The Ye Clan's riverbank gleamed under noon's harsh light, its pebbles slick with mist, the valley's pines swaying as the ravine's cracked arch pulsed frost-qi, sharp and alive. The air hummed with earth and cold iron, the jade box's cracked arrays leaking frost against Lin Feng's chest, its chant—Yan Huo, rise—a drum in his blood. He stood at the bank's curve, frail frame taut, muddy-brown eyes scanning the eastern woods where Heaven's Pulse Sense caught silk rustling—twenty Iron Fang scouts, Body Tempering 6, Kang Wei's noon strike from Wu Shen's peak. The seal within roared, golden fracture surging, pain forging Body Tempering 3 toward 4, Zhan Tian's soul a blade keening for release. Visions flickered—jade seals breaking, voids yawning, Tian Xu's betrayal a chain tightening.
Ye Ling crouched low, rusty dagger glinting, qi blazing—Body Tempering 3, Starveil's flame a fierce torch, eyes hungry. Her braid was knotted, voice a spark. "They're here," she said, gripping dirt. "More than dawn—feels heavy."
"Iron Fang," Lin Feng replied, tone cold, palming a rune-stone. "Twenty, Kang again. We crush them."
Ye Chen limped up, sling loaded, ward-etched pebble pulsing—Body Tempering 1, nearing 2, a spark sharpening. His gaze flicked to the river, then Lin Feng. "Twenty's thick," he said, blunt. "Shuang's forty broke. We good?"
"We're steel," Lin Feng said, Heaven's Thread coiling—a qi tether ready. "Bank pins them. Traps first."
Ye Qing's call echoed from the gate—gruff, steady. "Feng! East woods moving!" He stood with his spear, Ye Hua beside, knife sharp, guarding Ye Jun and Ye Mei behind stakes. Traps hummed—thorn snares, qi nets, rune wards—reset after the dusk rout. Lin Feng faced them, his presence a flame in the noon glare. "Iron Fang's noon probe," he said, voice cutting the hum. "Twenty, Body Tempering 6. We don't yield."
Ye Qing's spear tapped stone, nod firm. "We're rock, lad. Plan?"
"Bank ambush," Lin Feng said. "I lead, Ling left, Chen right—stones high. Qing, gate holds. Hua, kids—last line."
Ye Ling's qi flared, dagger spinning—Body Tempering 3, bright and fierce. "Time to reap," she said, darting left, blending with pines. Ye Chen took the right, sling ready, qi pulsing on a rise. Ye Qing braced at the gate, Ye Hua's knife gleamed, and the kids clutched sticks, eyes steady despite fear.
Lin Feng slipped along the bank, Pulse Sense mapping twenty—Kang Wei's qi at Body Tempering 6, nineteen others, blue silk flashing, blades and arrays—qi nets, light wards—glowing faint. Wu Shen's probe, hunting the jade box. He knelt by a snare, rune-stone sparking—wards hummed, ready to bite. The seal burned, Heaven's Veil shimmering—a faint shield, qi golden.
Kang emerged, sword raised, qi steady, scars fresh from dawn. "Feng!" he shouted, eyes narrow. "Your box—Wu Shen wants it. Valley's done—hand it over."
Lin Feng stepped out, Veil flickering. "Kang," he said, smirk sharp. "Back to bleed? Wu's desperate."
Kang's qi surged, sword slashing—a qi arc, sect-sharp, Body Tempering 6 grit. Lin Feng's Veil shimmered, deflecting, pebbles scattering as he darted right, Thread lashing Kang's wrist—a tug threw the strike wide. Anchor Strike cracked Kang's shoulder—a snap, blood welling—Kang staggered, snarling, sword trembling.
The scouts charged—blades flashing, nets sparking, qi spiking. Lin Feng's rune-stone flared—wards erupted, riverbank trembling, five snared in thorns, cursing as qi drained. Ye Ling struck from the left, dagger a blur—qi roared, Body Tempering 3 blazing, slashing a scout's arm. Blood sprayed, the man falling as she dodged a blade, grinning wild. "Slow!" she taunted, qi surging, flame fierce.
Ye Chen's sling cracked—a ward-stone smashed a scout's jaw, qi slowing, body crumpling. His qi pulsed—Body Tempering 1, edging toward 2, pebble glowing. "Stay down," he growled, stones raining—three fell, skulls cracked, wards flaring.
