"Attack!" Zhu Lin roared.
The cavalry surged forward—
—and Mulan swung her spear.
The arc of her strike tore through the front ranks like a tidal wave. Dozens of men were flung aside, bodies crashing into stone and one another as if they weighed nothing at all.
Behind the barrier, her people stirred. They wanted to fight. They wanted to stand with her.
But Jin Zhuo had already given the order.
Do not engage.
Against the Zhu Family's army, they would be slaughtered. This was not their battle to die in.
So Mulan stood alone.
Alone—
against the strength of a thousand.
Wave after wave charged her position, steel flashing, war cries filling the night. None of them made it past her spear. Those who slipped through her guard were hurled backward, smashing into the invisible barrier separating the courtyard from the main watchkeep.
Some tried fire.
Flaming arrows streaked through the air—only to shatter harmlessly against the barrier's surface, sparks dying before they could scorch stone.
It wasn't even close to enough.
Zhu Lin ground his teeth, fury twisting his face.
A thousand men…
and they still couldn't contend with one woman.
Mulan stood unmoved at the center of the courtyard, spear dripping crimson, armor unmarred.
The Zhu Family had come with numbers.
She answered them with absolute dominance.
Mulan avoided every strike with effortless precision.
Now that she had mastered basic Observation Haki, the battlefield unfolded before her like a script she had already read. She sensed attacks before they were even launched—the subtle shifts of intent, the tightening of muscles, the flicker of killing will.
Without Haki, she would have been overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
With it?
They couldn't touch her.
Her mastery of basic Armament Haki only made things worse for them. A thin, invisible coating reinforced her body and armor, turning glancing blows into harmless scrapes and direct strikes into meaningless impacts.
Most of the Zhu Family soldiers couldn't even get close.
The heat radiating from her spear warped the air itself, forcing men to recoil instinctively before they ever reached striking distance.
From behind the barrier, voices erupted.
"Fight on, Princess!"
"For the Jin Family!"
"Don't fall back!"
The cheers rolled across the courtyard like a living tide.
Little Fairy watched from above, lips curling slightly.
"So this is how Rascal planned it… winning her people over."
Retsu nodded calmly.
"Yuu-kun wanted Mulan to be their hope. Not outsiders like us."
She sipped her tea. "It's enough that she and her mother stand for them."
Little Fairy tilted her head.
"Still… maybe she could use a bit of assistance?"
"…Only a bit," Retsu agreed.
"Ufufu… then I want to try something," Mio volunteered lightly.
She lifted her fingers.
High above the battlefield, strands of spider silk shot into the sky—so thin they were nearly invisible. The threads descended silently, brushing against the necks of random soldiers.
Then—
Screams erupted.
"I—I can't control my body!"
"Stop! Stop attacking me!"
"Kill me—kill me before I kill you!"
Men turned on each other, blades swinging wildly, formations collapsing into chaos.
Retsu raised an eyebrow.
"Ara… I didn't know you could do that, Mio. I thought only Minazuki's venom worked like this."
Mio sighed softly, lowering her hand.
"I didn't use any venom or my toxins."
She looked away. "I simply threaded my web into their spines and controlled them like puppets."
Her voice softened.
"Not a skill I'm proud of."
Little Fairy glanced at Mio in silence.
She understood, all too well, what Mio had just done—and how easily she had done it. To control others, to turn them against one another without them ever realizing the source… it was a power that could quietly destroy entire nations.
She felt a flicker of relief.
Thank goodness Mio listens to Yun Che.
If she didn't—if her loyalty wavered even slightly—she would become the most dangerous existence on this continent. An enemy no army could truly fight.
And Mio wasn't alone.
Retsu could do the same.
Perhaps even more cleanly.
More efficiently.
The only reason neither of them crossed that line was simple.
Yun Che had asked them not to.
Not to dominate minds.
Not to rule through fear or control.
Not to become tyrants disguised as saviors.
So they restrained themselves for him. To choose peace over dominance. Living a carefree life.
Because power like that, once used freely, could never be taken back.
Little Fairy exhaled softly and returned her gaze to the battlefield below—
grateful that monsters like them had chosen, for now, to remain human.
Zhu Lin grew increasingly restless.
Mulan wasn't just cutting through his men—she was turning them against one another, breaking formations, shattering morale. Dozens had already fallen, and those stationed outside the watchkeep were useless. Their arrows rained harmlessly against the barrier, unable to offer even the slightest support.
Enough.
With a snarl, Zhu Lin drew his sword and charged forward himself.
Steel rang out as Mulan raised her polearm, blocking his strike head-on. The impact echoed through the courtyard, sparks scattering between them.
He leaned in, eyes burning with fury.
"So," he sneered, "the little girl has grown."
His grip tightened on the hilt.
"You think you're all-powerful now—just because you can fight me?"
Zhu Lin laughed harshly, the sound scraping like rusted steel.
"I like resistant women like you. Makes it sweeter when they finally break."
He slammed his sword down again—harder this time. The impact thundered through the courtyard, stone cracking beneath Mulan's feet. Yet she didn't budge. Her spear absorbed the force, Armament Haki flaring invisibly as she grounded herself.
Zhu Lin's eyes narrowed.
"Hmph. Still standing?" he scoffed. "All that posturing, all that fancy weaponry—and you're still just a girl playing hero for a dying family."
Mulan twisted her wrists and slid his blade aside, stepping in with a sharp thrust aimed at his ribs. Zhu Lin barely parried, sparks bursting as steel met steel.
"You talk too much," she said calmly.
"Oh?" He grinned, teeth bared. "Spoken like someone who hasn't learned her place."
He countered with a flurry of slashes, each one heavy, deliberate—trying to overwhelm her with raw strength. Mulan's Observation Haki caught the intent behind each strike before it formed. She weaved through them, the tip of her spear tracing tight arcs that forced him back half a step.
Zhu Lin clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Dodging already? What happened to standing proud?"
She answered with motion—spinning her polearm and sweeping low. Zhu Lin leapt back, the blade barely missing his legs as the shockwave rippled across the stone.
He laughed again, louder this time.
"Good! Very good! You've learned to fight like a soldier." His gaze slid over her armor. "But tell me—how long do you think you can keep this up alone?"
He surged forward, shoulder-checking her guard and trying to drive her back toward the barrier.
"Your people hide behind shields," he taunted. "Your allies watch from rooftops. And you?" He sneered. "You're the only one foolish enough to stand in front."
