“Little Ah Jiu is worried about you,” Fu Yan said to Mu Yao.
Mu Yao nodded slightly, “I know. It is precisely because I knew she was worried that I could not let her come over to watch. Wouldn’t watching just make her even more worried?”
Fu Yan chuckled lightly, “Yet in the past, she would always come over to take a peek.”
“It was not as torturous as this time, usually,” Mu Yao said to her softly.
“That is true.” Fu Yan finished speaking and smiled again, “Your little Junior Sister really cares about you quite a bit. It is not in vain that you have raised her since she was little.”
“I am merely looking after Junior Sister for Master, so it can hardly be considered expending a great deal of energy.” Mu Yao did not feel there was anything to this.
“That is also true. Apart from being a bit mischievous, the little one is otherwise quite alright.”
Mu Yao shook her head, “Mischievousness is secondary. Disliking study and hating to memorize texts are what give the biggest headaches.”
Hearing her words, Fu Yan could not help laughing, “Little Ah Jiu is clever. She will understand eventually, and you do not need to worry too much.”
Nan You also nodded along, “Clever people do not rote-memorize like you do.”
“Such as you? You cannot even firmly remember the fundamentals?” Mu Yao retorted coolly.
Nan You and she started bantering with each other again. Throughout the entire sect, Nan You was the only one who could exchange a couple of banter-filled remarks with Mu Yao. Otherwise, in the eyes of others, the Senior Sister was always a cold and aloof figure.
Amidst their conversation, the three of them had already arrived at the edge of the Cold Spring. Fu Yan took out the medicine and silver needles, placing them to the side, and then gestured for Mu Yao to soak in the Cold Spring.
Mu Yao removed her garments and stepped into the Cold Spring. The bone-chilling coldness within the spring instantly seeped into her bodily meridians.
Stung by the cold, Mu Yao’s complexion turned deathly pale in an instant.
Fu Yan scattered the medicine into the Cold Spring, and then sat cross-legged on the bank. With her hands forming incantations and her fingertips flying, seal after seal and array after array descended. Nan You assisted Fu Yan from the side.
Mu Yao was trapped within the formation, after which Fu Yan injected spiritual power into Mu Yao’s body.
“Circulate the spiritual energy through your counter-meridians.” Fu Yan’s voice entered Mu Yao’s ears.
Mu Yao followed the instructions, yet the moment she began circulating the spiritual energy, she felt as though all her internal organs had been frozen solid.
It felt as though even her fingertips could not move in the slightest. Nevertheless, Mu Yao still gritted her teeth and went to circulate the spiritual energy according to what Fu Yan had said.
The pain and coldness caused the muscles all over her body to tremble involuntarily.
The water spiritual energy near the Cold Spring continuously surged into Mu Yao’s body. Fu Yan combed through these spiritual energies for her, allowing the spiritual energy to merge into every part of her body.
Then, Nan You held a silver needle and drove it into Mu Yao’s body. When the first silver needle entered, Mu Yao could not help letting out a painful moan, as the pain was simply far too intense.
Subsequently, the spiritual roots within her body also flickered in and out of view. Seizing the opportunity, Nan You drove in a second silver needle, and the spiritual roots shattered with a sound. Looking closely, one could seemingly see fine cracks upon the spiritual roots.
“Ah!” Even with Mu Yao’s high capacity for endurance, she could not withstand such pain and cried out in agony.
Fu Yan did not pull her punches, using spiritual power to restrain Mu Yao’s body to prevent her from moving about carelessly.
The demonic fire inside Mu Yao’s body also suddenly blazed fiercely due to the shattering of the spiritual roots. The demonic fire spewed forth from Mu Yao’s inner mansion, crowding out the cold Qi within her body.
However, the next moment, the madly surging water spiritual energy transformed into frost once more, freezing her blood vessels.
Her body alternated between feeling like it was burning in a fire and being frozen by solid ice.
At that moment, Mu Yao felt as though she were a weapon being forged, subjected to the tempering of ice and fire.
Taking advantage of these two opposing forces, Fu Yan continuously drove silver needles into Mu Yao’s body, and then impelled her spiritual power to fuse those medicinal properties into Mu Yao’s body.
If anyone else were watching, they would surely feel a shock. Anyone unaware of the truth would likely think Fu Yan was persecuting Mu Yao, seeing as from afar it looked like Fu Yan was bit by bit smashing Mu Yao’s spiritual roots to pieces while Mu Yao suffered a fate worse than death in the Cold Spring.