Kang rallied, dagger drawn, qi surging. "Demon!" he roared, lunging—blade aimed at Lin Feng's chest. The seal flared, Veil solidifying, blocking; Thread bound Kang's ankle, yanking him down. Anchor Strike hammered his ribs—a crunch, blood spraying—Kang gasped, dagger skittering.
The bank shook—traps bit, nets drained, wards sparked. Lin Feng's Veil strained under twin blades—Body Tempering 6, sharp and fast. He spun, Thread snaring a sword, Strike crushing a scout's ribs—bone snapped, breath gone. Another struck—Lin Feng ducked, Strike breaking a knee, blood pooling. The seal roared, pain searing—golden qi pushed Body Tempering 4's spark, strength flooding.
Ye Ling's dagger reaped—three scouts bled, thighs slashed, her qi a beacon, Body Tempering 3 solidifying. She dodged a net, striking a shin, toppling another. Ye Chen's stones felled four—jaws cracked, wards sparking, his qi nearing Body Tempering 2's edge. Ye Qing's spear guarded the gate, Ye Hua's knife ready, kids' sticks poised.
Ten scouts stood, qi fading, blades slowing. Lin Feng's rune-stone flared—wards trapped five, thorns biting, screams rising. Ye Ling's dagger claimed two, Ye Chen's stones two, leaving Kang and one. Kang crawled, blood dripping, qi spent. "Void Fang's yours," he gasped, eyes wild. "Yan Huo'll burn you!"
"Burn's later," Lin Feng said, looming, qi a golden storm. He flicked a ward—bank split, the last scout snared. Kang fled, limping, blue silk fading into pines.
Ye Ling laughed, dagger raised, qi blazing—Body Tempering 3, fierce and bright. "Dogs scatter!" she shouted, blood streaking her grin. Ye Chen lowered his sling, qi pulsing—Body Tempering 1, nearly 2. "They're done," he said, blunt, eyes on Lin Feng. "Box breaking?"
Ye Qing's voice boomed, spear steady. "You're a damn blaze, lad! Iron Fang's dust!"
Ye Hua bound wounds, gratitude raw. "You're our steel," she said, pressing rags to cuts, Ye Jun and Ye Mei beaming, sticks dirt-smeared but proud.
Lin Feng nodded, blood dripping, seal quieting—Body Tempering 4's spark flickered, pain his forge. "Rest," he said, pulling the jade box free. Its frost poured, arrays shattered—Yan Huo, rise—syncing with the ravine's pulse, earth trembling.
At the ravine, Lin Feng knelt, Ye Ling and Ye Chen watching, mist thick. The box's runes blazed, frost heavy—Void Fang Relic, Tian Xu's chain. He touched it, seal roaring—a vision surged: Yan Huo's shadow, jade seal raised, void tearing, whispering, "Relic frees, gods fall." Pain spiked, qi flooding—Body Tempering 4 trembled, strength coiling.
Ye Ling's qi flared, eyes sharp. "It's open," she said, dagger steady. "What's it calling?"
"Fate," Lin Feng said, box cold in his grip. The chant roared—Yan Huo, awake—crack flooding silver light.
Ye Chen's pebble rolled, qi steady. "That's no lock," he said, blunt. "It's a spark."
"Sparks burn," Lin Feng replied, rising. Pulse Sense caught silk—silver, frost-cold, north cliffs, chanting—Yan Huo, rise. The shadow, jade seal raised, closed in.
At the gate, Lin Feng drilled Ye Ling, Dawn's Thread pushing her qi—Body Tempering 3, nearing 4's spark. "Core, not rage," he said, guiding her stance. Her qi spiked, grin fierce.
Ye Chen sparred, sling cracking—Body Tempering 1, hitting 2, wards glowing. "It's… heavy," he said, pebble sparking.
Ye Hua brought water, eyes fierce. "You're our storm," she said, cups trembling. Ye Jun babbled, Ye Mei's gaze bright.
Lin Feng gazed north, seal humming. The shadow paused, frost-qi spiking, jade seal blazing—a pulse shook the ravine, box trembling, as Ye Chen gripped his sling, voice low. "That shade—it's not hunting you, is it? It's waiting for—"