Volume - 4th — The Frozen Thorne Inheritance.
Far beyond the borders of Da Cang Empire—
beyond the endless mountain chains and the black deserts where spiritual storms devoured the sky—
there existed a declining empire.
Yue Sha Empire.
An empire feared once.
An empire respected once.
An empire that had risen from blood and darkness nearly one thousand years ago.
At that time—
the world had not taken Yue Sha seriously.
It had been a weak land.
Small.
Broken.
Surrounded by stronger powers.
But then—
everything changed.
Because they discovered something hidden beneath the ancient ruins of their territory.
Black Panthers.
Not ordinary beasts—
but mutated talismanic creatures capable of devouring spiritual essence and evolving endlessly through slaughter.
The Yue Sha royal family used those creatures as their hidden trump card.
And for nearly two hundred years—
their empire rose rapidly like a dark star.
Wars were won.
Territories were conquered.
Countless sects fell beneath their claws.
The black panther banners of Yue Sha once spread terror across the eastern regions of Tian Yuan Continent.
At their peak—
even large empires avoided provoking them directly.
But power born through shortcuts—
rarely lasts forever.
As centuries passed—
the Black Panthers gradually became unstable.
Harder to control.
More violent.
Some even began devouring their own masters.
The Yue Sha bloodline itself also weakened generation after generation.
Their strongest techniques began disappearing.
Ancient inheritances were lost.
Royal descendants became corrupted by greed and internal conflict.
And slowly—
the once-rising empire began falling.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until eventually—
Yue Sha Empire became one of the weakest empires in the eastern regions.
An empire mocked by others.
An empire surviving only through schemes and hidden methods.
For hundreds of years—
they remained trapped at the bottom.
Watching stronger empires continue advancing.
Watching geniuses rise everywhere except Yue Sha.
Watching themselves slowly decay.
But then—
hope appeared once more.
A desperate hope.
"If our empire lacks treasures…"
"Then we'll take them from others."
That single idea changed everything.
Instead of wasting resources nurturing ordinary warriors—
Yue Sha Empire began secretly gathering only the most talented children from birth.
The survivors were trained mercilessly.
Fed with beast blood.
Thrown into death arenas.
Forced to kill each other.
And the strongest among them—
would be sent into other empires disguised as tournament participants.
If they could win—
they could obtain treasures.
Techniques.
Ancient herbs.
Resources.
Anything capable of helping Yue Sha rise again.
At first—
they believed the plan would work.
But reality was cruel.
The large empires of Tian Yuan Continent possessed terrifying foundations.
Their geniuses were overwhelming.
Again and again—
Yue Sha warriors failed.
Some died.
Some disappeared.
Some returned broken.
The empire lost almost everything.
Until finally—
they discovered Da Cang Empire.
An empire located at the eastern edge of Tian Yuan Continent.
An empire that had risen immediately after the collapse of an ancient imperial dynasty long ago.
Compared to the central great empires—
Da Cang appeared younger.
Smaller.
Less terrifying.
At least—
on the surface.
But hidden within Da Cang—
were treasures so ancient…
that even larger empires could not imagine possessing them.
Rumors spoke of forgotten inheritances.
Ancient formations.
Sealed ruins.
And relics connected to the era before the great collapse itself.
When Yue Sha learned this—
their entire royal family became restless.
This—
was their chance.
Their final chance.
And so—
they sent their greatest genius of this generation.
Hei Luo.
The warrior raised within darkness.
The man who carried the hopes of an entire empire.
The hidden blade meant to carve open Da Cang Empire from within.
But in the end—
he died there.
Not only defeated—
but erased completely.
His existence buried beneath absolute frost.
And with him—
Yue Sha Empire's last hope for revival was destroyed.
The moment news reached Yue Sha—
the entire royal palace descended into fury.
Several elders shattered their seats instantly.
One prince killed dozens of servants in rage.
The emperor himself remained silent for three days.
Then—
a decision was made.
Cold.
Cruel.
Dangerous.
"If Yue Sha cannot rise…"
"Then Da Cang must bleed with us."
And thus—
their eyes turned toward another force within Da Cang Empire itself.
Yu Long Sect.
The strongest sect beneath the imperial authority.
A monstrous existence hidden beneath the empire's surface.
And coincidentally—
Yu Long Sect also had reason to hate one particular person.
Shuan Hao.
The white-robed monster who killed Yan Lie.
The youth who erased Yue Sha's rising star.
The one whose appearance had disrupted too many plans.
And so—
far away in darkness—
an alliance quietly began forming.
One built on revenge.
One built on blood.
One built on killing a single young man.
Meanwhile—
inside the imperial palace of Da Cang Empire—
everything felt strangely peaceful.
