A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

You always have to do what you promise.

Before dawn that day, Ye Yun quietly left the Sword Qi Great Wall and headed towards the Wilderness World.

He didn't tell anyone, only leaving Dong Bude a note, which he placed under the wine pot on the counter. The note simply read: "I'll be right back."

Dong Bude wouldn't arrive at the tavern until around noon, by which time he would have already walked quite a distance.

He walked south along the path in the wasteland, his steps quick, his clothes billowing in the mist, like a blue shadow moving through the white.

The information Dong provided was very detailed.

He remembered the map of the battle five hundred years ago, the location where Mei Ruoxue died, and the direction in which the sword-stealing demon fled.

For six hundred years, he has kept these details in his memory, as if they were engraved in his bones, impossible to forget.

"That great demon was a black dragon, at the Jade Purity Realm. Ruoxue cut off its tail, and it feigned death to escape. It stole Ruoxue's sword and ran southwest. There's a small demon tribe in that area, established by the black dragon's descendants. 'Cold Plum' should be in their hands."

Ye Yun mentally reviewed the map, his feet never stopping. He moved very fast, his peak Immortal Realm cultivation fully activated, each step covering dozens of feet, leaving a trail of shallow footprints on the wasteland.

By the time the sun rose, he had already left the patrol area of ​​the Sword Qi Great Wall and entered the heart of the Wilderness World.

The Wilderness and the Great Wall of Swords are two completely different worlds. There is no sunlight here, and the sky is always covered by dark red clouds, like a huge scar.

The earth was black, barren, with only endless wasteland and scattered white bones. The wind blew from the north, carrying the stench of decay and blood, howling and wailing like the cries of countless dead souls.

Ye Yun slowed down and concealed his aura. This was the territory of the demon race, with patrolling scouts and scattered small tribes everywhere.

Although he wasn't afraid, he didn't want to alert the enemy. His only goal on this trip was "Winter Plum Blossom".

He took his sword and left, not lingering in battle or causing trouble.

He followed the markings on the map and headed southwest. Along the way, he encountered several groups of demon scouts, but he avoided them at a distance and did not disturb them.

The scouts were not highly skilled, mostly at the Golden Core stage, and were completely unaware that they were being spied on. Ye Yun, like a shadowless wind, swept past them silently.

He arrived at the valley at dusk the following day.

The valley is not large, sandwiched between two low hills, with its entrance facing east and a dried-up stream running through the bottom.

The traces of the great battle five hundred years ago are still clear. The mountain walls are covered with sword marks, some deep and some shallow, as if they were scratched by the claws of some giant beast. Broken bones and rusty weapons are scattered on the ground, gleaming eerily in the dark red light of the sky.

Ye Yun stood at the valley entrance, closed his eyes, and activated "Return of Light".

Sword intent flowed within him, and the scene before his eyes began to rewind. He saw that dusk five hundred years ago—the setting sun was like blood, and the shouts of battle shook the heavens.

A woman in white stood at the bottom of the valley, holding a long sword, facing a three-headed demon at the Immortal Realm alone. Her white clothes were stained red with blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was her blood or the demon's blood.

Her sword was swift, its light falling like snowflakes, each snowflake taking the life of a great demon.

Two of the three immortal-level demons fell, and the third had its tail severed, screaming as it fled out of the valley.

The woman in white stood there, her sword tip touching the ground, panting heavily. There was no fear or pain on her face, only a calmness, as if she had finally finished what she needed to do and could rest for a while.

She raised her head and said:

"Dong Lang, live well."

The image disappeared.

Five hundred years ago, she fell here. Her sword was taken away, her body was trampled by demons, and her soul scattered in the wind.

Dong Bu could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything. For six hundred years, he had guarded the place, regretting it every single day and longing for it every single day.

The plum blossoms on that old handkerchief have faded, but the two lines of text remain: "When the plum blossoms fall on the southern mountain, you shall return."

Ye Yun withdrew his gaze and continued walking forward.

After leaving the valley, a half-day's journey southwest leads to the territory of that small demon tribe. Ye Yun arrived as night fell.

The tribe was small, consisting of dozens of simple stone houses arranged in a circle, with an altar made of black stones in the center. The altar was not high, about three zhang square, and several tattered flags were planted on it, with twisted runes embroidered on them.

In the center of the altar, a sword is enshrined.

The scabbard was white, as if it were made from some kind of animal bone, with plum blossom patterns engraved on it. The hilt was wrapped with blackened silk thread, and the tassel had long since rotted away.

It lay there quietly on the altar, weighed down by several stones, like a prisoner who had been imprisoned for five hundred years.

"Winter Plum".

Ye Yun's heart skipped a beat.

He suppressed his impulse and carefully observed the surroundings. There were about a hundred demons in the tribe, most of whom were sleeping in the stone houses, with only a few patrolling around the altar.

The one with the highest cultivation level was an old demon at the Jade Purity Realm, whose aura was turbid. It should be a descendant of the black dragon from back then.

Ye Yun did not rush to make a move. He waited in the shadows for two hours, and when the patrolling demons changed shifts, he quietly slipped onto the altar.

He moved incredibly fast, without making a sound, like a withered leaf falling from a tree.

"Winter Plum" was right in front of him. He reached out and grasped the scabbard.

The scabbard was icy cold, like holding a block of ice.

But the instant his fingers touched the scabbard, a sword intent surged from the sword. It was not killing intent, nor a warning, but something very light and faint, like a snowflake falling into the palm of his hand, melting away before he could even see it clearly.

That was Mei Ruoxue's obsession before she died.

Ye Yun closed his eyes and sensed the lingering image within the sword intent.

The image disappeared.

Ye Yun opened his eyes and took "Winter Plum" off the altar. Just then, the runes on the altar suddenly lit up, signaling an alarm.

He triggered some kind of restriction, and the entire tribe was awakened.

"Thief!"

"Someone stole the sword!"

"Kill him"

Shouts came from all directions. Ye Yun gripped "Winter Plum" tightly, turned around and left.

Dozens of demons rushed out of the stone house and pounced on him. Leading them were two old demons at the Jade Purity Realm, one on the left and one on the right, blocking his retreat.

The Dragon Gate Realm and Golden Core Realm cultivators behind them were densely packed together, like a swarm of wasps whose nest had been disturbed.

Ye Yun did not back down.

The four natal flying swords were unleashed simultaneously—the "golden light" transformed into thousands of sword beams, slashing towards the low-level demons, instantly felling more than a dozen of them.

Ye Yun did not linger in the fight. He gripped "Winter Plum" and charged out of the tribe.

Behind them, the demon pursuers drew ever closer, their roars, curses, and the shrieking sound of claws tearing through the air blending together.

He ran away without looking back.

Ye Yun wasn't afraid of them, but rather of that group of truly powerful demons.

He glanced down at the "Winter Plum" sword in his hand. The scabbard glowed with a faint white light in the darkness, and the plum blossom patterns seemed to come alive, shimmering slightly in the moonlight.

Ye Yun gripped the sword sheath tightly and said softly, "Senior Mei, I'll take you home."

Something within the sword seemed to be responding.

Behind them, the sounds of pursuers grew fainter and fainter.

Ye Yun quickened his pace and sped toward the Sword Qi Great Wall. The sky began to lighten, and the dark red clouds gradually faded. A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the wasteland and on the sword in his hand.

Ye Yun ran all night and finally returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

As the sun rose, the outline of the Sword Qi Great Wall appeared on the horizon. Ye Yun looked at the majestic wall, a smile appearing on his lips, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Old Dong, I've brought your sword back to you."