Inside the solid ice, Shi Ming was completely sealed.

But his mind remained highly active.

The rule was simple: swallow the Formless Pure Ice and survive for 120 seconds to obtain its ability, "The Third Law." During those first 120 seconds, Shi Ming relied on the power of Twilight of the Gods to endure the extreme cold, which neared absolute zero. He survived without using any of his other trump cards.

That perfect crystal transformed into a formless, shapeless cold energy. It spread from within his body, bit by bit, to its every corner, transforming his original ice-attribute skill, "Ice Annihilation."

This A-rank skill, obtained from the Glacier Dragon, was now being upgraded.

Unlike bathing in blood, this was a process of transformation from the inside out.

The Right Arm Red Pattern could not help him.

During this time, the extreme cold ravaged the sea region, freezing dozens of nautical miles of water into incredibly solid ice. Fortunately, the danger was only present in the first 120 seconds. Afterward, Shi Ming simply accepted the power in a quiet, painless process.

It was not until just before dawn that he felt the Extreme Cold Power and Dusk Power within his body begin to achieve a preliminary balance.

Although he hadn’t used them yet, he felt he had complete mastery over both powers, which had now become forces he could fully command.

’Is the fusion complete already?’

Shi Ming blinked.

[Preliminary fusion, complete.]

[Fusion Progress: 21%]

[The side effects of "Twilight of the Gods" have been neutralized. Entropy Value will no longer increase. At the same time, "Twilight of the Gods" has been upgraded.]

[A-rank skill "Ice Annihilation" has evolved into "The Third Law."]

[The Eye of the World is calculating a "brand-new, unknown state."]

[Do not be surprised. It cannot glimpse the future, but it can calculate the future. This is both reasonable and scientific.]

[...]

[...]

[Unbelievable!]

[Based on your body’s current data, the Eye of the World has calculated that when the fusion of "The Third Law" and "Twilight of the Gods" reaches 100%, the 1+1 power will sublimate. It will be enough to barely step over the threshold of the Holy Hall. A brand-new, unknown skill, one that has never appeared in history, will be born.]

[Its name will be:]

[Fallen Sanctuary.]

[Its specific abilities cannot be calculated.]

[The Dusk Whale would be so envious it might come back to life! It pursued you relentlessly, desperate to devour the Formless Pure Ice, perhaps because it foresaw this on a genetic level. This is indeed an irresistible temptation. No sea beast or ferocious beast can refuse the opportunity to advance its rank. Absolutely none.]

[Perhaps after a perfect fusion, a new seat will have to be added to the seven Holy Hall-class ferocious beasts.]

[Holy Hall 008: Shi Ming???]

...

’So I’m a ferocious beast now?’

Shi Ming didn’t find the Eye of the World’s deadpan joke very funny.

But he really liked the sound of the words "Holy Hall." Even though his fusion progress was only at 21%, it didn’t matter. This wasn’t some cheap game where you had to slowly fill a progress bar; he would eventually reach 100%.

When that time comes,

Heh heh.

He would be able to unleash Holy Hall-level power without needing the help of the Star Lamp.

On this Endless Ocean, who would dare call themselves invincible? Who would dare claim to be undefeated?

’It’s my turn to dominate an era.’

A sudden inspiration struck Shi Ming.

’The Abyss Lord’s skill is called "Extremely Evil Sanctuary," and my own future skill is called "Fallen Sanctuary." Based on this pattern, could it be that the skills of all the other Holy Hall Sea Beasts are named "XX Sanctuary"?’

’For example, is the Immortal Evil Eye’s skill called "Immortal Sanctuary"?’

’And the Great Black Heaven Dragon’s skill called "Nine-Headed Sanctuary"?’

’There’s no way to confirm.’

’Right, it seems both Ice Annihilation and Twilight of the Gods were upgraded. I still don’t know their new effects.’

Shi Ming stopped daydreaming about the future and began to examine his two skills.

[Twilight of the Gods]

[Assume the "Dusk Giant" form and descend upon the battlefield where the gods fell, forcing all creatures in the area into an unavoidable and irreversible spiral of chaos, decay, corruption, and death! For every 30 seconds a creature remains on this battlefield, their Defense Power, Physical Strength, Endurance, or Spiritual Power will be randomly and permanently reduced by one, which is then converted into 10 Entropy Value points. When the Entropy Value exceeds their total attributes, corruption will descend!]

