Chapter 373: The Royal Palace of Dawn

The Royal Palace of Snowfall was a sprawling labyrinth of frost-iron, enchanted ice, and ancient, blood-soaked history. The corridors stretched for miles, illuminated by chandeliers crafted from the frozen tears of ancient beasts.

Whoosh...

Kael moved like a phantom through the dimly lit hallways. The Shadow Veil wrapped around him like a second skin, bending the ambient light and suppressing his scent and mana.

He had spent the last hour navigating the heavily guarded inner sanctum. The security was suffocating. Elite barbarian guards, each towering at nearly ten feet and radiating the dense aura of Tier 4 and Tier 5 body cultivators, patrolled in groups of four. Their footsteps echoed like thunderclaps against the icy floors.

Clank... Clank...

A squad of guards marched directly past him. Kael stood perfectly still against a tapestry, not even breathing. The lead guard, a scarred brute with a massive axe, paused for a moment, sniffing the air. He looked around, his eyes narrowing, before grunting and continuing his patrol.

Kael smirked beneath the veil. The intel from the enslaved nobles had been invaluable. He knew the exact rotation of the guards, the shift changes, and most importantly, the political dynamic of the royal family.

According to the nobles, the Queen—Astrid—was a human. She had been taken as a war prize decades ago from a conquered southern duchy, but she wasn’t just a consort. She possessed a terrifying intellect and a sharp political mind. She controlled the King’s temper, influenced his decrees, and held a vice-like grip on the court. She was the true power behind the Frost-Blooded King.

Kael followed the winding corridors until he reached the main palace, a massive structure of pure, transparent ice. He slipped through the heavy doors, his Void Step carrying him through the cracks in the magic formations.

He finally arrived at the Royal Nursery.

Hush, little one...

A soft, melodic voice drifted from inside. Kael paused, pressing himself against the cold wall. He formed a series of complex, mysterious hand seals. Snap. Snap. Snap. Dark, microscopic runes flared around his fingers.

He pushed the door open a crack, peering inside.

The room was warm, heated by geothermal vents. A beautiful woman sat on the edge of a massive, fur-lined bed. She had long, flowing chestnut hair, pale, flawless skin, and striking blue eyes. Unlike the towering barbarians outside, she was a perfectly proportioned human. She hummed a gentle lullaby, stroking the hair of two sleeping children—twins, a boy and a girl, no older than five.

Kael didn’t hesitate. He slipped into the room, the Shadow Veil fading as he raised his hand. Crackle! Minute, controlled lightning sparks shot forward, aiming to knock out the Queen and the children simultaneously.

SPLASH!

A sudden, shimmering barrier of water erupted from the Queen’s palm, perfectly blocking the lightning sparks. The water hissed, evaporating under the heat, but it held.

The Queen’s eyes snapped open, blazing with a fierce, protective fury. SWISH! A deadly spear of compressed water materialized and shot directly at Kael’s head.

Crackle! Kael activated Lightning Body, his form dissolving into a streak of blue light. He reappeared at the far edge of the room, his back against the wall, his silver-flecked eyes gleaming. The Shadow Veil was completely gone now, his face revealed. Afterall, he didn’t wear his mask thinking this would be any easy job. But even with that, it would be difficult for people here to recognize the 6th child of the Vorn family.

"Who are you?" the Queen demanded, stepping off the bed and shielding her children with her body. Her voice was cold, regal, and utterly unafraid.

Kael offered a slow, arrogant smirk. "Just a passing shadow, Your Majesty. A ghost in the night."

"Which kingdom are you from?" she pressed, her eyes scanning him for any sigil or crest. "There is no one in the five kingdoms with the technique to completely erase their presence. Not even the Elven assassins can hide from my senses."

Kael chuckled, a dark, mocking sound. "You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Let’s just say I’m a concerned third party, here to... reorganize the leadership of this frozen wasteland."

The Queen sighed, a heavy, resigned sound. She stood up straight, her posture radiating absolute authority. "No matter. You will die here, ghost."

She murmured a technique, her voice echoing with a strange, resonant power. "Tide Sovereign’s Aegis."

FWOOSH!

A sophisticated, highly complex armor of condensed, deep-blue water erupted from her skin, coating her entire body. The water armor shimmered, hardening into a substance stronger than steel. Her aura exploded outward, filling the room with a suffocating, crushing pressure.

Peak Spirit Soul Realm.

Kael’s eyes narrowed, analyzing her with his Spirit Eyes. Her mana cultivation is at the Peak Spirit Soul. Her control over water is masterful. But... she lacks the physical aura. Her body cultivation is only at Tier 3 at best.

A slow, predatory smile spread across Kael’s face. "So... you’re the Fifth General."

The Queen’s expression shifted a fraction of an inch.

Kael chuckled, shaking his head. "No wonder it’s been so difficult to find the Fifth General. The King hid his most powerful weapon in plain sight. The Queen herself. The one who controls the court, influences the King, and commands his armies from the shadows. A brilliant strategy, really. No one would ever suspect the mother of the royal heirs to be the deadliest cultivator in the kingdom."

The Queen’s eyes turned ice-cold. She realized she couldn’t talk her way out of this. She reached into a spatial ring on her finger and drew out a long, elegant spear. It radiated a cold, tier 1 aura.

"You are perceptive, ghost," the Queen said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "But perceptive men die just as easily as foolish ones. You will not leave this room alive."

She spun the spear, raising the butt of the weapon to slam it against the floor.

THUD!

She wasn’t trying to scream for help. Instead, she channeled her water mana into a massive, upward pulse, attempting to trigger the palace’s emergency alarm—a massive, water-based sonic wave that would alert every cultivator and guard in the palace.

But nothing happened.

The Queen’s eyes widened in shock. She tried again. THUD! Still nothing. The water mana around her fizzled out the moment it touched the walls.

Kael smirked, leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed. "You don’t think I wouldn’t come prepared for a situation like this?"

He snapped his fingers. SNAP!

Suddenly, the room blazed with a blinding, violet light. The mysterious hand seals Kael had formed earlier erupted into a massive, Rank 5 suppression formation. Complex runic chains and dark symbols covered every inch of the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"An isolation formation," Kael explained, his voice dripping with mockery. "No sound, no mana pulses, no distress signals can leave this room. It’s just you, me, and your sleeping children."

The Queen’s face drained of color. She looked at the runic chains, then back at Kael. Her grip on her spear tightened.

"You. You... who are you?" she breathed.

"Your Majesty, let’s dance," Kael replied, drawing the Shadow Slayer blades. SCHING! The Blood-Iron Alloy hummed with a dark, thirsty resonance. "Now, shall we begin?"