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

The vortex on the altar spun faster and faster.

Ye Yun sat cross-legged in the center, four natal swords hovering around him, their tips pointing outwards, slowly rotating. Three of his ordinary natal swords were already dull and lifeless, their blades riddled with cracks like a spiderweb, threatening to shatter at any moment. The Sword of Law was barely glowing, its black and white light flickering like the heartbeat of a dying man.

The Samsara Sword Domain enveloped the entire altar. The edges of the sword domain spun, forming a massive vortex that dragged the Heavenly Demon Rift inward bit by bit.

The crack was trembling.

The three-zhang-long black rift resembled a wound, its edges writhing violently. Behind the rift, the black eye was no longer composed; it held anger and a barely perceptible fear.

The Heavenly Demon is afraid.

It comes from beyond the heavens, outside the rules of this world. But reincarnation is the fundamental rule of this world, the cycle of life and death, the place where all things end and begin. To use reincarnation to seal the crack is to use the rules of this world to fight against something outside the rules.

No matter how powerful the Heavenly Demon is, it cannot overcome the rules.

The edges of the crack began to shrink, from three zhang to two and a half zhang, and from two and a half zhang to two zhang. With each inch of shrinkage, the Heavenly Demon let out a roar, the sound exploding directly into everyone's minds, causing a pain like being pricked by needles.

Chen Ping'an covered his head, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain. Blood was seeping from his seven orifices, and his vision was blurred, but he stared intently at Ye Yun in the center of the altar.

Ye Yun's condition is very bad.

His hair was completely white, from root to tip, not a single strand black. His skin was as dry as tree bark, clinging tightly to his bones, and he had lost a great deal of weight. His eyes were closed, their sockets sunken, his lips were purple, and blood was constantly seeping from the corners of his mouth.

Blood was flowing from all seven orifices, not just the corners of the mouth and nostrils, but also from the ears and eyes.

But his back was ramrod straight, his hands were in a mudra, and he didn't move an inch.

The Reincarnation Sword Technique reversed its flow, each hand seal tearing at his meridians. The sword energy in his dantian flowed backward, pouring back from his limbs and bones, causing him excruciating pain, as if someone had set him on fire. He could feel his dantian cracking open, the sword energy he had painstakingly cultivated for thirty years dissipating.

But he didn't stop.

The vortex spun faster and faster, while the cracks shrank smaller and smaller.

From two zhang to one zhang and five zhang, and from one zhang and five zhang to one zhang.

The Heavenly Demon has gone mad.

Countless black tentacles, each as thick as an arm, surged from the crack, carrying a power that could corrode everything, and coiled towards Ye Yun. Before the tentacles could even touch Ye Yun, they were shredded by the power of reincarnation, turning into black mist and dissipating.

The demon extended its gigantic claw again, a claw the size of a millstone, covered in black scales, its nails as sharp as scimitars. The giant claw pierced through the crack and slammed down towards Ye Yun's head.

The sword of law flew up and slashed at the giant claw.

The blade sliced ​​through the scales, severed the bones, and cleaved the giant claw in two, black blood splattering like rain. The severed claw lay on the altar, still writhing, twitching a few times before finally coming to rest.

The demon let out a miserable scream, its voice filled with pain and rage.

From within the crack, a black eye stared intently at Ye Yun, its gaze filled with hatred.

Ye Yun didn't open his eyes, but he felt that gaze.

He ignored it.

His consciousness was beginning to fade, and his five senses were gradually disappearing. He could no longer hear the roar of the vortex, feel the tearing pain in his meridians, or smell the strong stench of blood in the air. His world consisted only of darkness, and a faint light within that darkness.

That ray of light was shot by Nangong Pu.

She smiled at him in the light, reaching out her hand as if waiting for him.

Ye Yun did not reach out.

He still had things to do.

"Zhou Mi! Stop him!" came the voice of the Heavenly Demon from the crack, hoarse and deep, like the friction of rusty iron.

Zhou Mi recovered from his shock.

He had never seen the Heavenly Demon afraid. In his thirty years of research, the Heavenly Demon had always been a supreme being, a god who transcended all rules. He had never known that the Heavenly Demon could be afraid.

But now, the Heavenly Demon is afraid.

I'm afraid of that white-haired young man sitting in the center of the altar.

