The forest was silent.
Too silent.
The sunlight filtering through the ancient trees should have brought warmth.
Yet an invisible chill lingered in the air.
Lin Shuan stood quietly beneath the swaying branches.
His white robes fluttered gently.
His newly stabilized cultivation of Peak Five-Star Meridian Tracer flowed smoothly through his meridians.
But his expression showed none of the joy one would expect after such a breakthrough.
Instead—
his eyes carried confusion.
Pain.
And something deeper.
Something even he could not understand.
Behind him, Han Qing Li and the others were still watching.
Waiting.
Concerned.
Lin Mo was no different.
The old sword cultivator stared at Lin Shuan with complicated emotions.
For years—
he had believed the young master of the Lin Clan had truly become incapable of cultivation.
Even after seeing miracle after miracle—
part of him still struggled to believe it.
Yet now—
he had personally witnessed it.
Witnessed Lin Shuan breaking through.
Witnessed his terrifying growth.
Witnessed his future.
And in that moment—
Lin Mo suddenly remembered another man.
A man who once stood proudly at the peak of Myriad Frost City.
Lin Zhen Hai.
The former Patriarch of the Lin Clan.
The father of Lin Shuan.
The old sword cultivator unconsciously clenched his fists.
"Patriarch..."
A faint smile appeared on his aged face.
"Young Master has truly returned..."
"If you could see him now..."
"You would be proud."
Yet before anyone could celebrate—
Lin Shuan slowly stepped forward.
His expression remained strange.
Almost absent-minded.
His eyes seemed lost somewhere far away.
Far beyond the forest.
Far beyond the Da Cang Empire itself.
Han Qing Li immediately noticed.
"Lin Shuan?"
Her voice contained concern.
"What's wrong?"
The young man stopped.
His fists tightened slightly.
Then he finally spoke.
"I need to see Protector Yi."
The surrounding group immediately froze.
Han Qing Li blinked.
Even Yan Feng Luo became confused.
Protector Yi?
Why?
Lin Mo stepped forward.
"Young Master."
"The surviving members of the Lin Clan are waiting."
"They have waited for years."
"They are waiting for you in LinJian Sect."
For a brief moment—
Lin Shuan's body trembled.
The surviving members of the Lin Clan.
His people.
His family.
The last remnants of Myriad Frost City.
The thought alone filled his heart with emotions.
Yet something inside him continued urging him forward.
Toward Protector Yi.
Toward answers.
Toward truths he didn't yet understand.
Slowly—
he looked toward Han Qing Li and the others.
Then toward Lin Mo.
Finally—
he made a decision.
"Guardian Elder."
Lin Mo immediately straightened.
"Young Master."
"Please take everyone to LinJian Sect first."
"I'll arrive shortly."
Han Qing Li frowned slightly.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Ever since Lin Shuan had awakened—
he had seemed different.
As though he had discovered something.
Or remembered something.
But seeing the determination in his eyes—
she chose not to stop him.
If Lin Shuan wished to meet Protector Yi—
then there must be a reason.
A very important reason.
Eventually—
she nodded.
"Be careful."
A faint smile appeared on Lin Shuan's face.
"I will."
Soon—
Lin Mo gathered everyone.
Han Qing Li.
Xue Mei Yun.
Xue Han Yue.
Lei Yun Hua.
Han Xue Long.
Lei Hao Tian.
Yan Feng Luo.
Han Lei Jun.
Lei Zhan Yu.
Tai Gu Chen.
One after another—
they rose into the sky.
Streams of light flew northeast toward LinJian Sect.
Lin Shuan watched silently.
Until their figures disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then—
did he turn.
Northwest.
Toward another destination.
Toward answers.
Toward Protector Yi.
But just as he took his first step—
a laugh echoed from the shadows.
"Heh."
Lin Shuan immediately stopped.
The forest became silent once more.
Then—
another voice followed.
"So..."
