Some random things
"It's so cold..."
The bone-chilling cold, like thousands of ice needles, pierced my marrow and froze my soul.
Song Qian's consciousness sank in the darkness. She tried her best, but she couldn't even do something as simple as opening her eyelids.
Apart from the intense cold that felt like being soaked in icy water, there was nothing around me.
She tried to call for help, but only a weak and unfamiliar cry escaped her throat.
What the heck?
Has he become possessed by a demon?
You really shouldn't work yourself to death! This sounds like a near-death experience!
Before her consciousness completely faded, a clear voice, tinged with a hint of doubt, pierced the cold and entered her almost stagnant thoughts: "How come there's a child here?"
"Her voice is quite nice..." This was Song Qian's last thought.
The snow on Cangmin Mountain fell heavily for seven days and seven nights, turning the continuous mountain range into a desolate pure white.
At the foot of the mountain, all was silent except for the howling of the wind and snow. The swaddled baby girl who appeared out of nowhere would probably be regarded as a monster if it weren't for this bizarre and fantastical world of cultivation.
A warm current enveloped her entire body, gentle and continuous, gradually dispelling the cold that had invaded Song Qian's limbs and bones, like spring water melting solid ice.
After what seemed like an eternity, Song Qian finally managed to lift her heavy eyelids.
What comes into view is a flowing silver hue.
The person holding her had snow-white hair, casually draped, exuding an aloof and untouched air. Her limited perspective allowed her to see only his smoothly defined jawline and... the silver mask that covered half his face. The mask had a cool texture and was carved with simple cloud patterns, adding to his mystery and aloofness.
Hmm, the design is unique, with an ethereal and otherworldly air, but it doesn't feel very approachable.
"Awake?" The man lowered his head, his gaze calmly falling on her from behind the mask.
The girl didn't cry or fuss; she nestled quietly in his strong arms. The scrutiny and understanding in her clear eyes were definitely not those of an innocent infant.
Bai Yan's voice was calm and even, revealing no emotion: "This is Cangmin Mountain. You are here because you possess a special destiny."
"My name is Bai Yan, and I will be your master from now on."
He paused, as if only then realizing he hadn't asked her opinion, and then said seriously, his tone not like he was talking to a baby: "I know you can understand. If you're willing to become my disciple, just blink."
Song Qian tried to keep her eyes open, but the baby had limited energy, and her eyelids were sore and heavy. After a moment of stalemate, she finally blinked uncontrollably.
This seemingly unfathomable master acts with an inexplicable recklessness!
Please! She can't possibly go for long without blinking!
In the blink of an eye, a gentle spiritual light came from the void, silently entering her brow and turning into a faint mark before disappearing.
That was a protective talisman from Cangmin Mountain, and from then on, she formed an inseparable connection with this sacred mountain.
The heavy snow that had lasted for seven days quietly stopped after Song Qian entered Cangmin Mountain.
Looking at the baby sleeping soundly on the soft couch, Bai Yan stood quietly for a moment, then walked to the stone table and casually scattered a few old copper coins on the table.
The copper coins jingled, rolled and came to a stop, displaying a unique arrangement.
Bai Yan stared at the divination results, a rare softening in his expression beneath the mask, and murmured, "It's changed..."
The originally lifeless and desolate path of fate was unexpectedly given a glimmer of light by this unforeseen change.
It turned out to be a divination signifying a miraculous escape from a desperate situation.
Five years passed by in a blur, like flowing water.
Song Qian, no, she should be called Yun Qian now, finally figured out her incomprehensible situation as her brain development matured.
That's right! She transmigrated into a book!
In her past life, she was Song Qian, a police officer who had just received the "First-Class Merit" award, and also a model youth of the 21st century who always missed out on the "First-Class Merit" award.
Now, she has transmigrated into a male-oriented cultivation novel called "The Legend of Cangmin".
The protagonist of the book is Qin Wu, the last disciple Bai Yan will accept in the future.
After five years of relentless observation and reasoning (thanks to her immature but hardworking brain), and confirmation through personal experience, she has discovered that she is actually wearing the body of a completely unknown character who has no background in the book!
She lost her first-class merit award, fine, but she didn't even get the protagonist's halo after transmigrating into a book? Where is the justice?! Little Yun Qian rested her forehead on her arm in despair, on the verge of tears.
