Li Zhexian sat cross-legged.
With a mere shift of thought,
the snow-gold Spirit Ring above his head descended like a moon's halo.
Its radiance flowed without a trace of ferocity—
instead, it sank gently into his crown as though returning to its rightful place.
A warm current, infused with the sharp intent of warfare,
flowed through his meridians like spring rain soaking into dry earth.
His blood, flesh, and bones let out a subtle hum—
as if parched grass meeting long-awaited rain,
greedily drinking in its nourishment.
This was the unique gentleness of a Spirit Beast's Sacrifice.
Otherwise, with the might of a fifty-thousand-year Auspicious Beast's Spirit Ring,
such harmony would have been impossible.
Auspicious aura filled his heart.
The profound mysteries within the Spirit Ring stirred to life.
In a trance, Li Zhexian saw—
the eternal evolution of the Extreme North's ancient glaciers;
the endless vitality of Spirit Beasts nourished by auspicious purple qi;
and the moment the Yazi Clan were born—
beasts that came into the world with swords between their fangs.
His Spirit Power rose steadily.
Level fifty-one.
Fifty-two.
Fifty-three.
Fifty-four.
Even though Old Yazi had drained himself dry waiting for the one who would "Strike the Sword,"
his sacrifice still drove Li Zhexian's cultivation up by four full levels.
The process flowed like clouds and water—
in less than half an hour,
the snow-gold Spirit Ring had fully merged into his body.
Li Zhexian slowly opened his eyes.
A faint snow-gold pattern flashed across the depths of his pupils.
He did not stop there.
His gaze turned toward the right arm bone branded with golden sword patterns.
As if sensing his call,
the Spirit Bone turned into a streak of snow-gold light
and melted straight into his right arm.
Buzz—!
Buzz—!
A wave of razor-sharp aura exploded from his arm—
the battlelust of the Yazi Clan itself, wild and unyielding,
as though it would tear the heavens apart.
Veins coiled like dragons beneath his skin,
and the sword patterns beneath the surface writhed as if alive.
The pain was like ten thousand blades piercing his flesh.
"Humph!" Li Zhexian's cold snort cracked like thunder.
From the Great Vertebra along his spine,
a pillar of sword qi soared into the air.
That was his innate Sword Bone—
the vessel of the Twelve Intents of the Qinglian Sword!
The Auspicious Beast's Spirit Bone might enter his body,
but within his Sword Body, it must bow and lie still!
The Sword Intent surging from the Great Vertebra roared skyward,
forcing the rampaging war will
back into the marrow by sheer force!
After a quarter of an hour,
his right arm calmed once more.
Li Zhexian slowly clenched his right fist.
A terrifying force surged within—
keen and cutting, yet perfectly controlled.
That arm had been utterly reforged.
After a brief moment of thought,
he brought his fingers together into a sword gesture.
Snow-gold sword qi intertwined with the Qinglian Sword Intent,
spiraling into a helix—
condensing at his fingertips into a blue-gold brilliance never seen before.
The air itself split with a sound like a dragon's cry.
"Success."
Li Zhexian exhaled; the breath left his lips like a sword,
and the trace of its sharpness lingered in the air without fading.
"These Spirit Abilities… from the ring and the bone…"
His eyes shone with brilliance.
Spirit Beasts of one hundred thousand years bestowed two abilities each.
Though Old Yazi's cultivation had only reached fifty thousand years,
its rarity and nature as an Auspicious Beast made it far beyond ordinary beasts.
Thus, both its Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone had gifted Li Zhexian with two abilities apiece.
The Spirit Ring's First Ability: Yazi's Retribution
In battle, he could mark one target with the Yazi's Wrath.
During the mark's duration, all damage the target inflicted upon him
would be stored as "Yazi's Wrath."
When his sword next struck the target,
the accumulated damage would detonate instantly—
a retribution born of cause and effect,
piercing all defenses and striking straight at the soul.
Regardless of whether the opponent lived or died afterward,
their spirit would be haunted by inborn fear of him.
The Spirit Ring's Second Ability: Yazi's Judgment
He could choose any wound he had inflicted upon his enemy,
and—ignoring all distance and time—
detonate that injury tenfold.
"What vicious abilities…"
A trace of shock flashed across Li Zhexian's face.
Truly worthy of the Auspicious beast born with a sword in its mouth—
the Yazi of War and Wrath.
Even merely grasping their essence
made his blood boil with a metallic, bloodthirsty scent.
