Encirclement

Before his words had even faded, the temperature around them plummeted. The snow began to crackle faintly as its moisture froze at a rapid rate. Only then did the assassin realize that the snow beneath his feet had somehow formed a thin layer of ice.

"Ice Seal Trap? How can a novice spellcaster cast it so quickly?" For the first time, the assassin's voice wavered.

Jialan did not answer. His lips moved without pause, and his hands continuously formed different seals. At that moment, his black eyes gleamed with an icy light.

The assassin tried to retreat, only to find that his boots had already been frozen firmly to the ground. He swiftly swung his dagger, trying to break through the ice, but more frost was creeping up his legs.

"Do you know?" Jialan finished forming his seals. To cast the spell as quickly as possible, he had exposed his secret of being able to use Dual-Hand Casting. "In the snow, an Ice Mage is the deadliest hunter."

A flicker of panic crossed the assassin's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He abruptly tore off his cloak, revealing a row of throwing knives. With a flick of his wrist, three knives shot toward Jialan in a triangular formation.

Jialan had been prepared. A staff had appeared in his hand at some point, and with a thought, an Ice Mirror Technique formed before him. The throwing knives struck it with crisp clangs.

But just then, the assassin suddenly pulled a small black ball from his waist and smashed it viciously onto the ground.

Bang!

Thick smoke instantly spread through the area. The pungent odor forced Jialan to retreat. By the time he dispersed the smoke, the assassin had vanished, leaving behind only a pool of blood and several shattered chunks of ice.

"He escaped." A cool male voice came from the tree above. It belonged to an archer clad in brown leather armor, who lightly jumped down.

Jialan glanced at him, then cast a Soothing Rain Spell on his injured arm. The wound visibly began to heal. "He won't get far. I already notified Captain Kendy. He dared come to the border garrison to kill someone? We'll make sure he never leaves!"

The wind howled, and fine snowflakes struck their faces. Jialan tightened his heavy black cloak, his fingers lightly brushing the staff. The snow cedar forest was terrifyingly silent. Not even a birdcall could be heard, only the crunch of boots on the snow.

"Blood." John, the warrior Squad Leader walking at the front, abruptly stopped and crouched down.

His heavy armor stood out sharply against the snow. Captain Kendy Marcus had to remain behind to guard the camp, so he had sent Squad Leader John Lawrence instead.

Jialan hurried forward and indeed saw several dark-red drops scattered across the snow like blooming plum blossoms. Shadow, the archer, had already nocked an arrow and warily scanned the surroundings. A thin layer of frost covered his leather armor, while tiny ice crystals clung to his eyelashes.

"Be careful," Jialan warned quietly. A faint blue glow began to spread from the tip of his staff. This snow cedar forest was far too quiet—unnaturally so.

He could sense a faint killing intent permeating the air, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

Suddenly, a blast of cold wind swept past, and the hairs on the back of Jialan's neck instantly stood on end. "Left!" he shouted, thrusting his staff toward the left. At nearly the same moment, a Shadow Figure darted out from behind a tree, moving with astonishing speed.

Shadow's arrow tore through the air, but only grazed the Shadow Figure's clothing. John swung his greatsword horizontally, kicking up a cloud of snow, but the assassin had already disappeared behind another snow cedar. Jialan noticed that his movements were somewhat sluggish; the injury on his leg seemed far from minor.

"Damn it!" John cursed. "That speed... we can't catch him at all!"

Jialan closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding fluctuations of magic. The snow was his domain; every snowflake was an eye. Suddenly, he caught an abnormal ripple... above them!

"Above!" Jialan abruptly opened his eyes and swept his left hand. A scroll flew overhead, transforming midair into an ice shield that instantly solidified above them, blocking the assassin's fatal descending strike. The sharp dagger scraped across the ice shield with a piercing screech, scattering ice shards everywhere.

Shadow seized the chance and fired three arrows in rapid succession. The assassin flipped through the air and somehow dodged every arrow, landing lightly on a branch not far away.

"As expected of the Longsheng Empire's most elite border garrison troops." The assassin's voice was hoarse and cold. "But do you think you can capture me like this?"

Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly blurred, as though it had merged with the falling snowflakes. Jialan's heart tightened. This was an Advanced Stealth Technique!

The assassin had likely used some secret art to forcibly enhance his strength. Jialan immediately planted his staff into the snow and began chanting under his breath. The surrounding snow started to spin, forming a vortex centered on them.

"He's moving!" Jialan suddenly shouted. "Three o'clock!"

Shadow immediately fired an arrow in that direction, but only a sharp clang rang out as the arrow was shattered by a dagger. The assassin's figure flashed past, then vanished once more into the curtain of snow.

"This won't work," John said grimly. "He's injured, but he's still too fast."

Jialan nodded, his mind racing. Suddenly, he noticed a frozen lake not far away, its surface covered by a thick layer of ice. "Lure him toward the lake," he said quietly.

"The lake?" John frowned, but quickly understood Jialan's intention.

After only a brief pause, Shadow also understood Jialan's plan. The three worked together and gradually forced the assassin toward the lake. Shadow swiftly moved to Jialan's right, placing three arrows on his bowstring without firing them immediately. His breathing became soft and steady, almost blending into the wind and snow as he maintained his best condition in the harsh environment.

"Now!" Jialan shouted, swinging his staff sharply. A wave of icy-blue magic spread outward, and wherever it passed, the snow instantly froze into ice. The assassin's figure appeared on the icy surface, his speed clearly affected.

Shadow's arrows ripped through the air. This time, they did not fly straight, but traced three elegant arcs that sealed off the assassin's retreat. John roared and charged forward, his greatsword cleaving toward the assassin with a howling gust. The assassin was forced to stop.

Jialan shouted and drove his staff heavily into the ice. The lake's frozen surface suddenly cracked open, revealing the black water beneath. The ice under the assassin's feet began to collapse, and his body swayed. In weather like this, if he fell into the lake with an Ice Mage nearby, he would surely die. Gritting his teeth, he slammed his last black ball viciously onto the ice.