The flying ship cut through the icy air, its wooden prow creaking under the relentless wind. I, Kai, stood at the bow, my eyes scanning the endless white wasteland below. Snow stretched to the horizon, broken only by jagged rocks and towering ice formations that glinted like shattered glass under a pale, unfamiliar sun. Three days of this monotonous view had dulled my senses, the novelty of flight replaced by a gnawing boredom. The Frost Ridge's hidden realm was vast, its stars alien, its sun dimmer than the one I knew from the Phoenix Sect. Was this another world, another planet? The locals didn't care, and knowledge here was hoarded like gold.
I'd joined So Yun's expedition without hesitation. Li's tales of the Frost Plum Grove's beauty lingered in my mind, but the real lure was points—ten per day, including travel. Points were my lifeline, a currency I desperately needed to heal my shattered meridians and climb the sect's ranks. The wind bit at my face, my teeth chattering despite my fire qi.
"Little Kai, aren't you freezing?" So Yun's voice came from behind, soft as a whisper, her steps silent as if she floated. A Core Formation master could defy gravity without effort, and she moved with an ethereal grace.
"Fire cultivator," I huffed, pride masking my shiver.
"Cold's nothing to me."
The outer deck was deserted; even ice cultivators avoided the biting wind. I'd slipped out to consume a Spiritual Rebirth pill and spirit stones from my ring, keeping my secrets under wraps. So Yun's subtle aid—her presence ensuring privacy—hadn't gone unnoticed.
"I've been to a hidden realm filled with fire qi, like this one's ice," she said, her gaze distant.
"Destroyed, sadly. It would've suited your cultivation."
"Speaking of that," I said, ensuring we were alone, "care to share about breaking into Meridian Tempering?"
"Trying to trick me into revealing techniques?" she teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.
"Me? Never, Sister So!" I feigned offense, hand on heart.
"I'll pretend I believe you," she laughed, her voice like chimes.
"There are paths to open your meridians. First, a specific qi circulation method—daily meditation, guiding qi to spiritual nodes. Most use this. Second, an artifact. You infuse it with qi, gaining its properties. Dangerous, costly, but powerful. I knew a girl whose skin no sword could pierce, no qi spent. Third, pills. I love alchemy, but this is risky. Many ruin their potential with hasty elixirs, stalling forever. Geniuses combine all three."
"And for me?" I asked. "No artifacts, no fire qi, and you warned against pills."
"A secret," she smirked.
"Your spirit's too damaged for this now."
I nodded, her words sinking in. My meridians ached, Song of Pure Flame's healing barely keeping pace. The Frost Plum Grove might offer resources to speed my recovery, but the risks—beasts, rival sects—loomed large. I glanced at the wasteland, its icy expanse a mirror to my uncertainty. What lay ahead in this alien realm?
The ship hummed, its formations pulsing with qi, a marvel of craftsmanship. Fifty cultivators crowded its decks and barracks, from outer disciples like me to inner disciples and So Yun herself. I was the only one below Meridian Tempering, a fact that stung. My peak Qi Condensation was impressive, but in this company, I was the weakest link.
Aina's voice broke my thoughts.
"Don't dawdle, frostbite!"
She stood at the rail, her silver-streaked hair whipping in the wind, her spear gleaming. The Grove came into view—a forest of silver and aquamarine, its trees alive with ice qi, their white leaves threaded with celestial energy. Not the Grove itself, Aina clarified, but the Silver Forest. The true Grove lay beyond, a patch of dark blue trees heavy with Frost Plums, our target.
So Yun gathered us on deck, her presence commanding.
"Seven days before the seasonal blizzard hits, ruining the plums. Minimum task: one basket daily. Fail, no points. Exceed, ten points per extra basket. Questions?"
None came. I'd expected meditation or enlightenment, not harvesting. But So Yun was an alchemist—ingredients were her game. The baskets were large, twenty liters by my estimate, a daunting task.
I reached for one, but So Yun stopped me, seated at a table with tea, three cultivators beside her.
"Think you're sneaking off to pick plums, little Kai?" she said, her tone teasing.
"Meet your team for a special task."
"Ark Lin," said a pale, gaunt boy, his eyes shadowed, radiating strange qi.
"Tia Lin," added a black-haired girl with golden eyes, his constant companion.
"You haven't forgotten me, frostbite," Aina smirked.
"Kai Shen," I said, offering a shallow bow, a habit from the ship's idle days.
"You're acquainted," So Yun said.
"Your mission: extract sap from a unique tree nearby. Ark knows the method—follow him. Your job is to protect him during the process."
"Thank you, Lady So," Aina said, then hesitated.
"Are you sure about Kai? Someone stronger, perhaps?"
"Kai will surprise you," So Yun replied.
"The creatures guarding the tree resist qi techniques but not physical force. Kai's perfect. Succeed, and you each get 200 points, excused from plum duty."
"We won't fail," we said in unison, greed outweighing doubt.
The ship hovered above the Grove, our camp and lodging. Disciples began harvesting, and I felt the realm's qi—crisp, invigorating, like a winter forest's breath. I couldn't cultivate ice qi, but its freshness stirred my poetic side. Was I becoming a true cultivator?
"Which way?" I asked Ark, who stood with eyes closed, sensing the path.
"There," he said, pointing.
"Are these plums edible?" I blurted, eyeing the dark fruit.
My team froze, then studied the trees with interest.
"You never thought about it?" I sighed.
"I'll ask So Yun later."
"They're safe," Ark said, smiling faintly.
"For ice cultivators, they're beneficial. For you, just refreshing."
I plucked one, biting into its sweet, menthol flesh. Delicious. Other disciples gaped, then followed suit, some spitting, others savoring.
"They're good!" I said, mouth full.
"Nice move, frostbite, but let's go before So Yun catches us wasting ingredients," Aina said, spitting a pit.
What dangers guarded the tree, and could I prove my worth to this team?