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MARCH TO THE ICE EMPIRE
Before completely departing from the village territory, Ken shot upward, standing tall upon the highest branch of a towering ancient tree not far from the main gates. The wind toyed with the hem of his robes as his hands moved nimbly, weaving intricate threads of energy. He implanted several additional layers of restrictive formations that seeped seamlessly into the invisible defensive dome encapsulating Siama Village.
With these modifications, the village’s bastion shall stand absolute. Let alone ordinary soldiers, even a simultaneous bombardment from General-level cultivators wouldn’t be able to leave a single scratch upon it, Ken mused with profound satisfaction after polishing the village’s outermost aegis. Besides, with Asikin stationed inside, it was more than sufficient to handle any medical crises should a villager fall injured.
Since the massive evacuation process a few days prior, the old village had been entirely repurposed into an illusionary vanguard fortress. In the eyes of the spies from the Sky Kingdom or the Fire Kingdom, the settlement appeared as a desolate, silent ghost town, flawlessly concealing the reality that thousands of refugees were continuously arriving and living in absolute peace within an entirely different dimension every single day.
Having ensured everything was perfectly secure, Ken kicked off the air and launched himself forward, officially embarking on his inaugural long journey toward the frozen territories of the Ice Kingdom.
The sun began its descent toward the western horizon, fracturing the sky with a crimson-orange luminescence that swept across the dirt path. Midway through his journey tearing through a desolate forest route, Ken’s footsteps abruptly halted. His razor-sharp instincts caught the distinct, metallic stench of blood.
Just ahead, he discovered the pulverized wreckage of two horse-drawn carriages, utterly obliterated by a brutal assault, alongside the corpses of two escorts sprawled upon the earth, bathed in their own crimson blood.
”Hey! Wake up,” Ken said softly, crouching down and lightly tapping the cheek of one of the prone guards. The piercing chill of death greeted his fingertips.
He is already devoid of life, Ken concluded after checking the remnants of the guard’s pulse. His gaze then locked onto the engraving upon the victim’s chest armor. This snow crystal crest… This is the grand emblem of the Ice Kingdom’s Soldiers. Ken swept his piercing gaze, analyzing the pattern of slashes upon the surrounding ancient trees. Judging by the coagulating blood, it appeared the clash had transpired roughly an hour ago. His steps paused when he spotted a thin strip of bluish silk fabric snagged upon a thorny bush. He retrieved it delicately.
”Divine Eyes!”
In the absolute silence, Ken invoked his high-tier observation technique. His pupils instantaneously radiated a blinding luminescence, a swirling concoction of golden and silver light. His vision pierced the physical boundaries of space and time, tracking the lingering traces of spiritual essence and calculating the exact trajectory of the fleeing survivors.
Having obtained the precise coordinates he required, Ken flicked his wrist. The light from the Star Ring on his finger pulsed, immediately absorbing the corpses of the two Ice Kingdom guards into his dimensional storage to prevent them from being desecrated by wild beasts. A heartbeat later, Ken’s mortal shell blurred into a phantom shadow, tearing through the dense forest.
Deeper within the wilderness, tension had skyrocketed to its zenith. Princess Diyah and the remnants of her small vanguard were sprinting desperately, ruthlessly pursued by a pack of bloodthirsty bandits.
”Uncle, what do we do?! They keep cutting off our paths!” Diyah urged. She was panting heavily, her elegant silk gown beginning to tear, while both of her arms securely cradled Elisha’s small frame.
”Forgive me, Princess! If only I knew the concealed route leading to the borders of the Siama Alliance, we might have been able to detour and seek their sanctuary,” Uncle Tom, the vanguard’s head captain, replied while frantically deflecting arrows whizzing from behind.
”The Siama Alliance? There is no time to search for a pa—” Diyah’s words were violently cut short.
BOOM! BOOM!
The earth before them quaked violently. Two men, their physiques as colossally muscular as mountain bears, plummeted from the high branches and crashed heavily onto the ground, absolutely blocking their escape route.
”Hahaha! Why waste your breath running, Princess? How about you all stop and entertain us for a while?!” one of the hulking bandits mocked, licking his lips with nauseating vile lust.
Dammit! They summoned reinforcements… Two more bastards exuding the aura of 6-Star Seal Cultivators! Uncle Tom gritted his teeth, cold sweat drenching his temples as he realized their situation had plunged into absolute despair.
The panic peaked when the six bandits who had been relentlessly pursuing them from behind finally caught up, forming a tight circular formation. The Ice Kingdom vanguard was now hermetically sealed from every direction.
