Trapped within the ice, Nie Xiu sneered coldly. “You think these tricks can hold me? If you don’t kill me today, I swear we’ll settle this score later!”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I circled the ice ship twice, processing his threat. Since Nie Xiu claimed the ice couldn’t contain him…… well, I raised Nine Heavens and decided to test that theory.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The bizarre ice sculpture ship transformed into a massive bizarre ice sculpture ship.

From the distance, Seraphine felt the tornado’s spiritual pressure and rushed over. Flying overhead, she looked down to see a tiny figure—Echo—buzzing around like a busy bee next to what looked like an iceberg.

She descended slowly. “What are you doing?”

I startled, instinctively hiding Nine Heavens behind my back. The excitement in my eyes dimmed slightly as I peeked out from behind an ice panel, flashing her a smile. “I’m conducting artistic creation.”

Seraphine raised an eyebrow, studying Echo’s masterpiece.

The ice ship was now covered in strange, abstract shapes—animals, presumably. She pointed at a winding, angular creature with horns. “Is this Error?”

The spirit dragon coiled around Seraphine’s wrist popped its head up with sparkling eyes.

What? There’s a portrait of me?

“That’s Water Dragon’s Hymn,” I said. “This one is Error.” I pointed to a stick figure holding two matchsticks, wearing an inverted triangle for a dress.

Seraphine: “……”

Perfect. She didn’t need to ask where she was depicted. She didn’t want to know.

While they chatted outside the ice, they completely ignored Nie Xiu trapped within. His fury reached new heights. “Seraphine! I knew it was you!”

Seraphine turned to Echo. “How long will it hold?”

“This ice wall is formed from my sword intent, infused with sword energy,” I explained. “Anyone who approaches will be injured by the residual energy. Unless someone with cultivation higher than mine comes to rescue him, he’ll have to wait for the sword energy to dissipate naturally—about two months.”

Nie Xiu inside nearly coughed up blood. Two months?

If he was trapped here for two months, how could he compete with others for fragment collection? He gritted his teeth venomously. “If you have the guts, keep me here until the secret realm closes!”

That had been my original plan, but it wasn’t necessary. From the talismans Nie Xiu had used earlier, he definitely possessed means to break through the ice wall. He was just stalling for time, waiting for us to leave before making his move.

I knew this. I didn’t mention it because I had other plans.

Seraphine and Echo exchanged glances. Everything was understood without words. She curved her lips deliberately. “Excellent idea.”

“Hahaha!” I doubled over, hands on my stomach, laughing.

Seraphine crooked her finger, taking Nine Heavens from Echo hands. She stepped back several paces, studying the glacier, then let out a derisive chuckle and raised the sword.

While Nine Heavens couldn’t unleash its maximum power in Seraphine’s hands, it was perfectly adequate for carving.

I clasped my hands behind my back, watching with scholarly interest as Seraphine’s sword moved like a dragon through the ice. As a genuine human who had used hands instead of code since childhood, even her ice carving flowed with the same grace as ink on paper—elegant and razor-sharp.

—Idiot’s Tomb.

Incredible!

I applauded enthusiastically while Nie Xiu cursed from within his icy prison.

“Let’s go,” Seraphine said. “We’ve made our point. No need to waste more time.”

“Right.” I nodded, and we departed hand in hand, leaving the devastated landscape behind.

Inside the ice, Nie Xiu stared at the frozen barrier. He frowned, waiting a full half-hour before finally sneering and retrieving an attack talisman from his storage ring.

BOOM!

Thunder cracked across the ground. The ice mountain exploded, countless fragments turning to powder and drifting down. The attack talisman collided with the residual sword intent in the ice, creating a cacophony of clashing sounds.

While dodging the sword energy, Nie Xiu landed with a scowl, only to see an ice chunk at his feet carved with the character “Idiot”. His rage exploded instantly, and he drew his sword to hack the ice to pieces.

Flying ice crystals landed on his head and clothes, the cold sensation at his neck making him ignore everything else.

⁂

Far away, Seraphine suddenly raised her hand, showing Echo a silver butterfly that had begun fluttering its wings in her palm.

Seraphine’s eyes were deeper than Echo’s, and when she wore that mocking expression, the derision in her gaze intensified. She caught the butterfly trying to fly toward its target, chuckling softly. “Perfect. We just need to wait for the right opportunity.”

