Chapter 145: Battling the Cold

To Mobai, the Millennium Frost Thorn opposite him was not an intimidating weapon at all; instead, it made him feel a trace of familiarity and warmth. To be honest, Mobai had never had any special passion for weapons, and he rarely used them himself. However, the moment Xiao Xue's Millennium Frost Thorn flew toward him today, he felt an inexplicable sense of kinship, a feeling so familiar and so deeply yearning.

With a simple reach, Mobai caught the Millennium Frost Thorn in his hand. A subtle flash crossed the corner of Xiao Xue's eyes. Others might not know the terrifying power of this weapon, but she knew it all too well. Her bright eyes shifted, watching the subtle changes in Mobai's hand.

"What a magnificent weapon. The chilling sensation as it enters the hand truly invigorates the spirit," Mobai said, dancing the Millennium Frost Thorn gracefully through the cavern, weaving up and down. Combined with his superb Agility Technique, he looked like a prince of ice—refined, free, and unrestrained.

Xiao Xue was momentarily mesmerized by the sight. In her mind, the Millennium Frost Thorn had always been nothing more than an instrument of murder. Although she cherished this weapon dearly, she had never imagined it could be wielded with such poetic elegance. She seemed to have completely forgotten the original purpose of tossing the Millennium Frost Thorn to Mobai in the first place; after all, someone who could wield a weapon with such dashing ease could not possibly lack resistance to the cold.

"Brother Mo, it is best that you can adapt to this weapon so smoothly. Although I have descended into this cold pool many times, I have always felt some special force flowing ceaselessly within it, though I could never figure out what it truly was. Having this weapon to defend yourself will be much safer," Xiao Xue said, her address toward Mobai shifting unconsciously.

Mobai nodded gratefully and said, "Since I now hold the weapon in hand, I ask Lady Xiao to bestow your guidance upon me."

Xiao Xue nodded solemnly, raising her hand to unleash three spiritual qi swords. Unlike the ethereal spiritual qi swords of ordinary spiritual practitioners, these carried a biting chill that made anyone before her shiver involuntarily. With a flick of her wrist, Xiao Xue shot the spiritual qi swords directly at Mobai, calling out, "Brother Mo, let us see how your defense holds up!"

Mobai smiled faintly, slightly swaying the Millennium Frost Thorn in his hand. The weapon seemed to become an extension of himself, rapidly condensing a spiritual shield before him. The shield was as smooth as a mirror, similarly radiating wisps of piercing cold. The three spiritual qi swords arrived with a piercing whistling sound, drilling up and down, yet they could not pierce Mobai's spiritual shield no matter how hard they tried.

Xiao Xue pointed with a single hand, her eyes flashing sharply. The three fallen ice-thorn spiritual qi swords instantly rose from the ground, cunningly burrowing toward Mobai's feet.

With a swift wave of his single hand, Mobai made the spiritual shield before him glide down toward his feet as obediently as a well-behaved child. In an instant, Mobai sensed that the previously sharp ice-thorn spiritual qi swords had lost their rock-hard consistency, for Xiao Xue had altered the nature of the spiritual qi swords at that very moment. To be able to change the attributes of released spiritual qi swords under such circumstances—what a formidable level of spiritual mastery this was!

Mobai smiled calmly. Sure enough, the spiritual qi swords began to seep inward like glacial water, and a rigidly defensive spiritual shield was no longer suited for this kind of onslaught. With a silent twitch of his little finger, the mirror-like spiritual shield transformed into an boundless ocean, swallowing Xiao Xue's spiritual qi swords like a tiny stream flowing into the sea, leaving them with nowhere to go.

Realizing that her spiritual qi swords had failed once again, Xiao Xue felt no anger whatsoever; instead, she felt a sense of relief. After all, the stronger Mobai's cultivation was, the greater his chances of successfully entering the cold pool. However, the previous exchange had merely been a test of Mobai's adaptability on the feet. Now, it was time to see how he would react when truly facing a ferocious and unyielding attack.

"Brother Mo, I am going to use my true strength this time!" Xiao Xue raised both hands upward, a faint blue light flashing in her eyes as a massive ice dragon slowly rose from her hands. At that exact moment, the Millennium Frost Thorn in Mobai's hand seemed as though it wanted to break free from his grip and return to the side of its master.

Mobai gripped the Millennium Frost Thorn tightly, watching this breathtaking move that he had once witnessed in Guihai City between Xiao Xue and Nalan Xin'er. Back then, Mobai had caught it in a rush, and Xiao Xue's execution of the technique back then had far less magnificent momentum than it did today.

Originally, Xiao Xue still held a trace of hesitation in her heart, but seeing Mobai's expression looking so relaxed and pleased, the lone mischievous streak in her heart was also ignited. With a sudden flick of one hand, a frost-flower soared into the sky. Although this frost-flower still belonged to the Frost Flower Art of the Frost Flower Sect, it had never borne this particular color—it was an icy blue, crystalline and translucent, making it look as unapproachably majestic as a celestial phenomenon.

Only then did Mobai feel a slight surge of tension, for he could deeply feel the immense pressure emanating from Xiao Xue. The spiritual qi from all directions converged fiercely upon the icy-blue frost-flower summoned by Xiao Xue. The frost-flower spun ceaselessly in the air, as if trying to drain the spiritual qi of a radius of several miles, causing the water in the cold pool to churn wildly like a rising tide.

"Such a freezing aura," Mobai murmured softly. He unconsciously touched the scar on his left eyebrow, then moved both hands. A golden spiritual qi rapidly rose from his palms, spiraling continuously in the air. At the same time, Xiao Xue's ice dragon had already pierced through the radiance of the frost-flower, smashing directly toward the top of Mobai's head.

