The weeks after the Stonefang battle were agony for Leng Tian. His ribs cracked, his veins blistered from overusing frost threads, his body barely clung to life. Even walking left him lightheaded.
But day after day, disciples visited his hut. They knelt quietly, awaiting even weak words of instruction. Yuexin argued he should rest, tears in her eyes—but Tian insisted, voice hoarse:
"If I remain silent, their roots wither. Teach them every day, Yuexin, even if I can barely whisper."
And so he did. Propped on mats, bandages tight across his thin chest, Tian spoke slowly: "Layer frost like snow… never rush, never burn…"
Children absorbed every word, reverent. Villagers too began gathering, listening to the crippled teacher.
Though body broken, his spirit only hardened. Each night while others slept, he still tried to circulate soul power—slow, agonizing—but steady. His Frost Crystal remained clear, unyielding.
"Even shattered, I must endure," he muttered, Yuexin pressing his trembling hand between her own.
Because to him, every breath was no longer only his. It was his clan's.
🔥 End of Chapter 31