Void Veins: The Forbidden Ascension

Chapter 24. Duel on the Cliff

Lin Ye stepped out from the shelter of the rocks, Nullification Sword gripped firm in his right hand. The biting cold touched his face, yet he scarcely felt it — his attention fixed entirely on the five figures closing in from every side. Their black armour gleamed pale beneath the overcast sky, enclosing them from neck to fingertip, leaving only narrow eye-slits that watched him with unblinking focus. These were the Iron Blood Squad's elite — warriors capable of overwhelming dozens of ordinary cultivators alone. Further off, atop a flat rock outcrop, Viper stood with arms folded, watching as if observing a performance. His wooden mask hid half his face, yet the thin, cold smile playing upon his lips spoke of satisfaction.

"Surrender, Lin Ye," Viper said, his voice calm yet commanding, as though the outcome were already decided. "You stand alone, surrounded by five Core Formation warriors. Your master is long gone, and no help will come. Resistance will only prolong your suffering."

Lin Ye said nothing. He did not bow, did not flinch, did not step back. His eyes moved swiftly, mapping every position. They stood in perfect pentagon formation — each covering the blind spots of the others; strike one, and four would strike back. No mere rank-and-file arrangement — this was a killing array, designed to crush even far stronger foes.

But Lin Ye had no intention of meeting them head-on. He glanced down at the ground beneath him — the valley floor sheathed in thin ice, fine cracks spreading everywhere like a fragile web.

"Mo Yuan," he called silently, sharp and clear. "Can you emit a low-frequency shockwave? Strong enough to unsettle the ice beneath them."

"It will drain much of my remaining energy," Mo Yuan replied, sounding strained. Then warmth spread from Lin Ye's chest. "But… very well. Do it. Brace yourself — you will feel it too."

Lin Ye stamped his foot hard against the ice. A faint violet ripple sped outward — invisible to the eye, yet felt deep in the bones. Fine cracks widened rapidly, the ice groaning aloud. The soldiers swayed, their balance broken, their footing uncertain.

"Now!" Lin Ye shouted.

The ice gave way beneath two of them. Without warning, they plunged into a three-metre fissure, trapped instantly by the biting cold that seeped through their armour and stilled their limbs. The pentagon shattered.

Lin Ye surged forward before the others could reform. The close-quarters fight was swift, brutal, and unsparing. He did not fight with grace — he fought dirty: striking fast, changing direction, kicking at knee joints, using his opponent's own momentum against them, turning every rock and crevice into a weapon. One soldier's blade bit into his left arm; fire and pain flared, yet Lin Ye ignored it completely. He closed the gap, caught the man's wrist, and drove his sword through the neck joint of the armour. The soldier fell still.

The remaining two backed away cautiously, keeping their distance. They saw now that this youth was no easy prey.

Suddenly another shadow dropped between them. Viper alighted as softly as a snowflake, scarcely leaving a mark. He raised one hand, and his emerald-green whip uncoiled, spinning fast to form a barrier of crackling light that cut Lin Ye off from his foes.

"Enough games," Viper said coldly. "You are far more troublesome than I expected."

His arm moved. The whip lashed out too fast to follow. Lin Ye felt only a sharp gust of wind before he was hurled backward, slamming hard against the rock face. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the white snow. His ribs — already mended but never whole — screamed in fresh agony.

Viper advanced, the whip's tip levelled at Lin Ye's throat. "Where has Shen Kui gone? And what was truly inside that chest?"

Lin Ye smiled through blood. "He is far away. And the chest… was empty."

Viper frowned behind his mask. "What?"

Before he could press further, a deafening explosion roared from the north — shaking the mountain itself. Shen Kui had triggered the lava tunnel trap, sealing the path behind them. But it also meant something else.

A signal.

The sky above turned black. Clouds swirled into a massive vortex directly over the peak. From the heart of the darkness came a rumble — not thunder, not wind — the sound of colossal footsteps shaking the very earth.

"He is coming," Mo Yuan whispered, and fear was plain in his voice. "The Void-Walker. He has awakened."

Viper stared upward, his face draining of colour. "Impossible… the ritual is incomplete. He should not be able to rise."

Lin Ye laughed, though every breath was agony. "You are all the same — fools. Did you think you could command the Void? It cannot be ruled. It simply waits for the moment to devour its masters."

Through the roiling cloud, a pair of colossal eyes opened — blood-red, each as wide as a lake, gazing straight down at them upon the narrow ledge.