Chapter 21: Awakening

"Brother Luo Shan, you are mighty!"
"Brother Luo Shan, you are mighty!"
...
A round of cheers erupted, sounding almost like a chorus of worship.
Luo Shan stood there, completely bewildered, having no idea what had happened.
Just then, two figures approached him.
He quickly cupped his hands and bowed: "Greetings, Father! Greetings, Sect Master!"
The newcomers were none other than the Sect Master, Yu Xiong, and his father, Luo Changgu, the Fourth Elder of the Wangyue Sect.
Yu Xiong looked at Luo Shan and smiled: "Luo Shan, it seems you have successfully broken through to the sixth level of the Blood Condensation Realm. Not bad, not bad at all!"
Luo Shan nodded slightly: "It is all thanks to the Second-Grade Blood Pill my father gave me. It allowed the foundation I had suppressed for a year to finally erupt and improve with full force!"
Yu Xiong nodded slightly and smiled: "Luo Shan, you are truly impressive. Although you only broke through to the sixth level of the Blood Condensation Realm, you actually managed to trigger a heavenly phenomenon."
"A heavenly phenomenon?"
Luo Shan was completely blank.
Luo Changgu was stunned: "What? Shan'er, you didn't know you just triggered a heavenly phenomenon? These disciples gathered here not only to congratulate you on your breakthrough but also because they were shocked that you had invoked such a phenomenon!"
Luo Shan was dumbfounded.
So that was it.
He still didn't know for sure if he was the one who had truly caused it.
However, at this moment, with so many people looking at him with such adoration, and the Sect Master himself coming over to praise him, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction in his heart!
Yu Xiong continued, "Legend has it that those who can trigger a heavenly phenomenon during a breakthrough are surely favored by the Heavenly Dao. Those favored by the Heavenly Dao will find their martial path smooth and auspicious; they can go higher and further, and in the future, they are destined to become titans. Luo Shan, you are one such person! Starting tomorrow, the sect will spare no effort to cultivate you and make you a role model for all disciples! Furthermore, the Ancestor has decreed: once his birthday celebration concludes tomorrow, he will take you as his personal disciple and bring you to the sect's back mountain to cultivate!"
The disciples widened their eyes, faces filled with envy.
Luo Changgu and his son, Luo Shan, were even more ecstatic.
To become the Ancestor's disciple and enter the sect's back mountain to cultivate!
Either one of these would be a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity.
Luo Changgu quickly looked at Luo Shan and urged: "Shan'er, what are you waiting for? Hurry and thank the Sect Master!"
Luo Shan bowed deeply to Yu Xiong: "Thank you, Sect Master!"
...
Meanwhile, outside the Cangling Realm, in the Profound Ice Heavenly Realm.
This Profound Ice Heavenly Realm was an endless world of ice and snow.
Inside a grand ice palace, a white-haired woman wearing a phoenix crown sat upon a throne.
Her eyes were slightly closed, her right hand propping up her head, as if she were maintaining a lazy posture of rest.
Then, perhaps realizing something, she suddenly opened her eyes. She narrowed them and murmured: "Qingxue, you have finally awakened the Nine Nether Profound Cold Body! You are truly my good daughter. It seems that now that you have grown up, you have also encountered someone you hold dear, heh heh..."
As she spoke, a strange smile curled at the corners of her lips. "However, as the Saintess of my Ice Clan, you cannot be burdened by the affairs of the heart. It is time for you to return. Someone, come here!"
"At your command!"
Following the white-haired woman’s call, a woman clad in white instantly appeared in the ice palace.
She hovered in mid-air, her entire body radiating a terrifying power of profound ice.
The white-haired woman looked at the woman in white and said: "Aunt Xue, Qingxue has awakened the Nine Nether Profound Cold Body. I give you half a month to bring her back. Do not fail me!"
The woman in white was startled, then cupped her hands: "As you command!"
...
In the lower realm of the Cangling Realm, Wangyue Sect, Yunyin Peak.
Inside the room, Yu Yumeng finally regained consciousness.
To her surprise, she was hovering, her feet off the ground.
She slowly descended, and with a detached expression, walked over to Qin Xingchen, who had already turned into an ice sculpture.
She extended her jade-white hand and tapped the ice sculpture with one finger.
*Crack!*
The ice sculpture fractured and shattered instantly.
Rescued, Qin Xingchen gasped for air. He had been unable to breathe, nearly suffocating.
Once his breathing steadied, he looked at Yu Yumeng.
At this moment, although her face was still covered in white gauze, he could feel that her gaze had changed—it felt somewhat foreign to him.
Yet, he still spoke first: "Sister Yumeng, how do you feel?"
Yu Yumeng replied: "I feel that my constitution has fully awakened. Xingchen, thank you."
Qin Xingchen smiled faintly: "Between us, is there any need for thanks?"
Yu Yumeng also smiled faintly and said, "Understood. I won't say it again."
Seeing Yu Yumeng smile, Qin Xingchen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Rumor had it that after awakening the Nine Nether Profound Cold Body, one would become heartless and cold, but it seemed Yu Yumeng had not changed that way.
