Chapter 23: The Frost That Spared Chiyang Peak

The icy blue sword light struck without reservation, wrapped in a fierce killing intent, sweeping across nearly half the sky above the Five Elements Sect.

In that instant, everyone remaining within the Five Elements Sect saw white frost fall from the sky without warning, as if winter had suddenly descended.

The three auras pursuing Bu Xiwei came to an immediate halt.

For these three powerful figures of the Five Elements Sect, the priority was no longer chasing down Bu Xiwei, but protecting the tens of thousands of disciples within the sect.

The destructive power of Bu Xiwei’s sword strike was overwhelming. The area within the sword light’s reach was suffused with terrifying might, and even the white frost drifting down from the sky inflicted corrosive-like injuries the moment it touched human skin. Disciples with lower cultivation levels might even lose their lives because of it.

The three auras immediately shifted direction. Spiritual energy in three distinct colors—pure gold, earthy yellow, and watery blue—rippled outward in all directions, dyeing the entire sky and forcefully sealing away the icy blue sword light. The white frost, like heavy snow suspended midair, also vanished without a trace.

Taking advantage of this moment, Bu Xiwei broke through the sect’s protective formation through the opening she had carved and disappeared over the horizon in an instant, her trail completely gone.

This anomaly was visible to anyone within the Five Elements Sect.

Countless Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment disciples looked up at the sky in shock, not knowing what had happened, and quickly began chattering among themselves.

Within Jinlu Peak, Huangfu Hanrui was still arguing with He Xiuran over which spiritual artifact to ride for their trip outside the sect when the sky outside the window suddenly changed color, drawing their attention.

Huangfu Hanrui leaned against the windowsill, sticking her head out. “It’s snowing?! What’s going on?”

Then she caught sight of the vast expanse of pure gold covering the sky. Her mouth dropped open. “…Father?!”

This pure gold spiritual energy belonged to her father, Huangfu Haode, the Peak Master of Jinlu Peak and current Sect Master of the Five Elements Sect. He possessed a gold-type Heavenly Spiritual Root and was an early-stage Soul Formation cultivator—known throughout the cultivation world as the foremost figure of the righteous path.

Huangfu Hanrui also recognized the other two spiritual energies. The earthy yellow one belonged to Master Cang Ling, Peak Master of Cangling Peak, and the watery blue belonged to Master Tianshuang of Tianshuang Peak. Both were late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, with earth- and water-type Heavenly Spiritual Roots respectively. In the Five Elements Sect, they were second only to Sect Master Huangfu Haode in strength.

He Xiuran also leaned out the window, equally shocked. “Master and the two Peak Masters are acting together?! What the hell happened?!”

Taller than Huangfu Hanrui, he easily pushed her aside and stuck his entire upper body out the window, looking around.

“He! Xiu! Ran!” Huangfu Hanrui nearly exploded with rage. “Are you insane?!”

He Xiuran pretended not to hear, his gaze locked on Chiyang Peak. “Why do I feel like… these snowflakes are falling hard on the other four peaks, but not on Chiyang Peak?”

***

He Xiuran’s feeling wasn’t wrong.

Even in her maddened state, Bu Xiwei had instinctively avoided the place where Yu Xiu was with her sword light.

This was something Yu Xiu likely sensed more than anyone.

Peize had been obliterated—so thoroughly that not even a speck of dust remained. When Yu Xiu left the sword training ground, she was met by Xing Zan, who had come searching for her.

“Sister Xiu!” Xing Zan’s face was full of panic. “I think I just heard an explosion over here!”

Compared to the commotion Bu Xiwei had caused with the sect’s protective formation, the sound of Peize’s destruction was small. At the very least, no one outside Daijiao Peak could have detected it.

However, besides Bu Xiwei and Yu Xiu, Xing Zan had also been on Daijiao Peak. If she had been just a little farther from the sword training ground, she might not have heard anything. But as it happened, she had been cleaning Yu Xiu’s bamboo house at the time Peize shattered.

