After sprinting across the city from the northwest alleyway to the extreme east, the trio finally stopped in front of a mid-sized, charming hotel. The sign above the entrance read, "The Sun Abode Hotel For Everyone!"—a name as inviting as the hotel itself.
“Aren’t we leaving the city, Brother Han?” Ji Ying asked, still catching her breath from the relentless running. Han Xue was also winded, her cheeks flushed from exertion. In contrast, Han Xiao seemed completely unphased, a testament to his advanced Body Cultivation, which had clearly bolstered his stamina and endurance.
“Nope! That old man is someone with great power and experience. I believe he could hold out for a few days,” Han Xiao replied calmly as they approached the hotel. “And if he can’t, there’s no need to worry. There are plenty of veteran cultivators in this city. After all, isn’t this a war-torn city?”
Ji Ying frowned, still uneasy. “Sure, but what if things do go wrong?” she insisted, her concern evident. Unlike Han Xiao and Han Xue, she was a princess of this nation, and the thought of a disaster unfolding within her own borders weighed heavily on her.
Han Xiao gave her a reassuring smile. “If things get out of hand, the city lord and his council will intervene. They’re not amateurs—they can quarantine the area before anything disastrous happens to the rest of the city.”
Ji Ying nodded, though her worry didn’t completely dissipate. Han Xiao’s confidence was comforting, but the events of the day had shaken her more than she cared to admit. As they entered the hotel, she glanced back in the direction they had come from, her mind still lingering on the eerie encounter with the old man.
Inside, the hotel was warm and welcoming, a stark contrast to the cold tension that had gripped them just moments before. The trio was greeted by the innkeeper, and as they settled in, the weight of the day’s events slowly began to lift, replaced by the soothing comfort of the Sun Abode Hotel. But even as they relaxed, the memory of the old man and the sinister frigid law he had tried to steal from Han Xue remained, a reminder that their journey was far from over.
The next morning, the trio gathered and headed downstairs to the dining area for breakfast. As they entered, they were greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of sweet, spiced meats and an array of savory dishes that filled the air. The dining hall was bright and cheerful, a perfect contrast to the tension of the previous day.
“It’s my treat. Please, help yourselves,” Han Xiao said, gesturing towards the spread of food.
The table was laden with an extravagant assortment of healthy and delicious dishes—roasted meats glazed with honey and spices, freshly baked bread, steamed vegetables, and bowls of ripe fruits. The scent alone was enough to make their stomachs rumble in anticipation.
As they dug in, savoring the flavors and enjoying the relaxing atmosphere, the tension of the previous day began to melt away. Ji Ying and Han Xue exchanged smiles, clearly appreciating the rare moment of peace and indulgence.
Meanwhile, back in the alleyway where they had left the old man, trouble was brewing once again. The old beggar, who had spent the night wrestling with the frigid root spell he had stolen, was suddenly hit by what felt like a sucker punch from behind. The frigidness that he had thought he could tame was rebelling violently within him, freezing his very veins and turning his once-cunning smile into a grimace of pain.
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His body convulsed as the power surged uncontrollably, his earlier confidence giving way to a growing desperation. He was now locked in a deadly struggle against the very force he had sought to steal, and it was becoming painfully clear that he was losing. The alley, once filled with the muffled sounds of his sinister glee, had fallen eerily silent, save for the cracking of ice and the old man’s ragged, labored breaths.
While the trio enjoyed their breakfast in the warm, inviting dining room of the Sun Abode Hotel, the old man’s fate hung in the balance, the consequences of his greed playing out in the frozen shadows of the city.
But he wasn’t out of options. Drawing on every ounce of his experience and cunning, he activated the myriad skill roots he had accumulated over the years. One by one, they flared to life within him. Thousands of sigils, each representing a different elemental law, appeared across his skin like colorful tattoos, particularly on his face. These intricate symbols pulsed with energy, their vibrant hues shifting as they attempted to counteract the overwhelming frigid power.
Each sigil embodied a different elemental law—fire, earth, water, wind, and more—each one bringing its own force to bear against the untamable frigid root. The old man’s body glowed with an eerie light as he desperately cycled through his abilities, pitting his accumulated powers against the rebellious new skill root.
He scrambled through his repertoire, his mind racing to find a combination that could contain the frigid energy. Flames roared to life, struggling to thaw the icy tendrils that wound around his core. Earthen walls rose within his mind, attempting to imprison the cold in a solid barrier. Torrents of water and gusts of wind lashed out, striving to erode the force from within.
But the frigid root was unlike anything he had ever encountered. It defied every attempt to be tamed, growing more ferocious with each passing second. The sigils on his skin began to pulse erratically, the elemental laws they represented clashing violently with the ice that now threatened to consume him entirely.
The old man gritted his teeth, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple despite the freezing cold. “Damn it!” he cursed under his breath. “This... this is madness!” His voice was strained the effort of controlling the warring forces within him taking its toll.
He knew he was running out of time. The frigid power was relentless, and with each failed attempt to control it, the temperature around him dropped further. The alley was already a frozen wasteland, the air thick with the chill of impending doom. Even the other skill roots within him began to weaken, their power dwindling as they were slowly overrun by the relentless force of the frigid law.
Yet, the old man refused to surrender. He had faced countless dangers before and had clawed his way out of situations that would have killed lesser men. With grim determination, he activated the most potent of his abilities, a root skill he had reserved for only the direst of circumstances.
This skill was rooted in chaos, an ability that could bend the very fabric of elemental laws. As it ignited within him, the sigils on his skin twisted and merged, forming new, chaotic patterns. The alleyway shuddered as reality itself seemed to ripple around the old man, the frigid power momentarily held at bay.
But even as he fought, he knew this was a battle of attrition. He could hold out only for so long before the frigid law overwhelmed him entirely. The chaos root might buy him some time, but unless he found a way to fully contain or expel the frigid root, it would eventually consume him.
His laughter, once filled with triumph, had turned into a desperate, hollow echo in the frozen alley. The old man was now engaged in a deadly race against time, his vast knowledge and countless stolen skills pitted against a force far more powerful than he had ever imagined.
With no other options left, the old man resorted to his final, desperate trick. He quickly wove a series of hand seals, his voice rising in a chant. “Come back, you brats! Reverse summoning, activate!” he intoned, slamming his hand against the ground.
In an instant, intricate diagrams spread out like a spider's web across the ground, glowing ominously. The trio reappeared in the familiar alleyway, still chewing on their breakfast. Their expressions shifted from shock to surprise, then settled into calm understanding as they realized where they were.
“Oh, hell no! Now he’s even got the power to teleport us here. This old fart is really conniving and hateful,” Han Xiao muttered, irritation clear in his voice.
The old man, now in a visibly weakened state, ignored Han Xiao’s remark. With a strained, forceful smile, he turned to Han Xue. “Little girl, I want to return your Frigid Law. What do you say?”