”B-Big Sister… Who are these wicked men? Why are there even more people chasing us?” Elisha squeaked, her tiny body trembling violently as she buried her face into the crook of Diyah’s neck.
”Calm yourself, Elisha. I swear I will protect you,” Diyah answered, her voice quivering. She slowly lowered her little sister from her back and unsheathed her slender rapier.
”Form a barricade! Protect Princess Elisha with your lives!” Diyah commanded her five surviving guards.
”As you command, Princess!” the guards roared in perfect unison, encircling Diyah and Elisha with raised shields and drawn blades, forging a living aegis.
Suddenly, Diyah’s visage drained of all color. “Ahhh…!” She let out a stifled groan, her rapier nearly slipping from her grasp. Her left hand violently clutched her right arm, which had previously suffered a grazing strike from an enemy’s blade.
”What is wrong, Princess?!” Uncle Tom exclaimed in panic, noticing pitch-black veins beginning to spread beneath the princess’s pristine porcelain skin.
”It seems… the weapon that grazed me earlier was coated in a lethal poison, Uncle! The toxin is taking effect and paralyzing my meridians,” Diyah explained, enduring the agonizing torture of her blood vessels seemingly being set ablaze.
”Hahaha! How does it feel to taste our pride and joy, esteemed Princess? Doesn’t it feel absolutely euphoric?!” the scrawny bandit who had grazed her earlier chirped, laughing sadistically.
Although my five guards possess the strength of 4-Star Seal Cultivators matching those six vermin, we are overwhelmingly outnumbered. Compounded with the presence of these two 6-Star commanders… Diyah’s mind raced frantically for an exit strategy, yet reality felt suffocatingly bleak. Forgive me, Royal Father… I have failed to protect Elisha. Despair began its cold crawl into Diyah’s heart.
”You may capture the rest of us! But we beg of you, release Princess Elisha!” one of the Ice Kingdom guards bartered, attempting to negotiate a trade with his own life.
”Hahaha! That is indeed the exact mandate we received from our master. However, your guess is slightly flawed! The truth is… we are ordered to sever your heads and butcher you all on the spot, except for that Little Princess of the Ice Kingdom! Hahaha!” the 6-Star bandit commander bellowed with a thunderous laugh.
”Hah?! Who is the cowardly master that issued such an edict?!” Diyah barked, forcing herself to stand tall despite the poison continuously ravaging her core.
”Are you truly that curious to find out, Princess? Come here! Step into my embrace, and I will whisper it into your ear while I savor your exquisite body! Nyammm!” the bandit commander taunted, his lecherous gaze practically stripping Diyah bare.
”Insolent! Your mouth is repulsive!” Diyah spat, feeling physically nauseous from the bandit’s vile demeanor.
”Hahaha, repulsive? Relax, Princess. After I’ve had my fill of fun, I promise to feed the antidote directly into your mouth,” he explained, taking slow, deliberate steps toward Diyah. The bandit’s eyes gleamed with unadulterated lust. “I must admit, watching you endure the agony of that poison only makes the curves of your body look even more tantalizing. What a heavenly windfall! I never imagined I would get to taste blue blood as stunning and elegant as yours tonight.”
”Fall back! Do not even dare to lay a finger on me!” Diyah screamed, retreating to evade the filthy, massive hand reaching for her shoulder.
At the exact millisecond those filthy fingers were about to graze Diyah’s silk garments, an unimaginably sharp whistling of wind sliced through the dead of night.
SWISH! SLASH!
A flash of an invisible weapon tore through the void with heaven-defying speed. Even though the bandit commander possessed the honed instincts of a 6-Star expert and attempted to evade, the weapon flawlessly severed his left arm with surgical precision. Fresh blood geysered into the night air.
”Aaaaaargghh! My arm! You bastard! Who is the coward hiding in the shadows?!” the bandit shrieked hysterically, staggering backward while violently clutching his spurting stump.
”You deaf pervert. Are your ears so severely broken that you couldn’t hear her absolute refusal to be touched?”
A glacial, heavy baritone descended from above. Every single pair of eyes instantly snapped upward. There, sitting casually with crossed legs upon the branch of a colossal oak tree, sat a youth staring down at them with a gaze as flat and absolute as death itself.
Who is this youth?! His aura is flawlessly unified with the night… Diyah thought, profoundly shocked to realize a savior had intervened from the precipice of her despair.
Uncle Tom’s eyes narrowed, piercing the darkness, before his pupils dilated drastically upon recognizing the bizarre, colossal blade embedded in the earth after severing the bandit’s arm. That colossal Chain Sword! Could it be he is…?! the head guard’s soul quaked.
”Damned brat! Do you have any idea who you are messing with?!” the one-armed bandit threatened, enduring excruciating agony.
