Chapter 53: Ice Lotus in the Snow
Su Mu stood quietly at the edge, his eyes calm like a still lake, waiting for the moment to come.
Li Shuang remained motionless, her spirit as patient as a mountain monk. She was not rushed, for she knew that true insight arrives in a single, fleeting moment.
Then, without warning, Li Shuang moved. Snowflakes danced from her body as she slowly rose. The wind and frost swirled like graceful martial arts forms around her. In her hand, the Black Abyss Sword emerged. Its surface was dark and unremarkable at first glance, but now it shimmered with a ghostly light, as if awakened by the power within her.
Li Shuang looked at the sword with gentle understanding. [I finally see its true nature.] At Su Mu’s gesture, the fierce Snow Monsters appeared from deep within the Snow Mountain, surrounding her in layers until her figure was hidden among them.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of sword light cut through the blizzard. For a moment, a great lotus bloomed among the Snow Monsters. Its petals, soft as silk and pure as winter snow, fell upon the enemies, dissolving them into nothingness. Soon, the battlefield was empty, leaving only one solitary figure clad in white. Her robes, colored like the mist at dawn, bore no stain of the mundane world.
Su Mu’s lips curved into a slight smile. Li Shuang had at last mastered her first sword technique.
…
In the vast snowy plain, Li Shuang held Black Abyss and gazed at it in deep thought. In that quiet moment, she felt a mysterious bond with her sword—a link that was not just a simple contract, but a soulful connection. [This is the echo of my inner spirit.]
Something had shifted between her and the sword, changing their bond forever.
“What do you call this technique you have created?” Su Mu inquired.
Li Shuang shook her head. “I have not yet named it.”
At the moment of her enlightenment, a vivid image came to her mind—a lone lotus blooming in the Ice Lake of the Langya Secret Realm. Its petals were clear as crystal and calm as still water. Delicate and beautiful, yet carrying a deadly grace, it swayed freely in the wind, untouched by worldly dust. Even in the harsh cold, it had carved its own path to perfection. Like that lotus, she had suffered many trials and emerged renewed.
Remembering the lotus, all her insights took shape and flowed into the new sword technique.
“Give it a name,” Su Mu said with a warm smile. “If your name one day becomes known throughout the lands, so should your sword art.”
Li Shuang had never thought much about making her mark on history. But a name was needed. After a moment of quiet reflection, she said, “Something simple—‘Ice Lotus.’”
Su Mu chuckled lightly. “It is straightforward. But if it satisfies you, that is all that matters.”
Just then, as Li Shuang was about to speak further, Su Mu raised his hand. “Time is up. You must return.”
Before she could react, she was whisked away from the Inheritance Space. Yet, Su Mu’s voice still rang in her ears:
“Li Shuang, you are now the thirty-third successor of the Emotionless Dao. In today’s duel, do not disgrace its name.”
Li Shuang froze in shock.
In an instant, a surge of pure spiritual energy filled her, healing and strengthening her body to its peak. Su Mu’s voice echoed again:
“Now, you are truly one of us. From this day forward, any energy you use in the Inheritance Space will be fully restored.”
Li Shuang wished to ask more, but Su Mu’s voice faded into silence. She called for him several times, but there was no answer. A spark of determination lit her eyes. This Inheritance Jade Slip was indeed extraordinary. The ancient records had spoken of such artifacts—some contained echoes of past masters, but none were as alive as Su Mu. He was more than a mere phantom; he seemed to possess a living soul. He knew of her duel and had warned her not to bring shame to the Emotionless Dao. Even sealed within the Jade Slip, he could see beyond, a gift no ordinary spirit could claim.
“The thirty-third successor of the Emotionless Dao…” Li Shuang murmured, her mind swirling with thoughts. If she was the thirty-third, then who was the Founding Ancestor? And where did the seniors stand? And Su Mu—what was his true place in this ancient lineage? The Emotionless Dao held many secrets yet to be discovered. But those mysteries belonged to another time. Today, her goal was clear—victory.
Her opponents were Ye Zhao Zhao and Long Yan. With Black Abyss by her side, she vowed that they would prevail.
Li Shuang rose and opened the door. Sunlight poured in, warm and peaceful. Even the frozen peaks of Snow Mountain seemed to burst into life. With measured steps, she walked forward. Luo Ming Yue and others waited at the threshold. Approaching them with a slight smile, she said, “Let’s go.”
…
Martial Training Field
Today’s Central Arena was abuzz with anticipation. The duel was set: Li Shuang versus Ye Zhao Zhao.
For two days in a row, the arena had seen battles featuring the same skilled combatant—a rare sight that no one found strange. After all, what match could outshine today’s confrontation?
Li Shuang, once celebrated as a Peerless Genius, had fallen into obscurity when the murmurs from Spirit Void Peak spoke of jealousy and stunted cultivation. Meanwhile, Ye Zhao Zhao, who had entered the sect without fanfare—a simple mixed spirit root once deemed unworthy—had caught the eye of True Immortal Ling Xu and become his disciple. Against all odds, her cultivation soared. In less than a decade, she formed her Nascent Soul, shattering Li Shuang’s old records.
One had faded into silence, and the other had risen like the twin halves of a yin-yang symbol. When one shone, the other dimmed. Yet, their destinies were bound together.
Li Shuang whispered that Dragon’s Roar had betrayed her, causing her to cast it aside. Ye Zhao Zhao disagreed, for she had taken up Dragon’s Roar without hesitation. In a twist of fate, Li Shuang now held Black Abyss—the very sword that once belonged to Ye Zhao Zhao. They had exchanged blades in a silent contest of destiny.
In Li Shuang’s skilled grasp, Dragon’s Roar had once been peerless in its sharpness. Now, as it lay with Ye Zhao Zhao, many wondered what new light it might reveal. When Black Abyss was in Ye Zhao Zhao’s hands, its glow had faded. But now with Li Shuang, might it finally shine with the brilliance it deserved? These questions stirred among the onlookers, making today’s battle the most awaited duel of all.
The Central Arena filled with excited murmurs as the crowd welcomed the arrival of the two warriors. “They’re here! They have arrived!” they cried. Spirit Void Peak’s entire faction gathered around Ye Zhao Zhao, as if to make a bold declaration.
Ye Zhao Zhao glanced at Li Shuang before turning to Sheng Yuan. “Eldest Senior Brother, who do you hope will win this match?” she asked.
Sheng Yuan’s eyes flickered as he stole a glance at Li Shuang. New comrades now stood by her side, and her expression remained cool and indifferent—as if she had not seen her old peers at all. A sharp pang struck Sheng Yuan’s heart.
Suddenly, he raised his voice, “Of course, I hope that you will win, Little Junior Sister.” Even as he spoke, his eyes stayed fixed on Li Shuang, waiting—longing—for any sign of her response.
The stage was set for a battle that would echo through the ages, as two warriors fought not only for victory, but for their rightful place in the ancient and mysterious world of martial arts.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation