Beneath his iron dome, Ulturion sat, motionless, waiting patiently.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him. Without bothering to turn around, he spoke in a voice tinged with irritation:
"What are you doing here, Rieze?"
Placing a hand on his jaw, Rieze replied casually:
"Well, seeking shelter… Where there is light, I can enter."
"Hmm, as long as you don't bother me," Ulturion shot back sharply.
But Rieze's attention had already shifted. He felt something approaching. A chilling cold swept through the air, causing ice to form on the iron dome. Each breath burned the lungs with its icy sting.
Rieze warmed himself with his light, then growled:
"That must be Dono, that blasted… Is he trying to kill us? Or maybe turn us into ice statues?"
"You talk too much," Ulturion cut in.
Turning to face him, Rieze retorted:
"And you, how are you not freezing?"
"Hmm, simple. I reinforce my body with æther. Touch me, you'll see," Ulturion declared confidently.
Rieze stepped forward, reached out, and brushed Ulturion's shoulder. To his surprise, it was scorching hot.
"Whoa, are you trying to die or what?" Rieze exclaimed.
"Not quite. Let's just say I control my body heat to avoid freezing," Ulturion replied with a faint smile.
Moments later, Rieze noticed the intense cold had subsided, though the ice remained.
"Looks like he's done. Let's go," Ulturion suggested.
The iron shield, which had taken the form of a dome, returned to its normal size, revealing to Rieze and Ulturion the extent of Dono's devastation.
The ground was frozen, each breath triggering a hoarse cough from the frigid air. A white mist, like snow or smoke, hung in the atmosphere. Blades of aura remained suspended, trapped in ice. A massive creature lay on the ground, pierced by two enormous lances and pinned by a layer of frost. Buildings, houses, and even the castle were encased in a grip of ice. The destruction spanned over thirty meters.
"Terrifying… What a destructive attack. That guy's a real monster," Rieze muttered, awestruck.
Suddenly, a voice rang out behind them:
"So, should I take you on right now, Rieze?"
Turning without fear, Rieze and Ulturion saw Dono approaching. Frozen blood stained his body, his wounds sealed by ice, and an intense cold radiated from him. Exhausted, he slumped to the ground.
"What, can't stand anymore?" Rieze taunted.
Dono flashed a mocking smile:
"Easy for you to say, coming from someone who didn't just unleash an attack nearly at the immortal level."
"WHAT?" Rieze shouted.
"Hmm, do you really think it's normal for a human body to freeze everything in its path like that? Lucky I'm at rank nine, or I'd be dead right now. My body's frozen, from the outside to the inside," Dono explained, his voice faint.
Rieze shrugged.
"With this kind of damage, I doubt the two princesses will bother us anymore. If they were in the castle, they're likely deader than dead. But enough of that. Let's go get that orb."
Rieze and Ulturion approached the colossal creature lying on the ground—a massive lion. The beast had briefly lost consciousness but was still alive. The only reason it survived was that Dono hadn't frozen its heart. Even then, it would have succumbed if its aura hadn't instinctively protected it, allowing it to regain consciousness quickly.
Despite awakening, the lion couldn't move, pinned by the lances and ice. Rieze stepped closer and smirked:
"What, still trying to fight? That's gonna be tough with two massive lances stuck in your body and this ice holding you down."
The lion could only glare at them, its eyes burning with murderous intent. Ignoring it, Rieze walked to its head, pried open its jaws, and climbed inside.
At that moment, the lion mustered its remaining strength to try closing its jaws. But it felt a wave of ice graze its brain and shot a panicked glance at Dono. Despite his exhaustion, Dono signaled for it to stop, or risk having its brain frozen.
Realizing its life hung on Dono's whim, the lion ceased its struggle. At that instant, it felt an excruciating pain, as if something was being torn from within. Rieze emerged from the lion's maw, holding a black orb illuminated by tiny specks of light.
"So, how do we get off this planet?" Ulturion asked.
"First, you'll need to protect me from them. Though, honestly, it should be easy for you," Rieze replied.
Before them stood the remaining cultivators still alive, accompanied by the three princesses and their two protectors.
"An estimate of the time needed?" Ulturion asked.
"Hmm… Five minutes should do it. But protect me—I'll be too focused to defend myself," Rieze answered.
Suddenly, a voice thundered:
"Stop talking, you traitors! You lured that creature here to destroy the city, and that's exactly what you did! Ulturion, captain of the castle guard! Rieze, guard of Dola! Dono, leader of the northern guard! You will all die today!" Verna declared with a strong, resolute voice.
Rieze sat cross-legged, placed the orb before him, and began to chant:
"By the force that forms the energy of the world and the heavens, the æther, present everywhere and nowhere, open this portal to other worlds. Take this orb as a catalyst and grant us passage!"
Meanwhile, Ulturion strode toward the two thousand cultivators, a confident smile on his lips.
"It's impressive that so many of you are still alive after our battle with that lion. Were you hiding like rats, waiting for the storm to pass?"
"Stop trying to scare us, Ulturion!" Aude shouted. "We know you used up all your aura against that lion. Don't think you can fool us into believing you've got anything left!"
Spurred by Aude's words, a cultivator charged, swinging a heavy sword down on Ulturion.
Unfazed, Ulturion blocked the attack with a single hand. The crowd gaped as the sword stopped dead. But their shock didn't end there.
With a fluid motion, Ulturion snapped the sword like a twig, then drove his entire arm through the cultivator's abdomen. The man's scream echoed like a beast being gutted alive. He felt his stomach pierced, his spine shattered by the mere touch of Ulturion's arm.
"A perfectly reasonable death for fools who think they can defeat someone stronger," Ulturion said coldly.
Behind him, Rieze continued chanting, undisturbed.