Chapter 1021 - Full Account of the Story

Ji Qiu and Miao Jianying rushed over.

"Brother Liu, you mustn't agree to it! Beneath the extreme north lies a boundless layer of ice. If you go down recklessly, you might not be able to find your way back and will freeze to death!" Ji Qiu said urgently, trying to stop Liu Wuxie.

Anxiety gripped Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi so tightly that they nearly burst into tears. They didn't want to see Liu Wuxie put himself in danger for them.

"Don't worry about it. I'm confident since I have agreed to it," Liu Wuxie replied. He caressed Xu Lingxue's and Murong Yi's faces gently, giving them a reassuring look.

"Very well. You have three days to prepare, and I'll perform ordination on them if you don't return within half a month with the Frost Bead," Master Yi stated with a wave of her sleeve and left with all the disciples.

Everyone cleared out in the blink of an eye. Master Yi wasn't worried that the two ladies might escape.

Once the surroundings cleared out, Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi threw themselves into Liu Wuxie's arms, sobbing softly. Two years had passed since they last met, yet their bond had only grown stronger.

"Big Brother Liu, how did you find us?" Murong Yi asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Liu Wuxie briefly recounted what he had experienced over the past two years. The two ladies were stunned to hear that Liu Wuxie had returned to the Southern Province and wiped out the five sects, including the Heavenly Origin Sect.

However, the thing that shocked them the most was learning that Liu Wuxie had found his birth parents. They beamed with joy for him.

Liu Wuxie did not tell them everything, though. Not wanting them to worry, he glossed over his experiences in the Sacred Ground.

Liu Wuxie, Xu Lingxue, and Murong Yi stepped into the main hall, where warmth shielded them from the cold.

Lu Wuxie continued the conversation. "What happened, and why did you two follow Master Yi to Northern City?"

Xu Lingxue explained, "It happened a year ago when we came to the Central Plains. I ran into Big Sister Murong by chance and decided to search for you together, but who would've thought..."

She paused there, recalling the tough year they had endured.

Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi were talented, but they had entered the Central Plains with rather ordinary cultivation levels. They might have counted as experts in the Southern Province, but in the Central Plains, they were insignificant.

"Did you two encounter danger?" Liu Wuxie asked anxiously, urging Xu Lingxue to carry on.

Ji Qiu and Miao Jianying waited outside, fearing the nuns might launch another sneak attack.

Xu Lingxue's expression turned cold as she recounted their experience. "When we passed through the Scarlet Dragon Cult's territory, they hunted us down. Just as they were about to capture us, Master Yi appeared and saved us."

Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi had witnessed a Scarlet Dragon Cult disciple trying to assault an ordinary woman, so they stepped in to intervene. However, in doing so, they offended the Scarlet Dragon Cult, who then pursued them relentlessly. The Scarlet Dragon Cult was about to kill them, but Master Yi appeared and saved them.

"The Scarlet Dragon Cult again!" exclaimed Liu Wuxie through gritted teeth, murderous intent surging from him.

Tension filled the main hall as Liu Wuxie burned with fury. He wished he could storm into the Scarlet Dragon Cult and slaughter every one of its members.

"That old nun saved you two, but why did you two follow her to Northern City instead of coming to find me?" Liu Wuxie asked.

He had been an unknown figure a year ago, so no matter how they asked around, the two ladies couldn't find him. However, they could easily find information about him now.

Smiling bitterly, Murong Yi answered, "We did want to leave, but Master Yi said we had exceptional aptitudes and were suited for the Half-Moon Nunnery's cultivation technique. She even promised to pass the abbess position to us. She alternated between persuasion and coercion along the way and brought us to Northern City."

They tolerated Master Yi only because she had saved their lives.

"You two have suffered," Liu Wuxie replied, guilt written on his face.

They wouldn't have endured so many hardships if not for him.

Xu Lingxue explained, "Master Yi might've coerced us to join her in Northern City, but she meant no harm. Half-Moon Peak had once been a powerful sect, but over time, it declined. Master Yi had no choice but to venture out and search for talented disciples, then she ran into us. She didn't force us and gave us a year to decide."

She clearly held some respect for Master Yi, and beneath her respect was sympathy and sorrow. Master Yi had an impossible mission of trying to save an entire sect on her own.

"Big Brother Liu, if possible, please don't harm anyone in the Half-Moon Nunnery. They're all unfortunate women. Some had been violated by bandits, others are orphans that Master Yi raised," Murong Yi said gravely.

Master Yi had brought Xu Lingxue and Murong Yi to Northern City against their will, but they held no hatred toward the nunnery.

Liu Wuxie nodded. He had sensed from the start that the nuns weren't evil.

Women were often full of compassion. When faced with such pitiful sisters, they couldn't bring themselves to hold a grudge, and whatever resentment they had quietly faded away.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt them. I'll take you two away, and I'll do it openly and honorably," Liu Wuxie declared as he stood up.

He now had an understanding of what was going on.

Master Yi had sought out the two women for their talent, not out of malice. Such occurrences often happened in the cultivation world. If an expert encountered someone with great talent, they might forcibly take them on as a disciple if their persuasion failed.

