The Eternal Frost Fort's grand hall was a cavern of ice and stone, its vaulted ceiling adorned with frost runes that pulsed like frozen stars. The aroma of spiced broth and fresh bread filled the air, mingling with the chatter of disciples. Kai Shen sat at a table, Fen perched on his shoulder, her feathers brushing his cheek. The weight of a year's relentless training pressed on him—formations, swordsmanship, alchemy, infirmary shifts—but it fueled his resolve. His spiritual pond teleportation plan neared completion, each sack of spiritual ice a step closer to freedom. Yet Master Lu's shadow loomed, his madness a constant threat.
Kai's Life Flame technique had made him invaluable, cleansing meridians for a steep price—ten sacks of spiritual ice per session. He stretched single sessions into three or four, maximizing profit. No one could prove it; his technique's mystery was his shield. Disciples flocked to him, enduring pain, paying in ice, then thanking him. His ring brimmed with ice, nearing the ten million qi needed for the teleport. Two more weeks, and he'd be ready.
Fen eyed him. "Why so much ice? Tell me."
"Secret," Kai said, smirking. "Why'd you stay?"
She looked away. Kai knew why—outside the fort, she had no one. Her childlike wonder craved company, books, conversation. Despite her "ice Phoenix" title, she was naive, perhaps young for her kind. She hid her sentience from all but Kai and So Yun, a secret binding them.
In So Yun's office, Fen's nature had been revealed. So Yun's chains exposed her, sparking panic.
"Assassins!" Fen cried, thrashing.
"A sentient beast here?" So Yun marveled. "Why so weak?"
"I'm an ice Phoenix!" Fen snapped.
So Yun's laughter disarmed her, and their bond grew. Fen joined Kai's classes, studied with him, her presence a constant. Belozar might suspect her sentience but said nothing, his gaze heavy since Lu's attack.
"Shen," Belozar had said, eyes dark. "Your ancestors' sins aren't yours. Maybe you're different."
Training softened Belozar's wariness. Kai honed his swordsmanship, attended lectures on war tactics, and earned respect. Alchemy, though, was a disaster. His first task—slicing herbs—failed spectacularly, qi leaking without a protective film. Fen's amused stare stung worse than So Yun's sigh. He mastered basics, even crafting a pill:
Health Pill
Rank: Mortal
Purity: 1%
Effect: Kills cultivators below core formation instantly.
The system mocked him, but he kept it as a reminder. Formations, however, captivated him. Aina's teaching—part magic, part coding—clicked. Glyphs of the Heavenly Language, thousands strong, were three-dimensional qi patterns. Kai's enhanced mind struggled to memorize them, but practice paid off. His first success, a light orb lasting three minutes, was a triumph.
"Impressive," Aina said, awed.
Kai's true talent was crafting new formations on paper. Combining glyphs logically, he created working designs, baffling Aina and So Yun. Their partnership thrived—Aina's knowledge, Kai's creativity. He enjoyed her company, their banter lightening his grueling schedule.
"How do glyphs work?" Kai asked Aina once. "I build a formation, add qi—how does it know what to do?"
"It's the Heavenly Language," Aina said, evasive. "Okay, I don't fully know."
"It works because it works?" Kai teased.
"Whoo!" Fen chirped, approving.
They sought So Yun's wisdom. "Glyphs mimic natural qi flows, enabling feats like light or fire. Qi carries your will, soul, mind. Imperfect glyphs can work if your intent's strong; perfect ones fail without it."
The insight simplified Kai's formations. He and Aina learned together, her rigor complementing his innovation. Fen, ever-present, absorbed lessons too, her gaze occasionally wary, as if expecting betrayal.
Master Lu remained a specter. Their second encounter, months later, was explosive. Lu's flames flared, his pressure crushing. Belozar intervened, his voice a blade.
"Master Lu," Belozar warned.
Lu glared, teeth grinding, then left. Kai avoided him, sensing Lu's fire qi from afar. The mad cultivator wouldn't forget him.
A typical day began with herb lectures, then formations with Aina, and sword training. Kai sparred with senior disciples, his body's foundation and high cultivation making him too strong for novices. He taught beginners occasionally, earning respect.
Post-training, Kai planned his ice trade, the teleport's qi goal near. But Belozar intercepted him outside the Sword Pavilion, his expression grave.
"Shen," Belozar said. "Vengeance leads to ruin, and you're not your ancestors. The Tomb of the Departed in North Town has reopened. It's open to those below meridian stage—you qualify. It's deadly, many perish, but rewards are great: artifacts, techniques, even a spiritual-grade treasure once. Join the expedition. What say you?"
Leave the fort after a year? Enter a lethal tomb for uncertain rewards? Kai's heart raced, not from thrill, but opportunity. Belozar's offer was a bridge, a chance to ease their tension. He couldn't refuse.
"I'm in," Kai said, then paused. "What's North Town?"
Belozar's eyes flickered, a mix of relief and something deeper. "A trading hub north of the Frost Ridge, older than the fort. The tomb's a relic, sealed for decades, now open. Prepare well—it's no game."
Kai nodded, mind racing. The tomb was a gamble, but so was staying under Lu's shadow. He needed strength, resources, anything to tip the scales. Fen, still on his shoulder, tilted her head, curious but silent.
As Kai headed to the infirmary for his shift, a chill ran through him—not from the fort's cold, but a faint, familiar fire qi. Lu was near, his presence a smoldering threat, watching from the shadows.