Sang Dai realized something was off in her sleep.
It seemed… a bit cold.
She frowned slightly and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a broad chest, with the collar slightly open, revealing distinct and clear collarbones.
There were still two layers of brocade quilts between them, each sleeping separately under their own covers.
But even if she wasn’t sleeping in Su Xuan’s arms, as long as Su Xuan was there, Sang Dai shouldn’t have felt cold—especially considering that her meridians were not disordered, and she still had the physique of the Grand Ascension stage.
Sensing that the sword cultivator in his arms had awakened, Su Xuan’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he opened his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
His voice was a bit hoarse from just waking up, and he instinctively pulled the sword cultivator closer into his arms, his hand gently rubbing the dark hair on the back of her head.
This natural reaction surprised even Sang Dai.
Pressed into his embrace, his body warmth dispelled some of the chill for her.
“Dai Dai, stay with me a little longer.”
Sang Dai: “…”
It seemed he hadn’t fully woken up yet, not even bothering to keep up appearances.
Sang Dai raised her head in his arms, but as soon as she moved, the fox nuzzled her head.
His chin rested on the top of her head as he rubbed lightly, his voice still hoarse: “Dai Dai, just a little longer.”
He really wasn’t awake.
Su Xuan had a highly disciplined routine—he had to sleep the exact amount of time he’d set for himself, especially when there wasn’t much else to do.
Sang Dai gave him a push. “Su Xuan, I feel a little cold.”
The little fox opened his eyes. “Cold?”
He hugged the sword cultivator tighter, increased the intensity of the hellfire array by the bedside, and lifted the bed curtains to check the window outside.
The window was closed, and the enchantment in the room was still functioning. The nights in the Beast Realm were cold, but with him there, Sang Dai shouldn’t have been feeling cold.
As a nine-tailed fox, he couldn’t sense subtle changes in temperature—his body was always warm no matter the time.
But the sword cultivator’s body naturally ran cold and was sensitive to temperature changes, so she could distinctly feel that the surroundings had indeed grown colder.
And it wasn’t just the temperature—this chill was different from usual. It felt as if it were freezing her spiritual meridians.
“Still cold?”
Sang Dai nodded in acknowledgment. “A little.”
Su Xuan frowned, yanked away the brocade quilt separating them, and pulled Sang Dai into his own covers.
His quilt was warm from his body heat, and the sword cultivator nestled into his embrace. The tall fox wrapped the petite sword cultivator entirely in his arms.
“Still cold like this?”
Sang Dai didn’t move and sensed for a moment.
The coldness had dissipated somewhat, but she could still faintly feel a trace of it.
She said, “Much better now.”
Su Xuan patted her on the back and said, “Then why not sleep a bit longer?”
The sword cultivator shook her head. “No, I feel something is off.”
Sang Dai looked up at him and said, “Something isn’t right here. You are a Nine-Tailed Fox born with karmic flames, so you might not sense it, but while my body is cold by nature, it also makes me highly sensitive to temperature. The cold I felt earlier wasn’t because the temperature suddenly dropped; rather, it was… like extreme cold.”
Su Xuan condensed his karmic flame into a small fireball and tucked it into Sang Dai’s hands. “Hold this.”
Sang Dai obediently held it, looking somewhat adorable with the small fireball in her arms.
Su Xuan ruffled her hair, lifted the brocade quilt, and got out of bed.
Sang Dai remained curled up under the quilt, her dark, glossy eyes sparkling as she raised her head to watch Su Xuan’s back.
He was wearing only a black inner robe, the thin fabric clinging to his tall and straight frame. His silver hair draped down his back as he walked to the window and pushed it open.
The endless desert outside was nothing but sand and gravel, and at the distant dunes, there seemed to be an eerie current of air rippling.
Sang Dai clutched the karmic fireball Su Xuan had given her tightly and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Su Xuan frowned. “Something over there seems strange.”
