The council hall was still trembling with whispers of awe from Haotian's talk of the Frost Bath House when he shifted the subject with a calm breath.
"As for the last treasure…" he said, drawing out three glimmering crystalline eggs from his spatial ring, placing them gently before the elders. The shells gleamed with faint frost runes that shimmered in the lantern light. "…the Frost Falcons."
Gasps filled the chamber.
"Frost Falcons—sky predators of the north!"
"They are thought extinct!"
"To see three eggs intact—this alone could bring sects to war!"
Haotian studied the eggs in silence for a moment, his face unusually thoughtful.
"I admit… I am unsure how to handle them. But I ask that I be allowed to keep one for myself, to raise as a companion."
The elders murmured uneasily, but before they could protest, Haotian continued.
"This is not a whim. In the past, I had two pets—Moonfang Tigers. A mother and her cub."
The chamber rippled again—elders leaned forward, their eyes narrowing."Moonfang Tigers?" one elder said, almost incredulous. "The apex of the southern forests, renowned for their ferocity?"
"We have heard tales," another murmured, "but to tame them is already a feat bordering on madness."
Haotian's expression did not shift. His voice remained calm, steady, almost casual.
"They were not merely tamed. I crafted pills to enhance their strength. And in time… I evolved them."
The chamber exploded with voices.
"Evolved them?!"
"Impossible—such things belong only to ancient myths!"
"Tigers evolving… nonsense!"
Haotian lifted his hand, silencing the storm of disbelief.
"Their evolution allowed them to sprout wings. To take to the skies."
The elders froze, their faces a mixture of shock and utter denial.
One slammed her palm on the table, standing with wide eyes."Moonfang Tigers… evolving wings? Haotian, are you mocking us?"
For the first time, Haotian's smile faded. His eyes sharpened, and his voice carried the weight of iron.
"No. I speak the truth."
And then, to the horror of all watching, he pressed his palm against his chest and intoned:
"I swear to my inner demons—if what I say is false, I will die in my next breakthrough attempt."
The room fell into absolute silence.
Elders trembled. Some visibly paled. Even Yin Xue, calm as winter steel, drew in a slow, measured breath. An oath to one's inner demons was not spoken lightly. It was binding. Eternal. To break it meant destruction.
"He… swore," one elder whispered, voice shaking.
"He dares bind his life to his words… he is not lying."
All eyes turned back to him. Haotian had already resumed his faint smile, calm and unshaken.
Sect Master Yinxue finally spoke, her voice low but unyielding.
"Then, Haotian… you will hatch and train these Frost Falcons. Not merely for yourself—but for the Moon Lotus Sect. And if it is truly possible…" Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a flicker of something dangerous glinting within."…you will evolve them as you did the tigers."
A ripple of stunned silence spread again. Elders exchanged glances, but none dared to interrupt.
Haotian bowed slightly, his expression steady.
"As the Sect Master commands."
The moment Sect Master Yinxue gave her command for Haotian to train the Frost Falcons, the chamber erupted again.
"This is madness! The Frost Lotus Tree must take precedence!""No—if we delay the bath house, we lose momentum. The disciples' growth must be accelerated at once!""And what of the falcons? If they are hatched and imprinted without care, we will squander a once-in-a-lifetime treasure!"
Voices clashed like weapons, the elders nearly shouting over one another. Some pounded their hands against the table, others rose to their feet with flushed cheeks, the council chamber threatening to descend into chaos.
Sect Master Yinxue sat in silence, her cold gaze sweeping across the room but not intervening. She wanted to see how Haotian would answer.
Haotian, however, remained calm amidst the storm. He allowed their voices to rage for a moment before raising a hand. His voice, steady and commanding, cut through the din.
"Then let us not fight over shadows. The order is simple: first, the Frost Lotus Tree."
The arguing stopped abruptly, every eye snapping toward him.
Haotian continued, his tone resolute."The tree is the anchor. It will feed the Frost Vein and the Source Crystal, and in time even the falcons themselves may draw strength from it. Without the tree, all other projects weaken. It must be planted first."
Some elders nodded reluctantly, muttering agreement. Others crossed their arms but did not speak.
Haotian's gaze swept across them before he pressed on."Second, the bath house. Once the tree is stable and its formations are complete, the Frost Vein will naturally connect to the Source Crystal. With the right construction, the bath house will begin benefiting disciples within weeks. That cannot be delayed."
"And the falcons?" one elder asked sharply, her brows furrowed."Are we to neglect them? To leave their eggs to cool?"
