Tian Yuxue only ever said one thing: “I haven’t seen him. Get lost.”
Sang Dai’s cold constitution was a lasting affliction left by Tian Yuxue. The severe chill had damaged her meridians, and even after years of treatment, there had been no improvement.
She had spent ten days alone with Tian Yuxue, nearly dying from the extreme cold emanating from her.
Later, she was severely injured and fell unconscious. Tian Yuxue fled into the Beast Realm but was forced back into the Demon Realm by Su Xuan, where Ji Cang led a group to reseal her within the Snow Realm.
She had remained in a deep slumber for sixty years. Sang Dai could never bring herself to awaken Tian Yuxue out of personal desire—each time Tian Yuxue woke, tens of thousands of lives were lost.
But now, Tian Yuxue had awakened.
“Sister?”
Qiu Chengxi’s soft call snapped Sang Dai out of her thoughts.
She raised her head in a daze.
Su Xuan frowned deeply, holding her hand. “Are you thinking about Tian Yuxue?”
The question was unnecessary—they all knew what Sang Dai was thinking about. She cared too much about the matter of Ying Heng. Back then, she had been willing to risk her life, daring to drag Tian Yuxue into her own barrier.
Sang Dai shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
She walked to the window and pushed it open.
In the distance, the desert stretched endlessly, its border unseen. But Sang Dai knew that a thousand miles to the east lay the Snow Realm, where Tian Yuxue was.
For now, Tian Yuxue likely had not yet emerged. The seal on the Snow Realm was still intact; otherwise, the Chunqiu Pavilion would have already turned into a frosted tower, and the desert would be blanketed in snow and frost.
At this point, Sang Dai had pieced together the reasoning.
Qiu Chengxi had indeed lured that person here, perhaps to reclaim the second segment of his spiritual root, or maybe simply because Sang Dai was here.
Regardless of the motive, the fact that Sang Dai was on his mind was undeniable.
“He awakened Tian Yuxue to lure me into the Snow Realm, so he must have devised a way to keep Tian Yuxue from leaving the Snow Realm.”
Otherwise, outside the Snow Realm, Sang Dai and Su Xuan together could subdue Tian Yuxue quickly.
Now both of them were at the Integration Stage. Even if Tian Yuxue’s cultivation had improved over the years, two Integration Stage cultivators working together could handle her.
But inside the Snow Realm, it was a different story.
Su Xuan approached her. “The Snow Realm is the resting place of the ancient divine beast Snow Owl. The entire region is formed from the skeleton and flesh of the Snow Owl, condensed with the chilling energy left behind since the Great Cold era. It contains the coldest spiritual energy in the Four Realms. The longer we stay inside, the more the cold will invade our meridians, slightly suppressing our cultivation. Moreover, the ever-changing terrain can trap and disorient us, leading to death. But Tian Yuxue won’t be affected.”
Tian Yuxue could even manipulate the frigid air of the snowfield to attack. This cold energy was also her greatest nourishment, allowing her cultivation to advance bit by bit even during her slumber.
In the treacherous and icy Snow Realm, Tian Yuxue had an exceptional sense of direction. She could go wherever she wanted without hindrance.
It could be said that in the Snow Realm, Tian Yuxue was the absolute ruler.
For this reason, many believed Tian Yuxue to be a descendant of the Snow Owl, as she was the only one in the Snow Realm unaffected by its suppressive force.
“He wants you to go to the Snow Realm, Sang Dai.”
Sang Dai understood.
That person likely knew that it would be difficult to act within the Chunqiu Pavilion. The pavilion was protected by Qiu Chengxi’s countless mechanisms and formations, as well as Su Xuan, a demon cultivator at the Grand Ascension Stage. Sang Dai herself was also at the Grand Ascension Stage, and there were many other cultivators present. Acting alone, he would find it nearly impossible to succeed.
But the Snow Realm was different.
