“I love you.
So, I want to walk on with you…
— Until the end of life.”
Elia hugged Lu Mo tightly.
It was as if she were embracing her only world.
She had made a choice that was completely opposite to Lu Mo’s expectations.
Lu Mo had hoped she would escape, never look back, and seize that near-zero possibility. She wanted Elia to flee that night of blood and fire, flee the heavy rain that had overturned the city, and flee the invisible hand of fate.
But Elia chose to turn around and stand by Lu Mo’s side, facing the fate that came howling toward her.
This time, she was no longer wailing like she had been 5 years ago, lonely and helpless.
Instead, she was incomparably firm, carrying a sense of resolve.
Even if her opponent was an elder of the Shadow Moon Hall.
Even if……It was the entire Frostspeak Imperial Family.
They were fugitives with no way out, possessing nothing but each other.
Elia did not want to be like she was back then, unable to even say goodbye to her sister before losing her forever.
Nor did she want to spend the rest of her life living in a never-ending rainstorm.
Who was right and who was wrong?
Perhaps, no one was wrong.
So-called right and wrong would only appear pale and powerless before a regretless and pure love.
On the way back to the Frostspeak Imperial Family, Elia looked after Lu Mo the entire time.
She cherished this period, acting as if every day was their last together.
Elia had still not given up on the idea of escaping with Lu Mo, searching for opportunities again and again, waiting for a chance to flee.
Perhaps because they did not want to experience a second failure, the Shadow Moon Hall was extra cautious with the two of them this time.
Elia’s abilities were partially restricted.
Lu Mo was also branded with the mark of the Shadow Moon Hall. Once she tried to escape, the mark would activate, and she would wish she were dead.
Lu Mo no longer said words about Elia escaping alone.
From the very beginning, when Elia held her and wept, she had already understood the girl’s heart.
She accepted it all, but she did not give up hope.
‘There will be a way,’ she told herself in the depths of her heart.
The Shadow Moon Hall returned quickly.
In just over 1 week, the group had already returned to the original domain.
However, Lu Mo was not immediately taken back to the Shadow Moon Hall. Instead, she was sent to the Frostspeak Empire along with Elia.
This was because at this moment, the Shadow Moon Hall Master was also at the Frostspeak Imperial Palace.
During these few days, all the major forces in the domain had received invitations from the Frostspeak Imperial Family to participate in Frostspeak Day, and…
The coronation ceremony of the new Emperor.
The invitations were sent out right after Elia and Lu Mo were captured.
The Frostspeak Imperial Family, as a top-tier empire in this domain, had a widespread reputation. The major forces naturally gave them face and arrived one after another.
After entering the Imperial City, Elia was placed under house arrest in a deserted palace.
Lu Mo, meanwhile, was thrown into the death row dungeon.
“We meet again, dear little Elia.”
When a man wearing a crown appeared before Elia and spoke to her with a smile, Elia lunged a sword at him in the very next second.
The Frostspeak Bloodline erupted. Ice shattered, gales howled, and the furious power of frost sought to suppress and kill the man!
That face… she could never forget it!
The First Prince, Faxon!
The mastermind behind the massacre of the Seventh Imperial Family!
The man who had taken everything from her!
The man… she had to kill!
*Buzz*
But in the next second, all of Elia’s attacks were suddenly blocked by an invisible barrier.
Extremely complex array patterns lit up on the ground beneath her feet, slowly suppressing her power.
The intensity of the wind and snow died down.
The girl landed on the ground, but the gaze she directed at Faxon remained icy and filled with killing intent.
The wind and snow carried an echo like a sigh.
Hearing such a sound, Faxon actually revealed an extremely comfortable expression. His entire body could not help but tremble.
“That’s right… the sigh… the Sigh of Frost… This is it!!!”
He had already confirmed through a token that Elia had awakened the Frostspeak Bloodline.
Standing before Elia now, feeling that suppression originating from the bloodline and the terrifying soul-shaking tremor, he became even more excited.
This was the genuine Frostspeak Bloodline!
With this, everything was finally prepared!
The imperial power of the Frostspeak Empire, that rare treasure that existed within the Gate of Kings… would eventually fall into his hands!
***
At the same time, in the death row dungeon.
This was a special cage.
It had been modified by the Shadow Moon Hall.
Inside, the traitor of the Shadow Moon Hall was imprisoned—the person with the greatest talent in nearly 1,000 years —
Xue Yue.
“Xue Yue, do you know your sins?”
The same words rang out.
This time, the one speaking was not an elder, but…
The Hall Master!
The existence who truly stood at the pinnacle of the Shadow Moon Hall, someone who could stand on equal footing with the former Frostspeak Emperor.
A terrifying pressure descended upon Lu Mo. She felt as if her mind was being torn apart. Her entire body was in agonizing pain, and blood began to seep from her wounds.
The pressure was forcing her.
It was demanding she admit her guilt.
It wanted her to kneel before the Shadow Moon Hall Master, to lower her head and submit.
Lu Mo remained silent.
Her legs never buckled.
“Xue Yue, how dare you —”
“The Hall Master is here, yet you still refuse to submit!”
An elder saw this and rebuked Lu Mo, believing her actions desecrated the Hall Master’s majesty.
But Lu Mo continued to stand there.
Even as her body suffered increasingly severe damage.
Even as… blood continued to flow from her wounds, forming a pool at her feet.
