Chapter 21

Daylight streamed in through the gap by the window. The candle on the corner stand had burned out, and the bed curtain, loosened by an unknown hand, hung loosely, blocking the drifting dust in the dilapidated courtyard.

An Wuxue opened his eyes.

The window was slightly ajar, letting in the cool morning breeze, but he felt no chill.

His gaze shifted slightly, noticing a thin silk quilt covering him—an enchanted cloth weaving warmth around him.

His clothes were unchanged; the sleeves were rumpled, likely from his own restless movements the night before.

The spirit pouch containing the Soul-Nurturing Tree's essence was missing from his waist and instead lay quietly beside his pillow, evidently moved by someone.

The soft, burning sensation brought on by the Furnace Seal was gone.

…Xie Zhefeng had come?

Last night…

As soon as the memories surfaced, the exhaustion from recalling both life and death swept over him like icy water from the far northern depths, chilling him to the bone. Deep sorrow and helplessness pressed heavily, draining the color from his face.

And that scent from last night, the one he had resisted yet was compelled to approach by his body’s reaction—the cold hand that seemed to grip his wrist…

Years ago, beneath the abyss of the Underworld Sea, Xie Zhefeng had grasped his hand just like that, whispering in his ear, “Senior Brother…”

…!

He clenched the quilt tightly, gasping fiercely.

He couldn’t think about it anymore!

He raised a hand to lightly tap his forehead, hastily suppressing his thoughts.

There had been too many dreams last night; he almost couldn’t distinguish whether those vague fragments and sensations were from dreams or reality.

“…Senior? Senior?” Suddenly, a voice called from outside the house—not calling for him.

“Sister, after Senior Xie came out of that furnace—no, no, it was Young Master Su—after leaving his room, he reinforced the seal and then sat meditating in front of the door until now…”

“A whole night has passed, but Senior Xie hasn’t moved at all? Could something have happened?”

“Yeah, the doorstep is cold and the ground dirty, but Senior Xie has sat there through the night…”

An Wuxue was taken aback.

Senior Xie? Xie Zhefeng?

Xie Zhefeng was meditating?

He had thought that after Xie Zhefeng found him and Jiang Qing last night, he would have acted to dispel the illusion. What was going on now? Since when could the Cold Immortal Lord not meditate, especially inside a sect occupied by demonic creatures and scarce pure energy?

There was a brief silence outside the door. Yun Wan sighed, “I called out several times earlier, but no response. Well, no matter how cold the doorstep or how dirty the dust, it can’t affect a Tribulation-stage expert or soil a spirit treasure robe. I’m more worried about Young Master Su; there’s been no movement inside the room. Hasn’t he woken up yet…”

“Some people say they come to help, but as soon as they enter, they start sleeping. Truly, relying on others isn’t as good as relying on oneself…”

An Wuxue remained silent.

He slowly sat up, sat still for a moment, then packed away the spirit pouch and got up, lifting the bed curtain and stepping out.

The dilapidated courtyard on this remote mountain peak of the Cloud Sword Sect was still protected by a formation. Beyond the formation, the sky was pitch black, seemingly endless, with only the small area before him holding faint pure energy.

Pushing open the door, he saw Xie Zhefeng sitting cross-legged on the steps, meditating. This man was usually meticulous, yet now he hadn’t even brought a meditation mat, sitting directly on the ground, perfectly still.

Within the courtyard, the clashing of swords rang out continuously. Yun Wan and a few surviving disciples practiced swordplay, perhaps inspired by that remark, “Relying on others isn’t as good as relying on oneself.”

An Wuxue lowered his gaze at Xie Zhefeng’s motionless back, frowning. He slowly descended the steps and approached him.

Xie Zhefeng’s eyes were tightly shut, his brow furrowed, and he didn’t respond to his approach.

His life sword, Chunhua, floated before Xie Zhefeng.

The more he looked, the more vexing it became.

He was itching to reach out and take Chunhua away, but he quickly shifted his gaze and tentatively called, “Daoist Xie?”

No reply.

Had Xie Zhefeng sealed off his spiritual senses?

What was wrong with this man?

“Young Master Su?” Yun Wan heard the movement, sheathed her sword, and turned with a joyful expression, running up to them. “You’re awake? Are you feeling any discomfort?”

An Wuxue shook his head. “What’s wrong with him?”

Yun Wan was momentarily stunned. “Young Master Su asked about Senior Xie?”

She was puzzled too. “Last night you said someone would come. We waited a while, and then Senior Xie arrived. He claimed to be a disciple of Luoyue Peak, named Xie Chunhua, but he didn’t ask about the sect’s massacre. Instead…”

“Instead what?”

“Instead, he came straight to find you…”

An Wuxue was speechless.

“Find.”

Find him?

What he sought was the Soul-Nurturing Tree’s essence and the suspicious matters surrounding him.

Just like back then in the Thorn River, perhaps Xie Zhefeng wasn’t searching for his ‘Senior Brother’ at all, but for his own regrets.

Yun Wan seemed unsure why he had suddenly gone silent and stopped speaking.

An Wuxue asked again, “Then?”

“When Senior Xie entered, you were…” She glanced at the Furnace Seal on An Wuxue’s arm and hesitated. “He helped suppress it… Then, seeing your restless mind, he gave me a golden, spirit-infused branch to place in your hand and sent me out. I waited outside for a while, then Senior Xie suddenly hurried out without a word and began meditating. No matter how I called, he didn’t respond…”

It seemed Xie Zhefeng had used the Soul-Nurturing Tree’s essence on him.