The reason it took five years to finalize this was because at that moment, Bai Yan, the 147th generation disciple of Cangmin Mountain and the future protagonist Qin Wu's master, had no disciples! She unexpectedly became Bai Yan's first disciple and was given the name "Yun Qian".
The protagonist has not yet appeared. She is very young, and apart from her and the elusive Bai Yan, it is difficult to find any other living creature that can speak on the entire Cangmin Mountain.
Bai Yan wears a mask year-round and goes into seclusion every few days. During each seclusion, she uses magic to seal her six senses and five senses. If it weren't for her criminal investigation experience and logical reasoning accumulated in her previous life, she might not have been able to figure out where she was even after another ten years.
For over twenty years in her previous life, Song Qian was most obsessed with two things: obtaining a "First-Class Merit" without getting hurt or killed, and finding time to relax by reading novels. Fortunately, she had a good memory and still remembered the main plot of "The Legend of Cang Min." She just didn't know how her "First-Class Merit" after her sacrifice was ultimately awarded in the real world.
It seems that it's indeed difficult to achieve something without dying or getting hurt. Could this be considered a sacrifice? Well, she was an orphan to begin with, with no ties to anyone. If she dies, no one will care.
Bai Yan was a competent master. Besides teaching her introductory techniques and guiding her to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, he also systematically explained the world to her, including the various sects, numerous cultivation methods, and the classification and characteristics of cultivators…
Yun Qian listened very attentively. This was the world she would live in, and the more she understood, the more secure she would be.
She never expected that her "entry into the Tao" would come so inexplicably.
Even Bai Yan couldn't explain how she entered the Dao or what she relied on.
Entering the Dao is the cornerstone of cultivating immortality.
Depending on their physical constitution and innate abilities, some people take a hundred years to realize this, some sense it in an instant, and some never have the chance to walk this path in their entire lives.
The way one enters the Dao also determines the direction of future cultivation. Those who enter the Dao through the sword are sword cultivators, possessing extraordinary talent in swordsmanship; those who enter the Dao through the saber are saber cultivators, and so on.
Unfortunately, Yun Qian didn't know how she entered the Dao. Bai Yan investigated her many times, but he couldn't find any significant bias in any particular area.
However, her innate talent was perfect, making her a cultivation genius that was one in a million.
Left with no other choice, Bai Yan had to impart all the martial arts techniques and skills he had learned to him.
Thus, this exceptionally talented individual, by a twist of fate, became the lowest-ranking "miscellaneous cultivator" in the cultivation world.
Sects are ranked, and so are cultivators. Sword cultivators and saber cultivators are highly respected, followed by magic cultivators and body cultivators, then weapon cultivators and medical cultivators, while miscellaneous cultivators, being broad in knowledge but not in expertise, are often at the bottom.
Yun Qian wasn't particularly concerned about becoming a low-level cultivator. Since the protagonist Qin Wu was paving the way for her, she didn't seem to need to become much stronger; a peaceful life was enough.
But her talent was just too great; she broke through the Qi Refining stage in her teens and entered the Foundation Establishment stage in one fell swoop.
The rapid progress of her cultivation gave her a vague sense of foreboding. Could it be that she would have to take the blame for the protagonist in the future?
She followed Bai Yan, and in this quiet and abstinent world of cultivation devoid of modern entertainment, she meditated, practiced swordsmanship, and studied formations and the Eight Trigrams day after day.
As her cultivation deepened, she gradually freed herself from the hunger and heat of mortals. Apart from the abundant spiritual energy in the world, it seemed that nothing else could easily affect her body. She clearly realized that she was no longer the same.
As dusk turns to dawn, more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.
It's snowing again on Cangmin Mountain.
Yun Qian stood atop the mountain, gently patting away the snow that had accumulated on her shoulders.
Yesterday, while practicing her sword, she suddenly advanced in cultivation without warning, triggering her first tribulation on her path of cultivation. Two bolts of heavenly lightning tore through the sky, striking down with an aura of destruction, nearly shattering her primordial spirit. If it weren't for her strong destiny and the protective talisman she received upon entering the sect automatically protecting her, she would probably have been reduced to ashes by now.
Is this the power of the Heavenly Tribulation? Yun Qian felt lingering fear.
She stretched her shoulders, which were still stiff from the aftershocks of the thunder, picked up the wooden sword that had been shattered by the lightning and was now only half intact, and trudged down the mountain through the snow.