[The Dusk Giant can temporarily absorb the stats deducted from other creatures.]

[After accumulating 100 stat points, you will reverse into the "Dawn Giant."]

’Not bad.’

’It added a zero-sum kind of buff.’

’Too bad the buff isn’t permanent and only lasts for a single battle. And I’ll still need to test the Dawn Giant’s combat power in a real fight.’

[The Third Law (Ice Annihilation):]

[Consume Spiritual Power to bestow a "form" upon the "Formless Pure Ice" within your body, forging it into a zero-entropy weapon of extremely low temperature.]

[With the help of Dusk Power, the zero-entropy weapon can be sustained inside your body at a temperature as low as minus 273 degrees Celsius, which is absolute zero. The zero-entropy weapon can be drawn out of your body and used as a combat weapon. It cannot exist in the outside world for more than 60 seconds per day.]

’Bestow a "form" upon the Formless Pure Ice?’

’Forge a zero-entropy weapon of absolute zero?’

’Holy crap.’

’So the Formless Pure Ice didn’t disappear, it just found a new way to stay with me?’

’I’ll have to study it and forge it when I have time!’

’For now, it’s time to get out of here. I’ve been frozen in this ice for so long my body’s gone numb!’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

...

...

...

Three Admiral-class Ships stared at the vast glacier before them.

Anyone could tell this was no ordinary glacier.

The water of the Endless Ocean was mixed with the energy of Sea Crystal Stones, giving it an extremely low freezing point. The three captains knew very well that in this northern sea region, it took temperatures of minus thirty degrees Celsius to freeze the seawater. Therefore, a glacier stretching for over ten nautical miles like this one could not have been formed easily.

Something was definitely strange here.

It might just be that S-rank sea beast!

Only Quert furrowed his brow.

’Solid ice?’

He knew that half-rotted whale possessed no such ability; in fact, the nature of its power was the very opposite. The only one with skills related to solid ice was that mysterious kid! Could it be that this glacier, spanning dozens of nautical miles, was his doing?

’How much cold power and Spiritual Power would it take to create a glacier on such a massive scale?’

’In our fight, he wasn’t even using his full strength?’

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

Most of the Admiral-class Ships in the European Sea Region were not equipped with professional ice-breaking equipment. If they were to force their way through using their sturdy hulls, it would consume a massive amount of Pure Dome Crystals. The captains present were all high-ranking individuals and had many things to consider.

They had been summoned for this urgent mission to acquire Contribution Points in the first place.

But with no Contribution Points in sight yet, who would want to pay out of their own pocket to carry out the mission?

They weren’t beasts of burden, after all.

Wright took out a short-range communicator.

"Duchess Elizabeth, if I recall, the Tudor Rose has a professional ice-breaking system, doesn’t it? The Twelve Stars is massive and slow. Rather than waste time waiting here, why don’t we break through this ice first? That S-rank sea beast might be hiding under the ice, recovering from its injuries."

The title of Duke was a holdover from the old era, inherited by Elizabeth of the "Sun-Never-Sets," but it held no real power and was merely an honorific.

"Hahaha, Mr. Wright."

Elizabeth chuckled.

Her red lips curved into an elegant smile as she spoke into the short-range communication device in her hand.

"When has there ever been solid ice in the European Sea Region? The Tudor Rose’s ice-breaking equipment was decommissioned long ago. However, our Life Detector has picked up a powerful creature beneath this ice. It must be the S-rank sea beast Quert mentioned. To be safe, it’s best we wait here for the Twelve Stars."

"What do you think, Quert?"

Quert crossed his brawny arms over his chest and said nothing.

Silence meant consent.

"I’ll contact the Secretary-General right away."

Elizabeth waved her hand, and a young gentleman sent the precise coordinates to the Twelve Stars, which was following behind them.

The three Admiral-class Ships stood guard, making no further moves.

...

Suddenly, they heard the sound of ice shattering.

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK.

Immediately after, the hard glacier—stretching over ten nautical miles long and dozens of meters thick—shattered into chunks with a thunderous BOOM.

A humanoid figure shot out from within.