The gates of Myriad Frost City stood silent behind him.
Broken.
Burned.
Dead.
Snow drifted across the ruined streets like wandering ghosts, covering the bloodstained stones little by little.
The wind howled through the shattered buildings.
It sounded almost like a farewell.
Lin Shuan didn't look back.
Not once.
Because everything worth looking at had already turned to ash.
A rough iron sword rested across his shoulder.
The blade was chipped.
The hilt was worn.
Compared to the weapons once owned by the Lin Clan, it was worthless.
But he kept carrying it.
Because the true weapon he possessed wasn't in his hand.
It was the hatred buried within his heart.
A hatred cold enough to freeze the world.
A vow.
A vow he would never forget.
"Yu Long Sect..."
"Those responsible for the destruction of my clan..."
"I will find every one of you."
"And I will make you pay."
The snow continued to fall.
And Lin Shuan continued to walk.
Toward the north.
Toward a city where information was more valuable than gold.
Toward—
Frostveil City.
Seven days passed.
Seven days of endless travel.
Seven days beneath freezing winds.
Seven days without rest.
Yet Lin Shuan never stopped.
His footsteps remained steady.
His gaze remained sharp.
His breathing remained calm.
The weak young master who once relied on the protection of his clan was slowly disappearing.
Something else was taking shape.
Something harder.
Something colder.
Something dangerous.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Suddenly—
The sound of footsteps echoed from behind.
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed.
Without turning around, he instinctively reached for the sword on his shoulder.
The approaching figures noticed the movement and quickly raised their hands.
"Easy, boy."
"We're not bandits."
Lin Shuan finally turned.
A group of rugged hunters stood behind him.
Their clothes were made from thick beast fur.
Scars covered their faces.
Years of surviving in the wilderness had left their marks upon them.
Each carried a spear.
Each carried the scent of blood and snow.
Behind them—
A large iron cage scraped against the frozen ground.
Inside the cage lay a massive white tiger.
The beast was covered in wounds.
Blood stained its snow-white fur.
Its breathing was weak.
Its body trembled from exhaustion.
Yet its eyes...
Its eyes still burned with pride.
Like a king refusing to kneel.
Lin Shuan's gaze immediately locked onto it.
For some reason—
He couldn't look away.
A strange feeling stirred deep inside him.
"What kind of beast is this?"
One of the hunters noticed his expression and laughed.
"First time seeing one?"
Lin Shuan remained silent.
The hunter didn't seem bothered.
Instead, he pointed proudly toward the cage.
"Snow Fang White Tiger."
"A rare one too."
Another hunter rolled his eyes.
"Here he goes again."
The first hunter ignored him completely.
"We nearly lost our lives capturing that monster."
He slapped the cage proudly.
The tiger immediately growled.
Even wounded—
Its presence was intimidating.
"Rank Two Mystical Beast."
"Strong enough to slaughter ordinary cultivators below the Energy Core Rank."
Lin Shuan's eyes flickered.
So this was a Rank Two beast.
The cultivation world truly was larger than he had imagined.
In Myriad Frost City, he rarely left the clan grounds.
Now—
The world was finally revealing itself.
The lead hunter suddenly spoke.
"Where are you headed, kid?"
"Frostveil City."
Lin Shuan answered honestly.
The hunters exchanged glances.
Then the lead hunter grinned.
"Good."
"We're heading there too."
"You can travel with us."
Lin Shuan remained silent.
Trusting strangers wasn't wise.
Especially after everything that had happened.
But after observing them carefully—
He sensed no hostility.
No killing intent.
No deception.
Only ordinary people trying to survive.
After a moment—
He nodded.
And so they continued together.
At first, Lin Shuan barely spoke.
He simply listened.
The hunters joked endlessly.
They argued over food.
They mocked each other's mistakes.
They laughed so loudly that even the mountains echoed back.
One complained about another snoring.
Another complained about carrying all the supplies.
The entire journey was filled with noise.
Annoying.
Pointless.
Yet strangely...
Comforting.
For the first time since the destruction of his clan—
Lin Shuan found himself watching people simply live.
No schemes.
No hidden agendas.
No fear.
Just ordinary people.
A thought quietly appeared in his mind.
"So this is what the outside world looks like..."
"People laugh like this..."
"People live like this..."
"Without worrying about status."
For a brief moment—
The burden inside his chest became slightly lighter.
Only slightly.
Several hours later—
A gigantic silhouette emerged from the snowstorm.
Lin Shuan looked up.
And froze.
Massive walls stretched across the horizon.
Towering gates rose like giants guarding the world beyond.
Ancient blue pillars stood on both sides of the entrance.
Countless glowing runes covered their surfaces.
The moment Lin Shuan looked at them—
He felt a faint pressure.
As though unseen eyes were watching every person entering the city.
One of the hunters grinned.
"Welcome."
"To Frostveil City."
The moment they entered—
The atmosphere exploded.
Noise.
Life.
Chaos.
The city was overflowing with activity.
Merchants shouted from every corner.
Cultivators walked proudly through the streets.
Rare treasures were displayed openly.
Weapon shops glowed with spiritual light.
Restaurants overflowed with customers.
Compared to the dead silence of Myriad Frost City—
This place felt alive.
Yet beneath the surface—
Lin Shuan sensed something else.
Something hidden.
Everyone here seemed to be smiling.
Yet nobody truly trusted anyone.
Every gaze carried caution.
Every conversation felt incomplete.
Every person seemed to hide a secret.
No wonder it was called—
The City of Secrets.
Eventually, the hunters stopped before a large trading plaza.
Nearby stood one of Frostveil City's most influential powers.
Xuan Yun Sect.
Although not among the great powers of the empire—
Its influence within Frostveil City was enormous.
The hunters quickly sold the Snow Fang White Tiger to a merchant company.
After a lengthy inspection—
Several boxes of medicinal resources were brought out.
The hunters immediately erupted into celebration.
Lin Shuan silently watched.
His eyes lingered on the medicines.
A familiar feeling surfaced.
The Lin Clan once possessed resources like those.
Back then—
Such items were ordinary.
Now—
They felt impossibly distant.
A life that no longer existed.
A home that no longer remained.
"Interested?"
A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
Lin Shuan turned.
The hunter named Shi Tian stood beside him.
Holding one of the reward boxes.
Shi Tian smiled.
"If you join our hunting team, you could earn resources like these."
Lin Shuan glanced at the box.
Then shook his head.
"I have something more important to do."
Shi Tian studied him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"Figured you'd say that."
After a short pause, he asked—
"Where exactly are you going?"
Lin Shuan answered immediately.
"I need a map."
Shi Tian blinked.
"A map?"
"You don't even have one?"
Lin Shuan shook his head.
For a moment—
Shi Tian looked around carefully.
Then lowered his voice.
"Don't buy one from the main market."
Lin Shuan raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because they'll cheat you."
Shi Tian answered without hesitation.
Then he pointed toward a narrow street disappearing into the depths of the city.
"Go there."
"At the end of that alley is an old shop."
"It looks like it's about to collapse."
"Most people avoid it."
"But the maps are cheap."
He paused.
His expression became strange.
"And..."
"They're different."
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Different?
For some reason—
Those words immediately caught his attention.
Without wasting another second—
He nodded.
"Thank you."
Then he turned and walked away.
Alone once more.
Toward the narrow alley.
Toward the forgotten shop.
Toward the next step of his journey.
Snow continued to fall from the sky.
The city buzzed with hidden secrets.
And somewhere ahead—
Waiting silently in the darkness—
Was an opportunity that would change Lin Shuan's fate forever.