Water ripples parted.

From the frozen surface of a lake, piled high with shattered ice and snow, a man with an unusually high forehead emerged.

At that moment, the biting wind sliced like knives, and the sky was a canvas of swirling frost. He raised his eyes, taking in the undulating expanse of snow-covered ridges, like waves surging across a vast river, or white dragons slumbering upon the mountains.

Such breathtaking scenery would surely inspire one to compose poetry—

Were it not for the constant sneezing of the man who had just surfaced from the lake.

“Achoo!”

With a single sneeze, a cloud of white vapor instantly materialized before him.

The Marquises of Wu’an, celebrated for their sharp wit, couldn’t help but place his hands on his hips and gaze around with self-satisfaction. “Senior Sister Ru seems to be thinking of me again—”

“Achoo, achoo, achoo!”

“It seems Senior Sister Ru is thinking of me quite intently—”

“Achoo, achoo, achoo, achoo, achoo!”

Forget it.

Unable to even utter a complete sentence, Xu Xiangqian rubbed his frostbitten red nose and hastily rid himself of the accumulated lake water.

Any longer, and he would surely freeze solid.

This accursed place! Not only suppressing divine powers, but also suppressing Dao techniques.

The wind cut like knives, the frost like swords, and the cold was merciless.

A Venerable of the Divine Powers Outer Building, frozen to the bone!

Who could have imagined that a romantic journey with Senior Sister Ru would encounter such a crushing setback in this pristine white wonderland?

They had inadvertently become entangled in the Winter Emperor’s struggle for Dao attainment. Troubles had piled upon troubles, leaving him utterly bewildered, with no mind for romance—well, to be precise, Senior Sister Ru had no mind for romance. He, after all, could find a bit of romance in any situation.

Originally, it was just him, Senior Sister Ru, and Zi Shu, the three of them happily traversing the world. He and Senior Sister Ru were a match made in heaven, their love blossoming day by day, and with Zi Shu, who embodied the principle of “I for all, all for me,” diligently beating the drums… A great achievement was surely in store!

Senior Sister Ru could have long ago attained Divine Arrival, but she had always been discerning in choosing her Dao path, thus encountering numerous setbacks. This journey to the snow country was a culmination of her determination to forge her Dao path and attain Divine Arrival in a single stroke.

He had made all the preparations to hold a grand celebration for Senior Sister Ru on the day of her Divine Arrival, to compose moving poems… And then propose marriage.

Originally, everything was progressing smoothly.

But alas, that hateful Winter Emperor had sown confusion.

Senior Sister Ru had actually been swayed by him, determined to forge a completely new Dao path, disregarding many of her previous choices, insisting on blending various schools and creating her own!

This, too, was acceptable.

But then she had said something about “If my Dao is not attained, I have no heart for private affairs.”

So-called establishing a family and establishing a career—how can you establish a career without first establishing a family?

It was a pity that no matter how well he spoke, no matter how much he pleaded, Senior Sister Ru remained unmoved. She had even been influenced by that Winter Emperor, her demeanor becoming rougher, even threatening to strike him…

What kind of person was he, Xu Xiangqian?

A direct descendant of a prestigious family, a favored son of heaven, overflowing with talent, known as the “Divine Scholar,” no less… How could he endure such neglect?

Naturally, he chose to wait for her!

In this frigid snow country, occasional neglect was quite reasonable.

But despite these words, a sense of melancholy inevitably crept in as he counted the days.

He had been in this Heaven Stele Snow Ridge for several days now. When would he finally be able to leave?

To think that the three of them had only arrived in the snow country in the Dao Calendar year Three Nine One Nine, and now it was already Three Nine Two One. Among the Double Pride of Catching Horse Mountain, the other pride who shared his autumn glory had already been conferred the title of Marquis, Mother of Seals!

And here he was, his brilliance hidden, his treasure sword sheathed, in this desolate place.

What a pity.

Without his Xu Xiangqian, how lonely the world must be?

He sneezed again.

Xu Xiangqian dared not delay any longer. Carrying the Silver Autumn Fish he had just caught, he hurried back.

This fish was naturally imbued with spiritual essence, a treasure containing divine secrets. Eating it could aid in Dao enlightenment. But it died upon leaving the water, and if not processed promptly, its flesh would not be fresh… Senior Sister Ru might not find it palatable.

Across the vast snowy expanse, the figure of the young scholar trudged, his footsteps deep then shallow. A thin rope passed through the fish’s lips, the beautiful Silver Autumn Fish shimmering with silver light.

The fish’s lifeless eyes, now devoid of spirit, followed the scholar’s trek, swaying back and forth.

Those dispirited, dead eyes, hidden beneath his messy hair, coupled with his sighing stubble and expressionless face…

For a very long time, they would haunt Bai Yuxia’s nightmares.

He, Bai Yuxia, was a descendant of the Bai Clan of Yue Country. From his earliest days, he had been proud and self-disciplined, holding himself to the highest standards. His character, morals, and abilities were all subject to rigorous demands. In his words, actions, and demeanor, he never allowed himself to falter.

