In the world of cultivation, Xie Bing lived the life of a mortal. At times, she would briefly feel her Five-Waste Spiritual Root transform into Five Spirit Roots, and she cherished those fleeting moments.
Su Caiyi had taught her a few simple spells. She watched brilliant flames burst from her fingertips, only for the fire to sputter and die in the blink of an eye.
That spiritual energy seemed as if it had never existed at all.
The floating clouds amongst the mountains remained still; the sun rose and set without change. Yet as Xie Bing watched Su Caiyi grow day by day, becoming ever more handsome and dashing, she felt her own life was still moving forward.
Even though Su Caiyi never came back to visit, and their chances to meet grew scarce, and most of the time she couldn’t see what he was doing, she still hoped for his success and wished he still remembered her.
Perhaps, back then, she had also placed her hopes on that small, young boy.
He was a window.
A window looking into the cultivation world—a world she envied immensely but could never glimpse in her entire life.
That window had been shattered by his own hands.
What she never expected was that the “her” from her past life would be so transient, like a flash in the pan, ending so abruptly.
Memories receded like the tide. Xie Bing closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again.
Her eyes were clear and serene.
Her voice held no warmth. “Su Caiyi, are you leaving or not?”
“Eldest Senior Sister, I won’t leave!”
Su Caiyi was stubborn too.
He instinctively used the same wheedling tactics he’d employed countless times in the past, blocking the door to prevent Xie Bing from entering.
“Eldest Senior Sister, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. You must be angry that I haven’t come to see you, and angry that I only keep Xuan Yao company… Didn’t you say that if I made a mistake, everything would be fine as long as I admitted it? Why won’t you forgive me?”
His eyes reddened slightly. “Eldest Senior Sister, I was wrong.”
“Please, forgive me, okay?”
The young man’s voice carried a faint, barely perceptible vulnerability.
Even though Xie Bing had ignored him before, even though she had spoken coldly to him, even though she had already made her stance clear, he always believed his Eldest Senior Sister would unconditionally forgive him.
It wasn’t until this moment that he suddenly realized: if he didn’t grasp something right now, he would lose his Eldest Senior Sister forever.
What exactly had he done that made his Eldest Senior Sister resolve never to forgive him?
He didn’t know.
For the first time, a vast sense of confusion and panic sprouted in the boy’s heart.
Xie Bing lifted her eyes to look at him, at the boy she now had to tilt her head up to see.
“I did say that you only need to admit your mistakes to be forgiven, but that was when you were a child. Now, you’re no longer a child.”
“Children who make mistakes need to be forgiven. You, on the other hand, don’t.”
Xie Bing walked forward, her spine ramrod straight.
“Don’t come back.”
From start to finish, Xie Bing considered herself just an ordinary person, an ordinary person who simply wanted to live a good life in the cultivation world.
She would not be like her previous self, pinning all her tenderness onto any single person.
The current Su Caiyi had yet to commit any grave error.
But she could no longer forgive him.
Su Caiyi was clearly taller and leaner than Xie Bing, standing well above her, yet he didn’t dare touch her. Somewhat helplessly, he shifted half his body aside, watching helplessly as Xie Bing pushed the door open and walked in.
He instinctively followed half a step forward.
The moment his toes entered the courtyard, it was as if Xie Bing had eyes in the back of her head. A sudden chill emanated from her.
In the next second, an emerald-green vine shot out!
Wood Spiritual Qi!
The vine expanded and thickened in an instant. With a whoosh, it agilely locked onto Su Caiyi’s wrist.
Su Caiyi had already reached the Void Refining Stage, a master in the cultivation world. He should not have been subdued in a split second. But for some unknown reason, this vine seemed to possess a wicked energy; he couldn’t break free at all.
“What the hell is this?”
How could Eldest Senior Sister know this kind of spell?
How could an Object Cultivator manipulate Wood Spiritual Qi?
Utterly unable to resist, his feet were instantly bound as well. In a flash, he lost all ability to react.
With a swish, the vines tightened, binding Su Caiyi’s hands and feet together.
The vine flew out, launching itself forward with momentum, swinging up beside the large peach tree at the courtyard entrance and coiling tightly around a thick branch several times.
With a slight bounce, Su Caiyi was hung upside down in mid-air by the vine, his feet dangling.
Instantly, the world spun around him.
Su Caiyi: ???
Dizzy and muddled, Su Caiyi wasn’t just reeling from being hung upside down. What stunned him more was: how could Eldest Senior Sister be this strong?
His hands were bound tightly by the vines. Using his core strength, he strained to swing himself slightly, facing the courtyard.
