Ren's smile was cold. "Very well.'
He extended his arms, and the sky darkened, thick clouds swirling as if obeying his command. The temperature plummeted even further, beyond what the snow had already wrought. "Let's see how long you last in a Blizzard of Ice Fangs"
The storm hit like a tidal wave. Razor-sharp ice shards spun violently in the air, turning the battlefield into a deadly vortex of frost and death. Each shard was like a blade, slicing through the wind, aiming to tear flesh from bone. The storm raged, the wind howling like the cries of the damned.
Indrali braced herself, summoning the power of her Ice Spiritual Palm. Her hand glowed with an intense, icy blue light as she spun to meet the storm head-on. With a single strike, she released the energy, her palm smashing into the whirlwind. Ice met ice, and a clash of titanic forces erupted.
But the storm was relentless. Shards pierced her legs, slashing through her armor and embedding themselves in her flesh. She let out a pained gasp, her blood splattering onto the snow, which was quickly being buried by more of it.
Ren advanced through the storm like a demon, unharmed, his robes untouched by the chaos around him. He drew his hand back, preparing his next move. His eyes gleamed with dark determination. "You're nothing compared to me."
Indrali coughed, blood dripping from her lips, but her resolve never wavered. She planted her feet firmly, her energy surging. "I'm more than enough for you."
Just as Ren was about to strike, Maya, the dark-scaled serpent, let out a feral hiss. Her massive, coiled form unraveled in an instant, moving with blinding speed. Her eyes locked onto Ren, burning with protective fury for the boy she guarded. In a blur of motion, she lunged, fangs bared, aiming directly for Ren's throat.
Ren barely managed to sidestep her attack. Maya's fangs snapped shut inches from his face, her immense body crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the very earth. Ren spun around, his hand slashing downward, releasing another Moon Blade, this one aimed at the serpent's exposed flank.
The blade connected, slicing through Maya's thick scales with a sickening sound. Blood erupted from the wound, dark and viscous, staining the snow. The serpent let out a monstrous roar of pain, her body writhing in agony. But she wasn't done. Despite her wound, Maya twisted back toward Ren, her tail whipping across the battlefield like a battering ram.
This time, Ren wasn't fast enough. Maya's tail smashed into his side, sending him flying through the air. He crashed into a boulder, the impact shattering the rock into pieces. His ribs cracked audibly, and blood poured from his mouth, staining the front of his once-pristine robes.
Enough!" Ren roared, his voice filled with fury. His eyes blazed with a savage light as he forced himself to stand, wiping the blood from his lips. He raised his hand once more, summoning the energy for his most devastating attack. "You've left me no choice. Void of Eternal Winter!"
The sky split open, and the wind grew colder, more vicious than ever. A dark, swirling vortex formed above, and from it, jagged spears of ice rained down, each one large enough to skewer a man. The snow itself seemed to freeze solid under its power as death fell from the heavens.
Indrali screamed as one of the spears grazed her shoulder, ripping through her flesh, blood spurting into the air. She staggered but did not fall.
She knew this was her final chance. She had to end it now, or they were all doomed.
With a desperate cry, she summoned everything she had left, her voice echoing through the blizzard. "Ice Dragon Fist!"
Her arm transformed into a massive dragon of pure ice, roaring with fury. She charged forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she flew toward Ren with blinding speed. The dragon's icy jaws snapped open, aiming for his chest.
Ren's eyes widened. "No!"
The dragon's fist connected, smashing into Ren's torso with unimaginable force. The sound of bones breaking filled the air, followed by an explosion of blood as the dragon tore through him. His body was flung backward like a ragdoll, hitting the snow hard. Blood gushed from his chest, soaking the ground as the life drained from his eyes.
Indrali stood over him, panting heavily, her body trembling from exhaustion and blood loss. She could barely keep herself upright, her wounds severe, her blood trailing behind her like a red ribbon on the snow.
Ren, broken and dying, coughed up blood, the crimson liquid staining his teeth. His eyes, though dim, still burned with hatred. "You... think you've won?" he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. "You've killed me..... but my clan... they will hunt you down... they will come for you... and the boy...
Indrali's hand tightened into a fist. "Let them come."
Ren tried to laugh, but all that came out was a wet, gurgling sound as more blood filled his lungs. He collapsed into the snow, his body limp, and his final breath left him in a frozen cloud
The snow began to fall gently again, covering his body, as if the mountains were reclaiming him. His blood continued to pool, spreading out, darkening the white landscape.
Indrali stumbled forward, her vision blurring. She collapsed next to Maya, the serpent curling protectively around Bhoumik's unconscious form. Blood dripped steadily from her wounds, her breath labored, but she had won.
For now.
The winds howled, as though the mountains themselves were mourning the carnage that had stained the snow crimson.
The battle had ended, but the echoes of violence still haunted the snowy mountain. The cold wind howled through the ravine, swirling the snow over the blood-soaked ground where Ren Zhaoyang lay lifeless. His once fearsome presence had now become a frozen corpse, his body slowly being buried by the relentless snowfall. But his final words hung in the air like a curse: "My clan will hunt you down… they will come for you… and the boy…"
Indrali stood motionless, every breath sharp and painful. Blood dripped from the deep wounds slashed across her body, painting the white snow in dark red streaks. She had barely survived the battle, and the pain was unbearable. Yet, her mind was consumed not by her own suffering, but by the ominous threat Ren Zhaoyang had spoken in his dying moments.
Nearby, Maya, the giant dark-scaled serpent, coiled protectively around the unconscious Bhoumik. His body still lay dormant, untouched by the battle, but his existence carried a power that threatened the entire world. The Lotus Devouring of Infernal Void constitution had awakened within him—a cursed force that devoured everything in its path. It was not a gift. It was a blight.
Indrali, still panting, staggered toward them, her legs weak, nearly collapsing under her own weight. She knelt beside Bhoumik and rested a trembling hand on his chest. His skin was cold, almost deathly pale, and his breathing shallow. She knew this moment of calm was only temporary. Once the cursed power awakened fully, even Maya's protection might not be enough to contain it.
As the winds howled around them, Indrali gazed out into the storm, her mind clouded with the weight of what had just transpired. The death of Ren Zhaoyang had been inevitable—she had fought with every ounce of strength to protect Bhoumik—but now, the consequence of that victory felt even more daunting than the battle itself. Ren's death had set something far more dangerous into motion.
From the highest peaks of the Frozen Ridge Sect, Ren's clan would already be stirring. The Zhaoyang family, known for their ruthless pursuit of vengeance, would not let their heir's death go unanswered. They were not just any clan—they were powerful cultivators, feared for their brutal methods and their loyalty to their bloodline. They would come like a storm, and their wrath would be unforgiving.
Indrali's grip on reality began to slip as the blood loss caught up to her. Her vision blurred, the edges of the world dimming, but just as she was about to fall into unconsciousness, she felt a presence. The air shifted—a subtle tremor of energy rippled through the snowstorm.
Someone else was here.
Indrali's instincts screamed danger, but her body could barely move. She forced herself to her feet, her muscles screaming in agony. The snow seemed to part, and through the veil of white, a figure approached—hooded, cloaked in dark crimson robes. The stranger's footsteps made no sound in the snow.