Chapter 114: Phoenixe Rebirth- Ice Domain

The air crackled with tension as the battlefield burned under the relentless gaze of the sun and moon, flames casting long, flickering shadows across the road. The deafening roar of explosions echoed through the chamber, a chaotic symphony of clashing energies and desperate wills. This was no ordinary skirmish—it was a confrontation between titans, a meeting of forces that had never before crossed paths in such a fiery dance of destruction.

Jiang Feng, though not yet renowned as one of Northern Moon's strongest, had recently risen through the ranks with a speed that left many in awe. His strength was undeniable, a force that could rival even the most seasoned warriors.

Ji Moran stood at the heart of the chaos, her figure a stark contrast to the inferno around her. Swirling clouds of ice enveloped her, their crystalline tendrils weaving a protective barrier as her sword danced through the air with lethal precision. Her movements were fluid, a blend of grace and ferocity as she alternated between her Ice Lotus Technique and Ice Press Technique.

Each strike was a calculated effort to hold her ground, but the relentless onslaught of lightning was pushing her back, inch by inch. The icy shield of her lotus flickered under the barrage, its once-pristine surface now marred by jagged cracks.

Across from her, Gao Zhenlei loomed like a storm given form. His breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage had elevated him to new heights, and though he had yet to unleash his spirit projection, the sheer abundance of his spiritual energy was palpable. His laughter was a cruel, grating sound that cut through the din of battle, his eyes gleaming with malice as he taunted her.

"Give up," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "You'll never defeat us. Just accept your fate as a tool to be used by us brothers today. Maybe we'll even leave you with enough strength to kill yourself when we're done. Haha!" His laughter was a jagged edge, slicing through the air as his eyes darkened with sinister intent.

Ji Moran's lips curled in disgust. "Scum like you are the dirt of society," she spat, her voice icy with contempt. She leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the lightning spear that slammed into the ground where she had stood moments before. The earth erupted in a shower of debris, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

"Too late," Gao Zhenlei grinned, his hand closing into a fist.

Ji Moran's eyes widened as a bad feeling washed over her. Before she could react, a cage of crackling lightning burst from the ground, its bars glowing with an ominous light. The cage snapped shut around her, trapping her within its electrified confines. "Success!"

"Ice Press!" she shouted, slashing at the bars with her sword, its blade sheathed in icy spiritual energy. The clash of sword and cage sent a deafening *BANG* reverberating through the air, but the cage held firm. Ji Moran's face paled as she felt her spiritual energy being siphoned away, drained by the malevolent artifact, while the loud explosion caused her to spit blood and fall to the ground.

"Haha, how does it taste?" Gao Zhenlei crowed, his laughter echoing like thunder. "This Life Steal Lightning Cage was a gift from my father. It's perfect for someone like you—no need to ruin such a flawless body. Haha!" His excitement grew with every passing moment, his eyes raking over her with a hunger that made her skin crawl.

Ji Moran's mind raced as she struggled against the cage's relentless drain. She had heard of the Gao family's reputation, their cruelty and greed known far and wide. But she had never imagined she would find herself at their mercy. Her gaze flickered to Jiang Feng, who was locked in his own battle nearby. Though he glanced her way occasionally, he made no move to intervene. For a moment, doubt crept into her heart, but then she smiled faintly. 'If he hasn't come over, it means he still believes in me. He trusts that I can hold out.'

"You'll die a horrible death," Ji Moran hissed, her voice trembling with rage as she snap back in Gao Zhenlei's direction. She reached into her pouch and swallowed a spiritual burst pill, its potent energy flooding her veins. But even that wasn't enough to counteract the cage's relentless drain.

"This Life Steal Lightning Cage is a high-level grade two artifact," Gao Zhenlei explained, his tone almost conversational, as if he were discussing the weather. "My father acquired it years ago. It's said to rival even grade three artifacts, thanks to its unique ability to drain spiritual energy and bolster its own defenses. You're finished."

Ji Moran's expression hardened, her resolve steeling itself against the despair threatening to consume her heart. She glanced once more at Jiang Feng, her heart steadying as she saw the determination in his eyes. 'I won't let him down' she thought, her grip tightening on her sword. 'I won't fail, I won't die here!'