No matter how painfully Mu Yao wailed, Fu Yan never once stopped the movements of her hands.
She remained completely unmoved, but little Ah Jiu, secretly listening from afar, could not help starting to shed tears.
Mu Yao had forbidden her to come, but Ah Jiu had sneaked over anyway, hiding outside the Cold Spring and using spirit souls to mask her presence.
She was self-taught in such matters. Usually, Mu Yao felt that this little one was preternaturally sly.
Ah Jiu leaned her back against a rock, hugging a spirit soul in her arms, crying tears that fell drip by drip.
Mu Yao and Fu Yan had no spare thoughts at this moment to care whether she had followed them over or not. Even Fu Yan dared not harbor the slightest distraction.
After completely shattering Mu Yao’s spiritual roots, Fu Yan had Nan You take out another pill and feed it to Mu Yao extremely quickly. She then urged her entire body’s spiritual energy to fuse the medicine’s potency with Mu Yao’s spiritual roots, subsequently driving the spiritual roots to merge into her blood vessels.
Ah Jiu kept watch outside for an entire day, until late into the night, and the painful moans from within the Cold Spring never stopped.
She squeezed the spirit soul in her hands, wiped away her tears, and said, “I have to go copy talisman paper. If Senior Sister finds out that Ah Jiu didn’t practice properly, she won’t be pleased.”
Talking to herself, she then departed from the Borrowing Snow Pavilion.
Mu Yao did not emerge from the Cold Spring for over a month.
Every day, Ah Jiu would steal over to listen quietly without entering to disturb her. Occasionally, miserable screams would drift out from inside, and occasionally it would be completely silent without a sound.
With Mu Yao absent, Ah Jiu honestly and diligently practiced her body tempering every day, recited her texts, and practiced her calligraphy, no longer crying out every single day about not wanting to do them.
Integrating spiritual roots into the physical flesh was a process of extreme risk and immense length. If Fu Yan had not already attained the cultivation of the Profound Underworld realm, she would never have dared let Mu Yao attempt it.
Such a procedure was truly unprecedented in the world of cultivation.
For a full forty-nine days, Mu Yao succeeded in re-condensing her physical body under the assistance of Fu Yan and Nan You.
Nan You pulled out the final silver needle from Mu Yao’s body, wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, and looked at Mu Yao meditating in the Cold Spring.
Sensing that those water spiritual energies were pouring into her body without end, Fu Yan also gradually withdrew her spiritual power, let out a breath of relief, stepped out of the Cold Spring, and landed on the bank.
“Master, can this be considered a success?” Nan You asked with some excitement.
“It is a success.”
As Fu Yan’s words fell, one could sense that those spiritual energies were no longer surging in a disorderly fashion. It was as though they were controlled by Mu Yao, and the speed at which they entered her body had also slowed down considerably.
Subsequently, a layer of frost gradually began to cover the surface of the Cold Spring.
The Frost Sword came flying swiftly from the Borrowing Snow Pavilion, emitting successive rings of sword song above Mu Yao’s head.
Mu Yao stood up on the ice surface, and then, as if sensing something, she swung a single sword strike.
Nan You had never witnessed such a beautiful sword strike before. The intent of the Frost Sword merged with the cold Qi, and ice flowers sculpted from frost began to bloom. Yet those ice flowers carried a biting sword intent, mingling with water droplets to resemble a crystal-clear glacial river.
“Master, can stinky sword cultivators actually produce such a beautiful sword strike? Can water and ice combine like this?” Nan You truly felt her horizons had been broadened. She wanted to ask her master to confirm that it shouldn’t just be her lack of exposure from staying inside the sect all these years that made her find this so shocking.
A trace of wonder also flickered in Fu Yan’s eyes, “If your Senior Sister were willing to walk out of the sect, people across the entire world would gasp in amazement at this single sword.”
In her youth, Fu Yan had also traversed many places in the cultivation world and witnessed countless powerhouses. She had seen no shortage of individuals with top-tier water spiritual roots, and even more who practiced ice-attribute cultivation techniques.
Yet this sword strike was still worthy of astonishing every single sword cultivator.
Although Mu Yao had only broken through to the mid Earth Soul realm, the sword intent and comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth contained within this single strike were feats that even many cultivators with higher cultivation than her could not achieve.
Retracting her sword, Mu Yao reached out to catch an ice flower, then stepped across the ice surface. With each step she walked, clusters of flames were also released. Mu Yao was taking the opportunity to purge some of the lingering demonic fire within her body.
