NOVEL WEB Chapter 9: The Ice Queen’s Bargain
The wind howled like a mourning spirit as Li Tian trudged forward through the frozen wasteland. The Frostbone Citadel loomed in the distance, an eerie fortress of jagged ice and ancient bones, its towering spires glistening under the pale light of the eternal moon. The ground beneath his boots crunched with every step, brittle ice cracking like shattered glass, revealing the bleached remains of warriors who had perished here long ago.
The bitter cold clawed at his flesh, seeping through his robes and biting into his bones. His breath came in ragged, misty exhales, his fingers numb despite his cultivation. The air burned, not with heat, but with a frigid agony that made every step feel like trudging through a death trap. Strange runic symbols glowed faintly along the citadel walls, pulsing with an unnatural blue light, whispering forgotten secrets to those who dared approach.
Inside the Citadel
The moment Li Tian entered, a deathly stillness overtook the air. The halls were vast and silent, lined with towering ice pillars containing frozen warriors, their expressions twisted in agony, as if trapped mid-battle. The cold seemed to hold not just their bodies but their very souls.
A sudden crack echoed through the chamber.
Li Tian instinctively unsheathed his blade, the metallic ring slicing through the silence. From the shadows, a colossal Ice Golem emerged, its massive limbs sculpted from enchanted frost, its hollow eyes glowing an ominous blue. The moment it sensed an intruder, it lunged, swinging a hammer-like fist that could shatter mountains.
Li Tian barely dodged, rolling across the slick floor, his heart hammering against his ribs. The creature's next strike sent a blast of ice shards flying, embedding into the stone like frozen daggers. He gritted his teeth, channeling his energy into his sword, the blade now cloaked in a dark aura.
"Shadow Fang!" he roared, slashing through the golem's arm. A deep gash formed, cracks spiderwebbing across its form, but it did not stop. It swung again, this time faster, forcing Li Tian into a desperate sprint between its thunderous attacks.
Then, a voice like breaking ice echoed through the chamber.
"Enough."
The golem froze mid-strike, its massive form halting instantly. Li Tian turned towards the source.
Atop a frozen throne, encased in shimmering ice, sat a woman of unearthly beauty. Her hair cascaded like silver silk, her skin pale as moonlight, her eyes an icy blue abyss that held centuries of untold sorrow. Her robes, woven from enchanted frost, shimmered like a frozen waterfall, shifting with an unnatural grace.
This was Ling Xue.
The Ice Queen's Bargain
Her gaze bore into him as the ice encasing her throne began to melt, freeing her. The chill in the room intensified, a heavy pressure pressing down on Li Tian's chest, making it hard to breathe.
"You are not the first to seek power here," she said, her voice a melody of frost and regret. "Most have perished. Tell me, child of shadow—what do you seek?"
Li Tian steadied his breath. "I seek strength. Strength to destroy Yanluo."
Ling Xue's lips curled slightly. "And what will you offer in return?"
He hesitated. "What do you want?"
Her expression darkened. "There is one who betrayed me long ago. General Xue. He was once my lover. Now, he serves Yanluo, his soul twisted into something monstrous. Kill him. And I shall make you stronger."
A cold dread settled in Li Tian's gut. This was no simple request. A general of Yanluo would not fall easily. And yet, what choice did he have?
"I accept."
A faint smile played on her lips. "Then let us begin."
The Training of Frost and Shadow
Ling Xue wasted no time. The training was brutal. Each lesson left Li Tian bruised, exhausted, and near frozen to death. She forced him to stand atop pillars of ice, balancing in hurricane-force winds. She made him carve runes into the ice with his bare hands until his fingers bled. And when he faltered, she unleashed her Frozen Tempest, burying him in a blizzard of cutting ice shards.
But slowly, something changed.
His dark energy fused with frost, the two forces intertwining like twin serpents. He could now summon Frostfang Blades, daggers of black ice that could freeze flesh upon contact. His body adapted, resisting the lethal cold. His mind sharpened, anticipating attacks before they came.
"You learn quickly," Ling Xue mused, watching as he shattered an ice construct with a single strike.
Li Tian smirked despite himself. "I have no choice."
The Attack of the Abyss Spawn
Before their training could continue, a low rumble shook the citadel.
Then came the screams.
From the valley below, Abyss Spawn surged forth—grotesque creatures with elongated limbs and hollow, glowing eyes, their bodies dripping with black ichor. They moved like shadows, their forms flickering in and out of existence.
Li Tian felt his pulse quicken. "They found us."
Ling Xue's expression hardened. "Then let them learn fear."
She lifted her hand, summoning an icy storm that swallowed the first wave, impaling the creatures with spikes of frost. But they did not stop. They climbed, leaped, and tore through the storm, their shrieks piercing the air.
Li Tian dove into the fray, his new skills put to the test. He wove between the spawn, Frostfang Blades flying from his hands, freezing and shattering enemies as he moved. His sword clashed against twisted claws, each impact sending shockwaves through his body.
One of the spawn lunged at Ling Xue. In an instant, her Frozen Tempest activated, encasing the creature in ice before shattering it into dust with a single gesture. She moved like a specter, her every strike precise and deadly.
Yet, the enemy numbers only grew.
Li Tian gritted his teeth, feeling exhaustion creep in. "We can't hold out forever!"
Ling Xue narrowed her eyes. "Then we end this."
She raised both hands, runic symbols igniting around her. The air froze solid, the battlefield turned into a frozen wasteland. Then, with a final incantation, she unleashed the Frostbound Annihilation.
A wave of absolute zero erupted outward. The Abyss Spawn froze mid-motion, their bodies crystallizing before collapsing into dust.
The Cliffhanger
As the dust settled, Ling Xue turned to Li Tian, her face unreadable.
"You've proven yourself. But there is one thing you must know."
Li Tian frowned. "What?"
She raised her hand. A vision erupted in his mind.
A woman, cloaked in shadows, wielding a blade that shimmered with pure darkness. Behind her, a symbol he recognized.
"Your mother," Ling Xue whispered, "was one of the Silent Blade."
Li Tian's breath caught in his throat.
The past he thought he knew had just shattered.