Chapter 156: The Counter-Attack

Chapter 156: The Counter-Attack

"Dad, we need to help," Nyren said, her eyes locked on the massive, shaking dome high above the valley.

General Vaelric turned, his expression tightening with a mixture of pride and worry. "Can you manage?"

"Yes, Dad."

Beside her, Oren stepped forward, adjusting his stance. "Dad, take care of the soldiers down here. Professor Sy will figure out something for the long term. I’m going up, too. My telekinesis works much better with the open airspace."

Vaelric’s jaw clenched, but he swallowed his objections, the pride in his eyes burning brighter than the explosions overhead. "Take care of yourselves."

"System, show my status," Nyren commanded internally.

Ping.

A clean, silver interface flickered across her retina:

[FROST BOUND SOVEREIGN SYSTEM]

• NAME: Nyren Ashford

• RACE: Human

• BLOODLINE: Unknown [Locked]

• CLASS: Frost Sovereign

• SUBCLASS: None

• RANK: Level 5, Tier 3 [Foundation Establishment Realm, Peak Stage]

• EXP: 2,500 / 3,500

• HP: 300 / 300

• QI POOL: 600 / 600

[ATTRIBUTES]

• Strength: 100 • Agility: 200

• Constitution: 150 • Qi Control: 300

• Unallocated Attribute Points: 100

[CORE SUPERPOWER]

• Ice Manipulation.

• Sub-Zero Glacial Domain.

———————————————

[ACTIVE SKILLS & ARTS]

[ORIGINAL MARTIAL TECHNIQUES]

[Frostbound Sovereign Scripture — First Form: Frostbound Genesis]

• Description: Allows Host to absorb surrounding Spiritual Qi and refine it into pure Frost Qi, strengthening host’s ice attribute and laying the foundation for host’s Frost Sovereign cultivation path. Through this form, host can condense Frost Qi within host core, temper the meridians with extreme cold, and establish a stable circulation cycle that improves host’s affinity with ice.

[ICE ARTS]

• Glacial Weave: Condenses icy Qi into thin threads capable of binding, suspending, redirecting, and manipulating objects. The greater the weight and number of objects controlled, the greater the strain placed on user’s Qi Core.

• Frozen Edge: Condenses Frost Qi along the blade, forming an extremely sharp layer of ice energy that enhances cutting power and allows the sword to freeze whatever it strikes.

• Frost Blade Rain: Summons dozens of sharp ice blades that rain down upon enemies, piercing defenses and freezing targets upon impact.

• Frost Lotus: Creates a magnificent lotus of ice that unfolds its crystalline petals to attack nearby enemies, releasing freezing waves that slow movement and restrict their actions.

[INTERNAL CULTIVATION ART]

• [Frostbound Sovereign Heart (Stage 2)]

An internal cultivation art that governs the circulation of Frost Qi throughout the meridians and spiritual core. At Stage Two, its refined circulation cycle improves his ability to absorb Spiritual Qi, manipulate ice, and conserve energy when using Ice Arts.

• Spiritual Qi Absorption Speed: +200%

• Ice Manipulation Control: +150%

• Ice Art Qi Consumption: −40%

[PASSIVE SKILLS]

• Frost Sense (Lv5)

• Eternal Frost Physique (Lv5)

• Sovereign Frozen Instincts (Lv5)

[EQUIPMENT]

• Soul Weapon: [Frostveil Sword] (Condensable Ice Blade)

The residual spiritual energy flowing down from Illamar’s barrier had flooded her core, bringing her to the absolute brink of a breakthrough. Just a few more battles, and she would hit Level 6.

With a flick of her wrist, the Frostveil Sword materialized in her hand—a crystalline blade forged from dense, absolute-zero Frost Qi. She formed a simple hand seal, shooting a stream of silver spiritual energy into the hilt.

Fwip!

She vaulted into the air, riding [Frostveil Sword] directly toward the tri-fold barrier. Behind her, a tail of glittering silver frost followed her ascent.

"Open a space for the flank!" Nyren called out as she reached the outer edge of the dome.

She activated [Frozen Edge], the frost dancing across the surface of the barrier, though it wasn’t it blade. With a sharp thought, thick, reinforced layers of blue ice spread across the dome, turning the lower shell into a massive, jagged glacier-shield.