Sang Dai lifted the quilt, about to sit up, but the young man by the window shut the window with a large hand and turned back toward her.
“Su Xuan?”
“Put on your clothes. The weather outside isn’t quite normal.”
Sang Dai’s spatial pouch was lying on the small table beside the bed. Su Xuan opened it and took out thick clothing for her.
Sang Dai remained motionless, sensing her surroundings for a while.
The chill had diminished somewhat, but she could still vaguely feel a trace of it.
She said, “It’s much better.”
Su Xuan patted her back and said, “Then how about sleeping a little longer?”
The sword cultivator shook her head. “No, I won’t sleep anymore. I feel something strange.”
Sang Dai raised her eyes to look at him. “Something’s off here. You’re a nine-tailed fox born with hellfire, so you might not sense it. Although I have a cold constitution, it also makes me very sensitive to temperature. Earlier, the cold I felt wasn’t because the temperature suddenly dropped—it felt more like… an intense chill.”
Su Xuan condensed the hellfire into a small fireball and placed it in her hands. “Hold onto this.”
Sang Dai obediently held it, and her posture of cradling the small fireball looked a bit endearing.
Su Xuan ruffled her hair, lifted the brocade quilt, and got out of bed.
Sang Dai was still curled up under the brocade quilt. Her pitch-black eyes sparkled as she tilted her head to watch Su Xuan’s retreating figure.
He was wearing only a black inner robe, the thin fabric clinging to his body, accentuating his tall and upright figure. His silver hair cascaded down his back as he walked to the window and pushed it open.
The endless desert stretched out before him, covered only with gravel, and strange air currents seemed to ripple over the distant sand dunes.
Sang Dai clutched the karmic fireball tighter and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Su Xuan frowned. “Something doesn’t seem right over there.”
Sang Dai threw off the quilt and was about to sit up when the young man at the window closed it with a large hand and walked back toward her.
“Su Xuan?”
“Put on some clothes. The weather outside is unusual.”
Sang Dai’s qiankun pouch was tossed onto the small table by the bedside. Su Xuan opened it and took out thick clothing for her.
Sang Dai said, “…Why does my qiankun pouch have thick clothes?”
She clearly remembered not packing any before she left, considering it was currently August.
Su Xuan took out layers of clothing, from inner to outer garments, and placed them beside her. He replied casually, “I packed them for you. The nights in the Beast Realm are too cold.”
All of Sang Dai’s clothes, from undergarments to outer robes, including a cloak, had been custom-made under Su Xuan’s arrangement.
She glanced at the neatly arranged set of clothes by the bedside, her face turning red. He had even taken out her undergarments.
But Su Xuan had already turned around out of courtesy, pulling the bed curtain closed again. The dark curtain blocked their line of sight.
The person outside the curtain said calmly, “Change your clothes. I’ll wait outside.”
Sang Dai pursed her lips and finally replied softly, “…Okay.”
Separated by a curtain, the sword cultivator changed on one side while he guarded her from the other.
The rustling sound of her changing clothes didn’t cause Su Xuan to let his mind wander. In truth, when Su Xuan needed to be serious, he was very serious.
His gaze fell on the closed window, not ignoring what he had just seen when he stood there.
It was a powerful cold current. The desert near the Chunqiu Tower was typically barren, and it was still August. How could there be a cold current?
Moreover, it didn’t seem like a natural weather change, nor did it appear to be spiritual power. Instead, it resembled…
An innate ability.
Just as the nine-tailed foxes were born with the ability to seize souls, a gift bestowed by the Heavenly Dao, which they could use even without spiritual power.
Innate abilities belonged exclusively to divine beasts, which were almost countable across the Four Realms.
The nine-tailed foxes had the innate ability of soul-seizing.
The Bi Fang’s innate ability was suppression, capable of summoning multiple forms to create an overwhelming sense of oppression.
And Su Xuan knew of one more—
Tian Yuxue.
