Martial World (Web Novel)
chapter-1323

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News of Lin Ming and Frost Dream’s upcoming match spread like wildfire. Many heroic youths that worshipped Frost Dream immediately rushed back to the martial arena in droves, hoping to see Frost Dream’s figure once more. They would be satisfied with just a glance.

Most of these people were young men; very few were women or seniors. The latter people weren’t in a hurry to return to the martial arena at all. They assumed that it would be a complete wreck. If a fight couldn’t even last for three breaths of time, then there really wasn’t any meaning at all.

There were even some people that went to ride their spirit ships to return home. In their opinion, the First Martial Meeting had ended, and this last match was only going through the moves. It could even be said that this final match would ruin the overall prestige of the tournament. Hang Chi’s battle against Frost Dream had already been spectacular enough. After watching something like that, if they were to watch someone get immediately rolled over by Frost Dream then that would leave a horrible aftertaste.

Finally, only around a quarter of the people, around 100 million, were left in the arena. A great deal of the audience stands were empty.

“Lin Ming has finally awakened…”

Not too far from the stage, Jun Bluemoon looked at Lin Ming. He had felt it was strange and unexplainable that Lin Ming’s soul had been damaged. His intuition told him that perhaps what happened Lin Ming’s soul wasn’t something as simple as an injury. There was likely some secret to his soul.

“His aura is different.”

Jun Bluemoon was extremely sensitive to changes. Even if Lin Ming was hiding his strength, like a dust-laden divine spear not revealing the faintest glint of its sharp edge, Jun Bluemoon could still feel the difference in Lin Ming’s body.

He could even feel that Lin Ming’s body was like a miniature universe, giving off a profound feeling beyond comprehension.

“That boy called Lin Ming is quite good. In this last year and a half, his body has truly changed. It seems he’s managed to turn his misfortune into a blessing… but… against that little girl Frost Dream, anything he does is useless.”

From within Jun Bluemoon’s mind, the voice of an old man echoed out, his words full of whimsy.

“Old Sword, are you sure?”

“Of course! Who do you think that Frost Dream is? Do you think any ordinary genius can reach Frost Dream’s level of strength at the late Divine Sea realm? Is Hang Chi not strong? He comes from Mount Potala, a sect with an inheritance greater than Divine Dream Heavenly Palace. In fact, you can even call it the strongest background of all. Moreover, he possesses the golden body of the reincarnated Buddha, something that appears only every several tens or even hundreds of millions of years. He has cultivated an unbreakable diamond Vajra body and even possesses the Lotus Heart Bodhi, the relic of Buddha. From his birth, he began training with all sorts of secret skills and his body was washed and transformed with all sorts of precious medicines. In his 30 years of torturous cultivation, he abstained from sin and worldly desires and possesses a pure body. His temperament, his talent, his perception – there is nothing that isn’t perfect. He can be considered at the peak of all geniuses, and yet against Frost Dream, he lost all the same.”

As the old man spoke to here, he curled his lips as if he wasn’t feeling too well about something.

“Frost Dream is truly powerful. I am far from being comparable to her.” Jun Bluemoon said. In the face of facts, he had to confess that the difference between him and Frost Dream was far too great.

“Humph, don’t look down on yourself so much. As the apprentice of this old man, your future accomplishments will be at least at the peak Empyrean boundary. I even hope that you can borrow this tumultuous era to attack the realm of True Divinity! Although it is hard, it is not impossible. Of the First Martial Meeting’s top six, only Lin Ming and Xiao Moxian just faintly surpass you in talent. As for everyone else, including even Hang Chi, you don’t need to fear them at all. And for Frost Dream… well, if I’m not wrong, she is simply the same as Empyrean Divine Dream. In order to surpass her boundaries, Divine Dream took the sharpest blade and forcefully sundered her divine soul in half, allowing that half to reincarnate and thus producing Frost Dream! She wants to train Frost Dream to the peak Empyrean realm, and then the two of them can fuse back together. With the deep cultivations of two peak Empyreans condensed as one, she wishes to take that momentum and break through the boundary of True Divinity in a single go! That woman is truly ambitious and courageous!”