There was Tian Yuxue and the chilling energy left from the Great Cold era.
There were no traps, no arrays, and almost no cultivators dared to enter.
Sang Dai went in and was immediately at a disadvantage.
They hadn’t expected that person to consider this layer and awaken Tian Yuxue to lure her in.
Qiu Chengxi asked, “Elder Sister, are you going?”
Knowing it was a trap, would she still go?
Sang Dai’s red lips pressed tightly together, and the typically gentle sword cultivator had a rare look of stern determination in her eyes.
“I’m going.”
Sang Dai’s hand, resting on the windowsill, clenched slightly. She said, “Tian Yuxue must be related to the matter concerning my master. Back then, when I tried to search her soul, she resisted with all her might. She didn’t want me to see the truth.”
What was the truth, and why couldn’t she be allowed to see it?
It could only be because the truth was different from what she knew, so Tian Yuxue refused to let her see it.
Qiu Chengxi immediately said, “I’ll go with you.”
“No need.”
“No way.”
Two voices rang out one after another.
Su Xuan said coldly, “No need. The Chunqiu Pavilion set up a banquet for a month, and it was you who sent out the invitations. The people who came have all done you a favor, and many of them postponed significant matters to be here. Now, if you leave them hanging to enter the Snow Realm, does the Chunqiu Pavilion no longer matter to you?”
Qiu Chengxi raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you care about me?”
Su Xuan replied, feigning sincerity, “…Yes, I care about you.”
Sang Dai frowned and turned her head to look at Su Xuan, coincidentally meeting the gaze of a certain fox.
【Tsk, disgusting… Who cares about you? If you go into the Snow Realm, Dai Dai will definitely take care of you. No way, my Dai Dai can only look at me.】
Sang Dai: “…”
Qiu Chengxi shivered in disgust. “Don’t care about me. I won’t listen to you anyway. Elder Sister, I’ll go with you—”
“No.”
Sang Dai interrupted.
“Elder Sister?”
“Mr. Qiu, Su Xuan is right. You are the master of the Chunqiu Pavilion. You cannot abandon them to go with me. The invitations were sent by you, and they came because of your favor. Besides, the Snow Realm is dangerous. It is enough for us to go in.”
Su Xuan: “Hmph.”
The little fox leisurely took Sang Dai’s hand.
Sang Dai did not resist, allowing him to hold her hand. She turned to Qiu Chengxi and said, “Mr. Qiu… you are still young. Perhaps even your own feelings from back then were confused. But I am already married. I am very grateful that you left the second spiritual root for me, but there is no need for you to go in with me.”
Qiu Chengxi frowned slightly. “Elder Sister, I am sincere. I just want you to be well. I can also give you—”
“But I am doing very well now.” Sang Dai sighed. “I and my… my husband, hus-hus-husband…”
That one word felt like they burned her tongue, and Sang Dai managed to say them after fumbling for a moment.
“My husband and I have a very good relationship. I am very satisfied with my current life,” Sang Dai said with a smile. “I am also very glad that you didn’t give up back then and continued to live well. I didn’t save you for you to repay me; it was simply my duty. Please don’t mistake admiration for love. They are not the same.”
Even though her words were a rejection, Qiu Chengxi showed no trace of anger. On the contrary, he felt that the person he admired was truly worthy of admiration.
She was always so gentle, with a heart as soft as silk beneath her cold exterior. Even her words of rejection were sincere, leaving him without the slightest sense of humiliation.
The little fox, upon hearing the word “husband,” looked as though his invisible tail was wagging to the sky, the corners of his lips curling upward uncontrollably.
After a long silence, Qiu Chengxi nodded. “Alright, I won’t go in. I’ll wait outside to assist you. Elder Sister, if you need anything, you can send me a sound transmission.”
He handed over a jade token, engraved with only the character “Qiu.”
Sang Dai took it without hesitation. “Thank you.”
