Chapter 321: The Frozen Maiden’s Wrath

Chapter 321: Chapter 321: The Frozen Maiden’s Wrath

Grand Marshal Vane’s voice echoed through the Great Solaris Arena.

"Match 12: Glacial Palace versus Sand Dune Clan. Fighters, take your positions."

Damon leaned forward in the Azure Dragon dugout. Interesting. Seven women in pale blue silks stepped onto the arena in perfect unison, bare feet silent, each cold and untouchable.

Their leader raised her hand. The desert heat vanished.

A blizzard erupted, freezing the barrier and turning sand to brittle frost.

The Sand Dune cultivators stumbled back, their faces pale.

"What the hell is this?" one of them shouted, his voice barely carrying over the howling wind.

The Glacial Palace disciples didn’t answer.

They advanced.

The Sand Dune captain recovered, raising a sandstorm.

"Don’t freeze! Fight back!"

Sand rose toward the Glacial Palace.

A disciple whispered; the frozen sand shifted.

It rose again—but this time, it moved with her will.

She thrust her hand forward, and a wave of frozen sand surged toward the Sand Dune cultivators, catching them off guard.

Two of them went down, buried under the cold weight.

The Glacial Palace captain stepped forward.

She raised both hands, and the air around her crystallized. Frost formed on her pale blue silk sleeves, spreading outward like a living pattern.

She whispered a single word.

"Frozen Lotus Coffin."

The technique bloomed.

Ice formed in the air, not as simple shards or spikes, but as a massive, intricate lotus flower that opened its petals wide.

The petals were translucent, shimmering with an inner cold light.

They descended.

Three Sand Dune cultivators tried to dodge, but the lotus petals moved faster than the eye could track.

They wrapped around the fighters, encasing them in clear ice blocks that rose from the arena floor.

The ice was so pure that the trapped cultivators were visible inside, frozen mid-motion, their expressions caught in a moment of shock.

The arena went silent.

Then the crowd erupted.

"That’s insane!"

"Did you see that technique?"

"They’re not even trying!"

Damon watched the Glacial Palace captain lower her hands, her expression calm, as if she had just performed a simple exercise.

He turned to Selene.

"Thoughts?"

Selene’s frosty gaze was fixed on the Glacial Palace disciples, her expression unreadable.

"They’re good. But they’re limited."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Limited?"

Selene nodded, her platinum-white hair shifting with the motion.

"They rely too heavily on their techniques. Their foundation is solid, but they haven’t pushed beyond the form. They’re still trapped in the cage of their own arts."

Damon studied her face.

"You sound like you know them."

Selene paused.

Then she spoke, her voice low and even.

"The Glacial Palace once tried to recruit me as a Grand Elder."

Damon’s golden eyes widened slightly.

"Really?"

Selene nodded, her gaze still fixed on the arena.

"Before I joined the Azure Dragon Sect. They offered me a position of immense power and prestige. I could have been one of the highest authorities in their sect."

Damon leaned closer.

"What made you refuse?"

Selene finally turned to face him, her frosty eyes softening just a fraction.

"I chose the path of the sword. The Glacial Palace focuses on elemental ice arts, not the blade. I would have been constrained by their traditions."

She paused.

"And I would never have met you."

Damon felt a warmth spread through his chest at her words.

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"You made the right choice."

Selene’s lips curved into a rare, genuine smile.

"I know."

They turned back to the arena.

The match was already reaching its climax.

The Glacial Palace disciples had surrounded the remaining Sand Dune fighters, their frost techniques creating a cage of ice that tightened with each passing second.

The Sand Dune captain tried to break through with a desperate earth technique, slamming his fists into the ground, sending cracks through the frozen sand.

But the ice held.

The Glacial Palace captain stepped forward, her eyes cold and merciless.

"Surrender."

The Sand Dune captain gritted his teeth.

"I yield."

The words were barely out of his mouth before the ice cage dissolved.

The Glacial Palace disciples withdrew their techniques, their frost retreating like a tide pulling back from the shore.

Grand Marshal Vane’s voice boomed through the arena.

"Glacial Palace advances to the Top 16! A flawless 7-0 victory!"

The crowd erupted in applause.

The Glacial Palace captain turned and bowed to the royal box, her expression serene, her movements graceful.

Then her gaze shifted.

She looked directly at the Azure Dragon dugout.

At Selene.

Selene met her gaze without flinching, her frosty eyes holding the Glacial Palace captain’s stare for a long moment.

Damon watched the exchange, his golden eyes narrowing.

"You know her?"

Selene’s voice was cold, controlled.

"Her name is Lysara. She was my junior when I was being considered for the Grand Elder position. She’s talented. Ambitious."

Damon studied Lysara’s posture, her confidence.

"She wants to prove herself against you."

Selene nodded.

"Most likely."

Damon smiled, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Then she’s going to be disappointed."

Selene turned to him, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh?"

Damon met her gaze, his golden eyes warm.

"Because you’re not the same woman she remembers. You’ve grown beyond her reach."

Selene’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"You’re right."

She turned back to the arena, her hand still in Damon’s.

"I’m not the same woman."

The Glacial Palace disciples filed out of the arena, their pale blue silks flowing behind them like frozen waterfalls.

Lysara paused at the exit.

She looked back at Selene one more time.

Then she was gone.

Damon watched her leave, his mind already calculating.

Glacial Palace. Frost techniques. Strong fundamentals. But no Sword Aura.

He turned to Selene.

"If we face them, you’ll take the lead."

Selene nodded, her frosty eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Gladly."

The arena announcer’s voice echoed through the coliseum.

"Match 13 will begin in fifteen minutes. The next pairing will be announced shortly."

Damon leaned back in his seat, his golden eyes scanning the crowd, the royal box, the maintenance tunnels.

The tournament was progressing.

And Damon Arcknight was ready for whatever came next.