Chapter 465 : So Cold
465: So Cold
Compared to Yun Qingyue's diligent mountain-burning efforts, Divine Lord Zhiming's efficiency was clearly more than a notch higher. Working together, they took less than half a day to thoroughly cleanse the entire Xuanqing Sect.
Moreover, with Divine Lord Zhiming's intervention, not just the fully grown mutated flowers but even their seeds were eliminated during the cleansing.
Seeing this, Sect Leader Qingxiao couldn't help feeling regretful. He had only been afraid that Divine Lord Zhiming might have trouble adjusting after his ascension, so he didn't want to rely on him too much. Had he known the demonic patterns were so dangerous, had he known Divine Lord Zhiming was so formidable, he would have sent a message to awaken him much earlier. How could things have reached this point, where so many disciples were suffering, their cultivation paths possibly severed?
Peak Master Qingyuan noticed Sect Leader Qingxiao's remorse and patted his senior brother's shoulder to comfort him: "Senior Brother, don't overthink it. The path of cultivation is filled with countless calamities; this is merely one of them. Those disciples who withstand this trial will naturally achieve greatness in the future. As for those who unfortunately perish, it's simply the workings of fate."
These words sounded heartless, but they were the truth. In fact, the survival rules of the cultivation world were just that merciless. Even in major sects like Xuanqing Sect, countless disciples perished in each generation. Of Qingyuan's generation, barely one in a hundred remained.
Sect Leader Qingxiao naturally understood this principle and quickly reconciled himself, only hoping that the Lightning Pool would help the disciples survive this calamity.
Speaking of the Lightning Pool, the little tiger was still soaking in it... Jiang Mo had been single-mindedly focused on eliminating the danger so she could rightfully come out to find her Senior Sister and deal with the aftermath together. Yet after just half a day of soaking, the crisis was already resolved.
Fortunately, Yun Qingyue hadn't forgotten her tiger and came looking for her once the matter was settled.
At that time, the half-grown white tiger was soaking in a purple Lightning Pool, which was clearly more powerful than the great Lightning Pool Jiang Mo had bathed in previously. When she first got in, she received quite a shock, making all her tiger fur curl up. However, as she gradually adapted and her spiritual energy flowed smoothly, the curled fur returned to its normal state.
By the time Yun Qingyue returned, Jiang Mo had just passed this adjustment period. She couldn't help feeling relieved that her Senior Sister had come back late and hadn't witnessed her embarrassing electrified state.
The white tiger paddled her paws, stirring the lightning in the pool which crackled chaotically, as she "swam" to the edge. Seeing her Senior Sister outside the barrier, Jiang Mo was in a good mood and asked, "Ah Yue, how are things outside? Wait for me. After I soak for another day or half, making sure my body has no issues, I'll accompany you."
She thought her Senior Sister had specifically come to check on her, but her Senior Sister mercilessly informed her: "It's fine, you can continue soaking to strengthen your body. The Sect Leader has requested Divine Lord Zhiming's help, and all the mutated flowers in the sect have already been eliminated."
Jiang Mo was surprised, then felt that staying here was meaningless since she couldn't be infected anyway.
"What? It's resolved so quickly?" Jiang Mo said reflexively, then continued, "Then I won't soak anymore. I've already been here half a day, and no demonic patterns have appeared on my body, so I'm definitely fine."
She tried to get up, but there was a barrier outside the Lightning Pool, and the higher the pool's level, the more powerful the barrier. Despite Jiang Mo's profound cultivation, she couldn't break through after several attempts. The previously spirited little white tiger suddenly deflated, lying in the pool looking pitifully at her Senior Sister: "Ah Yue, please find someone to let me out."
Yun Qingyue, who had been silent watching her struggle, didn't refuse this time: "Wait."
She left and soon returned with an elder who oversaw the Lightning Pool to open the barrier for Jiang Mo. The little tiger immediately leaped out, transforming back into human form as she left the pool, and lunged straight at Yun Qingyue.
Yun Qingyue glanced at the elder she had brought, feeling slightly uncomfortable, but still successfully caught the pouncing Jiang Mo.
Jiang Mo filled Yun Qingyue's arms, most of her frustration already dissipated, but she still pouted in pretend complaint: "Ah Yue, you didn't take the initiative to find someone earlier. Were you deliberately enjoying watching me struggle?"
Yes, she had guessed correctly, but how could Yun Qingyue admit it?
A flash of amusement passed through her beautiful glass-like phoenix eyes as Yun Qingyue solemnly patted the tiger's head, placating her: "How could that be? I thought you could get out by yourself. See, when you asked me to find someone, didn't I immediately go request the elder to open the barrier?"
Hearing this, Jiang Mo was suspicious, but thinking about it, she felt the explanation made sense, and was easily appeased.
Meanwhile, the elder, watching their interaction, didn't think much of it. After all, everyone in Xuanqing Sect knew that Jianbing and Yun Qingyue were close. But now it seemed that even though Jianbing had grown up, she was still quite childish.
