Where is this?
Lu Tianzi wondered as he surveyed the world of frost laid out before his eyes.
The landscape certainly resembled the Shimring Plains, but wasn't he back in the cave with the Frost Guards?
How did he end up here on top of a cliff?
Unless
"Master..." an unfamiliar female voice called out from behind him.
Lu Tianzi found himself sighing involuntarily, and imdiately understood what was going on.
He was seeing through soone else's past mories again.
However, who could it be this ti?
"What do you think, Wenxin?" Lu Tianzi found himself saying without looking back. "Isn't it beautiful?"
"It is..." the reply ca back with a slight tremble in her voice.
"Do you know, Wenxin? This place used to be a burning desert," Lu Tianzi asked.
"A... desert?" this ti, there was uncertainty.
"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Lu Tianzi let out a slight chuckle. "Back then, your master's comrades sacrificed their lives to aid in battle, allowing to eventually defeat the tyrant of the desert and seal his evil artifact once and for all. That's how a place that was once a desert beca what you know as the current Frostguard Mountain."
"...Do you regret it?" the reply ca after a few monts of hesitation.
"Regret? Why would I?" Lu Tianzi shook his head. "Back then, the tyrant of the desert was performing all sorts of evil deeds. By doing this, your master managed to rid the world of a huge evil!"
"But master's comrades had to sacrifice their lives for it..."
"..." Lu Tianzi remained silent as he looked up at the skies.
It was a clear blue sky, though perhaps a little too peaceful-looking for the atmosphere right now.
"Sotis, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," Lu Tianzi finally said.
"Perhaps that is true sotis, but this does not apply every ti! Since you have already sacrificed for the world once, there is no need to do it again!" she replied in a pleading tone.
"No, Wenxin," Lu Tianzi let out a bitter smile. "It is because I have already sacrificed once that I should do it again. I know how it feels, so why would I choose to subject others to the sa pain?"
"But...!"
Lu Tianzi raised a hand to stop her. "If you are lost in the future, do not hesitate to head over to Sky Sabre Mountain. They will take you in."
"Those cowards! I will never resort to relying on them even if the only other option is to die out in the wilds!" her voice was filled with anger this ti.
"You have the right to choose how you wish to lead your life," Lu Tianzi said with a sigh. "But rember, Sky Sabre Mountain is not wrong. We just have different ways of handling things."
"They are wrong to !"
Lu Tianzi turned around to look at the young lady.
The young lady bit on her lower lips with eyes that were unnaturally moist. She was shivering a little, but it was not from the cold winds.
In her gaze was a sense of anger, perhaps tainted with a tinge of grief. These strong emotions on full display were the true culprits behind her trembling.
Step by step, Lu Tianzi slowly approached the young lady nad Wenxin, until he was standing within an arm's length of her. He smiled, then lightly patted Wenxin on the head. "Silly girl. You are still young, so you might not know this. However, there isn't just black and white in this world. Sotis, there are grey areas that can belong to both sides."
"Yes, I don't know that. I don't know anything yet, so I still need you around to teach !" a tear fell from Wenxin's eyes.
"This is my final order to you as your master," Lu Tianzi maintained his smile. "Live, Wenxin. Do not think about revenge, and live your life to the fullest."
His words caused another drop of tear to flow from Wenxin's eyes. "Do you really have to fight?"
"That is the sa question that I want to ask."
The remark coming from behind her caused the young lady to spin around in alarm, glaring at the newcor with extre animosity in her eyes.
"You are here," Lu Tianzi said nonchalantly, not at all surprised by the appearance of this newcor.
But when he turned his head up to look at this newcor, the Lu Tianzi within this body could not help but freeze.
Walking up to the duo was soone whom he was able to recognise in an instant, and also soone whom he had never expected to see here.
This ti, instead of the loose and dirty looking long robe, this person was donning an exquisite set of battle robes that fitted him perfectly. His long black hair was no longer let down freely but tied back in a high ponytail. Instead of the long and unkempt beard that Lu Tianzi rembered, his features were clean and sharp.
Yet even though the attire was different, there was no doubt that it was the sa person in Lu Tianzi's mories.
Xihuang Yuanfeng.
His demon master trapped on Crimson Mountain now stood before him, this ti with an outfit well befitting his strength.
However, why was he here?
"Since you are already here, I guess this ans that ti's up," Lu Tianzi said with a composure completely unlike what he was feeling right now.
That was only to be expected as well, for Lu Tianzi's personal emotions had nothing to do with the body that his consciousness was currently residing in.
"You still have a choice. Surrender, and I can ensure your safety," Xihuang Yuanfeng replied in a dignified manner that Lu Tianzi was not used to hearing at all.
Hearing his words, Wenxin imdiately turned around to look at Lu Tianzi with pleading eyes.
"There is no need for that. If I have intended to surrender, I would have done so the previous ti," Lu Tianzi shook his head lightly. "However, I do hope that you will let Wenxin go. Or at the very least, I hope that you won't personally pursue her."
