Chapter 791 – "Breaking the Thousand-Year Prison"
Alex stepped forward, his boots crunching against the frost-covered floor. Without a word, he knelt and pressed his palm flat against the icy ground.
Mana surged.
In his mind, countless magic formulas unfolded — intricate patterns for life magic, fire magic, and ice magic, interwoven with perfect precision. The Law of Mana was the foundation, vast and unshakable, while the Law of Fire and the Law of Ice fed into the design, creating a balance that was both destructive and restorative.
A deep hum filled the cavern as glowing blue circuits spread out from beneath Alex's hand, racing like living veins across the frozen floor. The lines branched out in every direction, wrapping around the bases of the massive crystal pillars.
The frozen women within remained perfectly still, their faces serene, unaware of the change beginning around them.
Then, slowly, the ice began to dissolve — not shatter, not crack, but melt away into nothingness, leaving not a drop of water behind. It vanished as if it had never been, taking with it the oppressive cold that had gripped the cavern for centuries.
The Sect Master watched, her heart pounding. "If someone had tried to smash the crystals…"
"They would have died," Alex finished calmly, his eyes still fixed on the spreading magic. "Their bodies and spirits are bound to the ice. Breaking it with force would have destroyed both."
One by one, the pillars turned from deep sapphire to clear glass… and then to air.
One by one, the towering crystal prisons dissolved into mist, releasing their captives. Most of the women slumped forward, still unconscious from centuries of life-force draining. Yu Mei, Shi Lian, and the Frost Moon Palace members moved quickly, catching them before they could hit the ground, laying them gently onto blankets Alex had conjured.
But among the freed were a few who stirred instantly — their eyes snapping open as if waking from a nightmare.
These women held themselves differently. Their bearing was regal, their spiritual presence refined despite their weakened states.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace narrowed her eyes, recognizing them immediately. "…Sect Masters."
One of the newly freed women let out a sharp breath, her voice trembling as if she couldn't quite believe her own words. "We… we're free."
Another Sect Master, silver hair falling over her shoulders, looked around in disbelief. "I thought… I thought this was the end. We saw everything — every face, every moment — but our bodies… wouldn't move. Not a single breath was our own."
They turned their eyes to Alex, the questions spilling out in unison.
"How long has it been?"
"What year is it?"
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace glanced at Alex, the weight of their stares heavy in the cold, empty cavern that had once been their prison.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace took a slow step forward, her eyes moving over the faces of the newly awakened leaders.
"You all… came from different eras," she began softly, her voice carrying the weight of centuries. "This place didn't claim you all at once — it's been feeding on victims for hundreds of years. Each of you was lured here at different times, trapped in that same unending cycle."
The other Sect Masters listened in silence, their expressions shifting from shock to dread.
She turned to the silver-haired woman first. "You… disappeared two hundred years ago. At the time, you led Snow Jade Hall with unmatched grace. Within a year of your absence, your elders fractured into rival factions. Three years later, the sect was annihilated by the combined forces of Red Fang Valley and the Eastern Blade Sect."
The woman's breath hitched, her gaze dropping.
The Frost Moon Palace Sect Master moved to the next. "And you — the last Sect Master of Glacial Spirit Pavilion. One hundred and fifty years ago, you entered this secret land seeking the source of pure ice essence. Without you, your disciples faltered. Your rivals struck from all sides. Glacial Spirit Pavilion fell within half a decade, its surviving members scattering to whoever would take them in."
One by one, she told each of them their fate.
"To the former Sect Master of Silver Winter Temple — you vanished just over three hundred years ago. Your absence caused immediate panic. Without your presence to unite them, your high elders turned against one another. Within two winters, the temple was nothing but ruins."
"To the last leader of Crystal Lotus Hall — one hundred years ago, you stepped into this secret land with your finest disciples. None returned. The surviving elders surrendered the sect to Ice Flame Palace just to save themselves."
