"…now…"
"…it's time for revenge."
The Empire Protector's whisper vanished into the cold wind above the arena.
But below—
the battlefield had already changed.
Yan Lie stood before Lin Shuan beneath crackling pillars of black lightning, his body wrapped in violent arcs of dark electricity that distorted the surrounding air. Every movement of the lightning carried destructive pressure, causing cracks to spread slowly across the frozen arena floor beneath his feet.
Across from him—
Lin Shuan stood silent.
White robes fluttering lightly in the wind.
Blood dripped slowly from the corner of his lips from previous battles, yet his eyes remained calm.
Cold.
Focused.
The entire Imperial Arena watched without breathing.
Because everyone understood something now.
This clash—
was different.
Not a fight for Spirit Herbs.
Not a fight for ranking.
This felt personal.
Dangerously personal.
Whispers spread rapidly through the spectators.
"Why are they fighting each other?"
"Shouldn't they be stopping the Yue Sha Empire warriors first?!"
"What's happening?"
"Did they know each other before this?"
High above the arena, even sect elders narrowed their eyes seriously.
Yan Lie slowly rolled his neck.
CRACK.
CRACK.
Black lightning hissed around him like living serpents.
Then—
he smiled.
But there was no amusement inside it anymore.
Only hatred.
Only killing intent.
"That time…"
His voice echoed lowly across the battlefield.
"…you survived because of luck."
The lightning around him intensified violently.
Dust rose into the air.
Stone cracked.
"But today…"
His eyes locked onto Lin Shuan.
"…you die."
Silence.
The wind howled across the arena.
Then Lin Shuan finally spoke.
Calmly.
Without emotion.
"…keep trying."
The crowd exploded instantly.
"He answered!"
"Who exactly is this Shuan Hao?!"
"He's provoking Yan Lie directly?!"
But Yan Lie had already moved.
BOOOOOOM!!
Black lightning erupted across the battlefield like a descending storm dragon. The arena trembled violently as Yan Lie disappeared from his original position, leaving only shattered stone behind him.
Fast.
Too fast for ordinary cultivators to even follow.
His fist arrived before Lin Shuan's chest wrapped in compressed black lightning powerful enough to destroy a mountain wall.
But—
Lin Shuan vanished.
SHHHHHHH!!
A streak of silver-blue lightning flashed across the frozen battlefield.
Lightning Immortal Path Technique.
The spectators gasped loudly.
"He disappeared?!"
"No—look above!"
Lin Shuan reappeared high in the air, his body wrapped in flickering lightning movement patterns.
But Yan Lie was already there.
KRAAAAAK!!
A black lightning spear formed instantly in Yan Lie's hand before shooting toward Lin Shuan with terrifying speed.
Lin Shuan twisted mid-air.
The spear barely passed his shoulder—
BOOM!!
—before exploding against the distant arena wall hard enough to collapse an entire section of stone.
Dust filled the sky.
The audience trembled.
This was no ordinary Energy Core battle anymore.
This was monster-level combat.
Yan Lie attacked again.
Relentless.
Black lightning spread across the battlefield in branching arcs, forcing Lin Shuan backward repeatedly. Every strike carried explosive destruction, every movement sharp enough to kill instantly.
Lin Shuan moved continuously through silver lightning flashes.
Dodging.
Redirecting.
Countering.
Then—
he attacked.
"Sky Dragon Smash."
ROOOOOAR!!
A massive dragon-shaped burst of spiritual force erupted from Lin Shuan's fist, tearing through the arena air toward Yan Lie.
Yan Lie sneered.
His black lightning exploded outward violently.
BOOOOM!!
The dragon shattered apart mid-air.
Shockwaves swept across the arena.
But Lin Shuan had already appeared behind him.
"Golden Dragon Smash!"
A second attack descended instantly.
Golden spiritual force condensed around Lin Shuan's arm like a roaring emperor dragon before crashing downward toward Yan Lie's back.
Yan Lie turned sharply.
Too late.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact blasted him across the battlefield, shattering stone pillars in his path.
The crowd roared wildly.
"He hit him!"
"But Yan Lie's still standing!"
Dust slowly cleared.
Yan Lie emerged again.
Bleeding.
But smiling.
Actually smiling.
