The moment the old man finishes speaking, the army reacts.
Soldiers surge forward from all sides.
Weapons rise.
Blades, spears, and bows all point toward the old man.
In an instant, he is surrounded.
Yet the old man remains calm.
His expression does not change.
He releases his aura.
A suffocating pressure descends upon the army.
The air grows heavy.
Breathing becomes difficult.
One by one, the soldiers are forced back.
Some stumble.
Others fall to their knees.
The formation collapses under the weight of his presence.
The old man looks directly at Xingli.
"Come with me," he says calmly.
"I will let them live."
Elder Mu steps forward immediately, placing herself before Xingli.
"Senior Frasser," she says firmly, "Xingli is a member of the Purple Lotus Sect."
Frasser snorts.
"Your sect is sacrificing her."
"If she becomes my disciple and cultivates my Star Spirit Technique…"
"I can guarantee she will break through the Soul Awakening Stage within a decade."
Elder Mu hesitates.
Then she answers, "The sect can also help her reach the Soul Awakening Stage. She does not need to become your disciple."
Frasser's expression darkens.
He narrows his eyes.
With a casual sweep of his hand, a powerful gust of wind erupts.
Elder Mu is thrown aside.
Her body crashes against the ground.
Frasser looks at her coldly.
"Little girl," he says, "what makes you think you can speak to me?"
Elder Mu struggles to rise.
But an invisible pressure pins her down.
She cannot even sit up.
Frasser turns his gaze back to Xingli.
"Girl, come with me."
"Your special physique can only be developed by my technique."
Xingli stands frozen.
Shock fills her heart.
This is the chance she had been waiting for.
An opportunity to escape.
If she simply says yes…
She can leave.
The marriage will end.
Her fate will change.
She opens her mouth.
But before she can speak,
Frasser suddenly looks up.
"Hm?"
A streak of lightning tears through the sky.
An arrow.
It shoots downward toward him with terrifying speed.
Frasser raises his palm.
The arrow strikes.
It pierces his skin.
Blood appears.
Then the arrow explodes.
Dozens of lightning serpents burst outward, striking him from all directions.
An energy barrier forms around his body, blocking the attack.
Xingli lifts her head.
In the sky, a woman floats.
Her features resemble those of the Northern Mountain people.
In her hand is an intricate bow.
It has no string.
And she holds no arrow.
Yet power gathers around it.
The woman speaks.
"Frasser."
"How dare you enter the territory of the Totem Palace?"
Elder Mu pushes herself up and quickly returns to Xingli's side.
Her voice is steadier now.
"Xingli, do not worry."
"Frasser will not be able to take you anymore."
Xingli nods.
But inside, she feels frustrated.
Her chance has slipped away.
Frasser looks at the woman.
"Lysaa," he says, "I do not want to fight you."
"I will take her and leave."
Lysaa laughs.
"Frasser, do you think I fear you?"
"Or have you grown senile, with one foot already in the grave?"
Frasser's face tightens.
"You know I am dying," he says coldly.
"Then you should understand."
"I will not back down before taking a disciple."
Lysaa's expression softens slightly.
She understands his desperation.
But she cannot break the rules.
No foreign Soul Awakening cultivator is allowed within the Totem Palace's territory.
"Defeat me," she says calmly.
"Then you may take her."
Frasser's expression hardens.
He can feel other presences watching from the north.
He knows there is no other choice.
He rises into the air.
Facing Lysaa directly.
Lysaa raises her bow.
An energy string forms.
An arrow of pure power appears.
She releases.
The arrow cuts through the sky.
Frasser moves immediately.
He intends to end the battle quickly.
Behind him, a massive upper body forms.
A faceless giant made of star energy.
It mirrors his movements.
Frasser raises his hand.
The giant does the same.
A beam of star energy erupts forward.
It collides with the arrow and erases it instantly.
Lysaa's eyes widen.
She did not expect him to go all out from the start.
Her expression turns serious.
A field of white lightning expands around her.
The beam crashes into it and is stopped.
Frasser releases his own domain.
The Star Spirit Field spreads outward.
The two fields collide violently.
The sky trembles.
They clash in close combat.
Lysaa uses her bow as a physical weapon.