"That I can do," Xihuang Yuanfeng agreed. "But if you are so worried about her, why don't you choose to survive and take care of her yourself?"
"There are certain things that a man simply cannot give up on," Lu Tianzi mused as though he was thinking about sothing that happened in the distant past. After which, he tapped Wenxin lightly on the shoulder. "You should go now."
"But Master! You don't have to do this!" Wenxin tried to persuade her master one final ti, but to no avail.
"Go. And live," Lu Tianzi said before turning his attention to Xihuang Yuanfeng. "If you stay any longer, you will only serve as a distraction to ."
After gazing upon her master for another few monts, Wenxin shot one last glare at Xihuang Yuanfeng before flying off.
She never looked back again.
"Now then, shall we begin?" Lu Tianzi got into a battle stance.
"What's the point of this? You should know by now that you are not my match," Xihuang Yuanfeng said nonchalantly.
"Even so, I will not go down without a fight," Lu Tianzi replied. "This is a promise to my dead comrades."
"What a pity," Xihuang Yuanfeng flicked his wrist, and a sword appeared in his hand. "To think that the story of Hui Lingcong the Imasurable Frost will be ending in such a way."
Hui Lingcong the Imasurable Frost?
Lu Tianzi finally heard the na of the body that he was in. Still, it was a na completely unfamiliar to him.
"What do you an? Didn't you see send Wenxin off?" Hui Lingcong smirked. "As long as she lives, the story of the Imasurable Frost will continue to live on. One day, she will co to surpass the current , and beco the new Imasurable Frost."
"I see. So you have already accepted your fate and decided to leave a seed for the future," Xihuang Yuanfeng shook his head. "Still, I can only say that you are gambling with the odds stacked against you. What are the chances of her surviving long enough for that? It doesn't seem like she is willing to seek refuge at Sky Sabre Mountain either."
"Perhaps it truly is a gamble on my part," Hui Lingcong said. "But if we want to talk about the odds, there's sothing else that I am betting on which might have even worse odds."
"Hmm? And what might that be?" Xihuang Yuanfeng asked.
Hui Lingcong grinned before pointing straight ahead.
"I am betting on you."
Xihuang Yuanfeng widened his eyes in surprise, then a rare chuckle escaped his solemn countenance. "You are truly an interesting person, Hui Lingcong."
As he spoke, countless swords appeared around Xihuang Yuanfeng, each with its own unique shape and size. However, one thing was common about them.
They were all pointed towards Hui Lingcong.
Xihuang Yuanfeng closed his eyes, and the nurous swords shot forward towards Hui Lingcong like a wave of steel.
And at that very mont, Lu Tianzi's mind froze.
Even though Xihuang Yuanfeng did not seem to have put much effort into the attack, the mont the swords moved, Lu Tianzi felt like ti had suddenly slowed to a crawl.
Unfortunately, this was nothing like when he saw everyone else's movents slowing to a sluggish pace while he could move as per normal, allowing him to outmanoeuvred his opponents with ease.
This ti, it felt like his mind was the thing that had slowed.
Right now, he was incapable of even thinking about avoiding or blocking the attack. All he could do was stand there and watch as the nurous swords ca straight at him.
Facing this wave of swords from Xihuang Yuanfeng, Lu Tianzi experienced true helplessness.
He knew that it was dangerous, yet his mind refused to cooperate.
There was absolutely nothing he could do apart from watching himself die.
Be it fortunate or not, Lu Tianzi was unable to see or feel what happened next as his surroundings faded out into darkness just before the swords connected...
***
Lu Tianzi opened his eyes to a cool sensation running down his back.
"How are you feeling?" Nanlan Qianxue's voice was like a lodious tune that rescued his mind from the shock, and brought him back to the safety of reality.
Lu Tianzi slowly sat up.
He was lying on an ice bed while Nanlan Qianxue sat a distance away, her hands busy sculpting so wooden token.
"How long have I been out for?"
"Just half a day or so," Nanlan Qianxue answered. "What happened back there?"
What happened?
Even Lu Tianzi himself did not fully understand.
"Did you manage to gain the acknowledgent of the Winter Stone?" Lu Tianzi asked again.
"Who knows?" Nanlan Qianxue shrugged before continuing on her sculpting. "The Piercing Wind Overlord said that we will only know for sure when we enter the vicinity of Frostguard Mountain."
"We will only know when we enter the vicinity?" Lu Tianzi frowned before sinking his perception into his inner world.
Indeed, he was unable to find anything different about himself.
"In any case, the Piercing Wind Overlord told you to let him know once you are done resting," Nanlan Qianxue added nonchalantly.
"Is there sothing else he needs?" Lu Tianzi asked.
"Mm," Nanlan Qianxue put away her wooden token before standing up. "He said that it is ti to begin preparations for the attack on Frostguard Mountain."
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