As Old Sword said this, Jun Bluemoon’s mind shook. “Mm? Old Sword, are you saying that Frost Dream is the reincarnated half of Divine Dream’s divine soul?”

“Highly likely. Their soul fluctuations are nearly the exact same! However, unless Divine Dream is in front of me, I cannot confirm this. I was only able to sense her aura from behind a great enchantment. My current injuries are simply too heavy. Otherwise, if I still had the strength of my heydays, I wouldn’t need to fear her at all. But, if my guesses are wrong, how can Frost Dream be so strong? She is simply a replica of Divine Dream during her youth. Moreover, because she had to take far less detours, her strength should even be greater than what Divine Dream was like during the same time of her youth!”

As Old Sword said this, Jun Bluemoon finally recalled that there were many people who said that Frost Dream was far too similar to Empyrean Divine Dream.

The same temperament, the same mystical aura that surrounded them, the same perfection, and even their same formidable strength!

If Frost Dream were to stand side-by-side with Divine Dream, then if one ignored the difference in their cultivations, they would seem like a pair of twin sisters.

“So that’s how it is. If Frost Dream is a young Divine Dream and even possesses all of Divine Dream’s memories, then no one can compare with her! In terms of just understanding the path of martial arts and the height in Laws, she has already surpassed all boundaries of logic.”

“Heh, if she had the memories then she would be greater than this.” Old Sword shook his head, “That reincarnation technique that Divine Dream used is a double-edged sword. When Frost Dream reincarnated, she had to experience the confusion of rebirth, and thus her previous memories were forgotten, like treasure deeply buried in her mind. She will have to slowly restore these memories over time.

“Even so, Frost Dream’s strength will increase like she’s cheating, all the way up in a straight line! For a junior to contend wither? That is difficult! Difficult! Difficult!”

Old Man said difficult three times in a row. He wasn’t a humble person, but even he didn’t believe that his own apprentice, Jun Bluemoon, had even the slightest chance of defeating Frost Dream. At least, before Jun Bluemoon became an Empyrean.

Rather, it should be said that Jun Bluemoon could only compete with her once he reached the peak Empyrean realm. Only then would he possess the ability to surpass Frost Dream. Of course, Frost Dream might even have fused back together with Divine Dream at that point, immediately stepping into the realm of True Divinity!

“So that’s how it is. It seems this battle between Lin Ming and Frost Dream wasn’t fair to begin with. I can’t imagine that any sort of miracle will occur.” Jun Bluemoon said, regretfully. If Lin Ming and Hang Chi fought again, then Lin Ming might be able to defeat Hang Chi. But to defeat Frost Dream? That was far too difficult.

Old Sword sneered, “If breaking through to the Divine Transformation realm is equal to a mortal’s ceremony of adulthood, then this tournament itself is nothing but a gift that Divine Dream prepared for Frost Dream for her to become an adult. Frost Dream was destined to become the leading heroine of the First Martial Meeting from the start, and you are only a supporting actor to make her shine even brighter.”

There was still an hour until the match began. For this final match, Vast Universe Heavenly Palace opened one final gambling bet.

Frost Dream’s victory had a compensation rate of 1.01, and Lin Ming’s victory had a compensation rate of 80.

This compensation rate wasn’t an exaggeration!

If one bet on Frost Dream, they would only earn 1% of their bettings if they were correct. This was truly a speechless and paltry rate. Moreover, there was also a limit on this gambling bet so one couldn’t raise it to an unlimited degree.

But that was how things were. Nearly everyone bet on Frost Dream to win. Although they wouldn’t earn much, something was better than nothing.

“Returning only 1%? Isn’t this just the welfare of Vast Universe Heavenly Palace? It seems that they won far too much wealth during this First Martial Meeting!”

“That’s right. Because of Lin Ming I already lost a great deal of violet sun stones. That fellow’s fight with Xiao Moxian truly ruined many people’s pockets! However, hehe, even if it’s only 1% profit this time, I will still bet on Frost Dream.”

