That evening, the pill hall lay empty, save for Shuyue seated in stillness. A faint mist of frost clung to her robes, remnants of the staggering surge that had elevated her directly to late-stage Nascent Realm.
Her eyes were half-lidded, steady, but her hand lingered lightly on her chest where Haotian's arm had steadied her.
I broke through so easily… decades of bottlenecks, undone with a single correction. And that moment…
Her veil sat folded on her lap. The cool air touched her bare lips, still faintly warm from embarrassment. She was not one to blush, not one to falter. For years, her cultivation had been sharp, disciplined, unyielding. Yet today…
She exhaled, soft as snow falling on water."…He caught me as though it were nothing. To him, it was nothing. But why… does it not feel so small to me?"
Her brows knit faintly. She was Lan Yin Shuyue—cultivator of ice, untouchable by sentiment. And yet, in that instant of closeness, her heart had not felt sealed at all.
A quiet laugh escaped her lips, self-mocking but tinged with curiosity. "So this is the danger of accepting his path instead of the sutra's chains."
Meanwhile, outside, the sect had erupted like a pot of overheated pills.
Rumors spread faster than frost in winter. By dawn, three "confirmed truths" were being whispered across every courtyard, every training ground, every dining hall:
Senior Haotian and Shuyue embraced beneath a shining aura.
Shuyue's cold heart melted before everyone's eyes.
Haotian rewrites cultivation methods at will.
By noon, the details had grown even more outrageous.
"I heard Shuyue confessed her love during her breakthrough!"
"No, she fainted from overwhelming affection, and Haotian revived her with his qi!"
"You're both wrong. He rewrote her sutra, and the two of them dual cultivated on the spot—that's why her realm advanced!"
Disciples shrieked, elders dropped their tea, and the sect practically spun into chaos.
One bold junior whispered, "If he can rewrite Shuyue-jie's sutra, can he… rewrite mine too?" only to be smacked on the head by her senior.
In the elder's council chambers, even dignified elders whispered in disbelief.
"He modified the Heart-Sealing Frost Sutra?!"
"That's impossible—no one has dared touch it in centuries!"
"And yet… Shuyue advanced instantly. You felt the shockwave yourself."
And thus, another layer was added to the legend:
Haotian, the man who refines pills, corrects techniques, rewrites sutras… and wins maidens' hearts.
By the next morning, the Moon Lotus Sect was no longer recognizable. Everywhere Haotian went, disciples peeked from behind pillars, whispered in giggles, or flat-out stared as if beholding a heavenly being.
"Senior Haotian! Senior Haotian! Please—help me!"
A group of outer sect disciples swarmed him at the training grounds, their cheeks flushed with nervous excitement.
One girl clutched a jade slip and bowed low. "I have a movement technique that keeps stumbling at the third layer. Can you… correct it for me?"
Before Haotian could answer, another pushed forward, hands wringing together. "My sword art always breaks in the final sequence. Please fix it! And maybe… if you have time… fix my destiny too?"
"Yeah! My dao heart wavers whenever I look at certain men! Can you fix that?!"
Haotian's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He folded his hands calmly behind his back. "Bring me your manuals. I will review them. As for your… hearts, that is not within my field of expertise."
The girls gasped as if struck by lightning.
"Not within his expertise… meaning… he could, but won't?!"
"So modest! He fixes sutras, but refuses to admit he fixes love!"
"Senior Haotian, please! If you corrected Senior Sister Shuyue's heart, you can fix mine too!"
"I did not correct her heart," Haotian said flatly.
"DENIAL MAKES IT MORE ROMANTIC!"
It only grew worse in the alchemy courtyard.
As Haotian calmly refined another batch of pills, disciples formed a semi-circle, whispering furiously.
"I heard if you watch him long enough, he'll silently correct your flaws!""Yes, but only if your heart is pure!""Nonsense, Senior Haotian only corrects the hearts of the ones he loves most—like Senior Sister Shuyue!"
The cauldron flared as Haotian dropped herbs in with surgical precision, entirely ignoring them.
"Look! He doesn't even respond! That stoic silence… it's so alluring!"
"The colder he is, the hotter my heart burns!"
One bold disciple stepped forward. "Senior Haotian! Please fix my breathing cycle—every time I meditate, I hiccup!"
Haotian paused. "That is indigestion. Avoid overeating before meditation."
The girl clasped her chest. "He cares for my health! This must be fate!"
The crowd squealed.
By evening, the frenzy reached the elders.
In the council chamber, Elder Xue slammed the table. "Enough! These rumors are spiraling out of control! He is here to refine pills, not… 'fix love lives'!"