In the end, it was the Shadow Moon Hall Master who retracted the pressure first.
If this continued, Lu Mo would be broken.
An undetectable flash of surprise passed through his eyes.
What exactly allowed Lu Mo to hold on until now?
He turned around, his expression returning to its usual indifference.
“Enough — prepare for the Darkness Baptism,” the Hall Master spoke, feeling a hint of regret at this moment.
Who would have thought that a traitor would display such terrifying talent?
If she hadn’t rebelled, given time, the girl would have surely surpassed him.
It wouldn’t even be impossible for her to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the First Hall Master.
However, even if the Darkness Baptism were performed and her talent and perception were greatly reduced, Lu Mo would still be a genius-level existence.
“We obey the Hall Master’s command!” The elders were respectful.
“I want to know her experiences over these 5 years,” the Hall Master added.
Soon, a thick file was respectfully presented.
Recorded within were the traces Lu Mo had left behind over the past 5 years that the Shadow Moon Hall could find.
“Joining Binglan Academy… relying solely on Light Attribute talent to rise to the rank of number one in the entire academy?”
“The rewards and resources she exchanged for were mostly of the Frost and Wind attributes, having nothing to do with the Darkness Attribute. It is suspected they were all given to Elia?”
“Even with a lack of cultivation resources and no guidance from a Darkness Attribute expert… she still reached the transcendent stage, perceived the Dark Void Veins, and even learned secret techniques and forbidden spells?”
This time, the Shadow Moon Hall Master finally sucked in a breath of cold air.
His hand holding the file trembled.
Even under such conditions, she could grow to this extent?
He was wrong.
Lu Mo wasn’t a genius; she should be described as… a monster!
Allowing such a girl to undergo the Darkness Baptism was practically a waste of God’s gifts.
What a pity, what a great pity.
The experiences of the two over the past 5 years were known to many in the Shadow Moon Hall.
Even the two Sequences guarding Elia began to discuss the matter.
“Do you know about Xue Yue?”
“Of course I do. She’s sitting in the death row dungeon right now.”
“That girl… she’s truly terrifying… They say that before she was captured, she killed a deacon. With one swing of her sword, she took the deacon’s head right off. Blood sprayed for 4 or 5 meters.”
“Moreover, she learned secret techniques and forbidden spells that put the elders to shame.”
“And all of this was achieved while she gave all her resources to Elia!”
“If Xue Yue hadn’t rebelled back then and had used all those resources to improve herself, her current realm and achievements… would be simply unimaginable!”
The two continued to marvel.
And these words were overheard by Elia.
“Is everything you said true?” The girl’s voice suddenly rang out.
“Wah!” In the next second, the two cried out in shock.
After sensing Elia’s aura, the two actually knelt directly on the ground. “Every word is true. We hope your Majesty…”
Gradually, they realized something was wrong.
Wait, we aren’t part of the Frostspeak Imperial Family, so why are we kneeling?
The person in front of them was just someone who was going to die in a few days.
Just now, they had an illusion that the person standing behind them wasn’t a girl, but a Frost Queen.
“So, the Shadow Moon Hall doesn’t have some ‘Path of Extremity’ that doesn’t rely on external items?” Elia spoke again.
“Not relying on external items? The path of extremity?” One of the Sequences showed a confused expression and scratched his head. “Since when did such a chuunibyou cultivation path exist in the Shadow Moon Hall?”
“Saying things like that outside would make people think you’re a lunatic, right?” another Sequence complained.
They stood up and quickly left Elia’s vicinity.
Leaving Elia alone on the spot, lost in a daze.
Under the night sky, the girl had told her that she was walking an extremist path focused on the self without relying on external items, which was different from Elia’s path.
The girl had told her that cultivation resources and treasures were all illusory to her, so she threw them all to Elia, telling her not to feel guilty.
The girl had also sworn to the sky that if she were lying —
In the death row dungeon, Lu Mo sat quietly, looking coldly outside the cage.
The people from the Shadow Moon Hall were already preparing the array and materials for the Darkness Baptism.
Her injuries and power were slowly recovering.
But this was not yet enough to support her in breaking the cage.
‘It looks like the Darkness Baptism will happen in the next few days.’
Could she find a way to break the situation before then?
If she truly underwent the Darkness Baptism, would the impact on her soul in the Simulated Reincarnation affect reality?
Lu Mo thought to herself.
‘There’s still a chance.’
‘There must… still be a chance.’
Noticing that Lu Mo was looking over, another young girl looked up and gave Lu Mo a cold sneer. “What is it, Xue Yue? Are you afraid?
If you knew it would come to this, why did you do it in the first place?”
Lu Mo remained silent.
Seeing this, the girl seemed to get even more excited. “Xue Yue, to tell you the truth, I didn’t like you back then. Your talent was higher than mine, you were better looking than me, the elders prioritized you, and even the seniors admired you… Why? Just what right did you have?
“But I’m over it now. Because right now, you look ridiculous and pathetic. And soon, you won’t even be yourself anymore.”
“I know a little bit about what you’ve done over these 5 years.” Speaking to this point, she gave another mocking smile. “I didn’t expect you to actually possess Light Attribute talent.
“But… what use is that faint light of yours?
“Born in the shadows, buried in the shadows. This is the fate of those from the Shadow Moon Hall, and it is your fate as well —
“You, who should live your whole life in the shadows, are also dreaming of becoming someone else’s light?”