The tomb's icy corridors began to dissolve behind him as Kai stepped through the dragon's parting mist. Cold light gave way to dull stone, and a familiar passage revealed itself—the arched exit of Frost Ridge's trial halls. His boots scraped against uneven ground, the frost-slick floor trembling faintly with residual spiritual energy.
His chest throbbed. Not from exertion or cold, but from the pulsing of the Minor Oath seal etched into his spirit. It beat like a second heart, a quiet, inescapable drum binding him to an impossible task: destroy the Frost Fort's defensive formation. The very notion chilled him more deeply than any breath of the tomb's air.
Floating behind him was the Dragon's Carapace, now attuned to him, its curved white surface gleaming faintly. Its spiritual pressure trailed him like a phantom limb—heavy, alert, bound. In his spatial ring, sealed by ancient restrictions, nestled the Destabilization Array jade, its surface veined with cryptic etchings. He hadn't yet deciphered its purpose, but everything about it whispered danger.
And Feng… was gone.
The absence struck him harder than the oath's weight. Where her presence had once shimmered beside him like a protective flame, there was now only silence. An ache, raw and open, pulsed in his chest. Stay safe, he thought, gripping Xu Xie's promise like brittle glass. The dragon had sworn not to harm her but what was the word of an immortal who had already bent time and soul to his will?
He emerged fully into the trial hall's outer corridor, and the noise struck him like a wave. Spiritual energy crackled through the air, thick and restless. Dozens of disciples bustled along the carved stone walkway, cradling artifacts of varying quality swords wrapped in silk, relics glowing faintly in their palms. Their faces beamed with triumph, pride, or relief.
None of them knew what Kai carried. None knew the storm walking among them.
His interface flickered into view:Profession: DiscipleRank: Concentration StageSpiritual Perception: ActiveTechniques: Devourer, Black Blizzard (inactive)Items: Dragon's Carapace (Spiritual-tier), Destabilization Array, Spatial Ring (sealed)Condition: Minor Oath (Bound to Xu Xie)
Kai kept his head low and slipped into the flow of returning disciples, the Carapace following like a silent sentinel. He passed murmuring groups without a glance, aware that some noticed the artifact trailing behind him, their curiosity flickering. He didn't stop.
A voice cut through the crowd—firm, steady. "Alive."
Belozar, the expedition leader, stepped into Kai's path. His face was calm, but his gaze lingered, searching. "The others spoke of you. Not bad for a Shen."
Kai met his eyes briefly, tense.
Belozar nodded once. "Best tomb raid in a century. What'd you get?"
Without a word, Kai lifted his hand, calling the Dragon's Carapace forward. The artifact floated beside him, gleaming under the corridor's pale lantern light. Its surface pulsed with spiritual integrity, flawless and proud.
Belozar's eyes widened slightly. "Spiritual-tier? Personal artifact?" He whistled low. "You're either luckier than most or crazier. Keep it. Fort points won't come close to its worth."
Kai inclined his head. "I know."
"Good," Belozar said curtly. "Let's move. Lingering this close to the tomb's pulse messes with cultivation flow. We've lost disciples to arrogance."
They boarded the spiritual ship stationed outside the trial gates an enormous vessel etched with formation lines, its runes glowing like veins. As it lifted into the air with a hum, Kai took his place at the back, gaze distant.
His thoughts churned.
Xu Xie's task hung over him like a sword: destroy the Fort's formation core. It was madness. The Frost Fort had stood for centuries, defended by layers of wards and powered by vast qi reservoirs. No Concentration Stage cultivator no one sane would even consider breaching it.
The Dragon's Carapace, though powerful, drained qi rapidly when activated. He'd tested it. Using its barrier even once left him light-headed. And the Destabilization Array? It sat in his ring like a ticking bomb, its inner formations too advanced for him to parse.
He's using me.
That much was obvious now. The dragon had bound him, tested him, and sent him back like a guided weapon. But Kai wasn't without options.
I'll use the Array. Trigger its effect, then flee. The teleport seal is still hidden near the north terrace. One spark, and I'm gone. Let Xu Xie rage.
He kept his face blank, but his heart beat faster with every moment.
Ahead, the Frost Fort's towers pierced the sky, their icy peaks harsh against the gray clouds. The spires shimmered with warding formations, faintly visible to Kai's enhanced sight interlocking circuits, layered like armor.
As the ship descended, the landing terrace revealed a crowd gathered below. Disciples, elders, inner court stewards they all stood arrayed with strange rigidity, as if waiting not in welcome, but judgment.
The ship touched down with a soft lurch. The crew disembarked, but the crowd did not part. Kai's gaze scanned their faces. Unease clung to them like smoke. Then he saw him—Master Lu, standing at the forefront, robes pristine, lips curled in a smile that did not reach his eyes.
Beside him stood a figure Kai recognized instantly.
The shaman disciple. The one from Xu Xie's domain.
His breath caught. Xu Xie's reach… it's already here.
The shaman met his gaze and said nothing, but the look in his eyes was answer enough.
The trap had been laid.
So Yun stood further back, her expression grim. Aina, too—tense, shoulders taut, her eyes darting between Kai and the elders.
The moment cracked.
Lu stepped forward, voice magnified by spiritual projection. "Kai Shen, you are accused of engaging in demonic practices and consorting with forbidden entities."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Several disciples edged away from him instinctively.
Lu's smile sharpened. "The penalty for such crimes… is death."
Kai didn't move. He couldn't.
His interface flickered again, the update cold and final:Status: Accused (Demonic Practices)Penalty: Execution
He understood now. The accusations. The timing. The shaman's presence.
This is Xu Xie's move. This is how he corners me.
Rage flared in his chest. Not fear fury. Cold and precise.
He was out of time.
To be continued...