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Princess of the Ice Kingdom
The late afternoon sun reflected golden rays upon the surface of the water encircling the majestic fortress of the Water Kingdom. A small vanguard—consisting of a single enclosed carriage engraved with an ice crystal crest and escorted by five mounted knights—slowly traversed the main bridge, approaching the colossal gates of the Water Kingdom.
”Halt your advance! State your identities and your purpose!” intercepted the gate sentry, crossing his spear.
The vanguard’s lead knight stepped forward, presenting a silver plaque. “We are official envoys of the Ice Kingdom. We bear a royally sealed missive that must be delivered directly to His Majesty the King.”
Recognizing the plaque, the sentry immediately lowered his weapon and offered a respectful nod. “Very well, lower your weapons. I shall personally escort your vanguard to seek an audience with His Majesty.”
Under heavy guard, the vanguard was guided through the capital’s streets, lined with pristine canals, toward the Water Kingdom Palace that towered like a castle of glass.
Upon arriving at the palace courtyard, the carriage door parted. A young maiden stepped down with absolute grace. She wore a silk robe, a harmonious blend of snow-white and radiant blue, fluttering against the evening breeze. A sheer veil concealed the lower half of her visage, leaving only a pair of pristine eyes radiating an aura of supreme nobility. Flanked by her five guardian knights, she strode tranquilly across the grand hall of the palace.
”Reporting, Your Majesty! The envoys from the Ice Kingdom have arrived to deliver an official missive,” the sentry reported, kneeling before the throne.
The veiled maiden stepped forward, offering a martial salute by cupping her fists before her chest. “Respectful greetings, Your Majesty. I am Diyah of the Ice Kingdom. I have come to deliver this scroll, regarding the commencement of the Pandhega Trial to be held within the Ice Kingdom’s territory ten days from now,” she explained, her voice melodious yet laced with absolute firmness, as she handed the silk-bound scroll to a palace eunuch.
King Hang, the sovereign of the Water Kingdom seated upon his throne, received the scroll. However, his eyes sparkled as he recognized the messenger’s identity. “Ohh! To think my Brother Bawigan would dispatch Princess Diyah personally merely to deliver a letter? Hahaha!” King Hang’s laughter echoed warmly, shattering the diplomatic rigidity. “It is truly a profound honor for our Water Kingdom to receive a visit from a crown princess as peerless as yourself.”
”You flatter me too much, Your Majesty. Thank you,” Princess Diyah replied, bowing courteously.
”Hahaha, there is no need for such formalities, Princess. When there is no formal gathering such as this, simply address me as Uncle Hang,” King Hang offered, attempting to thaw the atmosphere with his warmth.
”I thank you for your benevolence, Uncle. However, if our business here has concluded, we beg leave to withdraw this very moment,” Princess Diyah stated.
King Hang furrowed his brow, mildly surprised. “Why the sudden haste, Princess? Would you not care to rest a while within this palace and partake in a royal banquet?” he offered with utmost sincerity.
”Forgive my refusal, Uncle. We bear an urgent mandate. There are still several invitation scrolls we must deliver to the other kingdom territories,” Princess Diyah declined, her tone tinged with regret.
”Hah, what a pity. Very well, if it is indeed a royal mandate. Tread carefully on your journey, Princess. Especially when your vanguard crosses the borders of the Fire Kingdom. The situation there has become exceedingly unpredictable as of late,” King Hang warned, his visage shifting into profound seriousness.
”I shall engrave your warning into my mind, Uncle. Thank you for your concern. We beg our leave,” Princess Diyah said. She slowly stepped backward with absolute elegance, turned on her heel, and led her vanguard out of the palace.
The small vanguard from the Ice Kingdom spurred their steeds once more, resuming their journey through the night wind according to their designated diplomatic route.
Meanwhile, hundreds of li away, a raging blizzard blanketed the towering spires of the Ice Kingdom’s capital. The atmosphere within the throne room was as freezing as the tempest outside.
”Reporting, Your Majesty! We have deployed hundreds of soldiers to scour every corner of the city, yet we have found no trace of Princess Elisha anywhere,” a vanguard commander reported, his body trembling as he knelt before the throne.
”What did you say…? Cough! Cough! Cough!” King Bawigan hacked violently, his shoulders convulsing. His pallid visage bore the undeniable signs of a chronic affliction gnawing at his mortal shell. “Expand the search perimeter beyond the gates! Find her before the night grows completely dark!” the King commanded, his voice raspy yet overflowing with absolute authority.
”As you command, Your Majesty!” The soldiers immediately dispersed, plunging back into the blizzard to hunt for the princess.