Initially, on the Guan River Platform, that crucial qualification for the Yellow River Meeting was lightly offered to him, yet he was unwilling to simply accept it. He insisted on forging his own path through bloody struggle, seeking only an upright and honorable victory.

He had reasons to be proud.

Born into a renowned family, with outstanding natural endowments, he had diligently cultivated without pause. At three years old, he learned the sword; at ten, he performed techniques; at sixteen, he was already hailed as a favored son of heaven, known far and wide. Even across the nation, among his peers, he was only slightly inferior to Ge Fei. But Ge Fei was three years his senior, a gap that time could surely bridge.

Of course, after the gathering of favored sons at the Yellow River Meeting, seeing figures like Li Yi and Jiang Wang, he no longer dared to speak of flawlessness.

Returning, he once told others that he had been a frog in a well, only now seeing the vastness of heaven and earth.

He had not, however, lost heart.

He told himself that though he was merely a small white frog, having jumped out of the well, he should surely jump higher. Since he had seen such magnificent scenery, he should surely venture towards a more distant place.

But, and here was the crucial point.

His strict demands upon himself were not inherently a bad thing. But the problem lay in the fact that he could no longer meet his own stringent standards.

That was the nightmare of perfectionism. Those who demanded perfection of themselves would push themselves to the brink.

Poets who could not write their ideal poems, writers who could not produce articles that met their expectations, and then resorting to suicide—such tragedies have been repeatedly witnessed throughout history.

For Bai Yuxia, the first and most cruel blow was this—

The gap between him and Ge Fei had widened, and continued to widen.

He had once been so confident, so certain that he could surpass Ge Fei. He even expected this to happen at the Divine Arrival realm.

But since returning from the Mountain Sea Realm, Ge Fei seemed to have shed his mortal coil and transformed… Originally a favored son of heaven who carried the hopes of the Ge Clan, he had actually managed to ascend even higher.

He now possessed a deeper understanding of divine channels and techniques. He had even grasped the Dao path, and was cultivating at a terrifying speed, recently beginning to attempt Divine Arrival.

He chased hard!

Yet gradually, he could no longer even see his opponent’s back.

Ge Fei was a direct descendant of the Ge Clan, and he was also a descendant of the Bai Clan.

Ge Fei’s teacher was the renowned minister, Gao Zheng. His teacher at Evening Drum Academy, though not as eminent as Gao Zheng, was a true master, more than capable of teaching him.

Where did he differ?

In every aspect, he was not inferior. The only difference lay in himself!

Among the competing favored sons of the various nations, he was not as prominent. Now, even within the single country of Yue, he had been left far behind.

When people discussed Ge Fei, they no longer mentioned him, Bai Yuxia, in the same breath.

He had long been in a state of “unwilling to accept, yet only forcing himself to adapt,” and at this time, this disheveled, dead-eyed man, who had appeared from who knew where, came knocking.

He spoke of challenging, demanding a closed-door duel, claiming no desire for fame, only to verify the limits of the same realm.

He said he had come from the west, undefeated.

He also harbored the desire to test his skills against the strong practitioners from other regions, hoping to regain some confidence—perhaps Ge Fei had simply had a sudden enlightenment, and it wasn’t that he, Bai Yuxia, was too foolish and untalented?

Then he had simply lost.

A crushing defeat.

An ancient flying sword technique that had been eliminated by the era, wielded by an unknown person from who knew where.

He was defeated cleanly and completely.

“Victory and defeat are common occurrences for soldiers.”

He attempted to comfort himself with these words.

But you, Bai Yuxia, were not a soldier.

Many times, he wanted to focus on cultivating his spirit, yet he always thought back to that battle, that sighing face, that pair of lifeless eyes—how could such a dispirited person erupt with such terrifying killing power?

In the extraordinary world, what should people truly adhere to? What should they persist in? What makes a person strong?

He had read many books, understood many principles, but he did not know how to walk his path.

Family responsibilities, the official position he held, maintaining connections, reading books, practicing techniques… With all these pressures, he simply couldn’t manage anything.

On one ordinary afternoon, wearing a moon-colored narrow-sleeved long robe, without any explanation, he simply walked out of his home.

He searched for a long time, finally finding this person again—he was testing his sword in the world, traveling straight ahead, already within the borders of Liang Country, not far even from Liang Capital, Bian City.

“I say, what are you always following me for?” the dead-eyed man asked.

Although he had explained it many times, Bai Yuxia, his temple hair meticulously neat, still said seriously, “Let us fight another round.”

“Can we not fight?”

“No.”

The dead-eyed man turned and walked away. Those two questions just now seemed to have exhausted all his strength. Even his steps were listless and devoid of spirit.

It wasn’t that Bai Yuxia hadn’t tried to force a fight, for example, by suddenly thrusting a sword at him.

But this fellow simply didn’t dodge or evade, always having a “just kill me” look about him. He would even suddenly stop and find a place to bask in the sun and take a nap.