He didn’t feel relieved.

His gaze sharpened, voice lowering. “You mean he suddenly rushed out and has been meditating here since? Nothing else happened last night?”

Yun Wan was startled, her complexion paling. She lowered her head and whispered, “Truly nothing. I only waited outside briefly before seeing Senior Xie hurry out. But…”

She hadn’t told everything.

“I don’t mean to withhold, Young Master Su, but you two seem deeply connected. I was afraid I misread things and dared not speak recklessly—”

“We have no relation.” An Wuxue interrupted immediately. “Just say it.”

“…When Senior Xie came out, his spiritual power was unstable. There was a moment… a moment where his spirit energy fluctuated as if showing signs of demonic possession… Maybe I was mistaken. The sect has been sealed by demons for so long; it’s normal for turbid energy to leak into the formation…”

Signs of possession?

Xie Zhefeng?

Without hesitation, An Wuxue firmly said, “You’re mistaken.”

There were two types of possession for cultivators: one caused by corrupt energy, the other born from inner heart demons.

Neither could ever be linked to Xie Zhefeng, who had ascended the path of ruthlessness and emotionless resolve to achieve the Cold Immortal Lord’s rank at a young age.

Despite their painful past, Xie Zhefeng was the long-expected, pure and upright Sword Master of Cold Origin.

His junior brother was a peerless sword prodigy of Luoyue Peak, who had killed his own father in childhood, cut down his heart demon in youth, and had even caused this Senior Brother to die beneath the Cold Origin sword light when ascending.

His Dao heart was so clear and resolute it bordered on ruthless and unfeeling.

How could he possibly be possessed?

He repeated, “Impossible. Thousands suffer from corrupt energy and heart demons, but not him.”

“Ah…?” Yun Wan opened her mouth, then muttered, “And you say you have no relation…”

An Wuxue was about to retort when—

The formation trembled violently!

The disciples practicing swordplay and Yun Wan all changed expressions, their swords trembling and pointing towards the source of the shaking.

An Wuxue looked up to see a rift forming in the sky formation, torn open by demonic energy.

This formation had been reinforced by him and Xie Zhefeng’s representations during their Tribulation stage. Only someone at Tribulation stage could strike such a rift.

From afar came a sharp, androgynous voice: “I said, why had the immortal cultivators I pulled in all vanished? Turns out they were hiding a secret place right under my nose!”

The formation trembled again, shaking the courtyard within.

Yun Wan hurriedly said, “It’s that Mirror Demon! It’s discovered us! Young Master Su, we definitely can’t defeat it. You and Senior Xie…”

Outside the formation, the surrounding mountains abruptly transformed, all identical in every direction, as if carved from the mold of the mountain they stood on.

This was the Mirror Demon’s mirror technique.

The Mirror Demon had sealed off this place.

Amid the earth-shattering upheaval, Xie Zhefeng remained unmoving.

With his spiritual senses sealed off, unless Xie Zhefeng himself was attacked or awakened, they could only wait for him to come to.

An Wuxue murmured, “But if I face a Tribulation-stage enemy now…”

Then nothing could be hidden.

The courtyard shook once more.

A surging wave of demonic energy blasted through. The rift in the formation spread like a spider’s web, sand and stones flying, black winds howling.

The Tribulation-stage pressure descended; the Cloud Sword Sect disciples with lower cultivation trembled as they grasped their swords.

At this rate, the formation wouldn’t hold for long!

He had a way to retreat alone without revealing his identity, but he couldn’t protect the others.

His eyes scanned the pale-faced Yun Wan and the other disciples.

The younger cultivators were panic-stricken but stood firm, swords or talismans in hand.

Yun Wan stood at the forefront, her gaze wavering, clearly lacking confidence, yet she did not step back—instead, she moved forward a few steps.

If he chose to save himself now, these people would surely perish.

Resolute, An Wuxue turned swiftly and approached Chunhua, the sword floating by Xie Zhefeng’s side.

He had once alarmed Chunhua, immediately drawing Xie Zhefeng.

Now that Chunhua never left Xie Zhefeng’s side, there must be a new seal on it.

The seal could link to Xie Zhefeng’s spiritual senses…

He gambled that since Xie Zhefeng hadn’t killed him last time, he wouldn’t kill him this time.

He reached out toward Chunhua.

Yun Wan was startled by his action. “Young Master Su, this sword never leaves Senior Xie’s side, you—”

He touched Chunhua.

—

Luoyue Peak, Frost-Burying Sea.

Amid the pine forest, the frost wind swept relentlessly.

Xie Zhefeng’s true body sat serenely atop a lotus platform.

Snow and wind passed around him, unable to touch him.

His eyes were closed, the sword pattern on his brow darkened.

Last night, the Soul-Nurturing Tree essence had no response. He couldn’t even explain why he had suddenly thought to use it, nor why he felt disappointed afterward.

Afterwards, he sat by the bed, watching Su Xue’s flushed face pale and weaken. His heart, which should have been blank, still clenched painfully.

But that was not Senior Brother.

The Soul-Nurturing Tree essence had no reaction at all.

“…A single lantern can confuse you, a similar person can stir your emotions—do you truly love your Senior Brother?”