Panic besieged the palace. King Bawigan’s beloved youngest daughter, Elisha, had vanished without a single trace. The maids assigned to guard her only realized the princess was missing when the noon meal arrived, frantically reporting it to the king in hysterics. Despite the soldiers being mobilized until late afternoon, not a single speck of a clue had been unearthed.
Hearing the report of his soldiers’ failure, King Bawigan’s heart plummeted. Dread and suffocating anxiety choked his throat. Where could you possibly be in the midst of this freezing tempest, my child…? the King lamented inwardly, his grip tightening agonizingly around the armrest of his throne.
That night, in the heart of a vast wilderness far from civilization, Princess Diyah’s vanguard decided to establish a bivouac and rest. The night wind howled coldly, piercing through the ancient trees.
As the knights warmed their bodies near the bonfire, their razor-sharp ears caught a peculiar sound. The noise emanated from within a massive logistical supply crate resting on the second carriage. It was rhythmic, soft, and sounded exactly like the gentle snoring of someone deep in slumber.
Exchanging vigilant glances, two guards slowly unsheathed their blades. With exceedingly cautious steps, they approached the carriage to verify the threat of an intruder.
Creaaak… The moment the wooden lid was pried open, instead of discovering an enemy or a thief, the guards froze like statues, their jaws hanging ajar. Nestled amidst the piles of warm fabrics and provisions, lay a tiny, petite figure. It was a little girl sleeping soundly, her breaths steady, occasionally letting out an adorable, soft snore.
The unforeseen revelation instantly sent shockwaves through the entire vanguard. Their shock multiplied exponentially upon recognizing the little girl’s visage. She was no mere commoner, but Princess Elisha, the beloved youngest daughter of King Bawigan of the Ice Kingdom!
Hearing the commotion, Princess Diyah swiftly descended from her carriage and approached the supply crate. Her eyes widened in absolute disbelief seeing her little sister there.
”Heavens! Elisha?! What in the world are you doing here?!” Diyah exclaimed in shock.
Hearing her older sister’s voice, the little girl blinked her sleep-heavy eyes. “Ngh… Big Sister? Ah, it seems you’ve found me,” she replied groggily, letting out a massive yawn. She rubbed her eyes and sat up amidst the fabrics. “Sister Diyah, please forgive me, alright? I was just so bored in the palace and wanted to sneak out to see the outside world with you. Please don’t be mad at me…” she coaxed, wearing her most innocent, pitiful expression.
Seeing her little sister’s irresistibly adorable visage, Diyah’s fury instantly evaporated into thin air. She let out a long, heavy sigh. “I won’t scold you. But do you realize how chaotic the palace must be right now? Father and everyone else must be losing their minds searching for you across every corner of the city.”
”Umm… forgive me, Big Sister. I didn’t mean to make Father worry,” Elisha replied, lowering her head deeply, fully realizing the gravity of her blunder.
Diyah couldn’t bear to stay angry. She lifted her little sister out of the crate and embraced her tightly to warm her petite frame. “Now tell me, are you hurt anywhere? Exactly how long have you been hiding in there?” she asked anxiously, inspecting Elisha’s body.
”Umm… I slipped into this crate right when you started preparing to leave the palace! And I’m perfectly fine,” Elisha explained with an innocent smile. “Ehh… but, to be honest, when you all stopped for a moment this afternoon, I did sneak out to grab a few pieces of bread because my tummy was rumbling so loudly,” she continued with a soft giggle, clutching her stomach.
Diyah shook her head, tolerating her sister’s bizarre antics. “Very well, thank the heavens you are safe. Come out of there and join us by the bonfire, we shall have dinner together,” Diyah invited.
She turned to one of the guardian knights. “Uncle, please prepare a quill, ink, and a parchment scroll immediately. I must draft a message to Royal Father posthaste, lest his affliction worsens from worrying about Elisha,” she commanded firmly.
”Executing orders, Princess,” the knight replied, rushing to fetch the writing instruments.
Princess Diyah penned a sealed missive for King Bawigan, informing him that Elisha was safe by her side. Following dinner, they planned to rest briefly before forcing their steeds to endure a night march. With Elisha’s presence, Diyah intended to expedite their diplomatic route so she could return her sister to the absolute safety of the Ice Kingdom’s palace as quickly as possible.
”Uncle Guard, release the messenger bird immediately and dispatch this letter straight to the central palace,” Princess Diyah requested, rolling the small parchment.
”Understood, Princess. This message shall arrive before the break of dawn,” the guard affirmed. He rushed to a cage strapped behind the carriage, retrieved a white-feathered spiritual messenger pigeon, tied the small tube to its leg, and released the bird into the night sky.
Midnight, amidst the howling blizzard of the Ice Kingdom.
The spiritual pigeon dove through the tempest and perched upon the palace’s communication tower. A night sentry on duty swiftly caught it, untying the message tube. Recognizing Princess Diyah’s wax seal, the soldier immediately sprinted down the corridor toward King Bawigan’s royal chambers.
