Chapter 103 - 48: Frost Ghost, Instant Kill

Chapter 103: Chapter 48: Frost Ghost, Instant Kill

Inside the pavilion, he stared into the mirror and activated the Array with his Magical Power.

The jet-black mirror’s surface immediately shimmered with a faint light, clearly reflecting Jiang Xuan’s figure.

The next moment, with a low HUMMM, his consciousness suddenly sank, as if he were being dragged into the deep sea by some terrifying behemoth.

Before he could even react, with a WHOOSH, the feeling of weightlessness vanished, and his consciousness snapped back into place as if breaking through the water’s surface.

’I’m in?’

Glancing around, Jiang Xuan found that the familiar Shenxiao Sect Martial Arts Arena had vanished. In its place was a lush, unfamiliar mountain forest.

This confirmed to Jiang Xuan that he had indeed entered the Mirage Mirror: Three Thousand Realms.

But to his amazement, when he inspected himself internally, he couldn’t find anything amiss.

The flow in the acupoints all over his body was normal, his Magical Power circulated without a hint of sluggishness, his five senses were just as sharp as they were in reality, and even the Frosty Winter Cold Qi that corroded his body day and night hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

’This Illusion Realm is quite powerful... But that’s reasonable. The Shenxiao Sect is one of the most prominent Major Sects in the Northern Domain. It’s only natural that an Illusion Realm they created with the Celestial Sea Business Alliance would be strong. It would be a joke if someone like me, at the Spirit Core Initial Stage, could spot any flaws.’

...

While Jiang Xuan was inside the Mirage Mirror, searching for differences between this place and reality, Mo Yu, having seen to his needs, returned to her post.

"That sickly weakling chose Challenge Mode, too," another Maid said with a sneer as she saw Mo Yu return.

"Yes."

Upon hearing the confirmation, the mockery on the Maid’s face grew more pronounced. "There are more and more people who don’t know their own limits these days. Challenge Mode is for the prodigies of the Sect, so what’s a sick ghost from the Lower Classes doing joining the fun? Especially that guy, he looks like he could drop dead at any moment..."

"Bai Zhi." Mo Yu’s delicate brows furrowed at her companion’s words, and she cut off her taunts. "What that young master chooses is his own business. It has nothing to do with us."

"How does it have nothing to do with us?" Bai Zhi pouted, her face full of annoyance. "The young miss specifically ordered us to record the performance of every disciple who chooses Challenge Mode and compile it into a report. How much extra work are these people making for us by just messing around?"

...

Jiang Xuan, of course, was completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world.

After confirming that the Mirage Mirror was indistinguishable from reality—at least, he couldn’t feel any difference—Jiang Xuan followed Mo Yu’s earlier instructions. He took the Talisman engraved with the Celestial Sea pattern from his robes, tapped it lightly with his fingertip, and brought up the battle interface.

The Celestial Sea Illusion Realm had three combat modes: Dharma Performance Mode, which could conjure countless environments to test the power of one’s Techniques; Sparring Mode, for practice matches between acquaintances; and the final one, Random Matchmaking, also known as Challenge Mode. This last one was the purpose of Jiang Xuan’s visit.

In this mode, opponents were randomly matched. A combatant would never know who their next opponent would be.

The only rule was that the more victories one had, the stronger the opponents they would be matched with. This mode was the most suitable for honing one’s practical combat experience.

Moreover, this mode was the only option for Cultivators who chose the second payment method.

Without a doubt, this was the one Jiang Xuan had chosen.

As his finger tapped "Confirm," a SWOOSH of white light flashed before Jiang Xuan’s eyes.

Then, a young man of about the same age materialized out of thin air across from him. The youth was clearly a novice as well, curiously looking around.

But beyond his curiosity, his eyes held an irrepressible eagerness to fight. This was the time when the disciples of Jiang Xuan’s generation had just finished opening their acupoints and mastering their first Magic.

"When one carries a sharp blade, the thought of killing arises." This saying didn’t just apply to Jiang Xuan; others felt this way too.

Having mastered profound Magic, they were all eager to test the power of their Techniques.

However, the eagerness on the young man’s face was instantly extinguished when he saw Jiang Xuan’s condition. All that remained was speechlessness. "Brother, with your condition, you should be resting and recovering. What are you doing in a fighting ring?!"

"I’m fine, *cough cough*... For me, this state is an enhancement, not a Weakness, *cough cough*..."

He coughed two or three times before he could even finish his sentence. This sight left the Cultivator across from him even more speechless.

But in the next breath, the other man’s expression changed.

*WHOOSH...*

As he spoke, Jiang Xuan had already begun to circulate his Magical Power, activating the first form of the Guicang Jie Mie Sword—Winter is Coming!

A silent Sword Momentum unfurled, merging perfectly with the Frosty Winter Cold Qi that flowed through his body day and night.

As the Frosty Winter’s Intent spread throughout his body with the flow of his Magical Power, his skin grew paler, even taking on a bluish tint. This made Jiang Xuan look less like a person and more like a Ghost Soul from the Extreme North Icefield.

And as his body transformed, the deathly cold aura emanating from him grew even more intense. The air around him began to visibly crystallize into frost, and with every breath, a bone-chilling white mist escaped from between his lips.

*HISS...*

Staring at the Jiang Xuan opposite him, Zhao Gui felt a chill shoot straight up his spine to the top of his head.

It wasn’t an ordinary cold, but a deathly chill that could freeze and shatter one’s very soul.

And as the indifferent gaze of that ’Ice Ghost’ fell upon him, Zhao Gui felt as if he were being dragged into an Ice Lake in the dead of winter. He could feel the warm sunlight receding, leaving only endless darkness and biting cold. It felt as if even the blood in his veins was about to freeze solid.

The extreme, deathly chill, the frigid gloom, and the boundless darkness made it difficult for him to even breathe, as if an invisible hand of ice were strangling him.

"What the hell?"

"Are you doing this?!"

"I’m not afraid of you!"

Zhao Gui was not a disciple of the Four Seasons Valley, nor did he practice the Winter Solstice sword art.

Therefore, faced with this strange sensation, he didn’t release a similar aura to counter Jiang Xuan’s. Instead, he started shouting at the top of his lungs.

—This was also the most primal instinct of both humans and beasts when facing danger.

Undeniably, shouting really could bolster one’s courage.

Fueled by his roars, Zhao Gui managed to regain a sliver of courage. His Heart Spirit finally struggled free from that frozen darkness.

*GASP... GASP...*

As he surfaced from the imaginary Ice Lake, Zhao Gui’s spirit relaxed, and he subconsciously gasped for air.

At the same time, his mind raced, trying to figure out how to deal with this bizarre opponent.

’This guy is too weird. I...’

*PFFT!*

Before Zhao Gui could think of a way to deal with Jiang Xuan, an excruciating, heart-rending pain exploded from his chest.

He instinctively looked down, and his pupils contracted violently. A crystal-clear Ice Sword had, at some unknown moment, sunk into his chest. Fine frost flowers were even condensed on its hilt.

"When...?"

It was a question he would never get an answer to.

The moment the sharp Ice Sword entered his body, it violently exploded in the next breath.

The small Ice Sword burst into a thousand ice shards. Because it had detonated from within, Zhao Gui’s body was instantly riddled with countless holes by the fine slivers of ice.

*THUD.*

Just like that, in a single exchange, Zhao Gui was killed instantly.

Even in death, he never saw when or from where that Ice Sword had come.

And he was not an exception.