Walking slowly up to Fu Yan, she bowed respectfully to her, “Mu Yao expresses her heartfelt thanks to Uncle-Master.”
“No need for formalities. Your Master has already paid the reward,” Fu Yan laughed, then nodded with satisfaction. “Besides, your willingness to try can also be considered as having verified my hypothesis, so you naturally helped me a great deal.”
“Mu Yao is grateful to Master, but Uncle-Master is also deserving of thanks,” Mu Yao said with utmost solemnity.
Nan You scoffed quietly nearby, “I say, Senior Sister, how are you still so pedantic?”
Mu Yao straightened her posture once more and turned to face Nan You, “Since Junior Sister has put it that way, this Senior Sister will spare you the thanks, Junior Sister.”
Nan You choked slightly, her gaze drifting instead to the Cold Spring behind Mu Yao. At this moment, the ice surface had slowly melted back into spring water, and the demonic fire had already been extinguished by the waters of the Cold Spring.
“What realm is Senior Sister at now?” Nan You’s cultivation was inherently lower than Mu Yao’s, so she naturally could not see through Mu Yao’s cultivation level.
“Mid Earth Soul realm,” Mu Yao said softly.
“Not at the peak of the Earth Soul realm? Why is it so hard for me to believe that?” Nan You felt that the strength Mu Yao was currently displaying ought to be comparable to the Heavenly Soul realm.
If she hadn’t been mistaken just now, Senior Sister’s footwork seemed somewhat different from before.
“Wishing to break through to the Heavenly Soul realm requires comprehending the laws of space, not merely a growth in cultivation. How could it be that easy?” Fu Yan stated.
“Yet what your Senior Sister currently lacks appears to be precisely cultivation. Yaoyao’s comprehension is truly higher than yours.” Fu Yan had not expected that although Mu Yao had been unable to channel spiritual power all these years, by listening to flowers bloom, rain fall, snow descend, and living things stir, she had achieved such a profound comprehension of spatial laws.
Though her cultivation was currently merely at the mid Earth Soul realm, her actual strength should not lose to the early Heavenly Soul realm. It was simply that reshaping her physical body earlier had consumed too much of her spiritual power, preventing her from breaking through in a single bound.
“Had I forced a breakthrough just now, I likely could have reached the peak of the Earth Soul realm. However, I felt that such rapid advancement would leave the foundation unstable and easily lead to mishaps later on, so I dispersed much of the spiritual power. Still, it was not without gains, as that sword strike just now was the harvest,” Mu Yao replied softly.
“Senior Sister, say no more. If you continue, Junior Sister here is going to turn green with jealousy.” Nan You genuinely felt that Mu Yao speaking in this manner showed complete disregard for the well-being of ordinary people like them.
“This sword strike ought to be something you comprehended on your own. Have you thought of a name for it?” Fu Yan asked.
Mu Yao gently shook her head, “Not yet.”
“There is no rush. Think it over before deciding.” Fu Yan nodded, then stretched lazily. “Very well. Since you are temporarily fine, I, your Uncle-Master, should also go get some rest.”
“This disciple thanks Uncle-Master. If Uncle-Master has any use for this disciple in the future, just give the order.” Mu Yao bowed deeply once more in a traditional greeting.
Fu Yan waved her hand, “Future matters can be discussed in the future. Nan You, let’s go. Help your master organize and compile the treatment method. This is a monumental breakthrough that has never existed in the entire cultivation world. It will be recorded in history.”
“Master, you tell me. If we teach this method to others, will it allow our Tianqing Sect to see the light of day once again?”
“You will be hunted down until you die.” Fu Yan replied unceremoniously.
Nan You pursed her lips, “I refuse to believe it. One day, I will accomplish it.”
“Then cultivate properly.” Before leaving, Fu Yan casually stopped by Mu Yao’s peach blossom grove to pluck a few peaches.
Before leaving the Borrowing Snow Pavilion, Nan You whispered softly into Mu Yao’s ear, “Once you’re free, go check on the little Junior Sister. Every day, the little Junior Sister has been coming back to secretly inquire about how you, the Senior Sister, are doing.”
Hearing this, Mu Yao felt a slight flutter in the depths of her heart, as though that feeble heartbeat had been brushed by a spring breeze, growing vastly more vibrant and alive.
“Alright, thank you.”
Nan You chuckled lightly and departed.
Mu Yao slightly released her divine sense, and with a single probe, she saw that the little Junior Sister was inside the book pavilion, obediently practicing her calligraphy. That handwriting was already much better than when she had first started learning.