It depends on human effort.
As the last surge of spiritual energy was injected into the array's core, ripples spread through the air. An invisible barrier quietly rose from the surrounding ground, gracefully closing towards the central sky, creating a warm place independent of the frigid Cangmin Mountain.
The formation is complete.
Yun Qian held her inner energy and cautiously walked to the edge of the formation. She tentatively extended a hand, repeatedly sensing the boundary between the inside and outside of the formation. She felt a stark difference in temperature; outside the formation was the familiar chill, but inside it was warm and inviting. A bright smile instantly bloomed on her face. She turned to the white-clad figure who had been quietly observing, her voice brimming with undisguised excitement: "Master! The formation is complete!"
Bai Yan's gaze seemed to pierce through the void, landing on the invisible array barrier. He nodded slightly, his tone still calm, yet containing a hint of barely perceptible approval: "Not bad."
This was not the first time Yun Qian had successfully set up a formation.
When Yun Qian first entered the Daoist path, she often spent time in the library, engrossed in those profound ancient books on formations. Every now and then, she would concoct a small formation, tinker with it for a few days, and then personally break it. During the time she was alone on the mountain, setting up and breaking formations was an important way for her to pass the time and improve her cultivation.
But today's "Spring Breeze Array" is different. It is no longer for passing the time or for personal cultivation, but carries a real expectation and care.
When what you do is given meaning, the joy of success is even greater.
The thought of Bai Chuan being able to plant and study his herbs here filled Yun Qian with a tender feeling and a sense of accomplishment. A satisfied smile played on her lips as she turned to look at Bai Yan not far away.
In the dim morning light, the edges of the silver mask reflected a cool luster, but even from several meters away, Yun Qian clearly caught a glimpse of her master's usually tightly pursed lips, which were now slightly upturned in a gentle arc.
When Baichuan and Baiji arrived at the Jade Stone Platform as usual, intending to find their senior sister, they found their master, dressed in white and wearing a mask, sitting upright on the platform.
Bai Yan exuded an aura of unapproachable majesty, which immediately silenced the two children. They even softened their breathing and stepped forward respectfully to greet their master.
Bai Yan raised his hand slightly and pointed to the empty seat in front of him: "Sit down."
"Yes." The two replied in unison, and carefully sat down on the designated futon, their backs straight.
"Entering the Dao is an opportunity bestowed by Heaven." Bai Yan's voice was clear and cold, like a mountain spring. "This opportunity was destined from the moment you were born."
Bai Chuan didn't look up; his gaze fell on the spotless white hem of Bai Yan's robe. He understood that his master's words were meant to remind him of the principle that "fate is hard to defy."
The two children were still young, and with their heads bowed, from Bai Yan's perspective, only the tops of their two jet-black hairs were visible. But he didn't care and continued, "Destiny may be predetermined, but human effort can make a difference."
"The essence of a cultivator lies within themselves, not in external classifications. If one has a sharp edge in their heart, and can wield a sword, they can naturally also wield a saber." Bai Yan's gaze turned to Bai Chuan. "Bai Chuan, do you understand?"
Bai Chuan took a deep breath, raised his head, and although his gaze still held a hint of naivety, it was much more resolute: "Disciple understands." His senior sister's words from yesterday still echoed in his ears, and they corroborated his master's words at this moment. He had engraved this truth in his heart.
"Okay." Bai Yan nodded almost imperceptibly, then shifted his gaze to Bai Ji, who was secretly observing him. "Bai Ji, what about you?"
Upon hearing his name, Bai Ji was slightly startled. He quickly raised his head and replied crisply, "Disciple understands, Master!"
By the time Baichuan and Baiji finally found Yunqian, it was already afternoon.
At that moment, their senior sister was sitting cross-legged in front of the newly formed array, holding a smooth wooden plaque about half a person's height in her arms, her fingertips gathering spiritual power as she carefully polished the edges.
"Senior Sister!" Bai Ji's eyes lit up, and he jogged over, squatting down next to Yun Qian. He curiously examined the wooden plaque in Yun Qian's arms. "Senior Sister, what are you doing?"
Yun Qian looked up at the sound and saw the two little ones walking towards her, one after the other. She patiently replied, "Polishing wooden plaques."
As she spoke, she placed the smooth, polished wooden plaque in front of the seemingly empty array and gestured, "Once the words are engraved, we'll place it here, okay?"
Bai Chuan and Bai Ji, whose cultivation levels were still shallow, were unable to sense the quietly operating array spiritual power behind Yun Qian. They could only look at the open space behind the wooden sign with puzzlement.
Bai Ji scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "Senior Sister, why did you put it here?"
"Hmm?" Yun Qian raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Master tell you?"
Bai Chuan and Bai Ji both shook their heads blankly.
