Chapter 138: Fusion

Deep in the night, the glacier exuded an overwhelming, bone-chilling cold. Ripples of pale, translucent light emanated from the ice, carrying a frigid aura that seemed to pierce straight into the marrow. Within a kilometer of the glacier, warriors from the four major factions awoke from their meditation, their expressions solemn as they stared at the anomaly. Under the guidance of their superiors, those with lower cultivation levels retreated toward the outskirts. Those who remained were either experts of profound cultivation or individuals possessing extraordinary treasures, all watching the glacier with intense focus.

Further away, rogue warriors drawn by the secrets of the glacier also noticed the disturbance. They watched with excitement, but as the cold intensified, many whose cultivation was insufficient to withstand the freezing aura quietly withdrew.

Unnoticed, Xia Xinyan appeared, standing silently three meters from Shi Yan. Her graceful figure was enveloped in a thin, shimmering veil of cyan light, which clashed with the encroaching frost, sparking brilliant blue-white flashes. She frowned, her eyes filled with a trace of astonishment as she watched Shi Yan, who remained in deep, arduous meditation.

In the distance, the experts of the four major factions stood up, looking at the glacier with confusion. There had been no provocation, yet the glacier was violently venting its frigid energy. Was this a counterattack?

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Suddenly, crystalline shards of ice shot out from the glacier like a volley of arrows. These shards were exponentially colder than the rippling waves. The warriors scrambled to defend themselves, but those who were too slow were instantly encased in thick, solid blocks of ice.

Xia Xinyan was startled. Her slender hands danced, weaving intricate seals that gathered points of cyan light into lotus flowers. Whenever a crystal shard flew toward Shi Yan, she would manifest a lotus to deflect it.

Shi Yan, however, remained with his eyes tightly shut, lost in his struggle. Within his body, the swirling negative energy pierced his blood like a storm. His blood boiled, and his body trembled violently. His expression was twisted and fierce, wrapped in an aura of malevolence.

He was attempting to cultivate the second stage of "Berserk" while his acupoints purified the negative energy—a technique he had hypothesized recently. During his time on the iron ship, he had failed dozens of times to fuse the negative power with his blood. He only realized that the fusion was possible when he was on the verge of losing his sanity, as the negative emotions fully overwhelmed his mind. He had concluded that the fusion could only proceed when he was in a state of near-total loss of reason.

His seven hundred and twenty acupoints were spinning frantically, drawing strings of negative emotion into his mind and pulling him into a state of bloodthirsty insanity. Yet, the intent to fuse the negative energy with his blood remained deeply etched into his consciousness.

The pain was agonizing, reaching into his very bones. Shi Yan gritted his teeth, his body writhing as he let out low growls. His blood surged like a dragon breaking free from its depths, clashing with the negative energy, though they refused to meld.

The freezing ripples of the glacier silently enveloped him. Unbeknownst to him, the icy aura seeped into his meridians, bones, and flesh. In his delirious state, Shi Yan had no energy to resist; his only remaining clear thought was to continue the fusion.

As he shuddered, the cold aura converged upon him, attracted by the negative crystals forming on his skin. He was becoming a living ice sculpture. Xia Xinyan watched with growing anxiety, debating whether to intervene. The temperature around them plummeted, and even she, an expert of the Earth Realm, felt her energy flow slowing down.

Shi Yan remained motionless as the freezing ripples from the glacier seemed to find something interesting, pouring into his body from all directions. "Crack! Crack!" The sound of ice colliding echoed as his body shook.

Xia Xinyan’s expression shifted. The aura she sensed from him was nearly as potent as the "Extreme Cold Ice Flame" martial spirit she had once witnessed. She could wait no longer.

Just then, his seven hundred and twenty acupoints flashed simultaneously! In that moment, Shi Yan’s body resembled a vast, starry sky, his acupoints glowing like brilliant stars.

Xia Xinyan gasped in amazement. The next instant, seven hundred and twenty threads of mysterious energy surged into his body. Led by the negative energy, they flooded into his blood vessels and merged with his blood.

"Aaaargh!" Shi Yan let out a guttural roar, curling up in agony.

"Shi Yan! Shi Yan!" Xia Xinyan cried out, her heart aching. "How can I help you? Say something!"

"Don't... don't worry about me. I... I'm fine!" Shi Yan gritted out, his eyes still tightly shut.

The ice on his body rapidly melted, and the freezing aura dissipated. Xia Xinyan, unsure of what had transpired, dared not move, watching him with wary eyes.

In the distance, the four factions resumed their bombardment of the glacier. Symbolic seals flared to life, forming layers of barriers against the assault. For half an hour, Shi Yan continued to roar, his voice turning hoarse until he finally fell silent, shivering occasionally.

"Shi Yan, what kind of cultivation technique is this? I have never seen anyone suffer so much! Stop it! You can choose another path, I can provide..." Xia Xinyan knelt beside him, whispering in distress.

Shi Yan did not reply, appearing to have fallen unconscious. Xia Xinyan kept watch, using her energy to shift the earth beneath him to ensure he did not slide into the nearby volcanic chasms.

As dawn broke, the glacier grew quiet. The four factions looked exhausted, yet their eyes burned with excitement as they saw the symbolic seals on the glacier growing dim. They believed victory was near.

Shi Yan finally stirred, his face pale and weary, yet his eyes shone with fervor. His hypothesis had been proven correct. The mysterious energy from his acupoints had acted as a catalyst, changing the nature of his blood and allowing it to accept and integrate the negative energy.

He sat up with effort and took a deep breath. He channeled a thread of negative energy toward his blood. Like water merging into the sea, it blended seamlessly. His blood boiled as if ignited. He felt his strength surging rapidly with every influx of negative energy.

A chilling, murderous aura radiated from him, yet his body remained unaffected. It was as if his physical form had adapted to the extreme cold itself.