The Ice Crystal King watched the battlefield coldly, his expression grim. He had not expected the Iron-Blooded Great Wall to be so difficult to breach. The human soldiers atop the wall fought with astonishing tenacity—fierce and unyielding. Empowered by the Ten Thousand Beast Blood Drum, they were utterly fearless, even in the face of death. With various war machines aiding them, the battle had become a stalemate.
But now that he had arrived, the outcome of the war was already determined.
No matter what, he could not allow the Iron-Blooded Great Wall to recover and reactivate its Iron-Blooded Barrier. If that happened, breaking through again would require a price far too steep—even he could not afford it.
"What is the King's plan?"
The High Priest asked solemnly.
"Right now, the advantage is on our side. Since the Iron-Blooded Great Wall has no barrier, we'll simply crush it with the Ice Crystal Fortress, smash through the wall, and let our army take over the stronghold."
The Ice Crystal King responded without hesitation. His method was brutal and overbearing—simple and direct.
"There's still a deity hidden in the Da Yi Empire. They haven't shown themselves yet, likely because they're wary of the Ice Crystal Fortress. Once it moves, that deity will definitely reveal themselves. If that happens, we'll be right back where we started—another stalemate. We won't achieve anything."
The High Priest warned, reminding him why the Ice Crystal Fortress had not been deployed earlier.
"You will handle that deity. I'll attack the Iron-Blooded Great Wall myself. I came here for a decisive victory, to settle this once and for all."
The Ice Crystal King gave a crisp order—and acted without delay.
"Understood!"
The Frosthawk General accepted without hesitation.
RUMBLE!!
The previously hidden Ice Crystal Fortress suddenly rose into the sky and appeared over the battlefield, emanating an invisible, tidal wave of pressure.
"The fortress! It's the Ice Crystal Fortress! It's back! Damn it—we have no Iron-Blooded Barrier. How are we supposed to fight that thing?!"
On the Iron-Blooded Wall, the soldiers' faces changed drastically. They had seen the destructive power of this fortress before. Left unchecked, it could absolutely dominate the battlefield.
Panic began to spread.
"Do not fear. If they have their fortress, then so do we."
Zhuge Liang smiled calmly.
And just as he spoke, cold air surged through the void.
A massive iceberg floated into view. At its pinnacle sat a flawless, intricately carved Ice Throne. Upon it, clad in a robe of snow, holding a scepter and wearing a crown, sat the regal Ice Queen.
"You escaped last time. This time, you're staying. I'll turn that fortress into my personal palace."
The Ice Queen spoke coldly to the Ice Crystal Fortress.
"You dare! Return my Ice Soul Immortal-Slaying Blade!"
The Frosthawk General's eyes flared with rage. Without hesitation, he activated the fortress.
From its center, a massive Ice Crystal Glazed Pagoda rose up, topped with a gleaming Heavenly Ice Crystal Orb, pulsing with divine light and ever-shifting runes.
SHUA SHUA SHUA!!
Brilliant divine rays burst from the orb, each ray turning into countless tiny ice needles, raining down like a blizzard toward the floating iceberg.
"Ice Snow Storm!!"
The Ice Queen waved her scepter. A tempest of ice and snow surged forth, unleashing countless ice blades to intercept the incoming ice needles.
TING TING TING!!
A cacophony of sharp clashes filled the air as the two forces collided violently.
This was no longer a test—it was an all-out battle.
RUMBLE!!!
While the Ice Queen and the fortress clashed, an even greater pressure suddenly descended upon the battlefield.
From the sky appeared a titanic object—a floating city, vast enough to house millions.
"Another fortress? No—this is a floating imperial city!"
The soldiers atop the wall gasped in shock and disbelief.
"It's even larger and more terrifying than the Ice Crystal Fortress. How can we possibly withstand this?"
Dark clouds of despair began to gather over the battlefield.
"Zhuge Liang, I'd say your big fish has finally taken the bait. That should be the Royal City of the Ice Crystal Court. I see the True Spirit of Fate and Auspicious Clouds of Merit around it. If the royal city has moved, the Ice Crystal King must be inside."
Jia Xu appeared silently next to Zhuge Liang, eyes calm and voice relaxed.
"Yes, it must be the royal city. I only intended to weaken their power, but I didn't expect this perfect opportunity. After this battle, Snow Continent will be ours. This gift needs someone worthy to receive it."
Zhuge Liang smiled, his feather fan gently swaying.
"It's dawn. Time for the sun to rise."
"Send word—General Mu may begin."
"And the Nine Lives General must not make a single mistake."
Zhuge Liang issued a rapid series of commands.
SHUA!!
As soon as the orders went out, a dazzling seven-colored rainbow arced from the eastern sky, seeming to stretch across the entire world. It descended above the battlefield like a radiant bridge.
"Such a huge rainbow…"
Even the Ice Crystal soldiers were momentarily stunned.
Then came the shrill cries of divine birds.
From the rainbow burst forth streaks of golden light—massive golden-scaled birds, as large as eagles, their screeches tearing through the heavens.
"Goldscale Birds—that's the Goldscale Legion!"
The Da Yi soldiers immediately recognized them—their elite air cavalry.
Each bird spread wings over seven meters wide, radiant with gold, soaring in formation like clouds of golden fire.
But what they did next was stranger still—they erected giant mirrors of colored glass, placing them in mid-air across the battlefield. At first glance, they seemed scattered randomly, but upon closer inspection, they covered every angle, leaving no blind spots.
"Mirrors? What are these fools planning?"
The Ice Crystal King frowned. Was this some kind of divine power or strange formation?
But before he could make sense of it, the rainbow above shimmered—and a new army appeared.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Sharp, piercing caws echoed through the sky as the Divine Raven Army arrived—100,000 strong. Each Fire Crow was massive, pitch-black, wings spread wide. Atop their backs sat soldiers in crimson armor.
Leading them was Mu Guiying, fierce and commanding.
"Flame Raven Incineration Formation!!"
Mu Guiying's voice rang out.
A fiery red formation diagram rose into the air above the army, within it a giant fire-red tree—the Heavenly Flame Tree. At first, it appeared faint and ghostly.
The crows shrieked excitedly and dove into the formation one by one.
As they merged, the illusory tree began to solidify. The more ravens that entered, the more real it became. Sunlight began streaming from the sky, drawn into the tree, causing its flames to blaze golden.
The tree drank deeply of solar essence, transforming its fire into an exalted golden blaze—divine, supreme.
Within seconds, a massive Heavenly Flame Tree stood tall in the sky, dominating the battlefield.
"Incinerate the heavens!!"
Mu Guiying's voice echoed from within the tree.
And then—the flames burst forth.
Golden fire swept across the sky like a tidal wave, covering the entirety of Snow Continent.
At the same time, the golden-scaled mirrors reflected and refracted the blaze, multiplying its reach.
In an instant, hundreds, even thousands of Heavenly Flame Trees appeared across the continent—forming an entire forest of skyfire.