With a defiant scream, Ji Moran rose to her feet, her body trembling with the strain. She plunged her sword into the ground, the icy blade sending a ripple of frost through the earth. Then, with a grimace, she swallowed two more spiritual burst pills, the surge of energy causing blood to trickle from the corner of her mouth.

"Are you mad woman? You'll kill yourself!" Amazement mirrored Gao Zhenlei's face as he watched her swallows the two pills not worried in the least. His confidence in the Life Steal Lightning Cage was very high.

Blood continued to leak from the corner of Ji Moran's mouth, she wasn't like Jiang Feng, who could devour such furious spiritual energy without consequence. She lacked his devouring diagram, his eternal bloodline and Aetherion Bloodline. But what she did have was a cold bloodline, a constitution that embodied the might of Deepfrost, one that looked down upon the mortal world with disdain.

Ji Moran had been born a genius, but her upbringing had sheltered her, shielding her from the harsh realities of the cultivation world. The fear of assassination had kept her confined by her father, a bird in a gilded cage. But here, in the crucible of battle, she was finally experiencing the true path of cultivation—the brutality of the human heart, the toll of life-and-death struggles, the fear of losing everything. Only in dire circumstances could one truly progress. Only by facing the abyss could one rise above it.

She spat out a mouthful of blood, the energy of the pills wreaking havoc within her body. Placing her hands together, she closed her eyes, her black hair rising as if caught in an invisible wind. The temperature around her plummeted, the air growing so cold it seemed to freeze in place.

"What are you doing?!" Gao Zhenlei's voice wavered, his confidence faltering for the first time as the air around him that was heated by the burning road and walls began to freeze. He raised his spear, preparing to strike her down within the cage, but before he could act, the cage itself froze solid. With a deafening crack, it shattered into countless shards, the backlash causing Gao Zhenlei to stagger and spit out blood due to his connection to the artifact.

"I won't let him down! I won't fail!" Ji Moran's voice rang out, clear and defiant. Above her, a massive tree began to take shape, its crystalline branches stretching outward like the arms of a god. Icy shards rained down from its crown, each one glinting like a deadly jewel. At the top of the tree, a majestic phoenix opened its eyes, its gaze piercing and full of ancient wisdom. This was Ji Moran's spirit projection—*Ice Phoenix Rebirth.*

Gao Zhenlei's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! A spirit projection in the Essence Stage, what kind of freaks are you people?!" he exclaimed.

"Die," Ji Moran commanded, her voice cold and unyielding. The icy shards rained down like a storm, the phoenix spreading its wings as the crystal tree swayed, its branches lashing out like whips, sharp as a blade and furious like a beast.

"Die, you bitch!" Gao Zhenlei roared, his shock giving way to rage. Above him, a field of lightning rippled into existence, a miniature sky filled with thunderclouds and crackling storms. This was his spirit projection—*Storm Cloud Field.* He thrust his spear forward, and the lightning field erupted, raining down furious bolts as a massive cloud descended like a falling star. The weight of it was palpable, a crushing force that threatened to obliterate everything in its path.

The two spirit projections clashed in a cataclysmic explosion of ice and lightning, the battlefield trembling under the force of their collision. The air itself seemed to shatter, the ground cracking and splintering as the two warriors poured everything they had into their attacks. This was no longer just a battle—it was a war of wills, a struggle for survival that would determine the fate of them all.

The piercing screech of the ice phoenix tore through the chaos, its cry echoing like a war horn as it spread its massive wings and surged forward. The majestic creature, a manifestation of Ji Moran's indomitable will, shot toward the falling storm cloud of lightning and thunder. Its crystalline feathers shimmered with an otherworldly light, each one radiating a cold so intense it seemed to freeze the very air around it.

