The frostlight spread from afar, filling the air with fine shards of ice and snowflakes.
A surge of biting, frigid spiritual energy poured into the sword formation, and a radiant sword aura materialized out of thin air—like a startled swan, like a cold moon—before slashing forward with a thunderous force.
The monstrous demons that had lunged close suddenly froze in place.
"Crack. Crack. Crack."
Where the phantom frostblade swept past, the massive bodies of the demons split cleanly in two, slowly toppling backward.
The cuts were perfectly even, with no demonic blood spilling—only hexagonal frost rapidly spreading across the severed flesh, emitting crisp, creaking sounds.
"So strong!"
The disciples stared in disbelief at the broken swords in their hands.
Saint Maiden Zhentu had once shattered their sword formation, snapping every blade—except for Zhao Yu’s medicine pestle—without exception.
Yet now, under the spiritual power of Master Lingxue, these broken swords and remnants of the formation erupted with such overwhelming force.
It truly broadened their horizons.
Luo Luo’s gaze was fixed on the frostlight sword phantom hovering midair, unable to look away.
It, too, took the shape of a broken sword.
As the radiant light swirled, Xu Junzhu, leading the formation, moved with seamless coordination, guiding the group to pivot and strike again.
"Hum—"
The sword aura swept outward, cleaving and freezing several more demons in its path.
In an instant, a clear path opened before them.
"Move!"
The dark, oppressive hall was illuminated by the glacial light. Far in the distance, an immense surge of spiritual energy stretched like a bridge, guiding them forward.
At the end of this wintry path stood Master Lingxue.
Her figure floated behind the Soul-Suppressing Banner, translucent as ice and snow, radiating a dazzling, frosty glow.
So powerful. So breathtaking.
Feng Guanhai and Wu Xie also joined the fray, guarding the flanks to reinforce the sword formation’s weak points—adding the finishing touches to an already flawless effort.
Luo Luo was sheltered at the heart of the formation.
Her battle with Chen Xuanyi had nearly ended in mutual destruction, and even after advancing to the Nascent Soul stage, she hadn’t had the chance to properly recover. Even her supreme-grade Fire Nascent Soul now flickered weakly in her dantian, sputtering flames sporadically.
"Rumble… rumble…"
Slowly circulating her spiritual energy.
Since she couldn’t contribute much, Luo Luo obediently nestled in Li Zhaoye’s arms, careful not to cause trouble—just like every other disciple around her. Throughout this perilous journey, not a single one of these wounded and exhausted comrades had faltered.
Luo Luo glanced around, warmth swelling in her chest.
‘I love everyone so much! So, so, so much! I love Senior Sister Xu Junzhu, kind of like Xu Junlan, love Senior Brother Yang Bai, love fatty Zhao Yu…’
Li Zhaoye sighed. "Stop thinking."
Luo Luo: "Oh."
Luo Luo: "?!"
He could hear her thoughts?! When had Changtian returned to her sword abode?
She had grown so accustomed to its presence that she hadn’t even noticed it was there.
Wait.
So all that nonsense she’d been mentally rambling about—Li Zhaoye had heard every word. And he’d pretended not to know. He did it on purpose.
Luo Luo fumed. "Everyone—lovable. Li Zhaoye—despicable."
Li Zhaoye smirked dangerously. "Say that again, I dare you."
Luo Luo muttered, "Li Zhaoye—despicable."
Li Zhaoye scoffed. "You’ve got guts!"
As they bickered, the sword formation sliced through another wave of demons blocking their path.
Where the frostlight descended, nothing stood a chance.
Xu Junzhu commanded the formation with steady precision, focusing solely on carving a path forward—never wasting a single strike on unnecessary kills.
"Senior Sister!" someone cheered, fired up. "Go all out! Let’s slaughter them all!"
Another laughed wildly. "Yeah! Senior Sister, charge ahead! We won’t hold you back! Kill them—!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The spiritual energy channeled into the formation was vast beyond measure. For the first time, they truly understood what it meant to wield power capable of toppling mountains and draining seas.
Holding such strength in their hands—it was intoxicating!
Not using it to massacre demons felt like a waste.
Xu Junzhu didn’t respond. With a flick of her sword, a frostblade phantom shattered a demon lunging from above.
"Crash!"
If not for the instant freezing, they’d have been drenched in blood.
As the corpse chunks fell, Xu Junzhu’s expression remained icy, her profile sharp as a blade.
She cast a single glance back, and the group immediately fell silent.