She controlled the cold air of the Four Realms, with the innate ability of extreme frost. Wherever she went, the lands would freeze for ten thousand miles.
It was said she was a descendant of the ancient divine beast Snow Owl. Whether that was true, no one knew. What was certain was that among the beings Su Xuan knew in the Four Realms, only they possessed innate abilities. And of the divine beasts who survived after the Great Cold, only they remained.
Sixty years ago, the extreme frost was caused by Tian Yuxue. She had even broken into the Beast Realm, entering from the rear. At that time, Yaoshan County, located at the rear of the Beast Realm, was threatened. Su Xuan had specifically set aside his duties to lay a cold-resistance array for Yaoshan County, forcing Tian Yuxue back into the Beast Realm.
Afterward, Ji Cang led troops to clean up the aftermath, and Su Xuan stopped concerning himself with the follow-up.
All these years, she had remained in slumber.
“Su Xuan, I’m ready.”
The sword cultivator’s voice came from behind him.
Su Xuan turned around to see her kneeling on the bed, lifting the curtain. Her drooping sleeve revealed a slender, jade-like arm.
The sword cultivator’s wrist was delicate, with distinct bones. A thin ribbon, long unknown to her, was now wrapped around her left wrist. This piece of silk, meticulously embroidered by Su Xuan stitch by stitch, had now shrunk to the size of a bracelet, adorning her wrist like an exquisite accessory.
Her entire body was adorned with items he had prepared for her.
She was the little sword cultivator he had nurtured.
Sang Dai sat by the bedside, put on her shoes, and straightened her attire. Only Su Xuan was still dressed in his inner garments, seemingly unaffected by the cold.
The little fox’s gaze was entirely glued to the sword cultivator.
“Su Xuan, what are you looking at?” Sang Dai asked instinctively, reaching up to touch her hair. “Is there something wrong with me?”
The little fox swallowed hard.
【So beautiful…】
Sang Dai: “Huh?”
【I need to work hard to make more money and buy Dai Dai more clothes.】
Sang Dai: “Uh…”
【And craft more jewelry for Dai Dai, make her pretty, then give her a kiss.】
Sang Dai: “Sigh.”
She stepped forward and patted Su Xuan on the head. “You’re a Beast King; you should focus on cultivating diligently.”
So, don’t let your mind be filled with just her.
Su Xuan didn’t quite understand what she meant. He bent down slightly, exposing his ears for the sword cultivator to touch for a while. His eyes narrowed comfortably—it felt wonderful. Before the sword cultivator, no one had dared to touch his ears, and very few had even seen Su Xuan’s true form.
It turned out being petted by the sword cultivator was this delightful.
Sang Dai withdrew her hand and said, “You should change your clothes first; let’s go out and take a look.”
Su Xuan opened his eyes in dissatisfaction.
【Why not pet me a little longer? Are my ears not good-looking?!】
Sang Dai: She wasn’t exactly that kind of person.
【I want Dai Dai to pet me.】
Sang Dai turned around and walked away, leaving behind, “Change your clothes first. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Once the door was closed, Sang Dai could no longer hold back her laughter.
She chuckled softly, covering her eyes, but the upturned corners of her lips betrayed her joy.
The sword cultivator was simply too adorable. When crying, she would cover her eyes to hide her tears; when laughing, she liked to cover her eyes as well. But merely covering her eyes couldn’t hide her delight—the curve of her lips would reveal her emotions.
Just then, Qiu Chengxi came downstairs and happened to see her.
The sword cultivator was dressed slightly warmer today. Qiu Chengxi immediately recognized the fabric as fire silkworm silk. Though the clothing wasn’t thick, its insulation properties were extraordinary.
His eyelids twitched. He truly believed Su Xuan must be incredibly wealthy. Sang Dai’s outfits were more luxurious each time, and even the pair of dangling ornaments on the sword cultivator’s ears had to be crafted from top-grade gemstones by a certain fox.
