'I have to have my mind embody ice? But how?' Chu Yun thought, her breath sharp as she kept moving. With the woman being almost ten percent stronger than her, she needed to find another way to overcome the gap in power. She tried to create some distance, but the woman didn't allow her to get too far, relentlessly following with a storm of attacks that forced Chu Yun backward again and again.
'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I have to be like those emotionless, beautiful women in those cultivation novels… I don't want to be cursed with the fact I can't show my emotions… no, I can just freeze logic, meaning I should be able to freeze the fact I can't show emotions, thereby allowing me to show emotions.'
Her eyes lit up with sudden realization, the fear within her fading as understanding took its place. Chu Yun no longer hesitated; she accepted the path before her. If becoming one with ice was the only way forward, then she would embrace it completely. The question now was how to make that thought a reality before her body gave in to exhaustion.
For this, Chu Yun focused on the woman before her, studying every minute detail of her movements—the flow of her hands, the rhythm of her breathing, even the faint shifts in the air around her. She was trying to read her, to see beyond the technique and glimpse the mindset that made her one with ice. It didn't take long before understanding began to dawn.
'She's not commanding the ice like I am…' Chu Yun realized, eyes widening slightly. The woman wasn't forcing the element to obey her will. Instead, the ice itself responded to her naturally, moving as if it were a part of her body—a seamless unity of thought and nature.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Yun stopped trying to control the ice and instead sought to flow with it. She tried to feel its essence, to let it guide her rather than the other way around. But the process was far from gentle. The moment she relinquished control, sharp ice spikes burst from the ground, piercing her body without mercy.
Agony consumed her as cold seeped into her bones, her blood freezing within her veins. It felt as if her very soul was crystallizing, turning into solid frost that threatened to shatter at any moment. She trembled but didn't stop. Each spike that struck her was another lesson in pain and understanding—a brutal trial of what it meant to become ice. And though her movements slowed, though her strength faded, she endured, buried deeper and deeper beneath the very element she sought to master.
It wasn't an easy task for her. Every second felt like an eternity, her body numb from the cold and her thoughts clouded by pain. Yet, slowly—bit by bit—Chu Yun's mind began to open… or better yet, freeze. She stopped resisting the frost that tore through her and instead welcomed it, letting the element flow freely through her body and soul. The once-hostile chill no longer sought to destroy her; it became a part of her, wrapping around her consciousness like an extension of herself.
The ice no longer answered commands—it listened to her heart.
Seeing this transformation, the woman who had been attacking finally came to a halt. Her cold, emotionless gaze softened ever so slightly as she gave a slow nod of approval. Without another word, her form began to fade, dissolving into the frost-filled air.
She had never intended to kill Chu Yun; that was never the purpose of this trial. Her existence here was meant to force Chu Yun to unite with her element completely, to experience what it truly meant to embody ice. After all, what better way to achieve that than by having ice pierce through her body, freezing her soul until only the essence of ice remained? Of course, had Chu Yun failed to endure… she would have simply died.
Chu Yun's eyes snapped open as she instinctively leapt backward, her body tense and ready for another attack. But the expected rush of cold air, the endless expanse of ice, and the presence of the white-haired woman were all gone. She blinked in confusion, her heart still racing from the battle, only to realize she was no longer in that frozen dimension.
Her surroundings had returned to normal—the same room she had been in before starting the trial. The air was still, warm, almost unnervingly calm compared to the biting chill she had just endured. Sitting casually in front of her was Seth, relaxed in a chair, his lazy gaze fixed directly on her as if he had been watching the entire time.
[Congratulations. You have reached Tier 1. You have gained a new skill from your talent, "OmniFreeze": "Omni Ice Manipulation."]
[Name: Chu Yun
Race: Frost Goddess Dragon
Talent: Omni Freeze (SSS Rank)
Title: [One out of the 18 people with an SSS rank Talent], [Blessed By the Dragon Goddess]
Tier: 1 Tier (10/1,000,000 XP)
Combat Power: 90,000 (+25% with gear/ ??? With Omni Ice)
===============
Skills: [Ice Manipulation (5/5)], [Dragon God's Eyes (5/5)], [Ice Magic (3/5)], [Heat Absorbation (2/5)], [Omni Ice Manipulation (1/5)]
Resistances: [Cold (5/5)], [Blood Loss (5/5)], [Mind Manipulation (6/5)]... ETC
Equipped Gear: [Absolute Zero Gear Set]
Mount/Pet: [Unhatched Egg]
"Such power," Chu Yun whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief as she felt the surge of energy coursing through her veins. A slow grin formed on her lips as she turned toward Seth, realizing that—for the first time—she was stronger than him.
Yet Seth showed no sign of irritation or surprise. His expression remained calm, unreadable. He knew full well that within his own territory, his strength doubled, making him easily her superior to most.
But even that meant little compared to the staggering combat power she now possessed—ninety thousand, an unimaginable number for someone who had just broken into Tier 1. Even with the ten percent debuff she would suffer when stepping into another Overlord's domain, she would still be a walking calamity.
"Go and clear more regions," Seth said evenly as he rose from his chair, his tone composed and measured. "With that kind of power, you shouldn't face any real problems."
Without waiting for her response, he turned and began to walk away
"What? Shouldn't you treat me with a little more respect?" Chu Yun said, her tone sharp with annoyance. "I have a higher power level than you now."
Seth didn't respond. He simply kept walking, his calm demeanor unshaken. That silence made her irritation flare even more. Her eyes narrowed, and a faint wave of frost swept across the ground. In an instant, ice crawled up Seth's legs, locking him in place just as he was about to leave.
"I don't have to take orders from you anymore. You get that?" she said firmly, stepping closer with confidence. Her aura pulsed through the room like a winter storm, her breath visible in the sudden cold.
Seth turned his head slightly, meeting her glare with a raised eyebrow.
"So, kill me," Seth said lightly, his tone calm and unshaken. The words caught Chu Yun off guard; she froze for a moment, not expecting such a response. But then a slow, confident smile spread across her face.
Instead of attacking, she reached forward, grabbing Seth by the shirt and pulling him down until their faces were inches apart.
"That's too simple," she said with a smirked smile. "I'll make you my husband."
Oh, how long she had secretly admired him. For weeks, she had tried to draw his attention—wearing outfits she thought he might notice, speaking in ways that might catch his eye—but he had never reacted, never once acknowledging her efforts. Yet now, standing before him, stronger than ever, she felt no need for subtlety. She would take what she wanted, and this time, she wouldn't care about his approval.