"Yikes!"
Too reckless! How dare they spout such nonsense in front of Senior Sister?!
Who was Xu Junzhu?
The living embodiment of sect rules—stern, disciplined, unwavering, her composure rivaling even the sect master’s.
They’d really lost their minds, egging her on of all people. They might as well have swallowed a bear’s heart and a leopard’s gall.
Once they escaped this crisis, Senior Sister would surely pull out the sect regulations and settle accounts with them, one rule at a time.
"Yikes—!"
Xu Junzhu herself had no idea what her comrades were imagining.
Her restraint stemmed from one thing—Feng Guanhai’s warning: "You fight with spiritual power. A Harmonious Dao cultivator fights with their life."
If this energy was Master Lingxue’s lifeblood, then every drop had to be spent wisely—not a single thread wasted.
Xu Junzhu steadied her mind, pressed her lips together, and guided the formation onward.
Though the formation’s advance seemed unhurried, it was methodical and unshakable, cutting through the horde in no time.
No matter how the demons raged, the group pressed forward steadily.
Soon, they realized just how ruthlessly efficient Xu Junzhu’s control was.
Had they indulged in mindless slaughter, they’d still be trapped at the base of the steps.
Shamefaced, they regarded Xu Junzhu with even greater admiration—this was what a true leader looked like!
Far in the distance, the towering, glacial figure of Master Lingxue also watched Xu Junzhu, nodding faintly in approval.
"You have mastered all I could teach."
"You surpass me. Your future is boundless."
The whisper of frost brushed Xu Junzhu’s ears, carrying her master’s voice—stern yet warm.
She closed her eyes, forcing back the heat gathering in them.
She still remembered their farewell—how Master Lingxue had, uncharacteristically, cracked a joke, startling Xu Junzhu into wondering if her master had been possessed.
Looking back, the memory of her master’s expression had always unsettled her, an unshakable foreboding lurking beneath.
She had stubbornly suppressed that unease, refusing to dwell on it.
When she’d found traces of her master in the hall earlier, she thought—her heart had plummeted, the weight nearly crushing her.
But by some miracle… her master was safe.
"Why isn’t the sect master fighting his way over to join us?"
"Idiot, he has to guard the Soul-Suppressing Banner!"
"Ohhh!"
The demons blotted out the sky like a tidal wave.
The sword formation was but a lone boat tossed in the storm.
All around them loomed mountains of demonic flesh.
Yet the endless surge of frostbound spiritual energy kept the formation blazing forward, cutting through the horde.
Wu Xie frowned. "Just by forcibly breaking through to the Divine Transformation stage, she gained this much power?"
"Tsk, tsk," Feng Guanhai mused. "That little frost sprite is staking her life to save these brats."
Luo Luo panicked. "She’s saving you too! Shouldn’t you be helping more?"
Feng Guanhai glared. "Who says I’m not helping? Don’t go slandering me, little friend."
Li Zhaoye burst into laughter. "This is all you've got after putting in the effort? Are you sure you're not a fake Hedao cultivator?"
Feng Guanhai stomped his feet. "Oh yeah? Wanna test that theory?"
Li Zhaoye grinned. "Bring it on."
Wu Xie rubbed her temples in exasperation. "Will you two cut it out?"
The pair turned to glare at her in unison. "None of your business!"
Wu Xie: "…"
She shouldn’t have bothered.
Halfway through their journey, the frost around Xu Junzhu grew denser.
Her foundation was solid, her golden core already at its peak.
Then—a crisp, shattering sound.
She broke through her golden core and formed an infant Nascent Soul right then and there.
The group gasped. "Senior Sister?!"
Advancing to a new realm required absolute stability, yet here they were, caught in chaos.
This breakthrough couldn’t have come at a worse time!
Xu Junzhu was maintaining the sword formation. If she faltered, the consequences would be dire—just look at what happened when Wu Xie dodged Luo Luo’s feigned strike while holding the Eight Trigrams Golden Formation. The backlash had left Qing Xu’s followers in ruins.
"I’m fine!" Xu Junzhu said firmly. "Focus. Keep going!"
Their hearts ached.
Touched yet grief-stricken.
Their senior sister was pushing through for their sake! She was willing to sacrifice herself for them!
Luo Luo tilted her head, glancing between Xu Junzhu, who was still cutting down enemies, and the tearful group.
"Don’t cry," she reassured them. "Senior Sister really does seem okay."
The group: "Huh?"
