"Reform the formation! Now!" Lord Hán Lì screamed the order over the screeching beasts.
The monsters were outnumbered. But they didn't care. They threw themselves at the cultivators until the center of the line buckled and snapped. Yè Xiū watched it happen, his face pale with disbelief. "What? They broke this one too?"
Lord Shí Hào didn't wait for a second command. He drifted forward, left hand tucked behind his back. With his right, he traced symbols in the air. Thousands of frozen swords appeared out of nothing.
He gestured once. The blades rained down and skewered the beasts. Seeing the opening, the other sect leaders stepped in and finished it. The massacre was swift. It looked like a win, until a roar erupted from the forest near the volcano.
The sound felt like a physical strike. It made their teeth vibrate. "What is that?" a disciple asked, his sword shaking in his hand.
Miles away, Lei Ze felt that noise in his bones.
He stopped in the middle of a frozen river. The ice was clear under his boots.
He didn't turn around, but he stayed ready. He could feel a presence on the wind.
"Why am I being followed?" he whispered. He stood tall on the ice and scanned the treeline. "I know you're there. Show yourself. I can smell you."
A light laugh rippled through the air. It sounded like bells. "I'm not a bad person," a voice teased. "I'm just interested in you."
Lei Ze tightened his fist. He spun around. Empty space. He narrowed his eyes. He could feel her energy. She was a Soul-Manifestation expert.
"Do you want to see me that badly?" the voice asked. She was closer now.
"I want to see who has the nerve to stalk me," Lei Ze said.
"Fine. But on one condition."
Lei Ze's brow furrowed. "What condition?"
"Simple," the voice chirped. "Marry me."
Lei Ze's jaw dropped. He stood there in silence, his mouth open. Then the air shimmered and Yīng Huā appeared.
She stood there, grinning and radiant.
For a second, Lei Ze was lost. The proposal and her face almost threw him off, but he forced his thoughts back together.
"Why would I marry a stranger?" he asked.
Yīng Huā's grin turned into a pout. She looked annoyed. "What? Don't you like me?"
Lei Ze stared at her like she was a broken machine. "I can't marry you, Princess. I have things to do. Important things."
The rejection hit her. Yīng Huā's cheeks went pink. She looked at her feet, embarrassed by her own move. "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 a jerk. He pressed his fist into his palm and bowed. "Then I should go."
Yīng Huā's blush got worse. She tapped her fingers together and looked at him. "Oh... well. What about being friends?"
Lei Ze was already walking away. He looked back over his shoulder. "Friends sounds great. I have to go."
"I didn't get your name!" she screamed.
"It's Lei Ze! Call me Lei!" he shouted back.
"Okay! I'm Yīng Huā!"
"I heard you! Bye!"
Lei Ze trudged through the snow. His mind was a mess. He didn't have a destination, just a need for a roof before the storm hit.
Suddenly, a shadow blotted out the sun. A Frost Dragon soared over the peaks. It let out a roar that tore the air apart. The wind from its wings almost knocked over the villagers.
It was a Glacial Sovereign Dragon.
The beast opened its mouth and rained ice on the land.
The ground didn't just freeze. It turned into jagged glaciers.
Panic hit the crowd. The dragon beat its wings again and sent cultivators tumbling like rags.
"We can't just watch!" Han Guang shouted. He summoned a blue spirit sword that filled the sky. "I won't let this land be wiped out."
He brought the blade down toward the beast's neck. But the dragon was faster. It exhaled frost and froze the sword in mid-air. Before Han Guang could move, the dragon whipped its tail and shattered the sword into shards.
"What?" Han Guang gasped.
Seeing the struggle, the other lords put aside their fights. They stood as one and poured their power into a single strike.
Fire, and raw energy slammed into the beast.
Under the weight of it, the dragon crashed. It took one last breath and died.
The silence was broken by a shout. "They did it! They saved us!"
Cheers erupted. These sects usually hated each other, but today they stood together.
Shi Hao took a breath. He looked proud. He gave a short laugh, turned, and flew off. One by one, the other lords followed. Soon, only the Yao Shan Zong remained, looking for their leader.
"Where is Lord Ying Hua?" a disciple asked.
Then Ying Hua drifted back onto her pet. Her face was still red. She stayed quiet, which was weird for her. A senior disciple stepped forward. "My Lord, is something wrong?"
Ying Hua flinched. "No, nothing. Let's go. Move!"
She led her sect into the sky and vanished.
Far from that mess, Lei Ze was in another town. He walked the crowded streets, just another face. This place felt years away from the battle.
He noticed people looking at him. To stay hidden, he bought a cheap straw hat and pulled it low.
He stepped into a tavern. The air was thick with the smell of ale and talk. He found a quiet corner and sat in the shadows.
"Two cups," he told the barman.
The man grunted and set the drinks down. Across the room, a man was standing with one foot on a table.
"I'm telling you, there's a guy out there," the man said loudly. "Stronger than any cultivator. They're calling him The Black-Bone King. He kills whoever he wants. Wiped out a whole town two days ago."
Lei Ze drank in silence.
"The guy is evil," the man continued, shivering. "I'm scared he's coming here next."
Lei Ze finished his first cup. He reached for the second. Just as his fingers touched the glass, a heavy, calloused hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Who are you?" a voice growled in his ear.