Haotian's expression softened slightly."The falcons… will depend on timing. If they hatch before the bath house is complete, then yes, my attention must be divided. I will tend to their early development while the elders and disciples continue the construction."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the room.
"So… the falcons will share his time with the bath house?""Risky—yet perhaps inevitable.""But it could mean both foundations are secured at once…"
Haotian nodded faintly."If they do not hatch yet, then my focus will remain on the tree and the bath house. When the time comes, the falcons will be cared for without compromising the sect's greater strength."
The elders quieted, exchanging uneasy but thoughtful looks. For the first time in the meeting, no one argued.
Finally, Yinxue spoke. Her eyes never left Haotian, her voice like a blade sliding from its sheath."So. The tree, then the bath house. And if the falcons demand your hand, you will carry both weights at once."
Haotian bowed slightly, his smile calm."Yes. That is the path forward."
Yinxue leaned back, her gaze narrowing."Very well. Then let it be so."
The decision hung in the air, final and binding. Yet beneath it, murmurs still stirred—of awe, of doubt, of anticipation.
The central courtyard of the Moon Lotus Sect had been cleared, the snow swept aside until the stone floor glistened in the pale light. Dozens of disciples lined the edges, whispering nervously, while elders stood behind them with folded arms. Even Sect Master Yin Xue was present, her gaze steady, watching every motion of the man at the center.
Haotian walked slowly into the courtyard, carrying with him a treasure that radiated an aura of frozen majesty—the Frost Lotus Tree. Its trunk shimmered faintly, as though coated in frost-crystal, its lotus-shaped leaves curled inward as if still dormant.
With careful reverence, Haotian placed the tree directly at the center of a prepared chi-gathering array he had inscribed earlier. The moment its roots touched the ground, the courtyard trembled. The tree stirred as if conscious. Thin tendrils of root dug into the earth with unnatural speed, drinking deeply of the qi gathered beneath.
"Look! The leaves—" one disciple whispered.
The Frost Lotus Tree came alive before their eyes. Its leaves unfurled with a faint shiver, glowing brighter, the veins within them pulsing like rivers of ice-blue light. The bark shimmered with runic frost patterns, and a cold aura spread outward like rippling waves, coating the air with purity. The air grew crisp, sharp, invigorating. Frost qi began to pulse in rhythm with the tree's breath.
Haotian stepped back, his expression calm, but his eyes of the universe glimmered as he peered deeper. He traced the roots with his inner vision, watching as they spread evenly, firmly, perfectly—no corruption, no imbalance. Satisfied, he nodded once.
Then, he turned to the empty rings he had etched into the courtyard floor. Without hesitation, his hands blurred into a storm of seals. The motions were fluid, precise, each strike of his fingers birthing runes of glowing light that sank into the courtyard stones. The disciples gasped as intricate lines spread like veins of light, filling the outer rings with sigils of power.
Finally, with a deep breath, Haotian stomped his right foot onto the ground.
Boom!
The courtyard shook as the trigger activated. The first formation—a chi-gathering array—flared to life, feeding into the Frost Lotus Tree. Instantly, the burden of maintaining it eased from Haotian's shoulders as the array sustained itself, pulling qi endlessly from the heavens and earth.
Without pause, Haotian advanced. Layer by layer, formation after formation, he carved the air with his seals and anchored them into the earth. The second chi-gathering formation to feed the array itself. A concealing formation, cloaking the Frost Lotus Tree in the image of a simple courtyard tree. Twin defensive arrays, their power dense enough to resist the full might of a Soul Transformation cultivator's strike.
The crowd of disciples stared, stunned."He's creating… all of these at once?""Eleven layers… not even the greatest formation masters could—"
Their whispers faltered as Haotian pressed on, his movements unwavering. Killing arrays, illusion arrays, each one igniting with a sound like thunder rolling through the mountains. One by one, the courtyard lit up with complex geometries of light, runes spinning and fusing into the earth as though the sect itself was being rewritten.
And then, finally, Haotian stood before the center once more. He brought his palms together, channeled his chi, and pressed both hands down into the earth.
The final formation—the eleventh—awoke.
With a roar like shattering glass, the Frost Lotus Tree pulsed, and its frost chi aura dispersed through every corner of the sect. The air itself transformed; yin qi flooded every chamber, every training ground, every courtyard, soft yet pure, suffusing the sect with the same effect as if each disciple were seated beneath the tree itself.
All across the sect, disciples gasped in astonishment as their cultivation surged. Impurities within their meridians burned away in cold clarity, and their qi flowed sharper, cleaner.
