Volume Three: Blossoms in Twin Pairs, A Lonely Tree Cannot Bear the Weight Chapter Four: Revival

Zhuo Hua’s display of skill had already left Lan Sheng full of admiration and envy.

Lan Sheng widened his eyes and asked, "Master Yuan, how did you do that?"

"Restoring destroyed objects relies on this ring—the White Steed Star. By channeling inner force into it, I can trigger a brief reversal of time for specific items. It's really just a minor trick." Zhuo Hua showed Lan Sheng the ring on his finger, which emitted a faint, cold glow.

Lan Sheng rubbed his eyes and stared dreamily at the White Steed Star for a while, then abruptly shook his head and pressed on, "Not that—I mean, what was that technique you used earlier called? As far as I know, green jade is a hard stone; while it’s not impossible to shatter it by hand, to crush it in midair…" He glanced up at the ceiling, pondered for a moment, then shook his head again, continuing, "I simply can’t figure it out. I can’t fathom its secret. Master Yuan, I hope you’ll enlighten me."

Zhuo Hua chuckled and replied, "That’s a technique I only recently invented, so I haven’t named it yet. I’ve long been fascinated by a certain phenomenon: when you draw the air from a sealed iron can, the can is crushed by the pressure of the surrounding air. So I modified my Spirit Pearl of Fixed Qi, making it not only able to absorb and refine external energy into true Qi, but also able to draw Qi directly from outside. But I’ve only just grasped the basics; I’m far from proficient. For now, I can only gather a small amount of Qi—enough to crush a cup, nothing more."

Lan Sheng could scarcely believe what he was hearing. He knew that Zhuo Hua’s casual words contained countless marvels: discovering the secret of the crushed iron can, rewriting the rules by which the Spirit Pearl operated, and pioneering a completely new way of manipulating Qi. It was beyond his imagination how Master Yuan could conceive of such wonders. By himself, Zhuo Hua had changed the cultivation methods followed since the Age of Myth. A deep, boundless reverence welled up in Lan Sheng’s heart.

"Master Yuan," Lan Sheng said, "people say the Lady of Lanling’s cultivation is unfathomable, and she is decisive in both conquest and defense. But in my eyes, your efforts to benefit the world and overcome force with gentleness are the true path of kings. What’s more, everything you create is without precedent. The ‘Annals of the Xuanhuang’ says: ‘To destroy a nation is easy; to safeguard the land and comfort the people is hard.’ I am willing to follow you all my life, to serve Cloudtop Palace and the people of the world, through fire and water. I hope you’ll accept me as your disciple."

Zhuo Hua smiled, "My skills are but clever little arts; for conquest, we still rely on Kui the Wolf and Jiao the Dragon. To guard the realm and comfort the people, we need the tireless efforts of the Seven Clans of the Immortal Lineage. As for the technique I just showed, I’ve only scratched the surface. Its power, at present, suffices only to shatter a cup."

Lan Sheng disagreed, "Master Yuan, you’re too humble! According to you, ever since the first sages opened the world, inner force has always been projected outward—no one ever thought to draw it inward, to reverse its flow. If this technique can be mastered, we’ll never again fear the thick-skinned, iron-fleshed Anli Clan."

Zhuo Hua toyed with the jade cup in his hand, lost in thought. "You’re right. If, with time, we perfect this technique, not only could we crush any hard object or foe to dust in an instant, but we could even absorb and repurpose any powerful force sent against us, returning it in kind. If such a vision could be realized, our Xuanhuang people would no longer depend on the Sunstone for protracted battles."

Lan Sheng seemed not to have heard Zhuo Hua’s last words. The moment Zhuo Hua uttered the word "we," Lan Sheng’s blood surged, his ears ringing. He seized Zhuo Hua’s hand, stammering with excitement, "Master Yuan, just now you said ‘we’—does that mean you’re willing to accept me as your disciple?"

Zhuo Hua burst out laughing and gently set the cup on the table. "I’ve only just begun to understand this method myself—I can hardly speak of teaching it. But if you’re willing to train in this art alongside me, you’re more than welcome. We’ll research and practice together. As for formally becoming my disciple…"

Lan Sheng watched Zhuo Hua’s lips anxiously, fearing he’d be rejected.

