The instant Prince Kahn barked his command, the guards moved with ruthless precision, their formation closing around Selene, Nyx, and Lira in a matter of heartbeats. Polished armor clinked in rhythm and the gleam of sharpened weapons reflected the setting sun. Citizens scattered to the sides, whispers breaking into cries of panic as the crowd retreated to watch from a safer distance.

But the three young women did not cower. Their bodies lowered instinctively into combat stances, each of them channeling their cultivation without hesitation. Selene's sharp voice cut through the tension as she spat at the nearest guard, "If you dare lay a finger on us, you will regret it."

The air shifted at once, unnatural and oppressive. The temperature plummeted in an instant, and their breath became visible as the aura of Nyx's ice cultivation surged forth. Frost crackled across the cobblestones beneath her feet, spreading outward like a living thing, and the guards instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons as the cold sank into their bones.

At the same time, Selene and Lira unleashed their own power. A cyclone of wind roared around them, lifting dust, pebbles, and even fragments of cloth into the air. Their hair and garments whipped violently in the current, giving them an untamed and fearsome appearance. The whirling air snapped and hissed, as though eager to lash out.

Still, the guards stood unflinching, their training showing in their discipline. They did not falter, even as the oppressive pressure of three cultivators pressed against them. Instead, they raised their weapons in unison, voices ringing out in sharp commands. "Ready...release!"

A flurry of elemental strikes burst from their formation. Fireballs surged forward, their flames snarling with a hungry light. Shards of ice glistened with lethal sharpness as they spun through the air. Jagged rocks tore from the ground and hurtled toward the girls, while blades of wind cut across the space with a piercing shriek. The street exploded in color and fury as the combined onslaught surged toward its targets.

Yet, before any attack could land, a sudden ripple spread through the air like a wave of invisible water. The spells and strikes slammed against something unseen and shattered harmlessly, bursting into sparks and mist against a radiant shield of Qi. The barrier pulsed faintly, its translucent edges humming with power, and then it steadied, standing as firm as an immovable wall.

The crowd gasped in unison, their voices echoing in disbelief. "A barrier?" someone cried.

From within the carriage, Lucas had extended his hand almost lazily, though his eyes carried a calm sharpness. He had wrapped the girls in his protective Qi, a dome of raw energy woven so tightly that not a single crack existed for an enemy's strike to slip through. Every bolt of fire, every shard of ice, every rock and gust of wind crumbled the moment it touched his shield.

Selene's lips curled into a confident smile. She looked at Nyx and Lira with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Well," she said, her voice cutting through the sound of dissipating magic, "it seems we can fight without worrying about being scratched."

Nyx gave a rare smirk, frost gathering thicker around her fingers. "Then let us see if these guards are as skilled as their prince thinks."

Lira's eyes shone with excitement, her wind aura swirling tighter around her body.

Within the barrier, the three of them stood tall and fearless, their auras raging more fiercely with every passing second. They had complete freedom now, knowing that unless their attackers could muster something greater than Lucas's protective shield, not a single strike would reach them.

The guards, however, pressed forward undeterred, blades raised and elements summoned again, unaware that the ground beneath their feet had already shifted in favor of the ones they sought to capture.

And Lucas, still seated in the carriage, leaned back slightly, his fingers resting loosely in the air as the barrier shimmered with unshakable strength. His gaze was calm, but his mind was sharp, watching every move. He knew he had given the girls their battlefield, and now they would show the empire of Lechia just how dangerous his companions were.

Selene was the first to move, her eyes gleaming as she spread her hands wide, summoning the force of the whirling winds that had been gathering around her. With a sharp motion, she sent them outward in a violent burst, a gale so strong it knocked three guards clean off their feet and sent their weapons clattering uselessly across the stone. The men rolled, coughing as dust and frost filled their lungs, before scrambling desperately to regain their footing.

Nyx stepped forward in the same breath, her aura intensifying until the frost beneath her feet erupted into jagged spikes of ice. With a flick of her wrist, the spears shot outward in rapid succession, striking against shields and armor. The clang of impact rang out again and again, followed by cries of pain as the force behind her cultivation shattered through the guards' defenses. Several men staggered back, their armor dented and their limbs numbed from the cold, their breath turning to mist as if winter itself had wrapped chains around their bodies.

Lira's attack was swift and merciless. She gathered her wind into a concentrated blade and swung her hand in a downward arc, the force tearing through the ground like a razor. The cobblestones cracked and buckled as the strike raced forward, slamming into the front line of guards. The sheer pressure sent them staggering back with their weapons rattling in their grip, some barely able to remain standing as the whirlwind tugged violently at their balance.

All around them, chaos broke loose. The guards tried to regroup, shouting orders and raising their weapons once more, but their combined attacks splintered uselessly against the barrier that Lucas had cast. Each strike was crushed or deflected, and their frustration only grew as they realized they were fighting an enemy that could lash out freely without fear of retaliation.

"Pathetic," Selene spat, sending another gust of wind that swept two men off their feet.

Nyx's eyes narrowed, her voice cold as the frost curling around her fingers. "For soldiers of the capital, you are disappointingly weak."

Lira's laughter rang out, clear and unrestrained, as she sent another wave of cutting air to slam against the faltering men. "If this is what passes for elite guards in Lechia, then I am not impressed."

The clash was over before it had even truly begun. In less than a minute, the guards were on their knees, scattered across the street, groaning and gasping, their weapons lying in broken heaps beside them. Their formation was shattered, their discipline undone, and the spectacle drew a heavy silence from the nobles and citizens who had been watching in stunned disbelief.

From where he stood, Prince Khan's expression darkened with every passing second. His lips curled into a sneer, and his jaw clenched tightly as he watched his men crumble under the combined assault of three young women who, to his eyes, could not have been more than guests from some far-off land. His pride burned hotter than fire, and the humiliation of seeing his guards beaten so effortlessly in front of a crowd gnawed at him like a blade to the bone.

When the last of his guards fell back, clutching his arm as ice crept up his armor, Khan let out a sharp, disdainful hiss. He spat onto the cobblestones with visible disgust, his voice dripping with venom as he barked at the defeated men. "Useless fools. You shame me before these peasants." His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked past them to the three women standing tall and unyielding, their auras still raging in defiance.

The prince's fury hardened into resolve. His body straightened, and he took a slow step forward, his aura beginning to stir. "So," he said, his voice low but carrying across the hushed crowd, "you think you can humiliate me in my own city and walk away unscathed?"

The air shifted again, heavier than before. A sharp gleam lit up in his eyes as his power awakened fully. With no further warning, his figure lifted gracefully from the ground, rising higher with each passing breath until he hovered above them, his robe fluttering in the force of his own energy.

A collective gasp broke from the crowd. Murmurs spread like wildfire, the word passing from one noble to another, from commoner to commoner, until the entire street buzzed with it. He was a grandmaster cultivator in the 3rd stage....

The girls felt it instantly. His aura surged like a crushing tide, pressing down on them with overwhelming might, making the air itself heavy in their lungs. They exchanged quick, wary glances, their bodies tensing. For all their strength, they knew without question that this was different. A grandmaster's presence was leagues beyond what they had faced so far.

Khan looked down on them from above, his expression cold and brimming with arrogance. "I will discipline you myself," he declared, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the entire square. "And when I am finished, you will learn the difference between ants and dragons."

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