He yelled:
“ELD—EST—SEN—IOR—SIS—TER!”
…
“ELD—EST—SEN—IOR—SIS—TER!”
“ELD—EST—SEN—IOR—SIS—TER!!”
Over and over again.
Su Caiyi’s voice, hoarse from shouting, echoed outside.
Xie Bing was squatting in the courtyard weeding. She tightened her earplugs.
…Why was there still sound?
Su Caiyi truly deserved to be a Void Refining Stage cultivator; even his shouts were so full of vigor.
She frowned. Absentmindedly flipping open a book with her left hand, she flicked her fingertip.
A Speech Ban Spell shot out.
Su Caiyi, hung upside down on the tree: ???
His bound hands flailed uselessly as he watched a beam of light seal his mouth.
“Mmph mmph mmph…”
Su Caiyi tried to break the spell but found he couldn’t do a thing about it.
…
Two hours later.
A furry tail swayed in his field of vision. Su Caiyi, who had been dozing off in a daze, jolted awake instantly!
“Su Zhao! You brazen scoundrel, you dare show your face in front of me?”
In Su Caiyi’s view, Su Zhao was upside down.
Su Zhao wagged his tail, mocking him. “Enjoying being hung up?”
“Mind your own business. I love being hung up.”
Seen upside down, Su Zhao drove Su Caiyi mad with fury.
Eldest Senior Sister was getting so close to this worthless loser, yet she wouldn’t go near him. What gave this brat the right?
Wait, he could talk?
The Speech Ban Spell had a time limit. Hung upside down, blood rushing to his head, he’d slept in a daze, and now he could actually speak.
Su Caiyi disdained dealing with Su Zhao and continued shouting towards the courtyard:
“Eldest Senior Sister—! I was wrong—! Let me down!”
In the empty, quiet mountains, Su Caiyi’s shouts echoed.
But the door didn’t open.
Su Zhao’s tail wagged happily. He mocked, “Wasted effort.”
Su Caiyi was so angry he wanted to hit someone, but he couldn’t. “Don’t get cocky. Eldest Senior Sister just likes taking care of the weak. Don’t think that means you can cozy up to her.”
The weak Su Zhao: “Hmph.”
No, Eldest Senior Sister just liked petting his tail.
Su Zhao’s tail instantly stopped wagging. He brought the fluffy tail forward and touched it himself. The wound on it was almost completely healed; it felt soft.
He could almost picture the way Xie Bing had grabbed his tail and given it a hearty ruffle last time.
He lowered his head, took out some ointment, and applied it to the injury again.
Su Caiyi felt dizzy watching this. “So disgusting. As a cultivator, one should stand tall and upright. What does a little injury matter? You actually maintain your tail?”
Su Zhao ignored him.
Furious and exasperated, thinking about how Eldest Senior Sister would rather help a guy like this than pay attention to him, Su Caiyi wanted to smash Su Zhao’s dog head in.
Late autumn slipped quietly away. The mountain winds swept up the fallen leaves, piling thick layers of dead branches and withered leaves.
The climate in the cultivation world was intensely distinct and vivid. Soon after entering the cold winter, heavy snow arrived in the mountains.
Exceptionally pure and fierce.
On the day of the Foundation Establishment Class trial, a vast emptiness stretched between heaven and earth. Everywhere was thick, layered white snow, breath turning to ice.
At Star Plucking Academy on the summit, the group was led by Perfected Yu Yan and the cultivators of Crimson Flame Peak. Across from them stood the twenty martial brothers of the Foundation Establishment Class.
As cultivators, after reaching Foundation Establishment, one could circulate spiritual energy to offset harsh external environments. In this sort of terrible weather, of the only two female cultivators in the group, Xuan Yao wore a flowing white dress, almost blending into the snow.
An eye-catching, ethereal little fairy.
As for the other female cultivator…
Xie Bing huddled at the back of the crowd, breathed a puff of hot air, and rubbed her hands together.
She wore a cyan robe, wrapped tightly around herself.
A completely unremarkable, even somewhat overly plain outfit. Its only merit was
—warmth.
Besides that, around her neck, she wore a white Fox Fur Scarf, barely gathering a bit of heat.
Even though Xie Bing had reached Foundation Establishment, and her Divine Consciousness had been tempered, her spiritual energy simply refused to obey her!
She’d flipped through her skill books and found no “keep warm” option. She could only rely on thick robes for heat. At this moment, Xie Bing missed the box of hand warmers she’d packed before transmigrating immensely…
All the cultivators were listening to Perfected Yu Yan explain the trial’s details. Xie Bing was frozen stiff, her hands and feet like ice, feeling as if she were about to be welded to the ground by the snow and ice.
