A soft knock tapped at Liu Yue's door.
She opened it to see Lin Xuan standing calmly, his usual composed expression unreadable. She blinked, then stepped aside, allowing him in with a slight nod.
Inside, the room was simple and quiet. Lin Xuan sat without ceremony.
"How is your cultivation?" he asked directly.
Liu Yue sighed, her brows knitted. "I broke through too quickly… My qi won't stabilize. It feels scattered—like I'm grasping at water."
Lin Xuan looked at her for a moment, then said, "Sit."
She obeyed.
He moved beside her and demonstrated a slow, controlled breathing pattern. "Your foundation is unstable. Start from breath—feel the qi, don't chase it. Let it gather."
She followed his lead. Slowly, her pulse began to settle. The flow of qi smoothed, no longer lashing wildly through her meridians.
Once satisfied, Lin Xuan retrieved a small bottle from his sleeve. Inside it was a single pill—subtle in appearance, but rich in spiritual essence.
"Swallow this. It will help your qi settle—and elevate your base."
She hesitated. "You made this?"
He didn't answer.
She nodded and consumed the pill.
Moments passed.
Then—boom—a surge of spiritual energy erupted within her. Her cultivation spiked sharply. She trembled, her breathing quickened.
Crack.
5th layer of Qi Gathering.
Another wave followed almost instantly, more forceful and refined.
Boom—
6th layer.
Eyes wide with disbelief, Liu Yue slowly opened them. Her aura was now several times more stable and powerful than before.
"I... broke through twice..." she whispered.
"You were stuck at the threshold. The pill gave the final push," Lin Xuan said, standing.
Then he handed her a small scroll wrapped in pale blue silk. Frost symbols shimmered faintly along the edge.
"This is the Frozen Moon Scripture. An ice-type cultivation method—perfectly compatible with your core. Study it well."
Liu Yue clutched the scroll with trembling hands. "Why… are you doing this for me?"
Lin Xuan glanced at her but said nothing. Then, after a moment, turned toward the window. "Because there are storms coming. If you're not ready, you'll be swept away."
---
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Zhi Clan...
Incense smoke curled upward, heavy with mourning.
In the central courtyard, black-robed elders stood solemnly. Coffins lined the stone platform—each marked with the Zhi clan insignia.
And at the center… a larger, obsidian coffin. Unmarked. Cold.
Black Talon.
The clan patriarch stood before them all, his face a mask of quiet fury. "We underestimated him. That was our mistake. It won't happen again."
Around him, silent nods.
In the distance, thunder rumbled—not from the heavens, but from the storm gathering behind closed eyes and clenched fists.
Revenge… had only just begun.
---