The sword cultivator was laughing with her eyes covered, her lips curved in a wide smile. Even though she didn’t make a sound, her joy was palpable, even from a distance.
She seemed very happy.
So much so that she hadn’t even noticed his arrival.
“Sister?”
Qiu Chengxi called out and approached her.
Sang Dai snapped back to reality, hurriedly suppressing her smile and lowering her hands, her demeanor once again calm and serene.
“Young Master Qiu.”
Qiu Chengxi forced a smile. “Sister, what are you doing here?”
Before she could respond, the door behind her suddenly opened.
Su Xuan swaggered out, casually wrapping an arm around his sword cultivator’s waist.
“Waiting for me, got a problem with that?”
Sang Dai: “…”
Qiu Chengxi: “…”
Su Xuan tightened his grip around Sang Dai’s waist.
Originally, he had been taking his time getting dressed, planning to check his reflection in the mirror before coming out. But when he heard Qiu Chengxi’s voice and realized he was trying to strike up a conversation with his sword cultivator, Su Xuan rushed out immediately, worried about losing his place.
Qiu Chengxi asked numbly, “I can’t even talk to her for a moment?”
Su Xuan refused flatly, “No, our Dai Dai doesn’t talk much, and you’re disturbing her.”
Qiu Chengxi: “…”
Su Xuan was usually not one to keep quiet. How convenient that he imposed such strict standards on others while being so lenient with himself.
Qiu Chengxi gave Su Xuan a sidelong glance but didn’t bother continuing the argument. Instead, he addressed Sang Dai: “Sister, since you’re wearing fire silkworm silk, you must have noticed something unusual.”
Sang Dai nodded. “Yes, I sensed it immediately.”
The Chunqiu Tower was still bustling with noise. Few people like Sang Dai, who were naturally cold-bodied, noticed the temperature. She was especially sensitive to changes in warmth.
Most of the people in the pavilion were cultivators and merely felt a slight chill. They assumed it was due to the Beast Realm’s unpredictable climate and didn’t think much of it, continuing as usual.
Qiu Chengxi opened the door and gestured for Sang Dai and Su Xuan to enter.
Once inside, he set up a formation to isolate their conversation from the outside world.
The calm expression on Qiu Chengxi’s face disappeared instantly. His brows furrowed, and his tone turned cold: “Sister, it’s Tian Yuxue.”
Su Xuan’s expression darkened.
Sang Dai blinked, her throat tightening. Though her face remained emotionless, her lowered hand subtly clenched.
“Tian Yuxue has awakened.”
They all understood what Tian Yuxue’s awakening meant for Sang Dai.
Years ago, before heading to the Guixu Immortal Realm, Ying Heng had taken on a task from the Immortal Sect to suppress Tian Yuxue.
Later, the Guixu Spiritual Vein was destroyed, and Ying Heng returned to the Sword Sect.
Not long after, it was discovered that the culprit behind the destruction of the Guixu Spiritual Vein was none other than Ying Heng, the Sword Sect’s Immortal Lord. He became a fugitive across the Four Realms and left the Sword Sect.
Tian Yuxue was likely the last person to have seen Ying Heng before his disappearance.
However, in the hundred years since the destruction of the Guixu Spiritual Vein, Tian Yuxue had awakened only once—sixty years ago. During that time, she left the Snow Realm, and wherever she passed, countless people froze to death.
Upon hearing the news, Sang Dai rushed to intercept her. When Tian Yuxue was about to approach a town, Sang Dai blocked her path and pursued her relentlessly.
No matter what Sang Dai asked, Tian Yuxue stubbornly claimed she had never met Ying Heng and refused to provide any information.
At the time, Sang Dai had only just entered the Nascent Soul stage, while Tian Yuxue was already at the peak of Nascent Soul. Sang Dai barely managed to stop her for ten days, pulling Tian Yuxue into her own barrier and enduring her intense cold.
She repeatedly asked if Tian Yuxue had seen Ying Heng.