Mulan dug her heel into the ground and halted his advance, spear locked against his sword.
"I'm standing here," she said evenly, "so they don't have to."
Zhu Lin's smile faltered for just a heartbeat—then twisted into something uglier.
"Pretty words," he hissed. "Let's see how long they last."
He twisted his wrist and unleashed a sudden burst of power, forcing separation. The two slid apart, weapons raised, eyes locked.
Mockery dripped from his voice as he lifted his blade again.
"Come on, Princess. Show me how a family on the brink of extinction fights."
Mulan didn't answer.
She stepped forward.
And the courtyard rang once more with the sound of clashing steel.
Mulan's polearm began to glow.
A low, ominous hum vibrated through the shaft as crimson veins along the weapon brightened, responding to her will. She remembered Yun Che's words—it has a special skill; don't force it, let it answer you.
She lunged.
Zhu Lin twisted aside at the last instant, the glowing blade carving through the space where his neck had been. The heat washed over him—and only then did his confidence finally crack.
That strength—
His eyes widened as he reevaluated the exchange. The force behind her movements, the stability of her stance, the pressure she exerted with every step—
"No…" His voice faltered. "That cultivation…"
He staggered back half a step, disbelief flooding his face.
"Eighth Level Emperor Profound Realm?!"
The realization hit him like a hammer. She hadn't just caught up.
She had surpassed him.
Even after taking the elixir. Even after forcing his cultivation beyond its natural limits.
His expression twisted into rage.
"Damn you!" he roared. "How did you break through so fast?! Did you take the elixir too!?"
Mulan didn't hesitate.
"A gift from my husband," she replied calmly. "You don't need to know more than that."
She advanced again.
This time, Zhu Lin felt it clearly—he wasn't playing with her.
She had been playing with him.
Their weapons clashed again, but Mulan controlled the rhythm completely. She parried one strike, redirected another, and in the brief instant Zhu Lin overextended—
She struck.
Her polearm flared violently as she poured power into a charged blow. Flames erupted along the blade, spiraling like a burning crescent as she drove it into his shoulder.
BOOM—!
His pauldron shattered on impact. Armor exploded outward, and the strike slammed into his shoulder with crushing force, hurling him backward into his own ranks.
Zhu Lin crashed to the ground amid his men, coughing blood.
Silence rippled through the courtyard.
Seeing their general fall, the Zhu Family soldiers instinctively stepped back—fear spreading faster than orders ever could.
Zhu Lin scrambled upright, panic flashing across his face. He fumbled for profound pellets, crushing them into his wound.
Nothing happened.
The flesh refused to knit.
The blood wouldn't stop.
"What—what is this?!" he shouted, voice cracking. "Why can't I heal?!"
Mulan leveled her polearm at him, its crimson glow fading to a cold, ominous sheen.
"That weapon you mocked," she said evenly, "doesn't just cut."
She took one step forward.
"It denies recovery."
Zhu Lin stared at her in horror.
Mulan raised her spear, eyes settling on the blood-dark aura clinging to its edge.
Yun Che's words echoed in her mind.
Even most meitō possessed no special abilities—only supreme craftsmanship. The blades he forged for Retsu, Mio, Nemu, Xue Ling, Cang Yue, Xia Qingyue, Jin Yuelian, Little Fairy, and Chu Yueli were flawless weapons, each perfectly suited to its wielder. Lin Yueru alone wielded a named longbow.
And Mulan—
Mulan had been given something different.
Her polearm was the first weapon Yun Che ever created to support a true special ability.
She lifted it higher.
The name surfaced naturally, as if the weapon itself whispered it to her.
Ashen Sun's Shadow.
A Bond-of-Life skill.
When activated through a charged strike, it consumed 25% of her stamina, converting it directly into destructive power—boosting her attack by 12% every fourteen seconds. In rare cases, the weapon demanded more, draining 30% and doubling the amplification to 24%.
Power, paid for with her own vitality.
Yun Che had warned her against it.
Use it recklessly, and she could collapse in under a minute.
She had tested it only once before—and nearly dropped to one knee afterward.
Mulan exhaled slowly… and committed.
The spear flared, its aura deepening into a scorched crimson glow, like a sun smothered beneath ash. The drain hit instantly—her breath catching as strength poured out of her body and into the weapon.
Her muscles screamed.
She struck.
The moment the blade connected with Zhu Lin, the effect took hold.
Without hesitation, Mulan drinks a stamina potion. Warm vitality surged through her veins, restoring what had been taken.
Zhu Lin, however, wasn't so fortunate.
"What—what kind of sorcery is this?!" he screamed, panic flooding his voice.
He swallowed one healing pill.
Then another.
Then a third.
Nothing.
The wound refused to close. Flesh remained torn, blood still flowing, profound energy unable to knit it together.
Ashen Sun's Shadow had taken hold.
For fourteen seconds, all healing—external or internal—was denied.
Mulan leveled the spear at him, its glow steady, merciless.
Zhu Lin stared at her, terror finally eclipsing arrogance.
"This is it…!" voices cried out from behind the barrier.
"The Jin Family will reclaim our honor!"
"This ends here!" Mulan shouted, driving her polearm forward with decisive force.
"Insolent!"
A terrifying burst of energy erupted out of nowhere.
Mulan's strike was halted mid-thrust as an overwhelming pressure crashed into her. She was flung backward like a leaf in a storm, slamming hard against the barrier with a thunderous impact before sliding down it, armor ringing.
Above the courtyard, Retsu, Mio, and Little Fairy moved instinctively—
—then stopped.
They could intervene.
They wanted to.
But this was Mulan's battle.
So they held back.
The air grew heavy.
From the night sky, a figure slowly descended—white robes fluttering, beard flowing like silver mist. His presence alone pressed down on the battlefield, silencing the chaos.
Ninth Level Emperor Profound Realm.
Little Fairy's eyes widened.
A cultivation like this… in the Jin Province?
Someone this close to the peak—someone who nearly rivaled a Grand Asgard Mistress and the Fairy of the Northern Mountain?
Impossible.
Mulan forced herself upright, eyes narrowing as recognition struck her like ice.
"So you finally appear…"
The old man landed lightly on the stone, calm and composed, as though the battlefield were nothing more than a garden path.
Zhu Ming.
The legendary ancestor of the Zhu Family.
The shadow behind their power.
The reason their name alone inspired fear for generations.
The true pillar that had allowed the Zhu Family to reign unchecked.
