After Zhang Mingyuan left the inner chambers of Myriad Snow Palace, he did not immediately return to the neighboring Qingyun Heaven.
He went to find Chu Jinghong first.
At that moment, Chu Jinghong was squatting on one of Myriad Snow Palace's sword peaks, clutching his sword and staring solemnly at Bai Yao, who was practicing her swordplay in the distant snow.
Bai Yao unleashed strike after strike.
Her sword light was still raw, yet exceptionally steady.
Though she was only in the Qi Refining Stage and the spiritual energy in her body was pitifully thin, every single strike of hers carried a nearly stubborn ferocity.
Chu Jinghong nodded repeatedly as he watched, muttering to himself:
“Not bad, not bad. As expected of Master's Wife's disciple. Though this sword intent hasn't fully formed yet, it already has three parts killing intent and seven parts stubbornness. If we add Master's Wife's cold, aloof demeanor that looks down on the world...”
“Tsk, I can't even imagine how cool she'll look...”
Smack.
A hand suddenly smacked the back of his head.
Chu Jinghong nearly pitched face-forward into the snow.
He whipped his head around, about to draw his sword, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw who it was.
“Master!”
“Shh—”
“Don't disturb the little girl's practice.”
Zhang Mingyuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering in the wind. His expression was calm amidst the swirling wind and snow.
Chu Jinghong lowered his voice. “Master, you finally spared some time to see your disciple!”
Zhang Mingyuan shot him a sidelong glance. “What do you mean by 'spared some time'? Have I been neglecting you lately?”
Chu Jinghong scratched his head and grinned. “I know, I know. Master always keeps me in his heart!”
Zhang Mingyuan fell silent for a moment.
He suddenly felt that this disciple was sometimes so foolishly endearing that he couldn't bear to beat him.
But that was only sometimes.
The next moment, he waved his hand. A massive pile of spirit stones, pills, sword art jade slips, and protective talismans clattered onto the ground before Chu Jinghong, stacking up into a small mountain.
Chu Jinghong's eyes widened.
“Master, this is...”
“Cultivation resources,” Zhang Mingyuan said calmly. “I am entering seclusion.”
Chu Jinghong's expression shifted. “Seclusion? How long will you be in seclusion, Master?”
“Probably forty or fifty years.”
“It won't be too long anyway.”
Chu Jinghong gripped his sword, his expression instantly turning solemn.
“Rest assured, Master! I will guard Qingyun Heaven, Myriad Snow Palace, and Master's Wife! I won't let any petty scoundrels stir up trouble while you're in seclusion!”
Looking at his hot-blooded, overexcited disciple, Zhang Mingyuan's lips twitched.
“Just look after yourself,” Zhang Mingyuan said. “Does your Master's Wife even need your protection?”
Chu Jinghong froze.
That seemed true.
Master's Wife could probably slice hundreds of millions of Chu Jinghongs to pieces with a single strike. She didn't need...
But if he didn't say it like that, how could he justify receiving all these treasures from his master?
Hehehe...
Zhang Mingyuan casually tossed him a simple, ancient compass.
“This is the Karma-Tracking Compass.”
Chu Jinghong caught it and looked down. “Master, this is...”
Zhang Mingyuan looked toward Bai Yao, who was still practicing her swordplay in the distance.
“Her enemy has fled very deep.”
Chu Jinghong's gaze sharpened.
He had naturally heard about Bai Yao's village being massacred by demonic cultivators in a blood sacrifice.
After Bai Yao was brought back to Myriad Snow Palace, she had cultivated day and night. While others cultivated for a day and rested for half, she wished she could refine her very self into a sword.
Sometimes, even Chu Jinghong felt a chill watching her.
That kind of cultivation...
It was as if she wanted to turn even her breathing into sword techniques. She was even more of a sword maniac than he was!
Zhang Mingyuan said, “Once Bai Yao's cultivation is high enough, if she wants to seek revenge, tell her to follow this compass.”
“Your disciple understands.”
Zhang Mingyuan glanced at him. “You can go with her.”
Chu Jinghong's heart jolted.
“Rest assured, Master! I will ensure my junior sister's safety!”
Zhang Mingyuan smiled and shook his head.
“Don't let your hot blood get to you and steal her revenge when the time comes. You're going along to prevent any accidents, and you should only step in as a last resort. Do you understand?”