As the bamboo house and the training ground were both places Yu Xiu frequently used, they were not far apart. Frightened, Xing Zan had dropped the broom from her hand and rushed outside to look for Yu Xiu, worried that something might have happened—and instinctively feeling that the safest place was wherever Yu Xiu was.

“It’s nothing.” Yu Xiu gently patted Xing Zan’s head, her voice calm as always. “Just a small mishap while I was practicing my sword. It’s already been resolved.”

Xing Zan always believed whatever Yu Xiu said. Hearing this, she finally relaxed. “That’s good, that’s good!”

Letting out a breath, she looked at the silver feather on top of Yu Xiu’s head and asked curiously, “Sister Xiu, what about that little plump bird you brought back?”

Yu Xiu’s heart was heavy, but hearing the words “little plump bird,” she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What little plump bird?”

She gently placed her palm on Xing Zan’s head. A subtle wave of spiritual power flowed through her hand into Xing Zan’s heart. Her voice was soft but firm:

“There’s no such thing as a ‘little plump bird.’ We’ve never brought back any bird.”

Under the influence of that trace of spiritual force, Xing Zan’s eyes turned dazed, her expression blank—like someone drifting into a deep sleep. A moment later, as Yu Xiu withdrew her hand, Xing Zan returned to normal.

At the same time, she lost all memory of Bu Xiwei.

Xing Zan had been the only person in the entire Five Elements Sect—besides Yu Xiu—who had seen Bu Xiwei. If what she saw had only been a disguised spirit pet, it could still be brushed off. But Yu Xiu directly erased that possibility.

The girl quickly forgot everything that had happened, and happily returned to sweeping the bamboo house.

Watching Xing Zan’s cheerful back, Yu Xiu let out a long sigh and stood alone amidst the aftermath, quietly awaiting her own… judgment.

She had privately sheltered the disciple of a demonic cultivator, and that very cultivator had infiltrated the sect’s protective formation and nearly brought disaster to the entire sect.

Whether it was truly her fault or not, Yu Xiu understood that this was a responsibility she could no longer avoid.

Xing Zan had originally had nothing to do with this matter, so it was better to erase any connection altogether—avoiding unnecessary entanglements.

As for the consequences and blame, Yu Xiu had already prepared to bear them alone.

Yet even after the three-colored light in the sky faded, and the Sect Master and two Peak Masters handled the aftermath, no one came to Daijiao Peak.

Not even the next day.

Yu Xiu had returned to her bamboo house. She opened the bedroom door and looked at the cloth pillow placed on the bamboo bed.

Her gaze darkened, unreadable.

Still, no one came to Daijiao Peak to arrest her.

She could more or less guess why.

The most important reason, of course, was Bu Xiwei.

From the moment that demonic lord entered the Five Elements Sect, she had been hiding. Other than Xing Zan, no one had ever known the little sparrow bundle’s true identity.

Even Xing Zan had only found out by accident. When Bu Xiwei saw her, she’d clearly been surprised—she hadn’t expected someone like Xing Zan to be on Daijiao Peak.

Any other traces left behind had either been avoided or erased by Bu Xiwei. Even the fact that her final sword strike didn’t touch Chiyang Peak could be explained away as a matter of distance—she had flown far from the peak before attacking.

Yu Xiu couldn’t help but recall what Bu Xiwei had once said while riding the spirit boat:
“It’s not like I’m sticking with you just to cause you trouble.”

“……”

She lowered her eyes and turned back into the bamboo house.

*******

When Yu Xiu left Daijiao Peak, she instinctively tried to summon Peize—only to remember that she no longer had a natal spirit sword.

Since she couldn’t ride her sword, and wasn’t going far, she simply condensed spiritual energy beneath her feet and flew directly to the summit of Chiyang Peak.

This method consumed more spiritual power, but it was fast and convenient.