His gaze swept over the ruined courtyard, over Zhu Lin's bleeding form, and finally settled on Mulan.
All of this—
every Throne, every hidden powerhouse—
It traced back to the elixir Mu Che had invented.
Even crippled, even halting future cultivation, it was still enough to forge an army capable of invading an empire.
"A mere Eighth-Level Emperor Profound Realm dares to show such insolence!?" Zhu Ming scoffed, his voice heavy with disdain.
"Lan'er!" Jin Yuelian cried, instinctively stepping forward.
Mulan raised a single hand.
"Stay back, Mother."
Jin Yuelian froze.
She knew the truth as well as anyone—she was only a Sixth-Level Emperor Profound Realm. Against an Eighth Level, the gap was already vast. Against Zhu Ming… it was an abyss. Even the power Yun Che had temporarily granted her through the Attack Boost Pill wouldn't be enough. It might drive Shu Jiantian away—but against this ancestor, she was nothing.
Above them—
"Ret-chan… should we help her?" Mio asked quietly.
Retsu shook her head.
"No. She still has one last card."
Little Fairy blinked.
"…A card?"
"Something Nemu and Yuu-kun made," Retsu said thoughtfully. "They were oddly excited this morning."
Below, Mulan closed her eyes.
Then—
She discarded her armor.
The familiar red plates clattered to the ground, one by one. The armor that had been her companion through countless battles—now shattered, heavy, and restricting—was cast aside without hesitation.
The courtyard fell silent.
Zhu Ming's lips curled into a sneer.
"Oh?" he mocked. "The Jin Family's proud daughter is stripping now?" His gaze was cold, dismissive. "Do not misunderstand—I have no interest in young girls."
However, Mulan remained silent as she raised the fiery gauntlet—its center incomplete, the keystone conspicuously missing.
Her thoughts drifted back to when she first found it.
=============================
That morning.
She had discovered a small box hidden beneath her bed. When she opened it, her breath had caught. Inside lay a single gauntlet, forged in flame-hued metal, alongside a necklace bearing a glowing, flame-shaped crystal.
"This…"
She remembered it instantly.
Long ago, she had stumbled upon Mu Che while he was working on it. Even then, he had admitted it wasn't finished—he lacked the power needed to complete whatever grand design he envisioned.
"What is that?"
The sudden voice had startled her out of her memories.
"Che'er!?" She turned in surprise to see Yun Che standing behind her, clearly puzzled by the box she had been staring at.
"A gauntlet?" Yun Che stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly as he examined its contents.
Mulan's expression softened. She lifted the gauntlet carefully and showed it to him.
"I remember this… Mu Che made it for me. Or… it was supposed to be for me."
"He made this?" Yun Che took the gauntlet in his hands. Despite its ancient, ceremonial appearance, he could immediately tell—it wasn't just an artifact. Beneath the archaic design lay layers of complex construction. Right now, however, it felt unfinished. Incomplete. More like a carefully crafted prop than a functional weapon.
"Yes," Mulan said quietly. "It was meant to be a gift… a wedding gift."
Her fingers tightened slightly. "But he didn't have time to finish it."
She slipped the gauntlet onto her arm and then carefully pressed the fiery keystone into the slot at its center.
Nothing happened.
"He said one day this would become my symbol of power," she murmured. "But… he never completed it."
Yun Che stared at the gauntlet in silence, brows drawn together—not with doubt, but with curiosity.
"…What exactly is this?" he murmured to himself.
====================
[Ding… Incomplete Booster Gauntlet detected]
====================
"Booster… gauntlet?" Yun Che frowned. "What in the world is that?"
His gaze sharpened. "And it's technology?"
====================
[Fire Booster Gauntlet]
[Status: Incomplete]
[A Booster Gauntlet is a device designed to amplify the wielder's elemental affinity by 50%, granting power comparable to an artificially enhanced elemental constitution.]
[For the host and other System companions, this technology is largely redundant due to natural Elemental Haki amplification.]
However—
[This particular device was designed by Mu Che specifically for Mulan.]
[It is a prototype elemental booster capable of amplifying fire-element affinity in a compatible cultivator.]
[This unit is currently a non-functional prototype.]
[You may apply improvements and refinements before the System can upload the finalized blueprint into its database.]
[Once completed, this technology may be replicated to create elemental booster gear for human companions lacking innate elemental amplification.]
=====================
"…Isn't this pointless?" Yun Che muttered.
"They can already boost elemental power with Haki."
=====================
[Correction.]
[Haki amplifies elemental output by 50%].
[When used in conjunction with a Booster Gauntlet, the amplification becomes cumulative, resulting in an additional 50% increase.]
[This effect functions similarly to:
• Nemuri's Boosted Attributes
• Unohana Retsu's Essence of Yin and Yang]
[Even their powers may be further amplified through compatible booster equipment.]
=====================
"…Holy—"
=====================
[Additional Effects:]
• Increases elemental resistance by 50%
• Increases elemental output by 50%
[With proper tuning, the wearer may become highly resistant—or even near-invulnerable—to a matching element.]
[Improper calibration may result in extreme vulnerability to counter-elements.]
=====================
Yun Che stared at the gauntlet again.
What Mu Che had left behind wasn't just unfinished—
It was dangerous.
And once completed…
It would amplify even Haki users.
"Does this thing use some kind of power?" Yun Che asked, eyes never leaving the gauntlet.
=====================
[Yes.]
[This device uses the wielder's Profound Energy to sustain its powered state.
Insufficient energy will render the gear inactive.]
[The host may tailor Booster Gear to specific users to prevent unauthorized operation.
Additional security options include failsafes or self-destruction protocols to prevent misuse.]
======================
"Well… that's an interesting piece of gear," Yun Che muttered.
His thoughts raced.
I could make something like this for Cang Yue's protectors… for Qingyue as a support unit…
If he reverse-engineered the gauntlet through the System, he could create variants—water, wind, earth, light, dark… maybe even fused elements. Perhaps even an all-element model, usable by himself, Retsu, Mio, or Nemu—beings capable of wielding multiple elements.
And for him—
Once he possessed all the Heretic God seeds?
This device wouldn't replace their power.
It would stack on top of it.
What kind of world did Mu Che come from, Yun Che wondered, to create technology like this?
======================
[Additional Information:]
[Boosted Gear may also be utilized by the host.
While it does not amplify cultivation level, it significantly enhances elemental output.]
[Boosted Gear is limited to one elemental lock per unit.