Her voice did not falter as she moved down the line, but her eyes grew heavier with each story. "Every single one of your sects collapsed shortly after you vanished. Without their leaders, they were consumed by enemies or torn apart from within. The survivors sought refuge elsewhere… many of them found their way to Frost Moon Palace. Over centuries, my sect has taken in the scattered remnants of all yours — a refuge for those who lost everything."
A heavy silence fell. The freed Sect Masters stood frozen, as if the truth were a heavier chain than the ice had been.
Yu Mei's gaze swept over them, sharp and assessing. Shi Lian, standing beside her, said nothing — but the understanding in her eyes was clear. These women had been powerful, proud, and independent… and now they were displaced, their worlds gone.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace finally lowered her voice. "It has been centuries for some of you… but know this — though your sects are gone, you still live. And for that… you may yet find a place again."
The former Sect Master of Snow Jade Hall exchanged a glance with the others before stepping forward. "Then there's nothing to discuss. My people and I… will join Frost Moon Palace."
The leader of Glacial Spirit Pavilion nodded firmly. "The same for us. A scattered name is nothing without a home. If our sects are gone, then let our strength add to yours."
One by one, the remaining freed leaders voiced their agreement.
The Silver Winter Temple's former master smiled faintly. "We've slept long enough. If we can still be of use, then we will be. And as for the others…" She glanced toward the hundreds of women still resting on the blankets Alex and the others had laid out. "…When they wake, we will tell them everything. We will persuade them to join us as well."
The Frost Moon Palace Sect Master inclined her head, her expression calm but her eyes carrying a spark of satisfaction. "Then it's decided. Together, we will make Frost Moon Palace stronger than it has ever been."
The air in the cavern shifted — no longer the still cold of a prison, but the quiet warmth of shared purpose.
Yu Mei's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. To her, this was more than just the growth of a sect… it was the beginning of something else entirely.
Hours passed in the once-frozen cavern, the soft glow of Alex's conjured lights reflecting off bare stone where the crystals had once stood.
Those who had been in the deepest sleep began to stir at last. Eyes fluttered open, breaths came in slow, disoriented waves, and confusion quickly gave way to the scent in the air — rich, warm, and inviting.
Alex gestured toward the tables, and the still-weary women were guided to sit. Bowls of steaming hotpot, plates of fragrant fried rice, tender roast meats, and the unfamiliar but tempting Western dishes were placed before them. One by one, they began to eat.
"This… is delicious," murmured a former elder of Glacial Spirit Pavilion, pausing between bites of pizza.
"I've never tasted anything like it," another added, savoring a piece of roasted chicken before quickly reaching for more.
Once they had eaten enough to take the edge off their hunger, the former Sect Masters rose and moved among them, speaking quietly but with conviction. They told their people the truth — of the centuries lost, the fall of their sects, and the choice before them now.
There was hesitation at first, but it didn't last long. One by one, nods replaced uncertainty. Murmurs of agreement turned into open acceptance.
By the time the conversations ended, every last woman had agreed.
All of these former Sect Masters were at the 9th level, their spiritual presence regaining clarity even in their weakened state. Among their followers were many elders and disciples at the 8th and 7th levels, all willing to stand under the Frost Moon Palace banner.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace looked over them with quiet pride. "Then from this moment on… we are one sect."
Chapter 793 – "The Alchemy of Two Worlds"
The women Alex had rescued — Sect Masters, elders, disciples — were strong cultivators, but after centuries trapped in the ice, their vitality was still weak, their meridians sluggish. Even those who had woken fully couldn't yet draw on their cultivation without feeling drained.
Alex's eyes swept over them, and his mind was already turning. Pills… no. I can do better than that.
One of the former Sect Masters, curiosity in her tired eyes, asked, "You're thinking of making a pill for us?"
Alex gave a small, almost reluctant smile. "Something like that. Maybe a little different." He paused, then added, "Maybe a lot different."
They exchanged glances. Even the Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace tilted her head, clearly interested.
Without further explanation, Alex knelt and summoned a wide, circular platform of smooth black alloy from his storage — it unfolded with a faint hiss, locking into place like a piece of advanced machinery. Strange silver etchings covered its surface, forming an intricate pattern of circles, lines, and runes that pulsed faintly with mana.
