The time it took for Bai Ning Bing to break free from the ice was far shorter than anyone had expected.
With a sharp crack, the crystalized ice began to split apart, the fractures rapidly spreading until it shattered completely from within.
Surrounding him were the clan elder, Gu Yue Qing Shu, Gu Yue Yao Hong, and two other members—five in total.
Meanwhile, Gu Yue Fang Zheng stood on a slope further up the mountain, watching the unfolding battle from higher ground while remaining alert.
If a group of Bai clan Gu Masters were to appear, it would be his responsibility to sound the alarm immediately.
"Bai Ning Bing, you dare to kill the Gu Masters in our clan, breaking the three clan alliance openly. Paying a life for a life is natural law! What else do you have to say?" the clan elder said with a haughty snort.
Bai Ning Bing ignored him completely, remaining silent as his gaze fixated on his right arm.
His left arm moved aimlessly, groping at empty air as if trying to grasp something that had never existed.
A deep frown formed on his face, his expression dark as still water, while arcs of lightning began to gather between his eyes.
"Actually forcing me to lose off my right arm, this guy is called Fang Yuan, right…" Listening to Xiong Li and Qing Shu's words, he had already learned Fang Yuan's name.
Muttering under his breath, Bai Ning Bing's icy blue eyes radiated a chilling and merciless killing intent.
His body exuded the heavy pressure of a Rank three Gu Master. Since Bai Ning Bing could seal his own cultivation, he naturally also possessed the ability to release those seals.
In the earlier battle, he simply hadn't had the time to unlock it.
Now, his aperture brimmed with white silver primeval essence at Rank three.
The thick essence pressed forcefully against the walls of his aperture, and Bai Ning Bing understood clearly—he was walking the path of self-destruction.
In a Gu Master's cultivation, the aperture produces primeval essence, and in turn, the essence nurtures the aperture.
As long as primeval essence remains within the aperture, it gradually strengthens it, even without being actively used—though this passive effect is subtle and far weaker compared to when the Gu Master channels the primeval essence deliberately.
It's much like how still seawater slowly erodes coastal rocks, whereas crashing waves wear them down much faster.
However, for someone with the Northern Dark Ice Soul physique, once they reached Rank three, the mere presence of primeval essence within their aperture was enough to provide the full nurturing effect, equivalent to actively cultivating with it.
This was the key to the Northern Dark Ice Soul physique's terrifying ability to skyrocket a Gu Master's cultivation speed.
Even more frightening, as the primeval essence became more refined, the nurturing effect intensified.
At Rank four, just keeping refined primeval essence within the aperture would grant a nourishment effect several times stronger than a typical Gu Master's active cultivation.
For ordinary Gu Masters, the higher their realm, the slower their cultivation progressed. But for those with one of the ten extreme physiques, it was the opposite—the higher their cultivation, the faster their growth, until they eventually collapsed under the weight of their own power.
It was like a person in free fall—depending on their posture and characteristics, they would only accelerate on the way down, destined to die horribly upon impact.
The ten extreme physiques were like falling from the greatest heights with perfect conditions for descent—gaining unmatched speed and brilliance, only to face inevitable ruin.
They shone the brightest at the moment of their destruction, like a meteor blazing brilliantly just before burning up in the atmosphere.
Previously, Bai Ning Bing had diluted his white silver primeval essence into red steel primeval essence precisely to slow down this fatal process.
But now, his aperture was once again filled entirely with white silver primeval essence.
He could feel it—every passing second, his cultivation was steadily advancing at a frightening pace.
"Actually forcing me to use the white silver primeval essence, and even making me go as far as to sacrifice the Frost Demon Gu! Where is Fang Yuan?" Bai Ning Bing's killing intent intensified as he asked. His blue iris swept across the surroundings, but could not find a trace of Fang Yuan.
The Frost Demon Gu he had sacrificed was a Rank three Gu worm—one he had only successfully refined after three failed attempts and the consumption of a significant amount of resources. After all, not everyone was like Fang Yuan, who had a 99% success rate in refining mortal Gu.
Now that it was gone, it truly felt like a devastating loss.
Although Bai Ning Bing had reached Rank three, it was a recent breakthrough. Even with the clan's backing, he couldn't monopolize all the available resources.
As a result, he only possessed two Rank three Gu worms. With the Frost Demon Gu destroyed, all he had left was the Blue Bird Ice Coffin Gu.
The more he dwelled on it, the more furious he became.
Since his youth, he had never suffered such a bitter setback!
Had Fang Yuan been in front of him now, he would have launched into a wild assault, driven by rage, and no one would've been able to stop him.
His complete disregard and disdain infuriated the Gu Yue clan elder, who felt deeply insulted by the contempt.
