Chapter 385

Chapter 385: A Clash of Titans

Lou Yun desired to understand the cold aura cultivated by Ye Piaoling—what manner of cultivation it truly was. Ye Piaoling, in turn, was intensely curious about the source of the heat emanating from within Lou Yun. Thus, during the first half of their clash, neither fought with true seriousness, merely probing each other with their internal cold aura or celestial energy.

Having tested each other this long, Lou Yun had keenly discerned that although Ye Piaoling claimed to absorb cold aura, it was, in essence, still spiritual energy—icy cold spiritual energy, not celestial energy like his own!

However, this frigid spiritual energy possessed far greater destructive power than ordinary spiritual energy. Likely, Ye Piaoling’s years of absorbing cold aura in this extremely cold region had gradually integrated the icy energy into his magical weapon.

Once a magical weapon contained cold spiritual energy, unleashing this frigid aura in combat became natural. An opponent without Heavenfire like Lou Yun for protection would, even if enduring the chill, consume spiritual energy at an accelerated rate. Prolonged exposure would allow the cold to invade the body, slowing and stiffening movements.

Understanding this, Lou Yun saw no need for further probing. He proposed they commence a genuine duel.

Ye Piaoling, too, had been probing the heat released by Lou Yun, yet after all this time, he still saw no clues. Continued testing seemed futile, hence he agreed to Lou Yun’s proposal.

The onlookers, especially those already intimidated by Ye Piaoling’s chilling aura, were stunned. That neither had employed their true strength was simply unbelievable!

This, however, amplified their anticipation. They yearned to witness the true magnitude of power these two masters could unleash!

The crowd had only sensed Ye Piaoling’s cold aura, failing to perceive Lou Yun’s heat. This wasn’t because Lou Yun’s heat was weaker, but because he conserved his celestial energy, employing minimal Heavenfire power—only enough to shield himself from the cold’s invasion.

This time, they stood less than three meters apart, and neither had yet drawn their magical weapons.

Ye Piaoling slowly raised his palms first. They were pure white, coated entirely with snowy frost. He intoned gravely, “I strike now. Beware!”

Lou Yun nodded solemnly. Within him, his three Heavenfires churned, boiled, and surged, eager to be unleashed!

As Ye Piaoling spoke, his hands pushed forward steadily.

High-Level Rank Technique, – Wind Rises, Clouds Surge!

Thick, snow-laden billows of icy aura erupted from Ye Piaoling’s palms. An immense, seemingly endless torrent surged forward with incredible speed, engulfing Lou Yun instantly.

Lou Yun felt the surrounding air freeze solid, rapidly crystallizing into ice. The cutting, biting cold enveloped his body.

Now Lou Yun understood why, when he’d first glimpsed Ye Piaoling within the Ice Ruins, the man had seemed to sleep encased in ice. That ice wasn’t natural. Ye Piaoling had frozen himself solid using his own frigid aura.

Smiling faintly, Lou Yun let the three Heavenfires, long primed within him, merge into one final surge. They burst out from every pore, every part of his body.

A soft whoosh echoed, and Lou Yun instantly transformed into a figure entirely wreathed in flame—a human-shaped flame.

Fire and Ice—two diametrically opposed, mutually destructive elemental forces of nature—collided violently.

The air around Lou Yun, almost solidified into ice, instantly erupted in wisps of white steam. As his entire body blazed, the very temperature of the entire plain seemed to rise several degrees!

The power of Heavenfire far surpassed the cold aura emitted by Ye Piaoling!

At this moment, everyone, including Ye Piaoling himself, stared dumbfounded at Lou Yun, the figure blazing with fire head to toe.

Now Ye Piaoling finally grasped the origin of the heat radiating from Lou Yun’s movements: he was a skilled weapon maker! But how could the fire of a skilled weapon maker scorch with such intense heat?

It wasn’t solely through devouring or subduing Heavenfire like Lou Yun that one could manifest flames from their body. Upon reaching certain levels of cultivation, ordinary magical weapons masters could naturally transform their spiritual energy into fire emission—otherwise, skilled weapon makers themselves wouldn’t exist!

However, on Spirit Weapon Star, the cultivation of common weapons wasn’t prevalent. Apart from skilled weapon makers, few found value in converting spiritual energy to flame—it had little utility.

Seeing Lou Yun engulfed in flames, Ye Piaoling naturally assumed him to be a skilled weapon maker, and the fire a conversion of his own spiritual energy. Yet, in his experience, the heat generated by a skilled weapon maker’s fire was utterly incapable of countering his frigid aura!

