One of the worlds in the Upper Realm.
A woman wearing white robes with light blue laces was walking downstream along a frozen river behind her sect. She always did this to calm herself after cultivation.
She was one of the strongest women in this world, the sect master of one of the three ruling sects of this entire world, Xuan Xue.
She stood on the cusp of walking the Path of Dao, yet she had to choose one path to follow. Her cultivation technique was related to Ice, but she harbored another secret that no one knew.
Now, she was contemplating which Dao she should choose. She possessed a profound cultivation technique for the Dao of Ice, but if she chose that, she would be neglecting her inherent advantage.
If she chose a Dao related to her innate physique, then she had no cultivation technique for it, and cultivating without a proper technique would take far longer to break through even minor stages.
She was burdened by this decision, so she had decided to take a walk. There was still much time before she truly reached the breakthrough point, so she had plenty of time to ponder.
It would be better if she could find a cultivation technique related to her physique, but her hopes were faint. She had searched all these years, but it seemed there wasn't even a single technique related to it in this world, or even in nearby worlds.
Venturing into higher worlds was not possible, even for her. So, she had simply given up.
As she walked, her gaze fell upon a young boy lying naked on the snow-white frozen river. She was stunned for a moment before hastening toward him.
She could already tell the boy was still alive, but she truly could not fathom how he had arrived here.
Their sect was atop a frozen mountain. Even weak cultivators would not be able to climb it, much less a young boy who hadn't even started cultivation. It was easy for someone of her level to discern.
The boy looked to be around fourteen to fifteen years of age. She took out a pair of robes and covered his body, her cheeks turned slightly red in shame. No matter what, this was the first time she had seen a man naked. And although fourteen to fifteen might seem young, they were nearly fully developed.
Her sect was a purely female sect, their cultivation technique rooted in maidenhood. Even for important meetings with other sects, a separate branch had been built at the base of the mountain, as no males were allowed to even approach the main sect.
She looked at the boy, he did not appear well at all. She sighed and sat down, bringing out more robes and wrapping them around him carefully before picking him up in her arms.
She felt something strange stirring within. She couldn't clearly identify this feeling, but she was certain it had emerged the moment she picked up this boy.
She ignored it and immediately used her spirit qi to warm him. Though she cultivated an Ice-based technique, she could still use neutral spirit qi to warm someone.
Now, she was faced with a dilemma. She could take him to the base of the hill and let the elders nurse him before sending him on his way, or she could take him back to the main sect and personally nurse him.
In the end, she decided to bring him back with her. The reason was that strange feeling she was experiencing, she truly wished to understand it.
Upon her return to the area where only elders and the sect master were allowed, a woman who was also an elder stood there.
When she saw Xuan Xue carrying a boy, she was stunned.
"Xue'er, where did you find a boy... and why have you brought him here?"
Xuan Xue shook her head and replied.
"I was walking when I found him on the frozen river. As for why I brought him here? I cannot answer that right now... but know this, I simply felt I should take him in for the time being."
The elder had a stupefied look on her face.
"Oh well, what can he even do here? We can't allow him to become a disciple anyway."
"Do not worry about that. He will reside with me on my peak, it is empty anyway. Perhaps I will take him as my disciple."
The elder was shocked. The disciple of the sect master was a major matter, yet she always dropped such declarations so casually. Couldn't she act normally for once?
When Xuan Xue saw her stunned face, she spoke again.
"Lian'er, spare me the lecture for now. I must tend to him first."
Xuan Lian returned to her senses and looked at the boy. He appeared unconscious, and his condition truly seemed dire.
"Fine. It's not as though I oppose it, it's just that our ancestral rules forbid bringing males here... but you never follow the rules anyway, so I suppose it's fine. Let's go. I truly want to see why you're so eager to take him as your disciple."
Xuan Xue nodded, and they arrived at her peak, which held only a single building. They entered and placed the young boy upon the bed.
Xuan Xue took out a Blood Ginseng and immediately refined it into a medicinal soup.
She softly fed it to the young boy, ensuring he could consume it properly.
"Not going to lie, he does look quite handsome," Xuan Lian remarked, gazing at the boy's face.
Xuan Xue looked at her strangely, and Yue Lian shrugged.
"What? I'm just stating the truth. Is he not handsome?"
Xuan Xue shook her head slightly and waited for the young boy to awaken.
"Anyway, go and inform the others."
"Fine…" Xuan Lian left.
---
'Lin Feng… Lin Feng… Lin Feng…'
"Ughh… Ahhh… huff… huff… where am I...?"
The young boy awoke and looked around. His gaze immediately landed upon the woman sitting nearby.
Lin Feng was stunned to his core, too beautiful. He lost all thoughts, utterly mesmerized.
A picturesque face, skin as fair as snow, a small delicate nose, mesmerizing black eyes, long silky black hair, her body so perfect... Damn, he restrained himself and turned his eyes away.
Xuan Xue frowned slightly but didn't dwell on it. This was a natural reaction for anyone seeing her for the first time. Even women weren't immune at times.
"Good morning. What is your name?" she asked softly.
The young boy was stunned by the question. He tried to think but could not remember anything. It was as though he had not existed before this moment.
As he pondered what to say, one name surfaced, Lin Feng.
"I'm not sure… I don't remember anything. Just before I woke, I heard the name Lin Feng… so perhaps that is my name."
He spoke honestly. He didn't know what had happened, but from the current situation, it seemed he had been saved by this woman. As long as he could answer, he would.
Xuan Xue was surprised, it meant he had lost his memories. He wasn't lying either, she could easily read his heart.
She sighed inwardly. It seemed he truly had no place to return to. Now, she decided to take him as a disciple in earnest.
"It's alright, eventually you might remember everything someday, We are right now in Frozen Heart Sect, you can stay here for time being but on one condition... you have to become my disciple"
Lin Feng was surprised, he understood words like disciple, sects clearly. Its like his memory is there but he just can't access it.
As for taking her as a master, he was more than willing to oblige, she had saved him...and he will return the favour multiple fold, and multiple fold of his life is unimaginable.
He immediately want stand but Xuan Xue spoke.
"Do not stand...wear this first" she threw him male robes which she had one of the elders to bring.
When Lin Feng caught the robes he looked himself, he was naked inside the blanket. His face heated up a little.
"Cough...of course"
Xuan Xue wanted to smile but she controlled her self and left the room.
Lin Feng immediately wore the black robes, it was little loose but it wasn't an issue, it seems like he prefers little loose clothes.
"Master I am done" although he still haven't offered the tea and completed the ceremony, he already considered her his master.
Xuan Xue entered and nodded while looking at him. She took out a teapot along with all necessary things for him to brew the tea.
Lin Feng immediately went to the task of preparing the tea, in few minutes he was done and brought the tea into a ceremonial cup in front of Xuan Xue.
He offered her the tea and Kowtowed, while waiting her for to drink.
Xuan Xue drank it, signifying the acceptance of him as disciple.
"Very Well from now on you are my first disciple, maybe the only one too, as I am not keen on taking disciples."
She was speaking truth, she had only taken him as disciple because of the strange feeling, which she still didn't know the origin of yet.