Bai Zihan moved toward the study table and sat down, pulling out brush, ink, and jade slips. His expression hardened, the usual casual smirk nowhere to be seen.

He dipped the brush in ink, his hand steady as he began to write stroke after stroke upon a fresh scroll.

Bai Xueqing sat nearby, hands clasped tightly in her lap. She waited patiently, not daring to disturb Bai Zihan as she sat there.

Time seemed to blur.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Bai Zihan exhaled and placed the brush down.

Before him lay a complete set of intricate characters that pulsed faintly with a chilling aura-the Frost Immortal Scripture.

The ink hadn’t even fully dried, yet a thread of frost crawled along the surface of the scroll.

Bai Zihan leaned back, rubbing his wrist. His eyes lingered on the scripture for a long moment before he turned to Bai Xueqing.

“Here it is!”

He said, handing over the Frost Immortal Scripture.

“The technique that will let you control your Heavenly Ice Body.”

Bai Xueqing took the scroll, still uncertain about it. Well, he shouldn’t be joking about this… at least, she thought.

“Now, leave! I have important things to do!”

Bai Zihan then shooed her away like some bothersome dog.

Well, his ‘important things’ should just be lazing around and sleeping.

***

Bai Xueqing left Bai Zihan’s room, the scroll pressed firmly against her chest. Until she cultivated it herself, there was no way of knowing whether it could truly help her-but she hoped so. She had to.

Walking down the quiet corridor, she soon reached her room.

Pushing the door open, she saw her best friend leaning lazily against the window, moonlight spilling over her shoulders.

Chu Ziyan looked up at once.

“Where did you disappear off to?”

She asked curiously.

“To Bai Zihan’s Room.”

Bai Xueqing replied honestly.

Chu Ziyan blinked, then tilted her head in confusion.

(Did she have something else to ask?)

Chu Ziyan too was still shocked at the truth about Bai Zihan-how he went from Core Formation Stage to Soul Formation Realm in a single year. Well, she had expected as much. Otherwise, years ago, when he schemed against her and she beat him up, he wouldn’t have been able to resist at all.

She didn’t think Bai Zihan was the type to take a beating lying down if he had any strength.

Well, it was also his own fault for trying to bully her when she first came to the Bai Clan.

Chu Ziyan couldn’t help but grin as the memory surfaced.

That nine-year-old troublemaker!

A mischievous little devil, really. She had always enjoyed straightening him out whenever she visited, though back then he would dodge her like the plague.

But now, even the presence of sect masters and clan leaders seemed nothing more than a nuisance to him.

(How time flies.)

“Bai Zihan? What for?”

Chu Ziyan asked.

“I had something to discuss with him,” Bai Xueqing answered simply, her expression giving nothing away.

Though she trusted Chu Ziyan more than anyone, Bai Zihan’s warning still rang clear in her mind.

Before Chu Ziyan could press further, Bai Xueqing waved her hand.

“You should rest!”

She said as she was about to leave.

“And where are you going now?”

Chu Ziyan asked, puzzled.

“I have something to try out in the Cultivation Room!”

Chu Ziyan studied her for a moment, then sighed and nodded.

“Fine. Don’t overwork yourself”

Bai Xueqing smiled faintly before leaving, her steps quickening.

***

Inside her private cultivation room, silence reigned.

“Huuu…”

Bai Xueqing took a deep breath.

She placed the scroll carefully before her. The faint frost it emitted made her

fingers tingle even without touching it.

Taking another deep breath, she slowly unrolled it.

Bai Xueqing’s eyes shone.

“Let’s see,” she muttered to herself.

Crossing her legs, she straightened her back, closed her eyes, and began to

cultivate according to the Frost Immortal Scripture.

At once, the cold surged through her meridians, sharp yet pure-like countless threads of winter weaving into her body.

Her Heavenly Ice Body responded.

The Heavenly Ice Body, which had always been a burden, flaring and rampaging

at the slightest disturbance, suddenly shifted.

The once-uncontrollable streams of frigid qi responded.

The wild frost that constantly gnawed at her dantian began to flow smoothly, as if finally being guided.

It was as though her body, for the first time, had found a language it could understand.

Bai Xueqing’s cultivation base trembled.

-Buzz!

Her meridians vibrated, her dantian pulsed, and her realm surged like a flood breaking through a dam.