She rubbed her hands again, jogging in circles at the very back. When she heard crucial parts, she’d stop and listen attentively. Even then, she wasn’t idle, hopping on the spot: thump, thump, thump.
Everyone turned to look at Xie Bing: “…”
Xie Bing looked back at everyone innocently: “…”
Yu Yan frowned, looking at Xie Bing. “Are you sure you want to participate in the trial?”
Xie Bing shivered violently from the cold. “O-Of course I am!”
See? What use was her cultivation?
She was practically freezing to death. She might as well go fluff cotton.
Yu Yan gave a cold snort. “If you die, don’t hold a grudge against anyone!”
Shivering, Xie Bing raised her hand and made an “OK” gesture.
Yu Yan: ???
He couldn’t be bothered with Xie Bing and turned back to face the group. “Those are the main points to note. The bracelets I just handed out to you are life-saving teleportation artifacts. If you encounter danger, you must crush the bracelet to send a message. I will be teleported before you instantly and bring you back.”
“Yes.” The group responded in booming unison.
The final item before departure was the announcement of the trial location.
The trial location was decided by the lead instructor of the Foundation Establishment Class. To prevent anyone from cheating in advance, only the lead instructor knew it before departure. The cultivators had a general idea in their hearts. Perfected Yu Yan’s “Nightmare” difficulty level was bound to be terrifying. However, when Perfected Yu Yan announced the location, everyone still gasped sharply.
“The Abyssal Chasm?”
The Abyssal Chasm was one of the most fearsome chasms in the cultivation world. It crisscrossed and stretched both vertically and horizontally, spreading from the northeast all the way to the southwest. The terrain was varied, yet ever-present.
Cultivator disappearances were a constant occurrence there, with some areas being forbidden zones entirely. Yu Yan was truly Yu Yan, daring to place the trial location in the Abyssal Chasm!
A stir went through the crowd. Yu Yan snorted coldly. “Scared already?”
Everyone fell silent.
“I don’t intend for you to throw your lives away. The location I’ve chosen is in the central region. You need to find the artifacts I’ve placed there. Only after retrieving one will you pass the assessment.”
The central region wasn’t far from Taixu Sect, so everyone relaxed a little.
The cultivators of Crimson Flame Peak were to escort them to the central region of the Abyssal Chasm. Just as the group was about to set off, a sword light approached from the distance.
A handsome young man landed gracefully and bowed. “Perfected Yu Yan.”
Yu Yan showed little expression, apparently well aware Su Caiyi would come. He waved his hand dismissively, and everyone mounted their swords, flying into the air.
Xie Bing didn’t even lift her head. Su Caiyi had been sticking to Xuan Yao like a plaster lately. He was here to see Xuan Yao off—what did that have to do with her?
She sniffled, preparing to draw her hair ribbon and transform it into the Frost Spirit Sword, but Su Caiyi walked straight over.
“Eldest Senior Sister, let me take you.”
“No need.”
Su Caiyi was truly strange. She’d assumed he’d come specifically for Xuan Yao, but he’d come straight for her instead.
The Frost Spirit Sword was already hovering before her. She nimbly stepped onto it, then paused.
Her gaze fell upon the Fox Fur Scarf around Su Caiyi’s neck.
In that instant, Xie Bing remembered. Five years ago, Su Caiyi had gone on a mission and slain a malevolent thousand-year-old fox, bringing back its pure white fur.
Xie Bing had made a scarf for Su Caiyi. She’d asked what else he wanted, and Su Caiyi said he wanted to wear the same thing as his Eldest Senior Sister.
Her eyes had curved into crescent moons as she smiled, softly agreeing.
It was a matching pair.
After finishing it, she had never seen Su Caiyi wear it. She’d assumed he had long since thrown the scarf away.
She wasn’t stupid. Why would a Void Refining Stage expert like Su Caiyi casually wear a fox fur scarf? Especially one she had made for him.
Expressionless, Xie Bing stepped onto the Frost Spirit Sword and flew off directly, heading to regroup with the cluster of flying swords in the air.
Whoosh—
The cold wind howled!
Xie Bing wrapped her robe tighter. It was damn cold; it felt like a hundred air conditioners blasting at her.
Suddenly, a surge of spiritual energy flashed, and an invisible barrier unfurled before Xie Bing, blocking the biting wind and snow.
Xie Bing turned her head and saw Su Caiyi flying almost shoulder-to-shoulder with her.
Towering mountains stood majestic.
Standing atop a spirit sword amidst a sea of clouds, the young man’s eyes curved in a smile as he called out softly:
“Eldest Senior Sister.”