However, midway through the dimly lit, torch-lined corridor, his path was blocked by a man clad in silver armor exuding a terrifying aura of intimidation, flanked by two personal shadows.
”Halt. What message tube are you bearing in the dead of night, Soldier?” the man interrogated, his voice heavy and glacial.
The soldier flinched. The moment he looked up and recognized the man before him, he instantly dropped to one knee to offer a martial salute. “Reporting, General! I bear an urgent missive from Princess Diyah’s vanguard that must be delivered directly to His Majesty the King.”
The general’s eyes narrowed with venomous cunning. “At this very moment, His Majesty is resting due to a relapse of his affliction. Do not disturb his recovery. Hand the letter to me. I shall personally read it to him tomorrow morning,” the general commanded, extending his hand with an unquestionable aura.
”U-understood, General,” the soldier replied. Though slightly hesitant to violate absolute protocol, he dared not defy his supreme commander and handed over the message tube.
Once the soldier departed, the General of the Ice Kingdom unrolled the scroll and devoured its contents. Second by second, a horrifying, sociopathic smirk bloomed across his hardened visage. His hand crushed Diyah’s letter, his spiritual energy pulverizing it into drifting ash.
The General turned to his two trusted confidants. “…This is a golden opportunity delivered by the heavens. Assemble our shadow legion immediately and execute this operation. We must weave an ambush plan as flawlessly as possible. Ensure the sickly King and his loyalist hounds remain absolutely oblivious to our movements,” he whispered, his tone as lethal as the ice storm raging outside the window.
”As you command, General!” the two shadow assassins answered in perfect unison, before instantly vanishing into the suffocating darkness of the palace corridors.
Meanwhile, deep within the sanctuary dimension of Siama Village.
After plunging into a deep, comatose slumber for twelve full hours, Fubao’s consciousness finally began to slowly resurface.
Hmmm… what happened to me? Why does my entire mortal shell ache yet feel absolutely overflowing with explosive energy? Fubao groaned softly as he awakened. He peeled his eyes open. I… Isn’t this the ceiling of my room in the new village? Fubao slowly sat up. He surveyed the confines of his room, before his gaze drifted downward to his own body.
Hah! What in the world?! Fubao jolted in profound shock as he stared at his right arm. There, coiling around his flesh, was an ancient draconic engraving radiating an intense, blood-red luminescence—absolute proof that his first God-Tier Star Seal had been flawlessly implanted and fused with his core of life.
Euphoria and newfound power pumped fiercely through his veins. He immediately leaped from the bed and sprinted out of the room. “Mother! Mother!…” he called out, his eyes frantically searching for his mother’s silhouette around the house.
”I am here, Child! Heavens, thank goodness you’ve finally awoken,” his mother replied, hurrying out of the kitchen with a smile brimming with profound relief.
”What actually happened to me, Mother? I have no memory of how I returned,” Fubao asked, rubbing his temples.
”That night, you lost consciousness entirely. Lord Ken personally intervened, carrying you home and laying you upon your bed,” his mother explained gently.
”Master truly carried me?! Did he leave any specific instructions, Mother?” he asked curiously.
”Lord Ken merely ordered me not to panic, as you would remain unconscious for an entire day. He assured me the process was a necessary adaptation and would pose absolutely no threat to your life,” his mother elaborated.
”Oh, I see. Very well, Mother. I shall bathe and prepare myself immediately. I must seek out Master at the cavern at once,” Fubao declared enthusiastically.
”Yes, certainly. But before you go, sit down and eat this warm meal. You must replenish your vitality,” his mother insisted, having already arranged a humble yet appetizing feast upon the table.
”Understood, Mother!” he replied brightly.
After filling his stomach, Fubao stepped out of the house, sprinting across the village toward the waterfall cavern. Along the journey, he noticed a distinct shift. The villagers who crossed his path no longer merely greeted him amicably; several of them stared at his right arm with gazes saturated with profound reverence and awe. He no longer resembled a filthy refugee brat; he was now a true martial artist.
Upon slipping past the curtain of the waterfall, Fubao found no trace of his master’s silhouette. He only discovered Asikin sitting cross-legged, busily grinding and analyzing samples of various spiritual medicinal herbs in the main chamber.
”Ah, hey! You’ve awakened!” Asikin greeted, immediately dropping his pestle upon registering the footsteps. “Wah! Incredible! Congratulations, friend, you have officially crossed the threshold and become a fully-fledged Star Seal Cultivator!” Asikin cheered warmly, approaching to offer his congratulations.
”A-ah yes… Thank you immensely,” Fubao replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
Asikin stared at Fubao’s right arm with sparkling eyes. “Even the foundation of your very first Star Seal radiates a blood-red aura… Utterly insane, your body’s potential is heaven-defying.”