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With Divine Lord Zhiming stationed in Xuanqing Sect, life quickly returned to normal after Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue left the Lightning Pool.
Taking advantage of the peace in the sect over the next few days, Jiang Mo dragged her Senior Sister to redecorate Purple Cloud Peak—the once grandly built Jianbing Hall had been destroyed before her Senior Sister even had a chance to see it. Sect Leader Qingxiao had mentioned rebuilding it for her, but after her Senior Sister personally planted that field of purple cloud flowers, she had abandoned the idea.
No matter how splendidly a palace was built, how could it compare to flowers planted and houses built by her and her Senior Sister themselves? So in the following days, she pulled her Senior Sister along to do everything personally.
For instance, moving two parasol trees over today, making a swing tomorrow to enjoy the scenery together, and digging a pond the day after to plant ice lotuses.
In just a few short days, Purple Cloud Peak took on an entirely new appearance. Most notably, when Elder Yuan had once sliced off the peak's top with a single sword strike and then completely pulverized that upper section, she thought the peach tree she had transplanted to the peak was doomed. But during these days, while the two were strolling at the foot of the mountain, they actually found the roots of the peach tree.
A bare section of tree root—Jiang Mo didn't know if it could survive elsewhere, but the cultivation world had so many techniques. She immediately picked up the root, replanted it at the peak, and poured a small bottle of spiritual liquid on it.
Thus the old tree took root again, sprouting new branches. Though starting over, this peach tree, which carried memories from its transplantation from Mount Mingxia, had ultimately survived.
Jiang Mo was quite pleased, but she wasn't entirely comfortable leaving this hard-won peach tree at Purple Cloud Peak. So, stroking the tender buds, she suggested to Yun Qingyue: "What if I move this tree into my innate space? I feel that leaving such an ordinary peach tree outside, someone might slice it down again someday."
Yun Qingyue smiled, looking at the new branches growing from the peach tree, her mind involuntarily drifting to various past memories. Like that little tiger cub who would climb up the tree but couldn't come down, or the little tiger cub who picked peaches for her every day.
In the end, as she reminisced, the peach tree became merely a backdrop in her memories, with the little tiger always being the main character.
As Yun Qingyue thought about it, she also felt reluctant to part with it and said: "It's up to you, but if you want to transplant it, it's better to wait a while longer."
Jiang Mo also thought they should wait, after all, the tree had just gone through a struggle—it was practically a resurrection. Besides, the peach tree wasn't some powerful spiritual plant, so it was certainly quite fragile. They should wait until it grew stronger before moving it; otherwise, what if it died during the transfer?
So in the following days, Jiang Mo would check on the peach tree's growth from time to time, waiting until it became lush before taking it into her innate space to keep with her always. Fortunately, the spiritual energy in Xuanqing Sect was abundant, and Jiang Mo was generous, occasionally pouring spiritual liquid and similar nutrients to supplement the damaged peach tree roots. The tree's growth was indeed very promising.
The two spent many days like this, whiling away time on Purple Cloud Peak. Until one day, Jiang Mo suddenly remembered that her Senior Sister also had her own spirit peak, and with rising interest, she said: "Ah Yue, let's go see your Ice Peak."
……
Years ago, when Yun Qingyue advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, she and Jiang Mo were each assigned a small spirit peak.
Jiang Mo's Purple Cloud Peak was like spring all year round, abundant with flowers, while Yun Qingyue chose a spirit peak that matched her spiritual root—a bone-chillingly cold ice peak. During those years she wandered outside, although she never returned to Xuanqing Sect, she knew clearly that Xuanqing Sect had never removed her name. The reason was simply that the connection between her and that Ice Peak had never been severed.
However, Yun Qingyue had been determined to leave, not wanting her identity to implicate the sect, nor wanting to take advantage of the sect's resources. So all these years, she had never drawn upon the spiritual energy from the Ice Peak to aid her cultivation.
But now that she had returned, still calling her master-uncles and master-aunts by their proper titles, there was no need for further pretense.
When Jiang Mo mentioned wanting to visit the Ice Peak, Yun Qingyue thought about it and agreed. The two had nothing particular to do anyway, and they weren't ones to procrastinate, so they went to Ice Peak that very day.
Revisiting an old place, eighty years had passed in the blink of an eye. The once flower-filled Purple Cloud Peak had transformed into Purple Cloud flowers' domain according to its owner's wishes, but Ice Peak's owner had been absent, and there was nothing to change about this year-round frozen peak. So it remained exactly as before, showing no trace of time's passage.
Standing on Ice Peak once again, Jiang Mo looked at the expanse of ice and snow, and couldn't help shivering once more.
Yun Qingyue glanced at her, her eyes tinged with a hint of amusement: "What's this? With your current cultivation level, you still feel cold?"
Without thinking, Jiang Mo nodded, then moved closer to grab her Senior Sister's arm: "So cold, I need Ah Yue's hug to warm up."