The winds of the north howled like a chorus of ancient beasts. Snow fell in sheets, blanketing the jagged cliffs and frozen wastelands that made up the Ice North. The Spiritwind Ark cut through the storm like a silver arrow, its protective runes flickering under the weight of the unnatural cold.
Below, the land was pale and dead—but not silent. Beneath the snow and stone, old powers stirred.
Tianming stood at the bow of the ark, his breath fogging in the air. Before him stretched the realm of the Obsidian Fang Clan, the fiercest and most isolated of the Five Clans.
Zhao Yueyin adjusted the bindings on her gauntlet, her expression tight. "We won't get a warm welcome. They never trusted the Empire—even before the Abyss rose."
Lan Mei gazed out at the wasteland. "They'll come to fight. Not talk."
Tianming didn't disagree. "Then we give them both. Talk first. Fight if we must."
Behind them, the Crimson Thorn envoy stood quietly. Elder Lian, one of the few surviving leaders of the reborn Thorn Clan, had insisted on joining the journey.
"The Fang only respects strength," she warned. "But if you show them weakness… they'll bury us beneath the ice."
---
Obsidian Fortress – Fang's Rest
The Ark touched down before a colossal wall of black ice and iron—the outer gates of Fang's Rest, fortress city of the Obsidian Fang Clan. Spiked towers pierced the clouds, each adorned with the fangs of slain frostbeasts.
Even before Tianming could approach, the gates opened.
Out strode a war party—dozens of warriors clad in obsidian armor laced with white bone, their weapons heavy and runed. At their head was a towering man with a wolf pelt draped across his shoulders and an axe that shimmered with frozen qi.
High Fanglord Wu Tianji.
He halted, eyes narrowing at Tianming.
"I know what you are," he growled. "You're the one who woke the Gate. The one who walks with light and shadow alike."
Tianming met his gaze. "I'm the one who sealed it—partially. And the one trying to stop it from opening again."
Wu Tianji laughed, a sound like ice cracking. "And now you come begging for alliance?"
"I come offering one," Tianming said. "The Thorn have already returned to the Oath. Will the Fang stand alone when the Gate opens again?"
The Fanglord's smile vanished.
"Words are wind. Let's see what your oath means… in battle."
---
The Trial of the Fang
Without warning, Tianming was surrounded. The Fang warriors formed a circle of ice and steel, pounding their weapons into the ground. Mist rose between them as runes activated, binding Tianming in a trial arena.
Zhao Yueyin and Lan Mei moved to help, but Tianming raised a hand.
"I'll face it."
Wu Tianji stepped forward and pointed his axe at the sky.
"You want our strength? Then show us your spine. Defeat the Twin Fangs of the North, and we'll listen."
Two figures emerged—twins. A man and woman, lean and tall, each wielding chained glaives infused with elemental ice and abyssal mist.
They didn't speak.
They attacked.
The arena shuddered.
---
Battle Beneath the Blizzards
Tianming dodged the first glaive strike, which froze the air it passed through. The second came from behind, wrapping around like a serpent. He twisted midair, activating Thorncall to summon a root shield—ice cracked upon contact.
They were fast. Synced. Each attack was a mirror of the other, unpredictable and perfect in form.
Tianming activated Abyssal Resonance, letting the void energy pass through him, converting its corruption into raw momentum.
He struck back with Starpiercer, forming a constellation cage that momentarily froze the twins' movements. Then he launched into Galaxy Step, moving in bursts of light.
He landed three solid blows—one to each twin's shoulder, and a third that shattered the ice beneath them.
They recovered. This time, they fused.
Their forms intertwined, creating a single warrior—taller, faster, deadlier.
"A fusion technique?" Tianming breathed. "Interesting."
The fused twin slammed both glaives into the ground, unleashing a wave of black frost that shattered his celestial armor.
Tianming roared, unleashing the Eternal Star Lance, now reinforced with Thornmirror Mandala. Light spiraled into the heavens. The lance found its mark—piercing through the fused twin's core.
With a soundless shatter, they separated and fell to one knee each.
The trial ended.
---
A Pact in the Snow
Wu Tianji approached, the mist parting before him.
He stared down at the fallen twins, then at Tianming. "You beat them clean. You didn't kill. Why?"
"Because I didn't come to destroy the Fang," Tianming said. "I came to remind you what you once swore to protect."
Wu Tianji looked skyward, where the auroras began to dance.
"Then remind me."
Tianming raised his hand. The Oathbrand of Lightbinding flared into existence.
In front of all Fang warriors, Wu Tianji knelt.
"Let the blood of the Fang run with the fire of the stars."
> System Notification:
Lightbinding Oath Expanded – Obsidian Fang Clan joined
New Ability Gained: Frostlash Armor – Temporarily coats your skin and armor in reflective ice that absorbs elemental damage
Combat Resistance Increased – Defense and mobility enhanced in winter and cold-type realms
---
Elsewhere: The Hollow Eye Watches
In the shattered ruins of the Dreamweaver Temple, Corvus watched the stars shift.
"The third has bent the knee," he murmured. "And still the Gate hums."
One of the Disciples approached. "Shall we accelerate the chant?"
"No. Let him believe he's winning," Corvus said. "The higher he climbs, the greater the fall. When he binds the last clan, the Abyss will open wide… and he will usher it in himself."
---
Back on the Spiritwind Ark
Tianming stood with Zhao Yueyin and Lan Mei, watching the white lands fade behind them.
"Three clans bound," Lan Mei said. "Two remain."
Zhao Yueyin nodded. "The Jade Veil and the Ember Lords. And neither will be easy."
Tianming turned toward the horizon, where green mountains rose above stormclouds.
"No. But we don't need easy."
He closed his eyes.
"We need united."
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To Be Continued in Chapter 51: The Veiled Blossoms of Jadefall