The cold wind howled, snow swirling thick in the air.
In this harsh, frozen environment, there was almost no sign of life. All that could be seen was endless snow and snow-covered forest stretching into the distance.
Outside the northern gate of Winterfell.
Countless Dawn banners whipped violently in the howling wind.
Many of them were already tattered and worn from battles and time, yet they still flew proudly in the cold.
From above, the Dawn soldiers had already gathered into a vast river of steel.
Wind and snow lashed against their cheeks, chapping their skin. Their eyes, hidden beneath metal helmets, stared coldly at the north gate of Winterfell.
The city they had once guarded with their lives.
Every Dawn soldier understood what this battle meant.
If they lost, they would become the traitors of Dawn, forever nailed to the pillar of disgrace in history.
Justice belonged to the victors.
The wind swirled in the sky like a snow dragon roaring in fury, letting out a cry that echoed through the heavens.
At the front of the Dawn Army formation, Mu Qing stood in a black outfit, her icy gaze fixed on Winterfell.
This battle wasn't one she wanted.
War always brought death.
If it wasn't absolutely necessary, she would never have chosen this path.
But now, she had no choice.
The Domain lifeform secretly controlling Winterfell had completely cut off Dawn's path of retreat.
First, a series of sabotage efforts against the Rune Enhancement Project.
For the greater good, she had tolerated it.
But now, Winterfell had severed all supply lines to the frontline logistics zone—essentially cutting off the retreat route entirely.
The front lines were rich in spiritual resources, yes—but spiritual resources couldn't be eaten as rations.
Food supplies still had to come from Winterfell.
She had considered trying to cultivate crops to supply the front, but in the frigid Winterfell northern region, no crop could survive.
Even Winterfell itself had to rely on trading resources with the other four cities to obtain staple foods.
Now that Winterfell had cut off supply, the food stored in the frontline logistics zone would soon be depleted.
Mu Qing knew this was the Domain lifeform manipulating Winterfell, forcing her to strike.
But this battle—she had no choice but to fight it.
She had also considered seeking help from other cities, like Star City.
But asking Star City to meet the frontline's material needs on short notice simply wasn't realistic.
And more importantly, Winterfell's northern skies were under strict control of the Winterfell Military Department.
No transport aircraft could hope to fly over Winterfell and reach the supply zone directly.
Even knowing they were being pushed into this war, she had no other option.
Looking toward the northern gate of Winterfell, wind and snow raged. The falling snowflakes melted before even reaching her body, burned away by the surging blood energy within her.
She turned slightly and looked to the right, softly asking,
"Yan, are you ready?"
Seated beside her, Mu Yan hovered cross-legged in the air, brows furrowed tight.
"Give me a sec, give me a sec," Mu Yan groaned. "That bastard Mo did something to my real body. I can barely stay connected to it. I need a little more time."
…
Northern Winterfell.
Restricted Steel Refinery Zone.
This entire region was surrounded by barbed wire, with warning signs posted every few meters—No Entry, Radiation Hazard, Corrosion Hazard…
Inside the fence stood countless giant buildings made of reinforced concrete. Massive machines roared deafeningly as they worked.
Metal ores were crushed and refined here, funneled through pipes and cast into uniform blocks.
At the center of the restricted zone.
Jian Ji stood with both hands resting on the hilt of the Burning Heaven Sword, the blade stabbed into the ground, propping up his body.
He wore a thin gray robe, his appearance frail and weathered. His face was lined with the deep marks of time. Snow-laden wind blew through his long hair, and his withered body looked like it could collapse at any moment. His murky eyes seemed frozen.
Just then, a graceful figure holding a sword appeared behind him.
"Clan Elder, the Dawn Army has gathered at both the north and south gates."
"They're here at last," Jian Ji replied without turning his head. His old voice was heavy with the weight of years.
He looked to the northern sky, and a glint flickered in his clouded eyes.
The threat of the Dawn Army—it was time to put an end to it.
Back then, he had seen Mu Qing as the most talented warrior—she brought him an enormous amount of spiritual resources through her rapid growth.
During the height of the Dawn Army's expansion, he had benefited tremendously.
But he'd always known Mu Qing was a threat—eventually, she'd become uncontrollable.
So her arrival today came as no surprise.
By cutting off the supply lines to the Winterfell frontline, he had been forcing her hand—provoking her to attack, so he could crush the Dawn era once and for all.
The rise of the Dawn Army had started to hinder his growth.