Zhuo Hua smiled slyly and continued, "Aren’t you already part of Cloudtop Palace?"

Lan Sheng was so overjoyed that he could do nothing but grin foolishly, utterly speechless.

At this, Zhuo Hua laughed aloud. "If you’re so happy over this, what will you do when you hear what I’m about to say next?"

Lan Sheng skipped and bounced with delight. "It’s enough! I’m already more than satisfied."

Zhuo Hua grinned mischievously. "No, no! I think you’re not yet satisfied. There’s another reason I came today—I need some of your hair and a bit of blood."

Lan Sheng stopped his capering, looked at Zhuo Hua in surprise, and asked, "Master Yuan, what do you want those for?" Then, grabbing a small knife for slicing lamb from the table, he asked boldly, "How much do you need? I’ll cut it for you."

Zhuo Hua took the knife from him, drew a small porcelain vial from his robe, and set it on the table. "Just enough to fill this little bottle."

Lan Sheng stretched out his hand to Zhuo Hua. "Please, Master Yuan, take what you need."

Zhuo Hua cut a few locks of hair from Lan Sheng’s tip and pricked his right index finger, squeezing a dozen drops of blood into the vial.

After sealing the bottle and placing it in a chilled jade box, Zhuo Hua looked up and said, "I’m taking these from you so I can help restore your lost arm."

Lan Sheng’s face once again showed disbelief. "Master Yuan, can it… can it really be restored?"

Zhuo Hua put away the porcelain bottle and returned it to the frosted jade box. Hearing Lan Sheng’s question, he asked, "Lan Sheng, do you know that the Seven Clans of the Immortal Lineage originally only existed in the Xuanhuang Void? Why do they exist here as well?"

Without hesitation, Lan Sheng replied, "Because the Lady of Lanling and Master Zhuo Hua used their own hair and blood…" At this, he suddenly understood. "So that’s it! That’s it! If Master Yuan can create the entire Immortal Lineage, what’s an arm in comparison?"

Zhuo Hua nodded, rose, and prepared to leave.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Lan Sheng fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Master Yuan, the kindness you and Cloud Palace have shown me is like giving me new life. I have no family left in this world—Master Yuan and everyone in the palace are my only kin now."

Zhuo Hua paused in the doorway, not turning back. A chill wind blew into the room, bringing with it a biting cold. He sighed softly and said, "I have no family left either, but at least I still have all of you." With that, he left Lan Sheng’s quarters.

Outside, Qin Ying had been waiting for some time. Dressed in a crimson gown, she leaned against a pavilion column, holding a winter plum blossom to her nose and breathing in its faint fragrance. Hearing the door creak open, she glanced back; upon seeing Zhuo Hua emerge, she leapt forward, nearly colliding with him.

Zhuo Hua raised his left arm to protect the chilled jade box, shot Qin Ying a glare, and scolded, "Aren’t you a bit old to be so reckless?"

Qin Ying looked utterly unconcerned, craning her neck to peer into Lan Sheng’s room while chattering incessantly, "Well? Well? Did he eat?"

Zhuo Hua walked on, replying leisurely, "Of course he ate. Otherwise, would I have come out? Not only did he eat, I guarantee from now on he’ll be bursting with energy at practice every day, too busy to brood and wallow in sorrow."

Qin Ying tilted her head, thought for a moment, and hurried to keep pace with Zhuo Hua, asking, "How did you manage that?"

Zhuo Hua stopped, motioned for Qin Ying to come closer to hear a secret.

Perplexed, Qin Ying tiptoed and pressed her ear to Zhuo Hua’s lips, holding her breath to catch his words.

With an air of solemnity, Zhuo Hua whispered, "Such a profound secret—even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand."

Seizing the chance while Qin Ying was still processing his words, Zhuo Hua darted away, vanishing into the corridor.

Half of Cloudtop Palace heard Qin Ying’s roar: "Zhuo Hua, you @#￥%! Just you wait!"