If the user possesses multiple elements, only one may be boosted at a time.]
[…Plus…]
======================
As Yun Che read the remaining information, his breath caught.
His eyes sparkled.
Without another word, he turned and activated his Tenteikura.
"Nemu."
"Che'er?" Mulan asked, confused by the sudden shift.
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor as Nemu rushed in.
"You called?"
Yun Che lifted the gauntlet slightly, barely containing his excitement.
"Mind if I borrow this?"
Mulan blinked, then smiled faintly.
"If you can do something with it… go ahead."
"Thank you!" Yun Che turned instantly. "Nemu—up for a little reverse engineering?"
"Hai," Nemu replied immediately, eyes already scanning the device. "Please guide me."
"Let's go!"
Yun Che was already walking off, Nemu following closely behind.
Mulan watched them disappear with the unfinished prototype in hand.
"…Oh."
"Ara…" Retsu's voice drifted in as she appeared beside her. "There they go."
She sighed dramatically.
"How cruel. Forgetting her Onee-chan the moment something interesting appears."
Her expression softened immediately after—she didn't actually mind. It was Nemu being 'Nemu'.
"Retsu?" Mulan turned.
She smiled wryly.
"They're always like that when they find something new."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"I do wonder what it was this time… to make them so excited."
=============================
Mulan steadied her breathing and reached for the necklace at her chest.
A fiery crystal amulet, shaped like a burning sigil, slid into her palm.
The moment she lifted it, the fire crest embedded in the gauntlet began to glow.
Yun Che and Nemu had completed what Mu Che never could.
This wasn't a relic of the past anymore—
It was a weapon meant for now.
Meant to be used against the Zhu Family's ancestor.
On the gauntlet's surface, an outline ignited—the exact shape of the crystal she held. Mulan hovered the amulet over it for a heartbeat, then pressed it firmly into place.
The crystal locked in.
Red light erupted.
Flames spiraled around her body, not wild, not destructive—obedient. The glow intensified, swallowing her silhouette whole. Then, slowly, the blaze receded.
Mulan stood transformed.
A white-grey overcoat formed around her, cut into a sharp X-shaped design, its long tails lined in deep crimson. Beneath it, a fitted grey shirt with asymmetric front tails settled perfectly against her form, fastened by a short white tie marked with a red-and-black Fatui emblem.
Her sleeves ended in short black ruffles edged in red.
Black leggings hugged her legs, trimmed with red just above the ankles.
Stiletto heels—gray with crimson accents—clicked softly against the stone.
Her hands and forearms were blackened by her curse, the contrast stark against the new attire. Long fingernails gleamed crimson. Rings adorned her fingers. White "+"-shaped earrings hung from her ears.
At the nape of her neck, attached to the back of her overcoat, her Pyro Vision burned steadily.
Her hair had turned white, streaked with faint black and red lines like ink soaked into snow.
Her eyes glowed a deep, 'x' shaped, luminous red pupils.
Power rolled off her in measured waves.
In that moment, Mulan finally understood what Yun Che meant when he gave her the gauntlet.
This wasn't armor.
This wasn't augmentation.
It was ascension.
The Fire Booster Gauntlet had awakened—
her flames amplified, refined, made absolute.
She lifted her gaze toward Zhu Ming, crimson eyes steady and unyielding.
She is now Moonglare Mulan.
Mulan silently shed a tear.
For the first time, she wore the complete version of Mu Che's gift.
The gift he had never been able to finish.
She remembered it clearly—how her family had been harassed long before Mu Che ever married her. How he had wanted to protect her, stand beside her, fight for her—but couldn't. He had been a cripple. A man without profound strength. Someone who couldn't even mount a horse properly, much less wield a weapon.
And yet—
Even in death, he was still protecting her.
Still standing with her.
Still giving her the strength he never had.
"Lan'er…" Jin Yuelian whispered, staring at her daughter's transformed figure, her voice trembling.
"Princess!" Li Bing called out nearby. She bore only minor injuries from the Shu Family's assassination attempt—wounds earned while successfully driving them away. The Shu Family assassins had been annihilated by Jin Yuelian and the Nezukos, with Lin Yueru and Kon assisting in perfect coordination.
"Pretty desu!!" the Nezukos shouted in unison, eyes sparkling.
"This is..." Lin Yueru widened her eyes.
"Cool!!" Kon hopped on her shoulder.
Little Fairy squinted at Mulan, disbelief written across her face.
"What in the—what did that rascal give her!?"
Retsu let out a slow sigh, arms folded.
"So this is what he and Nemu were working on." She smiled faintly. "No wonder they were so excited."
She glanced at Mulan's glowing form.
"He mentioned that Mu Che left behind an incomplete artifact. They dismantled it, rebuilt it, perfected it… and gave it back to its rightful owner."
Her eyes softened.
"She's field-testing it now."
"Knowing those two, they probably created a blueprint for it for recreation and improvement."
Yun Che and Nemu hadn't been excited merely because they finished Mu Che's Booster Gauntlet.
They had been excited because of one single line the system revealed:
=====================
[Host may create a custom armored transformation linked to a compatible elemental booster gauntlet.]
[This does not alter power output or amplify strength.]
[It only generates a clothing or armor appearance based on the host's design as a medium to boost elemental powers.]
[Appearance is constructed from profound energy.]
=====================
Mu Che had never been able to implement a design.
He lacked the power—and the system—to do so.
But Yun Che did.
Which meant the Booster Gauntlet didn't just enhance fire.
It could manifest identity.
Armor.
Outfit.
Symbol.
Whatever the wielder chose.
Moonglare Mulan was Yun Che's personal custom Fire Booster transformation designed specifically for Mulan.
The concept was simple but deliberate. Moonglare was inspired by Arlecchino's default outfit in Genshin Impact—a style that already mirrored Mulan's everyday attire. Rather than forcing her into bulky armor that didn't suit her, Yun Che chose to give her a transformation that enhanced her identity instead of replacing it.
Whenever Mulan activates the Fire Booster Gauntlet, she transforms into Moonglare Mulan, donning a custom manifestation generated from profound energy. The appearance does not increase her strength or cultivation—it merely reflects the Booster's activation in a visual, symbolic form.
And it doesn't even need to be armor.
It can be formal wear.
Combat attire.
Ceremonial clothing.
Anything the designer chooses.
The Booster Gauntlet allows the host to define how power looks.
Mu Che never had the means to implement this function but he had the idea. The means and knowledge.
