Imperial Capital Academy, Forbidden Land behind the mountain.

A natural plaza surrounded by giant rocks was temporarily cleared.

Normally, few people came here, but now it was full of people.

Looking around, almost everyone was a Dean or Professor from various departments of the Imperial Capital Academy, powerful enough to shake a region with a stomp of their foot.

Even Lin Zhu, the reclusive and eccentric Lord of Senluo, stood quietly among the crowd, leaning on her withered vine staff.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the young figure in the center of the plaza.

Gandalf sat cross-legged, his expression calm.

In front of him, a cold jade box, emanating wisps of chill, lay quietly on the ground.

Principal Chen looked at him, his gentle face etched with a persistent worry.

"Student Gandalf, are you truly ready?"

"It's still not too late to change your mind."

Zhang Donglai, standing beside him, also frowned deeply.

"That's right, kid, don't push yourself."

"We have other methods; there's no need to take such a big risk."

The surrounding Professors also cast persuasive glances.

To forcibly absorb an S-rank strange ice when one already possessed a strange flame.

In their opinion, this was tantamount to suicide.

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, calmly shook his head at everyone.

There was not a hint of tension or fear on his face.

"Principal, General, thank you all for your kindness."

"My mind is made up."

Of course.

Zhou Huai naturally wouldn't personally undertake such a thankless task that also involved enduring inhuman pain.

He quietly withdrew his consciousness from Gandalf's body and activated the Smart Core AI.

Having completed all this, he settled down, prepared to enjoy the upcoming show from a god's-eye view.

In the center of the plaza.

Chen Lanxin had already inscribed a massive five-level composite Formation on the ground using special Materials.

This Formation integrated defense, isolation, and suppression.

Its purpose was to prevent the violent energy from leaking out during the absorption process and causing unnecessary destruction.

After completing this, she retreated to the edge of the Formation and nodded to Principal Chen.

"Principal, everything is ready."

Chen Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze once again fixed on the solitary figure in the center of the plaza.

He spoke in a deep voice.

"Student Gandalf."

"You may begin."

As his voice fell.

Gandalf slowly reached out and opened the cold jade box in front of him.

Buzz—!

An indescribable, terrifying cold Qi, as if capable of freezing the Soul, burst forth from the jade box!

The temperature of the entire plaza plummeted to freezing point in that instant!

Some Professors who were closer even felt their blood was about to freeze.

Everyone instinctively circulated the energy within their bodies to resist the biting cold.

They watched in horror as the seven-colored ice crystal slowly rose from the jade box.

This was merely the escaping aura.

They couldn't imagine how terrifying it would be to directly swallow it into one's body.

Gandalf did not hesitate.

He reached out and lightly touched the Aurora Heart.

Crack!

A crisp sound, like glass shattering, rang out.

The indestructible S-rank strange ice actually shattered in response, transforming into countless seven-colored light particles, which, like startled fireflies, rushed into his glabella.

The next second.

An anomaly suddenly occurred!

"Crack! Crack!"

A layer of crystal-clear frost spread rapidly from Gandalf's feet at a visible speed!

In the blink of an eye, it completely froze his entire body, along with the ground beneath him!

A lifelike human ice sculpture thus abruptly appeared in the center of the plaza.

Gandalf within the ice sculpture still maintained his cross-legged posture.

His face even retained the calm and indifferent expression he had before absorption.

However, the life aura on his body completely vanished at this moment.

Dead silence.

The entire plaza fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone's Heart sank to rock bottom °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° at this moment.

"Failed?"

A white-haired old Professor spoke in a dry voice, breaking the silence.

"The power of S-rank strange ice is indeed too overbearing."

"His body simply couldn't withstand the impact of this power."

Another Dean, who appeared to have a fiery temper, said with a grim expression.

"Not just his body, I'm afraid even his Soul was completely frozen the moment it came into contact with the Aurora Heart!"

"This is troublesome!"

Everyone's faces were filled with gravity.

If a prodigy were to fall like this.

This would undoubtedly be a huge loss for the Great Xia Country.

"Principal Chen!"

A middle-aged beautiful woman, who looked like a Dean of the healing department, had a anxious expression on her face.

"We must act immediately now!"

"While his Soul hasn't been completely frozen, perhaps...perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope!"

Chen Xuan's brows were furrowed into a knot.

He stared intently at the ice sculpture, not saying a word.

He was also in an internal struggle.

Reason told him that he should immediately intervene to save him.

But deep down in his Heart, a voice was telling him.

Wait a little longer.

There had always been an unknown secret about this Gandalf.

Perhaps he could still create a miracle?

"We can't wait any longer!"

The hot-tempered Dean was already a bit restless.