In the view of many people, this gamble was in truth just Vast Universe Heavenly Palace giving back some of the incalculable wealth they had earned. This could also be considered a tiny gift given back to the spectators at the conclusion of the First Martial Meeting.

“1:80? That seems a bit too exaggerated to me.” Lin Ming traced his chin, a self-deprecating smile on his face. Before this, he had already bet a great deal that he would end up in the top three rankings. This time, he didn’t mind having a little fun with a few more nine sun jades.

Lin Ming finally put down two nine sun jades on his own victory. Even he didn’t have full faith he could defeat Frost Dream. Two nine sun jades was enough for a lucky bet. If he lost then he lost, it wouldn’t be much at all.

The full two hours soon passed. Lin Ming stood on the arena stage, his breath steady, his hands gently caressing the Phoenix Blood Spear, and his mind as calm as a placid lake.

Not too far away from him stood Frost Dream. She was only casually standing there, but her entire body seemed wreathed in a cold smoke. Her temperament was ethereal and otherworldly, beautiful without flaw. She was like a lotus of ice floating in the fog. Just looking at her, one could feel a cold energy rush towards them.

“Lin Ming, you can do it!”

“That’s right! Lin Ming, you’ve got to try your best! Try and continue for at least three moves! If you lost immediately then that would be too boring!”

Many of Frost Dream’s fans were shouting out words of encouragement towards Lin Ming. They hoped that Lin Ming could fight longer so they could see Frost Dream more.

Lin Ming ignored all of these cheers. He only lightly bowed to Frost Dream in accordance with the conventions of the Divine Realm First Martial Meeting. Then, he raised his spear.

Frost Dream’s expression was serene. Beneath her feet, countless ice crystals gathered together, forming an illusory ice lotus. This ice lotus slowly revolved.

As Lin Ming looked at this ice lotus, he felt as if his thoughts were been sucked into its gentle spinning. This ice lotus was personally created by Empyrean Divine Dream!

Ruling Spirit Art!

As Vast Cosmos announced the start of the match, the ice lotus beneath Frost Dream’s feet instantly scattered. Every petal was composed of seven ice crystals, each as thin as a cicada’s wing. However, they shined with a cold light, overflowing with a thick killing intent!

This was Divine Dream Heavenly Palace’s battle spirit technique. By manipulating objects with one’s battle spirit, one could attack from afar with weapons.

Woosh!

Countless ice lotus crystals joined together in the air, forming three divine swords that chopped towards Lin Ming!

Although this was only a casual attack from Frost Dream, it contained a terrifying might. It was weaker than Hang Chi’s Wheel of Samsara, but it wasn’t that much worse. It wasn’t easy to defend against at all.

Everyone thought that Lin Ming would begin to summon the phantom of the Heretical God Tree or would use Heavenly Dao Judgment. Only like that would he be able to suppress Frost Dream’s Ruling Spirit Art. But at this time, Lin Ming simply took a step backwards as a brilliant flame lit up on the Phoenix Blood Spear.

Fire Laws?

No one thought that Lin Ming would use just his Fire Laws alone to resist Frost Dream’s Ruling Spirit Art. That was too brazen a move!

At the moment the ice crystal swords arrived, Lin Ming thrust out his spear. The first five levels of the Fire Laws completely fused together. This attack even contained a hint of yang flames!

The sixth level Concept of the Fire Laws – Yang Flames. Even if Lin Ming had barely traced upon this threshold and was still incomparably far from truly stepping into it, this still allowed the might of his strike to reach near-infinite proportions!

Bang!

With an explosive sound, the spear light exploded. But, Frost Dream’s ice crystal swords were also destroyed!

“He blocked it!?”

The audience was incredibly astonished. It wasn’t strange for Lin Ming to block those ice crystal swords, but what was amazing was that he had done this by just relying on just the Fire Laws.

“If I’m not wrong, then… Lin Ming’s Fire Laws… have touched upon the sixth level Concept! How is this possible!?!?”