The battlefield froze.
A pressure descended without warning, so sudden and absolute that every motion on the frozen plains halted mid-step. Soldiers stopped where they stood. Beasts ceased their advance. Even the howling wind seemed to slow, pressed down by an unseen weight.
Chu Feng felt it the instant it arrived.
This pressure was different from the killing intent that had saturated the battlefield since dawn. It was heavier, crushing not just the body but blood, bones, and soul alike. His breathing tightened on instinct, his body reacting before his thoughts could catch up.
This was not ordinary danger.
From the sea of beasts, a colossal figure stepped forward.
The ground cracked beneath its feet.
An enormous Titan Ape emerged, towering over the battlefield like a moving mountain. Its silver-grey fur was matted with frost, its muscles so densely packed they looked carved from stone rather than grown. Ancient scars crossed its chest and arms, each one bearing the history of brutal survival. Its eyes burned with feral intelligence, not blind rage.
Tier Six.
A beast whose strength rivalled that of a Soul Realm cultivator.
The soldiers of Northwatch Stronghold felt their hearts sink. This was no longer a clash between armies. This was a confrontation that could decide the fate of the entire northern frontier.
Before panic could take hold, another pressure rose to meet it.
It surged from within the stronghold itself.
The crushing weight pressing down on the battlefield was met by an equally vast force, calm and cold, unwavering in its resolve. The Titan Ape's dominance was pushed back, not through violence, but through absolute authority, like a tide halted by an unmovable shore.
A figure emerged from the heart of Northwatch Stronghold.
The commander.
He appeared without flourish, standing in midair above the battlements as though the sky itself bore his weight. His presence was quiet, contained, yet infinitely heavier than before. The battlefield subtly shifted around him, attention drawn inexorably to that lone figure.
His gaze settled on the Titan Ape.
Then he snorted softly.
"Do you intend to violate the agreement?"
His voice was not loud, yet it carried across the frozen plains, cutting through the howling wind and echoing in the ears of every living being present. It was not a question laced with anger or threat, only cold, unquestionable authority.
The Titan Ape's massive fists clenched. Its breathing deepened, frost pouring from its mouth with each slow exhale. For a brief moment, the battlefield held its breath.
Then another presence descended.
Without warning, the sky darkened.
Clouds were ripped apart as something enormous moved above the battlefield. A colossal silhouette emerged from the heavens, blotting out the pale winter sun. The pressure that followed was overwhelming, crushing down with a weight far beyond that of the Titan Ape.
Soldiers staggered. Beasts whimpered and flattened against the ground.
Chu Feng's knees nearly buckled as the force pressed into him. His breath caught in his chest.
This was no ordinary beast.
Something truly terrifying had arrived.
This pressure was on an entirely different level.
A Tier Seven beast, a being equivalent to a Soul Sovereign Realm cultivator.
Its form was both monstrous and awe-inspiring. A Heaven-Shattering Frostwyrm stretched across the sky like a living storm. Its vast body coiled through the clouds, scales the size of shields reflecting pale light. Each scale was etched with natural frost runes formed over countless years. Ancient blue eyes glowed with intelligence and disdain, far surpassing that of ordinary beasts.
Then it spoke.
"Do you humans truly believe," the Frostwyrm's voice boomed across the battlefield, layered and resonant, "that fear is the reason this agreement was made?"
The sound of a beast speaking human language sent a ripple through the ranks. Even hardened veterans felt a chill crawl up their spines. Chu Feng had read of intelligent beasts before, creatures whose cultivation granted reason beyond instinct, but witnessing one speak so casually and so dominantly was something else entirely.
For a brief moment, shock rose in his mind.
He crushed it.
This was not the time to waver.
The Frostwyrm lowered its massive head slightly, its gaze locking onto the commander. Its aura sharpened, intent condensing into something lethal. Behind it, the Titan Ape rumbled, emboldened by the presence of its superior.
The Frostwyrm continued, its voice cold and cutting.
"Do not mistake it for weakness."
As the final word fell, its killing intent surged, and a massive claw swept toward the commander with lethal force.
The air twisted violently as an overwhelming force condensed into a single point, surging toward him like a collapsing mountain. Pressure alone crushed the frozen ground, fractures spreading in jagged patterns across the ice.
The commander did not move or change his expression.
From deep within Northwatch Stronghold, a subtle force spread outward. It was silent and unseen, yet vast beyond measure. Space around the Frostwyrm warped and bent, folding inward as if drawn into a slow, irresistible whirlpool.
The Frostwyrm's attack vanished.
The beast itself was dragged forward.
Reality twisted and bent.
Before anyone on the battlefield could comprehend it, the Frostwyrm was pulled into a domain—a separate dimension shaped entirely by the will of a sovereign. Space sealed shut like a closing eye, cutting off all sound, presence, and pressure.
The battlefield froze in silence.
No soldier, no beast, not even Chu Feng, could grasp what had just occurred.
Minutes passed.
No one dared move.
Then the space split open.
The Frostwyrm was hurled from the void like a discarded weapon. Its massive body crashed into the frozen plains, carving a deep trench through ice and stone. Blood poured from torn scales, staining the snow a violent blue. The once-dominating presence of the beast had been shattered, its aura unstable and weakened.
Above it, the commander remained calm and unshaken.
The Titan Ape recoiled, its confidence draining as it took a step back, then another. Its massive frame trembled from fear.
A voice cut across the battlefield, calm and absolute.
"Tell Áo Shuāng," the commander said, his gaze locked on the retreating beasts, "that the agreement stands. No violations or be ready for an all-out war."
The Frostwyrm let out a low, furious roar, but it did not attack again. With a powerful beat of its wings, it ascended, taking the Titan Ape with it. The rest of the beast army began to withdraw.
The pressure lifted. The battlefield seemed to exhale.
Chu Feng exhaled slowly, heart pounding with excitement.