Fight with Demon wolf

Han Yue woke up in her icy hideout, her body still sore but stronger after two days of rest. The healing pills had done their job – her ribs no longer stabbed her with every breath. She ate a dry ration cake from her bag, drank melted snow, and stepped outside.

The secret realm's pale sun hung low, casting long shadows over the frozen landscape. She needed herbs. Not for glory or power, but to make more healing pills. Her stash was running low, and this realm's plants were far stronger than ordinary ones.

She moved quietly, using the Phantom Veil Technique to blur her presence. Her new Frozen Veil Phantom Art made her steps lighter than snowflakes. No beasts noticed her as she crept through frost-covered pines, her eyes scanning the ground.

Then she smelled it – a sharp, sweet scent cutting through the cold. *Moonfrost Lilies*. Rare flowers that bloomed only in places thick with ice energy. Their petals could heal deep wounds and strengthen frost-based cultivation.

Following the smell, she reached a hidden valley. A small frozen lake glittered in the centre, surrounded by glowing blue lilies. Their petals shimmered like crushed diamonds, and their stems pulsed with faint light. Perfect.

But Han Yue didn't rush. Good things in cultivation worlds always had traps. She threw a pebble into the lake. The ice didn't crack. No monsters rose. Only the lilies swayed gently, untouched.

Carefully, she knelt by the nearest flower. These couldn't be plucked like weeds – their roots were delicate. One wrong move, and the medicinal energy would vanish. Pulling out a jade shovel from her bag, she dug wide around the plant, preserving every thread-like root.

Patience, she reminded herself. This wasn't a battle, but it required focus. She worked for hours, harvesting twelve lilies without damaging a single petal. The cold numbed her fingers, but she didn't stop.

As she placed the last lily in her storage bag, she spotted something behind a rock – a cluster of Frostfern, its silver leaves curled tight like sleeping caterpillars. Even rarer than the lilies. Frostfern leaves, when brewed into tea, could sharpen spiritual senses. Exactly what she needed to master her new techniques.

But Frostfern was tricky. It only opened its leaves at dawn, and touching it too early would make it wither. Han Yue sighed. She'd have to wait here overnight.

Building a small ice shelter with her powers, she settled in. No fires, no noise. She ate another ration cake and meditated, her senses stretched for danger. The night passed quietly, the realm's strange stars wheeling above.

At dawn's first light, the Frostfern unfurled. Han Yue moved quickly, using a bone knife to slice the leaves without touching them. As she worked, a shadow passed overhead – a giant ice owl, its feathers like shards of glass. It stared at her with moon-white eyes but didn't attack. Maybe it sensed she meant no harm.

By midday, her bag held twenty Frostfern leaves and thirty Moonfrost Lilies. More than enough.

On her way back, she found a cracked boulder oozing Stone Sap, a sticky golden substance that could reinforce bones after injuries. She scraped it into a vial, ignoring its bitter smell. Her ribs would thank her later.

No fights. No stolen treasures. Just quiet, careful gathering. As she returned to her hideout, Han Yue allowed herself a small smile. In this deadly realm, she had found victory not through swords or talismans, but through patience and knowing when to move silently.

Han Yue sat cross-legged in her icy hideout, the cold air biting her cheeks. Her ribs still ached, but the pain was dull now – a reminder, not a warning. The Frozen Veil Phantom Art swirled in her mind like a half-remembered dream. She needed to master it before venturing deeper into the secret realm.

Closing her eyes, she replayed the technique's teachings: "Move with the frost, not against it. Let your body become the mist."

Easy to say, hard to do.

She started small. Holding out her palm, she focused her ice spiritual energy. A wisp of cold air formed, dancing above her skin. Slowly, it thickened into a tiny cloud of mist. The mist shimmered, flickering like a candle flame.

Too unstable.

She tried again, calming her breathing. This time, the mist held its shape – a faint, foggy copy of her hand. Progress.

For hours, Han Yue practised. First, she created mist. Then, she shaped it. The Frozen Veil Phantom Art wasn't just about hiding—it was about tricking the eye. A well-made afterimage could make enemies strike at empty air while she slipped away unseen.

By nightfall, she could make a hazy copy of her entire arm. It flickered like a ghost, lasting only three breaths before dissolving. Frustration gnawed at her.

"Patience," she muttered, chewing on a tasteless ration cake. "Even masters start as fools."

The next morning, she tried something new. Standing in the cramped crevice, she focused on her feet. Ice energy prickled in her veins as she took a step.

A faint afterimage of her shoe appeared on the ground.

Her heart leapt. Closer.

