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

The three-day deadline arrived. Ye Yun stood atop the hill, gazing at the distant palace. A hazy light pierced through the gray mist, illuminating his face, his four flying swords, and the Sword of Law. He pulled up the hood of his cloak, obscuring half his face, revealing only his eyes. A Liang stood beside him, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, his hand resting on his sword hilt. Old Zhou and his dozen or so sword cultivators crouched behind the hill, waiting.

"Boss Ye," Ah Liang said.

"Um."

"If things cannot be done, retreat."

Ye Yun didn't answer. He walked down the hill and headed towards the palace. A Liang watched his retreating figure, spat out the grass in his mouth, turned to Old Zhou, and said, "Proceed according to plan." Old Zhou nodded and led a dozen or so men into the morning mist.

The palace gates were wide open. Two rows of demon guards stood at the entrance, one on each side, each at least at the Nascent Soul Realm. Leading them was a tiger demon at the peak of the Jade Purity Realm. Upon seeing Ye Yun, it stepped aside and gestured for him to proceed. Ye Yun walked through them, his pace neither fast nor slow, four flying swords hovering at his sides, their tips pointing towards the guards on either side. The guards stared at him, but did not move.

The corridor was long, its walls covered with runes, from which flowed a blood-red light. Ye Yun walked through the corridor, passing through three stone doors, each guarded, and none of the doors were closed. Zhou Mi was waiting for him. He knew it.

We've arrived at the altar.

The main hall was brighter than when I last visited. All the runes on the altar were illuminated, densely packed, like countless glowing snakes coiled together. The crystal floated in the center of the altar, its contents a slowly drifting soul, the silhouette of the woman in white appearing and disappearing in the light. Around the altar stood twelve great demons, each at least at the Immortal Realm, clad in black armor, wielding weapons, their faces expressionless.

Zhou Mi stood on the altar, a folding fan in his hand, a smile on his face. He was dressed in a white robe today, unlike usual, as if he were going to a banquet. Seeing Ye Yun, he unfolded the folding fan and fanned himself. "Ye Yun, you really came."

Ye Yun stood beneath the altar, looking up at him. "Give me the crystal, and I'll give you the Samsara Sword Technique."

Zhou Mi smiled. "Let's exchange sword techniques first."

"Give the crystal first."

The two stared at each other, neither willing to back down. The air seemed to freeze, even the light of the runes paused for a moment. The twelve great demons placed their hands on their weapons, causing the four flying swords to shine brighter. Ye Yun's hand rested on the hilt of the Sword of Law, his knuckles turning white.

Zhou Mi suddenly smiled. It was a gentle smile, as if he were chatting with an old friend. "Ye Yun, do you think I care about your Samsara Sword Technique? My path has been far longer than yours." Ye Yun's heart sank. "Then what do you want?"

Zhou Mi closed his folding fan, stepped down from the altar, and walked step by step to Ye Yun, standing only three steps away. He looked into Ye Yun's eyes, his gaze calm, as calm as a stagnant pool. But beneath the stagnant water lay something, black, viscous, like oil.

"I want you," Zhou Mi said, "to become my pawn, to be used by me."

Ye Yun looked at him and remained silent for three seconds. "Dream on."

Zhou Mi's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold. "Ye Yun, do you think you have a choice? Nangong Pushe's soul is in my hands. What do you have to offer me in terms of bargaining?"

Ye Yun's finger twitched. The four flying swords hummed, their sword light surging, their sword energy surging through the hall, causing the blood-red light of the runes to flicker. The twelve great demons simultaneously drew their weapons and took a step forward. Ye Yun did not retreat; Zhou Mi raised his hand, signaling the great demons to step back.

"Ye Yun," Zhou Mi said, "you are a smart man, you should know what is right and what is wrong. Follow me, and you can not only resurrect Nangong Pushe, but also become the ruler of this world. If you don't follow me, you will get nothing, you won't even be able to save your life."

Ye Yun looked at him, her eyes calm, as still as a stagnant pool. But beneath that stillness lay a fire. "Zhou Mi, are you finished?"

Zhou Mi's smile faded slightly. "I'm done."

"Then I will speak." Ye Yun drew the Sword of Law, its tip pointing at Zhou Mi. "I will retrieve Pu She's soul. You, I will kill. Your grand sacrifice, I will destroy. Your dream, I will annihilate. Do you understand?"

Zhou Mi stared at him for a long time. Then he laughed. This time it wasn't a gentle laugh, but a cold laugh, as cold as the winter wind. "Ye Yun, you're even more stubborn than I thought. Unfortunately, stubborn people usually don't live long."

He raised his hand, and countless runes suddenly lit up around the altar. Not just the altar runes, but the runes on the ground, walls, and ceiling. Dense and overwhelming, like a giant net, they enveloped the entire hall. Black beams of light shot from the runes, intertwining to form a cage.

A net stretching to the heavens and the earth.

Zhou Mi had already laid a trap. He wasn't waiting for Ye Yun to come and make the deal; he was waiting for Ye Yun to walk right into his trap.