All Yun Che did was complete and learn from it.
In essence, Moonglare Mulan isn't just a power-up—it's powered-up cosplay, a fusion of technology, elemental amplification, and personal expression.
A transformation that says:
This power is hers.
When Mulan activated the Fire Booster, she would become Moonglare Mulan—clad in a form shaped by Yun Che's design and Mu Che's legacy.
A powered transformation.
A battle form.
A declaration.
Not armor for war—
—but a promise fulfilled.
Now, Yun Che had finally completed what Mu Che began.
He gave Mulan the first gauntlet capable of triggering a full transformation—an outfit and armor born of profound energy, designed to support and refine elemental power rather than merely protect.
Zhu Ming stared at her transformed figure, his expression darkening. Her aura hadn't changed—but her spear now burned with living flame. It was unmistakable.
She was suited for fire.
Given time, she would master firebending without question.
"You…" Zhu Ming snarled, eyes locked onto her. "What are you!?"
His gaze dropped to the glowing gauntlet on her arm—the crystal embedded cleanly into its core.
Greed flickered across his face.
He wanted it.
"Mulan…"
A calm voice sounded behind her.
She turned. "Sister Retsu…"
Mulan's voice sounds deeper as the Fire Booster somehow alter her personality to be much more controlled.
Retsu stood there, serene as ever.
"Deal with the ancestor," Retsu said evenly. "We'll handle the rest."
Little Fairy appeared beside her, followed by Mio and Yoru. Their descent alone was enough—what remained of the Zhu Family soldiers instinctively backed away as four veiled fairies took position around the Jin Family heiress.
Mulan hesitated.
Part of her wanted to refuse—to finish this alone. To prove herself without help as this was the matter between the Jin Family and the Zhu Family.
But Retsu placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You're part of our flock too," she said softly. "That's why we came to this province. We won't let you fight alone."
"Sister Retsu…" Mulan whispered.
"And besides," Retsu added, gesturing casually, "Mio's getting bored."
"That's right!" Mio chirped. "Sitting around will make you fat!"
"You're never getting fat, Mio-sama." Yoru sighed. "The food Retsu-san made doesn't work like that."
"Ehee~ you never know!" Mio grinned behind her veiled hat.
Retsu turned back to Mulan, her voice steady once more.
"Focus on that Zhu Ming—and Zhu Lin if he can still move. Leave the rest to us."
Mulan nodded.
"…Please lend me your aid."
She exploded forward in a burst of flame, spear blazing as she charged straight for the Zhu Family's ancestor.
Retsu stepped onto the stairs leading into the watchkeep's main hall, Mio and Little Fairy flanking her, Yoru standing silently behind.
They had no intention of letting Mulan have all the fun.
Not tonight.
"Veiled fairies…?" one of the soldiers whispered.
For the first time in their lives, they beheld figures whose beauty surpassed even their most indulgent fantasies. Beneath those fluttering veils lay faces they could only imagine—faces that might ruin men simply by being seen.
"Who cares!" another shouted. "They side with the Jin Family—kill them!"
As the veils stirred in the night wind, Retsu took a single step forward.
Bows were raised.
Strings were drawn.
Arrows screamed through the air—
—and disintegrated.
They shredded into splinters before reaching her, erased as if the space itself rejected them.
Retsu continued walking, unhurried. Mio, Little Fairy, and Yoru followed at her sides, untouched.
"Such impatient men," Retsu sighed softly.
"Such short lives," Mio added with a huff.
Little Fairy frowned faintly. "Try not to kill them. Some of them likely have families."
"That's unfortunate," Yoru murmured. "For everyone."
Panic spread among the soldiers.
"Why—why are the arrows disappearing?!"
For the briefest moment, something invisible flickered into view—shapes cutting the air, deflecting everything. Then it vanished again.
Protected.
That was when the temperature dropped.
Snowflakes drifted down—slow, deliberate.
Behind Retsu, ice began to form.
One sword.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Katana of translucent ice materialized around her, each etched with frost patterns, each radiating killing intent so refined it felt ceremonial. They hovered in a spiraling formation, orbiting her like loyal sentinels—never once drifting close enough to threaten Mio, Little Fairy, or Yoru.
With a casual motion, Retsu raised her right hand.
One blade slid free from the formation and settled into her grip.
Little Fairy stared, stunned.
She remembered Retsu once saying that maintaining even one manifested blade required enormous concentration and mental control.
And now—
Dozens hovered around her.
Perfectly stable.
Perfectly obedient.
Not just summoned.
Commanded.
"Ufuu… let's see how many we can take down," Retsu smiled softly behind her veil.
"Oh?" Mio chimed. "The one with fewer wins cooks supper!"
Retsu stepped forward—and the battlefield shifted.
The ice swords surrounding her snapped instantly into motion, flowing between attack and defense with flawless coordination. In one breath, they formed shields; in the next, they became executioners. Every arrow, every charge, every reckless advance was answered—blocked, redirected, and cut down with merciless efficiency.
Mio moved beside her, bladed fan flashing in clean, brutal arcs.
Little Fairy wielded Yorukaze, precise and controlled.
Yoru didn't even bother drawing her own blade—she simply took one of Retsu's ice swords and wielded it with quiet finality. Against grunts like these, that was more than enough.
There were no flashy techniques.
No wasted motion.
Only Retsu, calmly orchestrating dozens of blades at once—each sword a thought, each strike deliberate.
Arrows flew—
—and were met by walls of ice, shattering before they could reach their targets. The same swords that blocked them swept forward a heartbeat later, cutting down the archers in retaliation.
Some soldiers ignored the fairies entirely and rushed the barrier—
—only to crash into newly formed sword-walls and be hurled back into the courtyard.
"What the hell is this!?"
"We didn't sign up for this!"
"P-Please… please… we surrender!"
"Don't kill me—I have a family!"
The tide broke.
Weapons fell. Knees hit stone.
Some surrendered outright.
Others—driven by fear or fanaticism—tried to slaughter those who laid down arms.
"Cowards!!" Zhu Lin screamed, lunging to cut down the kneeling soldiers—
—only for Mio to teleport in and slam her sandal square into his face.
He went flying, crashing hard into the far end of the barrier.
Little Fairy raised her hand, expression gentle but resolute.
Frost spread outward in a controlled wave, freezing the ground and locking surrendering soldiers in place—immobilized, unharmed, alive.
She shook her head softly.
"They can still be useful."