”A-ah, this is not born of my own prowess. These achievements are purely due to the absolute intervention of Master, who was willing to step in. Otherwise, I would undoubtedly be dead,” Fubao admitted, his tone low and overflowing with absolute gratitude.
”Oh right, you must have come here seeking Master, correct?” Asikin asked.
”Yes, indeed. Is Master currently meditating in another chamber?” Fubao asked, inquiring about Ken’s whereabouts.
”Master is currently not in this cavern. However, before departing, he left a specific edict for me should you awaken and come here. I have been tasked with becoming your sparring partner and instructing you on how to control your aura within that specialized chamber…” Asikin revealed, smiling broadly while pointing toward a thick stone door engraved with crossed swords.
”Umm… Very well then. I am in your care, Senior Brother,” Fubao replied, giving a slight nod, his resolve absolute.
Adhering to the instructions Ken had left behind, Asikin guided Fubao into the specialized training chamber, which possessed its own distorted force field. Under Asikin’s tutelage, Ken’s first two disciples spent hours sparring and clashing their newfound profound abilities.
The following day, precisely as the sun reached its zenith, Ken emitted a spiritual signal summoning all the pillar chiefs of the village to convene in the main hall. He intended to broadcast his plans for a temporary departure to execute his initially postponed mission and objective.
However, there was one crucial secret he had to unveil to his inner circle of trust before he set foot outside.
”Respectful greetings, Supreme Leader!” Chief Darma announced, striding into the hall.
”Greetings, My Lord!” Chief Batara followed closely behind.
”Greetings, My Lord!” Chief Tu echoed, completing the formation of the village elders.
Not long after, Asikin and Fubao entered the hall. “Greetings, Master!” Asikin and Fubao declared in perfect unison, bowing deeply.
Hah! Impossible… Barely days after being officially accepted as Lord Ken’s disciple, that refugee brat has already successfully condensed a Red Star Seal as his first foundation?! What kind of unfathomable monster is Lord Ken when it comes to forging his disciples… Chief Darma’s soul quaked violently as he witnessed the radiating aura from Fubao’s right arm.
Ensuring all the primary pillars of the Siama Alliance were present, Ken slowly rose from his throne. His visage was dead serious. “Uncles… There are several critical matters I must convey to you all today,” Ken began, shattering the silence.
”Understood, My Lord. We are ready to heed your every directive,” Chief Darma replied, cupping his fists on behalf of the others.
”I shall be departing from this village for a period of time,” Ken stated bluntly. “There are still unresolved matters and threads of destiny out there that I must sever, Uncles. However, as my primary destination, I must travel to the territory of the Ice Kingdom to seek out a specific individual.”
”We understand, My Lord. The security of this dimension is already flawlessly self-sustaining,” Chief Darma responded.
”Yet, before I take my leave… there is a colossal secret regarding my origins and my royal status that I can no longer conceal from you…” Ken lowered his tone, radiating an absolute aura around him before he began unraveling the true reality before his most trusted followers.
Second by second ticked away as Ken delivered his exposition. The eyes of the village chiefs widened to their absolute limits. Their hearts hammered wildly against their ribs as the earth-shattering secret flowed from the Supreme Leader’s lips.
”Hah! I-is what you say truly the absolute truth, My Lord?!” Chief Darma exclaimed, his entire mortal shell trembling in sheer disbelief upon realizing the exalted identity of the youth standing before them.
The three elders instinctively dropped to one knee upon the floorboards, overwhelmed by a concoction of extreme tension, awe, and an overflowing, unbreakable loyalty. “Understood, My Lord… We profoundly grasp the gravity of this secret and shall guard it with our very lives!” they roared in unison, their tone infinitely more reverent than ever before.
Ken nodded, satisfied witnessing their unshakeable fealty. He then shifted his gaze to the two youths in the corner of the room. “During my absence, Asikin and Fubao shall act as my right hands. They will assist you in monitoring the internal security of the village.”
”Absolutely, Master! This dimensional village is our only sanctuary. We swear to defend it with our blood,” Asikin answered firmly, backed by Fubao’s resolute nod beside him.
”Very well. If there are no lingering doubts and everything is absolutely clear, you may all return to your respective duties,” Ken concluded, smoothing his robes.
Everyone had fully comprehended the new mandates and destinies weighing upon their shoulders.
”As you command, My Lord! We guarantee we shall uphold the peace of this village until your return,” Chief Darma declared with absolute dedication.
”Tread carefully on your journey, Master!” Asikin and Fubao echoed in unison, seeing off the departure of their Master as he strode out of the hall, preparing to intercept the massive tempest lying in wait at the edge of the snow-covered lands.