"This is…?" Shi Lian asked, her voice trailing off as she took in the device's strange design.
"A lab," Alex said simply. "Or an alchemy table. Depends on how you look at it."
He reached into the air, pulling from his storage an array of ingredients: stalks of ancient ginseng still glowing with life, ice lotus petals that shimmered like frost caught in moonlight, powdered phoenix bone, crushed dragon blood crystal, and a dozen other rare herbs and minerals.
What happened next stunned everyone.
Alex didn't simply toss the ingredients into a furnace. Instead, he used his mana like dozens of invisible hands — lifting, rotating, and even splitting ingredients into their component parts. A ginseng root spun in midair, its outer skin peeling away in glowing ribbons, while the core was extracted and suspended separately. Ice lotus petals dissolved into glittering mist under a controlled wave of fire mana, while tiny motes of pure frost essence were gathered in a hovering glass sphere.
The onlookers gasped as Alex conjured multiple mana lenses in the air, refracting light to analyze purity levels, while runic circles on the platform adjusted in color and rotation to stabilize the volatile energies. It looked like a fusion of a scientist's lab and a mage's spellwork — precision and calculation blended with raw magical force.
He layered Law of Mana to control the entire process, Law of Fire to burn away impurities without harming the essence, and Law of Ice to preserve delicate compounds that would otherwise decay under heat. At one point, a cluster of powdered mineral floated above his hand, where he separated every grain by density and mana signature — a feat that looked almost surgical.
"Alchemy…?" one of the elders whispered.
"No," the Glacial Spirit Pavilion Sect Master murmured, unable to look away. "This is… something else."
Alex's voice cut through their awe. "Alchemy on my world doesn't always mean cauldrons and flames. Sometimes, it's chemistry. Sometimes, it's engineering. And sometimes—" he snapped his fingers, and the hovering ingredients swirled together, condensing into a sphere of liquid light, "—it's both."
The gathered essences merged inside a floating containment sphere formed entirely from his mana. In it, fire and ice mana danced together in perfect harmony, life magic weaving through them to bind their properties into a single, potent elixir. The liquid glowed with shifting colors, like a miniature aurora trapped in glass.
When the last mote of energy fused into the mix, Alex gently released it into a set of transparent vials that materialized along the edge of the platform. Each vial sealed itself with a thin film of mana, locking in the power.
He stood, holding one of them up to the light. "This isn't a pill. It's better. No risk of rejection, no loss of potency over time. Drink it, and you'll recover faster than you thought possible."
Even the most battle-hardened Sect Masters stared in silence — because they knew they were witnessing a method of creation their world had never seen.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace accepted the first vial, holding it up between her fingers. The liquid inside swirled with faint ribbons of blue, gold, and silver, almost hypnotic.
She glanced at Alex once. "It's safe?"
"It's made for you," he replied simply.
Without further hesitation, she uncorked it and drank.
The effect was instant.
Her eyes widened as a rush of warmth spread from her chest, flooding her meridians in a tidal wave of vitality. The lingering chill of the ice prison evaporated from her limbs, replaced by a balanced surge of energy — not wild and forceful like a pill's burst, but smooth, steady, and absolute.
She exhaled sharply, looking down at her hands as a faint glow of pure mana radiated from her skin. "My… my meridians feel completely clear. Even the hidden frost damage is gone."
The others watched with wide eyes.
"This is… impossible," the former Sect Master of Glacial Spirit Pavilion murmured. "Even the best ninth-grade restoration pill can't heal this quickly without side effects."
The Frost Moon Palace Sect Master turned to Alex, her gaze intense. "Can your world… do this?"
Alex hesitated, meeting her eyes for a moment before answering. "It came from my world, yes. But the formula, the process… I created it myself." His voice dropped slightly, serious now. "And I've never revealed it to anyone else. If something like this became common knowledge, it wouldn't just cause envy — it would cause chaos. Entire realms would burn to control it."
The Sect Master held his gaze a moment longer, then nodded slowly, understanding the weight of his words. "Then I will speak of it to no one."
