Su Yun mounted her sword, swiftly cutting through the frigid air as snow-covered peaks blurred beneath her. She sped northward. High in the mountains, the biting wind howled, while just below her, a pack of snow wolves moved in perfect formation along a frozen stream.
Su Yun descended onto a towering peak, scanning the vast landscape. As far as the eye could see, nothing but a blanket of snow and the swirling blizzard. The fierce wind at this altitude battered her relentlessly, forcing her to take shelter in a small cave.
The storm raged all night, unyielding.
Mountain weather was unpredictable, which was why most cultivators who hadn't reached a high level of power avoided these treacherous regions. The wild mountains were filled with danger, but they also offered boundless opportunities for growth to those willing to risk it.
Su Yun pulled some firewood from her storage ring and lit a small fire. To protect the flames from the fierce wind, she used a spirit stone rather than flint to ignite the fire. After setting up a defensive array, she resumed his cultivation.
Hours passed as the herd of scattered clouds raced across the northern skies.
When Su Yun finally opened her eyes, she sensed something. Behind the veil of snow and wind, two glowing eyes stared at her. She could feel the warm breath of the creature, exhaling in ragged intervals.
More eyes appeared—gray, hungry, and filled with an insatiable thirst for blood.
Su Yun drew her sword, and using spiritual energy, suspended it in the air before her. Then, she pulled out two smaller swords from her storage ring.
"The Threefold Sword Formation!"
This technique was one of the signature swordsmanship arts. At its pinnacle, one could control seven swords at once, symbolizing the Seven Gates of Heaven. Su Yun was skilled enough to command one longsword and two short ones, a testament to her talent.
The long sword hovered in the center, with the two short swords orbiting around it. Using her spiritual sense, Su Yun scanned the area. The wolves had encircled her.
"Advance!"
"Grrrrrr!"
Su Yun directed her sword outside the defensive array with a wave of her hand. Sparks flew as the sword clashed with the wolves' razor-sharp fangs, only to be extinguished by the relentless wind.
*Clang! Clang!*
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
*Grrrrrr!*
The spirit-infused blades gleamed in the storm like flickering flames in the night. The swords slashed through the wolves, inflicting wounds or piercing their bellies, one by one. The weaker wolves fell quickly, howling in pain as they bled out on the snow.
Minutes later, most of the pack lay dead, though Su Yun had expended much of her spiritual energy. The wolves had been drawn to the fire spirit's aura. Every strength had its weakness, and the fire spirit was no exception. While it burned brightly and helped in cultivation, it required spirit stones to sustain and attracted demonic beasts like moths to a flame.
Nothing in this world was purely advantageous. One had to choose which price they were willing to pay. Warmth and survival in exchange for fighting off beasts—or freezing in hiding, untouched.
Such were the choices of life: difficult, painful, but transformative. The very struggle that shaped and molded a person. It was the miracle of life's design—one could never remain the same.
Su Yun was gasping for breath. The wolves had suffered heavy losses, but the fire spirit still burned, and the light from her floating swords was growing dim, flickering like a dying star.
She recalled the swords.
*Grrrrrrrr!*
The remaining wolves growled, and the storm didn't let up for a second.
Su Yun wiped the sweat from her brow, hoping the pack would retreat after this battle. That hope quickly faded.
The alpha wolf appeared, standing ominously at the cave's entrance. Its aura was overpowering, its presence casting a long, heavy shadow. It breathed calmly, and the warm mist of its breath mingled with the freezing air. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie calm, and it stood firm against the gale, as immovable as a mountain.
Su Yun's heart raced.
The snow wolves were vulnerable to the storm, which had been her only advantage. But now, facing a beast that could harness spiritual energy, she had no upper hand.
The alpha wolf let out a long, resonating howl. The pack retreated, but the alpha remained.
"A one-on-one duel?"
Wolves were domineering creatures, but when honor and status were at stake, they fought to the death. Such was their way.
Su Yun had no choice. She was surrounded, and even flying away wasn't an option—her spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
What could she do in this situation?
She picked up a stick, its tip still coated with the fire spirit's flames, and stepped out of the defensive array. The blizzard's intensity made it hard to see, but the fire spirit illuminated the snow-covered ground around her.
As Su Yun approached the alpha wolf, she grasped the creature's true size. It was massive, towering at least five meters tall. The other wolves had been only one and a half to two meters in height.
Su Yun unsheathed her sword and murmured an incantation. Her eyes gleamed, and a shroud of spiritual energy enveloped her.
The alpha wolf continued to observe her in silence, like a parent watching a child at play.
Suddenly, the entire pack howled and stomped their feet. Within a circular arena, the snow melted, revealing a makeshift battlefield.
The space stretched at least twenty meters wide.
Su Yun launched the first attack, but the alpha wolf blocked it effortlessly with a single swipe. Su Yun was pushed back but immediately charged again.
Her speed increased, her movements becoming a blur. She had resolved to fight to the bitter end.
The alpha wolf didn't disappoint. After exchanging several blows, it grew serious. With a powerful strike to the ground, it threw Su Yun off balance, then vanished in an instant, only to reappear right behind her.
"What?!"
*Boom!*
A single blow sent Su Yun flying ten meters.
She stabbed her sword into the ground, skidding to a halt.
The wolf vanished again.
"Where is it?!"
Left, right, front, behind—there was no sign of the wolf until a shadow loomed overhead.
"Above!!"
She rolled to the side just in time to avoid the crushing blow.
*BOOOOM!*
The impact echoed through the mountains like a thunderclap.
For a moment, a deadly silence fell over the battlefield. It was broken only by the alpha wolf's next attack.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The relentless assault gave Su Yun no chance to catch her breath. Her spiritual energy finally gave out, and the protective aura surrounding her faded. One final strike sent her sprawling to the ground, tumbling several meters.
Blood streamed from her head, blurring her vision and staining the snow. Deep claw marks on her torso left her gravely wounded.
Su Yun coughed up blood. The wolves howled in unison—this was their victory.
Her vision swam, and her strength ebbed. The alpha wolf approached slowly, its steps deliberate and calm. Su Yun tried to crawl away, but her body refused to move.
The howling continued until it abruptly stopped.
All eyes turned to a rocky outcrop, where three wolves stood. Blood trickled down the rock's side, freezing in the cold. On the ledge stood a figure, holding the severed head of a wolf, its green eyes glowing ominously.