An Understated Dominance

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and saw on the ice cliff ahead a massive cave entrance. The opening was covered with a thick layer of ice, yet faint light could be seen flickering from within. “We’ve finally arrived!” A gleam of joy flashed in Li Guanglong’s eyes as he quickened his pace toward the entrance. The group followed Li Guanglong to the cave. The mouth was about thirty feet high and twenty feet wide, dark inside except for the dim glow ahead. Murong Xue pulled a fire striker from his robes, lit it, and handed it to Li Guanglong. Li Guanglong took the flame and stepped into the passage first. The tunnel was spacious, its floor smooth. Crystals embedded in the walls glowed faintly, illuminating the way. The group advanced slowly, their footsteps and breathing the only sounds. After about half an hour, the glow ahead grew stronger, and faint birdsong could be heard. “We’re close!” Murong Xue cried out in excitement. Soon, they emerged from the passage. The moment th...

The howling wind carried snowflakes sharp as gravel, lashing against Li Guanglong’s face. He clutched the arm of the soldier beside him, his knuckles whitening from the strain. His black battle robe was already soaked through with snow, the icy fabric plastered to his skin, and the chill seeped into his bones through every pore. Looking up, he could barely make out the faint outlines of his companions in the white blur. The soldier who had been swept away earlier by the gale hadn’t even managed a cry for help before vanishing completely into the storm, leaving behind only faint traces quickly buried by snow. “This way!” Murong Xue’s voice was broken to pieces by the gale. He pulled a fur bundle from his chest --- a gift from Batu --- clutching it tight while his other hand groped for a protruding ice rock. “There’s an ice cave here! We can take shelter for now!” Relief surged through Li Guanglong. He quickly called for the surviving soldiers to follow. Supporting each other, ...

Li Guanglong’s pupils shrank sharply, his right hand clamping down on the hilt of his sword, true energy instantly coursing through his body, even his breathing unconsciously slowed. Wan Chong and a group of soldiers also immediately assumed defensive stances, the cold gleam of drawn sabers flashing under the moonlight. From the sealed exit, the icy wind carried snow pellets that stung their faces, but no one paid attention to the pain. There was no trace of drunkenness in Batu’s eyes, only clarity. Behind him, the snowman warriors all stood solemnly, crystal spears slanted toward the ground—obviously they had been waiting here for some time. “Murong Xue, how dare you betray the tribe!” one snowman warrior roared in the tribal tongue. Murong Xue’s face turned deathly pale, and he instinctively took a step back. He knew well the strength of these snowman elites—each one was a Grandmaster-level expert. Once they made a move, the consequences would be disastrous. Li Guanglong kept his eye...

Li Guanglong’s fingers gently stroked the ornate box, the chill of its silken surface seeping into his fingertips, yet it could not mask the damp sweat pooling in his palm. He glanced at Murong Xue, who was locked in a drinking contest with Batu. Murong was tilting back his head, draining a large bowl of amber-colored liquor. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and in the corner of his eye he cast a fleeting glance toward the copper kettle in the corner of the igloo. That was where they had hidden the prepared knockout drug --- brewed from a poisonous herb of the icefields that gave off a sweet aroma. Once mixed into strong liquor, it was nearly impossible to detect. “Leader Batu truly has a mighty capacity for drink!” Murong Xue slammed his empty bowl down on the table, sending ice shards scattering. “This ‘ice-burn’ liquor cuts like a blade. Ordinary men collapse after three bowls, yet you remain unshaken. Truly worthy of being called the eagle of the snowfields!” Batu r...

The cluster of igloos spread across the valley like a white beehive, with cooking smoke weaving a dense net under the lead-gray sky. Following Batu, Li Guanglong arrived at the snowman tribe. Led by Batu, the group passed through the bustling streets. The ice beneath their feet had been worn smooth as glass by tens of thousands of steps, reflecting the snow hawks circling overhead. Snowmen along the way paused to salute, while children clung to icy windows, peering curiously. Around their necks hung bone necklaces of varying styles --- some set with turquoise, others sealed with dark-red resin. “This is Snowfang Valley,” Murong Xue whispered, keeping his voice low. “The tribe numbers eight thousand three hundred, divided into twelve hunting parties.” He lifted his hand, pointing toward the massive ice sculpture carved into the Cliffside --- a three-eyed figure with glowing crystals set in its sockets. “The highest point is the Ice Temple, where rituals are held. The chieftain...

Li Guanglong gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain. The footsteps outside the cave grew nearer, accompanied by heavy breathing and the crisp crackle of breaking ice, as though a herd of giant beasts was crushing across the snowy plains. He signaled his soldiers to extinguish the torches, leaving only the faint blue glow from the minerals on the cave walls, which stretched the shadows of more than thirty men long and narrow against the damp moss. “Hu --- chi… hu --- chi…” Out of the shadows emerged several towering figures, each as wide as two ordinary men at the shoulders, their entire bodies covered in gray-white fur, as if woven from the threads of polar ice. In their hands were long spears tipped with sharpened ice crystals, refracting the pale light from outside and casting flickering cold gleams against the rock walls. The leader wore a string of icy beads around his neck, each bead encasing tiny beast bones, clinking sharply as he moved...

The spirit deer ignored the ice turtle entirely. It walked straight up to Li Guanglong, stopped, turned its head, and fixed its pale-blue eyes on him. Then it gave a shake of its head, as though gesturing for him to follow. “This deer… could it be saving me?” Li Guanglong was stunned, torn between doubt and astonishment. It made little sense, yet with the ice turtle looming menacingly nearby, he had no choice. Gathering his men, he followed where the deer led. The turtle stared after their retreating figures, hesitated a moment, then turned back and sank beneath the murky waters, vanishing into the depths. The deer led Li Guanglong, Wan Zhong, and the others across the desolate snowfields, pausing now and then, until they reached the mouth of a concealed cavern. The entrance was sealed by thick layers of ice. The spirit deer exhaled a misty breath, and the ice melted instantly, revealing the cave beyond. Inside, the air was warm as spring, a world apart from the frozen wild...