Nian Shi's silver eyes flashed with fury. The void itself trembled as his divine might erupted, time itself screeching under the weight of his anger.
"Insolent ant!" His voice was no longer smooth—it was a blade of ice, sharp and venomous. "You dare mock me?"
Yue Yun wiped blood from her lips, her golden-tinged black eyes gleaming with defiance. "Not mockery. Truth."
Nian Shi moved.
Not with a sword swing. Not with a simple attack.
He unmade time.
"Cease."
A single word, spoken with the authority of a god.
The very flow of time around Yue Yun stopped. Her breath froze mid-exhale. Her blood halted mid-drip. Her thoughts—her very consciousness—were locked in an eternal instant.
Nian Shi stepped forward, his silver robes rippling as he approached her frozen form. His fingers curled around her throat, lifting her effortlessly.
"You think yourself clever?" His voice was a whisper, yet it carried the weight of eons. "You think your words can shake me?"
His grip tightened.
