By age fifteen, Leng Xue's strength steady but unremarkable at glance: Rank 17 Soul Power, two solid soul skills far deeper than peers.
But Frostpine Stronghold no longer existed in isolation. Neighboring clans watched.
Encroaching Envy
The northern territory was harsh, but trade routes brought notice. Other frost-spirited families envied Leng Clan's growth—its 300 households prospered through Frost Manual discipline and inscriptions.
The Glacier Fang Clan, rivals long silent, arrived for trade… but their youth challenged Xue openly.
"Ancestor Tian was nothing but cripple who struggled. Today, we show Fang blood stronger," they declared.
Spar was arranged.
Cousins feared—Xue was not strongest among them. But he stood calm.
Pitch opened. Rival lunged, icy claw spirit slicing sharp. Xue did not meet it head-on—he expanded wide Frost Veil instead. The claw slowed, the boy stumbled, balance faltered.
Xue sidestepped, whispering under breath: "Frost teaches patience."
His Bind laced foot snaring for a breath, enough for him to push rival crashing into snow. Spectators gasped.
Strength? Not dazzling. But calm, unshaken, reliable.
The elders of Leng smiled faintly. Fang clan grudgingly bowed. Rivalry cooled.
Growing Noticed
Reputation spread. Traders muttered: "The Leng teach patience, unlike others chasing glory." Scholars scribbled interest.
Cluster tribes muttered of diplomatic bonds. Even Empire's minor nobles whispered of Leng frost as tool of control.
But to Xue, none mattered. He never sought glory—only path south. He told Patriarch in council:
"We are stable here, but stability invites complacency. A clan rooted only in one valley will one day rot. Let me see beyond."
Elders exchanged conflicted looks. But Patriarch Xuan, descendent of Tian's line, nodded gravely. "Prepare. In years to come, we will send you south—as Ancestor once dreamed."
The step neared.
🔥 End of Chapter 60