Xue Muyao's eyes widened, not in fear, but in surprise. Instead of retreating, she met the attack head-on. With a flick of her wrist, her ice sword, a blade of pure, solidified frost, rose to meet the descending sword. The two weapons collided, not with a clang, but with a sound like the shattering of a thousand glass bells.
BOOM!!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, the force of it shaking the very foundations of the Frostfall Palace. The enchanted ice beneath their feet cracked, spiderweb patterns spreading outwards from the point of impact. The air shimmered, distorted by the sheer power unleashed.
The entire Endless Snow Kingdom felt the tremor, the ripple of energy that spread outwards from the epicenter of the clash. Mountains of ice shuddered, glaciers groaned, and the swirling snowstorms that blanketed the realm paused for a heartbeat, as if holding their breath.