"We can't let him continue!" Zhou Mi shouted, rushing towards Ye Yun.

Chen Ping'an stood in front of him.

At the same time, the first and fifteenth of the lunar month were drawn, two flying swords carrying sharp sword energy, aimed straight at Zhou Mi's throat and heart. Chen Ping'an was covered in wounds, his clothes soaked with blood, but his eyes were calm.

"Your opponent is me."

Zhou Mi roared, slapping Chu Yi away with one palm and grabbing Chen Ping'an's face with the other. Chen Ping'an dodged to the side, and Shiwu stabbed into Zhou Mi's ribs from the side, the tip of the sword penetrating two inches, black blood spurting out.

Zhou Mi struck Chen Ping'an on the shoulder with a backhand slap. Chen Ping'an was sent flying, crashing into the altar steps and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But he immediately stood up and stood in front of Zhou Mi.

Ah Liang and Zuo You also moved.

Ah Liang's left arm was severed and hung limply at his side, but his right hand still gripped the sword. He slashed at Zhou Mi's knee with his sword, the blade cutting into flesh and severing bone, causing Zhou Mi's leg to bend.

He switched to his spare sword, his swordsmanship remaining precise. He plunged the sword into Zhou Mi's nape, the tip emerging from his throat.

Zhou Mi let out a scream as black mist erupted from his body, blasting the three men back. But he didn't give chase; his gaze remained fixed on Ye Yun.

He knew that the real threat was not Chen Ping'an, not A Liang, not Zuo You, but the man who was about to die.

He must break Ye Yun's seal.

Zhou Mi, dragging his broken leg, charged towards Ye Yun. He was much slower, but still faster than Chen Ping'an. His arm lengthened, coiling around Ye Yun's neck like a snake.

Ah Liang severed the arm with his sword, and the severed arm fell to the ground, still wriggling.

Zhou Mi grew a new arm and continued to reach for Ye Yun.

A sword pierced his chest from either side, the tip emerging from his back.

Zhou Mi was completely unaware that his body was riddled with wounds, but with each injury, black mist would emanate from the wounds, rapidly regenerating them. His life force was rapidly draining away, but he didn't care.

He only wanted to stop Ye Yun.

Chen Ping'an charged forward again, slashing Zhou Mi's neck with his sword. Zhou Mi's head flew up, tumbled twice in the air, and landed on the ground.

But Zhou Mi's body did not collapse.

The headless body continued to walk towards Ye Yun, black mist gushing from the severed neck, and a new head was growing back.

"You can't kill me!" The newly grown head let out a hoarse laugh. "I have become one with the Heavenly Demon. As long as the rift remains, I will not die!"

Chen Ping'an's heart sank.

He was right.

As long as the crack remains, the power of the Heavenly Demon will continuously flow into Zhou Mi's body, allowing him to regenerate no matter how severe his injuries. Killing him a hundred times, a thousand times, will be useless.

The only solution is to seal the crack.

The person who sealed the crack was Ye Yun.

Chen Pingan turned around and glanced at Ye Yun.

Ye Yun's bleeding from his seven orifices worsened, his entire face covered in blood. His body trembled, and the hand seals he was forming began to falter, the hand gestures deforming.

He can't hold on much longer.

But the crack is still shrinking.

From one zhang to nine chi, from nine chi to eight chi, from eight chi to seven chi.

The Heavenly Demon's roars grew louder with each beat, and the black mist within the crack surged wildly, attempting to stop the vortex from contracting. But the power of reincarnation was too strong, so strong that even the Heavenly Demon could not withstand it.

This is not a clash of strength, but a clash of rules.

In this world, the rule of reincarnation is above all else.

The crack shrank to five feet.

The demon's giant claws reached out again, this time not to attack Ye Yun, but to grab the edge of the crack, attempting to widen it. Under the pull of the giant claws, the crack's edge stopped contracting and even showed signs of widening.

Ye Yun's body jolted violently, and a mouthful of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The sword of law flew up and slashed at the giant claw.

The giant claw was severed and fell onto the altar, turning into a pool of black water.

The crack continued to shrink.

Five feet shrank to four feet, and four feet shrank to three feet.

The demon's roar turned into a wail, and despair finally appeared in its black eyes.

Ye Yun opened her eyes.

His eyes had turned gray, without pupils or whites, just a chaotic gray. That was the color of reincarnation, the color between life and death.

