Holy shit…"

"He really went in!"

"He definitely went in!"

"No way—legends say there's a Phoenix Egg inside!"

The entire square erupted into loud, shocked murmurs, punctuated by exclamations of disbelief and curses.

The Thirteenth and Ninth Imperial Princes' faces turned pitch black.

"Damn it…" the Ninth Imperial Prince stomped his foot hard: "This is bad… the Phoenix Egg is lost!"

"We can't let him take it!"

"Impossible!" the Thirteenth Imperial Prince said: "Our ancestors said everything in this secret realm may be given away—but the Phoenix Egg cannot!"

"The Phoenix Egg is of paramount importance!"

In truth, the imperial clan possessed the strength to extract the Phoenix Egg from the Fire Dragon.

It would simply demand a great cost.

So they did not retrieve it.

Why?

First, the phoenix is of fire.

Within the Fire Dragon, it can gently nurture the phoenix egg.

Second, no Foundation Establishment cultivator could possibly enter the Fire Dragon.

Since no one else could take it, they simply waited, waiting for the phoenix egg to hatch—there would come a time when it broke free.

When the phoenix hatched, it would have only Foundation Establishment or Golden Core cultivation; at that point, would it not be easily captured by the imperial family?

Based on these two reasons, the imperial family allowed the phoenix egg to remain inside.

But who could have imagined that someone truly entered the Fire Dragon?

"All members of the imperial family, come here at once!"

"Surround this place!"

"When that man emerges, strike together and kill him!"

"The imperial phoenix must not fall into anyone else's hands!"