As I awakened the next day, trying to process the information that my vessel had shared. I feel greedy eyes on my back as I stretch. A strong breeze comes through and something cuts my arm and I cry out in pain. The snow picked up in a way a blizzard moved and my vessel pinpointed the source of the energy was a lone blizzard leopard. I couldn't see much as snow adaptivity (low) slowly worked and I could barely catch glimpses of the beast as cuts laced my arms as I drew my sword.
I pulled my sword and barely blocked an icicle flying towards my gut at high speed and it knocked me back, sliding back 3 feet before I steadied myself. Winded and covered and covered in minor cuts, I knew I had no chance to get away, so I steady my sword and breathe in as I got ready for a fight that was going to be my last or my beginning. The D-Rank blizzard leopard charge up the blizzard launching a barrage of icicles at me and I could barely keep up before I knew it I was losing my ground, and the leopard knew it and pushed it further as I struggled to form a plan I activated shadow stalk and basic healing as I hide behind a snow barrow with the leopard on my scent hoping my cuts heal before the snow leopard pieces the snow barrow. It knocked me back from the force of impact rolling over in the snow searching for footing as I slammed into another barrow, my mouth filled with blood from biting part of my tongue. I spit it onto my blade to activate the only skill I have that can have a chance of victory. As my blood lands on the blade, a deathly glow surfaces on rulers bane and I flash out of the snowdrift. Moving quickly and quietly the leopard strikes with another barrage of icicles but with despairs dance I can see them and their trajectory as I move my sword to intercept them the shatter from the precision of my strikes as I close in on the blizzard leopard it jumps at me and I do the opposite I slide under it bring my blade vertically across it from head to tail causing fatal damage but before we separate, I feel something sharp and cold slam into my shoulder. I see an icicle had pierced through my shoulder and pinned me straight into the snow, bleeding and wounded. The ice leopard in no better shape bleeding on its side. We both struggle to stand up and face each other again. Knowing this is the final blow, whoever gets hit first will die and the leopard stare at each other. We flash forward towards each other with hatred in our eyes and closing in. I activate nightmare and send the leopard into its souls, hard stumbling it and giving me an opportunity to land a shadow strike, my killing move for weak or unexpecting enemies. As I land, the last shot on its neck cleanly decapitating it and killing it instantly. I lay under the leopard's body, covered in its blue blood, smiling and panting, injured and satisfied in the kill. I store the corpse in my space ring as I set off for a cave so I can cultivate and heal.
After a couple of hours of searching the mountainside for a cave before stumbling across a door built into the side of the mountain as I approach the door I feel an ominous aura fill the sky as I read the words on the door "Shadow Sovereign". I muster the courage to push open the door, and it all fades black before I lose consciousness.