The Ice Witch curled her lips into a mischievous grin of success.

"Ice Witch, I..."

"I!"

Chen Qi pressed his hand against his aching throat, glaring fiercely at the Ice Witch.

Damnable Ice Witch!

She had actually shoved that terrifying thing directly down his throat!

That red-black energy sphere continuously radiating ripples had just entered his body!

One after another, crimson ripples kept piercing out from within him!

Even with his fourth-tier physique, he could hardly resist this kind of attack launched from inside his body!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

His body trembled violently, as if being slowly carved by hundreds of blades, piece by piece!

If he had to describe this feeling, it was like having a knife inside his heart constantly stabbing outward!

It hurts so much... Chen Qi gritted his teeth, his skin splitting open, bright red notifications abruptly popping before his eyes.

[You are equipping rift weapon - Blade's Wrath!]

The Ice Witch rested her chin on her hand, took out a pocket watch, and said gently:

"Activate all your defensive qi force techniques, try to adapt to this feeling.

Don't worry, I'm here~"

No! No!

If this continues, my body will be completely crippled!

As if a knife had stabbed into his lungs, Chen Qi's pupils abruptly contracted, mustering all his strength to resist the sensation of Blade affinity energy erosion!

This incredibly sharp force forced him to curl up, unleashing all his spiritual energy!

Correct judgment... The Ice Witch focused intently, staring fixedly at Chen Qi:

"No need to be too afraid, relax, those aren't real knives, but spiritual energy ripples. Just circulate your internal spiritual energy in reverse to reduce the pain."

Reverse neutralization? A terrifying half-meter blood mark abruptly split open on Chen Qi's skin.

The Ice Witch continued:

"Boldly attempt dangerous experiments."

"I'm here, I'm here..."

The Ice Witch put down her crossed leg, speaking softly.

Her gaze softened considerably, flashing with a holy, gentle maternal quality.

This tenderness momentarily even eased the anger in Chen Qi's heart.

As long as she was here, it seemed no accident could possibly happen to him.

Lacking instruments and rashly equipping a rift weapon was an extremely dangerous operation.

However, the Ice Witch herself was the best surgeon.

If any accident occurred, she could instantly activate time stop and remove the rift weapon from Chen Qi's body.

Ice Witch... Chen Qi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger, fear, and confusion in his eyes.

Right now, more important than getting back at the Ice Witch was digesting this other 'Spiritual Core' inside his body.

If he couldn't digest this power, both his Spiritual Core and physical body would suffer irreversible damage!

Drip! Drip!

Drop after drop of blood fell from his skin.

Chen Qi stopped suppressing himself and began adjusting his spiritual energy, forming ripple after ripple inside his body, charging straight toward his heart.

Thump thump thump thump!

The spiritual energy waves from his heart and the pulsations of the rift energy sphere intersected.

"Da, da, da, da—"

The Ice Witch hummed a rhythm, helping Chen Qi adapt to this feeling.

Make the spiritual energy ripples and the rift weapon ripples cancel each other out!

Frequency, and rhythm...

And so, enduring the pain, Chen Qi continuously corrected his spiritual energy waves.

Adjusting his body over and over.

Time after time—

Driven by instinctual fear from deep within, Chen Qi focused all his attention entirely on his physical body.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the frequency of the spiritual energy waves emanating from his body and the ripples of the rift weapon achieved astonishing synchronization.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

For a brief moment, Chen Qi felt his body both restless and incredibly tranquil.

Like an ocean.

Seemingly calm, but turbulent beneath the surface.

"I've done it."

A bright red notification also popped up in Chen Qi's mind.

[You have successfully equipped rift weapon - Blade's Wrath.]

[Blade's Wrath

Weapon Type: Energy Type.

Affinity: Blade

Corresponding Rift: C-tier Blade Affinity - Mountain of War

Rift Effects:

Spiritual Energy Storage: This weapon can serve as a small Spiritual Core for your use.

Blade Enhancement: Greatly strengthens all your Blade affinity techniques!

Side Effect: Becomes exceptionally angry when using this weapon's power.]

"Huff, huff, huff..."

Chen Qi adjusted his breathing, reopening his bloodshot eyes.

Below his feet was now a terrifying pool of blood.

And his skin bore over a hundred new wounds.

