It was the last month of the year, after a snowstorm.
A fur-coated Gong Yan’er was sitting on the second floor of a building with a furnace. She held a cup of warmed spirit tea as she looked in the direction of the back garden. This was the only spot in the entire Meng Manor compound which allowed one to see past the back garden’s wall. There, she could spot a figure sitting cross-legged beside the lake. That motionless figure was already covered in a layer of snow, making it resemble a snowman.
“Yiqiu.” Gong Yan’er’s heart pained for him. “You are already invincible. Sixteen years ago, you could slice open the void with one strike. You still have so much time ahead of you to cultivate. Why do you need to cultivate so arduously?”
Although her heart pained for him, Gong Yan’er also felt conflicted. Although Qin Yun allowed her to stay in the manor, she had never been given an official title. She wasn’t even given the title of concubine, much less that of wife.
“I know that he has always bore a grudge towards me. His poisoning and master’s death happened on my account. Even before that, I was using him. He can’t get over any of that.” Gong Yan’er knew very well that if not for her son, she would probably not be permitted to stay in the manor.
“Regardless, he has treated Huan’er very well. He is very courteous to me too,” thought Gong Yan’er.
Although she did not have any official title, she was still considered Meng Yiqiu’s only woman! As the mother of Meng Yiqiu’s son, Gong Yan’er still possessed extreme influence. Be it the Chu Kingdom’s royalty, the Zhou Mountain Sword Sect, or the major factions of the world, none of them dared to offend her.
“There’s Huan’er too. He is still hesitant towards that Tantai Yun. He’s not decisive enough. Then again, she is the first woman Huan’er ever liked.” Thirty percent of Gong Yan’er’s thoughts were on Qin Yun while the rest was on her son.
And at that moment—
At the other end of Meng Manor.
“Sister Zhong! Sister Zhong!” Meng Huan ran to Zhong Lin’s residence.
“Xiao Huan.” Zhong Lin, who was dressed in a snow-white cloak, walked out of a study. She said with a smile, “What brought you here on such a snowy day?”
In response, Meng Huan came close to Zhong Lin, making her feel somewhat constrained.
“Sister Zhong, will you marry me?” Meng Huan asked. Even his voice was trembling.
Zhong Lin’s body quivered as she could not help but look up at Meng Huan.
Their eyes met.
“Xiao Huan…” Zhong Lin’s head was abuzz with thoughts, as though it was about to explode.
“Are you not agreeable to it?” Meng Huan turned nervous. It was apparently his own wishful thinking.
When Zhong Lin heard that, she immediately reacted and shook her head repeatedly.
Meng Huan was taken aback.
“Of course, yes. Yes, I will.” Zhong Lin was crying tears of joy as she answered quickly.
Over the past half year, Zhong Lin’s heart when through all kinds of upheavals. She had accompanied Meng Huan while he suffered from depression. It resulted in them becoming closer. Later on, Meng Huan learned that Tantai Yun had fallen ill. He visited her, but did not cut off ties with Zhong Lin. Meng Huan seemed to hate himself and had been in a long dilemma. Zhong Lin accompanied him silently, unwilling to put any pressure on him.
What Meng Huan said today made Zhong Lin burst out in tears of joy.
In the study.
Meng Huan and Zhong Lin were speaking to each other in close proximity. After Meng Huan made up his mind, he felt his thoughts become infinitely more relaxed.
“In a while, I’ll tell my mother about us. My mother will definitely agree to it,” said Meng Huan. “My father is still cultivating in seclusion. It’s been a few months so it will probably not be long before he exits seclusion. My marriage definitely needs my father’s approval.”
“Okay.” Zhong Lin was somewhat worried. “Will Uncle Meng be very strict?”
“My father treats me really well. Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be afraid of,” said Meng Huan with a smile.
Zhong Lin nodded.
Meng Huan suddenly stood up. “I’m going to practice my sword.”
“Alright.” Zhong Lin smiled as she accompanied him to the corridor. She then watched Meng Huan enter the yard to begin his sword practice on the snow-laden ground.
Sweet bliss filled Meng Huan’s heart, and he also felt at ease after making his decision.
He demonstrated his Frost Sword Chart, which was different from Qin Yun whose heart resembled an ice mirror. Meng Huan’s sword techniques were more unrestrained! Suddenly Sword Qi surged through his surroundings as there was a whistling sound in the yard. His might was clearly elevated as the Sword Qi even began to create wisps of frosty air. It caused frost to form in midair.
