The icicle smashed against the shield Chen Wuya had formed with Misaligned Force, letting out a crisp crack before shattering into several pieces. Frost scattered in all directions, and the splintered ice struck Mo Feng's face. He instinctively stepped back half a pace, yet his grip on the mechanism compass never loosened.
"Not a natural fall." Mo Feng stared at the ripples on the compass. "There was a vibration just now—brief in frequency, like it came from inside the cave."
Bai Zhi had already reached the edge of the entrance. She crouched down, her fingers brushing over the traces left on the ground. She said nothing, merely raising her hand gently. A speck of pale-blue debris clung to her fingertip. It resembled a scale, yet not quite; against her skin, it carried a faint chill.
"This is fabric used only in Snow Demon Clan royal attire," she said. "It wouldn't just come loose."
Chen Wuya stood behind her, his gaze sweeping across the cave interior. The pitch-black entrance was like a closed mouth, with interlocking icicles on either side, as though some giant beast had gnawed at them. He stepped forward, slipped underfoot, and kicked aside a heap of snow, revealing half a broken weapon.
He bent down and picked it up.
It was an ice blade, dark blue from hilt to tip. The break was smooth and even, nothing like a weapon snapped in battle. Fine runes covered the blade, worn too blurred to make out clearly, yet still recognizable as the ancient royal insignia of the Snow Demon Clan.
A system notification immediately popped up:
[High concentration of royal aura detected. Source: Snow Demon Young Lord · Tuoba Han. Residual combat energy detected. Time: approximately twelve shichen ago.]
"It's him." Chen Wuya clenched the ice blade,