"The cursed genius of the Lin Clan can cultivate again."
"I must admit..."
"That surprised me."
The bushes parted.
A figure slowly emerged.
Black robes.
Cold eyes.
A leopard insignia embroidered upon his chest.
The moment Lin Shuan saw him—
all warmth vanished from his face.
Only cruelty remained.
Only killing intent.
Because he had already sensed him long ago.
Mo Chen.
The hidden commander of Yue Sha Empire.
The man who had been watching everything.
Mo Chen smiled faintly.
Then took a single step forward.
BOOOOOOM!
An overwhelming pressure exploded outward.
The sky darkened.
The earth trembled.
A gigantic spiritual domain instantly expanded across the forest.
Nine-Star Immortal Seed.
Peak among Immortal Seeds.
The terrifying pressure crushed countless trees into dust.
Yet Lin Shuan did not retreat.
Not even a single step.
Mo Chen's smile widened.
"I wish to see something."
"The person Master Hei Wu praised so highly..."
"Is he truly worthy?"
The name immediately caught Lin Shuan's attention.
Hei Wu.
The black liquid monster.
The terrifying expert who once fought Longshe.
The same existence who had nearly killed him.
Lin Shuan slowly raised his hand.
Then pointed directly at Mo Chen.
His eyes became ice-cold.
"Yue Sha Empire."
"You dare step into Da Cang territory?"
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"Come."
"Let's see."
Mo Chen laughed.
The killing intent around him exploded.
At the same moment—
Lin Shuan raised his mask.
Then carefully placed it over his face.
The seal upon his forehead remained hidden.
Because if it activated—
the disaster would be unimaginable.
Even an Immortal Seed could perish.
And half the empire might suffer because of it.
After ensuring the seal remained hidden—
Lin Shuan spoke quietly.
"Master."
Inside the Dragon Pendant—
Tian Wuchen's eyes immediately opened.
No hesitation.
No discussion.
Only understanding.
ROOOOOOOAR!
A dragon roar shook heaven and earth.
The next moment—
white lightning erupted around Lin Shuan's body.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Thunder exploded across the sky.
Dark clouds gathered instantly.
Snow began falling.
The heavens themselves seemed to acknowledge a king's arrival.
Lin Shuan slowly rose into the air.
White lightning danced beneath his feet.
His eyes turned completely white.
A terrifying aura surged outward.
At the same time—
a second spiritual barrier appeared around the battlefield.
One barrier created by Mo Chen.
One barrier created by Tian Wuchen's power.
Layer upon layer.
Preventing the coming battle from devastating the empire.
Far away—
Han Qing Li suddenly turned around.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed.
The distant sky was changing.
Dark clouds.
Lightning.
Snowstorms.
Something terrifying was happening.
Yet no matter how far she extended her consciousness—
she could not find Lin Shuan.
Nor could she locate the source.
It was as though someone had erased their presence from existence itself.
For the first time—
a trace of unease appeared in her heart.
But eventually—
she looked away.
"He left."
Then she continued flying.
Toward LinJian Sect.
Meanwhile—
inside the Imperial Palace.
Within a quiet garden.
A shadow silently appeared.
The messenger knelt before a beautiful woman dressed in crimson robes.
Protector Yi.
The messenger lowered his head.
"Empire Protector."
"Young Master Lin has successfully stepped into Peak Five-Star Meridian Tracer."
Protector Yi's eyes softened.
The messenger continued.
"He sent his companions to LinJian Sect."
Then—
he hesitated.
Protector Yi immediately noticed.
"Speak."
The messenger swallowed.
"When Young Master awakened..."
"He said he wished to meet you."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The moment those words entered her ears—
Protector Yi's breathing stopped.
For the first time—
emotion appeared in her eyes.
A faint tremor.
A trace of fear.
A trace of longing.
And something much deeper.
"What...?"
she whispered.
"Did he discover it?"
Her fingers slowly tightened.