"Congratulations."

The Ice Witch confirmed Chen Qi was unharmed, put down her pocket watch, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She picked up a cup of brewed flower tea and handed it to Chen Qi.

Then she explained:

"This is a miniature rift weapon, crafted from a C-tier rift. Of course, it's not on the same level as the B-tier rift needed for advancing to fifth tier.

Ultimately, it's just a weapon."

The Ice Witch continued:

"However, after digesting this weapon, both your future spiritual energy sublimation and rift connection will become much easier."

Chen Qi took a sip of flower tea, sensing his spiritual energy field.

Just now, roughly two hours had passed.

Yet his spiritual energy field had abruptly surged by one-third!

Simultaneously, his spiritual energy became much easier to convert into Blade Energy and qi force!

Such drastic changes from just two hours of training!

Chen Qi looked at the smiling Ice Witch and exhaled a breath of blood mist.

Hmm? The Ice Witch said:

"Angry?

Sorry, we don't have much time, I had to use the fastest method.

Let me praise you a little, Little Black Hair, you did excellently. Next, you just need to practice spiritual energy sublimation, then you can try to confront the Blizzard Dragon King~"

Those who receive my praise are very rare... The Ice Witch smiled slightly.

I really want to kick the Ice Witch... Chen Qi didn't know how to respond.

These past days, the Ice Witch's image as a Sea Goddess, saint, ice beauty had completely shattered in his mind!

Were the Ice Witch and the icy saint from the forums really the same person?

The Ice Witch's personality was much more malicious than he had imagined.

Moreover, while the Ice Witch usually maintained only icy and gentle smiles in the normal world, in the time-stop world, she was utterly twisted.

When he first met the Ice Witch, Chen Qi had regretted accidentally stepping on her face.

But now he increasingly felt that kick back then.

Was too light!

Too light!

Damnable Ice Witch, if you wanted me to equip a weapon, couldn't you explain properly?

However, Chen Qi had to admit that compared to fully prepared practice, this sudden 'operation' better stirred his survival instincts, allowing him to quickly switch to his optimal state.

Otherwise, if he had to mentally prepare before attempting it, it might have taken several times longer.

Simultaneously, while malicious was malicious, undoubtedly, every move the Ice Witch made was helping him grow rapidly.

Just the value of this rift weapon alone might rival his Flesh Cleaver Bone Breaker!

Not to mention the Witch's Page that previously helped with spiritual energy sublimation.

The Ice Witch genuinely wanted to train him into a fifth-tier powerhouse from the bottom of her heart.

The Ice Witch raised her hand, took out a book from her Wormhole Backpack, and handed it to him.

Chen Qi accepted the book.

The cover prominently displayed the title: "Five-Day Crash Course for Spiritual Energy Sublimation - by the Book Saint!"

Below it was a line of small text:

"Friend! Still troubled about failing exams?"

"Choose this book, guaranteed success!"

A White Tower Federation book.

But spiritual energy sublimation in just five days? Chen Qi remarked sarcastically.

Normally, spiritual energy sublimation required various resources plus special cultivation sites to achieve.

However, he immediately understood everything: the Witch's Page, plus the recently equipped rift weapon Blade's Wrath.

If he added some spiritual energy potions purchased from the Merchant's Coffin, completing spiritual energy sublimation within five days wasn't difficult!

"Thank you, Ice Witch."

Chen Qi temporarily set aside the impulse to kick the Ice Witch.

Before the current Ice Witch, he was merely an apprentice.

But he really wanted to kick her... Chen Qi couldn't help but glance at the Ice Witch's face.

At that moment, the Ice Witch's face slightly reddened, her crimson pupils contracting.

Then she lowered her head, looking at Chen Qi's shoes.

The size of these shoes was so familiar!

These were the shoes that destroyed her elegance!

She asked:

"Don't you have anything to confess? For example, that you stepped on a certain witch?"

She still remembers this... Chen Qi coughed twice, looking speechlessly at the Ice Witch:

"The floor was slippery, Witch-sama, you wouldn't mind such a matter, would you?"

So it wasn't Fen who stepped on me... The Ice Witch paused for a moment, then said with a smile:

"Tolerance is a virtue, how could this witch possibly mind such a trivial matter."

"..."

