The snow around Cold Water Valley gradually stopped.
This was the first time Lin Zhixue had seen a snowless sky since arriving here.
Above thousands of miles of glaciers, the clouds slowly parted, allowing long-absent sunlight to pierce through the valley and fall upon the snow-capped peaks.
She rode her flying sword through the air, her white dress fluttering gently in the wind.
The Guilan Sword transformed into a streak of light, carrying her rapidly toward the Yunxiao Sect.
At her current speed, she would be back at the sect in two or three days at most.
Lin Zhixue glanced down at the transmission jade slip in her hand.
For some reason, she suddenly recalled the transmission from a few days ago.
When Gu Yanqing had reached out to her on his own initiative, she had actually been caught off guard.
Because she had assumed he wouldn't reach out to her on his own.
After all, there wasn't really anything special between them.
They had merely experienced a few events together.
At that time, he told her that the Sect Grand Tournament was about to begin and asked if she wanted to return to participate.
She had thought about it seriously for a moment.
In the end, she had still declined.
It wasn't that she didn't want to return, but because she felt there was no need for her to participate right now.
If she really joined, and happened to face Gu Yanqing, he wouldn't be able to beat her.
At that thought, she fell silent for a moment.
Was she being overly confident?
But soon, she dismissed that thought.
It wasn't confidence. It was just that during this period, she could truly feel her own growth.
Cultivating in Cold Water Valley had allowed her sword technique to advance at a rapid pace.
She had completely mastered the first three stances of the 《Autumn Water Sword Technique》.
The spiritual energy within her body was far more condensed than before.
Even she herself felt that she was completely different from who she used to be.
At the very least... she would no longer be like before, standing helplessly and waiting for others to protect her in the face of danger.
Thinking of this, she looked down at the Guilan Sword at her waist.
The scabbard hung there quietly; she reached out and gently grasped it.
“It’s about time.”
“I should head back too.”
...
A few days ago.
Outside Cold Water Valley.
Lin Zhixue left the side of the spirit spring, intending to go to a nearby market to purchase some materials needed for her cultivation.
Having cultivated continuously all these days, her previously prepared supplies were nearly exhausted.
However, shortly after setting out, she detected two presences approaching from a distance.
She stopped in her tracks, and soon, two cultivators appeared before her.
One of them let his gaze sweep over her and spoke:
“Fellow cultivator, have you seen a female Golden Core cultivator pass by?”
Lin Zhixue creased her brow slightly.
A female Golden Core cultivator?
The first person who came to her mind was Su Qinglian.
Over these past days, she had met very few people in Cold Water Valley.
And Su Qinglian happened to be a Golden Core cultivator.
Could they be looking for her?
Before she could speak, Xiaoyu suddenly popped out from the jade pendant at her waist.
It flew in a circle around the two men.
Then it muttered in a low voice:
“How strange...”
“Neither of these two looks like a good person no matter how you slice it.”
Lin Zhixue shot it a glance.
Xiaoyu understood her meaning as well—she was telling it not to blab randomly.
“I’m not blabbering!” Xiaoyu said indignantly. “I’m a fantastic judge of character!”
With that said, its eyes suddenly lit up.
In the next moment, its figure dived directly into the storage bag of one of the men.
Lin Zhixue: “...”
Just as she was about to stop it—
Xiaoyu had already darted back out.
Except this time, its expression had visibly changed.
“Zhixue! Run!”
“They're demonic cultivators!”
Lin Zhixue froze on the spot for a moment.
Demonic cultivators? This was the first time she had heard this term from Xiaoyu.
She repeated quietly under her breath:
“Demonic cultivators?”
The expressions of the two men transformed instantly.
A touch of coldness surfaced on their previously calm faces.
One of them slowly narrowed his eyes.
“Oh? And how did you arrive at that conclusion?”
Lin Zhixue gripped her sword hilt.
She understood now—these two were not looking for anyone at all. Their question earlier had merely been a probe.