The messenger remained silent.
Protector Yi waved her hand.
"You may leave."
The shadow immediately disappeared.
The garden became quiet once more.
Protector Yi slowly raised her head.
Looking toward the distant sky.
Toward the direction where Lin Shuan currently stood.
Her eyes gradually softened.
Filled with loneliness.
Filled with helplessness.
"Lin Shuan..."
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"It seems..."
"I must stay away for now."
Her hand clenched tightly.
"I am sorry."
"I truly didn't want things to become this way."
Far away—
inside the hidden battlefield—
Mo Chen stared at Lin Shuan in disbelief.
The aura surrounding the young man continued rising.
Higher.
Higher.
Higher.
Until it reached a level comparable to a true Immortal Seed.
Mo Chen's pupils contracted.
"So Hei Wu was right."
"You truly possess Immortal Seed battle power."
Then he laughed.
A dark laugh.
"Excellent."
"Let's see how long you can survive."
Lin Shuan slowly examined his hand.
This time—
something felt different.
Previously—
controlling Tian Wuchen's power had been difficult.
Painful.
Unstable.
But now—
after the bloodline awakening—
he could control it far more easily.
Like a true Immortal Seed.
Like power that belonged to him.
A dangerous smile appeared beneath the mask.
"Let's test it."
The next moment—
Mo Chen moved.
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying explosion erupted.
The clouds themselves split apart.
A massive halberd appeared in his hands.
Ancient.
Majestic.
Terrifying.
The moment it appeared—
space trembled.
Lin Shuan's eyes widened.
"A Divine Grade Halberd?!"
A cold smile spread across Mo Chen's face.
The massive halberd rested upon his shoulder.
Dark spiritual energy flowed across its blade like living shadows.
Even the surrounding space trembled slightly beneath its presence.
It was not an ordinary weapon.
It was a Divine Grade Halberd.
A treasure powerful enough to become the foundation of an entire sect.
Powerful enough to make countless Immortal Seeds kill each other.
And now—
it was pointed directly at Lin Shuan.
"Heh."
Mo Chen's eyes gleamed with arrogance.
"Surprised?"
"Even throughout Tian Yuan Continent, Divine Grade weapons are rare."
"Most Immortal Seeds never touch one in their entire lives."
He slowly raised the halberd.
The dark blade reflected the lightning-filled sky.
"Today..."
"You should feel honored to die beneath it."
Yet inside the Dragon Pendant—
Tian Wuchen merely snorted.
"Hmph."
"What's so impressive?"
"Lin Shuan."
"Your Frost Halberd is also Divine Grade."
The old dragon's eyes narrowed.
"The difference is that yours is created from pure Frost Luo Essence."
"When forged by an Immortal Seed..."
"Even I cannot predict its limit."
Lin Shuan's eyes flashed.
The next moment—
he extended his hand.
Frost Luo Essence surged wildly.
The temperature instantly dropped.
Ice crystals filled the air.
The surrounding snowstorm intensified.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Ancient frost runes appeared one after another.
The runes climbed across his arm.
Across his shoulder.
Across his body.
Then—
a halberd slowly formed.
Pure ice.
Pure frost.
Pure destruction.
When the final rune ignited—
BOOOOOOM!
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward.
The heavens trembled.
The earth cracked.
The Frost Halberd completely materialized.
Mo Chen's expression instantly froze.
His pupils contracted violently.
A Divine Grade weapon.
Another Divine Grade weapon.
For a brief moment—
he genuinely thought he was hallucinating.
Because Divine Grade treasures were treasures even Immortal Seed experts dreamed about.
Yet this boy—
this teenager—
had casually created one from his own power.
The shock lasted only a moment.
Then it transformed into jealousy.
Pure jealousy.
Then greed.
Pure greed.
And finally—
killing intent.
Monstrous killing intent.
"Lin Shuan!"
His roar shook the forest.
