Into The Sea

The sky was clear and blue, without a single cloud in sight. On Qiuxian Platform, about thirty new disciples were scattered around, practicing their newly learned sword-flying techniques.

Ji Lingyue wore a serious expression as she focused, her fingertips emitting a faint glow of spiritual energy, skillfully controlling her sword to hover steadily in the air. Qin Yu gave her an approving glance but frowned as he turned to look at Lan Wu beside her.

Lan Wu formed hand seals, chanted a spell, then pointed her finger towards the sword lying on the ground. “Rise!” she commanded.

However, despite her eager anticipation, the black sword remained motionless, showing no signs of cooperation.

Lan Wu was speechless.

Qin Yu remarked, “You’re not channeling any spiritual energy at all. Have you not reached Foundation Establishment yet?”

Lan Wu mumbled, “Actually, no, not yet.”

“How is that possible?” Qin Yu frowned, taking a few steps closer. He reached out and pressed two fingers against her forehead. Lan Wu flinched, not daring to move a muscle. After a nerve-wracking moment, she met Qin Yu’s suspicious gaze. “Your spiritual roots are unobstructed. The only reason you haven’t reached Foundation Establishment is because you haven’t been diligent in your cultivation.”

His tone became stern. “On the path of cultivation, except for a rare few geniuses, steady progress comes only through hard work and perseverance. Though I don’t know how you’ve managed to be so lazy, you must train more diligently from now on.”

Feeling wronged but unable to explain the real reason, Lan Wu lowered her head and listened to the reprimand, feeling quite unhappy.

Seeing her dejected expression, Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but interject, “Master, Lan Wu hasn’t been slacking off…”

“How would you know? Are you with her every day and night?”

Ji Lingyue faltered. “N-No, not really,” she mumbled.

“Then don’t speak on her behalf. If you truly consider her a friend, you should encourage her to work harder.” Qin Yu said indifferently, “After all, even among cultivators, there are differences in lifespans.”

Ji Lingyue’s heart sank. She fell silent, watching as he turned and left.

After a moment, she looked at Lan Wu and hesitated. “Master… has a point.”

“But I haven’t been slacking off!” Lan Wu said dejectedly. “Forget it. If I can’t reach Foundation Establishment, I can’t. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”

“Don’t say that.” Ji Lingyue was worried. Just as she was about to offer more words of comfort, a mocking voice interrupted them. “At least you know your limits.”

Ji Lingyue’s brows snapped together. She whirled around, her voice sharp with annoyance. “Qing Zibai, what did you just say?”

Qing Zibai snorted dismissively, but upon meeting Ji Lingyue’s gaze, his expression softened into a smile as he changed the subject. “No need to get upset. My family recently sent me some celestial lotus from the summit of the Tian Mountain. It’s excellent for brewing tea. If you’d like, I can give you some.”

Lan Wu was speechless.

Lan Wu couldn’t believe the sudden change in his demeanor. How could someone switch attitudes so quickly? He had been so hostile when they first met, yet now he was fawning over Ji Lingyue, even enduring her coldness. Over a month had passed, and he still hadn’t given up.

The more Lan Wu watched, the more irritated she became. She spun around and stalked off.

“Lan Wu, where are you going?” Ji Lingyue called out, surprised.

“Skipping class!” Lan Wu huffed angrily.

“If Master finds out, you’ll have to copy the Heart Cleansing Scripture again!”

“Then I’ll copy it!” Lan Wu retorted, storming off.

Seeing her walk away, Ji Lingyue’s lips twitched. “But… I’m always the one who helps you copy it…” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Qing Zibai asked.

Ji Lingyue stiffened, turning to glare at him. “Go away,” she snapped.

Meanwhile, Lan Wu was storming down the mountain path when she was suddenly stopped.

“M-Master…” she said nervously, “Weren’t you supposed to be away from the mountain.”

“I was,” Ye Qingjun replied, her tone light. “But then I received a message from Elder Qin saying you’re not applying yourself and need proper guidance.”

Lan Wu couldn’t help but grumble, “Elder Qin is such an adult, why is he still tattling?”