In recent years, the resources sent from the frontlines to Winterfell had drastically decreased alongside the Dawn Army's rise.
Only by eliminating the Dawn Army and Mu Qing could his supply of resources return to normal.
The longer he waited, the worse it got for him.
Truthfully, he'd long grown impatient.
Originally, he wanted to wait for a united coalition force to be formed to take down Dawn. That way, he wouldn't need to expose himself and could use the coalition's strength to eliminate them.
But Star City had repeatedly obstructed those plans, and things hadn't gone the way he hoped.
The major cities had all taken ambiguous stances, clearly wanting to wait and see how the situation unfolded.
After waiting all these years, still no clear response had come.
Since the coalition army couldn't be formed and there was no way to borrow the strength of other cities to eliminate Dawn and Mu Qing, he had to consider another approach.
He knew that Mu Qing was pushing forward with the Rune Enhancement Project to strengthen Dawn's warriors, and that she valued the project greatly.
That was when he got the idea to use the project to force Mu Qing into war.
As long as Mu Qing came to attack Winterfell, he had plenty of ways to kill her. And once she was dead, the leaderless Dawn Army wouldn't pose a threat anymore.
But what he didn't expect was that even after several laboratories were destroyed, Mu Qing still chose to endure it—she didn't declare war on Winterfell.
Left with no alternative, Jian Ji chose the final path.
Cut off supplies.
He knew this would cause a major impact. If news got out, it would spark public outrage in other cities.
The outside world didn't know the details, but most were still inclined to support Winterfell.
However, a food blockade would push Winterfell into the center of public criticism, becoming a target of widespread condemnation.
And he still needed Winterfell to supply him with the resources required for his growth—this decision would hurt his future.
Originally, Jian Ji hadn't wanted to do this.
But after multiple provocations, Mu Qing had repeatedly chosen to swallow the insult. She wasn't willing to launch an all-out war on Winterfell.
During that time, the resources coming in from the front lines became fewer and fewer.
Every day was a loss to him.
So in the end, he made his choice—to sever the supply lines to the frontline logistics zone and plunge it into crisis.
At this point, war was inevitable.
No matter how strong Mu Qing was, as long as she dared to come to Winterfell, he was confident he could kill her.
His thoughts returned to the present as Jian Ji's gaze passed through the swirling snow, fixed on the starlit sky above.
The murkiness in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by clarity.
At the same time, the enhancement gem on the hilt of the Burning Heaven Sword began to glow. Complex patterns spread from the gem across the entire blade.
Boom!
A torrent of flames engulfed the Burning Heaven Sword, and waves of heat rippled outward.
The heat forced the woman behind Jian Ji to take several steps back.
Flames blazed along the sword's surface, wrapping Jian Ji in their burning glow.
His withered body was reborn in the fire. The wrinkles on his face smoothed out, muscles filled in his emaciated frame. In just a moment, he was young again.
He raised the Burning Heaven Sword, which had been planted in the ground.
Jian Ji's gaze swept from the hilt to the tip of the sword, then returned to the enhancement gem and settled there.
As he aged, he found his emotions growing dull.
He had once longed for the rise of his race and worked hard for it.
But as time passed, family, friends, and familiar clansmen had all died. His feelings toward the Sword Clan had quietly changed.
He realized he no longer held the same deep affection and conviction for the clan as before.
At the time, he thought it was a heart demon born during cultivation and secluded himself in isolation.
During that time, the Sword Clan went through several changes in leadership. When he emerged, he had become a clan elder in the eyes of the younger generation.
In that seclusion, Jian Ji confronted his own heart.
Eventually, he found the answer within.
Compared to the pursuit of clan prosperity, what he truly longed for was the unknown path of the strong.
This endless path demanded constant breakthroughs of life's shackles, surviving tribulations until he could fully grasp his own fate.
To raise his sword and witness the rise of the grand era with his own eyes—then strike it down with a single blow.
Before such a grand dream, his feelings for the Sword Clan seemed insignificant.
His power continued to grow, while his emotions gradually faded.
Letting go of the sword's hilt, Jian Ji stood with his hands behind his back.
The Burning Heaven Sword hovered in front of him, its raging flames roaring. His gray robe flapped wildly in the burning winds.
He had once resisted this emotional detachment.
But now, he had fully accepted it—determined to walk the path of a true powerhouse.
To challenge all the great forces of the future and grow faster than the Demon Blade, so that it would never catch up to him again.
That was the brilliant future he sought.