“Your disciple understands!”
Only then did Zhang Mingyuan produce a jade token.
The jade token was translucent, with snow-colored immortal runes flowing inside, faintly carrying Su Jinxue's aura.
“Before you set off, have your Master's Wife activate this token.”
Chu Jinghong accepted it with both hands, his expression growing even more solemn.
“If you encounter danger you cannot resolve, crush it.”
“When that happens, your Master's Wife will arrive in person.”
Holding the jade token, Chu Jinghong suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
“Master...”
Zhang Mingyuan frowned. “What's with that look on your face?”
“How have I deserved such profound kindness from you, Master!”
“Cut the act.”
Zhang Mingyuan raised a hand and tapped his forehead.
“If I emerge from seclusion and find you still loitering around the Soul Formation Stage...”
Chu Jinghong stiffened all over.
Zhang Mingyuan's smile was blindingly bright.
“My Seven Wolves will have to taste meat again.”
Chu Jinghong instantly felt a phantom pain in his backside, a burning sensation welling up in his mind.
He immediately stood straight as a board. “Your disciple guarantees I will break through to the Void Refining Stage!”
“Alright, alright.” Zhang Mingyuan turned to leave. “If you hit any bottlenecks in your cultivation, you can ask your Master's Wife. She only looks fierce, but she's actually very kind.”
“Your disciple understands.”
With that, Chu Jinghong watched his retreating figure, knelt down, and gave him a heavy kowtow.
“Your disciple will not disappoint your high expectations, Master!”
Zhang Mingyuan didn't stop. He simply waved his hand as his figure slowly faded into the wind and snow.
“Kneel less, practice more.”
...
Qingyun Heaven.
Inside the Sacred Lord's Palace, the bell chimed nine times.
All the elders, peak masters, and true disciples of Qingyun Heaven gathered in full attendance.
Zhang Mingyuan sat high upon the palace throne.
“From this day forth, I shall enter seclusion.”
Everyone's expression turned solemn.
“During my absence, all matters within Qingyun Heaven, big or small, shall be subject to the commands of our Lady, Su Jinxue.”
The hall fell dead silent for a brief moment.
Then, everyone bowed in unison.
“We respectfully obey the Sacred Lord's decree!”
With that done, Zhang Mingyuan transformed into a streak of azure sword light and flew straight into the Sacred Lord's Peak.
Boom!
The defensive arrays of the Sacred Lord's Peak activated layer by layer.
The spiritual veins spanning tens of thousands of miles across Qingyun Heaven trembled as boundless spiritual energy surged backward like a torrential river, converging toward the Sacred Lord's Peak.
Zhang Mingyuan had entered seclusion.
...
Time flies in the mountains, and years lose their meaning in cultivation.
Three years.
Five years.
Ten years.
The Sacred Lord's Peak of Qingyun Heaven remained sealed.
A sea of clouds churned at the summit. Occasionally, azure sword light would pierce through the clouds, and at times, the resonant sound of the Great Dao would echo in the dead of night, reverberating throughout the entirety of Qingyun Heaven.
Countless disciples sat cross-legged, cultivating with the help of the stray wisps of Dao charm emanating from the Sacred Lord's seclusion, benefiting immensely.
In Myriad Snow Palace, Bai Yao's cultivation progressed at an astonishing speed.
Qi Refining.
Foundation Establishment.
Golden Core.
She seemed to know neither fatigue nor pain.
Su Jinxue was extremely strict with her.
So strict that many elders of Myriad Snow Palace were secretly appalled.
Yet, Bai Yao never once complained.
She simply spent every day practicing her sword, cultivating, tempering her body, and refining her mind.
Until the sixteenth year.
Bai Yao broke through to the Golden Core Stage.
On that day, she stood at the foot of the Immortal Lord's Peak, holding Chixia, and knelt before Su Jinxue.
“Master.”
“Your disciple wishes to seek revenge.”
Su Jinxue stared at her quietly.
Only after a long while did she speak, “Go. Stab that bastard ten thousand and eight thousand times.”
Su Jinxue raised her hand and activated the jade token on Chu Jinghong's person.
“Return early.”
Bai Yao's eyes grew red as she gave a heavy kowtow.
“Your disciple obeys.”
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