Heavenly Tribulation Qi

The effect wasn't permanent—the domain continuously pushed back—but for the moment, Jiang Chen managed to stabilize himself.

Even so, his surprise was evident. "This... this level of power…"

As if answering his thoughts, Wu Shu sneered cruelly."Don't think your little flame trick can save you."

Raising one hand high above his head. Ice particles coalesced around his palm, forming a crystalline spear surrounded by lethal ice qi .

"Frozen Time Strike!"

With a swift motion, Wu Shu hurled the spear toward Jiang Chen. Unlike ordinary attacks, this one warped the space around it, slowing time itself in its path. Jiang Chen barely had time to react before the spear pierced through his defenses, grazing his shoulder and leaving behind a trail of numbing frost that spread rapidly across his body.

Pain shot through him as Jiang Chen staggered backward, clutching his injured arm. The frostbite ate away at his flesh, sapping his strength and threatening to freeze his soul. His expression darkened, realizing the disparity between their powers. Wu Shu was far more dangerous than he'd anticipated.

But Jiang Chen wasn't one to give up easily. Drawing upon every ounce of resolve, he channeled his remaining energy into two powerful techniques.

"Eternal Dawn Stance!" he shouted, planting his feet firmly on the ground. Golden light erupted from his form, dispelling some of the lingering frost and bolstering his aura. Then, without hesitation, he followed up with another devastating move.

"Solar Flare Slash!"

A blazing crescent of golden flame slashed through the air, colliding with the remnants of the Frozen Time Strike. The resulting explosion illuminated the battlefield, momentarily dispelling the oppressive frost. Jiang Chen used this brief reprieve to leap back, putting distance between himself and Wu Shu.

"You've survived longer than I expected," Wu Shu admitted, his tone devoid of amusement now. "But your journey ends here."

He extended both hands, weaving complex seals in rapid succession. An eerie blue glow emanated from his fingertips, piercing through the darkness and locking onto Jiang Chen's soul.

"Soul Freeze Technique!"

Suddenly a chilling force invaded Jiang Chen's consciousness, freezing his spirit in place. Paralyzed, he could do nothing but watch as Wu Shu summoned another ultimate technique.

"Heaven-Cleaving Ice Blade!"

From the heavens above, a massive blade of pure ice descended, gleaming with an otherworldly brilliance. Its presence alone sent cracks spiderwebbing across the ground, heralding destruction on an unimaginable scale.

Time seemed to slow as Jiang Chen stared death in the face.

Boom!

A formidable barrier of vibrant yellow earth qi surged into existence before him, halting the blade's advance and shielding Jiang Chen from its force.

Beside him, a graceful figure emerged, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Su Jen?"

Jiang Chen's eyes widened in astonishment as he turned to the figure that had suddenly materialized at his side.

Su Jen stood with an elegance that belied the chaos around her, her once-feeble posture now radiating an aura so profound it seemed to warp the very air. Jiang Chen's eyes widened as he stared at her, but no matter how hard he strained his brain, he couldn't fathom her true cultivation level. Her qi felt like a storm both familiar and alien, as though it defied the usual markers of power he'd come to recognize.

A flicker of confusion crossed his face. How…? he thought, recalling her earlier display of weakness. But now, her presence was like a mountain—unyielding, ancient, and utterly incomprehensible to him.

Across the battlefield, Xiao Ning's smirk vanished. His eyes narrowed, and a cold sweat beaded on his brow. Wu Shu, mid-technique, froze mid-motion, his ice blade suspended in the air. Both men recognized the aura instantly.

"Late stage… Heavenly Tribulation Realm," Wu Shu hissed, his voice trembling with a mix of fury and dread. The blood drained from his face. "How… how could you?!"

Xiao Ning's Codex blared another alert.

[DAO SYSTEM INTERVENTION WAS DETECTED]

He cursed under his breath. "And you wanted me to act swiftly and eliminate the protagonist?"

The woman had been a pawn, a distraction—until now. Her true power was a revelation, a wildcard he'd never accounted for.

Su Jen's eyes glowed faintly gold, her once-plain attire now shimmering with an ethereal light.he air around her thrummed with suppressed might, a force so vast it made Wu Shu's Eternal Frost Domain feel like a child's snowball by comparison.

"Impossible!" Wu Shu's face twisted in anger, his earlier arrogance tuning into dust. "Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you interfere in this!"

Su Jen's lips curved into a serene smile. "Ah, the useless crown prince of the Wu Clan, is that right?"

Jiang Chen stared, still baffled. "Su… Jen? What are you—"

"You've wronged countless innocents, Wu Shu. Today, your reign of terror ends." 

Her hands moved in a fluid, almost meditative sequence, and the air itself seemed to bend to her will. A colossal column of golden light erupted from her palms, radiating heat that melted the ice beneath Jiang Chen's feet. The Eternal Frost Domain instantly torn apart, its icy tendrils crumbling under the onslaught of her Heavenly Tribulation qi. 

Wu Shu's eyes widened as the golden beam bore down on him. He frantically raised both hands, summoning a shield of jagged ice, but it shattered like glass against the light. The force of the strike sent him crashing into a nearby boulder, which crumbled under the impact. Blood trickled from his lips as he staggering to his feet

"You… you dare defy the Wu Clan?!"

Su Jen's gaze turned cold. "You are thinking too much of your self."

She raised her hand, and the ground beneath Wu Shu's feet began to crack, fissures spreading outward like a web.

Before the final blow could land, Wu Shu's eyes flicked to his sleeve. With a desperate flick, he tore open a hidden pouch on his robe and hurled a shimmering talisman skyward. It detonated in a blinding flash of azure light, engulfing him in a spatial vortex. 

"THIS IS NOT OVER!"

Wu Shu's angry roar echoed through the spatial distortion

"THIS WU Will FOREVER REMEMBER THIS INJUSTICE AND HUMILIATION."

The vortex collapsed, leaving only a faint afterimage.

Wu Shu was gone. 

Jiang Chen gaped at the scene, forgetting his own injuries. "Su… Jen, who are you?"