Masters

Moyan rushed to catch the collapsing Mingyao. Her body was ice-cold, the chilling temperature biting into Moyan's own flesh. Panic surged through her as she struggled to decide what to do.

Above Mingyao's head, the shattered fragments of the jade token hovered momentarily before gathering together, condensing into a glowing blue ice lotus bud. As it slowly began to bloom, the surrounding air grew even colder. Finally, the lotus burst open, revealing a new jade token in its place.

Moyan reached out to grab it, but the token resisted, as if possessing a consciousness of its own. A surge of freezing energy lashed out, numbing her hand before the token fell onto Mingyao's unconscious body. It was still a Grandmaster token, Moyan realized. But before she could dwell on it further, the item she held in her other hand began to emit an unusual glow. She ignored it, shifting all her attention back to Mingyao.

She needed to warm her up—fast. If she didn't, Mingyao might die from the overwhelming cold energy.

Without hesitation, Moyan lifted her, wrapping one arm around her back and the other beneath her legs, carrying her in a bridal hold. The temperature continued to plummet, and soon, snowflakes began to drift from the sky.

Just as Moyan prepared to head toward Yin Lian Pavilion, the air around her crackled. A sharp whistling sound sliced through the silence. Instinctively, she dodged just in time to see the gleam of a blade humming with electricity mere inches from her face. If she had been a moment slower, she would have lost her head.

Before her stood a man clad entirely in black, his face and body concealed. His presence undetectable—no killing intent, no qi pressure, nothing. The realization struck her—this man was at least at Ruby level. A master.

Moyan knew she was in trouble.

The man stood menacingly, his voice dripping with disdain. "So, this is the famous Yin Lian Pavilion Grandmaster?" He scoffed. "She's weak. I might as well save my Grandmaster the trouble and end her here."

Around them, people screamed and scattered, panicked by the imminent clash between masters. They were right to be afraid.

Moyan attempted to flee, using her lightness skill to leap onto the rooftops, but just as the man lunged at her, a slender sword intercepted his saber, forcing him back. The clash sent a wave of energy rippling through the air, throwing both fighters apart before they swiftly regained their footing.

A woman now stood between Moyan and the assailant. Silver-haired and blue-eyed, dressed in flowing blue robes, she was an imposing figure.

"Moyan, take care of the Master," Yue Ying commanded before engaging the mysterious opponent.

One moment, they stood still. The next, they blurred into motion.

The snow fell heavier, as if winter itself had arrived.

A flurry of strikes. Blades blurred—too fast to see. No sounds only silent footwork and razor-sharp movements. The world frozen in time—snowflakes hung suspended in midair, and the crowd below barely moved. But within that eerie stillness, the two fighters danced, locked in a battle only they could follow.

Yue Ying's grip on her sword tightened. Her weapon, a transparent blue blade that shimmered like glass, pulsed with an icy glow. The air around her grew even colder, her Supreme Yin energy spreading like an invisible frost, coating the rooftop tiles beneath her feet in a thin layer of ice.

Across from her, the masked man narrowed his eyes. Arcs of electricity danced along his saber, illuminating the covering on his face. He didn't speak. He didn't need to. Instead, he lunged.

Their blades met—then came the shockwave. A thunderous boom. The rooftop crumbled, unable to withstand their power.

Tiles exploded into the air, scattering like brittle shards of ice. The force of their collision sent a ripple through the surrounding buildings, cracking walls and blowing out windows. Down below, people shrieked in terror, diving for cover as chunks of debris rained from above.

Yue Ying moved like a phantom, gliding over the rooftops. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a wave of frost, her sword trailing icy mist as she slashed toward her opponent. The masked man twisted mid-air, his saber crackling as he sliced through the cold. The moment their blades met, ice and lightning erupted in a chaotic explosion, sending another tremor through the rooftops. A weaker fighter would have been vaporized instantly.

But they were not weak.

Yue Ying's feet barely touched the collapsing tiles. Then—she vanished. A streak of blue against the snowy sky. Ice trailed behind her sword, distorting the air itself.

"Frozen Moon Empress—Crescent Descent!"

A crescent-shaped arc of ice surged forward, carving through the area like a frozen tidal wave.

The ice burst, and the masked man twisted mid-air, flipping backward in an instant before the frost consumed the rooftop. A breath later, the entire structure froze solid and then shattered.

But he wasn't done.

Lightning surged through his body, his saber radiating golden energy. With a sharp motion, he slashed downward.

"Thunder Fang!"

A jagged bolt of lightning tore through the air. The attack split the rooftop apart, sending flaming debris falling into the streets below. Yue Ying met the strike head-on, thrusting her sword forward.

A thick ice barrier formed just in time. The two forces collided in a violent explosion of frost and electricity, sending frozen shards and white-hot sparks spiraling outward. The sheer force of it blew apart the remaining rooftop, leaving both fighters momentarily suspended in mid-air before they landed on separate buildings. The structures beneath them groaned under the weight of their energy.

Neither gained the upper hand.

They moved faster than the eye could follow, flickering from rooftop to rooftop. Every clash of their blades sent waves of energy surging through the area. Lightning carved deep gashes into the walls of the buildings, while ice spread, freezing everything it touched.

The rooftops buckled. Tiles cracked, splitting apart. Every step, every clash, sent another section tumbling into the streets below.

Then, Yue Ying's eyes turned sharper.

The temperature plummeted to an unbearable level, frost clinging to the edges of her robes. Snow and ice swirled violently around her, her Supreme Yin energy manifesting as a living storm.

She stepped forward, her aura expanding.

"Frozen Moon Empress—Lotus Burst!"

The world turned silent.

Behind her, a massive lotus made of ice bloomed, its petals radiating a chilling light. The very air seemed to freeze in place. Snowflakes, once gently drifting, hung suspended, crystallizing into sharp spears of frost. The city below was caught in the aftershock—wooden beams snapped, glass shattered, and the wind howled as an overwhelming cold blanketed the battlefield.

But the masked man refused to back down.

Lightning erupted from his body, his saber full of golden fury. The storm above twisted unnaturally, drawn into his growing power. Thunder rumbled as arcs of electricity crackled along the rooftops, dancing wildly between the buildings. His energy surged outward, forming a golden sphere of destruction.

With a roar, he slashed downward.

Lightning tore through the sky, a blinding pillar of gold and fury. It struck Yue Ying's ice lotus— And the world detonated.

Frost and thunder collided, splitting the air apart. The shockwave blasted outward, shattering walls, uprooting trees, creating waves in Dongxi river and sending frozen shards and burning embers spiraling through the city.

Then—silence.

When the dust settled, both fighters stood on separate rooftops, breathing heavily.

Yue Ying's sleeve was torn, blood trailing down her arm. Her sword still coated in frost. Across from her, the masked man's cloak was scorched, his breath unsteady.

For a long moment, neither moved.

Then, the masked man exhaled sharply. Without another word, he leaped backward, vanishing into the storm.

Yue Ying remained still, her gaze fixed on the fading traces of lightning in the sky.

The battle had ended but that was only the beginning she thought.

She turned and headed back to Yin Lian Pavilion.