Blood dripped down his chin as black lightning continued crackling around his body more violently than before.
"Good…"
His grin widened unnaturally.
"…that's better."
Then—
he disappeared again.
The next exchange became chaos.
Black lightning against silver movement.
Explosions erupted nonstop across the battlefield.
Lin Shuan's fists collided repeatedly against Yan Lie's destructive attacks.
"Golden Emperor Fist!"
BOOOOM!!
A golden shockwave exploded outward from Lin Shuan's punch, forcing Yan Lie backward several meters.
But Yan Lie immediately countered with black lightning chains erupting from the ground itself.
Lin Shuan narrowly avoided them using Lightning Immortal Path Technique—
yet one chain still sliced across his shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
The spectators winced.
Yan Lie was simply too strong.
Eight-Star Energy Core.
His cultivation pressure alone overwhelmed most participants completely.
Even though Lin Shuan fought unbelievably well—
the difference in realms still existed.
And gradually—
it showed.
Both warriors became covered in blood.
Their breathing grew heavier.
But Yan Lie remained in slightly better condition.
The crowd could see it clearly.
"He's losing ground…"
"That Shuan Hao is incredible, but Yan Lie's cultivation is higher…"
"He can't keep this up forever…"
High above—
the Empire Protector's eyes never left Lin Shuan for even a second.
Not once.
Her fingers slowly tightened.
Because something deep inside her heart—
something long buried—
felt increasingly unstable.
Then—
everything changed.
Lin Shuan slowly raised his head.
Blood dripped from his chin onto the frozen ground.
His silver lightning slowly faded.
And then—
he spoke.
Quietly.
"…I shouldn't hide anymore."
Yan Lie frowned slightly.
"What?"
Lin Shuan closed his eyes.
For one brief moment—
the entire arena became silent.
Then—
his heart pulsed.
THUMP.
A cold wave spread invisibly across the battlefield.
THUMP.
The temperature dropped instantly.
THUMP.
The world froze.
The Frost Divine Heart awakened.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A terrifying wave of absolute frost exploded outward from Lin Shuan's body.
The arena turned white instantly.
Ice spread across the battlefield at impossible speed, swallowing stone, shattered weapons, blood, and spiritual energy alike beneath layers of crystalline frost.
The sky darkened.
Snow began falling.
The crowd screamed.
"What is THIS?!"
"So cold!!"
"My spiritual energy is freezing!"
"This pressure—!"
The entire Imperial Arena transformed into a frozen world.
Not normal ice.
Not ordinary frost.
This felt ancient.
Absolute.
As though winter itself had descended from another age.
Yan Lie's eyes widened.
For the first time—
true shock appeared on his face.
Black lightning around his body slowed visibly as frost spread upward across his arms.
"Impossible…"
Even he—
was freezing.
High above—
the Empire Protector suddenly stood up violently.
Her eyes widened completely.
"…Frost Divine Heart…!!!"
Her voice shook.
The surrounding experts immediately turned toward her in shock.
But she no longer noticed them.
Because her entire attention—
had locked onto the white-robed youth standing amidst the frozen storm.
"…Lin…"
Her breathing became uneven.
"…Lin…"
Then finally—
her voice trembled.
"…Lin Shuan…?"
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the crowd sensed something strange had happened.
The Empire Protector—
one of the most feared figures in the empire—
looked shaken.
Emotionally shaken.
Her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably as memories buried deep within her consciousness began resurfacing violently.
Snow.
Blood.
A destroyed clan.
A child standing amidst frozen ruins.
Her eyes trembled.
"…is it really you…?"
Below—
Lin Shuan opened his eyes.
And the entire arena gasped.
They had become completely white.
Not glowing.
Not human.
Pure frost.
The surrounding snowstorm intensified instantly.
The arena looked as though it had always belonged to winter.
People began shivering uncontrollably.
Even cultivators struggled against the cold.
"What kind of frost is this?!"
"It's entering my meridians!"
"I can't stop shaking!"
Several weaker participants immediately retreated from the battlefield entirely.
The hidden Yue Sha warriors surrounding Zu Lin and Qin Yue also began trembling violently.
Their movements slowed.
Frost spread across their weapons.
Qin Yue stared in disbelief.
"…this power…"
Zu Lin's mouth hung open.
