The air in the Hidden Sect of Frostveil was heavy, thick with cold that seemed to seep not only through skin but into the bones. Zhao Lianxu stood at the edge of the icy courtyard, the Frostpiercer spear resting lightly against his shoulder, its crystal edge shimmering faintly even in the weak sunlight. The cold was no longer an enemy but a friend, a reminder of the trials he had endured—and the power now residing deep within him.
Yet even as the crystalline walls around him glimmered with untouched beauty, a darker tension simmered beneath the surface. The Hidden Sect was a place of secrets, and today, those secrets were about to unravel.
Weeks had passed since Zhao's trial in the Temple of Ice, yet his thoughts lingered on the mysterious merging of his reborn body with his true self. That strange fusion left him feeling both whole and fragmented—a paradox that gnawed at him during quiet moments. His powers had grown; the Five Elemental Body Technique, combined with the multiversal destructive bloodline and dark powers he had glimpsed, made him unlike any other cultivator. But he was still young, inexperienced in the grand game of dynasties and politics.
The jade-colored clan he was born into, the Yuanyu Jing, had long been dismissed as insignificant. Once a proud dynasty with roots tracing back to the Heavenly Jade Dynasty, they had become shadows in the outer realms. Few cared for their faded glory, and fewer still knew the truth buried in their ancestral graveyard—the broken jade tablet whispering of a legacy waiting to be reclaimed.
"Prince Zhao," a voice broke through his thoughts.
He turned to see Elder Qianwei approaching, the head of Frostveil Sect's spiritual council. Her eyes were sharp, as always, but today carried an urgency that pulled at the prince's attention.
"There are movements stirring in the Nine Dynasties. The tenth dynasty, one that was long thought lost, is emerging. They seek to claim the central government for themselves," she said quietly, her breath visible in the frosty air.
Zhao's eyes narrowed. The Central Government—the seat of power that united the sprawling dynasties under one banner—was a fragile construct, held together by tradition, fear, and shadowy bargains. The disappearance of the previous nine emperors had left a power vacuum, one the tenth dynasty now sought to fill.
"And what of our position?" Zhao asked, gripping the Frostpiercer tighter.
Elder Qianwei's gaze softened. "The Yuanyu Jing has been overlooked, but that is about to change. The secret of your bloodline—the multiverse destructive body—could be the key to not only defending the Central Government but reclaiming it."
Later that evening, in the dimly lit hall of the sect, Zhao convened with his closest allies—Yueshan, the princess from the allied dynasty whose loyalty was as complex as her heart; Li Jun, the stoic warrior whose strength belied a haunted past; and Mei Lin, a cunning strategist whose words could cut sharper than any blade.
"The tenth dynasty's rise will not be peaceful," Mei Lin warned. "They have forged alliances with demon cultivators from the Outer Realms, and their power grows daily."
Yueshan's eyes flashed with determination. "Then we must act swiftly. If the tenth dynasty controls the Central Government, they will tighten their grip on all realms, including Tianmo."
Zhao nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility settle upon him. The fate of countless worlds was now entwined with his own.
As the night deepened, Zhao found himself wandering to the sect's highest tower, gazing out over the vast expanse of frozen mountains and endless sky. His thoughts drifted to the place he had heard whispered about only in legends—the Veil of Shadows. A realm of pure darkness and chaos, where cultivators could harness the rare and dangerous dark power. Even the gods feared to tread there, for many had perished in its unforgiving depths.
He clenched his fists. "Soon," he whispered to himself, "I will have to face that darkness too."
The next day brought news that a scout from the tenth dynasty had been captured near the sect's borders. Interrogations revealed a chilling truth: the tenth dynasty's leader, Emperor Wuying, was rumored to possess forbidden techniques drawn from the Veil of Shadows, granting him an edge that no one else could match.
This revelation shook the council to its core.
"Then we have no choice," Zhao declared. "We must prepare—not just to defend, but to reclaim."
As preparations began, Zhao sought solitude in meditation, calling upon the elemental forces within him. Fire, water, earth, metal, and wood surged through his veins, mingling with the dark energy that pulsed faintly beneath the surface. He felt the presence of his father's and mother's bloodlines coursing through him, ancient and raw.
In that moment, a voice echoed in his mind—the voice of the man who had sealed the Tianmo World, his space-time powers weaving through the fabric of existence itself.
"Zhao Lianxu," the voice said, both a warning and a blessing. "The path ahead is fraught with peril, but your destiny is to bridge worlds, to become the Emperor of Multiverse. Do not fear the darkness within. Master it, and you will command the stars."
But mastery was no simple task. The darkness whispered temptations, shadows of doubt and rage that threatened to consume him. The merging of his two selves—the reborn and the original—had left scars that went deeper than flesh.
One night, Yueshan found him at the edge of the Frozen Lake, staring into the blackened waters.
"You carry too much alone," she said softly.
Zhao looked at her, pain flickering in his eyes. "If I falter, all will fall."
"Then let me stand beside you," she said, reaching out her hand.
He took it, and for a moment, the cold felt less biting.
The stakes were rising. The battle for the Central Government was no longer a distant threat—it was a looming storm. Alliances would be tested, betrayals uncovered, and sacrifices made.
Zhao Lianxu, the prince of a forgotten clan, bearer of three ancient bloodlines, and wielder of unparalleled power, was ready to face the shadows—both without and within.
His journey to become the Emperor of Multiverse had only just begun.