"I’ll help clear the line!" Her cold, feminine voice rang out.

She shot upward, her silver hair whipping behind her in the gale. She flicked her wrist, unleashing dozens of glowing, razor-sharp icicles:

[Frost Blade Rain!]

SHING! SHING! SHING!

The ice blades whistled through the air, intercepting a cluster of plunging crimson spheres before they could stress the metal framework.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sky detonated in a storm of freezing mist and red fire.

A single errant crimson sphere broke through the interception, plunging directly toward Nyren’s blind spot. She threw up an instinctive crystalline dome around herself, waiting for the impact.

Whoosh.

Nothing hit. She lowered the ice.

"Don’t worry, sister. With me here, nothing touches you," Oren grinned, hovering a few yards away on a disk of invisible force.

White spiritual energy brimmed from his hands. With a sharp flick of his hands, his telekinesis caught the stray sphere, violently reversing its momentum. Then another. And another.

Ever since the Glacial Spirit Cave manifested within the Ashford estate, Oren had unlocked a cultivation manual perfectly suited for his mental path. He locked his hands into a complex geometry, and suddenly—

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Four identical copies of Oren stepped out of thin air, surrounding him in a square formation. All four Orens locked their hands into identical seals. The falling crimson spheres froze dead in midair, caught in an invisible, crushing web of psychic force.

[Astral Will Scripture — Second Form: Thoughts Multiplication!]

White mental threads snapped into existence, connecting the four Mental clones to the original body. With a simultaneous snap of their fingers, the trapped crimson balls were shot straight back up into the heavens at hypersonic speed!

BOOOOOOM!

The colossal crimson eye in the sky that had fired the projectile blasted apart in a shower of sparks.

The spinning crimson-black formation above flickered violently.

Yet the enemy’s numbers were staggering. More crimson spheres rained down.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Oren’s clones strained, veins popping on their foreheads. He couldn’t clear the sky alone; the sheer volume would drain his mental sea dry.

Then—

CRACK-BOOM!

Arcs of violent purple lightning tore across the cloud cover.

Dozens of crackling lightning orbs flickered into existence behind Justin Drackar as he thrust his hand forward.

"You aren’t the only ones who can play hero," Justin said coldly, flicking his wrist and sending a wall of purple thunder crashing into the swarm.

More reinforcements arrived.

Green wooden swords whistled through the air, leaving trails of emerald light. Caelis Serath hovered gracefully on a platform of dense timber, his hands weaving toxic plant seals. Beside him, his sister Elowen Serath launched rotating orbs of high-pressure wind that shredded the incoming projectiles before they could detonate.

Suddenly, a warm, revitalizing wave washed over them.

Oren felt his draining spiritual sea instantly refill. "My core..."

"Don’t worry about the output," Kalis Orlove called out, appearing behind the group. He pressed his palms against the air, driving waves of dense, refined vital energy straight into Nyren, Oren, Justin, and the auxiliary fighters, keeping their dantians burning at maximum capacity.

Technique after technique slammed into the sky. Sword Qi, lightning, wind, and frost tore through the crimson eyes, reducing the pressure on the master barrier below.

For a brief, glorious moment, it felt like the defenders were winning.

Then the crimson-black array sensed the resistance. It stopped spinning erratically and locked into a single, terrifying frequency.

"What is it doing?" Oren asked, a cold knot forming in his stomach.

"I don’t know," Nyren answered, her eyes narrowing. "But it isn’t giving us room to breathe."

"Correct," a calm voice cut through the noise.

Everyone turned.

Professor Sy landed smoothly from Lucan’s spinning dual blades, his scholarly robes torn, followed closely by Lucan himself.

"It’s evolving," Professor Sy said, his breath hitching as he stared up at the core.

BOOM!

Lucan flicked his wrist, his circular blades merging in midair to smash an incoming dark-red sphere into harmless dust.

"We need a permanent solution, and fast," Lucan said, his voice grim.

Professor Sy adjusted his glasses, his eyes reflecting the burning crimson sky. "We can’t just fight the projections. If we want to stop this permanently... we have to destroy the core."​