"BROTHER SHUAN HAO CAN DO THIS?!"
But another person felt the greatest shock of all.
Mo Xiao Lan.
The moment the Frost Divine Heart awakened—
his own frost energy reacted violently.
His pupils contracted instantly.
Because he could feel it.
His ice techniques…
were being drawn toward Lin Shuan.
Not forcefully.
Naturally.
Like rivers returning to the ocean.
Like snow returning to winter.
Mo Xiao Lan staggered slightly.
"What…?"
His voice became unsteady.
"This…"
He stared toward Lin Shuan in disbelief.
"…what kind of power is this?!"
The frost around his own body trembled unnaturally.
"It feels…"
His fists slowly tightened.
"…like all ice is bowing toward its ruler…"
Lin Shuan heard him.
And slowly turned his head.
Snow swirled around his body.
Then—
he spoke calmly.
"…then today…"
"…I'll teach you how ice is truly used."
The words struck Mo Xiao Lan harder than any attack.
Not arrogance.
Not mockery.
Truth.
Absolute truth.
Even Hei Luo had stopped moving momentarily.
His sharp eyes remained fixed on Lin Shuan seriously now.
No amusement remained.
No carelessness.
Only caution.
"What exactly…"
"…is he?"
For the first time—
Hei Luo felt danger.
Real danger.
Then suddenly—
his eyes sharpened again.
Mo Xiao Lan was distracted.
Shocked.
His frost control unstable due to Lin Shuan's overwhelming suppression.
Hei Luo moved instantly.
BOOOOOOM!!
Dark spiritual force exploded from his body as he charged directly toward Mo Xiao Lan with killing intent.
Too fast.
Mo Xiao Lan's eyes widened.
He reacted late.
Hei Luo's fist descended toward him like a falling mountain.
But before impact—
silver lightning flashed.
SHHHHHHH!!
Lin Shuan appeared instantly before Mo Xiao Lan.
Faster than before.
Much faster.
Inside this frozen battlefield—
his speed had become terrifying.
This was his domain now.
His world.
His winter.
BOOOOOOM!!
Lin Shuan blocked Hei Luo's attack directly.
The collision exploded across the arena, sending frost and dark energy violently outward.
The ground beneath them shattered instantly.
Yet Lin Shuan did not move.
Not even half a step.
Hei Luo's eyes narrowed.
Then slowly—
he smiled again.
But this smile carried danger.
"Very good…"
Dark energy surged around him violently.
"…so you really do have some strength."
Behind them—
KRAAAAAK!!
Frozen ice exploded apart.
Yan Lie emerged from the frozen prison forcefully, black lightning burning across his body to resist the frost.
His expression had become extremely ugly.
His eyes locked onto Lin Shuan with terrifying intensity.
"…so…"
Black lightning spread wildly around him.
"…you're from the Lin Clan."
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed sharply.
Shock flickered briefly through them.
How did Yan Lie know?
He had never revealed his true identity publicly.
Then suddenly—
a thought appeared.
Yu Long Sect.
Coldness entered his gaze instantly.
Meanwhile, high above—
the Empire Protector's breathing became uneven again after hearing those words.
Lin Clan.
It really was him.
Or someone deeply connected to them.
Her eyes remained fixed on Lin Shuan without moving.
Emotions warred violently within her heart.
Shock.
Confusion.
Memory.
And something else—
something dangerously close to guilt.
But before anyone could speak further—
Hei Luo moved again.
This time—
toward Lin Shuan.
Dark spiritual force erupted beside black lightning as Yan Lie also stepped forward simultaneously.
The crowd instantly understood.
Two monsters.
Against one.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Even the snowstorm seemed to grow heavier.
Yan Lie slowly cracked his neck again, black lightning dancing wildly around him.
Hei Luo's dark aura spread like a predator preparing to hunt.
And between them—
Lin Shuan stood alone amidst endless falling snow.
White eyes.
Cold expression.
Frost swirling endlessly around him.
The entire Imperial Arena held its breath.
Because everyone understood now.
The real battle—
had finally begun.
And above all of them—
the mysterious old man in white robes finally opened his eyes completely for the first time.
A faint smile appeared on his aged face.
"…interesting…"
"…very interesting."