"The three-day period has passed, yet he is still cultivating his breathing technique..."
Loren sighed inwardly.
Although the 【Ice Flower Nine Styles】, which he had castrated, was a super-tier sword technique, its core was profound. Even a swordsman with excellent talent would at most reach the proficient level in the first few styles within three days.
He had expected Jiang Lin to spend the final moments desperately honing his sword, but he had not expected the youth to have seemingly given up early, turning instead to the practice of fundamental techniques.
"It seems I overestimated his temperament..."
"Perhaps he thinks mastering a few introductory styles is enough to pass the assessment?"
Loren did not conceal his aura as he walked over slowly, his footsteps almost silent on the ice.
However, Jiang Lin opened his eyes the moment he stepped onto the ice platform.
"Senior."
Jiang Lin stood up and offered a salute.
"The three days are up."
Loren's tone was flat, devoid of emotion.
"How have you progressed with the 【Ice Flower Nine Styles】?"
Jiang Lin replied:
"I completed my cultivation on the second day, but as I could not find you, I stayed here to practice my breathing technique while waiting."
Loren's brow twitched imperceptibly.
Completed it on the second day?
He shook his head internally.
It was common for young people to be competitive and prone to exaggeration.
What he called "completed" was likely just barely memorizing the nine styles and being able to perform them in sequence.
If super-tier sword techniques were so easy to master, wouldn't everyone in the world possess the same talent as him?
He had originally thought he had met a junior with whom he shared some fate, and even if his swordsmanship talent was average, he could still guide him in other areas.
He had not expected to find someone so lacking in ambition.
"Demonstrate it for me."
Loren said calmly, without calling him out.
He was already prepared.
If Jiang Lin only had fluid movements but shallow sword intent, he would point out the deficiencies and give him one more chance.
If even the movements were clumsy and flawed, it would mean this youth was too impetuous to be taught, and he would simply send him back where he came from.
...
Jiang Lin was unaware of these inner thoughts.
He nodded respectfully and walked to the center of the ice platform.
He did not condense the 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】 or any other sword technique, choosing instead to stand quietly with empty hands.
Just as confusion dawned in Loren's eyes, the air across the entire ice platform suddenly solidified in the next second!
This was not a metaphor, but a literal "solidification"!
The falling snowflakes hung suspended in mid-air, the reflections of the auroras seemed frozen, and even the sound of the wind vanished at that moment.
Jiang Lin raised his hand, making a grasping motion.
A longsword, formed entirely from ice-blue sword intent, manifested in his palm. The blade was as transparent as crystal, yet within it, countless fine frost patterns swirled.
Then, he moved.
There was no complex opening stance, just a simple, straightforward thrust forward!
First style, Frost Condensation!
The sword struck without a shadow. Only a speck of frost appeared quietly on the surface of an ice pillar ten zhang away, with a deep, tiny hole at its center.
Loren's pupils constricted.
The "concealment" and "speed" of this strike far exceeded the level the first style should possess!
This was absolutely not the level of someone who had just initiated or become skilled.
It had reached at least the perfect, if not the superlative level!!
Although Loren was surprised, he was not overly shocked.
Perhaps the youth had only practiced this first style over the past few days.
However, being able to push the first style to the superlative level within three days already surpassed ninety-nine percent of all swordsmen.
After all, for an average rank-2 or rank-3 adventurer to practice this sword move, just reaching the initiation stage would likely take months or even years.
Not to mention pushing it to such a high level of proficiency.
It seemed his talent was indeed quite good.
Loren nodded slightly to himself.
As for why he was practicing his breathing technique, it was likely just the youth's desire to show off in front of others.
He had intentionally timed it to appear relaxed.
In reality, he had just pushed the first style to the superlative level.
Who hadn't been young once? After all, he was only about fifteen; wanting to impress an elder like himself was normal.
Thus, Loren said:
"Not bad..."
The final word was cut short, as Jiang Lin did not retract his sword stance; instead, he flicked his wrist, and his sword intent suddenly erupted.
Second style, Ice Prism!
Hundreds of ice-blue sword qi beams burst from the void, standing like a forest of prisms and shrouding an area of thirty zhang. Each beam pointed in a different direction, yet they echoed one another, forming a chilling sword array.
Seeing this, Loren's mouth hung slightly open, leaving him no chance to finish his previous praise.
He had even practiced the second style to the superlative level??!!
And it was not over yet.
Jiang Lin stepped forward, his figure drifting like wind and snow, his sword following his movement.
Third style, Snow Dance; fourth style, Cold Current; fifth style, Ice Seal...