Yu Mei's lips curved faintly. "Wise choice. And also… a lucky one, considering he's willing to give it to you."
The other Sect Masters exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of awe, envy, and relief as they realized just how valuable the man before them truly was.
One by one, the vials passed from hand to hand.
At first, there was only the soft sound of corks being pulled and liquid being swallowed. Then the reactions began.
A former elder of Silver Winter Temple gasped aloud, clutching her wrists. "My… my meridians—! They've been blocked for three hundred years. Even before I was trapped here. It's… it's gone. The blockage is gone!"
Another woman, a disciple from Crystal Lotus Hall, blinked in shock as tears welled in her eyes. "The old wound in my dantian… it's healed. I haven't felt this whole since I was a child."
The air was filled with murmurs, exclamations, even quiet sobs of relief. Chronic frost damage melted away as if it had never been. Stubborn injuries from cultivation mishaps — the kind that no amount of pills or elixirs could fix — were simply erased. Even those who had suffered incomplete breakthroughs in the past now felt their foundation solidify, their cultivation stabilizing.
Some stared at their hands in wonder as vitality surged back into their bodies, skin regaining its healthy glow, eyes brightening as if years had fallen away.
"This… this is beyond ninth-grade medicine," the former Sect Master of Glacial Spirit Pavilion whispered, trembling. "This isn't just restoration… it's rebirth."
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace looked at Alex with a calm face, but there was no mistaking the gratitude — and the dangerous level of respect — in her eyes.
Yu Mei stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the miracle unfold. She didn't need to say it aloud, but her smirk made her thoughts clear: Every single one of them owes him now.
Once the Sect Masters had finished, the remaining vials were passed to the elders and disciples.
The younger cultivators hesitated for only a moment before drinking, the shimmering liquid sliding down their throats like cool spring water. Within seconds, the changes began.
One disciple from Snow Jade Hall clutched her chest in shock. "The cold poison that's been eating away at me for decades… it's gone!"
Another, an elder from Glacial Spirit Pavilion, flexed her fingers slowly, her voice trembling. "My right arm was crippled in a duel seventy years ago. I've never been able to channel qi through it since… until now."
Others found their vision sharpening, old bone injuries mending, or their breathing growing deep and smooth for the first time in centuries. A few even discovered that their cultivation bottlenecks had loosened, the stagnant flow of qi in their bodies surging forward as if urging them to break through.
The cavern filled with voices — gasps, laughter, and cries of disbelief.
"This is impossible…" murmured a Crystal Lotus Hall disciple, pressing her hands to her abdomen. "Even the most expensive pills in the Central Continent couldn't do this."
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace simply watched, her expression unreadable, but inside, she was taking in every reaction, every regained strength, every life Alex had just changed. She understood now — this wasn't just a rescue. This was the foundation of a new allegiance, forged in gratitude and awe.
Yu Mei, standing close to Shi Lian, murmured just loud enough for her aunt to hear, "Now they're his, whether they realize it or not."
Chapter 794 – "The Final Two Weeks"
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace gathered the leaders together once the last of the rescued women had regained their strength. Her voice was calm, but carried a firmness that made even the former Sect Masters listen closely.
"In another fourteen days, this secret territory will close," she began. "When that happens, it will forcibly teleport everyone still inside to the entrance. No one will be able to re-enter until the next opening, which could be decades from now."
The women exchanged glances, the weight of her words sinking in.
"We now number close to a thousand cultivators between the 7th and 8th levels," she continued, "as well as the four of you—" her gaze moved to the former Sect Masters of Snow Jade Hall, Glacial Spirit Pavilion, Silver Winter Temple, and Crystal Lotus Hall "—all of whom are 9th level. With this strength, we would be foolish to scatter in small groups."
The former Sect Master of Glacial Spirit Pavilion nodded in agreement. "Alone, we are prey for any force that sees us as competition. Together… we are an army."
"Exactly," the Frost Moon Palace Sect Master said. "We should form a united group for the remainder of our time here. We'll move together, gather as many resources as possible, and ensure no one is left behind when the territory closes."
