BANG! BANG!
Yun Lintian and the man were both thrown backward by the force of the blast, their bodies slamming into the icy ground. They slowly got to their feet and stared at each other.
"Lintian," Yun Qianxue and the others said as they quickly arrived beside Yun Lintian.
"I'm fine," Yun Lintian said, letting out a long breath and turning to look at the man. "It seems you failed."
The man chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. He straightened up, brushing off the remnants of ice that clung to his dark robes. The black sword, still clutched in his hand, no longer pulsed with dark energy. It was quiet, almost docile.
He looked around at the shattered remnants of his once formidable domain, a faint flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