Really? Chen Qi looked at the Ice Witch, a faint sense of foreboding stirring in his heart.

Immediately after, the Ice Witch stood up, handing some potions to Chen Qi:

"The Blizzard Dragon King is entrusted to you, Qi."

Then she reached out, gently brushing over Chen Qi's wounds.

Under the Ice Witch's gentle touch, the wounds on his body slowly healed.

Hmm... Chen Qi accepted the potions.

Although her personality was somewhat malicious, he had to admit the Ice Witch was like a meticulous mentor, truly reliable.

I'll get back at her after becoming stronger later... Chen Qi thought silently to himself.

Immediately, he focused all his attention on confronting the Blizzard Dragon King.

For a fourth-tier Transcendent, defeating a fifth-tier monster wasn't impossible.

But undoubtedly, this would be extremely dangerous.

And once he failed, he would die.

Chen Qi bit his lip, feeling both excitement and fear in his heart.

It had been a long time since he engaged in such a high-risk cross-tier battle.

At that moment, the Ice Witch seemed to see through all the thoughts in Chen Qi's heart.

She placed her hand on Chen Qi's head, gently stroking it, and whispered:

"Don't worry, don't be too afraid. Before you die, I will die first."

The Ice Witch's words were very soft, but carried an undeniable force.

As if this wasn't comfort, but an inevitable destiny.

Die first... Chen Qi couldn't help but recall the Ice Witch's story.

In the future, the invincible Ice Witch, when facing the Blackfin Crew blessed by the Great Whale, would also feel unprecedented helplessness and fear.

...

Great Sea Coffin, Ghost Nethersea Ship.

The air was thick with the tense smell of gunpowder.

Everyone stood on the deck, weapons in hand, gazing toward the distant horizon, fully prepared.

This was already their fifteenth day in the Great Sea Coffin.

If they could hold out for fifteen days, they could leave the Witch's Coffin, settle rewards, and return to the real world!

However, the monsters they encountered were increasing.

Yetis, long-legged Snow Women, headless Snow Knights, etc...

Each monster possessed fourth-tier strength!

Every night, these terrifying monsters would cross the sea to attack the Ghost Ship!

If not for the Ghost Nethersea Ship's powerful defenses, and the command of Palu, the Ice Witch, and others, they would have suffered heavy casualties.

Currently, the entire ship's crew still had zero deaths.

However, this final day was the most terrifying part.

As an A-tier rift, the difficulty of the Great Sea Coffin's final day was the sum of all previous difficulties!

Palu, Fen, and other fourth-tier legends had developed severe frostbite and couldn't fight.

Fen changed into a cold-resistant navy uniform given by the Ice Witch, standing straight on the deck, observing ahead.

On the distant horizon, hundreds of terrifying figures moving at high speed abruptly appeared—

Fen immediately commanded:

"Everyone, prepare for battle, the final monster wave is about to hit."

"Burry, activate the ship's defense systems, prepare for repairs!"

"Water Spirit No.1 and Palu, accelerate the ship, circle around the traps we designed!"

"Little Crow, detect any monsters hiding spiritual energy! Prepare to distribute medicine!"

On the deck, the heroic Vice-Captain Fen held her staff, directing everyone.

One after another, ferocious white snow dragons skimmed across the sea at speeds barely visible to the naked eye, forming hundreds of white waves charging toward the Nethersea Ghost Ship!

In just a few breaths, they had closed the thousand-meter distance from the horizon to the Ghost Ship.

Boom! Boom!

The entire Ghost Ship quickly ignited, forming an eerie green protective shield.

Battle was imminent.

Each of these hundred snow dragons was ten meters long, elegant in form, possessing strength and speed rivaling legendary Transcendents.

They opened their ferocious mouths stained with blood, spewing white beams of destructive light, impacting the Nethersea Ghost Ship's defenses.

And all crew members held nothing back, unleashing their techniques!

Every Transcendent who could join this operation was among the elite of the elite.

For a time, the sea around them erupted with cannon fire, stirring up wave after wave!

However, the Nethersea Ghost Ship still had significant deficiencies in its defense systems.

After five minutes of fierce battle, the snow dragons broke through the protective shield, opening their bloody mouths to directly bite the combined medical and detection squad led by Little Crow!

"Damn it!"