He unleashed three styles in a single step!
The lightness of Snow Dance, the lingering nature of Cold Current, and the deathly silence of Ice Seal blended perfectly, transforming into an ice-blue storm that swept across the platform.
Where the storm passed, magnificent frost patterns crystallized on the ice, spreading and growing as if they had a life of their own.
Loren's purple eyes widened slightly.
The expression that had remained calm from beginning to end finally showed ripples.
But this was only the beginning.
Jiang Lin suddenly stopped, pointing his longsword toward the sky.
Sixth style, Frost Brilliance; seventh style, Ice Soul; eighth style, Extreme Cold!
The auroras in the sky seemed to be drawn in, cascading down and merging into the blade.
A point of ice-blue light at the tip of the sword collapsed rapidly before exploding with a boom, forming a visible ice ring that expanded outward.
Where the ring passed, time seemed to slow down; the falling snowflakes froze and locked in place at a visible rate, ultimately remaining suspended in the air in their falling posture.
Domain prototype, Extreme Cold Stagnation!
Loren's breath hitched.
This was the boundary one could only touch when the eighth style of the 【Ice Flower Nine Styles】, "Extreme Cold," was practiced to its zenith.
As an original king-tier skill, this was already the level of touching a domain!
And Jiang Lin's sword momentum was still climbing.
He gripped the hilt with both hands, the tip slowly lowering to point at the ancient sword "Frostblade" in the center of the platform.
Ninth style, Eternal Ice Flower!
There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a sense of absolute "stillness."
With Jiang Lin as the center, all color faded from the hundred-meter ice field, turning into pure black and white.
The wind, snow, auroras, ice crystals, and even the slight movement of Loren's robe were all frozen like an ancient mural.
Only the sword in Jiang Lin's hand continued to swirl with ice-blue radiance.
He spoke softly, yet his voice reached Loren's ears clearly:
"Senior, this is the 'Ice Flower' that I have cultivated."
As the words fell, the black-and-white world shattered, color returned, and the wind and snow continued to fall.
The ice platform was silent.
Loren stood where he was, his purple eyes fixed on Jiang Lin. On that beautiful face, which had been like ice for an eternity, a clear look of excitement appeared for the first time.
Three days.
Only three days.
Or even less!
Not only had he cultivated the super-tier 【Ice Flower Nine Styles】 to the superlative realm, but he had also broken through the limit and fused a domain prototype!
This could no longer be described as a "genius"!
This was a prodigy, a monster, a sword dao genius just like himself!!!
For a moment, Loren felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Moreover, the youth had absorbed a fragment of the "Eternal Ice Soul" into his body and possessed a near-perfect face just like his own. How similar their experiences were!
This was simply another version of himself sent by the heavens!!
For some reason, images that did not exist seemed to flash through his mind.
It seemed as if, a very, very long time ago, this youth named Jiang Lin had been adopted by him from birth.
From a wailing infant, he had gradually grown into a child who could walk and run.
And he himself had gone from changing his diapers every day to chasing after him to play.
Their footsteps had covered the entire Frostblade Peak, from the mountainside to the foot of the peak.
Though they were not father and son, their relationship was better than father and son!
As the youth grew older, he began to impart his own knowledge of sword dao to him.
From teaching him how to hold a sword, to him being able to perform his first sword technique...
He had shown him his progress with such excitement, and he had revealed a satisfied smile, feeling truly comforted.
It was just like an old father watching his child grow up bit by bit...
...
Jiang Lin finished his demonstration and turned to look at his cold, aloof Senior Loren.
However, he saw the man looking up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, with tears of excitement streaming down his eyes.
W-what is going on?!
Jiang Lin was immensely shocked.
Then, he heard Loren say:
"My disciple, I have waited for you for too long!"
Disciple? Had he already decided to take him on as a disciple??!!
Jiang Lin was surprised.
He had not expected the usually cold Senior Loren to have such a side.
He even had a contrasting personality trait?!
Since he was so enthusiastic, he could not be cold in return!
Thus, he also shouted excitedly:
"Master! Disciple has finally found you!!"
Hearing this, Loren looked at Jiang Lin, and in the next instant, he stepped forward to stand before him, exclaiming excitedly:
"Disciple!"
Jiang Lin was equally excited:
"Master!!"
Loren grasped Jiang Lin's hands:
"Disciple!!!"
Jiang Lin looked at his senior with excitement:
"Master!!!!"
...
Afterward, the two of them wept in each other's arms in a bizarre display, like long-lost relatives.