She offered no further nonsense.
Her divine sense swiftly scanned the two.
One early Golden Core. One late Foundation Establishment, just a step away from Golden Core.
If she fled, the distance was too short.
Her back would be left exposed to them.
Her only choice was to go all out.
In the next instant, the Guilan Sword left its scabbard.
Sword light flowed like water.
The early Golden Core cultivator had clearly not expected her to strike without hesitation.
He sneered cold-heartedly: “A mere Foundation Establishment...”
Before his words could finish—
Lin Zhixue was already in front of him.
The first strike was blocked.
The second strike saw her blade slip straight through his defense.
The contempt on the demonic cultivator's face froze in an instant.
He did not even have time to react.
His body plummeted from the sky like a kite with a broken string.
Boom!
The snow on the ground burst outward.
Lin Zhixue remained silent for a long moment.
She stared at the sword in her hand, seemingly unable to believe it.
The other demonic cultivator finally snapped back to his senses, turned around, and fled.
Lin Zhixue did not hesitate.
Stepping forward, a flash of sword light swept across.
Yet another figure tumbled down from midair.
...
Xiaoyu drifted by her side.
Silent for a long while.
“Zhixue... you...”
Lin Zhixue snapped out of her reverie. “Hmm?”
“Right now, you...” Xiaoyu opened its mouth, unable to hold back in the end. “Haven't you become a little bit too strong?”
Lin Zhixue looked down at the two corpses on the ground.
She fell silent for a moment.
“I didn't intend to kill them.”
“It's just...”
“...they didn't seem to dodge.”
“?”
“That's not the point!”
“I mean, how did you suddenly get this strong?”
Lin Zhixue did not answer.
She simply looked off into the distance.
In truth, she didn't know either.
Perhaps it was because of Cold Water Valley, or the 《Autumn Water Sword Technique》, or those fortunate encounters.
Or perhaps... simply because she had never stopped pressing forward.
...
Pulling her thoughts back, Lin Zhixue stepped back onto her flying sword.
She gazed into the far distance.
“The Sect Grand Tournament...” she murmured softly.
For some reason, she suddenly wanted to see what Gu Yanqing was like right now.
Would he win?
...
On the other side.
Chixiao Sect. Qixia Peak.
Sunlight cascaded over the peaks.
The peak was filled with spirit flowers and surrounded by spirit springs—unimaginably finer than the residences of ordinary disciples.
Shen Wanwan sat in the courtyard, leisurely sipping her spirit tea.
With Fang Shouyi surprisingly absent from nagging at her side for once... she felt the entire world had quieted down significantly.
However, knock, knock, knock.
A hurried knocking echoed at the gate.
Shen Wanwan’s brows knitted.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Fang Shouyi walked inside. Seeing him, the disdain on Shen Wanwan's face was completely unhidden.
“You had better actually have something important to say.”
Fang Shouyi nodded earnestly.
“Miss, Elder Zhao has already sent people to investigate the matter over there.”
“At the same time, he notified the other sects to stay on high alert.”
Shen Wanwan paused mid-sip.
“Elder Zhao?” She frowned. “Why did you go find him?”
Fang Shouyi explained: “When I rushed back, I happened to run into Elder Zhao. He asked why I was in such a hurry, so I told him about encountering the demonic cultivators. Elder Zhao then told me to head back first and said he would handle the matter.”
Shen Wanwan didn't speak; she set down her teacup.
Her gaze drifted through the window, looking toward the distant sky.
Elder Zhao...
An elder who hardly ever showed his face on ordinary days.
Why would he suddenly pay attention to this matter?
She pondered it for a long time.
Yet she could come up with no answer, only letting out a soft sigh in the end.
“Forget it.”
“Let's wait and see for now.”
Quiet settled over the courtyard once again.
The leisure on Shen Wanwan's face had diminished quite a bit.
Rate on N.U.
