"Heh… brat, if that's all you've got—"
"Then today, you're not leaving here alive!"
Andrius let out a thunderous roar, and the blizzard howled in answer. Icy light gathered within his maw, its chill enough to freeze the very air.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Jiang Yan's expression remained calm. Far away in Guili Plains, a wooden clone of his suddenly vanished.
At the same instant, golden light flared in Jiang Yan's hand.
A sword with a sapphire-blue hilt began to take form—its radiant blade humming with divine energy.
"Blizzard of the North Wind!"
A streak of pale-blue aurora, cold enough to freeze the heavens, surged toward him.
Jiang Yan raised his sword, voice like thunder—
"EX—"
"CALIBUR!!!"
The sword of promised victory, forged from faith itself, unleashed a torrent of golden light that cleaved through the heavens as Jiang Yan swung it down.
BOOM!
A blinding explosion ripped through the snowfields. Smoke and frost churned violently as man and wolf clashed amid the storm.
The battle raged for three full days.
The shockwaves of their duel were so immense that even in the Brightcrown Mountains, the Storm Lord Decarabian felt the tremors—
his wall of violent wind, which sealed the blizzards, quivered faintly.
"Hm? That wolf… who is he fighting?"
Decarabian's eyes narrowed. Though curious, he dismissed it quickly.
Below him, his subjects kept their heads bowed, trembling under his oppressive presence.
A faint smile curled his lips.
"Look at them… my people, so blessed beneath my rule."
He truly believed that their bowed heads were born of reverence, not fear—
for he was, after all, their king, the Lord of the Blazing Tempest.
Meanwhile, back in Guili Plains.
Morax sat in his chamber, sipping tea while attending to state affairs.
"Strange… that kid Jiang Yan's been gone for days now. Why hasn't he returned?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly, worry flashing across his face.
Just then—
Creaaak.
The door opened.
"Yo, what's with that look? Miss me already?"
Jiang Yan strolled in with a grin.
But Morax immediately noticed his limp—and the faint weakness in his aura.
"You're hurt?" Morax's brow furrowed, his golden eyes sharpening.
"Just a scratch."
Jiang Yan dragged over a chair and sat down, grabbing Morax's tea and downing it in one gulp.
"But that guy's not doing great either. We basically fought to a draw."
Morax nodded. As long as Jiang Yan hadn't come back beaten, he was satisfied.
Had the injuries been worse, Morax might've already taken up the Vortex Vanquisher himself and stormed north.
He wasn't as mild-tempered as the future Zhongli.
Hurt my brother? I'll smash your skull in.
Back in the Cider Lake Highlands.
Andrius lay sprawled on the snowy ground, licking the wounds that covered his body.
His wolf pack pressed close, nuzzling against his fur with soft whimpers, as if comforting him.
The Wolf King's condition was far from good.
Unlike Jiang Yan, his regenerative power wasn't monstrous.
His once-sleek, majestic fur was now scorched in patches, and the air reeked faintly of burnt meat.
Several of his fangs were broken too—apparently from biting down on Jiang Yan.
"Damn that bastard…"
Just thinking of Jiang Yan swaggering off after their fight made Andrius want to tear him apart.
Back in Guili Plains, Jiang Yan looked over at Morax.
"So, how's the migration effort going?"
"The supplies are still being prepared," Morax replied, turning to fetch a stack of documents from his desk.
"But the list of settlers is nearly finalized."
He handed the papers to Jiang Yan, adding,
"By the way, your speech to the people worked wonders. They're actually enthusiastic about moving."
Jiang Yan flipped through the pages, scanning the names carefully.
"Mm. The numbers look good."
He nodded. "For the first wave, make sure we prioritize the young and strong. They'll be the ones building the new city in southern Tianheng."
"Understood." Morax nodded.
He reached for his teacup, only to find it empty—
Jiang Yan had already drunk it all.
With a sigh, Morax set the cup down and said,
"Then go make the preparations. Oh, and when you have time, visit Ganyu and Guizhong. They've both been worried about you."
"Got it."
Jiang Yan took the stack of documents, gave a casual wave, and walked out of the room—
his figure soon disappeared into the evening light over Guili Plains.
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