Little Crow's pupils rapidly contracted, blocking with her arms.

Even though she had received much instruction from the Ice Witch, her practical combat ability still fell short of true fourth-tier powerhouses.

Swish!

A figure swiftly passed between them.

Flowers filled the sky, falling onto the deck.

Blood blossoms fall! Fen charged forward, with one strike implanted life-absorbing flowers into the snow dragon's body.

Instantly, the snow dragon's body erupted with massive amounts of blood, its size shrinking, becoming extremely withered.

These past days, with the Ice Witch's support, Fen's life techniques had advanced another level!

Fen reached out, pulling Little Crow protectively in front of her:

"Don't worry, I'm here."

"Thank you..."

So strong, this is the witch's disciple... Little Crow looked at Fen's back, eyes full of envy.

But immediately, she sensed an ominous aura.

"Miss Flower Witch, be careful of the sky!"

Sky? Fen frowned.

The sky suddenly became abnormal, dark clouds rolling continuously, bitter winds howling, a storm gathering.

Little Crow stood at the ship's bow, staring into the distance, where within the storm on the horizon, a huge blurry figure was roaring deeply.

Its body covered in crystalline ice armor, wings beating, stirring up gusts of wind.

Blizzard. Arrival!

In an instant, the entire Ghost Ship was engulfed in a massive blizzard, the sea stirring up wave after wave of tsunamis.

The previously orderly resistance instantly turned chaotic.

Palu struggled to stabilize himself in the pitching ship, looked up, frowning.

As expected, this Dragon King would attack at their weakest moment.

These past days, their medicine, stamina had been completely exhausted.

Little Crow shouted:

"All crew members, everyone be careful, the blizzard is coming! Beware extreme cold!"

However, before she could finish...

Boom!

An even fiercer blizzard swept over everyone, the entire ship listing heavily.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Many people, due to the extreme cold, instantly turned into ice sculptures, collapsing on the deck.

In the gale, Fen deployed a defensive shield technique, struggling against this enormous blizzard.

But before the fifth-tier dragon, this was far too insignificant.

An incarnation of natural disaster!

Wherever it went, thousands of miles froze solid!

Layer upon layer of thick ice crystals continuously formed on Fen's and everyone else's hands and feet.

The entire ship and nearby thousand-meter sea area instantly froze.

The massive blizzard obscured everyone's vision.

Even the Ice Witch standing at the deck's center couldn't help but frown.

The Blizzard Dragon King's power slightly exceeded her expectations.

"It's coming! Miss Witch!"

Little Crow shouted a warning. As a Disaster Messenger apprentice, she could sense danger in advance.

"Coming?"

The blizzard severely disrupted Fen's spiritual energy perception.

Within the blizzard, a huge blurry dragon figure had already appeared, charging straight for Fen's head and the detection and medical squad behind her!

A heavy shadow fell over the pitching ship.

Not enough time! Fen gritted her teeth, preparing to counterattack.

But at this moment, her stiff body couldn't support her protecting everyone.

In that instant, she seemed to already see the massive dragon body crashing into the ship, turning it into an ice sculpture, then completely shattering it.

Boom! Boom!

The roaring grew closer!

The Blizzard Dragon King approached with boundless snow, wind, and storm's might.

Its wind force pressed down on everyone like ten-thousand-pound boulders!

Damn it! Fen's heart pounded wildly. She could already see the Dragon King's terrifying maw capable of devouring everything.

In that instant, Fen instinctively bit her finger, preparing to consume her own lifespan to activate Release.

"Fen, calm down."

However, a gentle male voice quickly steadied everyone.

Click! Click!

Two leisurely sounds of flint striking echoed through the blizzard.

At the Nethersea Ghost Ship's bow, a white flame slowly ignited.

In the flickering flame's light, stabilized figures also saw a blurry figure and the increasingly large pale dragon body in the gale!

The Dragon King had arrived!

The Blizzard Dragon King opened its massive maw, carrying a howling blizzard, smashing toward the Ghost Ship.

Click!

With a crisp sound of a blade being drawn.

The blade swept through the Daylight Lantern's flame, slashing out a twenty-meter dazzling white fire, forcibly halting the soaring natural disaster incarnation, the Blizzard Dragon King, right before the ship's bow!