Cold winds howled through the snow-blanketed cliffs of Frostsilk Valley, slicing through the pine-covered ridges like blades of ice. The moon loomed pale and distant, its glow shimmering across frozen lakes and crystalline trees.
Deep within the icy domain, in a palace carved entirely from soul-forged frost, she sat alone in Glacier Hall.
Qing Lanyue.
A name that echoed like a myth across the cultivation world. The youngest heir of the Frostsilk Valley Sect. Born with the Iceborn Sacred Body, her beauty could still the wind, her power freeze the marrow of any foe.
But tonight, her usually serene eyes were narrowed in thought.
She stared into the Mirror of Perception, a mystical relic capable of reflecting destiny's fragments.
And in it, she saw him.
Lin Xun.
Fire and frost coursed through his body, his presence bold as thunder, his fate tangled like an eternal knot.
> "The dual pulse awakens," she whispered, touching the mirror's edge. "And yet… he walks alone."
The mirror pulsed, showing Lin Xun locked in battle. Frost clashed with fire, enemies fell at his feet, but shadows stalked him at every turn.
A soft knock on her chamber door pulled her from thought.
> "Enter."
A pale-robed elder bowed as he stepped inside. His beard was white as snow, his voice like crunching ice.
> "Young Mistress, the Council has decided. You will represent Frostsilk at the Frostfire Tournament."
Qing Lanyue didn't look away from the mirror. "So, they send me to a battlefield of sparks and fools."
> "It is said the Skyrect Sect's new prodigy may attend," the elder added, eyes flickering. "The one with the Dual Pulse."
She stood slowly, her hair flowing like a glacier stream. Her robe shimmered with frost patterns that changed shape with her movement.
> "Then perhaps it won't be a waste of time."
---
Back in the Skyrect Sect, Lin Xun stood in the Circle of Resonance, surrounded by runes and elder inscriptions. His form glowed dimly, his breathing calm but powerful.
The Frostfire Tournament was only days away.
He trained with a vengeance. Not just for recognition—but for clarity.
He had questions.
About his mother. About the enemies who slaughtered his clan. About the voices that whispered in his dreams.
And about the girl he saw in his visions—her violet eyes, cold but inexplicably familiar.
> "I don't even know her name…"
> "Yet I feel like I've met her across lifetimes."
Each swing of his blade was precise. Each formation step carved deeper into his bones. His aura sharpened into something deadly, yet refined—like frost sliding over steel.
> "You'll need more than raw talent at that tournament."
Lin Xun turned.
Feng Yuan approached, his robes fluttering with spiritual pressure. Behind him stood a hunched figure, skin grayish, eyes sunken like deep wells.
> "This is Elder Tianxu," the sect master said. "He will prepare you for what lies ahead."
The old cultivator gave a single nod. "You carry weight within you. Let us see if your bones can hold it."
Lin Xun didn't respond. He merely bowed.
Training resumed.
Days bled into nights. Sweat into blood.
Flame met frost within him more harmoniously now. His spirit refined, his will solidified.
---
On the eve of the tournament, the Skyrect Sect's disciples gathered in the Grand Pavilion. Banners waved, talismans flickered with light, and spiritual beasts roared in their pens.
Lin Xun wore his new robe—dark as embers, with silver threads sewn in a lotus weave. His sword hung at his waist, its hilt forged from Emberwind steel, gifted by Feng Yuan himself.
> "You look like someone worthy of watching," Yue Qinglan said, appearing beside him.
> "Then watch closely," he replied. "I won't fall behind you."
She smiled faintly. "I hope you don't. Otherwise, it'll be boring."
They boarded a spirit ferry that soared above the clouds, bound for the neutral territory where the tournament would commence.
The Frostfire Plateau.
---
The Frostfire Plateau shimmered with two halves—one scorched with ancient magma veins, the other covered in eternal ice.
Here, the world was split by elemental war.
Dozens of sects arrived—beasts howled, talismans hummed, and cultivators gathered by the hundreds.
Lin Xun stepped off the ferry, eyes scanning the icy ridges.
And then he saw her.
Amidst a procession of blue-robed disciples, she walked like drifting snow.
Qing Lanyue.
The moment their eyes met, something clicked. Unspoken. Unwritten.
Recognition.
> "It's her…"
Qing Lanyue blinked. Her breath misted.
> "His aura… it's louder in person."
They said nothing. But their steps slowed.
Just long enough for curiosity to bloom.
Then the crowd swallowed them both.
---
That night, the first draw was announced. Lin Xun was paired against a top disciple from the Iron Thistle Sect.
Rumor said the man wielded a spear that could pierce boulders—and had already slain a Foundation expert in a rogue duel.
But Lin Xun didn't flinch.
As he stood in the arena circle beneath a moonlit sky, the crowd roared around him. Flames crackled on one side of the platform, frost drifted on the other.
> "Begin!" the elder judge shouted.
The spear-user lunged—fast, brutal.
Lin Xun ducked under the first strike, then spun low, delivering a palm coated in flame straight to the man's ribs.
But the disciple retaliated—his spear dancing like lightning.
Back and forth they clashed. Blade against spear. Fire against steel.
Until—
> Boom!
Lin Xun erupted with both pulses—fire and frost coiling like dragons around him.
> "Frostfire Lotus – First Bloom!" he cried.
A burst of dual energy spiraled out, engulfing the arena. The ground cracked, the air hissed.
The enemy flew back, his armor freezing midair before exploding into embers.
> "Winner: Lin Xun of Skyrect Sect!"
Cheers shook the plateau.
But Lin Xun didn't hear them.
His eyes had already drifted to the stands.
Where she stood.
Watching.
Unmoving.
---
Later that night, Qing Lanyue stood alone at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the frozen forest. Her expression unreadable.
> "He is stronger than I expected."
Her voice was soft.
Another girl approached. "You seemed interested, Lanyue."
> "I'm interested in what makes him burn," she replied. "And why his fire does not melt his frost."
She turned away.
> "He is dangerous. But not in the way others think."
---
In the Skyrect Sect's temporary quarters, Lin Xun sat
in quiet meditation, eyes half-closed, heart steady.
His journey had entered a new chapter.
And in the far reaches of his soul…
That same voice whispered again.
> "The stars remember who you are…"
> "And soon, the world will too."