She repeated the movement, pouring more energy into the technique. This time, when she stepped sideways, a blurry copy of her leg lingered for a heartbeat. Cold sweat dripped down her neck—the effort drained her spiritual energy quickly.

But she didn't stop.

On the third day, Han Yue risked leaving her hideout. Dawn painted the sky in pale blues as she stood in a snowy clearing, far from lurking beasts.

Time for the real test.

She breathed deeply, letting the Frozen Veil Phantom Art's teachings flood her mind. Then—she moved.

Her body darted forward, ice energy trailing behind her like a comet's tail. For one glorious moment, a misty copy of herself hovered where she'd stood. It lasted barely a second before crumbling, but it worked.

A laugh escaped her—sharp and surprised. She hadn't laughed in months.

By afternoon, she could create two afterimages in quick succession. They weren't perfect—translucent and shaky—but enough to confuse an untrained eye. Her spiritual energy reserves dipped dangerously low, forcing her to stop.

Sitting on a frost-covered rock, she studied her trembling hands. The technique was harsh, demanding precision she didn't have yet. But it fit her like a second skin. Quiet. Deceptive. *Safe.*

No swords. No blood. Just her, the cold, and the art of vanishing.

As the sun set, Han Yue returned to her hideout, a plan forming. With this technique, she could explore the secret realm without fighting. Steal treasures under everyone's nose. Survive.

For the first time since entering this frozen hell, hope felt like more than a foolish dream.

******

The demon wolf lunged from the shadows, its fur black as tar and eyes glowing blood-red. Han Yue barely dodged, the beast's fangs snapping inches from her throat. It was fast – too fast – and its claws left deep gashes in the ice where she had stood moments ago.

She countered instantly, swinging Glacial Rain in a sharp arc, executing the Feather Light Slash of her Frostfeather Sword Art. The blade hummed as it sliced the wolf's flank, drawing a howl of pain. Dark blood steamed against the snow, but the beast did not retreat. Instead, it circled her, sniffing the air – hunting her weakness. The moment it charged again, claws aiming for her legs, Han Yue activated her Frozen Veil Phantom Art, leaving behind a misty afterimage. The beast tore through the illusion, snarling in confusion as she reappeared behind it. She slashed downward, releasing a crescent wave of ice energy, then triggered a wind talisman to accelerate the attack. The wolf leaped aside, but the strike still grazed its hind leg, freezing the limb in frost. For a moment, it staggered, but then its body convulsed, muscles swelling unnaturally as dark qi erupted from its fur. The frost on its leg cracked and fell away. Han Yue barely had time to raise her Ice Veil Barrier before the beast lunged again. Claws screeched against the ice, cracks spreading across her shield. She retaliated with a fire blast talisman, hurling it at the ground beneath the wolf. The explosion sent it flying, singed and smoldering, but the beast rolled back to its feet, its eyes burning with unyielding rage.

Darting sideways, she activated her Glacial Phantom Steps, her movement blurring as she evaded the beast's pursuit. With a flick of her wrist, she sent Frostbite Needles flying. Two struck the beast's shoulder, ice spreading over its fur. It yelped but shook off the frost, adapting faster than she had expected. Han Yue narrowed her eyes. This wasn't working. She needed a new approach. Weaving her Frozen Veil Phantom Art with Glacial Phantom Steps, she split into multiple afterimages – three, then five – feinting left, then right. The wolf hesitated, eyes darting between illusions. In that instant, she struck, unleashing a Frostfeather Dance Slash, but the beast twisted mid-air, its claws meeting her blade in a shower of sparks.

Then she saw it – the wolf's wounds were healing. Black qi knitted its flesh together, its injuries closing at an unnatural pace. Han Yue's heart pounded. This wasn't an ordinary Level 1 beast – it was evolving, feeding on the corrupted energy of the secret realm.

Her grip on Glacial Rain tightened. If normal attacks wouldn't work, she would have to push beyond her limits. Pouring every ounce of spiritual energy into her sword, the blade glowed blinding white. With a battle cry, she unleashed a Frozen Moon Slash, doubling its power, sending a devastating wave of ice crashing towards the wolf.

The beast roared, meeting her attack head-on. Dark qi and frost collided with a deafening boom, sending Han Yue skidding across the ice. Her ribs screamed in protest as she tumbled, barely managing to stay on her feet. Across from her, the wolf collapsed – but only for a moment. It rose again, one eye sealed shut by frost, its breath ragged yet filled with primal hatred. Both combatants circled each other, panting, battered, yet unwilling to yield. Han Yue's talismans were nearly depleted, her techniques stretched to their limits. The wolf's fur bristled, its remaining eye locking onto her with unwavering fury.

This wasn't over.

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