Some demonic cultivators took it even further. If they took a liking to someone, they might slaughter everyone around their target to isolate and force the target to become their disciple.

"Big Brother Liu, are you going beneath the glacier?" Murong Yi and Xu Lingxue asked, their expressions shifting to concern.

"Yes. This is the only way I can repay her for saving you two. After that, you'll owe her nothing."

Liu Wuxie didn't want the two ladies to leave the nunnery with a sense of guilt. After all, Master Yi had saved their lives, so leaving without repaying her would make them ungrateful. Moreover, Liu Wuxie had given his word that he would do it. He had three days to prepare.

"But..." the two ladies uttered, looking deeply worried.

They wanted to leave without any guilt, but they also didn't want to see Liu Wuxie risk his life. If he were to get hurt or worse, they wouldn't want to go on living either.

"No buts. Since I said it, I'll do it," Liu Wuxie said.

Then he turned and left the Half-Moon Nunnery, returning to the two ladies' residence.

This time, no one watched them. If they truly wanted to leave, the Half-Moon Nunnery wouldn’t be able to stop them, so it was pointless to do any surveillance.

Over the next three days, Liu Wuxie, Ji Qiu, and Miao Jianying moved across the glaciers, occasionally returning to the mountain. They used a hidden passage that led to the summit, reaching it in just two hours. They didn't have to climb up the mountain again.

"Brother Liu, the glacier's extremely thick. The Frost Bead lies at least ten thousand meters beneath the surface. Are you sure about this?" Ji Qiu asked, his concern clear. He hoped Liu Wuxie would reconsider.

Master Yi stood atop the peak, silently watching everything unfold below.

"Master, this is no different from pushing him to a dead end. Even if you keep the two junior sisters here, I'm afraid their hearts have already turned cold," said a middle-aged nun behind Master Yi.

"He won't die so easily," Master Yi replied before leaving.

The middle-aged nun stood there, confused. She couldn’t understand her master’s intent. If Liu Wuxie survived and retrieved the Frost Bead, wouldn’t he just take the two ladies with him? So, what exactly was her master thinking?

Regardless, she soon pushed the thought aside and gave up trying to understand, as it was pointless.

No matter how Ji Qiu tried to persuade him, Liu Wuxie remained firm. He would go beneath the glacier tomorrow.

"This is the place," Liu Wuxie said and drew a circle on an ice peak, marking it as his entry point.

"Brother Liu, are you not going to reconsider?" Miao Jianying asked anxiously. If something were to happen to Liu Wuxie, how could he ever face his father?

"Don't bother trying to persuade me. I've already made up my mind. You two can head back to Northern City tomorrow. If I survive, I'll visit the Renowned Sword Manor."

No one could change his mind once he made his decision. He thanked them for their companionship over the past few days.

Ordinary people couldn’t survive in such an extreme environment. Frostbite had already crept across Miao Jianying's hands, andJi Qiu wasn’t faring much better. Staying longer would only harm their health. Unlike them, Liu Wuxie had grasped the Frost Dao Art, and the cold temperature posed little threat to him.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"No! We will accompany you to the end!" Ji Qiu refused firmly, unwilling to abandon Liu Wuxie alone in the extreme north.

"You two staying here won't help me. You'll only distract me. You've seen the Half-Moon Nunnery poses no threat. Go back to the Renowned Sword Manor and wait for me," Liu Wuxie said, his tone firm. There was no reason for them to remain.

If they stayed, they would only burden him. He'd have to look after them instead of focusing on the mission.

Without any hesitation, Ji Qiu instructed Miao Jianying, "Ying'er, go back and deliver the news that we've found the two ladies. I'll stay behind with Brother Liu."

Since Miao Jianying was the sole heir of the Renowned Sword Manor, Ji Qiu refused to risk her safety.

"No, I'm staying too!" Miao Jianying exclaimed, refusing to leave. She’d rather die with them than go alone.

Their determination touched Liu Wuxie deeply. He had traveled a long way over the years and met many people, but there were few he could truly rely on. Gu Yu was one, Qiao Bian was another, and there were his three senior brothers too. Now, these two had been added to the list.

"I appreciate your goodwill, but I need you two to leave for a reason," Liu Wuxie said.

He wasn't sending them away without purpose. There was something important they needed to handle.

"What is it?" Ji Qiu asked, puzzled. They had already been away from the Renowned Sword Manor for nearly a month. What could demand their attention now?

"The First Sword Manor will probably launch a counterattack, and it won't end well for the Renowned Sword Manor. The Renowned Sword Manor needs you two now more than ever, and you have to return to help resolve this crisis," Liu Wuxie said.

The First Sword Manor suffered a heavy blow after losing ten workshops and failing to sell its weapons.

Ji Qiu and Miao Jianying exchanged a grave look. Why hadn’t they heard anything? And how did Liu Wuxie know?

Liu Wuxie added, "Don't ask me how I know. I naturally have my ways."

He kept quiet about converting a First Sword Manor disciple into his devotee during the duel so that he could gather intel from the outside through that connection.