Dozens of eyes locked onto Xu Junzhu.
She frowned under the scrutiny. "Did I not make myself clear? I said I’m fine."
The group: "Uh…"
Belatedly, they noticed the waves of energy radiating from her were steady and dense, with no signs of strain.
"Whoosh!"
A whirl of icy wind.
Xu Junzhu’s spiritual energy fully transformed into frost, harmonizing perfectly with the glacial power Master Lingxue had bestowed upon her.
The sword formation grew stronger.
Every slash now carried phantom trails of ice, dazzling and surreal.
And Xu Junzhu’s aura continued to rise!
"Hum—crack!"
The broken sword in her hand shimmered as frost rapidly crawled up its blade, extending it with a new, translucent edge of ice.
"Clang!"
The reforged blade pulsed with a deep, frigid power far surpassing its former self.
The group gasped. "Whoa!"
What kind of profound sword-forging opportunity was this?!
Xu Junzhu stared at her sword, momentarily stunned.
This reborn spiritual weapon… why did it look so much like her master’s Qingnü Sword?
Master…
Her gaze pierced through the carnage, landing on that winter-wielding figure, ethereal as a deity.
She clenched her jaw and returned to the fight.
Master, we’re almost there!
The group fought their way forward with renewed fervor.
"Boom!"
The last line of demons split in two before them.
Frost sealed their wounds as they fell.
Beyond the collapsing corpses stood the radiant Soul Suppression Banner, its divine light shimmering between reality and illusion.
Master Lingxue hovered above it, her back to them. Up close, her form resembled carved jade, haloed in rippling white light that held the demons at bay like a tide.
Luo Luo reached out, brushing the frostlight with her fingertips.
Warm. Not cold at all.
"Shifu!" Xu Junlan cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "We’re here! Let’s go, quick!"
Bai Yi, ever observant, frowned at a shadowed corner.
His voice dropped. "What’s… that?"
Following his gaze, the group saw shards of crystal littering the floor.
Crystal?
Most were stained with blood, as if something—or someone—had burst free from within.
"A demon?" Zhao Yu tightened his grip on his medicine pestle.
"No." Xu Junzhu’s voice was low, her eyes trembling as she looked up. "Shifu?"
The frostlight around Master Lingxue wavered slightly.
Her voice drifted down, faint as mist. "The seal is awakening. Leave now."
Xu Junzhu’s voice cracked. "Shifu!"
Master Lingxue didn’t turn. She raised a hand, forming a seal.
A pulse of frost plunged into the banner. Divine light rippled outward as the unshakable seal began to unlock.
Her voice echoed softly. "Xu Junzhu, once outside, you must assist me in resealing it."
Xu Junzhu’s pupils shook. "Shifu! You’re not coming with us?"
Master Lingxue gave no answer.
"Ah…" Feng Guanhai sighed deeply, creases lining his forehead. "A seal opened from within can only be closed from within. She has to stay. There’s no way out for her."
The group stood frozen in horror.
"Shifu!" Xu Junzhu dropped to one knee, her voice resolute. "This disciple has mastered all you’ve taught! Grant me the secret to controlling the banner!"
If she’d surpassed her master, why couldn’t she take her place?
"Shifu!" she pressed. "The sect needs you! Teach me the method, don’t waste time!"
"Sect Leader, choose me! I’m ready too!"
"I’m just as capable as Senior Sister! Don’t play favorites!"
"Me! Pick me!"
The disciples clamored as if vying for treasure, not a death sentence.
Feng Guanhai clicked his tongue.
What kind of sect was this, racing to die?
"Enough," he cut in. "Even with a replacement, Lingxue can’t leave. Save your breath. The seal’s opening—say your farewells."
The group paled. "What do you mean?"
Master Lingxue nodded slightly. "Elder Feng, thank you."
"Bah." He waved a hand. "No need. I had my own reasons—if I hadn’t kept your secret, these loyal juniors would’ve refused to come."
Xu Junzhu’s voice was calm. "Elder, what are you saying?"
Li Zhaoye summoned a "crystal" fragment with a flick of his hand.
Luo Luo caught it, sensing Master Lingxue’s aura within.
Her heart sank like a stone.
"She’s been at her limit for a while," Feng Guanhai admitted. "She fought her way here but chose not to use the banner to escape."
Luo Luo clenched the icy shard, teeth gritted.
The sect leader could’ve commanded its divine artifact freely.
She’d reached the banner. She could’ve left. Instead, she’d frozen herself into a block of ice in this dark corner.
