***
Two months later.
A burst of qi shook the sky above the rocky hill. The explosion of energy spread outward, accompanied by fierce gusts of wind that sent shards of snow flying in all directions.
Tree branches trembled violently. Some even snapped under the pressure of that momentum.
It was a simple sign, yet unmistakable—someone had successfully broken through their cultivation.
At the foot of the hill, Li Xiaoman, who had been practicing her sword techniques, reflexively halted her movements.
The sword in her hand vibrated as she turned toward the rocky peak, shock flashing across her face.
She felt that wave of qi with absolute clarity—far stronger and more stable than before.
At the summit, Gu Qinghe sat upright.
A pale golden light enveloped his body. It wasn't dazzling, but it was dense and heavy.
The qi momentum radiating from him felt refined and controlled, completely different from the aura he had possessed two months ago.
Li Xiaoman frowned. Her sharp gaze was filled with barely concealed displeasure.
"He… broke through?" she muttered under her breath. "How is that possible?!"
She couldn't accept it easily.
In just two months, Gu Qinghe had displayed a cultivation speed far beyond her expectations—surpassing even many disciples who had joined the sect long before him.
Meanwhile, atop the rocky hill, Gu Qinghe slowly opened his eyes.
He shifted his body slightly, then clenched his fist.
A stiff, aching sensation ran through his muscles, remnants of the relentless cultivation he had endured without rest. But more importantly, something fundamental within him had changed.
The Silent Yin Extraction Technique had forced his body to adapt to an extreme Yin environment.
The biting cold that once pierced him now felt dull, barely disruptive. His meridians and physical body had adjusted to Yin, forming a new equilibrium.
The system screen appeared before him.
[Congratulations, you have broken through!]
[Cultivation: Late Foundation Establishment]
[Qi: 40,000 / 60,000]
Gu Qinghe frowned slightly.
Not Peak Foundation Establishment.
He stared at the numbers for a moment, then let out a quiet breath.
With his cultivation speed and methods, he should have been able to reach the peak of this stage. Something was missing.
Gu Qinghe stood up and circulated his qi.
The heat that surged out instantly melted the snow clinging to his robes and hair, turning it into thin white mist.
He turned his gaze toward the wooden house below the hill.
With his cultivation eyes active, he saw Li Xiaoman—and two other figures standing not far from her.
"Two newcomers?" Gu Qinghe murmured.
Their auras were familiar. Both were at Early Foundation Establishment.
Their presence explained everything.
When three people cultivated intensely within the same area, the absorption of natural qi would inevitably be divided.
The Yin formation here was powerful, but it didn't belong to him alone.
Gu Qinghe's qi absorption had clearly been hindered in the final phase.
He felt a hint of regret, but quickly calmed his thoughts.
This land wasn't his. He had no right to monopolize its natural qi.
Gu Qinghe leapt down from the rocky hill, landing lightly in front of the wooden house.
Li Xiaoman stood there, her expression as cold and sharp as ever.
Their gazes met briefly before Gu Qinghe shifted his attention to the two new cultivators—a man and a woman.
As his cultivation eyes worked, he instantly assessed their strength.
Early Foundation Establishment. Standard.
"Is he the one Senior Sister Li hates?" the female cultivator whispered, her voice low but still audible.
"Yes," the male cultivator replied cautiously. "Don't act recklessly. He's already at Late Foundation Establishment."
Li Xiaoman heard them. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, stopping in front of Gu Qinghe.
"Senior Ya Fei came while you were cultivating," she said coldly. "She left this for you."
Li Xiaoman patted her bag of holding and took out a black-and-white token. Gu Qinghe's name was clearly engraved on it, along with the sect's emblem.
"That's the participation token. Your disciple identity is stored inside."
Gu Qinghe accepted the token without expression. He checked it briefly with his cultivation eyes.
Standard information—name, disciple status, talent hall records.
Nothing special.
"Senior Ya Fei also said," Li Xiaoman continued, "the Talent Assessment will be held in twenty days. All inner disciples will participate."
"Understood."
Gu Qinghe stored the token and walked straight into the wooden house without another word.
Li Xiaoman unconsciously clenched her fists.
Her irritation continued to build.
She had lost to him, been treated coldly, even ignored as if she were insignificant.
Her father had told her to befriend Gu Qinghe. But his attitude made that advice hard to swallow.
"Is he always like that?" the female cultivator asked hesitantly.
"He's just arrogant," Li Xiaoman snorted. "I'll be the one to defeat him later. He'll realize his arrogance is misplaced."
The two cultivators exchanged glances.
They had sparred with Li Xiaoman before and knew her abilities well. But as for Gu Qinghe, their first impression was clear.
He wasn't someone to be provoked lightly.
Messing with him unprepared would only invite disaster.
Inside his room, Gu Qinghe sat on the edge of the bed. He took out the token again and examined it carefully.
The token granted him access to various sect halls—the training hall, mission hall, technique hall—all open to ordinary disciples.
But for Gu Qinghe, only one place truly caught his interest.
The Pill Refinement Hall.
Yet that wasn't his real objective.
Enough cultivation. I need information about that curse.
The Ice Meridian Curse.
Gu Qinghe stood up and stepped outside again.
Li Xiaoman and the two cultivators turned when they saw him reappear.
Without explaining anything, Gu Qinghe flew away from the snowy hill, heading toward the spring region.
Li Xiaoman stared at his back.
For some reason, every move Gu Qinghe made stirred her curiosity.
"Where is he going?" she murmured.
"What's wrong, Senior Sister Li?" the female cultivator asked.
Li Xiaoman didn't answer.
She stopped her training and quietly followed Gu Qinghe from afar, maintaining a careful distance—close enough to keep track of him, but far enough to avoid detection.
The spring region soon welcomed them with warm air. The Yang element here was far more dominant.
There were also many more sect disciples in this area compared to the winter region.
Gu Qinghe stopped in front of a large building marked with the words: Sect Library.
He stepped inside.
An old man sat behind a wooden desk, his face weary, his hands busy sorting through piles of documents.
"Token," the old man said without looking up.
Gu Qinghe tossed his token over. The old man checked it briefly.
"Your limit is the second floor," he said firmly. "No flying. No going up to the third floor."
"I understand, Senior."
Gu Qinghe climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Scroll racks were neatly arranged, filled with techniques, formations, and pill records—all mortal and spirit grade.
He searched carefully.
But there was nothing.
No techniques, no records, no pills related to the Ice Meridian Curse.
Just as I thought. Information like this must be stored on the third floor.
He stopped, then spoke without turning around.
"You followed me from the snowy hill."
Li Xiaoman was startled. She cleared her throat and replied stiffly, "I'm looking for techniques to defeat you later!"
"You're Elder Li's daughter," Gu Qinghe said as he approached her. "You know who can go to the third floor."
Li Xiaoman fell silent for a moment before answering, "Elders, the Sect Master's Core Disciples, and the Sect Master himself."
"Core Disciples of the Sect Master?"
"The top three of the Talent Assessment will be promoted to Core Disciples."
Gu Qinghe's eyes narrowed.
If I become a Core Disciple, I can access the third floor… and find a way to break the Ice Meridian Curse.
"So that's how it is."
"Tch!" Li Xiaoman pointed at his face. "Don't even dream about it! I'll be the one to defeat you."
Gu Qinghe smiled faintly.
His immediate goal was now clear.
Core Disciple of the Sect Master.
But the Talent Assessment would not be that simple.