“This is?” Zhong Lin was astonished. “Sword intent? Xiaohuan has grasped sword intent?”
…
Two hours later, Meng Huan and Zhong Lin went to meet Gong Yan’er.
“What? Huan’er, you have grasped sword intent?” Gong Yan’er was reeling with excitement.
“Frost Sword Intent.” Meng Huan nodded. He felt a sense of accomplishment after grasping sword intent after all his years of cultivation.
“Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.” Gong Yan’er was overjoyed. Even the son of the person ranked first on the God roll needed to grasp sword intent by his own merits.
Meng Huan had been practicing in the way of the sword since he was six.
He had enjoyed sword techniques from a young age! He would place most of his efforts on the sword daily from morning to night. He even got so focused that he disliked conversing with others.
Later on, he got to a point where he did not even speak more than ten sentences a day. It made Qin Yun and Gong Yan’er extremely worried. It was then that Qin Yun forced Meng Huan to adventure outside. Qin Yun’s keen judgment told him that Huan’er’s talent was extremely high! Furthermore, he was imperceptibly influenced from a young age as he watched Qin Yun’s sword practice frequently.
He was obsessed with practicing the way of the sword every day. At the age of eighteen, Meng Huan’s foundation of sword techniques was already extremely robust.
Meng Huan had finally grasped sword intent after four years!
“And there’s another matter. I want to take Zhong Lin as my wife.” Meng Huan said as he looked at his mother. Zhong Lin blushed as she stood by his side.
Gong Yan’er was not surprised in any way. If her son wanted to marry Tantai Yun, she might have objected to it. But if it were Zhong Lin? She was rather pleased.
As for family background?
Did Meng Yiqiu’s son need to consider background when he married someone?
There was no background that was better than his!
“I am obviously agreeable to that,” said Gong Yan’er with a smile. “However, you need your father’s approval on this matter. There’s no hurry. It shouldn’t take long for your father to exit seclusion.”
“Alright.” Meng Huan nodded immediately.
Meng Huan began waiting in anticipation. The new year passed as he waited.
******
The ninth day of the first month of the year.
Qin Yun, who had long turned into a sculpture beside the lake, continued having a warm body temperature. The Sword Dao in his mind was fully formed.
“Whoosh.”
The snow on his body instantly evaporated, leaving Qin Yun’s body clean and untainted as he opened his eyes.
“Boom!!!”
Everything within fifteen kilometers around him could be sensed by him. This was his brand new Dao domain!
“Arise,” said Qin Yun softly.
Immediately, countless amounts of Sword Qi appeared in the back garden. Millions of Sword Qi fused together in an extremely ingenious manner, forming a massive ‘Sword of Heaven Earth’ that enveloped the entire back garden. The Sword Qi formed rings after rings that formed an eddy naturally in a limitless fashion. If an entity like the God of War Li Ruji were to fall into it, Qin Yun could trap and grind him to death forcibly through the Sword of Heaven Earth.
“This is my present Sword Dao. Its perfection is enough to form a world unto itself.” Qin Yun smiled.
This world’s sword techniques had been perfected over long periods of time by generations of elites. The level of ingenuity far exceeded his homeworld, not to mention the ancient world where battles were fought crudely.
Qin Yun had drawn from each and fused them all into one.
The fusion of such brilliance formed a ‘Sword of Heaven Earth!’
“I’m able to reach this stage just after stepping into the Dao.” Qin Yun stood up and instantly drew the Frost Sword from his waist.
“Open!”
The Frost Sword sliced across the lake’s surface, tearing apart a black rift in the void. The rift was about ten feet long and at its widest was two feet wide. If a cultivator wanted to force their way in, it was possible to squeeze through the widest gap.
Qin Yun watched calmly as he sensed the intense beckoning coming from the black rift before he smiled.
“There’s no rush. I’ll wait until the fifty years are up! I can enter to take a look just before the dream of a hundred years ends,” thought Qin Yun. “I want to see where I would ascend to after I shatter the void and ascend.”
After obtaining the Amita wooden sculpture, he subconsciously received information that he would wake up once the time was up or if he died.
After experiencing so much, Qin Yun was increasingly certain that the worlds he had experienced were real.
If they really were ‘dreams,’ it would imply that Buddha Amita was way too powerful.
If they were real worlds, Qin Yun was very interested to know where he would be led to after shattering the void and ascending in this world.