I nodded and pulled up my From Birth to Slaughter: Pig Farming Manual interface, giving her a thumbs up.

Human wisdom truly was infinite. I was working very hard to apply it.

Seraphine stored the butterfly in her storage ring, then asked casually, “Where’s the flower crown I made you?”

I quickly retrieved it from my storage ring and placed it on my head. I’d put it away earlier while working, afraid of damaging Seraphine’s gift. But I had a present for her too.

I pulled out the flower crown I’d made, looking at Seraphine’s hair adorned with numerous ornamental pins, and hesitated. “Seraphine, this is my gift for you.”

Seraphine looked surprised, then amused. “Did you strip an entire mountain bare to make this crown?”

Compared to the one she had made for Echo, this one was incredibly…… heartfelt. Colorful flowers bloomed abundantly among green leaves, layered and elaborate in the extreme.

I smiled. “Seraphine made me a flower crown but didn’t have one herself. I wanted Seraphine to have one too.”

Seraphine snorted softly. “I made it for you because I wanted to give it to you, not because I wanted one myself.”

“But your mouth is turning up at the corners.” I said, staring at her cheek.

Seraphine quickly pressed her lips down, muttering “chatterbox.”

I hastily covered my mouth, eyes crinkling with laughter.

While they had their affectionate conversation, Error—who had transformed back into her original form to watch her master’s competition and unexpectedly gained the fortune of entering the Twin Dragon Secret Realm—fell into contemplation: ……Ah, this means I still can’t go out, right?

I want to go out so badly, to run freely across the grasslands!

Fortunately, Error’s wish didn’t take long to come true. After teaching Nie Xiu a lesson, the two of them devoted themselves to searching for fragments, and with Error’s help, progress came at half the effort.

The Twin Dragon Secret Realm was vast beyond measure. Three thousand cultivators scattered like fish in an ocean—unless you deliberately blocked someone’s path like Echo had, encounters were rare.

Two months later, Echo and Seraphine had gained tremendously—though this wealth was entirely reflected in other opportunities: spirit beasts, spirit herbs, rare minerals and stones. Latest content published on novèlfire.net

Echo had become a ruthless treasure-chest-opening machine. One scan revealed everything within range—the foundation laid by all those ship expeditions in the Chongshan Immortal Palace now paid dividends.

Sometimes even Seraphine wondered if she should replace the novels in her storage ring with other texts. Echo was so useful that she seemed redundant by comparison.

Beyond this, Seraphine had another frustration she didn’t show. She’d discovered that when searching for fragments together, their combined haul after splitting was actually less than what they’d gain searching separately.

Ten months remained. She didn’t know how many fragments others had found. Everyone here was a prodigy blessed by fate. If this continued, they might fall behind.

Tsk.

That day, the three of them found a scenic spot to rest. Error took her original form and coiled up, her massive head resting on the ground, eyes gazing upward.

I held chopsticks with a steamed bun skewered on them, roasting it over the flames emerging from Error’s horns.

Amid the aromatic steam, I tilted my head toward Seraphine lounging in a tree, a question mark appearing above my head.

“What’s wrong with Seraphine?” I whispered to Error.

Error whispered back, “I doesn’t know. You should know—you’ve been together the whole time.” She was the contract spirit beast, the lowest cultivation among the three, relegated to lonely scouting duty.

My eyes darted around. When the bun finished roasting, I pulled one off, pried open Error’s mouth, and tossed it in. I blew on my scalded fingers, then tiptoed to the tree base, standing on my toes to bring the bun close to Seraphine’s nose.

She waved her hand.

“Don’t want any.” Seraphine said.

She lifted the hand covering her eyes, glanced at Echo, and said, “Keep them all.”

I asked curiously, “Seraphine, do you have some worry?”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

Asked so sincerely, Seraphine took a deep breath and smiled. “No, I’m just……”

“ROAR!”

Beyond the distant mountains, a sudden, earth-shaking commotion made the smile vanish from Seraphine’s face. She exchanged a tense glance with Echo.

“Error.” Seraphine called.

Error immediately flew over, catching Seraphine as she leaped from the tree. I bounded onto Error’s back, hastily biting into my roasted bun. Might as well eat it since I cooked it.