Ye Yun unleashed four swords simultaneously. "Golden Light" transformed into thousands of golden rays, shooting towards the surrounding rune cages. "Purple Cloud" summoned heavenly lightning, striking the black pillar of light overhead. The "Cage" transformed into black chains, binding the nearest powerful demons. The "Sword of Law" slashed towards the array's core. The golden light struck the cage and shattered. The heavenly lightning struck the pillar of light, extinguishing it. The chains bound the powerful demons, but they broke free. The Sword of Law struck the array's core; the core trembled slightly but did not break.

Zhou Mi stood on the altar, watching all this, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Ye Yun, did you think I wouldn't have a backup plan? This runic cage was prepared specifically for you. Your sword of law cannot cut through it."

Ye Yun did not give up. The four flying swords attacked the cage again, this time with even greater ferocity. Golden light transformed into a massive golden longsword, slashing towards the top of the cage. Eighteen bolts of heavenly lightning were unleashed, one after another striking the same point. Chains entangled the cage's pillars, pulling them forcefully. The sword of law slashed towards the array's core time and again.

The cage shook. The runes dimmed for a moment, but then lit up again. Ye Yun's spiritual energy was rapidly depleting, his luck value was dropping, and his face turned from pale to sallow. But he didn't stop.

In the shadows, Ah Liang lay prone in the corridor outside the main hall, his brow furrowed. He couldn't see what was happening inside, but he could sense the fluctuations of Ye Yun's sword energy and runes. Zhou Mi had laid a trap, and Ye Yun was trapped. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, wanting to rush in, but he restrained himself. Rushing in now would play right into Zhou Mi's hands. He would wait, wait for Ye Yun to give him a signal.

Old Zhou leaned over next to Ah Liang and whispered, "Ah Liang, will Boss Ye be alright inside alone?"

Ah Liang remained silent. He didn't know. Ye Yun's Sword of Laws could sever Zhou Mi's "Undying" Law, but this runic cage was specifically designed to counter the Sword of Laws. Zhou Mi had studied Ye Yun's sword and found a way to restrain it.

Inside the main hall, Ye Yun ceased his attack. The four flying swords retracted, hovering around him, their light dimming. His breathing was somewhat rapid, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Zhou Mi looked at him, his smile deepening.

"Ye Yun, give up. You can't break this cage."

Ye Yun raised his head and looked at Zhou Mi. His eyes were bright, frighteningly so. "Zhou Mi, do you think a cage can confine me?"

Zhou Mi's smile faltered. He sensed something—Ye Yun's sword intent was changing. Not becoming stronger, but deeper. Deep as a well, bottomless. The patterns on the sword of laws were changing; some of the original patterns were gone, and some new ones had appeared. The new patterns were deeper and brighter, like scars etched onto the sword.

"You—" Zhou Mi's voice showed a slight fluctuation for the first time.

Ye Yun did not answer him. The Sword of Law hung above his head, its tip pointing towards the array's core within the cage. The patterns on the sword shone with an intense light, as bright as a small sun. Then the sword fell.

There was no sound. No light. Nothing at all. But the core of the runic cage shattered. Like a mirror struck by a stone, cracks spread from the core outwards, dense and overwhelming. Then it shattered. Runic fragments fell like snowflakes, turning into specks of light in the air before extinguishing.

The twelve great demons in the hall simultaneously took a step back. Zhou Mi's face darkened. He hadn't expected Ye Yun's Sword of Law to advance again.

Ye Yun stood amidst the shattered fragments of runes, four flying swords hovering beside him, their light brighter than ever. He looked at Zhou Mi, his voice hoarse but clear.

"Zhou Mi, today you either give me the crystal, or one of us dies."

Zhou Mi stared at him for a long time. Then he smiled. This time it wasn't a cold smile, nor a gentle smile; it was an indescribable smile, as if he were smiling at Ye Yun, yet also as if he were smiling at himself.

"Ye Yun, you've surprised me," Zhou Mi said. "But do you think this is all there is to it?"

He raised his hand, and all the runes on the altar lit up. This time, it wasn't a cage, but an attack. Countless black beams of light shot out from the altar, covering the sky and raining down on Ye Yun like a storm.

Ye Yun didn't dodge. Four flying swords wove a net around him, blocking the pillars of light. The "Golden Light" blocked part of it, the "Purple Cloud" shattered part, the "Cage" devoured part, and the "Sword of Law" severed part. But there were too many pillars of light, densely packed and endless. One pillar of light pierced through the net and struck Ye Yun's left shoulder. Blood splattered, Ye Yun groaned, and took a step back. Another pillar struck his right leg. Yet another struck his abdomen.

Ye Yun was covered in blood, but he did not fall. The four flying swords were still spinning, their light still shining. The Sword of Law hung above his head, its tip pointing at Zhou Mi.

In the shadows, Ah Liang finally received the signal. Ye Yun's sword energy broke through the rune's seal, exploding outside the hall like a firework. Ah Liang drew his sword and rushed out of the corridor. Old Zhou followed behind him with a dozen men. The sword light shone in the darkness, like a silver river surging towards the hall.