The golden spiritual qi above Mobai let out a sudden cry as a giant golden dragon phantom soared into the sky, colliding with a thunderous roar against the incoming ice dragon. The sheer impact forced Xiao Xue to stagger back three steps before she managed to steady herself. Raising her head, she saw Mobai standing firmly in his original spot, calm and unruffled.

Earlier, she had been on the offensive while he defended, yet she was the one forced to retreat, while Mobai stood as steady as a mountain. From this single move alone, the disparity in their skill was evident.

"Brother Mo is truly formidable," Xiao Xue said. She had never praised anyone, but today she finally witnessed the cultivation level of a peer who could truly match her.

"Lady Xiao, you flatter me. Although this move of mine is powerful, it is ultimately someone else's technique," Mobai replied with a smile.

Xiao Xue had long known that Mobai's vast repertoire of skills drew from the strengths of many, but these sources were not major orthodox sects, but rather mysterious spiritual practitioners living in seclusion across the Exquisite Continent. She had not expected that this defensive feat of Mobai's still originated from someone else's lineage. Where on earth did he truly come from? And what exactly was the core spiritual cultivation art of his own sect?

"If I am not mistaken, Brother Mo's move just now must be the supreme defensive masterpiece of the Heyang Luo family—the Sage Emperor Dragon-Guarding Array," Xiao Xue asked.

"Indeed," Mobai replied. "Lady Xiao is truly knowledgeable and well-read."

Xiao Xue smiled faintly and said, "Actually, I have never witnessed such a profound array before. Brother Mo unleashing the Sage Emperor Dragon-Guarding Array today is the first time I have ever laid eyes on it. However, I once heard Senior Sister Yuzhi mention the existence of such an array. Seeing it today, it truly proves that the Heyang Luo family is indeed the number one spiritual array clan in the world."

"Indeed, the spiritual arrays of the Heyang Luo family are enough to look down upon the entire Exquisite Continent. However, your ice dragon is equally formidable, Lady Xiao. It was only because you gave me time to prepare; otherwise, I, Mobai, would have certainly been reduced to a miserable state," Mobai said with a self-deprecating smile.

Xiao Xue knew Mobai was just giving her face, for from that previous clash, she had already subconsciously fallen short compared to him.

"Brother Mo, Xiao Xue still dares to boldly request to experience one of your spiritual techniques. Only then will this three-round martial spar be truly complete," Xiao Xue proposed.

"Very well. For some reason, our spiritual spar today has been immensely gratifying. Allow me to unleash one of my proudest spiritual techniques for Lady Xiao to appraise." With that, Mobai waved a single hand, and a spinning, spiraling spiritual qi slowly formed in his palm. The spiraling spiritual qi gradually began to hum with a roaring wind—it was precisely Mobai's Great Jade Spiral Art. However, this time, the Great Jade Spiral Art differed from its usual manifestations; Mobai hurled it directly from his hand, hurtling straight toward Xiao Xue!

Staring at the spiraling spiritual qi in the air, Xiao Xue initially thought Mobai was going easy on her, having witnessed this move of his before. A trace of slight displeasure stirred in her heart, but astonishment immediately replaced it. She actually saw the Great Jade Spiral Art undergoing a transformation mid-air, sprouting multiple spiritual qi swords around its spherical perimeter like a pair of wings. The technique, inherently extreme in its sheer offense, became terrifyingly more powerful with the auxiliary spiritual qi swords flanking it.

Then Mobai laughed, "Lady Xiao, the good show is about to begin. Be careful!"

No sooner had Mobai's voice fallen than the tiny spiritual qi swords surrounding the Great Jade Spiral Art transformed into two giant spiritual qi swords, piercing straight through the entire sphere. They burst apart violently in mid-air, shooting straight toward Xiao Xue!

Xiao Xue had already braced herself to fully confront a singular Great Jade Spiral Art sphere, but only at the very end did she realize the true profound meaning of this technique—it was scattered like ten thousand blooming peach blossoms, shining like myriad stars! This completely caught Xiao Xue off guard. She instantly changed the stance she had prepared, morphing it into a colossal spiritual shield to defend against the overwhelming, sky-filling assault.

Clang, clang, clang! Countless cold starlight points collided with Xiao Xue's spiritual shield. Her footsteps retreated continuously as she exerted her full strength to shatter the chilling lights. Much of the spiritual qi plummeted into the water, kicking up waves of splashes. If Xiao Xue's ice dragon earlier had resembled pouring streams of mercury, then Mobai's attack was a torrential storm!

The icy-blue frost-flower behind Xiao Xue was continuously infusing her with boundless spiritual energy to help her resist Mobai's onslaught. But right at that moment, the situation changed once again. The two giant spiritual qi swords that had previously pierced through the Great Jade Spiral Art suddenly morphed into a slingshot shape in mid-air. With a single wave of Mobai's hand, the scattered spheres of the Great Jade Spiral Art that had not yet fully dissipated were rapidly gathered back together. Propelled by the elasticity of those two giant spiritual qi swords, with a swift *swish*, they slammed violently toward Xiao Xue!

This happened in a fraction of a second, and it was entirely impossible for Xiao Xue to retract her expanded spiritual shield back into a single focal point in time.

At this very final moment, Mobai abruptly hurled the Millennium Frost Thorn from his hand toward Xiao Xue. Seizing it like a drowning person grabbing a straw, Xiao Xue used the Millennium Frost Thorn at the exact instant the Great Jade Spiral Art struck before her. It formed a piercing ray of cold light that pierced straight through all the spiritual qi of the Great Jade Spiral Art. With a crisp shatter, the spiritual qi dissipated into nothingness.

Mobai smiled faintly and said, "Lady Xiao, I suppose I have now returned this borrowed item completely intact."