Chapter 10: Sword, Snow, and Slapstick

The Ice Vein Labyrinth pulsed with subtle energy as Lin Tian stood up from his meditative state. The frost orbs had long since dimmed—emptied of their essence and absorbed into his meridians.

Snowflakes swirled around him, dancing lightly in the cold air, yet none dared to touch his body.

His control over Ice Intent had sharpened. The chill no longer fought him—it welcomed him, followed his will.

Just as he turned to leave the cavern—

> BANG!

A blinding light flashed behind him.

A clumsy, wailing figure flew out of one of the icy tunnels and crashed straight into his back, knocking him forward and face-first into a shallow snowbank.

"Ow—ow ow ow! My hip!"

Lin Tian grunted, slowly lifting his face out of the snow.

Behind him, a boy rolled around, robes half-frozen, hair spiked in all directions like a snowball had exploded on him. He was around Lin Tian's age, maybe younger—but somehow already a mess.

"Oh? Did I hit someone? Wait, don't be dead!" The boy scrambled up and stared at Lin Tian's back, then gasped. "Ah! Wait! That sword—heaven-grade?! Are you a boss?! I surrender!"

Lin Tian stood up slowly, brushing snow off his robes. His eye twitched. "You have three seconds to explain."

"Wait, wait, don't kill me!" the boy yelled, hands raised in surrender. "My name's Zhao Chen! I took a wrong turn in the Labyrinth. Every orb I touched exploded! Then a wall cracked open, a snow beast roared at me, and I ran straight down a slide that shot me out of an ice pipe—"

Lin Tian blinked.

> An… ice pipe?

"Then boom! Here I am! Haha… fate, right?" Zhao Chen grinned.

Lin Tian sheathed his sword and walked past him. "Stay out of my way."

But Zhao Chen followed behind like a snow-hardened puppy. "You're really strong, aren't you? Can I follow you? I'm not that useful in fights, but I can cook! And dig! And scream really loudly when danger appears—"

A snowball hit him square in the face.

Lin Tian didn't look back.

---

Elsewhere in the Trial Realm...

The veiled girl stood near a hot spring deep in a hidden alcove, her sword in hand. Her robes steamed slightly as she guarded the perimeter.

She had found the Ice Phoenix Feather, a rare legacy item glowing within a bed of silver lilies. It was the reward of the third trial, and it could only be claimed by one person.

Her hand extended toward it.

Rustle.

A shadow moved in the bushes nearby.

Her blade spun in a deadly arc.

"Who's there?!"

From the mist emerged Lin Tian, brushing aside low-hanging branches, a bemused look on his face.

She froze.

He blinked.

They both realized what kind of place he'd just wandered into—a steaming spring, faint mist, her veil lowered slightly, robes sticking to her skin—

Zhao Chen tumbled out behind him. "Wait for me, big bro Tian! I think I saw a spirit rabbit—huh? Why's the air so awkward?"

SLAP!

The girl's palm cracked across Lin Tian's cheek.

"Pervert!"

Before Lin Tian could explain, an icy gale sent him flying backwards, bouncing off a pine tree with a thud.

Zhao Chen gulped. "I—uh—I didn't see anything, I swear!"

He turned to run.

SLAP!

---

Later…

Lin Tian sat under a tree, rubbing his cheek.

Zhao Chen poked his shoulder. "So… she was pretty strong, huh?"

Lin Tian didn't respond.

After a long pause, he said, "…She's more dangerous than the trial beasts."

Zhao Chen nodded solemnly.