He glanced at the crack, then at the Heavenly Demon, and then at everything on the altar.

Then he moved.

He didn't stay seated; instead, he stood up.

He walked step by step toward the crack, and with each step, the Samsara Sword Domain shrank a little. The edge of the sword domain moved closer to him, compressing the crack smaller and smaller.

Three feet shrank to two feet, and two feet shrank to one foot.

The crack was reduced to a fist-sized black opening, and the power of the Heavenly Demon was compressed to its limit.

Ye Yun stood in front of the crack, stretched out his hand, and pressed it against the crack.

The power of reincarnation swirled around his hands, black and white light enveloping the cracks. The cracks trembled violently beneath his palms, as if struggling, but unable to break free.

"Ye Yun!" Chen Ping'an's voice came from behind, trembling with tears, "What are you doing!"

Ye Yun did not turn around.

He looked at the crack, at the desperate eye behind it, and whispered a sentence.

"go back."

The Samsara Sword Domain suddenly contracted, concentrating all its power in its palm.

The crack seemed to be held in place by an invisible hand, shrinking from one foot to three inches, from three inches to one inch, and finally disappearing completely.

The Heavenly Demon let out a final roar, his voice filled with resentment and bitterness, and then all was quiet.

The light on the altar disappeared, the black mist dissipated, and the strong stench of decay in the air began to fade.

The cracks in the sky disappeared, leaving only a hazy gray sky.

Zhou Mi's corpse lay on the altar, his body withered and dried, like a mummy that had been sun-dried in the desert for years. His life force had been completely drained by the Heavenly Demon, leaving not a single drop of blood. His eyes were still open, his pupils dilated, and his mouth was agape, as if he were shouting something.

Chen Ping'an did not look at Zhou Mi.

He looked at the center of the altar.

Ye Yun stood there, his hand still pressed against the crack.

But he is fading.

Starting from his feet, his body began to become transparent, like a painting being soaked in water, its colors slowly fading. The Samsara Sword Domain dissipated, and his four natal flying swords fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The light on the Sword of Law was completely extinguished, and the blade was covered with cracks, like a stone about to shatter.

"Ye Yun!" Chen Ping'an rushed forward and reached out to grab him.

His hand passed through Ye Yun's body, but he grabbed nothing.

Ye Yun looked down at his hands, which were becoming transparent, revealing the ground behind them.

He smiled.

The smile was gentle, with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, revealing a relieved expression.

He turned to look at Chen Ping'an, his lips moved, but no sound came out.

But Chen Ping'an understood.

"Live for me."

Chen Ping'an knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

He opened his mouth, as if trying to shout something, but it was as if something was choking him, and he couldn't make a sound. Tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped onto the stone slabs of the altar.

Ah Liang stood to the side, turning his head away, not looking.

His hands, gripping the sword, were trembling, and his face was ashen.

Ning Yao covered her mouth, tears falling silently down her cheeks.

Ye Yun took one last look at Chen Ping'an, then closed his eyes.

His body became completely transparent, like a gust of wind, and dissipated into the air.

Nothing was left behind.

There was no body, no bloodstains, and no belongings.

Only four dull, lifeless flying swords lay forlornly on the altar.

Chen Ping'an knelt on the spot, motionless.

He didn't know how much time had passed; it might have been only a few breaths, or it might have been a long time. His mind was blank; he couldn't think of anything, nor could he hear anything.

Ah Liang walked over and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Safety."

Chen Pingan did not react.

"Peacefully," Ah Liang repeated, his voice hoarse, "He...passed away peacefully."

Chen Pingan raised his head and looked at A Liang.

His eyes were red and tears were still flowing, but his gaze was different.

That was a kind of cold.

A bone-chilling cold.

"He said he would come back alive." Chen Ping'an's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself. "He promised me."

Ah Liang opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

They walked over to the left and right, bent down to pick up Ye Yun's four flying swords, wrapped them in cloth, and handed them to Chen Ping'an.

"Take this. This is what he left for you."

Chen Ping'an took the cloth bag and hugged it tightly to his chest.

On the altar, Zhou Mi's mummified corpse was blown by the wind, turning into powder and scattering all over the ground.

In the distance, the desolate sky was hazy and gray, without sun or clouds, only a deathly silence.