In the early hours of the morning, the mountain mist was as thick as boiled milk, and the wind stirred it, causing white waves to surge. Chu Xuan stepped on the edge of the "milk" and walked back. The firewood knife lay across his shoulder, and the back of the knife was covered with a thin layer of frost, like a veil woven by moonlight. The silver dragon rolled in the dantian, its tentacles entwined with the newly acquired "Cold star seed", and with each breath, a ray of starlight "click-click" pushed along the meridians, the barrier at the peak of the fifth layer of qi refining was so thin that it was just a layer of window paper.
"Take two more puffs and you'll be able to jump to the sixth layer." He stretched, his knuckles crackling like roasted beans. Just as he was about to speed back to the woodshed to catch up on sleep, a creaking sound of snow was heard on the distant mountain path, dense and rapid, with an undisguised murderous intent.
The fog was torn apart and Zhao Tianlei rushed out first. His moon-white tight-fitting suit was changed to an ink-blue one, but the cuffs were embroidered with brighter gold thread. The copper plate at his waist was replaced with a jade plaque - a temporary waist plaque of the Law Enforcement Hall. He was followed by five outer disciples, all at the peak of the fifth level of qi refining, carrying magical weapons and exuding murderous intent.
"Good morning, Junior Brother Chu." Zhao Tianlei's fan had been replaced with a long sword, and the tip of the sword raised a cold light. "Last night you were lucky. Today in the Law enforcement hall, you entered the forbidden area without permission. According to the sect rules, your cultivation should be revoked and you should be expelled from the mountain gate. Cooperate obediently, and you will suffer less physical pain."
Chu Xuan glanced at the crowd, his gaze paused on the waist sign of the Law enforcement Hall, and laughed with his teeth pointed: "Brother Zhao, when did the Law Enforcement Hall change its surname to Zhao? How do I remember that the law enforcement Hall needs the elder's handwritten order to handle cases, the one in your hand... Is it an oracle or a piece of waste paper?"
Zhao Tianlei's face darkened and he snorted: "Sharp teeth! "Take it!"
Five of them simultaneously made their hands, fireball, wind blade, golden arrow, earth cone, vine whip, the five colors of spiritual power interwove into a net, overwhelming Chu Xuan. With the tip of his foot, the latter glided sideways like a ghost, and with a backward flick of his hand, the back of the firewood sword splashed with a "ding" of tiny cold stars
A wisp of ice-blue sword intent shot out from the back of the blade, as fast as a flash of light, "puh" through the fireball, and the remaining force continued to Pierce through the wind blade and the golden arrow, and wherever it passed, the spiritual energy condensed into ice chips, crackling all over the ground.
The five felt a chill in their knees, and when they lowered their heads, they saw their trouser legs pierced through, frost spreading from the wounds, instantly freezing their feet in place, unable to move.
Zhao Tianlei's pupils constricted: "Cold Star Sword Intent? You actually got it!"
Chu Xuan put away his sword, laughing lightly: "Senior Brother Zhao is kind to you. I'll use your favor to practice. No thanks."
Zhao Tianlei's face turned pale and blue. Just as he was about to move again, he suddenly felt a chill in the soles of his feet - a thin layer of ice, with Chu Xuan at the center, spread silently to everyone's feet, like a huge ice net, firmly fixing everyone in place. On the surface of the ice, there flickered sword patterns, which were of the same origin as the Cold Star Sword Intent, but a hundred times more refined.
Zhao Tianlei was horrified and suddenly looked up into the depths of the forbidden area - where the ice mist was swirling, and a figure in a white robe appeared and disappeared, flicking the tip of the finger as if it had dropped a speck of dust.
"Ling... Elder Ling? His voice trembled, his legs numb from the cold, but he dared not move a bit more.
Chu Xuan also sensed something was amiss and followed his gaze, seeing Ling Qingxue standing with her hands behind her back in the ice mist, her eyes indifferent as if looking at a group of buffoons. With a light tap of her finger, the ice melted instantly, but the cold condensed into a line, pointing straight to Zhao Tianlei's brow like an invisible sword, ready to take a life at any moment.
"Forbidden and important areas, anyone who trespasses will be expelled." Her voice was not high, but each word was like an ice cone piercing into everyone's eardrums. "If you dare to take another half step, you'll leave your feet."
Zhao Tianlei's face was deathly pale, and he dared not refute. He could only grit his teeth and lower his head: "Disciple knows the mistake, evacuate immediately."
Ling Qingxue no longer looked at him, turned her gaze to Chu Xuan, nodded slightly, as if approving, as if reminding: Don't be too smug too early.
