"Reform the formation! Now!" Lord Hán Lì, the leader of the Tiān Lù Sect, barked the order as the air vibrated with the screams of the beasts.
The monsters were outnumbered, but they were relentless, throwing themselves at the cultivators until the core of the defensive line began to buckle and snap. Yè Xiū's face tightened in disbelief. "What? They broke through this one too?"
Lord Shí Hào of the Bīng Hé Zōng didn't wait for another command. He drifted forward in the sky, his left hand tucked calmly behind his back. With his right, he traced several complex symbols in the air. Suddenly, thousands of crystalline, frozen swords materialized out of the thin air.
With a single gesture, the blades rained down, skewering the beasts with lethal precision. Seeing the opening, the other sect leaders stepped in, their combined power finally turning the tide. The massacre was swift. It looked like they had won, until a monstrous roar erupted from the deep forest near the volcano.
The sound hit them like a physical wall, vibrating in their teeth. "What in the world is that?" one of the disciples stammered, his sword shaking.
Miles away, Lei Ze felt the roar in his marrow.
He came to a halt in the middle of a frozen river, the ice beneath his boots crystal clear.
He didn't turn around, but his body coiled like a spring. He could feel a presence, a scent on the wind tracking his step.
"Why am I being followed?" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper in the cold. He stood tall on the ice, his eyes scanning the treeline.
"I know you're there. Show yourself. I can smell you."
A light, melodic laugh rippled through the air, sounding like silver bells. "I'm not a bad person," a voice teased, drifting closer. "I'm just very interested in getting to know you."
Lei Ze tightened his fist. He spun around, but the space behind him was empty. He narrowed his eyes, sensing the depth of her energy.
' A Soul-Manifestation expert. High rank.'
"Haha! Do you really want to see me that badly?" the voice spoke again, closer this time.
"I'd like to see who has the nerves to stalk me," Lei Ze said.
"Fine, but on one condition."
Lei Ze frowned, his brow furrowing. "What condition?"
"Simple," the voice chirped. "Marry me."
Lei Ze's jaw dropped. He stood there, stunned into a rare silence, his mouth half-open as he stared at the air. Then, the space shimmered, and Yīng Huā revealed herself.
She stood there, radiant and grinning, her gorgeous face tilted toward him.
For a second, Lei Ze was genuinely lost. The sheer shock of the proposal and the sight of her beauty nearly threw him off, but he forced himself to pull his thoughts together.
"Why would I marry someone I don't even know?" he asked, trying to find his voice.
Yīng Huā's grin flipped into a pout. She looked genuinely annoyed. "What? Don't you like me?"
Lei Ze blinked, staring at her like she was a puzzle he couldn't solve. "I can't marry you, Princess. I have things I need to do. Important things."
The rejection hit her hard. Yīng Huā's cheeks flushed pink, and she looked down at her feet, suddenly embarrassed by her own boldness. "I might be a princess," she muttered, "but I'm also the leader of the Yào Shàn Zōng."
Lei Ze didn't want to be rude. He pressed his fist into his palm and gave her a respectful bow. "Then I should probably take my leave."
Yīng Huā's blush deepened. She started nervously tapping her index fingers together, her eyes darting toward him. "Oh... well. What about being friends?"
Lei Ze had already turned to walk away, but he looked back over his shoulder. "Friends sounds great. I have to go."
"I didn't get your name!" she screamed after him as he vanished into the white haze of the snow.
"It's Lei Ze! But you can call me Lei!" he shouted back.
"Okay! I'm Yīng Huā!"
"I heard you! Bye!"
Lei Ze trudged through the deep snow, his mind a mess. He didn't have a destination; he just needed a roof over his head before the storm got worse.
Suddenly a massive shadow blotted out the sun as a Frost Dragon, winged terror soared over the mountain peaks. It let out a roar that tore through the air, the force of its wings creating a gale that nearly knocked the villagers.
It was a Glacial Sovereign Dragon.
The beast opened its maw, and instead of fire, a torrent of pure ice rained down on the land.
The ground didn't just freeze; it turned into jagged glaciers.
Panic swept through the crowd as the Glacial Dragon beat its wings again. The sheer force of the wind sent several cultivators tumbling backward like ragdolls.
"We can't just stand here and watch!" Han Guang shouted. He didn't hesitate, summoning a massive, glowing azure spirit sword that filled the sky. "I'm not going to let this land, the home our ancestors bled for be wiped out."
He brought the massive blade down, aiming straight for the beast's neck. But the dragon was faster. It exhaled a concentrated blast of frost, freezing the spiritual sword solid in mid-air. Before Han Guang could react, the dragon whipped its tail around and shattered the frozen blade into a million glittering shards.
"What?" Han Guang gasped, his face pale.
Seeing the struggle, the other lords and their disciples put aside their differences. They stood as one, a wall of cultivators pouring every ounce of their power into a coordinated strike to save the province.
Techniques of all kinds, fire, wind, and raw energy slammed into the beast at once.
Under the combined weight of their fury, the dragon finally crashed to the earth. It let out one last, shuddering breath and didn't move again.
The silence that followed was broken by a single shout from the ruins. "They did it! They saved us!"
Cheers erupted as the survivors looked at the lords with wide, impressed eyes. These sects were usually at each other's throats, rivals in every sense of the word, but today they stood together for the sake of survival.
Shi Hao let out a long breath, a flash of pride crossing his face. He gave a sharp chuckle, turned on his heel, and flew off, his disciples trailing behind him. One by one, the other lords followed suit, dispersing until only the Yao Shan Zong remained, looking around for their missing leader.
"Where is Lord Ying Hua?" a disciple asked, looking at his friends.
Just then, Ying Hua drifted back onto her pet. Her face was still flushed, her eyes darting around as if she were deeply embarrassed. She stayed quiet, which was unlike her. One of her senior disciples stepped forward, his voice cautious. "My Lord, is something wrong?"
Ying Hua flinched as if she'd been poked, her eyes snapping back to reality. "Oh! No, nothing's wrong. Let's just get out of here. Move!"
Before they could ask anything else, she led her sect into the sky, disappearing into the distance.
Far from the chaos of that village, Lei Ze was already deep in another town. He walked through the crowded streets, just another face in the sea of people who didn't know his name. Even though he was still on the same continent, this place felt worlds away from the battle he'd just left.
He noticed people casting strange, lingering looks at him. To stay hidden, he stopped at a small stall, bought a cheap straw hat, and pulled it low over his eyes.
He stepped into a local tavern, the air thick with the smell of cheap ale and loud conversation. He found a quiet corner and sat down, keeping his face in the shadows of his hat.
"Two cups," he said to the man behind the bar.
The barman grunted and set the drinks down in front of him. Across the room, a man was standing with one foot on a table, holding court over a group of listeners.
"I'm telling you, there's a guy out there," the man said, his voice a loud rasp. "Stronger than any cultivator you've ever seen. They're calling him The Black-Bone King. He slaughters whoever he wants, whenever he wants. Two towns over? Wiped out. Every single soul."
Lei Ze stared at his drinks, listening in silence.
"The guy is pure evil," the man continued, shivering. "I'm terrified he's going to make it here next."
Lei Ze finished his first cup and reached for the second. Just as his fingers touched the rim, a hand, heavy, calloused, and strong clamped down on his shoulder.
"Who are you?" a voice growled in his ear.