Yun Qian was slightly surprised; she had thought Bai Yanyan had told them. But it didn't matter; it would be the same if she told them.
She raised her arm, pointing with a touch of pride to the "empty land" behind her shrouded in an array, and said with a hint of smugness, "This! This is the empire that your senior sister has conquered for Baichuan!"
"???" Bai Chuan's brows furrowed instantly, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Bai Ji also gaped, looking incredulous.
Amused by their expressions, Yun Qian put down the wooden plaque, grabbed Bai Chuan with one hand and Bai Ji with the other, and led them into the array's range. She then raised her hand to temporarily seal off the faint true energy that the two of them were circulating on their own.
When the pleasant warmth, so different from that outside the formation, enveloped them, both children were stunned. Bai Ji took a few steps forward with curiosity, then turned back, exclaiming in delight, "Senior Sister! It's not cold here anymore! Is this a formation?"
Yun Qian nodded with a smile.
"What kind of formation is this? Can you teach me, Senior Sister?" Bai Ji's thirst for knowledge was immediately ignited.
Bai Chuan, on the other hand, remained unusually quiet. He stretched out his hand, palm up, feeling the warm, life-giving air flowing through him, yet he had not yet connected this magical formation with himself.
Yun Qian gently patted Bai Ji's head and explained, "This is the 'Spring Warmth Array.' It can maintain a constant temperature within the array through the circulation of spiritual energy, like a spring day that lasts forever." She paused, then turned her gaze to the silent Bai Chuan beside her, her voice becoming even softer, "Bai Chuan is a medical cultivator, so he will naturally have to deal with various medicinal herbs in the future. The temperature on Cangmin Mountain is relatively low, making it difficult for many medicinal herbs to survive. With this array, most of the necessary medicinal herbs can be planted!"
Bai Chuan was completely stunned.
He stared blankly at Yun Qian, his eyes, which always held a hint of stubbornness and precociousness, now filled with an incredible light.
He only entered the path yesterday, and even now, he is still confused about what "medical cultivation" really means.
"Senior sister..." Bai Chuan felt a lump in his throat. He blinked hard, trying to force back the sudden wetness, but his vision blurred quickly, and warm tears rolled down uncontrollably.
"Oh dear," Yun Qian frowned slightly upon seeing this, her expression a mixture of worry and helplessness. "Why are you crying again?"
Bai Chuan's tears fell like beads from a broken string. He cried so hard his breath was unsteady, his shoulders trembled slightly, but he still managed to choke out, "Thank...thank you...Senior Sister..."
Seeing his expression, a mixture of suppressed grievance and overwhelming emotion, Yun Qian's heart softened, filled with tenderness. She reached out and gently pulled Bai Chuan into her arms, patting his thin back softly and rhythmically with one hand: "Silly child, this is what I should do. Little Bai Chuan, don't forget, I'm your senior sister."
These gentle words were like opening a floodgate. Baichuan could no longer hold back, burying his face deeply in his senior sister's warm and soft waist, his sobs transforming from suppressed whimpers into a complete outpouring.
From the moment his parents passed away, Baichuan, being the older one, felt he had to be strong and take care of Baiji. They fled, constantly evading pursuers, struggling to survive amidst fear and despair. Finally, those terrifying days ended, and his master brought him back to this peaceful land. He thought that no one in this world would ever be kind to him again.
But first he met his master, who saved their lives and gave them a place to live.
Now, he received his first gift, carefully prepared by his senior, and an incredibly warm hug that made all his pretense of strength crumble.
Bai Chuan cried his heart out, as if trying to release all the pent-up fear, grievances, and overwhelming gratitude he felt at that moment. Bai Ji, standing beside him, also had red eyes. She reached out her small hand and, imitating her senior sister, patted Bai Chuan's back gently, whispering, "Senior brother, don't cry..."
After a while, Baichuan's crying gradually subsided, turning into soft sobs. He lifted his head from Yun Qian's embrace, wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, his eyes and nose were red, but he looked at Yun Qian with utmost seriousness and made a promise: "Senior sister... I, I will definitely... become the most... the most powerful medical cultivator."
Moved, Yun Qian reached out her other hand and embraced Bai Ji, who was standing beside her with tears in his eyes. She held her two junior brothers, who were still young but already shouldering the future, and said in a gentle yet firm voice, full of expectation: "Okay, senior sister believes in you. You will both become the most powerful cultivators."
She lowered her head slightly, looking at the two little faces upturned in her arms, and said with a smile, "From now on, I'll be relying on you two to protect me, okay?"
“Okay!” Bai Ji answered immediately and loudly, with the innocence and certainty of a child.
Bai Chuan nodded vigorously, responding in a voice that was still heavily nasal but exceptionally clear:
"good."
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