The icy assault from Ye Piaoling’s weapon technique melted away in an instant under Lou Yun’s blaze. Lou Yun raised his own hands. Opposite Ye Piaoling’s frost-coated white palms, Lou Yun’s hands burned with crimson flames.

Displaying these blazing hands, Lou Yun charged straight towards Ye Piaoling. He employed no movement techniques nor did he unleash any weapon technique. Yet, the flames scorching his very being forged a path forward, radiating an indomitable, overwhelming momentum.

Lou Yun refrained from weapon techniques because he genuinely knew none involving palm strikes. Moreover, the weapon techniques he did possess were, in his own eyes, unworthy. Thus, he simply opted not to use any.

As for movement techniques, he had absolutely no need for them. At such close range, just two large strides brought Lou Yun right before Ye Piaoling.

Yet Ye Piaoling did not directly meet Lou Yun’s palm strike. From their previous exchange, he had discovered the flames radiating off Lou Yun clearly held greater might than his own cold energy. Attempting to block the strike would only invite humiliation. So with a flash, he employed his movement technique instead.

Ye Piaoling’s body began revolving rapidly around Lou Yun, twisting like a tornado. Layer upon layer of frigid barriers materialized between them.

At this moment, Lou Yun realized Ye Piaoling’s mastery and application of spiritual energy far surpassed others, even exceeding Lou Yun’s own capability before he had comprehended the energies of heaven and earth.

Whether launching attacks or using movement techniques like now, while Ye Piaoling expended the cold qi within him, his body simultaneously replenished it at nearly the same speed. Surrounded by the vast Great Snowfield, an inexhaustible supply of frigid energy ceaselessly flooded into his being.

Lou Yun vaguely sensed that if Ye Piaoling could uncover the secrets of the soul, he would surely grasp the way of nature swiftly and become a cultivator like himself!

He just likely remained unaware of matters pertaining to the soul.

The stronger Ye Piaoling proved, the more exhilarated Lou Yun became. The cosmic energy within him also began churning with intense speed.

Lou Yun’s palms danced like endlessly surging magma, scattering the surrounding cold qi. Each frigid barrier erected by Ye Piaoling shattered effortlessly beneath his hands.

To the onlookers, Lou Yun resembled a massive fireball, relentlessly pursuing the source of the cold energy.

Though their clash, a battle of ice and fire, seemed to favor Lou Yun, Ye Piaoling’s expression showed neither anxiety nor frustration. Instead, he remained calm, with hints of a smile at the corners of his mouth, seemingly confident of victory.

Moreover, facing Lou Yun’s near-unstoppable fiery assault, he acted as if oblivious. Still darting rapidly, he continued to cast layer after layer of frigid barriers, passively letting Lou Yun smash them one by one.

What was happening? The spectators were utterly perplexed. Could Ye Piaoling not see that his defenses were utterly useless against Lou Yun’s attack?

Logically, that shouldn’t be possible. Even Xia Zhilan could perceive it; with Ye Piaoling’s strength, he absolutely must be aware!

Others might not grasp it, but Lou Yun, observing Ye Piaoling’s reaction, knew exactly what he intended.

Lou Yun had already noted: although Ye Piaoling expended vast amounts of cold energy, his replenishment rate was incredibly swift. Especially here in the Great Snowfield, ensuring his reserves remained full, as though he’d never expended any energy at all.

Lou Yun, however, fused his cosmic energy with the power of three flames to launch attacks. His consumption vastly outpaced Ye Piaoling’s. Prolonging this battle would inevitably deplete Lou Yun’s cosmic energy entirely.

The longer the fight dragged on, the worse Lou Yun’s disadvantage became.

Thus, Ye Piaoling sought to gradually grind down and exhaust the cosmic energy within Lou Yun through this precise attrition.

Yet Lou Yun, now privy to this strategy, betrayed no trace of apprehension. He too continued shattering the seemingly endless walls of frost before him, his emanating momentum growing ever stronger and more turbulent.

Gradually, the icy barriers Ye Piaoling erected began collapsing almost the instant they formed. Even the ambient air temperature steadily crept upwards.

Earlier, under the unmitigated chill radiating from Ye Piaoling, the onlookers had nearly frozen solid. Now, they felt an increasing warmth. The depths of winter suddenly turned to the height of summer; beads of sweat began forming on every brow.

Beneath their feet, the accumulated snow—hardened over millennia or longer—started melting. The area where Lou Yun and Ye Piaoling fought visibly sank lower than the surrounding terrain.

This was undoubtedly due to the immense heat radiating from Lou Yun. It not only melted the snow but vaporized it entirely.

Finally, with a sudden fierce shout, Lou Yun manifested the Dream Emperor Sword in his hand!