Actually, the Extreme Cold Palace was quite unlucky.

At first, they thought Lu Qianqian had a special ice-type physique and wanted to recruit her as a disciple.

However, the conflict with Snow Trace Valley grew increasingly severe, gradually deviating from the original intention, eventually escalating to issuing a wanted order and clashing in the Boundless Ice Sea.

If the Extreme Cold Palace had stuck to their original principles and simply recruited her, the Eternal Sect wouldn’t have charged across thousands of miles to attack them, and they wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

Consider it a wake-up call.

A wake-up call to tell the entire continent—don’t provoke the Eternal Sect lightly!

Of course.

The news about Sect Master Jun nearly destroying the Extreme Cold Palace and later alarming eight sect masters would spread like a fierce wind across the entire continent, inevitably stirring up a new wave of heated discussion.

“And then?” Jun Changxiao continued asking.

Lu Qianqian said, “I obtained the Ice Emperor’s token at the senior’s hidden dwelling. After leaving the Boundless Ice Sea, I heard about Snow Trace Valley being destroyed.”

From the information about a large number of wolf beast riders attacking Snow Trace Valley, she guessed it was the Sect Master and fellow disciples’ doing, so she headed to the Extreme Cold Palace.

Lu Qianqian understood Jun Changxiao.

He must have learned about her being wanted and then led people to seek justice for her.

Everything was just as she had guessed.

When she arrived at the Extreme Cold Palace, the Sect Master and fellow disciples were already fighting with the enemy.

At that moment.

Lu Qianqian’s state of mind suffered an unprecedented impact, and the heart-like-still-water realm she had achieved developed cracks.

Coming to Northeast Lu Province was meant to stabilize her realm and break through to a higher level, but now all her efforts had come to nothing—fate truly played tricks on people.

“Do you still want to continue training here?” Jun Changxiao asked.

Lu Qianqian looked at him and said, “May I?”

In those cold and detached words, there was a faint pleading tone.

She had changed.

Although she still gave people a very cold feeling, at least now there was a touch of human warmth mixed in.

Jun Changxiao said, “If staying here can help you break through faster, continuing to train here isn’t out of the question.”

“Thank you, Sect Master,” Lu Qianqian said.

“However…”

Jun Changxiao said seriously, “If you encounter danger, you must contact the sect immediately. This Seat absolutely will not allow anyone to harm you, not even a single hair on your head.”

The last sentence was emphasized much more heavily.

Crack, crack, crack!

An invisible shattering sound echoed in Lu Qianqian’s heart.

Her eyes wavered slightly, then she instinctively turned away, saying in a low voice, “This disciple understands.”

“Of course.”

Jun Changxiao raised his head, his gaze sharp as he said, “This Seat will not allow any disciple to be bullied by others!”

The snow falling from the sky was instantly evaporated under his powerful aura.

…

Lu Qianqian had no intention of returning to the Eternal Sect with the Sect Master. After all, having just obtained the Ice Emperor’s inheritance, she needed to cultivate in this cold land to break through faster.

Sect Master Jun gave his permission.

As long as his disciple was safe, she could train however she wanted in Northeast Lu Province.

Of course.

Jun Changxiao couldn’t just leave immediately.

Since they had come to this place, he naturally had to take his disciples to enjoy themselves properly and experience different local customs.

Moreover.

This land of ice and snow was full of scenic beauty everywhere!

…

“Ha—”

In the ice valley, Zhen Dejun took a sip of the strong liquor produced in Northeast Lu Province and said, “The liquor on the ice plains really packs a punch!”

“Hehe.”

Su Xiaomo came over holding a bowl of liquor, with a flattering smile on her face, saying, “Old Zhen, teach me some array formations.”

“Get lost.”

Zhen Dejun said, “Go play somewhere else.”

Splash—

In front of the large pot set up on the ground, Jun Changxiao tossed in the freshly chopped meat, waving a large ladle as he said, “Today I’ll make you all a specialty dish!”

Liu Wanshi hadn’t come, and Li Qingyang was too incompetent, so the cooking duties fell to him.

Just earlier, he had been leading disciples in a massive slaughter at the Extreme Cold Palace.