Quiet winds drifted through the golden halls.
Spiritual lanterns illuminated ancient corridors softly.
The outside world remained in chaos.
But deep inside one isolated chamber—
a young man lay unconscious upon a large bed.
Shuan Hao.
No—
Lin Shuan.
His body was still covered in injuries from the tournament.
Deep wounds.
Damaged meridians.
Exhausted spiritual veins.
The Frost Divine Heart had nearly consumed him completely.
And beside him—
sat the Empire Protector.
Still wearing crimson robes.
Still cold and untouchable before the world.
But here—
alone—
she looked different.
For fifteen entire days—
she barely left the room.
Day and night—
her Luo Essence flowed continuously into Lin Shuan's body.
Healing him.
Protecting him.
Watching over him.
At times—
she simply sat quietly beside him.
Looking at his sleeping face.
Saying nothing.
Other times—
she remembered the past.
And every memory only made her heart ache more deeply.
Outside the room—
rumors spread endlessly through the empire.
About Shuan Hao.
About the Frost Divine Heart.
About the frozen arena.
About the deaths of Yan Lie and Hei Luo.
The empire had become restless.
But Lin Shuan knew none of it.
Because during those fifteen days—
his consciousness drifted elsewhere.
Into darkness.
Into memories.
Into fear.
Inside his dantian—
he stood alone.
Surrounded by countless people.
Yet no one approached him.
No one spoke.
No one smiled.
Whenever they looked toward him—
their eyes only carried fear.
Disgust.
Rejection.
The same looks he had seen throughout his childhood.
The useless child.
The cripple unable to cultivate.
The shame of the Lin Clan.
Lin Shuan stood silently among them.
But the crowd slowly moved away from him.
Further.
And further.
Until he stood completely alone.
Darkness began spreading beneath his feet.
Cold.
Heavy.
Endless.
And then—
he started falling.
The darkness pulled him downward endlessly.
As though the abyss itself had chosen him.
As though his future belonged there.
The deeper he fell—
the colder everything became.
The voices around him distorted.
Mocking him.
Rejecting him.
Abandoning him.
Then suddenly—
Lin Shuan's eyes snapped open.
"KH—!!"
He coughed violently while sitting upright.
Sweat covered his body instantly.
The darkness vanished.
Reality returned.
The palace chamber appeared before him.
The crimson curtains.
The warm lantern light.
The faint scent of spiritual herbs.
And sitting beside him—
the Empire Protector.
The moment Lin Shuan woke—
she stopped circulating her healing essence immediately.
Because by now—
he had almost fully recovered.
Fifteen days.
It had taken him fifteen entire days to heal completely.
Lin Shuan breathed heavily for several moments before calming himself.
The Empire Protector quietly looked at him.
"…you're awake."
Her voice was calm.
But beneath it—
relief hid carefully.
Lin Shuan glanced toward her briefly.
Then away.
"…how long?"
"Fifteen days."
His eyes widened slightly.
Fifteen days…
No wonder his body felt completely restored.
Even stronger.
The Empire Protector stood slowly.
"You should rest more."
Then—
without waiting for a reply—
she turned and walked toward the chamber doors.
But before leaving—
she paused briefly.
"…don't force yourself too hard."
And then—
she left.
The room became silent again.
Lin Shuan sat quietly for a while.
Then—
his eyes slowly sharpened.
A rare opportunity.
A room filled with imperial spiritual formations.
Dense Luo Essence.
Complete isolation.
Perfect for cultivation.
Without hesitation—
he immediately crossed his legs and began circulating energy.
The Frost Divine Heart pulsed slowly inside him.
Silver lightning spread across his meridians.
The Energy Crystals he absorbed earlier began refining rapidly.
Wave after wave of spiritual energy surged into his dantian.
His aura started rising.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Denser.
Hours passed.
Then—
BOOOOOOM!!
A burst of energy exploded outward from his body.
The chamber trembled slightly.
Silver lightning flashed violently around him before slowly calming again.
Lin Shuan opened his eyes sharply.
Four-Star Energy Core Rank.
He had broken through again.
A faint grin appeared on his face.
Then suddenly—
an old familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
"Boy…"
"…you really know how to take advantage of opportunities."
Lin Shuan instantly rolled his eyes.
"Tian Wuchen…"
The ancient master's laughter echoed faintly.
"Not bad."
Then suddenly—
his tone became strange.
"…there's something I need to tell you."
Lin Shuan frowned slightly.
"What secret?"
Then smirked.
"Don't tell me there's someone even older than you?"
Silence.
Then—
"…not that."
"It's that girl."
Lin Shuan blinked.
"That girl?"
Then suddenly realized.
"Wait—who?"
