The sky above shimmered in hues of pale gold and azure as Mike and Jian Dao soared across the clouds. Below them, the world stretched vast and wild green forests faded into rolling hills, and those into towering peaks blanketed in mist.
Far ahead loomed the Mountain Valley, a majestic stretch of jagged mountains, forested ridges, snow tipped peaks, and craggy cliffs. The sun bathed the landscape in soft warmth, but a faint, mysterious aura hung in the air untamed and perfect for cultivation.
Mike's eyes widened with wonder as they glided above it.
Master, this place is incredible, he said, the wind tousling his hair. Do people live here?
Jian Dao, calm and composed, scanned the land below. Once, perhaps. But I believe time, changes, and dangers forced them to abandon it. I sense no recent presence here.
As they descended toward a wide, grassy plateau nestled between two ancient peaks, Jian Dao gestured down.
Let's walk from here. The land is rich with natural qi better for grounding your mind.
Mike laughed lightly, his wings folding behind him. These wings really are a gift. I still can't get used to walking again.
Jian Dao smiled faintly. Now… tell me. Which technique do you want to start with?
Mike thought a moment, then replied, I think the Autumn Technique would be a good start. How long would it take to unlock it?
Jian Dao folded his hands behind his back. It depends on your pace. If your will is sharp, less than a month. But if you hesitate… longer.
Mike hesitated, then asked, And the Abyssal Shark Devour Technique?
That one's different, Jian Dao said. There is no stage. It is a single, final form. Fierce, consuming, destructive. Two months at least… maybe more.
Mike frowned. Two months… that's too long. We don't have that time.
Jian Dao nodded in understanding. Then perhaps… the Frostgrave Doomsway Technique.
Mike blinked. Isn't that the deadly one?
Jian Dao stopped walking and turned to face him. His expression darkened with seriousness.
Just because it's dangerous doesn't mean you should avoid it. One day, you must learn it. This world isn't gentle, Mike. It's cruel, treacherous. The fight you faced before? That was only the beginning.
A chill breeze swept through the valley as Jian Dao continued.
"You'll meet stronger enemies, lose people you care about, bleed, fall, and crawl back up. Pain will shape you. Either you grow… or you perish. Make every decision count easy or hard but always think of the future it brings."
Mike clenched his fists, nodding. I'll follow every lesson you give me, Master. I'll start with Frostgrave Doomsway. I'll unlock it… and master each stage.
Jian Dao's eyes sparkled with rare pride. Now you speak like a true cultivator. If you focus, you can unlock it and learn the first stage Glacial Rain Piercers in under a month."
They continued walking as the valley opened before them peaks encircling a wide basin of jade grass and mossy boulders, flocks of birds circling above the cliffs, and cold streams carving paths through the land like silver veins.
Jian Dao pointed to a lone hill at the valley's edge. That hill is yours, Mike. Your training ground. Go open your wings.
Together, they took to the air once more. Wind whipped around them as they landed atop the grassy hill, flat and firm like nature had prepared it just for this purpose.
Mike sat cross legged and unrolled the scroll of Frostgrave Doomsway. The moment he activated the technique, frost crept up his arms. His breath turned white. The scroll began to ice over, the temperature dropping sharply.
He summoned his Sea Snake Flame, its warm light pushing back the cold. Gradually, the frost receded, allowing him to read the swirling characters glowing on the scroll.
Then
WHOOSH his mind was pulled inward, deeper into the scroll's spiritual world.
Mike opened his eyes to find himself standing in a vast, otherworldly expanse. Snowflakes drifted endlessly from a gray sky. The ground was frozen solid. Glaciers loomed in the distance, and everything was deathly quiet.
His breath steamed in the cold. Where… am I? Is this… inside the technique?
A whispering wind answered him, and then movement. Crystals of ice gathered in the air, swirling like spirits, taking shape before him. Dozens of Glacial Rain Piercers needle like shards, sharp at the tips, thick at the center floated in formation, shimmering with cold malice.
Mike raised his guard. I guess this is the trial…
The shards darted toward him whistling through the air. Mike dodged to the side, barely escaping the first volley. Another wave came. He ducked, rolled, and leapt, but a few grazed his arms and legs, slicing his skin and numbing his muscles.
He tried to summon his hammer but a strange force held it back. No weapons allowed, the space seemed to say.
Breathing heavy, Mike fought bare-handed. He struck one shard and shattered it, but more came faster, sharper. He gritted his teeth, wounds multiplying. After a brutal round, the trial ejected him back into reality.
Jian Dao rushed to his side, handing him a pill. You're bleeding again. You don't have to keep doing this, Mike.
But Mike had already closed his eyes again. Again, and again, he entered the ice realm. Again, and again, he failed.
Ten times.
Fifty.
A hundred.
Twenty days passed.
Mike stood again at the center of the frozen plain. His hands were bandaged, bruised, but his eyes burned with fire.
This time, he didn't move.
As the rain of icy shards flew toward him, he stood still thinking. He wasn't here to destroy them. He couldn't. They were endless.
But… could he absorb them?
He raised his palm. Sea Snake Flame surged forth. The spikes met the flame and instead of clashing, they dissolved.
The flame hissed… and changed. Ice melted into it. Cold fused with fire. Blue-white light burst forth as the flame began to twist scales shifting, color deepening, cold fangs forming.
From Sea Snake Flame, it had become… Ice Snake Flame.
Back in the real world, Jian Dao watched in awe as frost flowed from Mike's body. His aura had changed.
Then Mike's eyes opened slowly.
Jian Dao rushed forward, worried. Mike! What happened to your flame? Why does it feel… different?
Mike exhaled, his voice steady and calm. Master, I absorbed the technique into my flame. That was the only way. It changed… it evolved.
Jian Dao stared at him for a long moment then smiled slowly, a spark of pride in his eyes.