In the quiet room, the candles remained unlit.
Bai Qingxue sat cross-legged on the stone couch, pressing the jade slip to her forehead and immersing her spiritual sense within.
The formulas for the first layer of the 《Mystic Frost Heavenly Heart Art》 unfolded in her mind, word by word.
The opening lines read:
“Heaven and earth hold mystic frost, all things are vast and hazy...”
After silently reading through the first layer, Bai Qingxue made her decision and immediately set about switching her cultivation.
To switch techniques, she first had to abolish her existing cultivation.
Closing her eyes to focus, she began to reverse the spiritual power of the 《Cold Jade Art》.
Within her dantian, the spiritual power she had accumulated over ten years began to stir restlessly.
The Cold Jade spiritual power was like a pool of still water being churned; the vortex grew larger, and the power flowed back from her limbs into her dantian before rushing out of her body in reverse along her meridians.
Stabbing pain radiated from the depths of her meridians.
Third level of Qi Refining, second level, first level...
Her cultivation plummeted, stage by stage.
Ten years of painstaking cultivation vanished in an instant.
As the last trace of her old spiritual power dissipated from her fingertips, turning into faint wisps of cold qi in the air, it vanished in a heartbeat.
Now, Bai Qingxue’s dantian was empty, and no more spiritual power flowed through her meridians.
A mortal.
She was currently no different from a mortal.
Bai Qingxue opened her eyes and looked down at her palms. Her fingertips were slightly cool, but the stabbing pain of the cold poison’s erosion had lessened by more than half.
Without pausing, she closed her eyes again.
Following the method of the first layer of the 《Mystic Frost Heavenly Heart Art》, she began to draw qi into her body.
Spiritual energy from all directions gathered, seeping through her pores and into her meridians.
This time, the sensation of spiritual power entering her body was entirely different. It was no longer the cold poison’s pain from the 《Cold Jade Art》, but a moist, gentle integration. Her meridians were like parched earth finally receiving rain, greedily absorbing the newly born spiritual power.
The spiritual energy flowed slowly through her meridians, completing one cycle, then another.
With each cycle, a trace of the residual cold poison in her body was stripped away and merged into the new spiritual power.
The chill that once kept her awake at night now served entirely as nourishment.
In her dantian, a speck of pale blue light flickered back to life.
First level of Qi Refining.
Bai Qingxue opened her eyes and flicked her finger. A wisp of cold qi condensed without dissipating, turning into a tiny frost flower in the air before slowly drifting down.
“It’s done.”
She spoke softly, her tone flat, but there was an imperceptible trace of relief in her eyes.
The next morning, Bai Qingxue finished her cultivation and rose to open the window.
The morning wind, carrying flecks of snow, blew against her face. She took a deep breath, feeling every inch of her meridians at ease.
Though her cultivation was only at the first level of Qi Refining, her foundation was several times more solid than before.
More importantly, nearly half of the cold poison in her body had been converted, and the rest was slowly dissolving.
A knock sounded at the courtyard gate.
“Junior Sister Bai, Elder Liu has requested your presence at the main hall.”
Bai Qingxue answered, performed a quick wash, changed into a set of frost-white disciple robes, and stepped out.
In the main hall, Liu Ningshuang was looking through a register.
Seeing Bai Qingxue enter, she looked up. Her gaze lingered on her for a moment, and her brow twitched slightly.
“You dispersed your cultivation?”
“Yes,” Bai Qingxue answered frankly. “To switch techniques, it was only right.”
Liu Ningshuang glanced at her and continued, “The 《Mystic Frost Heavenly Heart Art》 is extremely compatible with your constitution; this is your fortune. However, the path of cultivation is long. The True Lord has given you a three-year term; you must avoid being overly eager for progress. Do not let the True Lord’s kindness go to waste.”
“Disciple understands.”
“Go then.” With that, Liu Ningshuang waved her hand.
Seeing this, Bai Qingxue bowed slightly and withdrew from the main hall.
...
At the same time, at Qingyun Peak.
On the sword practice grounds, Ye Qingyao had been practicing basic sword moves for an hour—stabbing, cleaving, lifting, and sweeping, over and over again.
Sweat slid down her fair cheeks, and a few stray hairs clung to her temples, making her oval face appear even more delicate.
Her features weren't stunning, but they were pleasant to look at, like a pear blossom blooming in early spring—faint and quiet. She was oblivious to it, simply biting her lip and swinging her sword time after time.
“Junior Sister Ye, take a break.” A nearby senior sister, Lin Xiaoxi, was sitting on the stone steps at the edge of the grounds, holding a water skin and calling out to her.
Ye Qingyao didn't stop.
“You’ve already practiced for an hour. If you keep going, your hands won't be able to take it.” Lin Xiaoxi stood up, walked to her side, and grabbed her sword-wielding wrist. “Rest for a bit; a few moments won't hurt.”
Hearing this, Ye Qingyao caught her breath and finally lowered her sword.
She took the water skin Lin Xiaoxi handed her, tilted her head back to drink, and her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the north.
Toward the direction of Xueji Peak.
Lin Xiaoxi followed her gaze. “Looking that way again?”
Ye Qingyao withdrew her gaze without responding.
“Is that Sister Bai you talk about really someone you miss that much?” Lin Xiaoxi asked with some curiosity.
Ye Qingyao looked down at the water skin in her hand, remaining silent for a moment before saying, “Mhm... maybe, she makes me feel very at ease?”
“At ease?” Lin Xiaoxi tilted her head. “That’s it?”
Ye Qingyao thought about it and realized she couldn't clearly explain what kind of feeling she had for Bai Qingxue.
In her memories, Bai Qingxue was clearly always cold and distant, not much of a talker, and didn't pay much attention to her.
But for some reason, every time Bai Qingxue appeared, she would unconsciously look over.
It wasn't a desire to be noticed, nor was it to get some kind of response.
It was just... she cared.
“That’s it,” Ye Qingyao answered, her tone exceptionally serious.
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoxi didn't press further but patted her shoulder and teased, “Then you’d better cultivate well, or you won't even have the chance to see her in the future.”
“What do you mean?”
“Xueji Peak is the most difficult to enter among the seven peaks; outsiders aren't allowed in without permission. If your cultivation is too poor, you won't even have the right to drop by for a visit.” Lin Xiaoxi smiled. “So, hurry up and practice. Once you're good enough, maybe you'll see her during the inter-peak competitions.”
Ye Qingyao tightened her grip on the water skin and nodded.
She returned the water skin to Lin Xiaoxi and picked up her sword again.
“Again.”
Lin Xiaoxi watched her back as she resumed her sword practice, shaking her head and whispering, “She’s quite dedicated.”
...
Returning to her courtyard, Bai Qingxue didn't rush to continue her cultivation. Instead, she sat under the old plum tree and silently recited the formulas for the first layer of the 《Mystic Frost Heavenly Heart Art》 once more.
Now that she had switched her technique, her foundation was rebuilt.
The Cold Jade spiritual power in her body had been entirely transformed into Mystic Frost spiritual power, which was several times purer than before.
After finishing her recitation, Bai Qingxue returned to the quiet room, sat cross-legged on the stone couch, and continued to circulate her technique.
A pale blue spiritual light lit up from her palm, and the temperature in the quiet room dropped a few more degrees.
Outside the window, the snow of Xueji Peak never melted, just like Bai Qingxue during her cultivation...
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