Waiting alone to die in the sealed divine hall.
"Sect Leader!"
Now Luo Luo understood where that stern yet kind divine sense had come from.
No wonder it knew "Qing Xu planned this all along."
Feng Guanhai continued, "At death’s door, her soul left her body. She sensed you all coming and burned her divine soul to forcibly ascend beyond her realm, holding on just long enough to see you safely through."
That was why Master Lingxue hadn’t moved from her spot.
She exchanged her own burning essence for pure spiritual energy, crafting a bridge of salvation for her disciples.
In her rapidly fading vision, the figure of ice and snow stood powerful and warm—yet as fleeting as a dream.
After a moment of deathly silence, suppressed sobs began to ripple through the crowd.
Feng Guanhai sighed heavily. "Let us not waste her sacrifice. It's time to leave."
Burning one's divine soul was even more ruthless than self-destruction.
From this moment, body and spirit would vanish, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation again.
"Xu Junzhu." Master Lingxue's voice was distant, cold as frost.
Xu Junzhu stepped forward, suppressing her pain. "Your disciple is here."
Lingxue spoke, "Today, I pass my legacy to you. Remain humble, and walk the path with diligence."
Xu Junzhu bit her lip hard.
She had sensed this coming.
Her master had shielded her, aided her breakthrough, reforged her lifebound sword.
Lingxue raised her hand, forming a seal. The glacial flames surrounding her merged with the frost-laden spiritual energy that had guided Xu Junzhu all this way, surging into her in a torrent.
A black token fell into Xu Junzhu's palm—the Tai Xuan Sect's Leader's Command.
A flash of frostlight, one drop of soul-blood withdrawn, another bestowed—the legacy was now passed.
Xu Junzhu bowed her head, her heart weeping silently.
Lingxue's figure dimmed rapidly.
As the frostlight faded, her form grew translucent, no longer solid.
Those around struggled to hold back tears, but just as they were about to break, the radiant glow of the Soul Suppression Banner flared, forcing them to shield their eyes.
Seizing the moment, they wiped their faces with their sleeves.
"Master," Xu Junzhu asked, refusing to close her eyes despite the searing pain, "is there any wish you have left unfulfilled?"
After a pause, Lingxue answered softly, "When Qing Xu dies, ask him for me."
"Ask what?"
But Lingxue gave no reply.
Her sleeves billowed without wind, and a gentle force swept over them, carrying everyone into the golden ripples of the Soul Suppression Banner.
The light was blinding. No matter how wide Xu Junzhu strained her eyes, her master's figure vanished into the radiance.
"Go."
In a flash, they were transported outside the Divine Sealing Hall, standing now by a black riverbank.
The shift between light and shadow was abrupt, the frigid mist stinging their lungs with each breath.
"Master! Master!"
"Sect Leader!"
They rushed forward, only to meet the cold, towering wall of the hall.
The air was thick with gray-black miasma.
The Soul Suppression Banner was embedded deep within the hall's walls, its golden light spiraling inward, sealing shut.
Xu Junzhu raised her hand, forming a seal.
From her fingertips burst forth frostlight identical to Master Lingxue's, striking the banner's center.
"Senior Sister! The sect leader is still inside—"
Someone yanked the speaker back, silencing them.
Who here could grieve more than Xu Junzhu? She had followed Lingxue since childhood, inheriting not just her skills but her heart—their bond as deep as mother and daughter.
No one understood better than Xu Junzhu what must be done now.
She knew her master, and her master knew her.
Hesitation would only disappoint her.
The frostlight merged with the banner. Inside and outside the Divine Sealing Hall, two spiritual energies moved as one, two souls in perfect harmony.
Master, I will walk this path well. I will become the person you wished me to be.
"Hum—clang!"
The massive wall trembled violently.
The golden light sank, the seal now unbreakable. Yet that familiar presence lingered, as if never truly gone.
Xu Junzhu turned, sword in hand. "Let's go."
Glancing around, she saw red-rimmed eyes and stifled tears.
Feng Guanhai nodded. "This old man has a score to settle with that bastard Yue. I won't see you off!"
With a flicker, he vanished into the black mist.
Wu Xie, never one for farewells, had already slipped away unnoticed.
They walked in silence for a time.
Xu Junzhu slowed her steps, approaching Luo Luo.
Luo Luo knew what her senior sister wished to ask.
