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

As Ah Liang rushed into the main hall, he witnessed a black beam of light strike Ye Yun in the chest. Ye Yun was sent flying backward, crashing into a pillar in the hall, cracking it. He fell to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth. Four flying swords hovered around him, their light dim but not extinguished. He struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. The Sword of Law once again hovered above his head, its tip pointing towards Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi stood on the altar, his white robes as white as snow, without a drop of sweat or a single wound. He looked at Ye Yun as if he were looking at a dying ant. "Ye Yun, how many more times can you stand here?"

Ah Liang didn't shout or yell. He rushed up behind Zhou Mi, his sword drawn, the blade flashing as it aimed straight for Zhou Mi's back. The strike was so fast that even the air didn't have time to make a sound. Zhou Mi didn't turn around, but instead struck out with his palm, the force of his palm colliding with Ah Liang's sword. Ah Liang's sword deflected, grazing Zhou Mi's shoulder and tearing off a piece of his clothing. Zhou Mi turned and struck Ah Liang's chest with his palm. Ah Liang parried with his sword, but was sent flying, crashing into the wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Old Zhou, leading a dozen or so men, flanked Zhou Mi from both sides, their swords weaving into a net that enveloped him. Zhou Mi raised his hand, and black light surged from his palm, washing over the sword net like a tide. The sword net shattered, and the dozen or so sword cultivators were thrown back; some fell, some coughed up blood, and some trembled as they gripped their swords. Old Zhou knelt on one knee, using his sword to support himself, gritting his teeth to stay upright.

Ye Yun stood up again. Four flying swords simultaneously attacked Zhou Mi. "Golden Light" transformed into thousands of thin golden threads, shooting towards Zhou Mi's vitals from all directions. "Purple Cloud" summoned heavenly thunder, nine purple lightning bolts striking down one after another. "Cage" transformed into black chains, binding Zhou Mi's limbs. "Sword of Law" hovered above Zhou Mi's head, tip pointing downwards, searching for an opening.

Zhou Mi unleashed both hands simultaneously, his left hand blocking the golden light, his right hand shattering the heavenly lightning. Chains wrapped around his wrists, but he yanked them apart, shattering them into dust. However, he didn't notice that the Sword of Law had moved. This was the opportunity Ye Yun had been waiting for—Zhou Mi was momentarily distracted by the golden light and heavenly lightning, and the Sword of Law descended from above, slashing towards Zhou Mi's Undying Law.

The sword fell. Silently. But Zhou Mi's body trembled violently, as if stabbed in the back. He looked down at his chest; a small tear had appeared in his white robe, blood seeping from it. Black blood. He reached out and touched the bloodstain, his pupils contracting as he looked at the black liquid on his fingertips. A thousand years. He hadn't bled for a full thousand years.

"You actually managed to sever my laws?" Zhou Mi's voice was soft, but the anger beneath it was like a volcano about to erupt. His immortality law had been slashed, and although it wasn't broken yet, the crack was widening, like a fissure appearing on a wall.

Ye Yun remained silent. His face was as white as paper, his breathing rapid, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth with each breath. The Sword of Law hung above his head, its blade bearing fewer lines but brighter. That last strike had nearly exhausted all his luck points.

Ah Liang slid down the wall, kneeling on one knee, and used his sword to support himself as he stood up. Blood was at the corner of his mouth, and his left arm hung limply, it was unclear whether it was broken or dislocated. But he stood up, walked to Ye Yun's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Old Zhou also stood up, as did the dozen or so sword cultivators. Everyone was bleeding, but no one retreated.

Zhou Mi stared at the group with icy eyes. His wounds were slowly healing, but the cracks inflicted by Ye Yun's sword were still there, and the healing process was much slower than usual. He raised his hand, and the runes on the altar lit up again, this time not for defense, but for attack. Countless black beams of light shot out from the altar, covering the sky and raining down on Ye Yun and the others like a storm.

Ye Yun unleashed his Samsara Sword Domain. The domain expanded outwards from him, and time seemed to stand still wherever it passed. The black beams of light slowed drastically upon entering the domain. A Liang seized the opportunity, shattering the nearest beam with a single sword strike. Old Zhou led the sword cultivators, standing back-to-back in a circle, their swords flashing, blocking the incoming beams of light.

But there were too many beams of light. Some were hit, fell, and never got up again. Others were hit, but gritted their teeth and persevered, using their swords to keep themselves from collapsing. Ye Yun's sword domain was rapidly draining his life force; his face turned from pale to ashen, then to sallow, like an oil lamp about to burn out.

Zhou Mi didn't make a move. He stood on the altar, watching Ye Yun as if observing an amusing performance. He didn't need to intervene; the pillar of light was enough to wear these people down. He just needed to wait.

Ah Liang saw through Zhou Mi's intentions. He turned to look at Ye Yun and lowered his voice, "Boss Ye, this can't go on. You have to leave." Ye Yun shook his head. "We haven't gotten the crystal yet."