Tian Wuchen sounded annoyed immediately.
"The one you people call Empire Protector!"
Lin Shuan nodded slowly.
"…yeah?"
A pause.
Then—
"What about her? Don't tell me she's not actually a girl?"
Silence.
Dangerous silence.
Then suddenly—
BAM!!
Tian Wuchen directly emerged halfway from the pendant and smacked Lin Shuan on the head.
Lin Shuan instantly lowered his head.
"MASTER! What did I do?!"
Tian Wuchen glared furiously.
"Idiot!"
Then his expression turned serious.
"That girl…"
"…is not human."
Lin Shuan froze.
Tian Wuchen's eyes narrowed deeply.
"She is… an ancient divine beast."
Silence exploded inside the room.
Lin Shuan's eyes widened so much they nearly fell out.
"…WHAT?!"
He immediately covered his own mouth afterward.
Then whispered loudly—
"…a divine beast?!"
But moments later—
he looked at Tian Wuchen suspiciously.
"…Master…"
"…you're also basically a beast yourself."
"You torture your disciple mercilessly."
"And now you're calling others beasts?"
Tian Wuchen's face darkened.
"…I AM a divine beast."
Lin Shuan froze again.
Tian Wuchen snorted proudly.
"That is exactly why…"
"…I can sense others of my kind."
Lin Shuan stared at him with complete disbelief.
His brain nearly stopped functioning.
Tian Wuchen continued slowly.
"When you entered her bathing area before…"
Lin Shuan instantly coughed violently.
"MASTER WHY ARE YOU BRINGING THAT UP AGAIN?!"
Tian Wuchen ignored him completely.
"…I sensed something strange from her aura."
"But at that time…"
"…it was unclear."
His eyes became deeper.
"However…"
"…during these past fifteen days…"
"When she remained beside you day and night…"
"…healing you continuously…"
"…her aura became clearer."
Tian Wuchen's expression slowly turned grave.
"And now…"
"…I am certain."
Lin Shuan swallowed nervously.
"…certain about what?"
Tian Wuchen stared directly at him.
"She belongs to one of the ancient divine beast bloodlines."
Lin Shuan felt chills spread through his body.
Ancient divine beasts.
Those words alone carried terrifying weight.
Tian Wuchen slowly looked upward.
As though remembering a distant age.
"Ten thousand years ago…"
"…at the peak of this universe…"
"…three supreme divine beast races stood above everything."
Lin Shuan's heartbeat quickened.
Tian Wuchen's voice became almost legendary.
"The Heavenly Dragon Clan."
"The Ancient Phoenix Clan."
"And…"
"…the White Fox Clan."
The room itself seemed heavier after those names were spoken.
"These three races…"
"…stood at the absolute peak."
"Empires feared them."
"Sects bowed before them."
"Even gods avoided provoking them."
Lin Shuan's breathing became unstable.
Because he understood what those words meant.
Peak of the universe.
Invincible existence.
Unreachable monsters.
Then Tian Wuchen slowly narrowed his eyes.
"And your Empire Protector…"
"…likely belongs to one of those forgotten bloodlines."
Lin Shuan nearly lost consciousness hearing that.
"…impossible…"
Then suddenly—
everything about her began making sense.
Her terrifying pressure.
Her emotionless cruelty.
Her overwhelming aura.
The way even experts feared her.
Lin Shuan muttered slowly—
"…so the legends were true…"
"…she really isn't ordinary…"
Then suddenly frowned.
"Wait."
"There's something I don't understand."
Tian Wuchen looked toward him.
Lin Shuan spoke carefully.
"What's the difference between ancient beasts… divine beasts… and mystical beasts?"
Tian Wuchen nodded slowly.
"Good question."
Then his expression became serious.
"Ancient beasts…"
"…are creatures born in ancient eras."
"Powerful."
"Rare."
"Sometimes intelligent."
"But they are still beasts of this world."
He raised one finger.
"Divine beasts are different."
"They possess divine bloodlines."
"True inherited laws."
"The ability to evolve endlessly."
"Their existence itself can influence heaven and earth."
His voice deepened further.
"And mystical beasts…"
"…are stranger."
"They are creatures connected to illusion, destiny, ancient formations, spiritual mysteries, or forbidden transformations."
"Some are born."
"Some are created."
"Some are neither living nor dead."
Lin Shuan listened silently.
Then Tian Wuchen looked toward the palace doors slowly.
"The Empire Protector…"
"…feels like all three overlap within her somehow."
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…what does that mean?"
Tian Wuchen exhaled slowly.
"It means…"
"…her existence itself may be a forgotten secret from ancient times."
And for the first time in a long while—
even Tian Wuchen's eyes carried caution.