She wasn't willing to kill them. Neither was Mulan. The Jin Family needed soldiers—real ones. Those who surrendered could serve, rebuild, atone.
Those who didn't…
Yoru dealt with swiftly.
Some deaths were unavoidable.
Mio moved through the remaining fighters like a storm—beating them down, binding them with webs. She even deployed her Parasite Web, forcing attackers to restrain one another, their own bodies betraying them.
Within moments, the courtyard was silent.
The Zhu Family's army had collapsed—not under overwhelming slaughter—
—but under absolute control.
A handful of soldiers attempted to rally and charge again—
Only to be cut down mid-step.
Shots rang out from nowhere.
From above, unseen forces struck with ruthless precision. Men fell before they could even scream. Crossbow bolts followed, pinning weapons, legs, and armor to stone. The sudden, surgical violence shattered what little resolve remained.
The soldiers froze.
Then—one by one—they lowered their weapons.
Zhu Ming's eyes snapped upward.
Something had appeared—then vanished. No aura. No cultivator presence. Just death delivered with terrifying efficiency. His gaze darkened as realization crept in.
Contraptions.
The Jin Family had far more hidden cards than he ever anticipated.
Mulan glanced skyward, crimson eyes briefly catching faint distortions in the air.
Support.
Silent. Precise. Unyielding.
The VSD–Prototype 2, designated WASP—Wide-Area Suppression Projectile—was Nemu's second-generation drone, co-developed with Yun Che. Unlike the earlier crossbow models, this unit was outfitted with a suppressed sniper system, optimized for long-range aerial engagement.
The drone could cloak itself completely, hovering unseen above the watchkeep, eliminating targets without warning. Many of the Shu Family assassins had already fallen to its fire before ever reaching their marks.
A perfect execution platform.
Zhu Ming's breath quickened.
Greed ignited in his eyes.
If he could seize control of those machines—
if he could command weapons that killed without presence, without warning—
He wouldn't just rule the Jin Province.
He would control the entire city.
High above the courtyard, Mulan clashed with Zhu Ming.
He tried—again and again—to break away and descend toward his collapsing forces, but every attempt was cut off. Each time he shifted his momentum, Mulan intercepted him effortlessly, forcing him back into the sky.
In her new form, her pupils burned in an X-shaped crimson glow, locked squarely onto him.
This was the power Mu Che had prepared for her.
The power Yun Che and Nemu had completed.
And now—
She was wielding it against the greatest pillar of the Zhu Family.
Zhu Ming snarled, fury and greed twisting his face as his gaze fixated on the glowing gauntlet.
"You—what kind of treasure is that on your arm? What are those things? And who are those wenches aiding you?!"
The insult snapped something cold and sharp inside her.
Her voice dropped, steady but lethal.
"Watch your tongue."
Retsu was her alpha.
Her sisters were her flock.
She would not tolerate anyone defiling them with words.
"That is not for you to know," Mulan continued. "All that matters is this—I now have the power and the means to defeat you."
Zhu Ming's eyes gleamed viciously.
"If you won't tell me," he growled, "then I'll rip that treasure off you myself." His lips curled. "I might even keep you alive—long enough to tell me how to control those contraptions."
Mulan's grip tightened around her polearm.
"Over my dead body."
Her aura surged.
She boosted her speed, space cracking faintly around her as she vanished and reappeared in a flash. Fire blossomed along her polearm—not wild flames, but controlled, disciplined heat.
She couldn't firebend yet.
But she could command fire through her weapon.
And she did it beautifully.
Flames coiled along the blade as she struck, each swing carving incandescent arcs through the night sky.
Zhu Ming barely managed to block, shock rippling through his arms as heat and force slammed into him simultaneously.
Two Thrones.
Two wills.
Colliding above the Jin Family estate.
The night sky trembled as their battle truly began.
========================
"Looks like Mulan is finally getting serious," Mio remarked as the last of the men were suppressed.
She had to admit—kicking Zhu Lin square in the face had felt a little like stealing Mulan's thunder. Still, she wouldn't finish him off. That judgment belonged to Mulan alone.
"That rascal…" Little Fairy sighed, eyes narrowing as whatever Mulan had activated began to unfold. "He always has something prepared."
There was no hiding the faint trace of envy in her voice.
"Well… that's Yuu-kun for you," Retsu said calmly as Yoru nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, Retsu stiffened.
"Araa…"
Mio turned at once. "What's wrong, Ret-chan?"
Retsu released her ice swords, the blades dissolving into harmless vapor before they touched the ground. "It seems I'm needed elsewhere. Mio-chan, keep watch here for me."
"Needed? Danna-sama needed you?" Mio huffed, jealousy clear in her voice.
"Yes…" Retsu replied lightly, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "It seems Ling-san's sister's disease isn't as simple as it appears. He may need assistance—especially since Nemu is currently engaged with a monk outside."
"Nemu-sama will be all right, won't she?" Yoru asked. She knew well that, compared to the rest of them, Nemu was still somewhat underleveled.
"If Nemu had only just arrived from our realm, I would be worried," Retsu said calmly. "But Nemu-chan has been growing at an astonishing pace. I have to trust her instead of coddling her."
Her smile deepened, carrying quiet pride.
"Besides, Nemu-chan is extremely clever. She knows how to survive—and how to win."
"Leave it to me!" Mio said brightly. "I've got Yuechan-san and Yoru with me."
"Pff… do we really need guards when we've got a monarch here?" Little Fairy muttered.
"Shhh—no one must know!" Mio pressed a finger to her lips in exaggerated secrecy.
Retsu smiled faintly. "Then I'll leave things in your care. Although…"
Her eyes gleamed. "There's something I wish to try."
With that, the glider wings unfurled behind her. She lifted smoothly into the air—then her ki surged.
The wings folded away as her aura flared, pure ki bursting outward in a radiant sheath. In the next instant, she accelerated, switching fully to ki-based flight. The sky rippled behind her as she streaked toward the Northern Mountains, vanishing into the distance in a heartbeat.
"Already mastered ki burst flight?" Little Fairy murmured in disbelief. "No wonder I kept seeing her training at dawn."
"Yes," Mio said proudly. "Ret-chan learns frighteningly fast."
"You can do it too, Mio-sama?" Yoru asked.
"I can," Mio nodded, then added with a laugh, "but Ret-chan is still faster than me when we race."
"Incredible…" Little Fairy whispered.
