Once again, cultivators crowded in front of the Xuan Tie stone tablet at the Trial Grounds of Zangdao Mountain.
The rankings on the stone tablet changed again, and the most eye-catching thing was still that name that kept climbing—
Fifth place: Xiao Chen, level 41.
"The forty-first floor! That's where there are early-stage Mahayana-level magical beasts!"
"Xiao Chen is only at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, right? A peak Void Refinement cultivator fighting an early Mahayana stage cultivator—that's not just genius, that's monster!"
"I heard that he killed three 'Thunder-Patterned Leopards' on the forty-first floor and still managed to escape unscathed. His strength... is probably comparable to an ordinary Mahayana cultivator!"
Amidst the murmurs, no one noticed that Xiao Chen had already quietly left the trial grounds.
Although the monsters on the forty-first floor were powerful, they no longer exerted the same oppressive force he had felt before. The continuous fierce battles had given him a wealth of insights, and his cultivation level was showing signs of a breakthrough. However, he did not rush to break through to the Mahayana stage, but instead chose to pause for the time being—he wanted to thoroughly digest these insights and solidify his foundation.
Cultivation is never about seeking quick results.
Xiao Chen walked deeper into the stream of Cangdao Mountain, hoping to find a secluded place to cultivate in seclusion.
The babbling brook and the chirping of birds in the forest, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the trial grounds, gradually relaxed his tense nerves.
After passing through a dense forest, the stream suddenly widened, forming a deep, emerald-green pool. On the rocks by the pool stood a white figure.
It was a girl, dressed in a plain white dress, her silver hair gleaming softly in the sunlight. She had her back to Xiao Chen, gazing at the pool. The air around her seemed to carry a chill, and a thin layer of ice had frozen over the stream beside the pool, even covering the surrounding vegetation with frost.
As Xiao Chen approached, the girl suddenly turned around, her voice as cold as ice: "Stop!"
Her eyes were a very light blue, like the surface of a frozen lake, carrying a hint of wariness and aloofness: "Don't come any closer, getting near me... will be dangerous."
Xiao Chen paused, realizing he was still three zhang away from the girl, yet he already felt a bone-chilling cold; the grass beneath his feet was beginning to freeze. He understood then that this girl's constitution was likely extremely special, capable of emanating an incredibly strong chill.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Xiao Chen stopped and said gently, "I just wanted to find a place to cultivate in seclusion, and I won't come near you."
The girl looked at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her blue eyes. Ordinary cultivators would shiver from the cold if they came within a foot of her, but this cultivator in green robes stood three feet away, his expression unchanged, as if an invisible force was resisting the cold around him.
She pointed to the ice around her: "My constitution is the 'Innate Ice Soul Body.' The slightest fluctuation in my emotions will cause me to release cold energy. Anyone who gets close to me will be frostbitten, or even...frozen to death."
There was a hint of melancholy in her voice, as if she had long been accustomed to loneliness.
Xiao Chen nodded, not moving any closer, but asked curiously, "So what are you doing standing here?"
The girl looked at the fish swimming in the pool and whispered, "I... want to eat grilled fish."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were a little embarrassed: "I haven't eaten anything hot in a long time. When I saw fish in the water, I wanted to try it... but as soon as I touched it, the fish froze into ice."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's heart stirred slightly. He thought of his master, Lin Zhou, the steaming hot meals in the sect, and his master's often-repeated saying, "The warmth of everyday life is the most comforting."
The girl in front of me clearly longs for warmth, but she is trapped by her own constitution and can't even have a hot grilled fish.
"Shall I try to help you?" Xiao Chen said.
The girl was stunned: "Aren't you afraid of getting frostbite?"
"You'll know once you try." Xiao Chen smiled, his spear intent quietly circulating within him, forming an invisible barrier to keep the cold air out. At the same time, a wisp of extremely faint green spiritual energy swirled around his fingertips—it was a trace of the Dao of Life that he had picked up from being by Lin Zhou's side for many years. Although it was far less refined than his master's, it carried a gentle vitality that could resist the cold.
He didn't approach the pool; he simply waved his hand at the water, and the wisp of green spiritual energy transformed into a thin thread that precisely caught a plump grass carp, landing it on the open ground by the shore.
Then, Xiao Chen took out a bunch of bottles and jars from his storage bag—those were given to him by Lin Zhou when he left Qingyun Sect, who said, "When you're traveling, you can't just eat whatever you want." They contained seasonings like cumin, soy sauce, and chili powder.
He used his spiritual power to start a fire, cleaned the fish, seasoned it, and grilled it over the fire. The oil dripped and sizzled, and a rich aroma quickly filled the air.
The girl stood three zhang away, watching the flickering flames and Xiao Chen's profile as he intently grilled the fish. For the first time, warmth appeared in her blue eyes. She could feel the heat of the flames and the aroma of the food gradually dispelling the chill in her heart.
"Alright." Xiao Chen handed over the golden-brown grilled fish, using his spiritual power to support it and present it to the girl.
The girl carefully reached out her hand, and as soon as her fingertips touched the fish, a chill emanated from it. But this time, the chill seemed to be blocked by the life force remaining on the fish, and the fish did not freeze.
She took a small bite; the outside was crispy, the inside tender, and it had a rich aroma. The warm sensation flowed from her throat all the way to her heart.
"Delicious..." The girl's eyes lit up as she ate in small bites, a little condiment on the corner of her mouth, like a child who had received candy. "I... I haven't eaten anything hot in many years."
Seeing her happy expression, Xiao Chen smiled and said, "If you like it, you can come find me later and I'll bake it for you again."
The girl shook her head, the light in her eyes dimming: "No, I can't go out casually. My constitution makes it easy for me to hurt others... My name is Ling Xue, and I live in the Ice Valley in front."
"My name is Xiao Chen." Xiao Chen nodded. "Then I can come to Ice Valley to find you when I have time."
Ling Xue's eyes lit up again, and she nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
Xiao Chen chatted with her for a few more minutes and learned that she had lived in the Ice Valley since she was a child and rarely had contact with the outside world. Because of her physical condition, even her family did not dare to approach her.
After bidding farewell to Ling Xue, Xiao Chen continued deeper into the mountains and found a secluded cave to begin his secluded cultivation.
As he sat cross-legged, he couldn't help but think of Ling Xue's blue eyes and the happy look on her face when she ate grilled fish.
"Innate Ice Soul Physique..." Xiao Chen murmured to himself, "I wonder if Master has any solutions..."
In his heart, his master Lin Zhou seemed to be omnipotent, and there was no problem that his master could not solve.
Outside the cave, a stream babbles, and sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows.
Xiao Chen closed his eyes and began to sort out his insights from the past few days. His spiritual energy circulated slowly, steadily advancing towards the Great Ascension Realm.
Meanwhile, in the direction of the Ice Valley, Ling Xue sat by the frozen stream, holding the leftover fish bones, gazing in the direction Xiao Chen had left. For the first time, her blue eyes held an emotion called "expectation."
Perhaps, the world isn't as cold as she imagined.
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