"Arrogant young lad, eat my moonblade slash!" He shouted, and jumped.
"Hmph!" Bai Ning Bing's left arm swept, and the frost air that gushed out formed into a long ice blade.
The original ice blade he had formed was just over a meter long, but now it had grown to two meters, its edge sharper and its frost energy even more intense.
Ching!
The clan elder raised both hands, glowing with moonlight, and met the ice blade in a direct clash, producing a metallic ring.
Shock filled the elder's face as he was forced a step back.
His palms came together before he slashed forward.
Golden Moon Slash!
A curved moonblade, over a meter in length with a golden hue, surged forward with a powerful, commanding presence.
The radiant golden light washed over Bai Ning Bing's pale features.
He let out a laugh, lifting the ice blade in his left hand and charging straight into the attack.
Clank!
The moonblade and ice blade struck each other—the golden arc vanished, and the ice blade shattered into countless glittering shards.
"This is a battle between Rank three Gu Masters? Really strong, not only the ice blade, but also that golden moonblade, I cannot block either!" Far away, Fang Zheng watched in fascination, with his lacking knowledge.
"How can this be? A Rank two Ice Blade Gu, managing to block my Rank three Moonhand blade, as well as the golden moon!" Clan elder stared with bulging eyes, disbelief in his tone.
The Northern Dark Ice Soul physique enhanced the power of Ice Gu, a subtype of water-element Gu, and this enhancement became even more potent as the Gu Master's cultivation advanced.
At Rank three, Bai Ning Bing could make a Rank two Gu worm exhibit the strength of a Rank three.
If he were to reach Rank four and use a Rank four Gu, its power could even exceed that of a typical Rank five Gu.
Previously, he had kept his cultivation suppressed, so only the effect of regenerating primeval essence remained active.
But now that the restriction was lifted and he had returned to Rank three, the true potential of the Northern Dark Ice Soul physique was beginning to manifest.
"Hmph, old man, you don't know a lot of things." Bai Ning Bing's feet paused, holding his ice blade horizontally, as he started to rotate.
Huhuhu...
The fierce wind roared around him as his speed continued to rise rapidly.
Howl!
The gusts took on the sound of a beast's howl, and within minutes, a five-meter-tall sword storm had taken shape.
The white, tornado-like winds lashed out violently, leaving those nearby with dulled senses from the overwhelming force.
"Quickly dodge!" Even a clan elder, upon seeing this, did not dare to challenge it — he quickly avoided.
The other Rank two Gu Masters weren't able to evade in time.
The ice blade storm struck in an instant, moving at a speed three times faster—or even more—than before.
Ah——!
The two male Gu Masters were engulfed by the storm, their screams cut short almost immediately.
Within seconds, they were shredded into pulp by the razor-sharp ice blades, losing their lives on the spot.
"Save me!" Gu Yue Yao Hong screamed in fear, seeing that she was about to be swept into the tornado and perish.
Green Vine Gu!
Gu Yue Qing Shu unleashed green vines that shot forward, wrapping tightly around Gu Yue Yao Hong's waist like serpents.
He was just about to pull her back when the ice blade storm reached her, engulfing her in a single sweep.
Swish swish swish.
The ice blades went to work immediately, slicing the female Gu Master into five or six chunks.
The freezing air had already solidified her blood before it could even spill.
Moments later, those chunks were further shredded into smaller bits, leaving behind palm-sized fragments of her frozen corpse.
"Yao Hong!" Seeing this scene, Qing Shu grieved with sorrowful eyes.
"Sister Yao Hong…" On the slope, Fang Zheng could not take such an intense scene, kneeling on the ground with a soulless gaze, tears overflowing from his eyes.
"Damn it, Steel Shirt Gu!" The clan elder took a deep breath as his body glowed with black light, looking as he was covered in a steel armor.
He raised both arms to shield his face and sprinted straight into the icy blue blade storm.
Chink chink chink.
Without hesitation, he plunged in.
Within seconds, countless ice blades struck his body, producing sharp, crisp sounds.
Moments later, the storm subsided.
Bai Ning Bing and the clan elder stood face to face.
"Old thing, you are asking for death." Bai Ning Bing stood still in the cold winds.
His left hand's ice blade had already broken into two. But this did not stop it from penetrating the elder's heart.
"Huh…" The clan elder looked down at his chest, a stunned, helpless sound escaping his lips.
Bai Ning Bing released the ice blade from his right hand and calmly walked past him.
Behind him, the elder's face was glazed with pale blue frost before he collapsed, never to rise again.
From a distance, Fang Zheng watched in shock, his pupils shrinking as fear gripped his heart.
He couldn't believe it.
A powerful Rank three elder had fallen just like that.
Was Bai Ning Bing really this terrifying?