Bai Ke instinctively felt that this Huo Junxiao was a fake.

 

When Bai Ke's consciousness was muddled and cold sweat drenched his body, that cry for help barely made a ripple in his foggy mind before sinking away, without even an echo.

He was barely holding onto his own life—how could he save someone else? It was almost laughable...

Bai Ke chuckled weakly in his daze, but the cold air that rushed into his lungs choked him, causing his entire body to shake with the coughs. He curled up even tighter, the pain in his chest intensifying.

In that moment, an uncontrollable wave of frustration and anger surged within him.

For eighteen years, Bai Ke had never done anything to be ashamed of, nor had he owed any debts that would warrant such retribution. How did it come to this?

He had never truly resented his father, who was mad and erratic. He had grown used to his own blindness and the curse that came with it. He had lived quietly in that dilapidated neighborhood, following the rules. How did he end up catching the attention of these so-called immortals? Why did they all set their sights on him?

In just two days, how much inexplicable suffering had he endured?

Repeatedly, he had narrowly escaped death. Even Bai Zixu, who was even more clueless than he was, had been dragged into this world.

In the mundane world, Bai Ke could still struggle to survive alongside Bai Zixu, managing to carve out some semblance of a life. But in this world, where they were nothing more than ants in the eyes of those powerful cultivators, how could one ant protect another and ensure their safety?

Before Bai Ke could find an answer to this question, he had already brushed against death's door several times.

So what if it was about ascending to immortality? Forget it! One quick slice to the neck, and you'd be on your way to the heavens in no time... What a pointless endeavor! That was Bai Ke's previous mindset.

However, as he lay curled up on the icy ground, whether it was the repeated brushes with death that had awakened a deeply buried temper within him, or the "Ice Soul" beneath him that amplified his emotions, or perhaps a combination of both... Suddenly, a strong urge to cultivate arose within him.

It wasn't just to restore his eyesight or safely remove the Seven Star Pill implanted in his body. It was also to become powerful and invincible, to shed the identity of a helpless ant, to no longer be at the mercy of others, to protect the people he cared about, and to ensure their safety.

In this world, anyone who achieves great success in any field does so because they have something special, either a strong initial impulse or an extraordinarily persistent pursuit. With countless people walking the narrow path of the Dao, if you don't have an exceptional beginning or an outstanding journey, how can you expect to achieve extraordinary results?

Even those who cultivate the Dao must begin with a deep obsession to eventually transcend it and attain enlightenment.

One should begin with a small stream to ultimately reach the immensity of the ocean.

Bai Ke's shock and anger had coalesced into a surge of energy within his body. It swelled and filled him up, flowing through his meridians and circulating several times, gradually warming his limbs and restoring his strength.

During this period, his awareness slowly returned to clarity, and the scene before him became clearer. However, when he finally saw what was in front of him, he was once again stunned.

On the vast expanse of the "Ice Soul," there were swirling wisps of smoke, glowing with faint fluorescence. At first glance, they appeared like scattered starlight floating in the air, but a closer look revealed something chilling. Among the wisps of smoke, he could vaguely make out faces—indistinct, but with some features suggesting men and women, old and young.

These faces were densely floating around him, their dark, lifeless eyes staring blankly at Bai Ke.

Though the faces were not clear, Bai Ke could discern a subtle hint of madness in their hollow eyes, as if they regarded him as prey, encircling him.

The reason they only surrounded him from a distance without advancing was due to the person kneeling in front of Bai Ke.

This person, whose form was also somewhat ethereal, had very distinct features.

Bai Ke's gaze traveled slowly from the person's slanted brows and hawk-like eyes, down the straight nose, through the thin, tightly pressed lips, and along the sharply defined jawline, finally settling on the person’s transparent, ethereal body. He could even see the starlit glow through this figure.

The person's hand remained in place on Bai Ke's forehead. From where the hand touched, a gentle warmth continuously flowed in.

This faint warmth was what dispelled the intense pain and cold that had tormented him before.

“Huo... Junxiao?”

Bai Ke hesitated and called out the name with surprise. His voice was hoarse and dry from the recent pain, struggle, and coughing.

“How did you...” He furrowed his brow, struggling to make sense of the situation before him.

In Bai Ke’s perception, given Junxiao’s unfathomable abilities, it wasn’t entirely impossible for him to silently appear before Bai Ke in the Sanqing Pool. If it were just that, Bai Ke wouldn’t be so surprised.

However, the Huo Junxiao before him was different from what he usually saw. This transparent, ethereal form that seemed as though it would dissipate with a gust of wind was starkly different from his usual presence.