"Now, for the Spirit Bone's Spirit Abilities…"
The Spirit Bone's First Ability: Yazi Sword Rift
Every sword light he releases will remain in existence for three breaths.
Within that duration, he can ignore all spatial distance,
instantly merge into that sword light
and reappear from any point along its trajectory.
The Spirit Bone's Second Ability (Domain): Sword-Bearing Dominion
Using the Yazi Right Arm Bone as its core,
he would drive the Qinglian Sword into the ground and unfold a domain.
Within a radius of one kilometer,
the Will of the War-Lord would reign.
Inside this domain, all weapons and soul tools feel compelled to bow in worship.
Anyone other than him must expend twice the normal Spirit Power to wield them.
If a weapon's quality is inferior to the Qinglian Sword,
it might lose control entirely and turn to worship him.
Should an enemy's weapon shatter within the domain,
its fragments transform into sword fiends,
feeding their power back into the domain.
"Truly a heavenly fortune…"
Even after all the tempering of the Extreme North's wind and snow,
Li Zhexian could not restrain the surge in his heart.
The Yazi's soul ring and soul bone were worthy of its title—
a Auspicious Beast of War and Wrath.
Just as his thoughts churned with exhilaration,
a series of crisp metallic clang-clang sounds echoed before him.
Li Zhexian looked down.
A small creature had come to stand before him at some unknown moment.
It was no larger than a common beast cub,
its fur pure as the first snowfall,
its body resembling a small, fierce lion cub,
and atop its head—two tender, budding dragon horns.
What astonished Li Zhexian most
was the azure green sword clutched in its mouth—
its shape almost identical to his own Qinglian Sword.
The little creature wobbled on its feet,
and with that miniature sword,
it gently tapped against the Qinglian Sword resting across his knees.
Through that faint sound,
Li Zhexian could feel the cub's affection and attachment.
"Because it was your sword that broke its shell,"
"it has now formed an unbreakable bond with you."
A crisp, frost-scented voice drifted over him.
When Li Zhexian looked up,
his vision filled with the sight of a long gown of pale blue,
glittering with facets of crystalline ice.
His gaze rose further—
Icy blue hair shimmering with cold mist,
a face more flawless than snow,
eyes clear as an eternal glacier,
and long, upturned lashes dusted with fine snowflakes.
It was the true form of the Snow Empress,
the sovereign of the Extreme North.
Faint frost mist surrounded her like divine light;
wherever she passed, frost patterns bloomed in her wake.
The Snow Empress knelt gracefully,
her slender hands lifting the whining little Yazi into her arms.
The tiny beast squirmed restlessly,
rubbing its head against her chest.
She tapped its forehead with one delicate finger,
her tone a mix of fondness and reproach:
"You're a little girl—why are you so unruly?"
Then she looked back at Li Zhexian.
"This young Yazi is fond of you."
"If it stayed by your side, nourished by your sword qi, it would indeed benefit."
"But it carries the fate of the Extreme North itself."
"And you—are still too weak to protect it."
"When time passes, when the cub can defend itself… and when you've grown stronger…"
"Then, I will let it find you again."
Li Zhexian looked at the little Yazi,
its bright eyes gazing at him pitifully from her arms,
and he nodded softly.
"All right."
The Snow Empress's words were exactly what he had been thinking.
He had already secured the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow,
and his next destination was the Slaughter City —
hardly a place to bring along such a fragile creature.
The Snow Empress pondered briefly,
then raised a slender finger and traced it through the air.
The wind and snow froze in place,
coalescing at her fingertip into a six-sided crystalline token.
"For preserving the fate of the Extreme North," she said softly,
"take this token. Within this land,
the storms will not hinder you,
and the snows will part beneath your steps."
Declining the Ice Devil Titan King's offer to escort him,
Li Zhexian turned and stepped out of the Ice Crystal Palace.
At that instant,
every falling snowflake suspended midair,
each one glowing faintly with Sword Intent.
Each flake gleamed with faint sword intent.
It was the manifestation of the Fourth Realm of the Sword Dao.
"Yazi Sword Rift!"
The snow-golden sword markings on his right arm flared to life.
Li Zhexian's figure suddenly dissolved,
turning into a streak of cold light among the swirling snowblades.
Li Zhexian's figure shattered—
dissolving into a thread of cold brilliance among the countless drifting snow blades.
Sword flashes flickered across the endless ice plain—
each time he appeared,
he vanished again within a heartbeat,
riding the drifting snow,
racing swiftly toward the farthest edge of the Extreme North.