”That is of absolutely no consequence to me,” Ken cut him off, his voice as frigid as a glacier. “The only thing you vermin need to know is… you have exactly five seconds to run and vacate this area.”
”How dare you meddle in our affairs! We are the Fire Elephant Bandits! You will pay a lethal price for this insolence!” the bandit commander spat back his threat.
”Four,” Ken stated flatly, beginning his countdown without shifting his posture in the slightest.
”I am warning you, you wretched brat! Do not blame us when your corpse is chopped into—”
”Three,” Ken continued, counting down as if their lives were mere specks of dust irritating his vision.
Witnessing that deadly, absolute serenity, one of the subordinate bandits began to tremble violently. This colossal Chain Sword… It perfectly matches the description of the armament wielded by the Supreme Leader of the Siama Alliance! Could it be…?! his inner voice screamed in absolute horror.
”C-Commander! Disaster! He is the god of death from the Siama Alliance! He wields that colossal Chain Sword!” the bandit shrieked, his voice cracking as he pointed a trembling finger at the blood-soaked blade.
”Two,” Ken’s voice echoed, effortlessly slicing through their mounting panic.
”Wh-what?! I-is that true?!” The severed-armed commander’s eyes bulged in pure terror. His courage evaporated into the ether. He subconsciously took a step backward.
”One,” Ken decreed, rendering the final verdict of destiny.
”M-My Lord! Please spare our lives! We were truly blind to not recognize that you—”
The desperate plea for mercy was severed for all eternity. The bladed tip of Ken’s chain tore through the air, writhing like an enraged heavenly serpent, and embedded itself with flawless precision straight through the bandit commander’s heart.
The massacre did not cease there. In the span of less than a single breath, the Star Chain darted frantically, weaving an inescapable web of death. The other seven bandits suffered identical fates. Their chests were pierced by the lethal blades. All of them were paralyzed by Ken in a single, continuous execution, and before their minds could even register their own deaths, the sword’s arcane energy siphoned and eradicated their mortal shells, reducing them to crystal dust upon the bloodstained earth.
”I granted you my benevolence and five full seconds to flee for your lives. What a pity… you were far too foolish to seize it,” Ken hissed, his piercing gaze locked onto the drifting motes of dust that were once the bandits.
The Ice Kingdom guards swallowed hard, their throats feeling as coarse as sandpaper. Capable of executing six 4-Star Cultivators and two 6-Star commanders simultaneously in a matter of seconds without breaking a sweat?! What an utterly illogical, apocalyptic prowess… It is exactly as the terrifying rumors dictate, Uncle Tom mused, his entire body shivering with a profound concoction of awe and sheer terror.
This youth… his power exists in an entirely different dimension, Princess Diyah thought, incapable of masking her profound shock despite enduring the agonizing bite of poison in her arm.
Ken slowly leapt down from the oak branch, landing soundlessly upon the grass. He strolled calmly toward the vanguard of guards who remained frozen as statues.
”Swallow this, Uncle. Distribute it among the wounded,” Ken commanded, casually flicking a small vial containing Level 2 Pancasona Pills toward Uncle Tom.
Uncle Tom caught it nimbly. The moment the heavenly aroma graced his senses, his eyes widened drastically. “Th-this is… Heavens! Thank you immensely, My Lord! This is a miraculous elixir of unfathomable value,” Uncle Tom expressed, deeply astonished by the casual generosity bestowed by the god of war standing before him.
Ken continued his advance, approaching Princess Diyah and Elisha. “May I approach you? Take this,” Ken offered, presenting an identical pill to Diyah.
”A-ah…” Diyah abruptly fell silent, plagued by hesitation. Instead of accepting it, her survival instincts compelled her to take a step back, maintaining a cautious distance from an exceedingly dangerous stranger.
Sensing the suffocating awkwardness, little Elisha mustered her courage. “A-a-are… are you a g-good person, Big Brother?” Elisha squeaked nervously, half of her tiny frame still concealed behind the fabric of Diyah’s gown.
Hearing that unadulterated innocence, Ken’s glacial gaze instantaneously melted. “Umm, what is your verdict, Little One? Does my face look like that of a good person?” Ken asked, flashing a warm, amicable smile. He slowly lowered his posture, crouching down to match the little girl’s eye level. “Here, come closer. Were you injured during your flight?” Ken coaxed gently.
”Hm-hmm… Big Brother beat up those wicked men and saved us. I think… Big Brother is a very good person,” Elisha declared, her courage beginning to surface. She slowly stepped out from behind her sister’s back and walked toward Ken. “I’m not hurt at all. But… Sister Diyah is badly hurt because she kept shielding me.”