"Why?!"
"Why do all these treasures belong to you?!"
The veins on his forehead bulged.
"Fine!"
"If you die—"
"They will all become mine!"
BOOOOOOM!
His figure disappeared.
The dark halberd sliced through space itself.
Straight toward Lin Shuan.
Fast.
Too fast.
Yet Lin Shuan remained calm.
Lightning exploded beneath his feet.
CRACK!
His body vanished.
The halberd passed directly through him.
Mo Chen laughed.
"Dead!"
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The figure before him dissolved into lightning.
An afterimage.
The next moment—
Lin Shuan appeared behind him.
Mo Chen's eyes widened.
Without hesitation—
he spun around.
CLANG!!!
The two halberds collided.
The resulting explosion shook heaven and earth.
Shockwaves blasted across the battlefield.
Mountains cracked.
Trees shattered.
The forest exploded into countless fragments.
Both figures were thrown backward.
Then immediately rushed forward again.
BOOM!
CLANG!
BOOM!
CLANG!
The battle erupted completely.
One moment—
Lin Shuan stood above.
The next—
Mo Chen forced him downward.
Halberd against halberd.
Technique against technique.
Immortal Seed against Immortal Seed.
Every collision resembled a heavenly thunderbolt.
The sky itself seemed unable to endure their battle.
Lightning danced across the heavens.
Snowstorms swallowed the horizon.
The earth below had long since become unrecognizable.
Cracks spread everywhere.
Hundreds of ancient trees had already been uprooted.
Entire sections of the forest vanished beneath their attacks.
Mo Chen's expression gradually changed.
At first—
he had looked down on Lin Shuan.
But now—
he no longer dared.
Because the youth before him was terrifying.
Terrifyingly skilled.
Every movement.
Every attack.
Every defense.
His mastery of the halberd was astonishing.
Even compared to veterans who had trained for centuries—
he wasn't inferior.
"Damn monster..."
Mo Chen growled.
"How old are you?!"
Lin Shuan remained silent.
Only his halberd answered.
BOOOOOOM!
A frost-covered slash erupted forward.
Mo Chen blocked.
Yet his arms trembled from the impact.
The battle continued.
One hundred exchanges.
Two hundred.
Three hundred.
The sky shook endlessly.
Yet gradually—
something changed.
Lin Shuan felt it first.
The power flowing through him.
Tian Wuchen's power.
It was weakening.
Slowly.
But undeniably.
Like a river running dry.
His eyes narrowed.
Not good.
Meanwhile—
Mo Chen noticed it as well.
A cruel smile slowly spread across his face.
"So that's it..."
His eyes gleamed.
"This power isn't yours."
Another collision erupted.
Mo Chen suddenly pushed harder.
The difference became obvious.
Lin Shuan was losing ground.
Losing strength.
Losing momentum.
Finally—
CLANG!!!
A massive explosion echoed across the battlefield.
Lin Shuan's Frost Halberd flew from his hand.
His pupils contracted.
Not good!
The weapon spun through the air before crashing into the distant earth.
Mo Chen landed heavily.
Breathing roughly.
Even he was exhausted.
Yet his smile widened.
"Boy."
He slowly lifted his Divine Halberd.
"You are incredible."
His voice contained genuine admiration.
"With the power of roughly a Six-Star Immortal Seed..."
"You fought a Nine-Star Immortal Seed."
"And survived."
"That alone is enough to become a legend."
Then his eyes turned cold.
"But legends still die."
The Divine Halberd slowly pointed toward Lin Shuan.
Terrifying power gathered at its tip.
The surrounding space began collapsing.
The killing strike.
The final strike.
Mo Chen's voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
"Let's end this."
Lin Shuan stood silently.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
Tian Wuchen's power was nearly gone.
His body had reached its limit.
Yet—
he wasn't afraid.
Not even slightly.
Instead—
he slowly closed his eyes.
Then opened them.