Chu Xuan bowed his hands and said in a clear voice, "Thank you, Elder, for helping me out of the predicament."
Ling Qingxue said no, turned and disappeared into the depths of the ice mist as if she had never appeared. Only the ground was covered with ice chips, and the chill that had not yet dissipated from the soles of everyone's feet.
Zhao Tianlei gave Chu Xuan a fierce look, his eyes almost solidified with venom, but he dared not move again and could only grit his teeth and growl, "Go!"
The five of them supported each other and limped away at the end of the mist, their backs looking as disheveled as stray dogs.
Chu Xuan stood there, bowing his hands far into the forbidden area, his voice so low that only he could hear: "Senior, thanks."
Behind the fog wall, Ling Qingxue stood with her hands behind her back, her white dress blending with the moonlight, and the cold light on her fingertips gradually faded away. She raised her chin slightly, her gaze passing through the ice mist and falling on the back of the young man - as upright as a freshly sharpened firewood knife, unable to hide its sharpness, yet knowing how to bend down in thanks.
"Pretty sensible." She said softly, her voice scattered in the wind, almost inaudible to herself.
Chu Xuan seemed to sense it, turned back and bowed his hands in the mist, laughing with his teeth shining: "Senior, rest assured. I have good foot strength. Next time they come, I'll run faster and never cause you any trouble!"
The corner of Ling Qingxue's mouth twitched, and she was almost driven out of her wit by this off-key remark. Then she turned her sleeve, and the ice mist swirled, covering her figure completely. Just the tip of the sleeve, unconsciously stroking the wisp of sword intent that had just emerged - the Cold Star was just formed, and it resonated with her ice-soul sword intent, like two swords separated by ten thousand years, suddenly finding the same beat.
This feeling, strange and fresh, made the lake of her heart ripple very finely, and in an instant it was covered with frost.
...
Zhao Tianlei staggered all the way until he broke through the fog curtain of the forbidden area, and only then did the ice chips under his feet completely melt away. Looking back, he saw that the fog wall was silent but like a huge mouth, ready to swallow him again at any moment. The jade plaque jingled at his waist, but it was no longer as imposing as before.
"Chu Xuan!" He gritted his teeth and punched the tree trunk, shaking the remaining snow. "Don't think you can rest easy just by leaning on Elder Ling! The Law enforcement Hall can't control the forbidden area, nor the outer gate?"
The dog legs behind him looked at each other, and one timidly spoke: "Brother Zhao, how about... Just hold on for now? Elder Ling is clearly partial to that kid. If we break into the forbidden area again, we'll really be left with our feet."
"Favoritism? Zhao Tianlei sneered, his eyes 阴鸷 surging, "No matter how powerful the elder is, he can't control the sect competition! At the end of the month, I personally apply for the 'Outer Gate Arena' and openly challenge him. How could Elder Ling interfere in the disciples' sparring?
Their eyes lit up and they all agreed: "Yes, yes, yes! On the ring, there is no eye for fists and feet, disqualify his cultivation, and the elder has nothing to say!
Zhao Tianlei squinted his eyes and rubbed the hilt of his sword with his fingertips as if he had seen Chu Xuan kneeling and begging for mercy. His voice was low and fierce: "At the end of the month, I want him to lie down in public and crawl out of the Qingyun Sect like a dog!"
...
In the woodshed, it was late at night.
Chu Xuan sat cross-legged on the bed board, with the lotus seal spread out in his palm, the icy blue dim light flickered like a heartbeat. The silver dragon wrapped around his wrist, and the dragon's whiskers tapped the lotus seal. Each time it touched, a wisp of extremely fine cold air was drawn out, incorporated into the dragon's scales, and then fed back into warm spiritual energy, making the five layers of the refining qi "click click".
"End-of-month assessment..." "Zhao Tianlei, you'd better pray that the ring is not too small. I'm afraid you won't fall." he murmured softly, his fingertips circling the lotus seal.
The moonlight outside the window was like water, and the silver light shone through the broken window and fell on his eyelashes, forming tiny ice crystals, but could not hide the eager sharpness in his eyes. The silver dragon seemed to sense the master's fighting spirit, growled low, swung its tail, and sent the last wisp of coldness into its dantian --
"Puff"
The barrier is broken, the six layers of qi refinement, the water flows naturally!
Chu Xuan opened his eyes, and the cold star flashed in his eyes, as if someone had lit a small fishing light in that icy lake. He stretched, his joints crackling, and bowed out of the window: "Senior, watch at the end of the month - I'll put on a big show for you."