Qiu Chengxi glanced at Su Xuan. The fox didn’t even spare him a glance, his eyes glued to Sang Dai, practically sparkling.
On one hand, Qiu Chengxi felt Su Xuan wasn’t worthy of Sang Dai, because no one in this world could possibly deserve her—not even himself.
On the other hand, he realized that with Su Xuan by her side, Sang Dai had indeed changed significantly.
Someone who constantly cajoled her, who meticulously cared for and protected her, someone both strong and passionate yet also amusing—Su Xuan was the only one who fit this description. Sang Dai no longer seemed as aloof and reserved as the person he’d heard about in the past.
It seemed Sang Dai had truly changed a lot.
Lowering his gaze, Qiu Chengxi suddenly smiled.
Out of nowhere, he said, “Elder Sister, I think everyone would like you, actually.”
It was hard not to like Sang Dai after meeting her.
Strong and resilient, with a seemingly cold demeanor, but a heart as soft as clouds.
No matter how difficult the situation, her presence alone brought an overwhelming sense of safety.
Qiu Chengxi thought to himself how blind the immortals in the celestial realm must be to have let such a wonderful person end up in the Beast Realm.
He sighed deeply and grinned at Sang Dai. “I’ll go greet the guests. The Snow Realm isn’t far from here. It’s only a single incense stick’s time away by teleportation. If you need anything, make sure to call me. I’ll find a way to help you.”
“…Alright, thank you.”
Sang Dai nodded.
Qiu Chengxi gave a small bow and turned to leave.
As soon as he left, the jade token in Sang Dai’s hand was taken away.
Su Xuan casually tossed it into his storage bag and leaned in to embrace the sword cultivator.
“My wife, let me hug you.”
Sang Dai: “…I was just trying to deal with Mr. Qiu.”
“Doesn’t matter. You called me your husband. Now, the entire Four Realms know I have a wife. I can’t marry anyone else anymore. You have to take responsibility for me.”
Sang Dai: “…You’re so childish.”
“Mm, after all, I’m only three years old,” Su Xuan said lightly.
The little fox lifted the sword cultivator and placed her on the table. This way, he wouldn’t need to bend down to hold her—he could simply rest against the hollow of her neck.
Like a cub, he sniffed the faint fragrance from her neck, quietly holding Sang Dai, resting his chin on her shoulder. Suddenly, he said, “Dai Dai, don’t be afraid of going to the Snow Realm. I’ll always be by your side.”
Sang Dai didn’t resist, letting him hold her.
She gazed out the window behind Su Xuan. The coldness outside was palpable. The chill left in her body by Tian Yuxue was too apparent, making her especially sensitive to it.
Su Xuan’s scent was pleasant. Sang Dai buried her head in his neck and murmured, “Su Xuan, I’m not afraid.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
What he referred to wasn’t fear of Tian Yuxue.
Sang Dai was silent for a long time.
After a while, the sword cultivator spoke dully, “I am a little scared.”
She was about to meet Tian Yuxue. Tian Yuxue must know many things—things related to what happened with Ying Heng all those years ago.
She was scared.
“I’m afraid the final result will truly involve my master.”
She feared learning from Tian Yuxue that the destruction of the Guixu spiritual vein was indeed connected to Ying Heng.
Su Xuan sighed. “Dai Dai, no matter what the result is, you’ll make the right decision.”
If it wasn’t Ying Heng, she would do everything to clear his name.
If it was Ying Heng, she would not hesitate to eradicate the evil.
They embraced for a long time until Sang Dai finally responded.
“Su Xuan, I’ve always known what I must do.”
She had always known.
“I believe in you, Sang Dai.”
—
Amid the vast snowfall, blood stained the ground.
Ji Cang staggered to his feet, coughing blood as he walked unsteadily, one step at a time, until he reached another figure.
The other person’s monk’s robe was torn, with several small holes near the chest. The exposed skin faintly revealed flowing golden scripture patterns.