At that exact moment—
his Frost Divine Heart awakened.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The world froze.
Absolute frost erupted from his body.
The temperature dropped so violently that even Mo Chen staggered backward.
Ice spread across the heavens.
Across the earth.
Across everything.
Gigantic glaciers emerged from nowhere.
Frozen mountains rose from beneath the battlefield.
The entire world transformed into a realm of eternal winter.
Mo Chen's face changed drastically.
For the first time—
fear appeared in his eyes.
"What is this?!"
Even a Nine-Star Immortal Seed began trembling from the cold.
Lin Shuan slowly raised his head.
His eyes had changed.
Pure white.
Within that white—
lightning danced.
His hair gradually turned snow-white.
Life force burned.
Vitality burned.
Everything burned.
He was forcing his power beyond its limit.
Beyond safety.
Beyond reason.
Tian Wuchen immediately understood.
"Lin Shuan!"
But it was already too late.
The young man stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
Lightning exploded around him.
The Lightning Immortal Path reached its absolute peak.
The heavens themselves roared.
The earth trembled.
And then—
Lin Shuan clenched his fist.
Golden light erupted.
An ancient imperial aura descended.
A pressure older than kingdoms.
Older than empires.
Older than history itself.
Mo Chen's expression changed completely.
Because at that moment—
he felt it.
Death.
True death.
Lin Shuan's voice echoed across the frozen world.
"Golden Emperor Fist..."
The golden light intensified.
The surrounding glaciers shook violently.
"...First Form."
Every drop of Luo Essence surged toward his fist.
Every strand of lightning gathered.
Every trace of frost condensed.
Then—
he vanished.
"Mountain Breaking Emperor Fist."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The punch arrived.
Too fast.
Too powerful.
Too overwhelming.
Mo Chen immediately roared.
His Divine Halberd erupted with all its power.
The attack shot forward.
The two forces collided.
For a single moment—
everything became silent.
Then—
the world exploded.
A shockwave larger than mountains erupted outward.
The glaciers shattered.
The heavens cracked.
The earth split apart.
A gigantic trench stretched across the forest for dozens of kilometers.
Mountains collapsed.
Rivers changed course.
Entire sections of the battlefield disappeared.
At the center—
Mo Chen's eyes widened.
Crack.
A tiny sound echoed.
Then another.
And another.
His ribs shattered.
His bones cracked.
His internal organs ruptured.
Blood exploded from his mouth.
The force of the punch continued forward.
Unstoppable.
Merciless.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Mo Chen's body became a meteor.
He was blasted through the spiritual barrier.
The barrier shattered.
Then through countless giant trees.
Then through hills.
Then through mountains.
Everything in his path exploded.
When he finally stopped—
he crashed into a distant mountain.
The peak collapsed instantly.
Blood poured from his mouth.
His vision blurred.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"Impossible..."
He coughed blood.
"A Meridian Tracer..."
"A Meridian Tracer..."
Meanwhile—
back at the battlefield—
Lin Shuan staggered.
The white hair slowly returned to black.
The lightning faded.
The frost vanished.
The power disappeared.
His legs gave out.
And he collapsed.
The battle was over.
But neither of them noticed something.
At the moment the Frost Divine Heart had activated—
a tiny crimson-golden flame had appeared within Lin Shuan's eyes.
Only for an instant.
Then vanished.
As though some ancient existence had briefly awakened.
Far away—
when the spiritual barrier shattered—
another expert sensed the disturbance.
Inside the forest—
a Six-Star Immortal Seed suddenly opened his eyes.
His expression changed.
"What terrifying fluctuations..."
Then he rose into the sky.
And headed directly toward the battlefield.
Unaware that he was about to become involved in something far greater than he could imagine.
And far away—
deep beneath the clouds—
a pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.
Watching.
Waiting.
Silently observing the storm surrounding Lin Shuan grow larger with every passing day.
The true battle...
had only just begun.