Inside the Northern Garrison, the air was cold, sterile, and eerily quiet, save for the muffled roar of the wind outside the thick fortress walls. Lin Feng and his companions found themselves within the main supply corridors—massive, granite-lined tunnels designed to move troops and resources quickly.
Lin Feng, though inside the secure perimeter, was in a precarious state. The backlash from the Qi-Disruptor Barrier had drained him severely, forcing him to rely heavily on the gentle, continuous flow of the Void-Wood/Water Loop for internal recovery. His priority was absolute silence and maintaining the Void Sovereign Nexus around Siku, who remained concealed and utterly still within his robes.
"The Heart of Black Frost repository is two levels down, in the deepest sub-level, protected by two layers of high-grade spiritual locking arrays," Yin Xiu whispered, her voice barely a breath, as she phased slightly out of the granite wall. She was in her heightened Shadow Stream state, the ultimate infiltrator.
"The main halls are monitored by automated Qi-sensing formations, not visible patrols."
This information was critical. Automated formations required precise, subtle countermeasures, rather than raw martial skill.
The immediate danger was the sensory grid. Every ten yards, a faint, crystalline shimmer spanned the corridor—an invisible Aura-Detection Net designed to instantly flag any movement above the common soldier's Qi signature.
Xia Qingwu took the lead on this technical challenge. She crouched down, examining the energy signature of the net using specialized alchemical lenses. "The net detects high-energy signatures, Feng," she explained quietly. "But the energy is focused vertically, from ceiling to floor. There is a blind spot near the ground, precisely where the vertical energy flow transitions into the floor matrix."
The solution was grueling: they had to traverse the long, open corridor by crawling, pushing their bodies flat against the cold, granite floor, their Qi suppressed to the level of basic Primal Core cultivators.
Lin Feng, holding the motionless Siku, found this exertion agonizing. He was accustomed to the arrogant, rapid movement of an Origin King. To move so slowly, focusing every fiber of his being on maintaining his internal suppression, was a psychological strain. He was fighting his own nature.
He used the challenge as a form of cultivation, channeling the Void Law to achieve a state of absolute stillness—a state where his movement was so meticulously controlled that his own Qi flow remained perfectly constant, registering as mere background thermal noise.
Wanying followed, her movement a graceful, icy glide. Her natural control made the suppression less taxing, but her focus was unwavering, acting as the final buffer against any accidental Qi spike from her companions.
They had crawled nearly a hundred yards through the main corridor, successfully bypassing half a dozen Aura-Detection Nets, when the situation changed abruptly.
A patrol of four elite Origin Seed cultivators—the Garrison's internal enforcement team—turned the corner ahead. They were not relying on the nets; they were relying on their own sharp, practiced senses.
Lin Feng instantly ordered an immediate, absolute freeze. They pressed themselves deeper into the shadows near a stack of supply crates.
The leader of the patrol, a cultivator with a scarred face and a palpable aura of focused Metal Law, stopped directly next to the crates where Lin Feng was concealed. He didn't see them, but he paused, his senses sweeping the area. He feels something, Lin Feng realized. The Void and the Chronos Dragon are creating a subtle anomaly, even suppressed.
Lin Feng couldn't move, couldn't fight, and couldn't even raise his Void Domain without instant detection. He was completely vulnerable.
It was Yin Xiu who provided the solution, utilizing her unique ability to project her consciousness into the environment. She executed the technique with breathtaking speed and subtlety.
"Shadow Art:
Environmental Distraction!" A small, thin sliver of shadow detached from the ceiling a dozen feet down the corridor, transforming into a fleeting, realistic illusion of a rat. The illusion scurried silently across the floor and disappeared into a drainage vent.
The Metal Law patrol leader instantly turned his attention to the brief movement. "Did you see that? Just a rat. Check the vent. The ventilation system needs sealing—they foul the sensor arrays."
The patrol moved past them, their focus redirected to the mundane distraction. Lin Feng held his breath until the sound of their armored boots faded completely.
Lin Feng slowly lifted himself, rubbing the intense strain from his neck. The physical danger was secondary to the mental fatigue.
"The internal suppression is necessary, Feng, but it is taxing your spirit far more than a battle," Xia Qingwu noted, her voice low with concern. "You are an Origin King; forcing yourself to move as a mere shadow is fundamentally exhausting."
"It is a necessary burden," Lin Feng replied, the arrogant fire in his eyes undiminished despite his exhaustion. "General Lei designed this fortress to bait our pride. He expected us to blast the barrier. By forcing patience and precision, we are defeating his strategy before the first blow is struck. We are cultivating a new form of control."
They were deep inside the enemy's heart, moving slower than novice cultivators, relying entirely on the unique, specialized skills of each companion. The repository for the Heart of Black Frost was close. They knew the next obstacle would be the final, physical guard detail.
Author - Sama Here
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