Chapter 60: Thoughts on a Snowy Night

When everything calmed down, Xu Ziyan opened her eyes, and joy sparkled in her gaze. She had broken through. In seven days, Xu Ziyan advanced from the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining Stage to the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining. After a moment of delight, Xu Ziyan immediately recalled the frightening speed at which she had absorbed spiritual energy during her cultivation.

She focused her consciousness inward, scanning her body over and over again, then compared her findings with the inheritance in her soul. Finally, Xu Ziyan’s body trembled, her face completely filled with astonishment. Then, unable to believe it, she scanned herself once more carefully before ultimately concluding that it was because she had become a Water Spirit Body that she achieved such a terrifying speed of absorbing spiritual energy during cultivation.

What Xu Ziyan did not yet understand was that although a Water Spirit Body indeed absorbed spiritual energy several times faster than an ordinary person—even ten times or more—it also required the cultivator to be in a place with dense spiritual energy. Otherwise, it would be like a person with a huge appetite never getting full; not only would their cultivation level not rise quickly, but it would actually be hindered.

Fortunately, Xu Ziyan had the Spirit Gathering Talisman Array, but that was not enough. That was why she had consumed so many Spirit Burst Pills. It was also lucky that Xu Ziyan had enough Spirit Burst Pills to make up for the insufficient spiritual energy in the Xu Family Ancestral Land. However, what played the most crucial role—and something Xu Ziyan did not know—was that Xu Ziyan had been unconscious for three days and three nights in the Spiritual Spring within the Cangmang Mountain Range. That Spiritual Spring not only transformed Xu Ziyan into a Water Spirit Body but also filled the various acupoints throughout her body with abundant water spiritual energy. This energy was not completely exhausted after her breakthrough in the Water Pond.

The water spiritual energy stored in these acupoints was the real reason Xu Ziyan could break through in just seven days. Moreover, only a small portion of this water spiritual energy hidden in her acupoints had been consumed. In the coming period, Xu Ziyan would still maintain this cultivation speed and continuously improve her realm until she fully absorbed all the water spiritual energy within her acupoints.

No matter what, Xu Ziyan felt incredibly happy right now! Her current strength had reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining, making her truly the number one among the younger generation in Zhongdu City. Even in the entire Northern Region, she could compete with geniuses like Zhou Hao from the Zhou Family and Yang Linglong from the Yang Family!

Xu Ziyan decided to increase the cultivation level she displayed externally from the Tenth Layer of Houtian to the Eleventh Layer of Houtian. The Breath-Concealing Talisman inside her had already dissolved into spiritual energy due to her breakthrough. So, Xu Ziyan got out of bed, walked to the table, took out a Talisman Brush and Talisman Paper from her Storage Pouch, and quickly created another Breath-Concealing Talisman. She stored the talisman inside her body, revealing the Eleventh Layer of Houtian cultivation.

At this moment, Xu Ziyan felt no sleepiness at all. After thinking for a bit, she put on her clothes, pushed the door open, and stepped outside.

She took two deep breaths, drawing the snowy winter air into her lungs, and her whole body felt much more refreshed. She looked up at the bright moon, then down at the pure white snow. Xu Ziyan’s mood was very peaceful, as ethereal as the winter night itself.

She strolled leisurely along the path with no particular destination in mind, completely enchanted by the serene snowy night. Wandering aimlessly, she arrived at the foot of a tall mountain within the clan’s territory. Suddenly, Xu Ziyan felt like climbing the mountain. She followed the mountain path upward until she reached the mountainside. Looking up, a solitary peak appeared before her.

Xu Ziyan had heard from others that this peak was called Floating Snow Peak, and from its summit, one could see almost the entire panorama of Zhongdu City. Feeling excited, Xu Ziyan brushed aside the strands of hair at her temples and headed toward Floating Snow Peak.

As soon as she set foot on Floating Snow Peak, a figure with its back to her came into view. Hearing the footsteps behind, the person seemed to snap out of deep thought, abruptly turning around. His expression froze.

Seeing the person turn, Xu Ziyan couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp. The person standing on Floating Snow Peak, appearing before Xu Ziyan, was none other than Xu Lin.

Xu Ziyan looked Xu Lin over carefully. Snowflakes blown by the wind clung to his hair, scattered messily over his shoulders. His face was somewhat pale, and the once-bright eyes beneath his sharply defined eyebrows now looked dim. His gaze seemed to avoid meeting Xu Ziyan’s.

Xu Ziyan’s heart ached, knowing why Xu Lin was standing on this lonely peak in the middle of the night. The peak was solitary, and so was the person. However, Xu Ziyan also felt very awkward and unsure how to handle the situation. The two silently stared at each other for a long time, with only the biting cold wind howling around them, faintly resembling the sound of weeping.

Finally, Xu Lin forced a smile and said, “Little Sister Ziyan, you’ve come!”

“Yes, I’ve come!” After speaking, Xu Ziyan couldn’t help but scold herself inwardly for saying something so pointless.

“Heh, heh!” Xu Lin chuckled softly, his voice tinged with a bit of desolation and nervousness.

Xu Ziyan’s heart grew desolate along with Xu Lin’s tone. Both of them understood each other’s feelings, but they also knew the impossibility between them! For a moment, they both felt stifled, wanting to raise their heads and shout. But they did not dare! This affection of theirs could only be buried silently in their own hearts, not letting anyone know. Otherwise, no matter how high their cultivation levels became, they would be ruthlessly erased by societal rules!

Xu Ziyan thought for a moment and tried to persuade Xu Lin—though it also felt like she was trying to persuade herself. Yet when the words came out, they seemed so feeble:

“Senior Brother Lin, you are the Clan Leader’s son, with a bright future ahead…”

Xu Lin smiled wryly, as if both agreeing and disagreeing with Xu Ziyan’s words. Xu Ziyan smiled helplessly, her smile tinged with sorrow.

Both knew it was not the right time to discuss this topic. Xu Lin turned around and looked out from Floating Snow Peak toward Zhongdu City. Xu Ziyan stepped forward a few paces and stood side by side with Xu Lin, gazing at the city below the solitary peak.

“The wind blows hard before the storm arrives,” Xu Lin said softly.

“You… know something?”

Xu Ziyan’s heart jumped in surprise, but she quickly understood. As the Clan Leader’s son and currently the only disciple among the Xu Clan’s younger generation at the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage, it was only natural that Xu Lin would be valued by the clan. Of course, he would know about the alliance between the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family.

When Xu Lin heard Xu Ziyan’s question, he hesitated slightly. After all, his father had warned him that this was a clan secret and not to speak of it to others. But looking at the beauty beside him, how could Xu Lin hold back? He sighed softly and said:

“I’m afraid that in the near future, Zhongdu City will undergo a great upheaval!”