Ki didn't just grant advanced flight—it pushed the body beyond its natural limits. If mobility and defenses could be amplified to this extent, then what about techniques?
Her thoughts raced.
When Ki combined with profound techniques…
Their attacks would no longer simply strike—they would overwhelm.
The possibilities sent a thrill through her.
She couldn't wait to master Ki—
After she perfected her Haki.
Above them, Zhu Ming watched from above with Jin Mulan in front of him.
No wonder Jin Mulan was so confident. She had gathered a formidable group of allies to defend the watchkeep. Even if he withdrew now, the women below were clearly prepared—layered with protection and contingency.
Still…
His gaze fixed on Jin Mulan's wrist.
That artifact.
That power.
The source of her new form.
No matter the cost—he wanted it.
========================
BOOM—!
The explosion tore through the storm as Xue Ling and King Alugang collided head-on.
Snow and ice were blasted outward, swallowed instantly by the raging blizzard that cloaked the battlefield. Xue Ling hovered amid the storm, her aura sharp and frigid, while Alugang staggered back, breath coming in ragged bursts.
For a brief moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"…So," he growled, "you really are her sister."
The pressure she radiated—
the cold, refined dominance—
It was unmistakable.
He felt as though he were fighting Xue Yin herself.
Nearby, Zhong Chuke and Jin Zhuo worked relentlessly to suppress the enemy ranks. Of the five thousand soldiers that had marched into the frozen battlefield, nearly a thousand had already deserted—terror breaking their formations long before steel did.
Even so, the numbers were still overwhelming.
The VTOL had already scoured hundreds from before, but ground combat remained fierce.
Jin Zhuo moved with practiced precision, slightly rustier than Zhong Chuke but no less dangerous. As a Sixth-Level Emperor Profound Realm, a few hundred foot soldiers posed no real threat to him.
"Tatsumaki!" Cang Yue shouted.
A cyclone of razor-sharp wind erupted, blades of compressed air tearing soldiers off their feet and dragging them screaming into the spinning vortex.
Elsewhere, Tian Xi and Yao Yao fought back-to-back, striking decisively without fear of ranged attacks. Yun Che's Quincy barrier amulets shimmered faintly around them, nullifying arrows and stray techniques before they could land.
Jin Zhuo bore a similar barrier.
Zhong Chuke relied on his own layered defenses.
And Cang Yue—
Her Haki detected every incoming strike before it even formed.
Across the frozen battlefield, chaos reigned.
"Thrones!!" the soldiers cried out in panic as they finally sensed the true cultivations of Jin Zhuo, Zhong Chuke, Tian Xi, Yao Yao, and Xue Ling.
The realization hit them like ice water.
Especially the two newcomers.
Tian Xi and Yao Yao had leapt directly from the first level of the Sky Profound Realm into the realm of a Throne. Their power surged wildly, still unfamiliar, still unrefined. Strikes landed heavier than intended. Shockwaves spread farther than planned.
Zhong Chuke noticed immediately.
They're overshooting, he thought grimly.
They'll need proper control training—or they'll hurt their own people one day.
He stored the thought away for later.
Cang Yue, however, was different.
She did not possess the formal cultivation of a Throne—
yet when she fought, she matched one blow for blow, her power honed, precise, terrifyingly efficient.
"Fall back!" the soldiers screamed as fear finally shattered their resolve.
They turned and ran.
"Cowards!" King Alugang roared. "Come back here!"
"You should focus on what's in front of you."
The voice came too close. Too fast.
Before Alugang could even turn—
POW!
Xue Ling's fist slammed into his face with explosive force, the impact cracking the air itself. Alugang was hurled backward through the snow, blood spraying against the white ground.
Cang Yue's eyes widened.
This was the first time she had ever seen Xue Ling like this.
Truly angry.
She couldn't remember the last time Xue Ling had lost control—not even during her harshest trials in her childhood. Her late mother trained her well in anger management. The revelation that her sister was alive had shaken her deeply… but she hadn't turned that fury inward.
She hadn't turned it on her sister.
She had turned it on Alugang instead.
And judging by the way Xue Ling advanced through the storm—
She wasn't done venting yet.
========================
In the distance, the grand ark of the Lunar Blossom Sect glided toward the open sea.
"I don't understand why the Sect Master evacuated us," one disciple whispered nervously. "Is there… a calamity coming?"
"Then why send all of us away?" another asked. "Why not order us to fight and defend the sect?"
"The Sect Master must have his reasons," a senior disciple replied, forcing calm into his voice. "He would never sacrifice us in a hopeless battle."
A sudden shout cut through the uneasy murmurs.
"Look—over there! Small arks approaching!"
Eyes turned skyward.
"…Wait. That insignia—"
A chill crept into their hearts.
"Isn't that the Wu Clan?"
"Are they… here to help us?"
"Help?" someone scoffed, dread seeping into their voice. "Then why are they deploying cannons? We're completely defenseless!"
"Senior brother… senior sisters…" a younger disciple cried, voice trembling. "What are we going to do?!"
Ahead of them, rows of smaller flying arks fanned out, forming a deadly semicircle around the Lunar Blossom Sect's main ark—cannons gleaming, profound energy gathering.
A Wu Clan cultivator sneered from his deck.
"Hmph. Cowards… fleeing instead of fighting."
He raised his hand.
"Fire."
Cannons roared.
Fiery shells tore through the air, streaking toward the ark like falling stars. The disciples braced themselves—some screamed, others shut their eyes, awaiting annihilation.
Then—
The temperature dropped.
The air crystallized.
Snow began to fall.
One by one, the blazing cannonballs froze mid-flight, encased in ice. A heartbeat later, razor-sharp arcs of frost sliced through them, shattering the shells into harmless fragments before they could reach the ark.
Silence followed.
The disciples stared in stunned disbelief as icy mist drifted through the sky.
Whatever calamity awaited them—
It had just met something far colder.
Another barrage followed.
Once again, the same fate.
The cannon fire froze solid in midair, flames snuffed out as ice crept over them in an instant. A heartbeat later, they shattered—cleanly, silently—before they could descend.
"What is this?!"
"Why is it so cold!?"
The Wu Clan's shadow units realized something was wrong far too late.
The moment their arks crossed an unseen threshold, the air itself turned hostile. Frost bloomed across the hulls in jagged veins. Breath crystallized mid-exhale. Instruments failed as panic rippled through the formation.
The foremost small ark was the first to fall.
