Mystic Ice Palace, Cold Nether Hall.
On the soul-lamp rack suspended high within the hall, thousands of ice-blue soul lamps burned quietly, each representing the flame of a Mystic Ice Palace expert's life.
Two early-stage Heavenly Emperor Realm stewards guarded the soul lamps. It was normally an idle posting: the many sects and factions of the Fifth Heaven kept one another in check, leaving little room for major conflict, and venerables rarely fell.
Crack.
The crisp sound of shattering was especially piercing in the silent hall.
The jade slip in the left-hand steward's hand clattered to the floor. He jerked his head up and looked toward the third row from the top of the soul-lamp rack,
where a crystalline soul lamp with a pale-purple flame had begun to split from the top, a distinct crack opening across its surface.
"No... it can't be..." The steward's voice trembled.
Crack, crack, crack...
The cracks spread rapidly, covering the entire soul lamp in an instant.
The pale-purple flame inside swayed violently several times, then went out completely with a soft puff.
The soul lamp burst apart, scattering ice-crystal fragments across the floor.
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
The two stewards exchanged a glance, seeing boundless terror in each other's eyes.
Three breaths later.
"Venerable Hanming... has fallen!!!"
A shrill cry tore through the tranquility of Mystic Ice Palace.
Mystic Ice Palace's council hall.
Twelve elders sat along either side. In the seat of honor sat Mystic Ice Palace's current sect master, Heavenly Venerable Ice Soul.
He wore snowy-white robes and had the handsome face of a young man, yet ten thousand years lay settled in his ice-blue eyes.
At that moment, the pile of soul-lamp fragments lay on the floor in the center of the hall.
"Have you investigated?" Heavenly Venerable