Morning arrived brittle. Physicians urged withdrawal—frost boy injured. But when horn blared, Leng Xue walked onto arena pale, blood hidden beneath robe. Gasps echoed; spectators thought madness. Shrek monsters circled fiercely protective, Tang San furthest forward.
Opponent this time were Steelclaw Academy—brutal frontline. The instant match began, they surged at pale boy obviously.
Roars shook stands. Mubai tried intercept, Tang San flung vines, but claws crashed toward him.
Leng Xue inhaled slow. In that moment pain faded. Within heart, Ancestor Tian's voice echoed—Clan above self. Frost veins flared like exploding aurora. His three rings blazed, merging mist, ropes, barrier into single tidal wave. Ice burst upward forming layered fortress across entire half of field.
Claws slammed, echoing thunder, but frost layers reformed again and again, refusing yield. Audience fell into silence as pale boy unshaken by endless steel, frost cocooning entire team like fortress divine.
Tang San roared order; vines shot from behind walls, creeping steel users entangled helpless. Hongjun's phoenix fire burned, now safe behind glacial dome. Within minutes, opponent collapsed howling.
When barrier dispersed, silence transformed into thunderous roar—tens of thousands chanting "Frost! Frost! Frost!"
Leng Xue swayed, fainting almost, but steadied by Tang San and Huan both.
That night, in secret, Flender admitted honestly: "Without that boy, Shrek not tournament material." Zhao Wuji only grunted fierce laugh. "Monster indeed."
Tome inside soul burned more bright than ever: Continental Tournament Recognition Peak. Frost Creed immortalized. Bloodline root spreads across empire.
Leng Xue lay down later under quiet stars, whispering through cracked lips, "First life mocked useless, second life continent itself chants frost. Ancestor… we endure."