Ye Qingjun was silent for a moment before breaking into a smile. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

She patted Lan Wu’s head. “However, your lack of progress is indeed concerning. So I came back to take you to see Elder Yao.”

Lan Wu was horrified but couldn’t escape. She was dragged back to the back mountain of Qianyun Peak, feeling hopeless as Elder Yao examined her. Noticing her apprehension, Ye Qingjun assumed it was due to Elder Yao’s stern demeanor and offered comforting words. “Don’t worry, she always looks like this when treating patients. She’s just very shy and gets nervous around people. It doesn’t mean you have some terrible illness…”

Elder Yao suddenly interjected, “That may not be the case.”

Ye Qingjun was taken aback and turned to ask, “What do you mean? Is there something seriously wrong with my disciple?”

Elder Yao paused for a moment before replying, “Her danxin is incomplete.”

Ye Qingjun blinked, her gaze shifting to Lan Wu in surprise. Lan Wu, feeling increasingly uneasy under their scrutiny, couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

“An incomplete danxin is extremely rare, occurring in perhaps one out of tens of thousands of cultivators,” Ye Qingjun explained. “For those with spiritual roots, before forming a spiritual core, there’s a colorless danxin in the dantian. As they draw in spiritual energy, the danxin absorbs it to gradually form the spiritual core.”

“But you… you don’t have a danxin in your dantian.”

Lan Wu was speechless.

Well, she wasn’t exactly human. She had a mermaid pearl residing in her spiritual sea. But if they believed it was an incomplete danxin, it could be a convenient excuse.

Lan Wu breathed a sigh of relief. “Does that mean I can’t cultivate?”

“Not necessarily.” Ye Qingjun patted her head gently. “A danxin… it can be remedied with medicine. It’ll just be a bit more troublesome, that’s all.”

As they left Elder Yao’s courtyard, they noticed a girl standing outside. Hearing their footsteps, Ji Lingyue turned around, quickly looking Lan Wu up and down before respectfully greeting. “Elder Ye.”

Ye Qingjun chuckled. “I know you. You’re Lan Wu’s good friend. Are you here to see her?”

Ji Lingyue nodded, then hesitantly asked, “Is Lan Wu sick?”

Lan Wu quickly interjected, “No…”

“She is,” Ye Qingjun interrupted.

Ji Lingyue’s expression turned serious. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Incomplete danxin,” Ye Qingjun said, immediately selling her out. She then proceeded to explain the condition in detail. Ji Lingyue’s face grew graver with each word. “What medicine does she need?” she finally asked.

Ye Qingjun tilted her head, studying Ji Lingyue for a moment before looking at Lan Wu’s expressionless face. With a smile, she handed the list of herbs from the Elder Yao to Ji Lingyue. “Perfect timing. You can help search for these.”

“King’s Branch, Snow Mountain Ginseng…” Ji Lingyue’s eyes widened as she scanned the list. “Aren’t these all incredibly rare spiritual herbs?”

“Indeed,” Ye Qingjun said softly. “That’s why it’s going to be a troublesome process. Do you understand?”

Ji Lingyue was silent for a moment before carefully putting away the list. “I understand.”

***

Time flew by, and soon, the New Year was approaching. Although joining the immortal sect meant leaving the mortal realm behind, many disciples still took leave to visit home, including Yu Shanye.

Before leaving, she excitedly told Lan Wu she would bring back her family’s special dried fish. Lan Wu didn’t even have a chance to decline before Yu Shanye dashed off, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. Watching her wobbling figure, Lan Wu worried she might accidentally fall off her sword.

For the next few days, Lan Wu was alone in Jianzhi Courtyard. On New Year’s Eve morning, she woke up to find it had snowed overnight. Looking out the window, she saw everything draped in a blanket of snow, transforming the usually bustling mountain paths into deserted white trails. Feeling bored, she grabbed a broom and swept the courtyard.

After a while, she leaned on the broom, gazing toward the Leng Peak in the far north.

Ah Yue is still up there.

It all started half a month ago. Ji Lingyue had come to find Lan Wu for class, only to witness someone mocking and pushing her. Her face immediately turned icy, rushed over, and kicked the person down, breaking both their arms without hesitation. If Lan Wu and Yu Shanye hadn’t reacted quickly—one grabbing her waist and the other her legs—she might have broken their legs too.