"That man," she said softly, "he knows Sect Leader Lingxue was framed. In this world, only he can tell her the truth. He will speak."
By now, Luo Luo no longer doubted Lingxue. The accusations of "betraying Qing Xu, entangled in an illicit bond with her master"—all of it was a monstrous lie.
That man, whether in victory or facing death, would reveal the truth.
Because at his core, he was unbearably arrogant.
Xu Junzhu nodded. "Good."
Though Lingxue had never spoken of Qing Xu's schemes, her final words—"when Qing Xu dies"—said everything.
By the sect's laws, Qing Xu's crimes warranted death.
"Senior Sister," Luo Luo blinked, realization dawning, "from now on, you'll be the sect leader."
Xu Junzhu gave a faint nod. "There are still formalities to complete at the sect."
"Oh."
She looked around. The others wore calm expressions.
Like a still river.
Beneath the surface, grief flowed deep and slow, unnoticed unless stirred.
A single touch would unleash a tidal wave.
Xu Junzhu said, "Before she left, Master promised to uncover the truth about Li Zhaoye's matter, to give you both justice. We will investigate this and her own case together—let the world know the truth."
Luo Luo murmured, "Be careful. That man won't be easy to deal with."
Xu Junzhu agreed.
Her sorrow was no secret to Luo Luo.
And Luo Luo's pain, she felt just as keenly.
Li Zhaoye smirked. "Just kill him."
Xu Junzhu & Luo Luo: "..."
Luo Luo suddenly remembered something and tugged at Li Zhaoye's collar. "Now that you've regained your memories, are you still using the name he gave you?"
Upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, one earned the title "True Person." At the Divine Transformation stage, "True Lord." And at the Dao Fusion stage, "Dao Lord."
True Persons, True Lords, and Dao Lords all bore Daoist titles—this was the perfect chance to discard an unwanted name.
Li Zhaoye let out a soft "ah."
"Zhaoye" was the name of a pavilion. "Li" was the most common surname. Li Zhaoye.
He blinked slowly, lips curling in self-mockery. "Hah."
Luo Luo's heart ached.
His gaze drifted into the distance, desolation in his eyes. "No one but you ever calls me that. So... do you like it?"
Luo Luo felt her heart shatter. "I do."
"Really?"
"Mm."
He arched a brow. "So you admit it—Li Zhaoye, liked. Next time, don't be so stubborn, eh?"
Luo Luo: "..."
He was referring to her earlier remark—Li Zhaoye, hated.
Even in grief, she couldn't help glaring at him, muttering dog under her breath.
"You two are good together," Xu Junzhu smiled faintly. "And your swords too—that move, Autumn Waters, Eternal Sky, was beautiful."
At this, Luo Luo glanced at her blade. "Wait, your sword repaired itself?"
Xu Junzhu drew it to show her. "My Frostless and Master's Goddess of Frost are sister swords. Look—this is Goddess."
The blade in her hand was half-white, half-green, seamless as if born whole.
The broken half had been restored by Goddess.
Frostless was jade-green, Goddess pure white—together, they were breathtaking.
Luo Luo wasn’t particularly eloquent and simply said, "With this, you’ll make a name for yourself."
Xu Junzhu replied, "Good. Holding it, I feel as though Master hasn’t truly left."
Luo Luo suddenly froze. "When Li Zhaoye died, his soul scattered—mosquitoes one moment, fish the next. Even the vast sky held traces of it."
Li Zhaoye was left speechless by her bizarrely vivid description.
But Xu Junzhu understood. Her body trembled slightly as she lowered her gaze to the sword in her hand.
Proud and unyielding, pure as ice and snow.
How much it resembled her master!
In a daze, she murmured, "No one in this world has ever cultivated a sword spirit. Not even the Taiyi Sword."
But what if… what if…
Her heart pounded wildly, her eyes burning with unshed tears.
Qingnü was her master’s lifebound sword, intrinsically tied to her being. She had burned her own soul to forge it into a blade.
If a sword spirit could be nurtured… then…
Luo Luo exclaimed excitedly, "It’ll work!"
Li Zhaoye nodded. "I think so too."
Qiushui and Changtian clamored eagerly, vibrating with energy. "Clang! Clang!"
Luo Luo cheered, "Then Master Lingxue will become a baby sword spirit! An elder turned junior—how amusing."
Li Zhaoye deadpanned, "Suitable for all ages?"
Xu Junzhu fell silent for a long moment before finally letting out an exasperated laugh, flicking her sleeve in mock anger.