Above, the branches of the towering ice tree lashed out, colliding with the furious bolts of lightning in a dazzling display of power. The air twisted and warped under the strain, spiritual energy scattering in every direction like shards of broken glass.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The explosions that followed were deafening, each one shaking the ground and sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. To an outsider, this would seem like a clash of titans, a battle befitting legends—not a fight between juniors. If the older generation were to witness this, they would be left speechless, their minds struggling to comprehend the sheer magnitude of what was unfolding. The Obsidian Waterfall Realm had granted them access to resources of unparalleled quality, and the results were nothing short of extraordinary.

The branches of the ice tree and the lightning bolts collided mid-air, their energies clashing in a blinding explosion of light and sound. Ji Moran stumbled backward, blood streaming from her eyes and ears, her body trembling under the strain. The damage she had sustained was immense, and yet, her spirit burned brighter than ever.

It was nothing short of miraculous that she had lasted this long, a testament to her resilience and determination. Her will to fight was unyielding, a fire that refused to be extinguished, pushing her forward like an invisible hand guiding her every move.

'Ember Armor,' she thought, the words slipping from her lips like a whispered prayer. In an instant, the armor materialized around her, its silver glow casting an ethereal light over her battered form. It clung to her like a second skin, its intricate designs giving her the appearance of a battle-hardened warrior, one who had faced death countless times and emerged victorious. Her eyes, though bloodshot and weary, burned with a fierce determination as she watched Gao Zhenlei charging toward her, his lightning spear crackling with unrestrained fury.

The spear's tip glowed with a menacing light, its energy filling the air with a sharp, electric tang. Gao Zhenlei's eyes were wild, filled with a brutality that bordered on madness. He was a storm given form, a force of nature hell-bent on destruction. But Ji Moran was no longer the sheltered girl she once was. She had been forged in the fires of battle, her spirit tempered by the relentless trials of the cultivation path. Gripping her sword tightly, she pressed forward, her movements deliberate and unwavering.

Above her, the ice tree swayed, its branches growing larger and more menacing with each passing moment. The air grew colder, the ground beneath her feet frosting over as she summoned the full extent of her power.

"Deepfrost Covers The World!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

"Kreee-aaahhh!"

The ice phoenix screeched in response, its cry a symphony of defiance and resolve. The creature surged forward, its body slamming into the falling storm cloud with a force that seemed to shake the heavens themselves. The collision was catastrophic, the phoenix and the cloud exploding in a blinding burst of light and energy.

BOOM!!

The shockwave sent both combatants reeling. Gao Zhenlei spat out a mouthful of blood, his body convulsing from the backlash of his shattered storm cloud. His eyes burned with hatred, his pride wounded by the fact that a mere junior had pushed him to such limits. With a roar, he thrust his spear forward, the weapon tearing through the air with deadly precision.

Ji Moran twisted her body at the last possible moment, the spear narrowly missing her heart but piercing through the right side of her chest. Blood splattered across the ground as the weapon tore through her flesh, the pain searing and immediate.

"Ahhhh!" she cried out, her voice a mixture of agony and defiance.

"Die, bitch!" Gao Zhenlei snarled, his voice dripping with venom. He expected to see her body charred and broken, her spirit crushed under the weight of his attack and her body shattering on the spot. If eyes could kill, he would've killed Ji Moran a dozen times over. But what he saw next sent a chill racing down his spine.

The ground beneath his feet was now covered in a thick layer of ice, its surface glistening like a frozen lake. Above him, the sky was filled with burning ice, snowflakes falling endlessly as the temperature plummeted. The towering ice tree loomed overhead, its branches stretching out like the arms of a vengeful god. And there, at the center of it all, was the ice phoenix, its body bathed in flames that burned with an icy coldness as it rose through nirvana. The creature spread its wings and let out another ear-piercing screech.

"Kreee-aaahhh!"

Ji Moran's eyes turned cold, her gaze piercing through Gao Zhenlei like a blade of ice. Her voice, when she spoke, was biting and filled with an unshakable will power, leaking with blood she opened her mouth and force the few words out.

"Phoenix Rebirth... Ice Domain!"

The words hung in the air like a death sentence, the very fabric of reality seeming to shift as her domain took hold. The battlefield was no longer theirs—it was hers. And in this frozen world, she was the queen, the judge, and the executioner.