Not one weighed down by the trivial gains and losses of clan development.
Now that his heart demon had fully vanished, his power had grown explosively.
He had even used the enhancement gem's unique properties to comprehend and master a sword spirit formation.
Controlling a million sword spirits—his body couldn't handle it, but the enhancement gem could. It could massively amplify the power of the sword spirits connected to him.
Once Mu Qing was dead, he would embark on a new wave of breakthroughs.
Maybe the Sword Clan would walk with him a little longer, but if the road eventually split, he wouldn't hesitate to leave them behind.
On the path of the strong, there was no room for dead weight.
Not even his own people.
With a wave of his hand, the Burning Heaven Sword shot into the sky. The blazing flames dyed the heavens red, eclipsing the stars.
Looking north, Jian Ji, now youthful once more, smiled and murmured:
"Mu Qing, I'm waiting for you."
"Mu Qing is no match for you, Clan Elder," said the sword-bearing woman behind him, bowing respectfully.
"Mu Qing is strong—worthy as an opponent—but not a true threat," Jian Ji replied calmly. "My real nemesis… might already be on the way. I don't know when he'll show up."
As he spoke, Jian Ji looked up at the stars. His sharp eyes seemed able to pierce through space itself.
"Chaotian, I'm waiting for you too."
With those words, Jian Ji pointed toward the heavens.
The Burning Heaven Sword hanging high in the air instantly flashed and came to rest behind his back.
At that moment, Jian Ji's aura began to surge—higher and higher.
Outside the north gate of Winterfell City.
The black-clad Dawn Army was assembled outside the gate, silently awaiting Mu Qing's command.
For this campaign, the Dawn Army had split into two forces. One, led by Mu Qing herself, was stationed outside the north gate. The other, led by Qin Shikong, was positioned at the south gate of Winterfell.
Blizzards raged, sweeping across the determined faces of the warriors.
But the cold couldn't suppress the boiling blood inside them.
They held unwavering trust in Mu Qing.
It was Mu Qing who gave them a true home, who gave every scavenger a brand-new beginning and a future to strive for.
This battle was not just for humanity—it was for Mu Qing, and for Dawn.
"Yan!"
Mu Qing's voice rang out through the storm.
This time, Mu Yan finally responded. Suspended in midair with her eyes closed, she suddenly opened them wide:
"They're here!"
As her voice fell, Mu Yan looked up at the sky.
A crimson sun pierced through the eternal night of the northern frontier, unleashing ten thousand rays of golden light. Darkness receded like a retreating tide.
Everything in sight became crystal clear.
Like a trumpet signaling the charge, every Dawn soldier let out a Lei Tingous roar toward Winterfell and stomped in unison, shaking the ground beneath their feet.
At that moment, Mu Qing leapt high into the air, her body wrapped in arcs of jade-colored lightning.
Her right fist, poised to strike, glowed with brilliant light.
When she punched toward the north gate of Winterfell, it was like a jade meteor streaking across the sky. The city gate exploded with a deafening boom. Under the terrifying force of her punch, the stone shattered into dust and scattered into the city.
"Yan, come with me—let's capture the king!"
After breaking the gate, Mu Qing turned and called to Mu Yan, then transformed into a jade-colored streak of light and flew into Winterfell.
"Got it!"
Mu Yan swung her arm, and a silver spear appeared in her hand. She followed Mu Qing without hesitation.
After the two departed, a figure in silver armor stepped forward from within the Dawn Army. She stared coldly at the densely packed army forces inside Winterfell, warriors stretching beyond the visible horizon. Then she roared:
"Battle readiness!"
Her voice echoed across the battlefield, carried far by the wind and snow.
The signal troops of the Dawn Army waved their flags in unison, passing her command to the rear lines.
Gazing at the military formation within Winterfell, the silver-armored woman's expression was frosty.
During the pre-battle briefing, Mu Qing had given specific instructions—this battle was centered on her and Mu Yan capturing the king. Their mission was to stall Winterfell's army, to prevent them from interfering with the capture operation.
She fully understood why Mu Qing had done this.
No matter who won or lost, those who died would still be human.
To the manipulator hiding behind the scenes, casualties were nothing but cold numbers. But in Mu Qing's eyes, they were living, breathing lives.
So the real goal wasn't to conquer the city. The assault was just a feint—to draw out Winterfell's forces and keep them occupied. That was Mu Qing's true intention.
But this reasoning couldn't be revealed to the Dawn soldiers.