!!!

Her eyes snapped open, glimmering with shock.

“This is…” Her voice trembled as visible wisps of frost escaped her lips.

Her cultivation speed wasn’t just double or triple-no, it felt like it was ten

times faster than before!

It was definitely not something an Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique could

achieve.

“Frost Immortal Scripture… Could it be a Heaven-Grade Technique?”

(But even Heaven-Grade Techniques shouldn’t be so strong, right?)

It didn’t just feel like a stronger cultivation technique-it felt like it was on a whole other spectrum entirely.

But of course, she reasoned, perhaps it was because the technique suited her Heavenly Ice Body so perfectly, resulting in such a drastic effect.

Heart pounding, Bai Xueqing shut her eyes again and focused.

She lost herself in cultivation.

Hours passed in what felt like mere moments.

When she finally opened her eyes again, the sun was rising.

The air was frigid enough to freeze droplets of dew into glittering crystals.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her body still tingling with Qi. She sat in silence for a few moments, awed, unable to believe it.

Finally, her lips parted, a faint whisper slipping into the frozen air.

“Could this be… a Saint-Grade Technique?”

Her hands trembled slightly as she tightened her grip on her robes.

Previously, she thought it might be a Heaven-Grade Technique, which was already unbelievable.

But this technique was just too powerful. Perhaps-just maybe-it was something that wasn’t supposed to exist in the Desolate Heaven Empire… a Saint-Grade Technique.

Bai Xueqing shook her head.

“There’s no way!”

Not to mention-would Bai Zihan even give her one if he had such a thing?

But even so, this technique was surely the strongest she had ever seen or heard of.

For that, she was incredibly grateful.

“Bai Zihan… where did he even find this?”

She wondered.

Was it something he stumbled upon-or just maybe, something he went out of his way to obtain?

The latter seemed incredibly unlikely. Though secretly… she hoped it was the one.

***

Celebration continued across the Bai Clan.

Winning the Dragon and Phoenix Competition was not something to be taken

lightly and the celebration definitely wouldn’t be over with just one night.

The next day was even grander than the last.

Guests poured in from every corner of the Desolate Heaven Empire-envoys from great sects, emissaries of noble clans, even wandering experts who normally kept themselves aloof.

Some came bearing congratulatory gifts, others came with thinly veiled ambitions, seeking to draw closer ties with the new undisputed overlord of the younger generation.

Banners of crimson and gold fluttered proudly above the main gates, each embroidered with the Bai Clan crest.

Inside, an endless stream of cultivators passed through the courtyards, guided

by servants toward the great hall where banquets stretched endlessly and rare wines flowed like rivers.

Bai Tianheng stood at the center of it all, dignified and unyielding.

His voice, calm yet commanding, carried easily as he received one delegation after another.

To some, he offered polite words of acknowledgment. To others, he gave nothing more than a faint nod.

The Bai Clan was now firmly established as the strongest clan in the empire.

The absence of Bai Xueqing did not go unnoticed.

Whispers stirred among guests who had expected to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Ice Fairy herself, whose brilliance had dazzled the competition. Yet none dared to voice a complaint.

For the Bai Clan Leader himself was present, and his aura alone was enough to silence a hundred doubts.

Those who were wise understood well: in this empire, the Bai Clan’s word was law.

Yet, celebrations brought with them not only congratulations but also schemes. The Heavenly Ice Fairy’s name was now known throughout the Desolate Heaven Empire. Her victory against a Heaven’s Chosen had elevated her to a height few could reach. Naturally, what followed was inevitable.

One after another, emissaries and envoys approached Bai Tianheng, their voices honeyed, their words wrapped in courtesy. But beneath it all, their intentions were clear.

Marriage proposals!

Some came from great sects, offering treasures, rare spirit herbs, and promises of alliance if Bai Xueqing could be wed into their lineage.

Others came from noble clans, claiming their young geniuses were worthy of standing at her side.

A few even went so far as to suggest political unions that would bind the Bai Clan to entire regions of power.

In the outer halls, gossip swirled like wildfire.

“Did you hear? The Crimson Thunder Palace offered their Young Lord as a match!”

“Tch, there is also from Top Ten Clans.”

”Hah, even the Imperial Family sent word. Can you imagine the Heavenly Ice

Fairy as a princess consort?”