The Frost Ice Iron General said, "In truth, we were all just cowards back then, bearing names of disgrace. During the battle in the Spirit Suppressing Domain, we had clearly met the standard to be Spirit Suppressing People, yet we shirked our duties. Instead, we fled to this minor world to hide!

"The Tianxiong Iron General once told me that while we might hide for a time, a day would eventually come when someone would arrive to hold us accountable. That would be the day we pay the price!"

Hearing his father’s words, Young Master Shuangbing finally seemed to understand.

He asked the Frost Ice Iron General, "Father, do you have any regrets?"

This question struck the very heart of the matter. The Frost Ice Iron General sighed and fell silent for nearly thirty minutes. Young Master Shuangbing didn’t interrupt his thoughts, but simply stood by, waiting quietly.

Finally, the Frost Ice Iron General spoke. "How could I not? Hiding in this world, barely clinging to life all these years... what have I gained? All I’ve gained is a heavier burden of sin and self-reproach!

"If I could do it all over again, I would fight with all my might. Even losing my life would be better than this pitiful existence."

The Frost Ice Iron General sighed in his heart.

At this moment, he was truly filled with guilt. Though he was only one of the deserters, he had lived under the weight of his own condemnation for all these years. This feeling was a fate worse than death. His long life, rather than a blessing, had become his ultimate punishment.

Young Master Shuangbing asked, "Father, if you had another chance to join the great battle in the Spirit Suppressing Domain, would you go?"

"I would!" the Frost Ice Iron General declared. This time, his voice was firm, perhaps a reflection of his true nature.

He then said, "Alright, you may leave now. The mortal world is not as simple as you imagine. The fact that you survived this ordeal is my greatest comfort.

"It’s a good thing you heeded my warning. Otherwise, you would have died a horrible death!"

The Frost Ice Iron General was still shaken by the thought. While those other two young masters hadn’t died, their fate was worse than death. For a Martial Cultivator, being crippled was to be plunged into the depths of despair. From that perspective, the humiliation Young Master Shuangbing suffered was nothing.

Young Master Shuangbing nodded. He was about to bid farewell to the Frost Ice Iron General and go heal his wounds, but at that moment, a figure descended.

Both he and the Frost Ice Iron General were shocked.

Ye Fan said, "Gentlemen, I trust you have been well!"

"King of Heaven, how cunning of you!" Young Master Shuangbing spat, his face filled with anger. He was shocked that Ye Fan had infiltrated their world, especially since Ye Fan couldn’t have known the route. And this time, I was the one who leaked the path.

Ye Fan smirked. "I’m flattered you remember me. Being too famous is a burden, you know."

"You’re the King of Heaven?" the Frost Ice Iron General asked Ye Fan coldly. How could he not be furious? This man had dared to infiltrate his Frost Ice Palace alone, showing him complete disrespect.

"That’s right, I’m the King of Heaven," Ye Fan replied. "And I think you two talk far too much."

"King of Heaven, what audacity!"

The Frost Ice Iron General immediately got up, his heart filled with shock. He was completely unable to sense Ye Fan’s power. Without a doubt, Ye Fan was a terrifying enemy.

Ye Fan said, "Frost Ice Iron General, I have come to this godforsaken place for one reason: a summons from the Spirit Suppressing Domain!"

At the mere mention of the Spirit Suppressing Domain, the Iron General’s legs nearly gave out. It was the one place he dared not face.

He asked Ye Fan, "What do you mean?"

"Don’t play dumb with me, Frost Ice Iron General. You failed to fulfill your duty back then, causing the Spirit Suppressing Domain to suffer grievous losses. Now, I am here to summon you again! If you try to run this time, I will have no choice but to kill you," Ye Fan warned, his voice sharp.

The Frost Ice Iron General was shaken. So, the prophecy had come true. He hadn’t expected someone to come for him so soon.

He said to Ye Fan coldly, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll summon the other Iron Generals to kill you? You should know, they’re quite eager to do just that!"

"If I were afraid of death, I wouldn’t have come," Ye Fan retorted. "Frost Ice Iron General, are you going to shirk your responsibility again?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He tossed the token Zhuang Zhou had given him. The Frost Ice Iron General caught it, and upon seeing the insignia, his expression changed dramatically. This was the answer to the mystery that had tormented him for a thousand years. He handed the token back to Ye Fan and said, "I will heed the summons."

"Agreeing so easily?" Ye Fan asked with suspicion. His reply clearly took Ye Fan by surprise. He hadn’t expected the Frost Ice Iron General to agree so readily.

"Of course," the Frost Ice Iron General said, his voice filled with agitation. "I am fed up with this life!"

"I want to know the reason. That’s all I need."

Ye Fan’s skepticism wasn’t excessive. After all, they had been mortal enemies just a moment ago, yet now the Iron General had complied so completely. Who could accept that at face value?

The Frost Ice Iron General said, "Fine, I can tell you everything."

"That would be best," Ye Fan said with a small smile. "We wouldn’t want any embarrassing misunderstandings."

Although Young Master Shuangbing still harbored resentment toward Ye Fan, he had to respect his father’s words. Perhaps this was truly his father’s greatest wish.

"Come with me!"

The Frost Ice Iron General led Ye Fan to a secret location.

Ye Fan remained on guard, of course. But he had an ace up his sleeve—the Grassland Bear—so he felt much more at ease.

They arrived at a secluded place completely encased in ice. Though their voices echoed within the chamber, no one outside could hear them.

The Frost Ice Iron General stopped.

He said to Ye Fan, "Alright, this is it."

"Actually, my reason for heeding your call isn’t entirely because of the weight of my sins."

"Oh? Is there more?" Ye Fan asked curiously.

The Frost Ice Iron General said, "It’s because I must investigate the death of the Tianxiong Iron General!"

"What? He’s dead?" Ye Fan asked.

"I don’t know for certain," the Frost Ice Iron General replied, "but I can no longer sense his life force at all. From that, I can only assume he is truly dead.

"The Tianxiong Iron General was the strongest of us four Iron Generals and my closest friend. His sudden disappearance has always been a mystery to me!

"With his immense power, no one could have subdued him in a single move without leaving a trace. Therefore, I believe he was betrayed by someone he knew!"

"You mean the other two Iron Generals?" Ye Fan asked him.

"Exactly. To take him down so quietly, I believe only those two could have plotted against him! Although I’m not certain it was them, the matter is rife with suspicion."

Ye Fan looked at the Frost Ice Iron General with curiosity, unsure of what he meant.

Could it be that he has already found some clues?