"Every second we wait means an extra minute of danger for Student Gandalf!"

"If we miss the best rescue opportunity, he'll truly be beyond saving!"

Just as everyone was in a heated dispute, and Chen Xuan was about to make up his mind to act.

Lin Zhu, who had been silent, suddenly had a strange light flash in her cloudy eyes.

She stretched out her withered finger and pointed to the center of the plaza.

"Look."

Her voice was hoarse, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Everyone looked over at the sound.

The next second.

Everyone's eyes widened abruptly.

They saw that on the crystal-clear ice sculpture, fine cracks actually...actually began to appear!

Immediately after, a faint, almost invisible, dark green flame quietly seeped out from those cracks.

The flame seemed to possess its own life.

As soon as it appeared, it began to frantically lick the surrounding ice.

The ice sculpture melted faster and faster.

"He...he hasn't failed yet!"

"He's still resisting!"

Everyone's spirits were greatly lifted!

That Heart that had sunk to rock bottom was once again raised.

Time, at this moment, seemed to stretch endlessly.

Every minute, every second, felt like an ordeal.

Finally, under everyone's gaze.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a crisp explosion, the massive human ice sculpture shattered with a crash, transforming into countless shimmering ice crystals, scattering everywhere.

Gandalf's figure reappeared in everyone's sight.

He was still sitting cross-legged, his expression calm.

As if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

However, this was merely the beginning.

The true danger had just arrived!

Boom—!

A violent, dark green flame suddenly erupted from Gandalf's body!

That was the Soul-Devouring Underworld Flame!

It sensed the aura of an intruder and launched a counterattack without hesitation!

Immediately after, another equally overbearing cold current, emanating a seven-colored glow, also gushed out from Gandalf's body!

Ice and Fire!

Two completely different extreme forces engaged in the most primitive and savage confrontation outside Gandalf's body!

For a time, the temperature of the entire plaza fluctuated wildly.

At times, it was as hot as midsummer, as if standing in a volcano.

At times, it was as cold as deep winter, as if falling into an endless abyss of ice.

Gandalf's body became the battlefield for these two forces.

His skin was sometimes covered by dark green flames, becoming charred.

Other times, it was frozen by seven-colored ice, pale as paper.

Everyone watched with bated breath.

They found it hard to imagine what kind of inhuman torment Gandalf was enduring at this moment.

A double hell of ice and fire.

This was no longer simple pain.

This was a torture capable of completely destroying anyone's will!

If it were any of them, they would have probably already suffered a mental breakdown and become a cripple.

However, the young man sitting at the center of the storm remained exceptionally calm.

He merely mechanically, again and again, conjured an Arcane Shield.

Allowing the two violent forces to rage and collide madly against the shield.

He didn't even frown once.

"This guy..."

The hot-tempered Dean watched this scene and couldn't help but murmur.

"This guy has such a resilient Heart-Nature!"

Although the others didn't speak, the shock in their eyes already explained everything.

Chen Xuan and Zhang Donglai exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of relief in each other's eyes.

Fortunately, this young man belonged to their Great Xia Country.

Just then, Chen Xuan's expression changed, and he sharply shouted.

"Not good! The energy within him is about to go out of control!"

"Everyone! Prepare to act!"

Before his words finished, he was the first to rush forward.

Vast energy surged from his body, transforming into an invisible large hand, attempting to forcibly suppress the two violent forces.

The other Deans and Professors also took action one after another.

Those from the healing department chanted soothing incantations, trying to calm the restless energy within Gandalf.

Those from the support department released various buff auras, empowering Gandalf.

Even Lin Zhu waved her withered vine staff.

Countless thick vines, brimming with life aura, burst from the ground like giant pythons, coiling around Gandalf layer by layer, attempting to harmonize the two extreme forces with the power of life.

Under the combined suppression of dozens of top experts, the two violent forces finally gradually subsided.

They no longer attacked each other but began to slowly merge. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

The most dangerous phase was finally over.

From now on, it was up to Gandalf himself.

Time, in the tedious wait, passed by minute by minute.

Five hours later.

The moment the last trace of dark green flame and the last wisp of seven-colored cold current completely merged into Gandalf's body.

A terrifying aura, several times more powerful than before, burst forth from him with a roar!

Gandalf, sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes.

At that moment.

Everyone present felt their breath catch.

They saw that in his deep eyes.

In the pupil of his left eye, dark green flames burned.

And in the pupil of his right eye, seven-colored auroras bloomed.

Ice and Fire.

Destruction and rebirth.

Two completely different extremes achieved perfect unity within him.

Chen Xuan watched this scene, and the Heart that had been suspended for so long finally completely settled.

He was still somewhat incredulous, murmuring to himself.

"It...it really...succeeded?"