The regular Huo Junxiao was tall and silent, his dark figure always exuding an oppressive aura. Even when standing casually, he carried the demeanor of a powerful figure, constantly giving off the impression of someone not to be messed with.

In contrast, the figure before Bai Ke, while more animated, still seemed to carry a sense of lifelessness and detachment. It resembled more closely the hollow-eyed phantoms surrounding him.

Bai Ke instinctively felt that this Huo Junxiao was a fake.

Perhaps it was an illusion created by one of these spirits, or perhaps his own intense, life-threatening plea had conjured this image. After all, this "Ice Soul" seemed to amplify consciousness and manifest it in another form, similar to the coldness that had nearly frozen him to death.

But if it was an illusion created by these spirits, why would they, who seemed eager to devour him, bother to save him?

If it was a product of his imagination, it was equally bizarre—how could an imagined figure possibly rescue him from danger? If thinking of Huo Junxiao could resolve every problem, it would seem a bit far-fetched. Even if this "Ice Soul" was extraordinary, it wouldn’t be that miraculous, right?

Facing the half-formed question, "Huo Junxiao" opened his mouth but did not produce any sound.

From the shape of his mouth, Bai Ke could tell it wasn’t a response to his question. The words seemed to be “Master,” judging by lip reading.

Normally, Bai Ke would feel a bit of a headache whenever Junxiao mentioned this title. After all, he had no idea about the backstory or context, and being treated with such reverence by someone so much stronger than him would naturally feel uncomfortable and pressuring. But at this moment, Bai Ke didn’t experience that sense of entanglement and helplessness.

The strange magnetic field of this "Ice Soul" seemed to be affecting him, making him feel somewhat unlike himself.

He even felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scene, as if he had seen something like it before—phantoms densely surrounding him, with a tall, defiant man standing before him, his expression a mix of sorrow and joy.

In that moment, Bai Ke felt as if something was about to surge out from his mind, but it was pressed back by a sharp, needle-like pain.

The pain made him flinch.

The kneeling "Huo Junxiao" reached out anxiously, as if wanting to hold him, but then seemed to reconsider. Ultimately, the transparent hands ended up with one resting on Bai Ke’s shoulder and the other gently placed on his forehead.

The not-so-intense warmth flowed back into his body, perfectly easing the pain.

Bai Ke took a breath and suddenly found the situation somewhat amusing.

Just two days ago, he had thought that aside from his visual impairment and somewhat lean physique, his constitution was not worse than anyone else’s. In fact, due to his need to care for Bai Zixu, his physical resilience was stronger than many. Yet, in these short two days, through repeated fainting and pain, his past eighteen years had been almost upended, and his self-perception had been refreshed to something almost like Lin Daiyu. (NT: Central character in the classic Chinese novel ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’ written by Cao Xueqin. She is portrayed as a well-educated, intelligent, witty and beautiful young woman of physical frailness prone to occasional melancholy.)

Once he felt a bit better, Bai Ke propped himself up. "Huo Junxiao" helped him to his feet, half supporting, half holding him up, then hesitated before withdrawing his hand, looking somewhat reluctant.

Bai Ke looked at him in confusion, and saw him gesture with his hand, then silently pointed in a certain direction, indicating for Bai Ke to leave.

For some reason, Bai Ke didn’t feel the typical pressure when facing this "Junxiao" and felt unusually relaxed. With a continuous flow of energy circulating through his meridians and the cold lessening, Bai Ke wasn’t in a hurry to leave and instead asked “Junxiao”: “Why should I leave? What is this place? The Sect Master said this place is called the Sanqing Pool and that it can restore my vision to normal.”

"Huo Junxiao" frowned, seemed to not understand, and stubbornly continued to point in the direction for Bai Ke to leave.

Bai Ke was even more puzzled and decided to change his question: “Are you really Huo Junxiao?”

"Huo Junxiao" nodded, then thought for a moment and shook his head.

Bai Ke: “……” It was impossible to communicate.

Seeing Bai Ke’s helpless expression, "Huo Junxiao" stopped acting strangely, and firmly shook his head, lowering his eyes, and silently said, “No.”

“Then who are you—” Bai Ke was about to ask further, but saw that the “Huo Junxiao” suddenly looked up at the pitch-black sky, seemingly looking at something, then waved his hand at Bai Ke, continuing silently, “Leave quickly, it's almost midnight, get out of here!”

After speaking, he waved his sleeve, and Bai Ke felt a flash before his eyes, his body lifted, and his whole person suddenly rose into the air.

When he regained his footing, he found himself back between the cliff walls, his left hand still holding the "Night Pearl" which had somehow ended up on the "Ice Soul."

 

Translator : DarNan