A blinding pillar of light engulfed Lin Mo, Chen Yu, and Han Qiu.
For a brief instant, they felt weightless, drifting through countless streams of silver light. Memories flashed past them—faces they had never seen, cities that no longer existed, and stars being born and dying in the span of a heartbeat.
Then...
**Thud!**
Lin Mo landed on solid ground.
He opened his eyes.
The familiar scent of pine trees filled the air.
"We're back..."
The three stood at the foot of the Azure Cloud Sect's central mountain.
But something was terribly wrong.
The magnificent sect that had once floated proudly above the clouds was in ruins.
Half of the floating peaks had crashed into the valleys below.
The grand halls were reduced to rubble.
Smoke still rose from shattered buildings.
The once-proud sect banner had been torn in half, fluttering weakly in the wind.
Chen Yu whispered in disbelief,
"This... can't be."
The battle was over.
But victory had not belonged to either side.
Bodies of disciples and black-robed invaders lay scattered across the broken courtyards.
Spirit beasts wandered aimlessly without their masters.
Silence had replaced the sounds of war.
Han Qiu knelt beside a fallen elder.
His expression remained calm, but his clenched fists revealed the grief he kept hidden.
"We were gone..."
"...for how long?"
The silver watch answered.
Its hands spun briefly before stopping.
A faint voice echoed from within.
> **"Thirty-seven days."**
Lin Mo's heart sank.
Inside the Workshop Between Moments, only hours had passed.
Outside...
More than a month had gone by.
They hurried toward the Hall of Elders.
Its roof had collapsed, but several survivors were gathered inside.
Bandaged disciples moved among the wounded.
The atmosphere was heavy.
When an elder noticed them, his eyes widened.
"Lin Mo?"
"Chen Yu?"
"Han Qiu?"
Another disciple gasped.
"They're alive!"
For a moment, the hall fell completely silent.
Many had believed the three were dead.
An elderly woman stepped forward.
It was **Elder Mu**.
Her left arm was wrapped in bloodstained cloth.
Her usually stern face softened.
"So..."
"You survived."
Lin Mo bowed deeply.
"We're sorry."
"We couldn't return sooner."
Elder Mu shook her head.
"No."
"You returned exactly when you were meant to."
She led them into a private chamber.
A map of the Eastern Continent lay spread across a stone table.
Several regions were marked with crimson ink.
"The Eclipse Court didn't stop after attacking us."
"They've declared open war."
She pointed to the map.
"Five major sects have already fallen."
"Two imperial clans have disappeared overnight."
"And..."
She hesitated.
"They're searching for something."
Lin Mo already knew the answer.
"The heirs."
Elder Mu stared at him.
"You know?"
Lin Mo nodded.
"There are thirteen of us."
The room became deathly quiet.
Even the elders present looked at one another in confusion.
"Thirteen?"
One of them whispered.
"The ancient prophecy..."
Lin Mo took out the **Chrono Compass**.
The twelve needles spun slowly.
Most glowed silver.
One remained crimson—the fallen heir.
But another had begun to shine with a soft blue light.
It pointed toward the northeast.
Far beyond the borders of the Azure Cloud Sect.
Chen Yu leaned closer.
"Does that mean..."
Lin Mo nodded.
"Another heir is alive."
Han Qiu looked at the map.
"The northeast..."
He traced the direction with his finger.
"That leads to the **Kingdom of Frostveil**."
Elder Mu's expression changed immediately.
"The Frostveil Kingdom?"
"That's impossible."
"Why?"
Lin Mo asked.
She answered quietly,
"Because three days ago..."
"...it vanished."
Chen Yu blinked.
"Vanished?"
"The entire kingdom?"
Elder Mu nodded.
"Travelers report that where the kingdom once stood..."
"...there is now only endless snow."
"No cities."
"No people."
"No armies."
"As though it had been erased from history."
The silver watch suddenly vibrated.
For the first time, the Roman numeral **III** flickered faintly.
Not awakened.
Just... responding.
The Guardian's weak voice echoed.
> **"The Third Hour is calling."**
> **"The heir is in danger."**
Before anyone could speak further, a messenger rushed into the chamber.
"Elder Mu!"
"The scouts have returned!"
"They've brought a survivor from the Frostveil border!"
The elder immediately stood.
"Bring them in."
A young scout stumbled into the room, covered in frost despite the warm weather.
His lips trembled.
"I saw it..."
"What did you see?" Elder Mu asked.
The scout's eyes were filled with terror.
"A girl..."
"Standing alone in the snow."
"A silver watch around her neck."
"And behind her..."
He swallowed hard.
"...an army made entirely of frozen people."
The Chrono Compass's blue needle glowed brighter.
Lin Mo slowly closed his hand around it.
"The next heir..."
"...has found us."