Flying through the air, we saw a massive shadow pursuing a cultivator relentlessly in the distance.

After identifying the creature, Seraphine drew her whip. “Devouring Mountain Beast.”

The beast flew while roaring furiously, its gaping maw nearly devouring the fleeing figure several times. When that cultivator spotted the red dragon ahead, her heart sank—but seeing the people riding it, she sighed with relief and shouted, “Flee quickly! This Devouring Mountain Beast is at mid-Nascent Soul stage!”

Seraphine put away her whip and called, “Echo.”

I quickly patted my chest and drew Nine Heavens, my cheek still bulging with food.

I circulated my cultivation method as Nine Heavens hummed softly.

As the old verse goes: “Lightning in hand, the sword that splits the sky—one stroke to cleave the whale and part the seas.”

The Sword Immortal Arts were all grace and poetry, but in my hands, that grace turned to wind and snow—its artistry the only thing left between my brows.

I touched down lightly on the dragon’s head and leaped up. Though there were no great whales to slay, dealing with a Devouring Mountain Beast was no problem.

The female cultivator who’d reached Error’s side looked back in amazement at the swordsman moving like splashed ink through the falling snow, murmuring, “Such powerful sword technique.”

Seraphine turned to study this woman—cold and ethereal, beautiful as a celestial being.

Seeing her consume healing medicine before drawing her sword to help Echo, Seraphine said lazily, “No need.” and invited her to sit on the dragon.

The woman gratefully bowed to Seraphine. “Zhu Shiyu of Taiyan Sect. Thank you for your assistance, fellow daoist.”

Zhu Shiyu……

Seraphine’s heart skipped a beat. From the corner of her eye, she watched Echo furiously beating up the Devouring Mountain Beast, her tongue pressing against her teeth as she smiled politely.

“Seraphine Velka of Luanyang Palace.”

Zhu Shiyu’s eyes brightened.

She bowed to Seraphine again, her last traces of wariness disappearing. She straightened her clothes and carefully settled cross-legged on Error’s back to meditate.

Error twisted her head to look at Zhu Shiyu.

Wow, another beautiful girl!

Echo had killed a late-Nascent Soul beast without spirit medicine enhancement, a mid-Nascent Soul Devouring Mountain Beast posed little challenge. Observers saw only heavy snow falling, frost like arrows, as the massive beast let out piteous cries before crashing to the ground with a thunderous bang.

Error quickly carried everyone down to land on the beast’s back.

The Devouring Mountain Beast was enormous, its back already sprouting vegetation. Among the plant growth, branches held three golden fragments. Zhu Shiyu sighed. “I thought other spirit beasts guarded these fragments. I never imagined that when I tried to collect them, the entire mountain would take flight—such a terrifying creature. Thanks to both fellow daoists for your aid. These fragments and the Devouring Mountain Beast rightfully belong to you.”

Seraphine nodded, walking toward the tree to collect the fragments.

I stood nearby holding Nine Heavens, constantly hiccupping. I’d swallowed my bun too hastily and choked. Feeling uncomfortable, I bounced a little, then heard Seraphine say in surprise, “What is this?”

“Hmm?” I looked up curiously to see Seraphine standing beneath the tree, her extended arm plucking something token-like from hanging vines.

Just as I stepped forward with curiosity, my foot not yet touching the ground, a tremor emanated from the token in Seraphine’s hand. The token suddenly blazed with blinding light, my pupils contracted, and I watched helplessly as Seraphine was swallowed by white radiance.

“Master!” Error cried out desperately. The white light appeared abruptly and vanished just as quickly, leaving no trace of Seraphine beneath the tree.

“I can’t sense Master’s spiritual energy anymore!” Error transformed into human form, tears streaming down her face.

I stared directly at the spot where Seraphine had disappeared.

This scene felt familiar. The difference was that this time, I had watched Seraphine vanish right before my eyes.

Zhu Shiyu frowned, about to bow and speak to Echo, but when she looked up and saw her expression, all words stuck on her tongue.

Echo’s face showed no emotion. Her clear eyes had frozen over with thick ice, staring silently and coldly at the empty grassland.

She gripped Nine Heavens tighter.

[Author’s Note]:

I’m mad, so no work log for you today!