Doing so would severely damage morale.
After giving the battle readiness order, the silver-armored woman never gave the order to attack.
Looking toward the soldiers forming up inside Winterfell, she chose to follow Mu Qing's plan—to stall them as long as possible and delay the outbreak of full-scale battle.
But if war did break out, she would not hold back.
The lives of Winterfell's soldiers mattered—but so did the lives of Dawn's.
Showing mercy would only cause heavy losses among the Dawn troops. They too had families waiting for them to return.
While tension was high outside Winterfell's north gate, at that very moment, on the south side of the city…
As the red sun rose in the east, Qin Shikong made his move at the same time.
The compass in his hand suddenly expanded and smashed down hard on the south gate.
At the moment the gate broke open, countless Winterfell soldiers clad in blue standard-issue combat uniforms appeared in view.
The two forces stared each other down, locked in a silent standoff.
Qin Shikong, like Mu Qing, gave no order to attack. During the pre-battle planning, Mu Qing had given him the same task: stall Winterfell's southern army, buy time for her and Mu Yan to capture the target, and ease the pressure on the main force at the north gate.
As the standoff continued, the air grew heavier with tension.
Within the south gate, on top of a watchtower, a sword-bearing man stood watching Qin Shikong at the front of the Dawn Army.
Noticing that Qin Shikong still hadn't given the attack order, the man frowned slightly, lost in thought.
"Interesting… they're trying to buy time?"
The woman beside him nodded immediately:
"Looks like it. Mu Qing clearly doesn't want to start a war. Splitting their forces like this is just a diversion to hold back our two main armies. If I'm not mistaken, Mu Qing plans to personally sweep the city and find the clan elder… and go for a capture."
"I really admire Mu Qing's confidence. Maybe she's never suffered real setbacks—makes her a bit too sure of her own strength. She actually plans to go head-to-head with the elder."
The sword-bearing man shook his head and replied:
"Don't underestimate Mu Qing. She's strong… but you're right—if she faces the elder, she has no chance."
He gazed out at the snow-covered Dawn forces ahead.
"They don't want to fight. But we have to. The elder's plan to bait the Dawn Army into attacking isn't just about killing Mu Qing—he wants the entire Dawn Army wiped out. Only then can we reclaim full control of the Winterfell supply zone and restore our resource flow."
As he spoke, the sword-bearing man leapt from the tower. His body followed the arc of his unsheathed blue sword, flying out toward the city exterior.
Hovering above the readied Winterfell troops, the man shouted:
"Follow me—repel the rebels!"
"Kill!"
Already primed for battle, the Winterfell soldiers let out roars of fury at the legion commander's command and began marching out of the city in tight formation.
Seeing this, Qin Shikong's heart sank.
He had hoped to stall for time—but hadn't expected Winterfell's forces to launch an attack first.
There was no longer any retreat.
Only battle remained.
Qin Shikong immediately gave the command to engage. The signaling flags behind him moved accordingly, spreading his order across the army.
The clashing metal of armor and weapons rang out like a symphony.
Soon, the two steel tides collided.
This was the first civil war in human history after the Cataclysm, taking place right on the sacrificial front line.
Every human warrior had trained to fight Domain creatures throughout their growth, but now they were forced to raise their blades against their own people.
The battle had begun, and there was no turning back.
The soldiers of Winterfell fought to protect the homes behind them—they could not retreat.
The Dawn soldiers fought to drive out the Domain forces hidden within Winterfell and reclaim a sky for humankind.
They had to break this defense line.
The white snow-covered ground was gradually stained crimson in the brutal conflict.
At that moment, one of Winterfell's commanders—a man from the Sword Clan—had already locked onto Qin Shikong.
He raised one hand, forming a sword seal, and pointed toward Qin Shikong from afar.
A streak of blue light flashed—his longsword transformed into a stream of light and shot straight toward Qin Shikong.
But Qin Shikong was ready. The Eight Trigrams Disk in his hand flung forward, expanding mid-air. A phantom formation emerged, clashing directly with the incoming blue sword light.
Sharp sword Qi melted into refined essence, rotating in reverse against the Eight Trigrams diagram.
The two forces clashed, releasing countless sparks of spiritual energy.
At that moment, another streak of red sword Qi surged in from the other side, targeting Qin Shikong.
But before it reached him, a figure wielding a battle axe intercepted it.
The man was burly, his armor soaked in blood. After blocking the red sword Qi, he turned and shouted toward Qin Shikong:
"Boss Qin, watch out!"
