Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

What Rain was doing was simple, he was using the water mirror technique alongside all the energy that he had obtained from the dragons themselves. That was why he could almost fool them completely. It was amazing and insane, but every time he killed a dragon, his body and energy were almost completely restored… such was the power of the ominous sword.

The dragons raised their guards by looking around and getting close to each other, but in the end, Rain was still able to surprise one of them with a full downward swing and cleave the beast in half. Still, that caused something else… the final three dragons self-destructed at the same time.

As the explosive collision of the ice dragons' energy reached its crescendo, the towering walls of the massive ice prison bore the brunt of the tremendous forces unleashed. The relentless explosions caused the once imposing ice walls to shatter and crumble, crumbling away in colossal fragments that tumbled and shattered into the surrounding landscape.

However, while the outer walls disintegrated and collapsed, the interior of the prison remained a sight to behold. Every nook and cranny of the inner chamber was covered in a thick layer of pristine ice. The culmination of the dragons' magic and explosive energy had encased every particle within the walls in an unyielding frost.

Rain's body too, was enveloped entirely by the frozen sheath that formed inside the prison. The combined effects of the dragons' preparations and the overwhelming energy unleashed had led to a complete freeze, encasing Rain's form within a solid block of ice, rendering him motionless and entirely frozen.

The impenetrable ice held him captive, obscuring any discernible movement or sign of life within its icy grasp.

In the end, Rain had no idea for how long he stayed there… completely frozen. His mind stopped working, even Nigel and Larisa had no idea how much time had passed since even their consciousness froze in time. Still, the effects of the ominous sword kept working and eventually, all the ice around Rain was absorbed since it was draconic energy. Still, when Rain woke up, he was still surrounded by ice…

"I hate those fucking lizards…" Rain said and then sighed.

Rain tried to use the sword to absorb the ice further, but the process wasn't as fast as before… and he couldn't tell why. In the end, he was forced to attack the ice with all his might until he eventually reached the outside after half an hour.

"What the hell happened…" Rain asked when he turned and then saw the massive pillar of ice.

"It looks like even their self destruction mechanisms have improved," the woman in the darkness said. "Their attack froze even the mana in the air. "That was why you lost consciousness. It is almost like a time stopping spell."

When temperatures plummet to extreme levels, the motion of particles within matter begins to slow down significantly. This principle aligns with the laws of thermodynamics, particularly the concept that as temperatures drop, molecular movement decreases.

In an environment as frosty as the aftermath of the ice dragon's explosion and the freezing magic encasing Rain's body, the extreme cold practically halts the movement of particles. At such low temperatures, molecular activity reduces to a near standstill, mirroring a state akin to suspended animation or cryostasis.

This cryogenic stasis resulted in an almost timeless, inert state within the icy surroundings. Time, as experienced by the particles and the frozen entities, seems to come to a halt. It's a condition where molecular motion slows to such an extent that the environment appears completely still and unchanging as if frozen in time itself.

"I have a lot of things to ask you… but I don't have time for that," Rain said and then he began to fly to his friends.

There are no signs of the other dragons approaching, so it seemed that they had split up all in order to get rid of Rain's friends, or maybe it was to isolate him. Still, as long as those fucker don't self-destruct… he had confidence that his friends would be fine.

"I didn't sense either of them using the seals, so they should be fine… they should be fine," Rain said while his heart was racing.

Rain also made copies of his revival rings to everyone he cared about… they also had the powerful relics that he found, so it would be fine… he kept saying that to himself, but his uneasiness only grew stronger.

In the end, Rain confirmed the worst… the snowstorm was dissipating, but the cold wasn't and soon enough, Rain reached the mountains and crossed it… only to find a battlefield completely covered in ice.

The entire area was engulfed in frozen statues, each one a grim testament to the recent turmoil. The statues varied in their appearance; some seemed intact, maintaining their original form and features, while others bore deep, jagged cracks, giving glimpses of the horrors within.

The statues that remained pristine looked almost serene, their frozen facades preserving the essence of those they encapsulated. However, the cracked sculptures told a different story. These figures had suffered damage, their icy shells fractured and splintered, revealing a gruesome sight beneath.

The cracks exposed the insides, now streaked with blood, giving a stark reminder of the violent and freezing end those individuals had met.

The frozen figures, once lively members of Rain's community, now stood as tragic symbols of the destructive consequences wrought by the ice dragons and their catastrophic clash. The icy shells encapsulating them preserved a tragic moment in time, freezing them in a haunting tableau of the chaos and turmoil that had ensued.

"No, no, no…" Rain thought as he looked around for his family and friends.

Rain couldn't find them… all the statues were normal. The seals weren't working either… in the end, Rain took a deep breath, even in the worst case scenario, his family and friends would be fine. They would be out for a few decades, but they would be fine…