The Cangmin Mountain is vast; it takes four hours to circle it once on a flying sword. The mountaintop is covered in snow all year round, and the air is bitterly cold; it is Yun Qian's usual place for practicing her sword skills.
Crossing the suspension bridge spanning the two peaks, you'll find the Jade Stone Platform where Bai Yan often resides.
Today, he was indeed there.
Aside from seclusion and teaching Yun Qian, Bai Yan spent almost all his free time on divination. His focused posture seemed to be a game of wits with an invisible destiny.
Yun Qian gazed at the lonely silver figure by the stone platform, her expression momentarily dazed.
More than a decade ago, his hair color didn't seem to be as completely white and so striking as it is now.
The book subtly mentions that his frequent divinations are draining his life force. But whenever she tries to ask, he subtly interrupts her. He knows her question, yet doesn't want her to bring it up, as if he knows a deep abyss lies ahead, yet is forced to walk down it step by step.
"Yun Qian, come here."
Bai Yan's voice interrupted her thoughts. Yun Qian composed herself, walked to the stone platform, and sat down on the futon opposite him according to custom, "Master."
"You got promoted?"
"Hmm, early stage of Nascent Soul."
Bai Yan's tone remained calm and unwavering: "You advanced too quickly, and your physique is extraordinary. Heaven noticed the anomaly and thus sent down a heavenly tribulation as a warning."
"Those who have not reached the Nascent Soul stage are not allowed to descend the mountain."
"Yes, disciple understands," Yun Qian replied.
"How do you feel about withstanding two lightning tribulations?" Bai Yan asked.
Yun Qian frowned slightly, recalling that moment of near destruction, her heart tightening: "I almost couldn't bear it."
“If the protective mountain array hadn’t weakened most of the thunder’s power, I probably wouldn’t be seeing you today.” Bai Yan said, picking up another copper coin and casually tossing it down. The crisp sound of the coin hitting the ground stirred the other copper coins on the stone platform, and wisps of spiritual energy flowed and weaved among them, outlining a mysterious and fleeting pattern.
After a long time, the spiritual energy gradually dissipated, and the copper coins returned to their scattered and disordered state.
Bai Yan stared for a long time before slowly speaking, his tone carrying an unquestionable solemnity: "Remember, no matter where you are or what situation you encounter in the future, if you face a heavenly tribulation, you must do your utmost to return to Cangmin Mountain. The mountain's spiritual array can protect you."
"Your disciple will remember this." Yun Qian nodded solemnly.
The book mentions that the protective array of Cangmin Mountain is incredibly profound, not only protecting everything within the mountain but also isolating it from the mortal world. Disciples of the sect can only enter and exit with protective talismans; outsiders cannot find or enter. This is precisely why Cangmin Mountain, though nearly destroyed in the book, has never been completely annihilated, and it remains a sacred place coveted by countless cultivators. Last night's tribulation lightning—without the protection of the array, she wouldn't have been able to withstand even the first bolt of lightning.
Bai Yan's gaze remained fixed on the scattered copper coins, as if he could glimpse the trajectory of fate within them.
Yun Qian followed his gaze, her doubts deepening. Over the years, Bai Yan had taught her almost everything he knew: formations, medicine, alchemy, and swordsmanship. But he never allowed her to touch the art of divination.
With a gentle wave of his sleeve, Bai Yan's copper coins on the stone platform vanished without a trace.
“I’m going down the mountain,” he announced.
Yun Qian's heart stirred slightly, and she looked up at him. She knew that the gears of the story of "The Legend of Cang Min" were finally about to begin turning.
Seeing that she remained silent, Bai Yan took the initiative to ask, "Aren't you going to say something?"
Yun Qian still didn't answer immediately. She had long since stopped trying to hide the fact that she knew about the course of events, because she knew that concealing it from this unfathomable master would be mostly futile. Bai Yan probably knew better than she did how she came to be and what the future might hold.
A mountain breeze swept by, ruffling a few strands of silver hair around Bai Yan's neck. For over a decade, he had always worn a mask, his aloof demeanor resembling that of a pre-programmed, emotionless guide.
But at this moment, Yun Qian could read a faint, yet real, sadness in the profile of his face that was not covered by the mask and the corners of his slightly pursed lips.
Why be sad?
"Master," she called softly.
"Um?"
Why are you unhappy?
Bai Yan turned his gaze back to her concerned face. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly upwards, as if trying to form a reassuring curve, but ultimately no smile formed, nor did he answer her question.
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