"They're using sword arts and sword Qi. They're Domain beings, just like Mu Yan said. Don't hold back—kill them!"
Hearing that, the burly man nodded fiercely. His blood surged violently. With a roar, he raised his battle axe and scattered the red sword Qi into radiant motes.
Fueled by blood energy, he swung the battle axe across more than a hundred meters of airspace, slashing straight toward the female Sword Clan warrior wielding the red longsword.
When the red sword met the axe, a violent gust of wind erupted outward.
His terrifying strength briefly suppressed the sword, but the woman quickly countered with a sword seal. Her strike forced the man back dozens of meters mid-air. He crashed to the ground, staggered several steps, and even knocked over a few fellow soldiers before coming to a halt.
He looked at the sword-wielding woman in disbelief.
The strength he was so proud of had been overpowered.
Grim-faced, he helped his fallen comrades up, then let out a sky-shaking roar and charged forward again toward the sword-wielding woman.
From high above, the battle had entered a fever pitch.
Not just the common soldiers—high-tier warriors from both sides had also found their respective opponents.
At that moment, thousands of figures flew out from within Winterfell.
They were like a sprawling rainbow, dragging long streaks of multicolored sword Qi behind them as they streaked toward the battlefield.
The arrival of thousands of Sword Clan warriors changed the balance.
Their goal was clear—eliminate the top-tier forces within the Dawn Army.
Though the Dawn Army was made up of seasoned front-line veterans, they now faced overwhelming odds.
Whether it was bloodline potential, physical strength, or the powers they could unleash, they were far outclassed. This was a level of power they had never encountered before.
In a short span, several high-level Dawn warriors had already been slain by Sword Clan fighters.
Soon, a group among them locked onto Qin Shikong, who was still struggling to hold off the sword Qi barrage.
Over a hundred Sword Clan warriors encircled him. The sword formation activated in an instant.
Sword Qi soared into the sky, ripping the wind and snow apart.
The seemingly indestructible Eight Trigrams Energy Diagram instantly cracked. Within it, Qin Shikong trembled, blood spilling from his mouth.
"Break!"
The lead blue-sword warrior stabbed toward Qin Shikong with a killing blow. The sword formation drew in the sword Qi of more than a hundred warriors, unleashing a storm-like torrent upon him.
Already injured, Qin Shikong clenched his teeth and raised the Eight Trigrams Disk.
Golden light burst out—but the disk, already covered in cracks, couldn't withstand the unified sword barrage. It shattered on the spot.
Just as Qin Shikong thought his end had come, a streak of black blade light burst forth like a ferocious black dragon. In a flash, it tore through the sword formation of over a hundred Sword Clan warriors.
The formation that had seemed impenetrable shattered instantly. The terrifying blade Qi made the Sword Clan warriors cough up blood as their strength was sapped.
Following the direction of the blade, Qin Shikong saw a figure he didn't recognize.
He held a black longsword, his body wrapped in pitch-black flames. He looked like a demon risen from hell, carrying an aura as if bearing a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. The murderous aura made Qin Shikong's heart tremble.
The life force in this mysterious figure was immense—so potent that even from afar, it felt like a burning inferno.
It was easy to imagine the terrifying power sealed within that body.
As this blade-wielding man walked forward step by step, thousands of Sword Clan warriors who had just joined the battle turned to look, faces filled with shock.
It was a tremor from deep in the soul.
A familiar yet unfamiliar feeling reminded them of a legendary existence that lived only in historical records.
They were the newest generation of the Sword Clan and had never lived through that era—but they had heard stories about "him."
"Demon… Demon Blade."
No one knew who spoke first, but the moment the words rang out, terror spread through the hearts of the Sword Clan warriors.
There was not a single Sword Clan member who didn't know who Demon Blade was.
He was the mortal enemy of their clan elder—a demon that had fought them for over a thousand years and still could not be fully destroyed. He was on a completely different level of power.
Time seemed to freeze.
They stared at Feng Qi, eyes filled with horror that seemed to spill out.
Every step Feng Qi took felt like it was trampling their hearts, making them ache with dread.
At the edge of vision, Feng Qi's body burned with black flames as he advanced.
As his terrifying blade armor formed around him, Feng Qi raised his sword and pointed it toward the thousands of floating Sword Clan warriors.
Blade Qi swept through the wind and snow, laced with horrifying killing intent that sliced across their faces, making their skin sting and filling their nostrils with the scent of death.