Elder Jian folded her arms. "And yet… my disciple's cultivation advanced three stages after he corrected her manual."
"Mine too," Elder Yunfei admitted grudgingly.
"…Perhaps," Sect Master Yunxiu mused, sipping her tea with suspiciously rosy cheeks, "perhaps our sect truly does need its dao hearts corrected. Hohoho."
Meanwhile, in his private quarters, Haotian sat cross-legged, expression as calm as ever. He exhaled slowly. I only wish for peace… yet somehow, I have become a love doctor.
The Moon Lotus Sect had never been louder.
By the third day of the "Haotian fixes hearts" frenzy, the courtyards rang with squeals and sighs. Disciples clutched manuals to their chests as though carrying love letters. Outer sect juniors loitered by the alchemy hall in droves. Even elders whispered like schoolgirls, trying not to look too obvious as they debated who would ask Haotian for "corrections" next.
Haotian, of course, ignored it all. His steps were calm, his expression unreadable, his only concern the pills in his cauldron. But no matter where he went, the whispers followed.
"Senior Haotian walked past me today—my dao heart stabilized instantly!"
"No, I swear his gaze brushed me for half a second, and my bottleneck shattered!"
"Then why haven't you broken through?"
"…It's coming, just you wait!"
The chaos might have raged unchecked for weeks—
—if not for Elder Ziyue.
"Enough."
Her voice, cold and melodic, silenced an entire courtyard as she appeared, robes fluttering like a midnight lotus. Her eyes swept the crowd of disciples sighing and swooning, then locked onto Haotian.
"You. With me."
Without waiting for his answer, she turned and strode away, her steps sharp and purposeful. Haotian followed, unhurried, though the disciples trailed after them like curious sparrows until Ziyue's icy glare scattered them.
Inside her private hall, the doors closed with a thud. Only then did Ziyue speak again.
"The sect is drowning in nonsense," she said flatly, pouring tea. "And all while the Glacial Lotus Trial approaches."
Haotian inclined his head slightly, his voice calm. "Then let us prepare."
Ziyue's lips curved faintly, sly as ever. "Unfazed, even now? Half the sect is ready to throw themselves at your feet, and you act as though it's a breeze on the river."
Haotian did not reply. His gaze rested instead on the jade scroll she placed before him.
"The trial will gather every sect of the north," she continued. "The prize is entry into the Frozen Vein Spring—a place where cultivation speed triples. Every sect will be vying for it. To fail would shame us. To win would elevate us."
She leaned forward, her eyes glinting. "You have already armed us with pills. But now I want more. Correction. Refinement. Strategy. You will guide our disciples' preparations, ensure their techniques hold no cracks. Do this, and the Moon Lotus Sect will sweep the trial clean."
Haotian studied her for a moment, then nodded once. "Bring me their manuals. I will correct them."
Ziyue smiled, sipping her tea. "As expected. Calm as stone, even with chaos at your heels." She tilted her head, voice dipping into that sly tone again. "But tell me, Haotian… if you correct their dao hearts, will they also fall for you as Shuyue did?"
Haotian's brow twitched the faintest fraction. "…I do not correct hearts. Only techniques."
Ziyue's laugh, low and melodic, filled the hall.
Outside, disciples buzzed like bees. The rumors only grew wilder. Some claimed Elder Ziyue herself had been "bewitched" by Haotian's corrections. Others swore the sect was preparing to unveil him as their hidden ace at the Glacial Lotus Trial.
And in the heart of it all, Haotian sat at a quiet desk, flipping through a stack of manuals, already noting flaws with the same detached precision as always.
Peace was all he wanted.Peace was the one thing he would not have.
The night before the Glacial Lotus Trial, the Moon Lotus Sect was alive with tension. Disciples sharpened blades, prepared talismans, and whispered nervously about the Frozen Vein Spring. Elders debated strategy in the council hall. The sect was a hive of motion.
But Haotian's quarters were quiet.
He sat before his cauldron, jade bottles lined neatly on the table: Frost Crystal Vein Pills, Triple Recovery Pills, and a few rarer brews. His hand moved with practiced ease as he finished sealing the last batch. To him, this was peace.
If only the sect would let me remain in this calm forever…
A knock interrupted his thoughts. But before he could rise, the doors opened.
A cold yet dignified aura swept into the room. The temperature dropped slightly, as though winter itself had entered.
"Haotian."
He stood and bowed lightly. "Sect Master Yinxue."
She was a woman of regal bearing, her beauty undimmed even at two hundred and forty-eight years, though now sharper, carved by centuries of cultivation. Her robes shimmered like falling snow, her gaze clear as ice rivers.
