Monarch of Eternal Frost

Chapter 4: Sword of Ice, Blood on the Snow

The valley trembled as the four assassins of the Blood Bone Squad rushed forward, their blades gleaming with sinister crimson qi. Each step they took cracked the ground beneath, their killing intent thick enough to freeze the soul.

But Lin Tian didn't flinch.

His body glowed faintly with a flickering blue frost aura, while his muscles rippled with furnace-born power. He raised the rusted sword, its edge chipped and ancient—yet in his grasp, it felt like an extension of his will.

> "Let's test this body…"

"And this blade."

The first assassin struck—his saber left a blood-red arc in the air, aiming to split Lin Tian's head cleanly. But Lin Tian's body moved like lightning wrapped in snow. He shifted sideways, barely brushing the blow, and countered with a rising slash.

Clang!

Sparks flew. The assassin stumbled backward, surprised by the strength behind Lin Tian's attack.

> He's fast—and strong? How did he survive the Dual Furnace backlash?!

The second and third assassins moved in unison. One lunged with a poison-laced dagger, the other hurled a chain embedded with soul-erasing runes.

But Lin Tian's eyes flashed.

Eternal Frost Scripture — Frost Pulse.

He stomped the ground. A freezing shockwave burst outward from beneath his feet, encasing the valley floor in ice and slowing their movements just slightly—enough.

His sword cut through the chain like paper. With a pivot, he ducked low, slashing the dagger-wielder across the thigh. Blood sprayed onto the snow.

Before the fourth assassin could even move, Lin Tian turned his palm and activated the Martial Dual Furnace.

> Burn!

A faint golden glow erupted from within his body. The blood on his arms boiled instantly as he twisted, jumped into the air, and brought down a crushing strike—

Boom!

The rusted blade cleaved the fourth assassin's shoulder, sending him flying like a broken ragdoll into the valley wall. A deep crater exploded on impact.

The others hesitated.

> He's not supposed to be this strong. He just broke through—how can he use two techniques so fluidly?!

But Lin Tian wasn't done.

> "If you came for my life, don't expect to leave with yours."

His frost aura surged as the Eternal Frost Scripture reached full circulation. Cold mist coiled around his body like a cloak of death.

Froststep!

He vanished from sight.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind the wounded assassin—slash—his sword cut through the man's spine like a blade through silk. Blood sprayed, staining the white ground red.

The remaining two assassins panicked and tried to flee—but the temperature plummeted further. Their legs stiffened mid-air as frost spread up their thighs.

"Mercy!" one cried.

Lin Tian's expression didn't change.

> "I showed you mercy by not dying when you ambushed me in my sleep."

Slash.

Another fell.

Only one remained. The leader, masked and shrouded in dark qi, held out a token with trembling fingers.

> "Wait! I was sent by Han Yi—Sky Sword Sect! If you kill me—!"

Too late.

A blade of blue light pierced his heart.

The valley fell silent again, the wind howling between the rocks like mourning spirits.

---

A short while later...

Lin Tian stood over the corpses, breathing deeply, the rusty sword embedded in the final assassin's chest. His frost aura dimmed. His body trembled from exhaustion.

But he was alive.

And he had won.

He picked up the assassin leader's black token and examined it.

> Han Yi… you really want me dead that badly?

He pocketed the token and turned back to the heart of the valley. But just as he approached the broken stone platform where he'd been cultivating—

The jade pendant around his neck glowed.

A beam of icy blue light erupted from it, striking the ground. The snow parted. The rocks crumbled.

A spiraling staircase appeared, leading underground, hidden beneath the valley for who knows how many centuries.

> A secret realm?

No… an inheritance vault?

From deep below, a chilling aura emerged. Familiar… ancient… beckoning him.

His eyes narrowed.

> "You tried to kill me, Han Yi. But instead, you've delivered me to destiny."

Without hesitation, Lin Tian stepped down into the darkness.

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