Having visited many times before, Yu Xiu wasn’t surprised to find Chiyang Zhenren in the Chiyang Palace.

At that moment, Chiyang Zhenren was inside the main hall, gripping the hilt of his natal spirit sword and… arm-wrestling it.

Yes.

Chiyang Zhenren was literally arm-wrestling his own sword.

If anyone else did this, it would seem completely insane. But from Chiyang Zhenren, it felt oddly normal.

At least for Yu Xiu and the immortal servant Mo Hui, who stood nearby and didn’t even blink at the sight.

Mo Hui was far more enthusiastic toward Yu Xiu than he was toward his own master and immediately offered to pour her tea.

Yu Xiu smiled and gently waved him off. She wasn’t here to drink tea today.

Still red-faced and straining, Chiyang Zhenren glanced over and said, “Alright, alright, go now. I’ve got something to discuss with Yu Shan!”

Mo Hui sighed in exasperation. “Zhenren, Miss Yu Xiu’s name has the character ‘Xiu’…”

First it had been Yu You, and now it was Yu Shan. Forget misremembering her name—how did he get it wrong differently every time?

Shaking his head, Mo Hui left and closed the door behind him.

But in that moment of distraction, Chiyang Zhenren’s arm was decisively slammed onto the table by his own sword.

“Hey hey! Hey hey hey!!” Chiyang Zhenren practically jumped. “What the hell?! That was a sneak attack! Doesn’t count! One more round!”

Yu Xiu stood silently by the side, completely unbothered, as he went a few more rounds against his sword.

She said nothing. Didn’t move. As though she didn’t even exist.

Only when dusk fell outside the window did Chiyang Zhenren finally seem satisfied. He recalled his natal sword into his dantian and was rubbing his wrist when he noticed Yu Xiu preparing to kneel.

A burst of spiritual power shot out, forcefully stopping her.

“Oh come on!” Chiyang Zhenren grimaced. “Is this really that serious?”

Yu Xiu didn’t insist on kneeling again. She simply said earnestly,

“…This disciple has come to confess her sins to Master.”

The reason the Discipline Hall hadn’t come knocking wasn’t just because of Bu Xiwei—it was also because of Chiyang Zhenren.

No matter how clean she tried to appear, something this massive—something that alarmed the Sect Master and two Peak Masters—would definitely spark an investigation.

Chiyang Peak was vast but sparsely populated. Including Yu Xiu, it only had seven disciples. Investigating them would have been easy.

That no one came could only mean one thing—Chiyang Zhenren had vouched for them.

Among the Five Elements Sect’s five peaks, Chiyang Peak was the most overlooked. Chiyang Zhenren himself had the lowest cultivation among the Peak Masters, only at the early Nascent Soul stage.

To many, he seemed unserious and unreliable.

Even Mo Hui didn’t understand why a top-tier disciple like Yu Xiu remained so respectful to such a master. They probably thought she was just well-mannered and filial.

But Yu Xiu knew—her master truly deserved her respect.

“What sins are you even talking about?” Chiyang Zhenren stroked his long beard. At the sight of her solemn expression, his tone turned serious at last.

“I know exactly what kind of person you are, little girl.”

“Even if that whole mess really had something to do with you, I know for a fact you wouldn’t have done it on purpose. What sin is there to confess?”

“Alright, alright, go do what you need to do. Your master believes you can clean up whatever mess is left.”

Hearing Chiyang Zhenren’s completely unconditional protection, Yu Xiu couldn’t help feeling both touched and amused.

He hadn’t even been staying in the palace lately—the only reason he was here today was clearly because he’d been waiting for her.

As always, Yu Xiu respectfully took her leave and exited Chiyang Palace.

Watching her calm, steady figure retreating into the dusk, Chiyang Zhenren sucked in a breath through his teeth.

“Hsss—damn! Just what the hell is clinging to that girl?! In this whole world, someone walking around with all three souls and seven spirits incomplete… and still alive?!”