253 - Elasia Saga

Within the dark realm of the demon palace, a profound silence prevailed. Bai Yue Li gently set down the sound-transmitting mirror, raising her eyes to glance out the window. Fu Yan's voice echoed in her mind once more. She was momentarily startled, but soon found herself unintentionally curling her lips into a slight smile, her clear eyes shimmering with a gentle amusement. With the rapid rise of the Corpse Ghost Gate, outsiders had shifted their attention away, rendering the demon realm particularly stable. It seemed as though no major events would transpire in the coming decades. Bai Yue Li indeed had intentions to engage in closed-door cultivation, as she had yet to undergo the heavenly tribulation. This indicated that the Heavenly Dao had not acknowledged the power of Yuan Mo Jun within her. Simply put, without nearly half of Yuan Mo Jun’s strength, Bai Yue Li’s own cultivation might have only just reached the Mahayana stage, with not even one heavenly tribulation crossed yet. Because of this, she needed to quickly elevate her own cultivation level. Since nothing significant was occurring across the continent, it was a perfect time for secluded cultivation. Moreover, with Fu Yan holding the Xu You Jade Seal, they had the advantage of threefold cultivation time. Having decided thus, Bai Yue Li resolved to swiftly address some follow-up matters in the demon realm before joining Fu Yan in the Xu You Jade Seal for closed-door cultivation. Recollecting her thoughts, Bai Yue Li rose and was about to check if Little Medicine Tuanzi had awakened when she suddenly felt a surge of power emanating from the wall behind her. "Buzz—" In her room, Bai Yue Li paused, her thoughts quickly converging. She swiftly turned and moved to the wall behind her. With a flick of her wrist, an invisible dark passage came into view. The space around the passage seemed somewhat distorted, inaccessible to anyone other than Bai Yue Li due to her unique power. Wasting no time, Bai Yue Li slipped into the passage the moment it appeared, and the air around her rippled like water. In the dim underground chamber, a box floated silently in the air, seemingly supported by an unseen force beneath it. The front was made of transparent material. Bai Yue Li halted, lifting her gaze abruptly. Inside the box, a pitch-black heart was beating steadily. Thump! Thump! Within the silent underground, the sound of the heart continued, powerful and resonant. However, at that moment, the heart seemed affected by some invisible force that began spreading outward, causing the wooden box to tremble slightly. Bai Yue Li furrowed her brows, puzzled. After Yuan Mo Jun's demise, he entrusted this heart to her without explaining its purpose, leaving Bai Yue Li uncertain and apprehensive. Now, the heart that had remained tranquil for so long was stirring again. As Bai Yue Li contemplated whether to open the box for a look, the surrounding atmosphere returned to calmness. Watching the heart, it seemed as if the earlier commotion had been merely a figment of her imagination. In the dim light, Bai Yue Li's figure remained motionless, but her previously clear eyes darkened a bit, imbued with ambiguity. ... In the Frost Blossom Palace of the Southern Domain. Fu Yan, having issued orders about cultivating the first batch of disciples from scratch, began seeing results within a month. Shui Liu Qing and others returned with several dozen ordinary mortal children. Most of these children were around seven or eight years old, the ideal age to commence cultivation. They came from impoverished families and joined Frost Blossom Palace willingly to train. Fu Yan took the time to observe all the children. Most possessed average aptitudes, with some likely having difficulty opening their qi seas in the future. For those unable to open their qi sea within eight years, she promised to arrange for their return and provided resources to enhance their physical health as compensation. Notably, Fu Yan discovered four or five promising talents who, if progressing smoothly, might reach the Mahayana stage. Overall, the endeavors were positive. Talent alone doesn't determine destiny; for cultivators, fortuitous encounters offer the greatest shortcuts. Even those with inferior aptitude can rise with a stroke of luck. Fu Yan entrusted their training to Yuan He and Yi Tu, while Lu Xiao Wen's newly accepted three disciples remained active. Over the years, Fu Yan accumulated resources comparable to small sects, showing no hesitation in using them. Lu Xiao Wen's financial reserves from two lifetimes were considerable, supplying six different body-refining techniques. For Chu He Ze and Yuan He, Fu Yan provided several sword technique manuals from her collection for their cultivation. Six months later, Frost Blossom Palace's operations were running smoothly. One day, Bai Yue Li's voice came through the sound-transmitting mirror again. "The medicine tuanzi has awakened." Fu Yan paused. Since Little Medicine Tuanzi’s failed rebirth attempt amidst cleansing flames, it hadn’t awakened for half a year, but now it had finally come to. Receiving this news, Fu Yan wasted no time heading to the demon realm. During this period, Fu Juan had been caring for the little tuanzi, and only at midnight yesterday did they find its eyes open. Soon, Fu Yan and Bai Yue Li arrived at Fu Juan's room. The