Ice spread across its surface like a living thing—rapid, merciless—encasing the entire vessel in moments. Crew, weapons, sigils… all frozen solid. With a dull, muffled groan, the ark lost lift, dropped from the sky, and vanished into the forest below in a thunderous crash.
"What the hell is happening?!" someone screamed.
Panic erupted among the Wu Clan members.
Before orders could be issued, two perfect spheres of ice descended from above, silent and flawless. They slammed into another small ark. The sheer weight crushed its levitation array, sending it plummeting downward. A heartbeat later, it struck the ground—
—and exploded on impact.
"Are we under attack?!"
No answer came.
Only the creeping cold, tightening its grip as something unseen watched them from the frozen sky.
Then—
Two figures descended.
The disciples of the Lunar Blossom Sect stared in stunned silence as two ethereal fairies emerged from the storm.
They were cloaked in white, veils fluttering gently as vast wings spread behind them. Snow and ice swirled around their forms, obeying their presence as if it were law. Their bodies shimmered like sculpted frost—graceful, unreal—descending amid snow and storm as though the heavens themselves had sent them.
Their faces remained hidden.
As if the world was not worthy to behold them.
They looked almost angelic—beings born of winter itself.
"…Are those… Winter Fairies?" a disciple whispered.
"Winter fairies?" another gasped. "Impossible—they're only legends!"
"Winter fairies…" a voice trembled with reverence. "Winter fairies have come to save us!"
Above the frozen battlefield, the two figures hovered calmly—silent, watchful.
"Master… are you using your Winter Fairy Form as well?" Xia Qingyue asked, her gaze fixed on Chu Yueli. "Isn't it taxing?"
Chu Yueli hovered calmly in the storm, her own Winter Fairy Form fully manifested. The wings Nemu had given them had fused seamlessly into her being, no longer mere tools but extensions of her ethereal existence. Frost and snow responded instinctively to her presence.
"I have more than enough power to support it," Chu Yueli replied evenly. "Perhaps not as long as you can… but it has been a while since I last used it."
Qingyue blinked.
"You've… never used it before?"
She had been taught the Winter Fairy Form by Chu Yueli herself—yet she had never once seen her master employ it.
"Never," Chu Yueli answered with a faint sigh. "What would be the point? We were barred from using it freely. I mastered it years ago, but unlike you, I cannot maintain it for extended periods." Her eyes sharpened slightly. "The Winter Fairy Form is our trump card."
Her thoughts drifted briefly.
Back in the tomb, she had expended far too much power—enough to render her incapable of entering the form at all. Later, even after being healed by Mihawk, her soul had been too damaged to sustain it.
"But…" Qingyue hesitated. "Isn't this just the Seventh Realm Ice Body Jade Bones?"
Chu Yueli shook her head.
"That is merely a crude derivative." Her voice carried quiet authority. "The Winter Fairy Form is the Seventh Realm evolved state. It was developed by the Grand Asgard Mistress herself and entrusted to our Asgard Mistress. She taught it to me and my sister. I, in turn, taught it to you."
She continued, calm but resolute.
"Shui Wushuang also learned from me—but her mastery remains incomplete. She cannot tap into the evolved state." Chu Yueli's gaze softened briefly. "At present, the true masters of the Winter Fairy Form are only the Grand Asgard Mistress, our Asgard Mistress, myself, my sister… and now you."
Qingyue exhaled slowly.
"To think this form was hidden from so many…"
"Even my fellow fairies were unaware. They thought that the Winter Fairy Form was part of the Frozen End Arts that you cultivated." Chu Yueli admitted. "But secrets cannot be kept forever." Her eyes glinted. "Now that we have mastered Haki, we can elevate the Winter Fairy Form to even greater heights. When we return, I will seek permission from the Asgard Mistress to teach it to the others."
She raised her hand.
Snow and ice surged violently around her, the storm intensifying at her will.
"For now…" Chu Yueli said coldly, wings spreading wide,
"…let us deal with these pests."
The blizzard answered her call.
"Follow my lead," Chu Yueli said calmly.
She burst forward in a flash of frost, streaking toward the Wu Clan's smaller arks. Xia Qingyue followed without hesitation, their wings cutting clean arcs through the storm.
The Wu Clan panicked.
Cannons roared. Cannonballs screamed through the air—
—and were cleanly sliced apart.
Both fairies drew their respective Tachikaze and Snowflower meitōs, the blades turning ethereal the moment they entered their hands. Snow-laced light traced every movement as they cut through the projectiles with effortless grace, as if carving mist rather than steel.
"Attack! Kill them!" the Wu Clan shouted in desperation.
Too late.
Their attacks passed straight through the fairies, phasing harmlessly through bodies of snow and ice. Chu Yueli and Qingyue landed atop the first ark, their feet barely touching the deck.
They moved.
Both figures passed through the Wu Clan cultivators as if they were ghosts.
A heartbeat later—
Frost bloomed.
Every man they passed stiffened mid-motion, bodies flash-frozen where they stood. Ice raced outward from their feet, crawling across the deck, up the masts, into the hull itself.
The entire ark froze solid.
Then it fell.
The massive block of ice plunged from the sky, shattering far below.
The remaining arks tried desperately to bypass them, turning their cannons toward the Lunar Blossom Sect's grand ark—
—but the snowstorm swallowed everything.
Visibility vanished. The sky itself became hostile.
The Lunar Blossom grand ark disappeared from sight—not destroyed, but hidden.
Chu Yueli had already expanded her domain.
The entire region had been claimed by winter.
Only one thing lay beyond its reach—
The Lunar Blossom Sect's grand ark, safely outside the killing cold.
"Damn fairies!" the Wu Clan Throne-level elder escorting the fleet roared.
He surged forward, profound energy flaring as he unleashed a furious strike—
—and passed straight through Chu Yueli.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Chu Yueli had once believed the Winter Fairy Form was invulnerable by nature. What she hadn't foreseen, long ago, was that Haki users could counter it so decisively.
Now, however—
Those very Haki users were her allies.
And that made the Winter Fairy Form invulnerable once more.
"Master," Qingyue called out, glancing toward the chaos beyond the storm. "There are too many small arks. Too many low-level Sky Profound Realm cultivators flying directly toward the grand ark."
Chu Yueli deflected another furious strike from the elder, her expression finally tightening.
"…It seems we'll need a little assistance after all."
Before Qingyue could respond—
A familiar mechanical hum cut through the howl of the blizzard.
Both fairies turned their gaze skyward.