"You work even on the eve of a great trial," she said, eyes scanning the rows of pills. "Truly, the sect has gained a treasure."
Haotian straightened, expression calm. "I merely do what I must."
Yinxue studied him a moment longer, then spoke. "Tomorrow, the sects will clash. Swords, flames, frost, and qi will stain the field. Our disciples are strong, stronger now because of you. But victory is never certain. To win the right to the Frozen Vein Spring, we must not leave anything to chance."
Her eyes, cold yet resolute, locked onto him."Therefore, I request that you join the competition yourself."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Haotian's brows furrowed faintly. "Sect Master, I am not one for competitions. My wish is only to refine pills in peace."
"And yet," Yinxue said firmly, "peace is never won by silence. The other sects will unleash their best—genius sword prodigies, flame-wielding demons, ruthless schemers. They will not care for your wish of peace. If the Moon Lotus Sect falls behind, your sanctuary here will not survive."
Haotian's gaze lowered, considering her words.
Yinxue's voice softened, though it carried steel beneath. "You are already the center of this storm, Haotian. You may dislike it, but the storm will not release you. Better to steer it. Join the trial. Raise our chances. Secure the spring for our disciples. In return… I will see to it personally that you are left undisturbed afterward."
Silence stretched.
At last, Haotian sighed, lifting his eyes again. "Very well. I will join. But my purpose is not glory. Only to secure the Frozen Vein Spring… and return to peace."
Yinxue's lips curved faintly, the rarest of smiles. "Then let Heaven and Earth bear witness: tomorrow, the other sects will learn the name Haotian."
After her talk with Haotian, Sect Master Yinxue lingered a moment longer in his quarters. Her gaze wandered to the neat rows of jade bottles, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"…That one," she said suddenly, pointing.
Haotian followed her gaze. "The Beauty Restoration Pill?"
Her expression did not waver. "Yes. Elder Ziyue praised it highly. I have lived long enough to feel the years weigh upon me. If the pill is truly as effective as she claims, then I shall test it myself."
Haotian inclined his head and offered her one. "The effect is strong. But remember—only once a month. Taking more serves no purpose."
Yinxue accepted the pill with elegant fingers, her expression as unshakable as ice. Without hesitation, she swallowed it.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then—
Whoooosh!
Her body flared with pure white qi, the lines of age at the corners of her eyes fading like snow under sunlight. Her aura refined, her skin glowed, and her posture seemed to straighten with youthful vigor.
When the light dimmed, the regal sect master was gone.
In her place stood a breathtaking maiden who looked no older than nineteen.
Her robes now hung differently on her frame, accentuating curves long hidden beneath dignity. Her eyes, once cold and sharp, shone with a luster that made even the stars pale.
Haotian blinked once. "…Effective."
Yinxue raised a hand to her cheek, staring at her reflection in the polished jade of a nearby stand. For the first time in two centuries, her composure cracked.
"…By the heavens…" she whispered.
The next morning, chaos reigned in the assembly hall.
Disciples gathered, expecting their Sect Master to deliver a solemn speech before the trial. Instead, a stunning young woman in flowing snow-white robes stepped onto the dais.
A hush fell.
"…Who is that?""Which inner disciple… dares sit on the Sect Master's seat?!""She looks so beautiful… but where's the real Sect Master?!"
Even the elders exchanged bewildered glances, some half-rising in protest.
Then the young beauty raised her hand, her voice carrying the same cold, commanding tone they all knew.
"Silence."
The sect fell dead quiet.
The elders froze.The disciples paled.And then realization hit.
"…The Sect Master?!""…She… she took Senior Haotian's pill?!""Even the Sect Master couldn't resist!!"
Haotian, watching from the side with his usual stoic calm, simply exhaled softly. So much for quiet preparations.
The Moon Lotus Sect courtyards were buzzing like a hive on fire.
Disciples huddled in small circles, whispering furiously, eyes darting toward the alchemy halls as though a mythical beast lived inside.
"Did you hear? Senior Haotian is… joining the trial!""Impossible! He hates attention. He never even attends sect assemblies unless forced!""I swear it's true. Elder Ziyue herself was seen leaving the Sect Master's hall last night—smiling!""Smiling? She never smiles! It has to be true!"
Some clutched their manuals as if they were love letters, others clasped their cheeks in swooning disbelief.
"If Senior Haotian enters, there's no way we'll lose.""Forget winning—our reputation will soar! Other sects will weep in shame!""…But what if the rival sects try to kill him?!"
The courtyard erupted into a storm of voices, every word circling the same name.