Ah Liang gritted his teeth, pulled a talisman from his robes, and affixed it to the sword. The talisman ignited, and the sword's light surged, turning a blinding white. He unleashed a slash, the sword energy transforming into a white dragon that roared towards the altar. Zhou Mi raised his hand to block, the white dragon crashing into his palm and exploding, causing him to sway. Ah Liang had used all his strength in this strike; several more cracks appeared on the sword, threatening to shatter at any moment.

"Boss Ye, now!" Ah Liang shouted.

Ye Yun moved. He rushed into the altar's range, his sword of law slashing at Zhou Mi's immortal law. This time, he used all his strength. His luck value reached zero, the light of all four flying swords dimmed, and the patterns on the sword of law shone brightly before fading. The sword fell. On Zhou Mi's immortal law, the crack widened. It wasn't a small crack, but a huge fissure, stretching from the center of the law to its edge, like a wall about to collapse.

Zhou Mi's body trembled violently, and a mouthful of black blood gushed from his mouth. He looked down at his hands; the skin on the back of his hands was aging, wrinkles spreading like a spider web. A thousand years of his lifespan had been cut off by Ye Yun's sword. He raised his head, looking at Ye Yun, his eyes no longer cold, but filled with rage. True rage, like that of a wild beast provoked.

"Ye Yun!" Zhou Mi roared, striking Ye Yun's chest with a palm. This palm strike was delivered with full force, the power of a peak fourteenth-realm cultivator. Wherever the palm's force passed, the air was compressed into a white wave of energy, emitting a piercing shriek. Ye Yun didn't dodge. Not because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. His spiritual energy was depleted, his luck value was zero, all four flying swords were dimming, and he could barely stand. He could only watch as the palm strike drew ever closer.

Ah Liang rushed forward, blocking Ye Yun's path. Zhou Mi's palm strike hit Ah Liang in the chest, sending him flying. He crashed into a pillar in the main hall, breaking it, and landed motionless on the rubble. The sword slipped from his hand, falling to the ground, its cracks widening and shattering.

"Ah Liang!" Ye Yun shouted, his voice hoarse. Ah Liang did not respond.

Zhou Mi didn't stop. He walked towards Ye Yun, step by step, each step landing on a pool of blood. His white clothes were mostly stained red with black blood, and his hair was disheveled, draped over his shoulders, making him look like a maddened wild beast. He stood in front of Ye Yun, looking down at him.

"Ye Yun, you've destroyed my thousand years of cultivation." Zhou Mi's voice was calm, but beneath the calm lay boundless killing intent. "How do you want to die?"

Ye Yun raised his head and looked at Zhou Mi. His eyes were still bright, as bright as two lamps about to go out. The Sword of Law hung above his head, its patterns almost invisible, but its tip still pointed at Zhou Mi. "I'm not dead yet," Ye Yun said. He gripped the Sword of Law tightly and, with his last strength, thrust it into Zhou Mi's chest.

Zhou Mi didn't dodge. The sword tip pierced his chest, penetrating half an inch. Blood gushed from the wound, black in color. Zhou Mi looked down at the sword tip in his chest, then at Ye Yun, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Is that all the strength you have?" He gripped the blade of the Sword of Law and bent it with force. The blade bent, but didn't break. Ye Yun gritted his teeth and pushed the sword forward. Half an inch, an inch, an inch and a half. The tip of the sword pierced Zhou Mi's heart.

Zhou Mi's body stiffened abruptly. He looked at the sword at his chest, then at Ye Yun, a hint of fear appearing in his eyes for the first time. Not fear of death, but fear of failure. He couldn't let the scheme he had meticulously planned over a thousand years be ruined by a sword cultivator who hadn't even reached the Ascension Realm.

He slammed his palm into Ye Yun's chest. Ye Yun was sent flying, crashing into the entrance of the main hall, rolling more than ten times before coming to a stop. All four flying swords shattered, scattered on the ground like a pile of scrap metal. The Sword of Law was pulled from Zhou Mi's chest, fell to the ground, and all the patterns on its blade disappeared.

Zhou Mi clutched the wound on his chest, black blood seeping from between his fingers. His face was as white as paper, and his body trembled slightly. He glanced at Ye Yun, then at A Liang, then at the dozen or so sword cultivators lying in pools of blood, his eyes dark and sinister.

"Ye Yun," he said, "you're stronger than I thought. But do you think that's enough to win?"

He took a step back, retreating onto the altar. He reached out and grasped the crystal; the spirit within it churned violently, as if in fear or rage. Ye Yun, who was crouching at the entrance of the hall, saw Zhou Mi pick up the crystal, and his heart clenched. He tried to stand up, but his legs wouldn't obey him; he pushed himself up briefly and then knelt down again. He used his fingers to dig into the cracks in the bricks, crawling forward inch by inch.

"Zhou Mi..." His voice was very soft, as soft as the wind rustling through leaves, "Give me back the crystal..."

Zhou Mi stared at him as if he were a worm wriggling on the ground. A slight smile played on his lips as he raised the crystal above his head. "Ye Yun, you want this?"

Ye Yun stretched out his hand, his fingers waving in the air, but he caught nothing.

Zhou Mi laughed. This time it was a cold laugh, as cold as a winter wind. "I won't give it to you."

He held the crystal in his hand.