"Yu Yumeng, what do you think of your current cultivation base?" Qin Xingchen asked.
Yu Yumeng said, "My current cultivation should be at the first level of the Mortal Martial Realm."
"That's incredible!" Qin Xingchen was shocked. "After awakening the Nine Nether Profound Cold Body, I didn't expect your cultivation to leap to the first level of the Mortal Martial Realm in one go. No wonder I couldn't tell!"
Yu Yumeng nodded slightly.
The two fell into silence. The atmosphere remained quiet for a moment.
Qin Xingchen scratched his head awkwardly, then walked over and wrapped his arms around Yu Yumeng’s waist: "Sister Yumeng, since everything is fine now, shall we continue..."
"It's very late. Go to sleep yourself!"
Qin Xingchen wanted to continue what they had been doing, but Yu Yumeng pushed him away, ran to her bed, turned her back to him, covered herself with the quilt, and went to sleep.
Qin Xingchen was stunned. This girl was clamoring for it just a moment ago! Why didn't she want to now? It was strange...
However, since Yu Yumeng didn't want to, he couldn't force her, so he returned to his own bed to sleep.
...
The next day, early morning.
The entire Wangyue Sect became bustling. Today was the birthday of the Sect Ancestor, Yu Tianba.
Representatives from major sects and families near the Wangyue Sect had all been invited to attend.
On Yunyin Peak, Qin Xingchen was helping Yu Yumeng remove the white gauze from her face.
Yu Yumeng was extremely nervous and expectant. She would soon know if her face had truly been healed.
Qin Xingchen smiled: "Sister Yumeng, I'm about to finish unwrapping it. Don't be too nervous."
"Hmm."
Yu Yumeng nodded slightly, but her breathing became rapid.
Once all the white gauze was removed, a peerless face, beautiful enough to take one's breath away, instantly filled Qin Xingchen's vision.
"Xingchen, why aren't you saying anything? Am... am I still ugly?" Yu Yumeng asked, her face full of anxiety. She feared that if she were still ugly, Qin Xingchen wouldn't want to speak.
Qin Xingchen came to his senses and laughed: "No! Yu Yumeng, you are beautiful. You are truly beautiful!"
At this moment, Yu Yumeng's face was as delicate as a flower and as elegant as the moon; she was radiant, bright as spring blossoms, and clear as the moonlight, so beautiful that one could hardly look directly at her.
In his past life, Qin Xingchen had seen many peerless beauties, but compared to Yu Yumeng, they were no match. Even Yu Shanshan, the greatest beauty of the Wangyue Sect, would surely feel inferior if she saw Yu Yumeng's face now.
"Beautiful? Why do I feel like you're lying to me?" Seeing Qin Xingchen's slightly exaggerated expression, Yu Yumeng was skeptical.
However, when Qin Xingchen handed her a mirror, she looked at the completely unfamiliar, stunning face reflecting back at her, and she was utterly stunned.
She touched her face with both hands, disbelieving: "Is... is this me?"
Qin Xingchen said, "Yes. As I just said, you are truly beautiful. Believe me now!"
Yu Yumeng was overjoyed. She embraced Qin Xingchen and began to weep uncontrollably: "Xingchen, thank you. You didn't lie to me, you really healed my face!"
Qin Xingchen smiled: "Isn't becoming beautiful a good thing? Why are you crying? If you keep crying, you'll turn into a little tear-stained kitten!"
Yu Yumeng continued to sob with emotion, as if she were crying out all the grievances she had suffered over the years. Being ugly had always been a dark fog in her heart, causing her to be scorned until now. Having restored her normal appearance, she had not only regained her confidence but finally felt worthy of Qin Xingchen.
Qin Xingchen comforted her: "Alright, stop crying. We still have to go to the Ancestor's birthday celebration. Today, you will surely outshine everyone and be unrivaled!"
...
The Wangyue Sect had a grand reception hall called the Xiaoyao Hall.
In front of the Xiaoyao Hall, crowds were surging, and the atmosphere was lively.
Sitting at the very top of the hall was the Ancestor of the Wangyue Sect, Yu Tianba. Below, the various guests were seated, the hall filled with a low roar of conversation.
Outside the hall, a sect disciple in charge of announcements began to call out:
"Sect Master Li Tianshan of the Luoshan Sect, arrives!"
"City Lord Gu Yue of Tiangu City, arrives!"
"Valley Master Chen Yueming of Fengyue Valley, arrives!"
...
As the announcements continued, representatives of various factions ascended the hall and took their seats.
The announcement voice rang out again:
"Su Zhengyang, Patriarch of the Su family, one of the three great families of the Tianhe Dynasty, arrives with his daughters, Su Jingya and Su Xiaonuan!"
"Lu Tianhong, Patriarch of the Lu family, one of the three great families of the Tianhe Dynasty, arrives with his son, Lu Zitian!"
"Chen Mingyuan, Patriarch of the Chen family, one of the three great families of the Tianhe Dynasty, arrives with his daughter, Chen Lixue!"