For seriously injuring a fellow disciple, Ji Lingyue was sentenced to three months of self-reflection on Leng Peak. She hadn’t come down since.

After a moment of contemplation, Lan Wu secured the courtyard gate and headed down the mountain to the small town below. She purchased some food and packed it into her storage bag.

Bundled up in warm clothes, she braved the wind and snow, making her way towards Leng Peak. By the time she reached the foot of the mountain, she was breathless and exhausted. Lan Wu looked up bitterly at the peak that seemed to touch the clouds, sighed deeply, and resigned herself to the climb.

Leng Peak was perpetually battered by harsh, biting winds, its climate even harsher than Jinling Peak. Since it was a place for disciplining disciples, the rooms were even equipped with formations that suppressed spiritual power, making it impossible to ward off the cold.

Ji Lingyue spent her days copying scriptures, practicing her swordsmanship when she got too cold, and then returning to copying scriptures once she warmed up. This cycle continued until nightfall, leaving her cold, hungry, and with hands so numb she could barely hold a brush.

At that moment, a faint sound reached her ears—footsteps crunching on the snow outside. As she turned towards the noise, the door to the small hut creaked open, and a snow-covered figure stumbled in.

In the flickering candlelight, Ji Lingyue recognized the snow-dusted, red-cheeked face. She rushed over to help her up, feeling that Lan Wu was as cold as ice.

“What… what are you doing here?”

Lan Wu struggled to her feet, her words coming out in ragged breaths. “It’s… New Year’s Eve… Everyone else… went home… It’s bad enough you can’t celebrate… and you’re stuck in this awful place… because of me… Of course I had to come…”

Ji Lingyue paused in brushing the snow off Lan Wu’s eyebrows, her eyes wide with surprise. “But… you can’t channel spiritual energy here…”

“So what?” Lan Wu tilted her chin up nonchalantly. “It only took me an afternoon to climb up. It’s shorter than the journey we took to become disciples.”

Ji Lingyue felt a lump forming in her throat. She pulled Lan Wu to sit on her hard bed and held her icy hands to warm them.

Lan Wu felt a bit embarrassed. Once her hands regained feeling, she eagerly pulled out the sweet dumplings and pastries she had bought. Unfortunately, the dumplings had gotten cold in the wind and snow, and they didn’t look as nice as when they were freshly made.

She sighed in regret and was about to put them away, but Ji Lingyue grabbed them first, took a spoonful, and smiled at her with bright eyes. “They’re sweet.”

Lan Wu smiled too, but she still took the dumplings back. “Don’t eat those, they’re cold. Try these instead. The butter cake is still crispy and delicious, and the red bean cake is really good too. You’ll love them.”

Ji Lingyue obediently took a bite of everything Lan Wu offered, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel’s. Lan Wu was delighted to feed her, and as she glanced out the window, she gasped and pulled Ji Lingyue outside.

“I heard in town today that Jixue City is holding its annual fireworks festival. We should be able to see it from here.” Lan Wu said. Just then, a gust of wind and snow made her shiver. Ji Lingyue quickly cast a spell to ward off the snow and keep her warm.

At that moment, dozens of golden lights rose from the distant sea of lanterns. As they reached their peak and began to fade, they suddenly exploded, illuminating the entire sky.

It was as if a thousand flowers had burst into bloom against the black canvas of night, their petals drifting down like rain.

The flickering lights reflected in Lan Wu’s bright eyes, casting a gentle glow. Ji Lingyue couldn’t help but look at her, gently tightening her grip on her hand.

“Lan Wu…”

“Hmm?”

Ji Lingyue’s lips curved into a small, sincere smile. “Thank you for being here with me.”

“Thank me for what?” Lan Wu laughed. “For something this small… are you going to thank me every time I spend the New Year with you?”

Ji Lingyue asked in return, “Does that mean you’ll spend every New Year with me?”

“Of course,” Lan Wu said casually. “I’m not going anywhere. If I’m not with you, who else would I be with?”