CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 263: ANDREW AND YORKSHIRE

A chaotic cloud of Fire Elements, along the line dividing east and west, headed straight for the Royal Court from south to north.

This cloud of elements was exceptionally violent!

However, the moment it entered the range of the "Anti-Air Magic Array" surrounding the Royal Court, it was silently torn to shreds.

The sky above the Royal Court was utterly calm.

The sky above the vast Snow Mountain Range to the north of the Royal Court was even clearer and more expansive.

Just like a pure land, echoing with that Retirement Land in the south, also on the dividing line between east and west.

Andrew did not know what the Retirement Land was like.

He only knew that the calmness before him was nothing but a temporary illusion.

Just like the calm before the storm.

It wouldn’t be long until the storm arrives when the king of the Royal Court ends his seclusion.

That’s why preparations must be made.

"This is the place." The Frost Guard leading the way stopped in his tracks.

Before them was a high wall.

A wall made of ice.

The semi-transparent ice surface and the inside of the ice were covered with mysterious array patterns.

This is the "Array Pattern Inheritance" from the tribe of Ancient Titans, quite different from the Flame Mage’s "Magic Array." Not only is this array stronger, but among the "Anti-Air" type arrays, the Royal Court’s array is much stronger than that in Warm Fire City.

What’s special is that the "Array Pattern Inheritance" of the Royal Court can be used on the human body. The oil paint on the faces and bodies of the Frost Guards, including the "Eternal Frost Ice Pattern" that only the Royal Family can practice, are essentially "array patterns engraved on the human body."

In front of him, a large number of intricate array patterns gathered into a whole, forming this ice wall before him.

This is a unique prison of the Royal Court: the Ice Prison.

Yorkshire’s body was frozen within that wall at this moment.

"Thank you." Andrew said politely to the Frost Guard, "Please release him, I have some words to say to him."

The Frost Guard was visibly hesitant about releasing Yorkshire but eventually nodded, stepped forward, and placed his hand on the ice wall.

At that moment, the deep blue oil paint on the guard’s face and hands seemed to resonate with the array patterns on the ice wall.

With a buzz, the ice prison in the shape of a high wall trembled.

Then, with a strange "wriggling" of the wall surface, Yorkshire’s body inside was "squeezed" out.

With a thud, Yorkshire’s body fell to the ground, motionless.

It seemed that his earlier confrontation with Andrew left him severely injured, and being frozen in the Ice Prison for so long, now he seemed to have only half a life left.

"Stop pretending." Andrew spoke calmly, "Trying to make me drop my guard, attract me closer, and then suddenly strike? It’s useless; I won’t be fooled."

As soon as he spoke, blood silently spread from beneath Yorkshire’s body.

"He seems to be really close to death..." The Frost Guard said, with a strange expression. He stepped forward quickly and bent to check, "Hey, wake up. If you really die here, it would be quite a trouble for me..."

The moment the guard touched Yorkshire, he shuddered violently, feeling a strong "pulse" reach his heart through his arm!

With a painful groan, the Frost Guard went limp and fell.

Originally as still as a corpse, Yorkshire suddenly sprang up, pounced on the guard, and put his mouth to the oil paint on the back of the guard’s hand, actually "sucking" it into his mouth and swallowing it!

Yorkshire’s pale, sickly complexion immediately looked much better.

He casually tossed the unconscious Frost Guard aside, his gaze as sharp as a wolf, locking onto Andrew.

"I didn’t expect you to have such a strange ability." Andrew met Yorkshire’s eyes calmly. While speaking, he activated the "Water Priestess Series," quietly casting several healing spells on the Frost Guard.

Through the healing, Andrew found that the guard’s heart injury was not severe.

The reason for his unconsciousness seemed more like having suffered a serious illness.

It seemed that after Yorkshire absorbed the oil paint—essentially the array pattern—from his hand, the guard’s "vitality" was greatly drained.

Conversely, the blood holes and wounds on Yorkshire’s body, inflicted by Andrew’s fingers in their previous battle, were healing rapidly. This healing ability was far beyond the normal level for an Earth Fire Professional.

"Hehe, it’s nothing, just some reverse application of ’Earth Fire Pulse.’ Don’t you know, when Earth Fire Magic is cultivated to the end, it will more or less carry a property of devouring."

Yorkshire grinned, "The taste of this ’Ice Pattern Oil Paint’ is indeed quite good. I’ve long heard that the ’Eternal Frost Ice Pattern’ of the Royal Family contains the strong life force of the Ancient Titans, and this ’Ice Pattern Oil Paint’ is just a weakened version, yet already has such a good effect."

Andrew listened thoughtfully.

Hearing Yorkshire speak of the devouring attribute of Earth Fire Magic, Andrew suddenly recalled what Dean Charlie had mentioned on the magic airship: saying the world’s Water Elements hadn’t disappeared but had gathered somewhere. President Beiru had perceived this and thus predicted the world had only three years left, which led to the urgent recommendation for Andrew to use the "Dragon Awakening Potion" for special training.

Hearing the "Eternal Frost Ice Pattern" contains Titan Power, and the "Ice Pattern Oil Paint" is just its weaker version, he felt a twinge in his heart: "This indicates changes in the expected recovery speed of the King’s injury must be made.

Although the Royal Court lacks good doctors, the self-healing ability of the King, equipped with the ’Eternal Frost Ice Pattern,’ is likely much stronger than I assumed, capable of rapidly healing injuries without the aid of Healing Magic."

If the King can truly heal rapidly, the chance of our side breaking off negotiations becomes even slimmer.

This only strengthened Andrew’s determination to continue with his plan.

In this current situation, retreating would only be more dangerous, advancing is the only way to seize a sliver of chance!

And the most crucial step of the plan is right now—

Opposite him, Yorkshire stood up, his face, regaining its rosiness, handsome beyond words, but with increasingly cruel expression in his eyes.

This is an extremely arrogant guy.

Even though he had been thoroughly defeated by Andrew not long ago, his gaze still brimmed with confidence and murderous intent.

"Counterattack Technique, right?"

Yorkshire looked at Andrew, licking his lips, "While I was frozen in the ice wall, I had a good time to calm down and reflect on why I lost to you before. I admit, I underestimated you. I never thought you’d actually learn the Counterattack Technique. It’s the Counterattack Technique, isn’t it?"

Andrew nodded.

"Exactly! I knew it, I knew it was the Counterattack Technique!" Yorkshire clapped, like a child solving a riddle, ecstatic, "Very impressive, you were able to win against me once, very impressive indeed. But, I won’t lose to the same person a second time, so you’re going to die soon, do you understand?"

"I’m not quite convinced of that." Andrew sighed.

Sometimes when your opponent talks too much, you just don’t feel like saying a word.

He didn’t say much, just raised a finger pointing behind the other, simply saying: "Before you show off, maybe take a proper look at your situation, okay?"

Yorkshire frowned, then sneered: "Fine, you can attack while I turn around, do you think I’d be afraid of you?"

He turned to look.

He saw a figure encased in the ice wall behind him.

Yorkshire stared at the figure, stunned, then involuntarily widened his eyes.

Because he found that the figure was himself!

A Yorkshire, frozen within the ice wall!

"So I... am not actually released? Am I still frozen in the Ice Prison?" A baffling thought flashed through Yorkshire’s mind, "Then who is this me standing outside the Ice Prison now?!"