The sun rose over the peaks of Moonwind Sect, casting golden rays across the sky. Disciples were already meditating, training, or sweeping temple steps with graceful discipline.
And then there was Xiao Tian—shirtless, leaning against the gate of Ice Petal Pavilion, fanning himself with a bamboo leaf and grinning like a rogue on holiday.
"I've come to learn from the coldest beauty in the sect," he declared loudly.
Several disciples stopped in their tracks.
"Did he just say… Lin Ziyao?"
"He's insane! She's a Core Formation cultivator!"
"She's the fifth most beautiful woman in the cultivation world—does he have a death wish?!"
Xiao Tian didn't seem to care. "If death looks that good, I'll die smiling."
---
Inside Ice Petal Pavilion
Lin Ziyao sat cross-legged in the center of a frozen training hall. The temperature dropped around her with every breath she took.
She was, in a word, divine.
Her long, snow-white hair cascaded down her back like silk spun from moonlight. Her eyes were mismatched—one a glacial blue, the other a glowing crimson red, both equally cold and unreadable. Her skin was pale and flawless, like jade carved by the gods, and her slender, zero-figure frame was wrapped in a flowing icy-blue robe that shimmered like frost.
She didn't just look untouchable—she was untouchable.
A goddess of ice and silence.
Until—
BANG!
The door burst open.
"Senior Sister Lin Ziyao!" Xiao Tian called with a dramatic flourish. "I humbly request… a date. I mean, guidance!"
Her eyes opened. The temperature plummeted another ten degrees.
"You are not worthy to stand in my presence."
Xiao Tian pressed a hand to his chest. "My heart disagrees."
She stood slowly. Snowflakes began to swirl through the air as her Frost Qi awakened.
"One move. If you survive, I'll consider training you."
Xiao Tian's eyes sparkled. "Deal."
---
One Move from an Ice Queen
She vanished.
Before he could react, she was already there—her palm glowing with concentrated Frost Qi, aimed straight for his chest.
At that moment, something inside Xiao Tian clicked.
A silver glow burst from within him.
> [Cultivation Level: Qi Condensation – Layer 1 achieved!]
Time slowed. His body moved instinctively, twisting just enough for her palm to skim his shoulder rather than crush his heart.
CRACK!
He went flying—launched straight through the side wall of the pavilion—and landed face-first in a snowbank outside.
"…Ow."
Lin Ziyao stepped through the shattered wall, her expression unchanged. "You survived. Impressive."
He grinned up at her from the snow. "So… did I pass?"
She turned away. "Be here tomorrow. At dawn."
---
Scene Change – Night in the Forest
Later that evening, Xiao Tian sat shirtless under a tree, bruised, battered… but smiling ear to ear.
Spiritual energy flowed freely through him for the first time in this life.
> [Qi Condensation – Layer 1: Active]
[Qi Attribute: Dual – Fire & Charm]
"Hah… so my old foundation really is returning," he murmured. "And with dual attributes? This world is about to get spicy."
His Qi danced through his meridians, chaotic but potent.
Just then, Mei'er, a young servant girl, appeared holding a steamed bun.
"I heard Elder Sister Lin punched you through a wall. Are you… okay?"
Xiao Tian took the bun with a grin. "That's just her way of saying hello."