small, white entity retained its snowy fur, its dewy eyes still brimming with innocent cuteness, grasping a spiritual herb in its paw, nibbling away as if freshly awakened. "Chirp chirp..." At Fu Yan's approach, Little Medicine Tuanzi noticed her immediately, pausing momentarily before flying excitedly towards her. Of course, it remembered to clutch the spiritual herb tight. Fu Yan caught it in her hands, quickly scanning its body to confirm its health. Remarkably, the little creature showed no internal injuries and appeared quite robust. After chirping delightedly at Fu Yan, Little Medicine Tuanzi lost its initial enthusiasm and resumed nibbling on the herb in its paw. "Not a bit of change," Fu Yan remarked, playfully tapping the creature's head, her voice tinged with helplessness. Bai Yue Li, watching the interaction, gathered her thoughts before saying, "It seems that the power of the laws not only suppresses its strength but also puts its consciousness into slumber, hence its current state." This realization didn't surprise Fu Yan, given the extraordinary nature of Little Medicine Tuanzi. Normally, even if its power were sealed, it shouldn't be so focused solely on eating and drinking. Clearly, its consciousness had been dormant from the beginning. During Fu Yan's trial by karmic fire, it sensed the peculiar energy of the flames, briefly awakening its true consciousness, attempting to use the fire to undergo a rebirth and break free of the laws' constraints. Having failed, its consciousness returned to slumber. "All that matters is that it's fine," Fu Yan said, nodding at the snowy creature in her hand. Dealing with the power of laws would have to wait until she ascended to immortality and could attempt to help it shed those shackles. Once reassured of Little Medicine Tuanzi’s condition, Fu Yan stayed with Bai Yue Li for a few more days before returning to Frost Blossom Palace. Upon her return, sensing that something had transpired, Fu Yan summoned Shui Liu Qing for inquiry: "What happened while I was away?" "People from other sects came again," Shui Liu Qing replied, her expression markedly displeased. Recently, members of other sects had frequently visited Frost Blossom Palace. Two months ago, after Fu Yan accidentally defeated a peer expert of the Mahayana stage, they ceased mentioning the earlier incident. This time, they claimed they wanted to mend relationships. Their true motives, however, were well understood by both parties. "They said they wanted to invite us to some Snow Gathering." Hearing this, Fu Yan couldn't help but chuckle. Such gatherings usually involved sparring to prove strength. Frost Blossom Palace, lacking main strength disciples, was obviously being set up for embarrassment. Shui Liu Qing continued, "Fortunately, Elder Lu ascended successfully as an immortal and directly declined their invitation, preventing them from pursuing the matter." "Lu Shixiong has ascended?" Fu Yan exclaimed, surprised. Shui Liu Qing nodded affirmatively. Fu Yan hadn't anticipated that in the mere half-month of her absence, Lu Xiao Wen would have successfully ascended. But it was good news—Frost Blossom Palace now had an immortal officially presiding over it. When she had spread news of Lu Xiao Wen’s reincarnation for cultivation, though interesting, it didn't draw much attention since he hadn't ascended back then. Things were different now. As for the Snow Gathering, Frost Blossom Palace wasn't in a position to participate yet. Fu Yan wasn't overly concerned. The first batch of disciples was engaging in collective cultivation, and everything needed to proceed step by step. With an immortal overseeing them, Frost Blossom Palace was likely to attract a more usual cohort of disciples moving forward. Refocusing, Fu Yan asked, "Where is Lu Shixiong?" "Lu Shixiong mentioned he needed to retreat for a year to stabilize his energy," Shui Liu Qing relayed Lu Xiao Wen's words to Fu Yan faithfully. Having just succeeded in his tribulation and ascended, Lu Xiao Wen's strength wasn't fully stable yet, so a period of secluded consolidation was indeed necessary. This was quite normal. Fu Yan nodded, saying no more on the matter. She originally planned to enter seclusion with Bai Yue Li in the following year, but it seemed that plan would need to be postponed until Lu Xiao Wen emerged from his retreat. There wasn't any rush, as Bai Yue Li had indicated that affairs in the demon realm would take some time to sort out. Just then, a thought suddenly crossed Fu Yan's mind, prompting her to look back at Shui Liu Qing with renewed seriousness. "Help me craft a puppet," she instructed. After a pause, she quickly added, "As soon as possible." Hearing this, Shui Liu Qing looked at Fu Yan in confusion, uncertain of her intentions. "But I can only create a puppet at the early Transforming Void stage right now." Although her primary puppet had reached the completion of the Transforming Void stage, it had been refined repeatedly by Shui Liu Qing over time. Under normal circumstances, she could only manage to make one at the early Transforming Void stage, which likely wouldn’t be of much use to Fu Yan. "No matter," Fu Yan replied with a light chuckle, tapping her fingers on the table. "Just focus on the crafting. The puppet's strength isn't a concern." She left it at that, trusting Shui Liu Qing to carry out the task diligently.