At the summit of the Seven Spirits Academy, a woman floated high above the clouds.
Her face was grim, her teeth biting hard on her lips as she endured the burning sensation spreading through her entire body.
"Damn you, Su Qingmei!"
Yue Xinyan shouted with all her strength. Moments ago, on the Emperor Dao Battlefield, she had accidentally inhaled the fragrance of a fox.
"I need to isolate myself," she muttered, deciding to enter seclusion until the effect passed.
But before she could vanish using the Void Steps, she sensed a strong yang energy rising from below. Channeling qi into her eyes, her vision expanded, piercing through the clouds until she saw the outer grounds of the academy, surrounded by trees. There, a young man caught her gaze—and made her eyes tremble.
"A-a supreme body…" she stammered in shock. For someone who had lived for centuries, this was a rarity. In fact, she could not remember the last time she had widened her eyes in such disbelief.
"If I can obtain that young man's essence, I can neutralize this fragrance… perhaps even use it to enhance my cultivation realm."
Her eyes glimmered with dangerous intent, the pain in her veins slowly twisting into anticipation.
For cultivators beyond a certain level, progress was exceedingly difficult. The reason she was poisoned in the first place was that she had clashed with Su Qingmei over a sacred medicine—and the fox had won by using underhanded tricks.
"But I should thank her… I've found an even greater treasure."
Smirking softly, Yue Xinyan invoked the Void Steps, distorting time and space as she vanished.
....
Two hours earlier.
Under a scorching sun that radiated unbearable heat, Xie Yun gripped a leather-wrapped dagger with a seventy-five-centimeter black blade.
Fixing his gaze on one of the surrounding trees, he performed the River Current Sword Art, causing the blade to gleam with a blue, liquid-like sheen. Then, he unleashed the sword energy—a blur of blue light that shot forward.
Slash!
The strike easily sliced through the bark but lost momentum as it pierced the core, dispersing completely as its energy faded.
From afar, Xie Yun exhaled a disappointed sigh. He was far too weak.
Shaking his head in dismay, he resumed his training.
Twenty minutes later, he could no longer hold his sword. His forearm had gone numb, sweat drenched his body, and his tongue lolled out from exhaustion.
He had reached his limit.
Constantly using Sword Qi was exhausting and drained his reserves quickly—and for Xie Yun, those reserves were minimal.
So far, he had only cultivated four cyclones, placing him at the Fourth Level of Qi Condensation—the very first stage of spiritual cultivation.
"Hmmm…"
Adjusting his labored breathing, he sat cross-legged and began replenishing his Qi.
Above him, a small cloud formed, releasing drops of blue rain.
This was his cultivation method: the Sea Spirit Technique, divided into five parts. But Xie Yun only possessed the first, being a novice disciple.
The first part, called "Rain Absorption," allowed him to absorb Qi droplets that fell from the cloud he created.
At his level, he could absorb one drop per minute.
After an hour and forty minutes, he had restored a single cyclone, gathering one hundred drops of Qi. Sighing through his mouth, he gave up the practice and stood up.
"It seems I'm destined to be ordinary in this life."
He accepted it with a heavy heart. It had always been his dream to reach the martial peak—but he had already given up, defeated by his terrible talent.
"Life doesn't always go the way we wish."
He gripped the sword hilt tightly, refusing to accept such a philosophy. Yet in the end, he had no choice. Taking a deep breath, he began walking back toward his cave.
"Do you truly believe that? To me, life only turns out that way when we accept mediocrity. If one fights for glory with an unyielding will, even the limits of destiny can be shattered."
"True—"
Xie Yun, replying on instinct to the sudden voice, froze mid-sentence. He blinked several times.
"Who's there?"
Turning around, he saw a stunning woman—her long white hair cascading like snow, framing her cheeks and curling gently at the back. Her face was flawless, like a perfectly carved jade sculpture, and her blue eyes shimmered like crystalline ice, reflecting his own figure.
Staring at the fairy-like woman, he couldn't help but admire her—not with lustful thoughts, but with the pure appreciation of an artist gazing upon a masterpiece.
After ten seconds of silent awe, he clasped his hands respectfully.
"Senior is right. But not everyone can break their limits. Some things are fated from birth."
He voiced his belief, watching as the woman shook her head in disagreement.
"That may be true… but if you were given a chance to go beyond the ordinary, would you take it?"
Hearing her words, Xie Yun touched his chin thoughtfully. After a brief pause, he replied honestly:
"Yes, I would."
Upon hearing his answer, the woman's lips curved into a faint smile—though, if one looked closely, they trembled now and then, as if she were suppressing pain.
It was true.
This beautiful fairy was Yue Xinyan, the same woman who had descended from the skies moments earlier.
"I shall offer you a chance to transcend your limits and become a powerful cultivator! But in return, I'll need something from you each day. Do you accept?"
Her voice was alluring, her offer tempting.
She wasn't lying—she truly had a method that perfectly suited his supreme body. But she would never teach it without gain. Her mind was set on long-term profit. If the boy accepted, he would soar to the heavens. If he refused… she had other methods in mind. There was no way a naive youth could escape her grasp.
Unaware of the terrifying thoughts behind her calm smile, Xie Yun looked at her intently, trying to see through her. But all he could sense was that she was powerful.
He felt that even a single finger from her could crush him into pulp. Swallowing hard, he hesitated—then made his choice.
"What favor would I owe the fairy? Could she tell me now? And why me? I'm nothing special."
Yue Xinyan didn't answer immediately; instead, she let out a soft laugh.
"Well… what I want is your yang essence. As for why I chose you—it's because you are special. Want to know why?"
She lowered her voice and stepped close to Xie Yun, whispering in his ear:
"If you accept my offer… I'll tell you what makes you special."