The courtyard fell silent. Every elder, every disciple, even Yinxue herself—stood frozen in awe.
Haotian straightened, wiping a faint trace of blood from his lips. He exhaled deeply, his voice calm and matter-of-fact, as though nothing extraordinary had happened."The Frost Lotus Tree is secure. From this moment, every disciple of the Moon Lotus Sect will cultivate as though seated in its presence."
The silence lasted only a heartbeat before it shattered into cries of disbelief and wonder.
"Impossible…""He really did it…""An eleven-fold formation… with his own two hands…"
Sect Master Yinxue's gaze lingered on him, her expression unreadable. For the first time in decades, her composure faltered, the faintest flicker of awe flashing in her eyes.
Haotian turned his head slightly and offered her a faint smile."Shall we proceed to the next stage?"
The pulse of the Frost Lotus Tree's awakening swept across the Moon Lotus Sect like a silent tidal wave. Every chamber, every courtyard, every secluded training spot was touched by the same force: a rush of cold, pure qi, threaded with crystalline clarity.
Disciples who had been meditating suddenly gasped, their eyes flying open as their meridians flushed clean. Pills they had struggled to refine now dissolved effortlessly into their cores. A few cried out in shock as long-stagnant bottlenecks shattered without warning, their realms advancing a step in a single breath.
From the medicinal gardens to the martial pavilions, voices rose in disbelief."What is this aura?""My impurities… they're being purged!""I can't believe it—this qi, it's like the heavens themselves descended!"
A group of junior disciples sprinted through the courtyards, clutching their robes, too exhilarated to contain themselves."It's Senior Brother Haotian! He's done something again!""Of course it's him—who else could shake the entire sect like this?!""Haotian… Haotian…" His name spread like wildfire on their lips, swelling into a chant that echoed faintly through the sect grounds.
On the far edge of the courtyard, standing half in shadow beneath a withered plum tree, Shuyue lingered. Her veil was drawn, her figure still and silent. She had avoided joining the inner crowd, her instincts compelling her to remain unseen. And yet, even from here, she could not escape the brilliance before her.
The Frost Lotus Tree glowed at the center of the sect like a beacon of icy jade. Its leaves shimmered with a light that bathed the courtyard in silver-blue, and its aura spilled outward in gentle waves, embracing every disciple like the calmest of rivers.
Shuyue felt it.
The change was undeniable. Her meridians trembled faintly, the ambient chi pouring into her body unbidden, purifying her own yin physique in ways that left her unsettled. For the first time in years, she sensed the faint tug of emotions beneath her sealed heart—like cracks forming in a frozen lake.
Her eyes widened, a faint tremor of awe breaking through her usual composure. This power… he created this?
When Haotian completed the final hand seal, and the last of the eleven formations locked into place, Shuyue felt it as though the heavens themselves had sighed. The malignant frost that had plagued the sect since his absence dissipated instantly, replaced with a clarity so pure she could taste it in the air.
Disciples around her cheered and cried openly, some even kneeling in gratitude toward the glowing tree. But Shuyue remained still, her fingers curling faintly at her sides.
How much more will he overturn? she thought. Her heart clenched once—just once—before she forced the seal of her cultivation back into place.
She lowered her gaze, concealing her reaction, and silently turned to leave the courtyard.
Behind her, the chants of Haotian's name only grew louder.
The council had dispersed, but the elders' hushed arguments lingered like smoke. Haotian ignored it all. At dawn, he stood at the northern edge of the sect where untouched snow stretched like a blank canvas. His spear was slung across his back—not as a weapon, but as a tool for shaping destiny.
Beneath his feet, the Frost Vein slumbered: a river of yin essence winding through the earth. At its heart pulsed the Source Crystal, the most concentrated knot of frost qi in the entire mountain range.
"This will be the sanctuary," Haotian murmured, placing his palm against the frozen ground. "A bath that purifies body and spirit."
The Eyes of the Universe lit, and veins of light spread under his gaze, showing the natural ley-lines. He mapped them silently, then set to work.
Hand seals blurred, faster than mortal eyes could follow. Silver runes flared, sinking into the ground. The first formation snapped into place—a Stabilization Formation to anchor the vein. Next, a Channeling Formation to draw qi upward into designed pathways. Layer upon layer followed: stabilizing, directing, refining.
At noon, with a thunderous stomp, Haotian cracked the earth. The ground split into a perfect circular basin, wide enough to hold hundreds of disciples. The fissures glowed with formation lines, their radiance filling the air with shimmering frost.