Now he was wearing an apron, cooking in the snow.

This was Jun Changxiao.

A ruthless devil on one hand, a fool who could work in the kitchen on the other.

“Sect Master.”

Li Shangtian said, “Your cooking skills are far inferior to Dudu’s…”

Bang—

His entire face caved in, then with a “bang” he was sent flying into the ice mountain in a spread-eagle position.

The girl-form Demon Ridge Black Eagle withdrew her small hand, the spatial ripples dissipating as she said coldly, “Anyone who questions the master must accept punishment from me, Little Magic Fairy.”

Right.

She was called Little Magic Fairy.

Jun Changxiao had just given her the name, and it even had a stylish prefix—Balala.

“Girl.”

While stir-frying, Sect Master Jun said seriously, “You’re a girl, so you should speak more tactfully. If you’re going to hit someone, you can say… let me duomi you.”

“Duomi?”

Little Magic Fairy asked in confusion, “What does that mean?”

“It means let me teach you a lesson!” Jun Changxiao said.

“I understand!”

Little Magic Fairy stood up, walked barefoot to the ice mountain, pointed at the crooked-faced Li Shangtian, and said proudly, “Let me duomi you!”

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Feathers flew everywhere as she unleashed a furious barrage.

“…”

Su Xiaomo and the others couldn’t bear to watch and turned their heads away, thinking to themselves, “The Sect Master’s contracted beast that can transform into human form is even more terrifying than Little Dragon!”

Speaking of which.

Where was Little Dragon?

Everyone quickly started looking, only to see that guy had returned to his original form, sitting proudly on a small ice mountain with an aura of ‘I seek a worthy opponent but find myself invincible throughout the world.’

Actually, he was panicking on the inside.

Because Lu Qianqian was here, he had to keep his distance!

“The Sect Master’s cooking skills are excellent!”

When the food came out of the pot, all the disciples gathered around, praising it endlessly.

And so, in the snowy valley, a thousand disciples gathered together for a communal meal—a truly beautiful scene.

“Qianqian.”

Jun Changxiao said, “Your junior brothers traveled thousands of miles to Northeast Lu Province to fight for you. As their senior sister, won’t you show some gesture?”

“When Big Senior Sister was in trouble, we came to help—that’s what we should do!” Su Xiaomo said with a grin.

Li Fei smiled and said, “We’re all from the same sect, close as brothers and sisters. When facing danger, if fellow disciples don’t help each other, who else can we rely on?”

“Well said.”

Jun Changxiao said, “As disciples of the Eternal Sect, we should be as close as brothers and sisters, sharing blessings and bearing hardships together!”

Slap.

Lu Qianqian walked to the stone platform, knocked off the mud seal of the wine jar, poured a bowl of liquor, and lightly raised it, her cold gaze sweeping across all her fellow disciples present.

She didn’t say anything.

Li Qingyang, Xiao Zueji, and the others understood what Senior Sister meant, so they all raised their wine bowls.

Lu Qianqian drank the fiery liquor in one gulp.

Swish! Swish!

Li Qingyang and the others moved in unison, drinking their wine completely clean.

They had no verbal exchange—everything was in their hearts, in the fiery liquor.

In the world of falling snow, a beautiful melody rang out, sung gently: “A laugh across the vast sea, tides on both shores, rising and falling with the waves, only today matters, heaven laughs, worldly tides all around, who wins and who loses, heaven knows…”

“Big Senior Sister!”

On the ice mountain, Li Qingyang and the others rode on Hurricane Wolves, looking back as they said, “We’re heading back first!”

Awoo—

Wolf howls echoed through the sky as blue streaks of light surged like tides across the icy plains.

Screech!

The Demon Ridge Black Eagle spread its wings and cut through the heavens. Jun Changxiao sat cross-legged on its back, crushed two Experience Talismans, and unleashed his Ninth-Rank Sword-Martial Dual King aura, channeling his energy to his dantian as he declared, “Those who offend the Eternal Sect will be punished no matter how far they flee!”

His voice carried extreme penetrating power, echoing through the skies of Northeast Lu Province—even martial cultivators five or six thousand miles away could hear it clearly!

—