Ji Cang couldn’t comprehend the patterns. He kicked the person lying motionless in the snow.
“Damn bald donkey, get up! I can’t beat her on my own. Fight with me.”
Tan Huai remained unmoving, eyes closed in peace, as if he were already dead.
Ji Cang kicked him again. “Stop pretending. If you don’t get up, I’ll send you to your death myself.”
Tan Huai still didn’t move.
Finally, Ji Cang grew furious. He drew his blade and prepared to stab the bald monk.
A golden flash appeared in front of him, and the bald monk swiftly scrambled to his feet.
He pressed his hands together in a gesture of prayer. “Savage, truly savage. Amitabha, Amitabha.”
Ji Cang calmly reset his dislocated arm with a crisp snap. His face grew even paler, but he didn’t let out a single cry of pain.
He gazed into the snowy distance, where a trail of footprints stretched out, leading to a specific location.
Tian Yuxue had left.
Ji Cang frowned. Tian Yuxue couldn’t be allowed to leave; she had to be stopped.
Picking up his blade, he said coldly, “Bald monk, come with me to pursue her—”
But as soon as he turned around, he saw the Buddhist monk clutching the torn front of his robe, his face flushed with both shame and anger.
Ji Cang: “?”
Tan Huai was tearing up. “As a monk, my body has been seen by Tian Yuxue. How disgraceful.”
Ji Cang’s brow twitched violently. “It’s just a few torn patches on your robe—how much skin could possibly show? She didn’t even notice, alright? Hurry up and chase her!”
Tan Huai protested, “No, you don’t understand. It’s utterly improper. Even if it’s just an inch of skin, this monk has shamed the Buddha.”
Ji Cang drew his blade and slashed at him. “Then I’ll send you to atone for your sins right now.”
Tan Huai bolted, grabbing Ji Cang’s storage bag in the process.
“This monk thought it through—self-sacrifice leads to heavy karmic burdens and an eternity in the eighteenth level of hell. Only by staying alive can one have a chance to repent. Demon Lord, I’ll borrow a piece of clothing from you. I’ll be eternally grateful!”
He deftly opened Ji Cang’s storage bag, pulled out a brand-new robe, and draped it over himself.
Then, he tossed the storage bag back at Ji Cang, who barely caught it, seething. “…Bald monk, that was my newly tailored robe!”
Meanwhile, in the farthest distance, atop a snowy peak, a girl in a thick pink dress stood against the icy wind. Behind her, a boy in red robes conjured flames to warm her.
“Bi Fang, have you seen him?”
Shi Yao’s face was pale, her lips devoid of color, and even her voice sounded weak.
“I saw him yesterday,” the boy responded. “He told us to wait for his signal before taking any action.” At this, the boy’s brow furrowed. “Miss, I can go alone. You don’t have to enter.”
Shi Yao shook her head. “I have to enter. Tian Yuxue has been awakened by him, and Sang Dai will definitely come.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly coughed softly, blood speckling her palm.
Bi Fang hurriedly used his spiritual energy to stabilize her meridians.
Shi Yao laughed softly, looking at the blood in her palm as she murmured, “You see, if we don’t kill Sang Dai soon, you and I are really going to die.”
Bi Fang lowered his gaze and said, “If she enters, it will be a life-or-death situation. Miss, rest assured, you will get what you want. You’ll always be the victor.”
He took out an embroidered handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from her palm.
Shi Yao glanced at the two figures of the Buddhist monk and the demon lord moving farther away, a smile tugging at her lips. “What do you think? Will these two Heaven-grade spiritual root awakeners betray the Heavenly Dao?”
Bi Fang replied, “No, they won’t.”
Shi Yao disagreed. “I think they will.”
She tilted her head back, gazing at the sky above the Snow Realm—endless and cloudless, with heavy snow falling like feathers.
“I think they’ll both betray the Heavenly Dao.”