Ken’s eyes remained on Elisha, yet his attention was instantaneously hijacked by an object resting upon the little girl’s chest. That blue crystal necklace…! Why does this child possess that necklace? Ken’s soul jolted, an avalanche of past memories flashing violently through his mind. “Yes, my eyes can also see your sister’s wounds. Unfortunately… it seems your beautiful sister refuses to accept my medicine,” Ken remarked, slightly teasing Diyah.
Realizing the precarious situation, Uncle Tom hurriedly stepped forward to mediate. “Princess, it is perfectly fine! Please, trust him. The pill bestowed by the Supreme Leader is an exceedingly rare Level 2 Pancasona Pill. By swallowing merely a single pellet, half of Your Highness’s energy and vitality shall be restored instantaneously,” Uncle Tom explained, trying desperately to persuade Diyah.
He then turned toward Ken, bowing deeply in apology. “My deepest apologies, Lord Ken. Princess Diyah harbors an exceedingly cautious nature toward strangers. She will not casually accept or consume offerings from someone she is unacquainted with,” he continued, clarifying the reasoning behind Diyah’s vigilant demeanor.
”It is quite alright, Uncle. I can perfectly understand her caution in such a ruthless world,” Ken replied, accommodating the sentiment with a faint smile.
”Princess, I beg of you. If that wound is not treated immediately, the corrosive poison will ravage your meridians and continue its march straight to your heart!” Uncle Tom urged, reminding Diyah of the lethal threat looming over her life.
Seeing Diyah growing increasingly pale as she endured the agony, Ken could not bear to watch the woman suffer any longer. “If you are so utterly terrified of consuming a pill from my hands, I possess an alternative. I can extract the poison and mend your wound without touching a single thread of your garments! How about it? Do we have an agreement?” Ken offered, presenting an irrefutable solution.
Diyah locked eyes with Ken, searching for deception within his gaze. Yet she found nothing but absolute tranquility. “Hmmm… very well,” Diyah answered hesitantly, finally surrendering to her agony.
”However, I must still stand in extremely close proximity to you,” Ken clarified, ensuring there were no misunderstandings.
”U-um… please proceed,” Princess Diyah merely offered a slight nod of her head.
Ken stepped closer. He hovered his hand mere inches from Diyah’s poisoned arm. A pure, golden radiance erupted from Ken’s palm. The healing energy pierced the air, supernaturally extracting threads of a dense, pitch-black miasma—the bandit’s poison—directly from within Diyah’s bloodstream. Within seconds, the gaping laceration knitted itself shut, her skin cells regenerating until her arm was flawlessly smooth once more, leaving not a microscopic trace of a scar.
”Hah! H-how did you—” Diyah gasped in absolute awe.
However, before her sentence could conclude, Ken’s fingers moved with lightning speed, flicking the Pancasona Pill he had been holding directly into Diyah’s half-open mouth.
”What did you just do?!” Diyah protested, her body instantly freezing in shock as she swallowed the pill.
”Forgive my insolence, but I was forced to employ forceful measures. You possess far too many reservations that endanger your own life,” Ken explained as he slowly stepped back, re-establishing a respectful boundary. “Now, the condition of your meridians has been purged, and slowly, the entirety of your inner qi shall return to absolute perfection.”
”Wah! It’s a miracle! Big Sister’s wound disappeared without a trace!” Elisha chimed in, doing a tiny, amazed hop as she witnessed the healing magic. “Big Sister, how do you feel now? It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?” Elisha asked, running to affectionately embrace Diyah’s waist.
It’s true… Not only has the wound sealed, but the chaotic flow of my energy is now slowly feeling full and pristine once more! How could this youth perform such a miracle with such effortless ease? Diyah mused, her mind reeling in endless astonishment. “Big Sister feels much better now, darling,” Diyah answered, stroking the crown of Elisha’s head with a profoundly relieved smile.
Seeing the genuine, elegant smile gracing Diyah’s visage, Ken’s heart fluttered strangely. He stared intently at the woman’s face. That gaze and that smile… Could… could you truly be the maiden I called my Ice Princess in the past? Ken wondered inwardly, burying his colossal secret tightly.
”Sister Diyah, hurry and thank this Great Big Brother,” Elisha urged innocently, her tiny index finger pointing at Ken.
”Yes, of course I must,” Diyah replied, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she acknowledged her massive debt of gratitude. “Sir Cultivator, I offer my boundless gratitude for the salvation you delivered tonight,” Diyah expressed with absolute sincerity, offering a slight bow, a gesture of deep respect from a royal noble.