The former Sect Master of Silver Winter Temple glanced at the gathered cultivators, her expression calculating. "With this many high-level fighters, even the strongest beast or rival sect group will think twice before attacking."
Alex stood slightly to the side, arms folded, listening. It was a sound plan — not just for safety, but for efficiency. Moving together meant that every treasure found could be secured without fear of ambush, and any threats could be dealt with swiftly.
Yu Mei leaned closer to Shi Lian with a faint smirk. "This is going to be interesting. A thousand skilled cultivators, all under Frost Moon Palace's banner… and all owing him their lives."
Shi Lian's lips curved just slightly. "Yes… very interesting."
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace had been listening quietly as the group rested and made their plans, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Shi Lian.
Recognition stirred in her memory, and slowly, pieces of old rumors and fragments of sect news came together. She had heard of this woman before — not in person, but through whispers passed between powerful sect leaders.
Shi Lian… Heavenly Phoenix Hall.
The Frost Moon Palace Sect Master remembered the tales: how Shi Lian had been married to their Sect Master under the guise of an alliance, only for the truth to emerge that she had been taken by force. She recalled the uglier rumors — how the Heavenly Phoenix Hall leader had passed his own wife to his so-called allies in exchange for political favors.
Her fingers tightened slightly at the memory. She herself had suffered betrayal and loss — her lover had abandoned her, taking no responsibility for the promises he had made. That wound had left scars she thought were deep enough to understand anyone's pain.
But as she looked at Shi Lian now, graceful and composed even after all she'd endured, she realized… this woman's fate was worse.
The Frost Moon Palace Sect Master's betrayal had been one act — cruel, yes, but singular. Shi Lian's suffering had been drawn out for years, perhaps decades, forced to smile while being used as nothing more than a bargaining piece. To be abandoned was agony; to be bound in humiliation without end was a different kind of cruelty entirely.
The thought made her chest tighten. And yet… she stands here now, free.
Her eyes softened, though she said nothing aloud. But deep inside, she found a rare kind of respect blooming for the woman at Alex's side.
Shi Lian felt the weight of the Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace's gaze and turned her head slightly, meeting it with calm eyes. For a brief moment, the two women simply regarded one another — one reading silent respect, the other acknowledging it.
Then Shi Lian spoke, her tone clear and steady. "If you're wondering… yes. I have a new husband now." She let her hand rest lightly against Alex's arm. "His name is Alex."
A ripple of surprise spread through the group.
Several of the former Sect Masters blinked in astonishment, some exchanging looks with their elders. A few disciples gasped quietly, while others frowned in confusion — they had not heard her name before, let alone her story.
The Sect Master of Silver Winter Temple tilted her head. "Husband? After… what happened before?" Her voice held no mockery, only genuine surprise.
Shi Lian's lips curved, but there was no bitterness in her expression. "Yes. Because this time, it was my choice. And I will never regret it."
Yu Mei's eyes softened for a moment as she glanced at her aunt, then she smirked at the shocked expressions around them. "Some of you don't know her history. Maybe one day, you'll hear it. But for now… just know that Alex isn't like the men you've known."
The murmurs continued, but the atmosphere shifted. The revelation was not just a personal statement — it was a declaration. Shi Lian was no longer someone bound by the cruelty of her past. She was claiming her present openly, and no one could mistake who stood at her side.
Shi Lian's gaze swept across the gathered women. She could see the questions in their eyes — the curiosity, the pity, and in some, the silent judgment. She exhaled slowly, deciding she would not hide what she had endured.
"You should know," she began, her voice steady despite the weight of her words, "that before I met Alex, I was… nothing more than a bargaining piece for the man who claimed to be my husband."
A faint ripple went through the group, but she continued.
"I was taken by the Sect Master of Heavenly Phoenix Hall. Not as a wife by choice, but by force. And because of our sect's traditions — and the fear of sparking political conflict between sects — I was forced to remain by his side, to call him my husband."
