Chapter 106: The Lingering Regret Within the Azure Frost Sword

A clear, exhilarating laugh soared into the sky. Elder Yu had reached the level of one of the top cultivators in the Qian Dynasty. Although his ranking was still low, compared to the older monsters ranked above him, he had the advantage of youth—far younger, in fact.

The primary benefit of breaking through realms was the enhancement of strength; a secondary benefit was the extension of lifespan. Cultivators in the Qi Refining stage could live at least 150 years. Upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, their lifespan increased by at least a century. Those in the Golden Core stage could double their lifespan, living four to five hundred years without issue. As for the Nascent Soul stage, except for a rare few exceptions, these were ancient monsters who had lived over a thousand years. Beyond these stages, the truth of "cultivation transcends time" was fully revealed.

Elder Yu had lingered at the peak of the Golden Core stage for many years, with his lifespan nearly exhausted. When his clan suffered catastrophic devastation, his mind was thrown into chaos. Fortunately, Yu Youwei’s Qingshuang Sword, a bloodline treasure, could bypass his defenses. With instruction from Ye Yinchen, she used silver needles to suppress his magical power circulation. The Yanhuo Technique was ranked higher than the Chiyan Technique. Her faint and fragile wood-elemental power dragged him back from the brink of death and allowed him to break through his bottleneck, entering the Nascent Soul stage in one decisive move.

The imperial capital was shaken once more. Strong cultivators swarmed the ruins of the Yu Mansion. The Water Ancestor hurried over as well. Accompanying her was the senior elder of the Xiang family, dressed as a gardener from deep within the palace. Behind them was the beauty known for climbing walls. Clearly displeased, the wall-climbing beauty’s lips pouted as if she could hold an oil jar on them.

Yu Youwei had already left. Accompanied by Wen Shaokun, she took a flying shuttle to the Dongling Prefecture.

The Qian Dynasty was vast and rich in resources. From the capital to Dongling Prefecture, the flying shuttle, traveling at three hundred miles per hour, took half a day. They arrived just past midnight, with many early-rising merchants already starting their day in Dongling.

Occupying nearly half of Dongling City, the Yu Mansion was not as completely destroyed as the one in the capital. The tall walls of blue bricks and green tiles had collapsed in many places; the lush ancient trees were mostly broken. The vermilion lacquered, carved mansion gate bore scorch marks, and the stone lions standing guard on either side had been shattered to rubble. Inside the mansion, an eerie silence prevailed, with no sign of life.

Yu Youwei stood in the street, gazing up at the black-and-gold plaque. It originally bore the two characters for “Yu Mansion,” but the character for “Mansion” was missing. Her eyes involuntarily moistened.

“Ninth Sister, it seems like no one’s here,” Wen Shaokun whispered. A close friend of Yu Shiyu, Wen Shaokun had a ruggedly wild wolf-like aura beneath his handsome exterior. His every move radiated innate nobility, his fair, smooth skin inciting envy in women. His voice was gentle, and his breath carried a subtle, alluring fragrance reminiscent of orchids and musk.

Why would a man wear perfume? Yu Youwei nearly blurted out. She hurried inside, bypassing the screen wall at the entrance, and silently followed the carved blue-brick path. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Lan Wei Residence, where she had once lived.

The damage to Lan Wei Residence was not severe. The furniture and interior arrangements remained as she remembered them. She could even vividly recall the taste of the steamed perch she once ate here—an exquisite flavor she had never experienced before.

“That perch wasn’t ordinary river fish,” a maid named Qiao Mei’s words echoed clearly in her mind. “It was raised in the cold pool within the mansion, rarely served even when distinguished guests visited.”

Yu Youwei’s heart ached sharply, then suddenly jolted. She had accepted her second brother and grandfather, acknowledging their people. For the Yu family, she might still feel a sense of responsibility. But how could she have such deep... attachment?

Yes, attachment—as if every blade of grass and every tree here were intimately familiar to her, a profound, blood-deep bond. Yet, she had only been here once.

Qingshuang was a heritage passed down from her father. Could it be that her father’s lingering consciousness still existed within the Qingshuang Sword? Yu Youwei’s heart raced wildly, an unstoppable thought growing from a sprout into a towering tree.

“Little White Bear, quickly check if there’s any remnant of my father’s consciousness inside the Qingshuang Sword!” Yu Youwei blurted out.

“Let that arrogant, useless second-rate Chiyan Sword Spirit do it. Bear Master is too busy,” the Little White Bear stretched lazily inside the Beast Control Token.

“How dare you speak to me like that? Just because you’re busy, do you think I have all day?” the Chiyan Sword Spirit roared.

Turning over inside the token, the Little White Bear crossed its legs and said, “You’re such a fool. Bear Master can’t be bothered teaching you. At your rate, even ten thousand years won’t be enough for you to recover.”

Yu Youwei braced herself for the Sword Spirit’s deafening roar but was instead met with an obsequious smile. “Brother Bear, then how do you suggest we do it?”

“Call me Bear Master and be my sworn brother—you're not worthy yet,” the Little White Bear said arrogantly, the face of a petty upstart.

“Bear Master, you’re a good person—please tell me,” the Sword Spirit begged shamelessly.

“Bear Master is a divine beast; you’re just a fool,” the Little White Bear scolded, then, as the Sword Spirit obediently listened, he generously explained that they must first repair the Qingshuang Sword and then use the life energy contained within it to restore themselves.

“Life energy inside the Qingshuang Sword?” Yu Youwei asked curiously. She had always thought life energy was a fabrication, existing only in legend. But the Little White Bear suddenly claimed her Qingshuang Sword contained life energy?

“The Qingshuang Sword doesn’t have life energy. How else do you think you, this useless one, can resist all poisons? Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained,” the Little White Bear rolled its eyes.

Talking to this little bear was infuriating. Suppressing the urge to strangle it, Yu Youwei asked gruffly, “Is there any remnant of my father’s consciousness inside the Qingshuang Sword?”

“Can’t you sense it yourself?”

“If I could sense it, would I need to ask you?”

Frustrated and furious, Yu Youwei shouted, startling Wen Shaokun, who was searching elsewhere. He drew his sword and rushed in, pulling her behind him protectively. Looking around and seeing nothing, he asked with a puzzled expression, “Ninth Sister, what’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Seeing Wen Shaokun’s obvious disbelief, Yu Youwei awkwardly lied, “Just a dead cockroach. I’ll squash it sooner or later.”

Women might not fear lions or tigers, but many were afraid of snakes and insects, even harmless cockroaches. Wen Shaokun understood and went back out to continue the search.

Yu Youwei didn’t linger long at Lan Wei Residence before moving on to the adjacent Anqing Hall.

The courtyard of Anqing Hall housed formation arrays set by the Yu family’s ancestors, and the damage here was lighter than at Lan Wei Residence. In the center of the yard stood a withered phoenix tree, sprouting a few tender shoots. Brown moss covered its wrinkles. Two dried-leaf butterflies fluttered among the barren branches. This phoenix tree had been personally planted by the Yu family’s patriarch. Even after many years without leaves, no one had thought to cut it down for firewood.

A faint, brief ripple emerged from the Qingshuang Sword. Yu Youwei sensed it clearly and choked back tears, whispering, “Father?”