Each strike carries lightning.
Frasser forms a gauntlet of star energy over his hand.
He meets her attacks head-on.
Their collision sends shockwaves outward.
The force spreads across the land.
Below, the convoy trembles under the pressure.
Then,
Merin appears.
He stands at the centre of the convoy.
His expression was calm.
His hand rises.
His field spreads outward instantly.
A massive winged virtual dragon manifests.
The dragon expands its body.
And blocks the incoming shockwaves.
Merin stands at the centre of the convoy, his gaze fixed on the battle above.
His Virtual Field spreads silently.
Every fluctuation of energy.
Every trace of law carried within their strikes.
All of it is captured and analysed.
He observes without intervening.
From what he sees, the old man holds the advantage.
Frasser fights without restraint.
There is no hesitation in his attacks.
No concern for injury.
No regard for his remaining lifespan.
In contrast, Lysaa fights with control.
With caution.
That difference slowly tilts the battle.
Time passes.
Hours slip by as the clash continues.
Gradually, the star energy giant behind Frasser grows larger.
More defined.
More solid.
Its presence begins to resemble a true celestial entity.
Then Frasser raises his hand.
The giant mirrors him.
Star energy gathers in its palm.
Condensing.
Compressing.
Until a miniature star forms.
It burns with blinding light.
The surrounding space distorts under its gravity.
Frasser thrusts his hand forward.
The giant follows.
The star shoots toward Lysaa.
It cuts through the air with terrifying force.
Lysaa reacts instantly.
She forms layer upon layer of defensive energy shields.
White lightning arcs across them.
The star collides.
One layer shatters.
Then another.
Then another.
The shields collapse one after another.
The star breaks through.
It reaches her.
And explodes.
The explosion does not spread outward normally.
Instead, it collapses inward.
A miniature black hole forms for a brief moment.
Space twists violently.
Blades of distorted space shoot outward in all directions.
They slash across Lysaa's body.
The explosion and the space blades strike simultaneously.
Blood bursts into the air.
Her defence collapses.
Her body is thrown downward.
She crashes onto the snow-covered ground.
Kneeling.
Her blood dyes the white snow red.
Above, Frasser remains in the sky.
The star giant looms behind him.
He looks down at Merin.
His voice is calm.
"Are you going to stop me?"
Merin chuckles lightly.
"There is no need to be so fierce," he says.
"You no longer have the strength."
The giant raises its hand.
As if preparing to strike.
Frasser's eyes narrow slightly.
"Are you sure?"
Merin smiles.
"I am."
"Because you still have not attacked me."
Frasser scowls.
"Perhaps I have not attacked…"
"…because of her."
His gaze shifts toward Xingli.
Merin laughs softly, then calms.
"I can let her go with you."
Frasser's eyes narrow further.
"Why do I hear a 'but'?"
Merin raises his hand.
From his spirit space, a document appears.
It floats in the air before him.
"She must sign this."
Frasser frowns.
"What is this?"
Merin releases the document.
It drifts toward Frasser.
The old man catches it and reads.
"It is a marriage contract."
Merin nods.
"Only after signing it will I allow her to leave."
Frasser lowers the document and looks at Xingli.
"Girl," he says, "I want to take you as my disciple."
"If you refuse, I will still take you away."
Xingli's heart trembles slightly.
For the first time, she feels a trace of warmth toward the old man.
"I will sign," she says.
Frasser descends.
He lands beside her and hands over the document.
At the same moment, Merin's Virtual Field tightens subtly.
It surrounds Frasser.
Preventing any sudden movement.
Preventing him from leaving with Xingli before the contract is completed.
Xingli bites her thumb.
Blood forms at the tip.
She presses it onto the document.
Her name is written in blood.
The contract glows faintly with golden light.
Merin beckons.
The document flies back toward him.
He places his mark upon it as well.
The moment he finishes,
The contract bursts into golden flames.
From the flames, a thin golden chain appears.
It links Merin and Xingli together.
Then it fades from sight.
The contract is complete.
Merin withdraws from his field.
Frasser gives him a long look.
Then, without another word, he takes Xingli and rises into the sky.
A streak of light cuts across the horizon as they leave.