She did not soften the truth. "He used me as a reward to please his allies. He sent me to share the bed of those whose loyalty he wanted to buy, or whose cooperation he sought in forming alliances. I was passed from hand to hand, treated as nothing more than a body to be used. I endured it for years, because speaking out would have brought ruin to my family and war to my sect."
The silence in the cavern deepened. Some disciples looked down, unable to meet her eyes. Others stared at her with a mixture of horror and sympathy.
"But then," Shi Lian said, her voice growing warmer, "I met Alex." She looked at him — not with shame, but with pride. "He didn't see me as something ruined. He didn't pity me. He loved me. And for the first time in my life, I was free to choose who I gave myself to."
A murmur rose among the crowd, low and uncertain. Many of these women had come from ice-related sects, their disciples all female, their cultivation techniques tied to purity and discipline. In their world, most of them had never been with a man — and the idea of a husband who could accept a woman who had been with many was almost unthinkable.
The former Sect Master of Glacial Spirit Pavilion voiced what several were thinking. "You… don't feel shame? And you," she turned to Alex, "you can truly love a woman who—" She stopped herself before finishing, but the meaning was clear.
Alex stepped forward then, his voice calm but carrying enough weight that every ear turned toward him.
"I don't measure my wife's worth by what was forced upon her," he said. "I don't care how many men touched her in the past, because that was not her choice. What matters is that we love each other now, and that our hearts belong to each other. That's enough for me. And it should be enough for anyone who claims to care about her."
His words carried no hesitation, no defensiveness — only certainty.
Shi Lian smiled faintly, her heart warm. "That is why I will stand with him for the rest of my life."
The crowd was quiet for several long moments. Then, slowly, the expressions of judgment began to fade, replaced by something else — understanding, respect, and in a few faces, admiration.
Chapter 795 – "The Weight of His Words"
Of all the women listening, none was more shaken by Alex's words than the Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace.
Her gaze stayed fixed on him long after he finished speaking, his voice still echoing in her mind: "I don't measure my wife's worth by what was forced upon her."
Unbidden, memories rose like old ghosts. She was younger then — dressed in her bridal robes, standing in the great hall of her sect, her heart pounding with anticipation. Her betrothed was a man she had trusted for years, a fellow prodigy of ice cultivation. They had trained together, fought alongside each other, and dreamed of building a future together.
But on the day of their wedding, as the guests gathered and the incense burned, a messenger arrived. The groom would not be coming.
Hours later, the truth reached her: he had chosen another woman, the daughter of a great power far stronger than her own sect. It wasn't love — it was ambition. A better alliance, more resources, more influence.
He had traded her away like a pawn in a game of power.
The humiliation burned even now, centuries later. She had never forgiven him, nor herself for believing in him. From that day, she had sworn never to let her heart dictate her decisions — that sentiment had no place in the life of a leader.
Yet here was Alex. A man with strength far beyond anyone she had ever known, who could have chosen anyone, who could have judged or discarded Shi Lian without consequence. Instead, he stood openly at her side, valuing love over power, and refusing to let the past define her worth.
It was… unsettling. And quietly, somewhere deep inside, it was also something she had once longed for.
Her fingers curled at her side, nails biting lightly into her palm. Why does a man like that exist now, when I no longer believe such things are possible?
She tore her gaze away, but the thought lingered — and so did the faint ache in her chest.
Off to the side, Lan Xueya sat quietly among her fellow disciples, her gaze fixed on Alex. She hadn't exchanged a single word with him since the rescue, yet she found herself unable to look away.
It wasn't just his strength — though she had seen enough to know he was unmatched — it was the way he spoke without arrogance, the way his eyes held conviction when he defended Shi Lian. It was the kind of presence that didn't need to demand respect because it commanded it naturally.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace noticed the look in Lan Xueya's eyes. It was subtle — a softness, an unguarded warmth she rarely showed to anyone.
Her own gaze flicked back to Alex, and a thought formed unbidden. So… that's it. Even without speaking, he draws people in.