Haotian, meanwhile, sat in silence in his quarters, refining one last batch of Triple Recovery Pills, entirely unmoved by the hysteria outside. His only thought was simple: The sooner this is done, the sooner I can return to peace.
The next morning, the frozen plains outside Glacial Lotus Valley roared with energy.
A massive arena of ice and stone had been carved into the land itself, its surface shimmering with protective formations. Frost winds howled around the edges, but within the grand barrier, the air was steady, ripe for combat.
Sects gathered in their designated pavilions, banners fluttering in the cold light.
The Flame Dragon Sect stood proudly, their disciples clad in crimson, each radiating fiery qi that made the air ripple. At their head was Yan Molong, a tall youth with burning eyes, famed for his Flame Dragon Body.
The Ironwood Mountain Sect arrived next, their disciples thick as trees, bodies brimming with brute force. Their genius, Tie Shanhu, had once shattered a peak barehanded in "training."
The Snow Shadow Sect, Moon Lotus's ancient rivals, stood cloaked in pale white, their disciples exuding killing intent sharper than blades. Their lead genius, Leng Yao, was whispered to be an assassin whose shadow arts had never once failed.
Dozens of smaller sects filled the arena, each flaunting their own "prideful stars."
And then came the Moon Lotus Sect.
Their disciples strode forth with calm confidence, their auras startlingly refined—stronger, sharper, more balanced than they had ever been before. Whispers spread instantly through the crowd.
"How… how did their strength rise so quickly?"
"Half those disciples weren't even worth noticing last year!"
"They look like they've been reborn!"
At the front walked Elder Ziyue, her expression unreadable. Behind her came Sect Master Yinxue, regal as falling snow.
And at their side, clad in simple robes, his expression calm and detached, was Haotian.
The arena fell into murmurs.
"Who's that? I've never seen him before."
"Some… some say he rewrote cultivation methods. That he refines impossible pills."
"Rumors. Surely just rumors."
But when Haotian's gaze swept over the arena, calm and unwavering, more than one rival disciple felt their chest tighten as if pierced by an invisible spear.
The trial had not yet begun, yet already the battlefield stirred.
The arena roared to life as the Grand Formation lit up, enclosing the battlefield in a shimmering dome of icy light. The officiating elder from the hosting sect rose and declared:
"The first round will be one-on-one duels! Victory is determined by concession, incapacitation, or ring-out. Killing is forbidden—though accidents may occur."
The crowd murmured, eyes gleaming with bloodlust and excitement.
The first Moon Lotus disciple to step forward was Liu Yanmei, a slender girl known more for her quiet diligence than any battlefield prowess. For years, rival sects had dismissed her as unremarkable.
Her opponent, from the Ironwood Mountain Sect, smirked as he hefted a massive iron club. "Try not to break too quickly."
The gong struck.
The Ironwood disciple charged like a boulder.
Yanmei inhaled. Her sword flashed.
Whoosh!
The very air trembled as her blade carved a perfect crescent of frost, her movements fluid and flawless. The strike cleaved through his club like it was rotten wood, knocking him flat on his back with a wave of icy qi.
Silence.
Then—uproar.
"What?! Liu Yanmei—didn't she barely pass the inner sect trials last year?!"
"Her sword art—did you see that?! That was the Frozen Moon Crescent Sword, executed at late-stage success!"
"In one year? Impossible!"
Elder Ziyue's lips curved faintly, while rival elders shifted uncomfortably.
Next came Mei Rulan, who had always struggled with her footwork. Against a Snow Shadow Sect disciple, her chances once seemed slim.
But as the match began, her steps were no longer clumsy. They flowed like drifting petals, vanishing and reappearing with flawless precision. She evaded every strike with ease, then struck her opponent's pressure point in a single elegant motion.
The crowd gasped.
"That's the Lotus Petal Steps—but perfected!"
"Not even Snow Shadow's shadow-walk could touch her!"
"What has the Moon Lotus Sect been feeding their disciples?!"
Match after match, the same story repeated.
Disciples once considered average or stagnant now fought like prodigies, their techniques refined, their qi flowing without waste. Those who had plateaued suddenly fought as if reborn, their movements crisp, their strikes powerful, their foundations flawless.
Even the elders of the rival sects whispered furiously among themselves.
"This… this is not natural progress."
"No sect could advance this quickly in a single year."
"Something—someone—is behind this."
And all eyes, inevitably, turned toward the calm figure in plain robes seated behind the Moon Lotus Sect's elders.
Haotian sat with his hands folded, expression placid, as if none of it concerned him.
But in the hearts of every rival sect, suspicion burned like fire.