He discovered that he was even being used as a guard, because this fellow slept truly soundly.

Reviewing that battle on the border of Yue Country earlier, there were too many unsatisfactory aspects. Because he had been overshadowed by Ge Fei, his mental state was not at its peak, and he hadn’t performed to his full potential…

Perhaps it was just an excuse he was giving himself, or perhaps he couldn’t face defeat, but Bai Yuxia truly wanted to fight another round.

But this person absolutely refused.

You challenge me, and I must comply. I challenge you, and you refuse?

What kind of logic was this?

Bai Yuxia followed closely behind, step by step. “Please accept my challenge.”

The dead-eyed man was too lazy to even shake his head. He simply lifted his eyes casually, glanced at the sky, then turned towards the forest.

Bai Yuxia knew he was going to find a place to sleep again.

Although it was dusk, and the setting sun still held some intensity, few people would sleep at this time. But the dead-eyed man absolutely would not force himself to travel any further.

Having followed him for many days, Bai Yuxia was quite familiar with this fellow’s style. If he could lie down, he wouldn’t sit; if he could sit, he wouldn’t stand.

If you gave him a plank of wood and a river, he could simply drift all the way to Bian City.

As expected.

After casually circling a few times, the dead-eyed man found a large tree with luxuriant, dense branches. He flew up, lay on a horizontal fork, and comfortably closed his eyes.

Don’t be fooled by this fellow’s casual demeanor. If you observed carefully, you would find that no other tree fork nearby was more suitable or comfortable than this one.

Bai Yuxia floated in the air, silently watching him sleep.

Not long after.

The stubble-faced man,

Could not help but open his dead eyes. “Brother, how about you also rest a bit?”

Bai Yuxia persisted. “You have to tell me, why are you unwilling to fight me?”

“However I say it, will you let me go?”

“However you say it is not okay. You must promise to fight me again.” Bai Yuxia was very serious. “But I hope you speak the truth.”

The dead-eyed man closed his dead eyes again.

Bai Yuxia did nothing else but cross his arms and stand suspended beside him, staring.

The dead-eyed man took a deep breath. “What kind of hobby is this? Why do you all like to stare at people sleeping?”

“We?” Bai Yuxia didn’t understand.

The dead-eyed man looked weary, still maintaining his sleeping posture, only listlessly saying, “Troublesome.”

“What?” Bai Yuxia was even more confused.

The dead-eyed man said, “Aren’t you asking me for the true reason? The reason is simply this. Troublesome.”

“…When you came to Yue Country to challenge me, why didn’t you find it troublesome?” Bai Yuxia was somewhat angry. “Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, you are now going to challenge Huang Su? Why don’t you find that troublesome?”

The dead-eyed man said spiritlessly, “Winning once is enough…”

His voice became lower and lower, until he began to breathe evenly, falling asleep just like that.

Bai Yuxia stared in silence for a moment, then could only sit down and meditate. He truly hadn’t expected this fellow to get used to being watched so quickly—or rather, he simply couldn’t resist the pleasure of it.

He even found himself envying this ability to go with the flow and lie down.

“Forward. Forward? Forward!”

That voice was familiar and distant.

Never a blur, forever profound.

“…Again?” Forward sighed deeply and awoke.

By now, night had fallen completely.

The bright moon hung high.

Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the forest, falling upon his expressionless face.

Truly, the old dream was troublesome. He thought listlessly.

He still hadn’t emerged from that feeling of disappointment.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred.

That young man, whose skin was dazzlingly white, was again suspended beside him.

He looked over very seriously, repeating at some point, “Please accept my challenge.”

Forward had seen many such “strugglers,” and he knew clearly that winning against him once or twice was fundamentally useless. Such people would only constantly find their own problems, constantly correct themselves, constantly improve, and then constantly challenge.

He simply would not take the bait.

So he closed his eyes again.

“You’re lying down anyway, why don’t you get up and fight me?” Bai Yuxia was very confused. “Although I lost to you, I can at least give you some sparring experience, right? Even if it’s just a warm-up before you challenge Huang Su, you won’t lose anything. Why not?”

“I’m lying down anyway, so why should I not lie down?” Forward countered.

“This…” Bai Yuxia was speechless for a moment.

Forward sighed again. He always sighed, one after another.

“There are two kinds of people in this world. One kind of person will never be changed, will never give up, will always strive. This kind of person is called Jiang Wang. There is another kind of person who is never willing to strive, always wants to give up, no matter how this muddled world changes casually, this kind of person is called Forward.”

“If you like to challenge, you should go find the former. He can beat you eight hundred times a day without a problem, and he can even test all his Dao technique ideas on your body. His creativity is infinite, his enthusiasm endless. You come to me, and I can only say, I must decline. We only had one fated battle.”

“Do you know how tired a person who doesn’t love to strive will be, if forced to strive by responsibility or some kind of ghost promise?” “Practicing swordsmanship has already consumed all my energy. I have no energy left to deal with other things.”

“Including your mood.”

Forward mumbled the last sentence, turned to his side, and went back to sleep.