She looked again at Lan Xueya, and a small, almost imperceptible sigh escaped her. I think I understand now why she's taken with him, even though they've never exchanged a word.
It was strange — understanding didn't lessen her own unsettled feelings about him. If anything, it deepened them.
Yu Mei, who had been watching the shifting atmosphere with her usual calm confidence, decided to speak up.
"For the record," she said, her voice smooth and carrying easily through the cavern, "I'm also Alex's wife."
The ripple of surprise that ran through the gathered women was almost tangible. Several turned sharply toward her, eyes wide.
"You…?" one elder from Glacial Spirit Pavilion began, then hesitated before asking the question that was clearly on many minds. "Have you… been with him? In that way?"
Yu Mei didn't even blink. "Many times."
A collective murmur swept the group, this time tinged with more than just curiosity. The women here were all from ice-related sects, their disciples raised in all-female environments, their cultivation techniques tied to ideals of purity. In their unspoken rules, once a woman had been with a man, her ice aura would inevitably weaken.
Yet Yu Mei's presence was like standing before an endless glacier — her ice aura radiated with such power that even the former Sect Masters could feel the biting chill woven into it. It was sharper, stronger, and deeper than any of theirs.
One of the younger disciples whispered, "That's… impossible. How can her aura be so strong if she's not—" She cut herself off, cheeks reddening.
Yu Mei smirked, clearly aware of the thought running through their minds. "Your little rules about purity have nothing to do with true strength. And Alex…" her gaze softened ever so slightly, "…has only made me stronger."
That statement landed like a shard of ice in still water, sending subtle ripples through the group's assumptions.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace watched the reactions closely, noting who looked skeptical, who looked intrigued… and who looked envious.
A faint hum of power surrounded Yu Mei now, subtle but undeniable. The cultivators present — especially the higher-level ones — could feel it. Her ice aura wasn't just potent; it carried the weight of someone who had stepped beyond the threshold.
"She's… at Level 9," one of the former Sect Masters murmured, her voice almost disbelieving.
Yu Mei's lips curved. "That's right. Twenty-two years old, and already Level 9."
The statement landed like a thunderclap. A few women actually gasped aloud.
Lan Xueya's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her normally composed features. "Impossible… Twenty days ago, when the competition began, you were still at Level 8."
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace spoke next, her tone sharper but laced with the same shock. "I sensed you myself back then. You couldn't have been hiding your true cultivation — your aura was clearly at Level 8."
Yu Mei didn't deny it. "You're correct. Twenty days ago, I was at Level 8." Her gaze flicked to Alex, her smile deepening. "And now, thanks to him… I am not."
The murmurs in the cavern rose again, louder this time, tinged with both awe and confusion. For cultivators from ice-related sects — who knew how brutally difficult it was to advance into the 9th level — such a leap in such a short time was unthinkable.
The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace felt her thoughts churn. If this is what happens to those close to him… then his value is far greater than I imagined.
Yu Mei let the murmurs build for a few moments before speaking again, her voice calm but carrying easily through the cavern.
"Alex is… special," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Being with him doesn't taint me, and it doesn't weaken my ice element. In fact…" she let a faint trace of her aura ripple outward, the air around her chilling sharply enough that frost began to form on the cavern floor, "…it strengthens it."
The temperature drop was immediate and tangible. Even the most seasoned ice cultivators in the room could feel the purity and density of her ice qi — it was like standing at the heart of an eternal glacier, its presence both suffocating and awe-inspiring.
Some of the women exchanged incredulous looks. For them, physical intimacy with a man was thought to dilute the yin purity required for their cultivation. And yet here stood Yu Mei — not weakened, but undeniably stronger.
Lan Xueya stared openly now, her usual reserve gone. The Sect Master of Frost Moon Palace's gaze narrowed slightly, but it wasn't skepticism in her eyes anymore — it was calculation.
Yu Mei's smirk was faint, but her words were deliberate. "What you think you know about cultivation, about yin and yang, isn't the whole truth. Not when it comes to him."
Her eyes met Alex's briefly, and for just a moment, there was something like quiet triumph in her expression.