”Indeed, My Lord! On behalf of this vanguard, once again, we offer our profound thanks for your intervention and heavenly benevolence,” Uncle Tom added, cupping his fists before his chest.
”There is no need for such excessive formalities, Uncle, Princess. It merely happens that the route of my journey also passes through this dark forest,” Ken explained with a humble tone.
”Great Big Brother! Would you be so kind as to escort us all the way to our palace home? I am so scared those wicked men will suddenly come back to attack us on the road,” Elisha pleaded with pitiful, doe-like eyes, suddenly tugging at the hem of Ken’s robes.
Realizing the sheer insolence of the little princess’s request, Uncle Tom hurriedly stepped forward to rectify the situation. “A thousand apologies, My Lord! Little Princess Elisha is merely traumatized and terrified, she absolutely does not intend to burden your journey, My Lord,” Uncle Tom stated, feeling deeply apologetic for Elisha’s naive behavior.
He then knelt before Elisha. “Little Princess, listen to Uncle. Lord Ken is an exalted sovereign who undoubtedly possesses matters of the utmost importance. We must not become a burdensome hindrance to him. Uncle promises to immediately dispatch a messenger pigeon to Royal Father so he may send a reinforcement armada to escort us from here, alright?” Uncle Tom coaxed gently.
”I-is that true, Uncle?” Elisha replied, her visage dimming once more, still harboring deep-seated fear.
Seeing the sorrow painting Elisha’s features and comprehending the latent dangers lurking for a vanguard lacking adequate protection, Ken smiled. He looked at the little girl and said, “Hey, how about we make a pact? I shall escort and guard you all safely until you arrive at the very gates of your home. But upon one absolute condition: you must promise to never feel afraid again starting from this exact second. How about it? Do we have an agreement?” Ken offered, extending his pinky finger, attempting to console Elisha.
”Really?! Wah! Alright, I promise I will never be afraid ever again as long as Great Big Brother comes to escort me home!” Elisha cheered with a crisp laugh, a radiant smile blooming once more across her petite visage as she intertwined her tiny pinky with Ken’s.
”My Lord… will this decision truly not interfere with your crucial affairs?” Uncle Tom interjected, still feeling hesitant to monopolize the time of a figure as monumental as the Leader of Siama.
”It is absolutely no trouble at all, Uncle. Besides, doesn’t the crest upon your armor indicate that you hail from the Ice Kingdom? It just so happens that my ultimate destination lies in that exact direction,” Ken clarified, providing a logical reasoning that brought profound relief to all parties.
”Truly?! In that case, tonight has genuinely become the most fortunate night of our lives, for the heavens have destined our paths to cross with yours, My Lord,” Uncle Tom exclaimed, his eyes shining brilliantly.
”Yes, Uncle. Do not overthink it. It is merely the duty of fellow humans to extend a helping hand in times of crisis,” Ken replied amicably, brushing aside all rigid protocols.
”Oh, forgive me for nearly forgetting my manners! Before anything else, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Toma, though people commonly address me as Tom. I am the head butler and knight specifically assigned to accompany Princess Diyah’s diplomatic journey. And this brave little girl is Princess Elisha, her youngest sister,” Uncle Tom stated, formally explaining and introducing their noble statuses to Ken.
”A pleasure to meet you, Uncle Tom. You and the others may simply address me as Ken,” Ken replied, introducing his name with a warm smile, entirely omitting his exalted titles. “So what is your verdict, Uncle? Shall we immediately resume the remainder of our journey tonight?” he added.
”My apologies, Lord Ken. Had our carriages not been obliterated by those bandits, we could have forced a night march to conserve time. However, considering our current state of exhaustion and the lack of mounts, I advise that we set up a bivouac here to rest and pass the night,” Uncle Tom explained, carefully weighing the physical condition of the vanguard.
”Ohh, a highly logical calculation. Very well, Uncle, I agree,” Ken stated, approving the plan. “In that case, prepare the campfires. I shall head into the forest for a moment to hunt a few wild hares for our dinner,” Ken added, turning to leave.
However, right before he darted into the darkness of the ancient trees, Ken glanced back and left one specific edict. “Ah, yes, Uncle Tom. You must still dispatch the messenger pigeon requesting reinforcements from the Ice Kingdom. But remember… never write a single syllable regarding my identity or my involvement in that missive.”
”As you command, Lord Ken. I shall keep it an absolute secret,” Uncle Tom replied with a respectful bow.
Thank the heavens the gods sent Lord Ken tonight. We have finally been delivered from the abyss of death, Uncle Tom mused, exhaling a sigh of unfathomable relief as he watched Ken’s broad back melt seamlessly into the shadows of the night.