Gasps rose from watching disciples."A bath?" one whispered."No… it feels different. Look at the qi—it's flowing like a spirit river!"
Haotian ignored the whispers and drew out the Source Crystal. The moment it appeared, yin essence gushed outward like a storm tide. Disciples stumbled back, their breath frosting in their lungs. Haotian planted the crystal in the center of the basin, and immediately the formations activated.
The vein's energy surged upward, filling the basin with liquid light. Cold water shimmered into existence, glowing like melted jade. A sacred mist rolled outward, caressing skin and bone, leaving disciples trembling with excitement.
But Haotian wasn't finished.
Kneeling, he struck a final set of seals into the ground. A new ring of runes spread, linking the basin to the Frost Lotus Tree far away in the central courtyard."This will be the Frost Chi Gathering Formation," Haotian said to himself. "It will resupply the vein whenever its essence is drawn, drawing on the tree's aura to sustain the cycle. Endless growth—never depletion."
The runes pulsed once, and he felt the resonance: frost chi trickling through unseen veins, linking tree to crystal, tree to water, water to disciples. A perfect cycle of nourishment.
Only when the last seal dimmed did Haotian straighten, exhaling in relief."The foundation is complete. With the right solution, this will not only temper their bodies but cleanse their spirits for decades."
The disciples behind him stared, frozen between awe and disbelief. The basin before them rippled with cold light, the air carrying a purity that rivaled the heavens.
"This isn't a bath," one whispered reverently.Another nodded, voice shaking. "This is… an immortal spring."
The basin had been completed, its crystal waters shimmering like liquid jade. Disciples still whispered in reverence at the miracle Haotian carved from earth and frost. But for him, this was only the foundation. A body was nothing without spirit; cultivation required balance.
He returned to the alchemy hall that night, his robes carrying the faint mist of the frost basin. The room was quiet, empty save for the gleaming cauldron at its center. From his spatial ring, he withdrew bundle after bundle of herbs gathered from the north—roots and leaves glowing with faint frost light, blossoms shimmering with crystalline dew.
Each one was rare, some even unique to that frozen land. And he had gathered over three thousand.
Haotian's eyes of the universe narrowed, scanning them, weaving calculations with every glance.To temper the body through skin, to nourish the spirit through qi absorption… they must not clash. The yin must be harmonized, or the water will freeze their meridians instead of strengthening them.
He laid out the first ingredients: a stalk of Frost Dew Orchid, a root of Cold Sun Grass, and slivers of Snowleaf Vine. They were ground into powder with a flick of his finger, then cast into the cauldron.
A soft glow bloomed.
Next, he added a sprig of Iceheart Flower, its petals radiating a biting chill. The cauldron hissed, frost spreading over its rim. Haotian responded by flicking two spirit flames into the mixture, carefully balancing the temperature until the reaction stilled.
He worked swiftly but never rushed. Each herb was paired, counterbalanced, refined. Sometimes sparks flew from the cauldron, other times mist poured like storm clouds. His hands moved without hesitation—measured, precise, as though he had walked this path a thousand times in his mind.
Hours passed. Outside, the sect slumbered.
At last, he drew out a vial of liquid essence, concentrated from the Frost Lotus Tree's aura itself. He uncorked it, and the chamber filled with a pure fragrance—sharp, clean, invigorating.
"This will be the core," he murmured. "The bridge between tree, crystal, and body."
He let a single drop fall. Woom!
The cauldron roared, runes flaring along its surface. A column of silver-blue light shot upward, piercing the roof and vanishing into the night sky. The disciples sleeping in the sect stirred, whispering as the qi shift touched their dreams.
Haotian's expression remained calm, though sweat traced his brow. He held the cauldron with both hands, steadying it, suppressing the wild surge. Then, slowly, the light receded.
Inside, the once-clear water had transformed into a thick, luminous solution. It glowed like moonlight captured in liquid form. The scent was intoxicating—cold yet oddly warming, carrying a promise of renewal.
Haotian dipped a finger in, tasting a trace. His body shivered violently, but then a warm current spread through his meridians, smoothing them like silk. The pain of his strained channels eased instantly.
A faint smile touched his lips."It works."
He sealed the solution into a series of jade vials, carefully storing them in a frost-lined chest."This first batch will be enough to test the effect on a small group. If it succeeds, the entire sect will rise together."
For a moment, he stood in the silence of the alchemy hall, the faint glow of the vials casting silver light across his features. His smile deepened.
The Moon Lotus Sect will never be the same again.