Little Black, watching from the side, was struck dumb.
It could not fathom what had just happened.
And wasn't the Loren Sword Saint that Jiang Lin came to find supposed to be a highly respected senior?
Why was he behaving so childishly?
Little Black no longer had the words to describe the two guys before it.
In front of the ice-crystal pavilion, the auroras flowed across the sky, draping a dreamlike veil over the eternal ice field.
The bizarre scene of Jiang Lin and Loren weeping in each other's arms lasted for about three breaths before ending.
Loren released Jiang Lin, stepped back half a pace, and wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, his voice returning to its usual coldness:
"Master... just now... was a bit uncomposed."
Jiang Lin bowed deeply with his hands clasped:
"Disciple Jiang Lin, greets Master."
Loren nodded slightly, the remaining emotional ripples in his purple eyes gradually settling as he looked at Jiang Lin with gratification:
"Three days, to cultivate a set of super-tier sword techniques to the highest realm, and even touch upon a domain prototype..."
He paused, then continued:
"I have walked the path of the sword for so many years and have seen countless so-called geniuses.
"But like you, being able to cultivate a set of sword techniques to this level in such a short time,
"Except for myself, you are the first.
"Your talent might even be above mine!!"
Yet, hearing this, Jiang Lin was shocked inwardly.
He had shown such talent, and the man still used the word "might."
Was he not shocked to have his talent overshadowed by his own?
How high must the man's own talent be??
"Master overpraises me. Disciple merely has innate talent combined with diligent effort."
"Diligent effort?"
Loren recalled the scene of Jiang Lin practicing his breathing technique against the clock.
Now that he looked, the youth's temperament was indeed quite excellent.
He was neither arrogant nor impetuous, and even after practicing his sword techniques, he knew to cultivate his breathing technique.
He was truly worthy of being a disciple of Loren!!
"Diligent effort is good! For geniuses like us, the thing to fear most is arrogance and relying on talent!
"I am very gratified that you can be so diligent!!"
He then turned and walked toward the ice-crystal pavilion.
"Follow me."
Jiang Lin followed quickly.
The first floor of the pavilion was more spacious than it looked from the outside.
The walls were translucent ice crystals, and the auroras shone through the ice, casting mottled light and shadows in the room.
There were a few simple stone tables and stools, and some dry rations piled in the corner.
Most eye-catching was a huge ice-crystal scroll hanging on the wall facing the entrance.
On the scroll, twelve ice peaks surrounded the towering Frostblade Peak in the center, and a massive rhombic crystal emitting a soft blue light hovered above the summit.
This was the "Eternal Ice Soul," the sacred relic of the frost giant race.
Loren stopped in front of the scroll, his back to Jiang Lin.
"Do you know why I cast away my cultivation to restart?"
Jiang Lin thought for a moment and answered cautiously:
"Master mentioned before that it was because normal breakthroughs would be shackled by the gods, locking the upper limit."
"Correct."
Loren turned around, his purple eyes deep.
"But that is only one reason.
"The second is because of the Eternal Ice Soul within me."
He raised his right hand, palm upward.
A wisp of ice-blue radiance emerged from his palm, gradually condensing into a fist-sized, crystal-clear rhombic crystal.
Inside the crystal, a star river seemed to flow, emitting a chilling cold and pressure that made one's heart palpitate.
"Is this the complete Eternal Ice Soul?"
Jiang Lin asked in surprise.
"To be precise, it is the Ice Soul Core."
Loren put away the crystal, his gaze landing on Jiang Lin's dantian.
"The fragment within you is a portion that separated from the core when the frost giant tribe collapsed.
"It chose you, which means you have a fate with the frost giant race, and also with me."
He paused, then continued:
"But a fragment is still a fragment. It can provide you with ice-element affinity and a trace of ice soul power now, but if you want to truly integrate this power into your sword dao and make it an aid for you to climb to the peak in the future, you need to do a few things."
"Please instruct me, Master."
Jiang Lin asked humbly.
"First, hunt the Frost Ghosts."
Loren held up a finger.
"Frost Ghosts were originally Ice Soul guards, but they fell due to the damage to the sacred relic.
"Their bodies contain the purest ice soul power, which is the best nourishment for your fragment."
He walked to the window and looked out at the rolling ice peaks.
"There are still quite a few Frost Ghosts wandering outside the Extreme Ice Abyss.
"Their strength ranges from rank-3 to rank-5. With your current combat power, dealing with rank-3 to rank-4 Frost Ghosts is no problem, but rank-5 ones... would be a bit of a stretch."
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