Before the ice-cold pool, an unending stream of ice-cold water cascaded down from above, but this extremely cold water, teeming with spiritual energy, evaporated into a mist of spiritual energy upon contact with Li Zhaojun's body, disappearing without a trace.

At this moment, Li Zhaojun was in the midst of an agonizing struggle between ice and fire. The more she thought of Ye Fan, the more she found it impossible to continue cultivating the "********". It was as if a brand had been etched into the deepest recesses of her heart. Even at her most agonizing moments, she couldn't forget the scene of that moment when she injured Ye Fan.

"You must let go!" At the highest point of the icy pool, Fa Ying watched with a stern expression as Li Zhaojun below was suffering in agony. She wanted to use the cold of the ice-cold pool to seal Li Zhaojun's memories once again, but it was in vain.

Amidst her pain, Li Zhaojun screamed, "Master, I cannot let go, nor do I wish to."

Fa Ying's face was filled with frustration, feeling the urge to kill this disappointing disciple. Yet, Qing Lian, standing nearby, looked on with some heartache and asked, "Senior Sister, what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Continue using the ice-cold water. It's the only way to help her calm down!"

Li Zhaojun needed to use her spiritual energy to block the freezing effect of the ice-cold water. In fact, this ice-cold water could no longer have any effect on someone at her Nascent Soul Stage, but Fa Ying was unwilling to admit defeat.

Fa Ying shouted harshly, "Why? After searching so hard for so many years for a disciple, I thought she could become the world's finest cultivator, but in the end, a brat ruined my plans?"

No one could answer her, and truthfully, she didn't need anyone to answer.

What had happened was already done, and the turmoil in her heart was no less than what Li Zhaojun was enduring. She would willingly trade places with Li Zhaojun, as long as it meant making her "awake" again and forget the person she should not be thinking about.

Finally, even the ice-cold water ran dry, and Li Zhaojun was shrouded in mist. She knelt on the ground, almost sobbing, "Masters, I beg your forgiveness…"

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Fa Ying said nothing because she knew that even if Li Zhaojun were forcibly kept there, the flaw within her body would prevent her from continuing the cultivation of "********".

For Li Zhaojun, the Nascent Soul Stage was the final limit of her cultivation; it would be challenging to take even a single step further in the future.

"Senior Sister, perhaps we should let Zhao Jun calm down. She has been cultivating arduously for over a year, perhaps... we've been too harsh on her." Although Qing Lian was Li Zhaojun's master, she had little authority in front of Fa Ying.

"Let her kneel and reflect deeply on what is more important: becoming immortal or a man!"

Fa Ying waved her sleeve and departed, leaving Qing Lian and Li Zhaojun as master and disciple.

Qing Lian sighed softly but could only stand at a height, watching her disciple in a daze. Leading Li Zhaojun onto the path of cultivation had been her proudest accomplishment, but now it was also her greatest regret.

...

...

With the Nine Star Pill used to heal Ye Fan's injury and many high-ranking members of the Tianxuan Sect sacrificing their own cultivation to assist with spiritual energy, Ye Fan's Golden Core was finally preserved.

But at this time, Ye Fan did not even possess the cultivation of the initial Golden Core Stage. His Spirit Pill only contained the spiritual energy borrowed from others, leaving his body incredibly weak.

It was as if he had died once before.

"Senior Sister?" When Ye Fan opened his eyes, it was deep into the night, with only Wu Ding by his side taking care of him. "Where is Zhao Jun?"

Wu Ding scolded him, "You foolish boy, you've been to the brink of death, and still, you're thinking about her? You escaped death and did she ever care for you? She hasn't even shown up until now, not even sending someone to check on you, showing her intention. Don't you understand where her heart lies?"

Ye Fan shook his head slightly, "Senior Sister must have misunderstood her; I've already awakened her memory. The reason she hasn't come might be because her two masters are stopping her."

"Silly Junior Brother, how can there be such a foolish man as you in this world? Senior Sister has met so many people, but has never seen one as foolish as you." Wu Ding discreetly wiped away a tear, "Sadly, the person in your heart, the one you care about, is not you! How ironic, how ironic!"

As they spoke, Wu Ding glared coldly at the entrance. A figure appeared at the doorway. It was not Li Zhaojun, as Ye Fan hoped, but her master, Qing Lian.

Before Qing Lian could step inside, Wu Ding quickly leaped out to block her at the door.

"Wu Ding, it's been a long time," Qing Lian courteously greeted Wu Ding.

Wu Ding sneered, "Your splendid disciple wounded one of my Tianxuan Sect disciples, so what do you come for now?"

Qing Lian hesitated slightly, "I came to check on Ye Fan…"

"He is not Ye Fan; he is Qing Neng. Ye Fan became a thing of the past long ago. I suggest you don't come because he does not wish to see anyone from Xuanyue Palace." Wu Ding's voice was full of animosity, "Even his senior brother died by the hands of your Xuanyue Palace. His master is nowhere to be found, and he almost died by his beloved's hand. Isn't Xuanyue Palace harmful enough?"

Qing Lian said, "I came to talk to him about this. Xuanyue Palace's issues, I've heard about them too. Our Xuanyue Palace was destroyed by Deyuan Sect, and his master's disappearance is likely connected to Deyuan Sect…"

"Ha! It's a joke. What does your Xuanyue Palace's issues have to do with the Deyuan Sect? They destroyed your mountaintop more than two years ago, so have they just been lingering in the ruins to ambush a few Golden Core Stage cultivators like you?"

Discussing cultivation levels brought slight embarrassment to Qing Lian's face.

In terms of Spirit Root and talent, she surpassed Wu Ding, but now Wu Ding was an elder of the Tianxuan Sect, at the Body Integration Realm, while she remained in the Golden Core Stage.

"Is Ye Fan… is Qing Neng severely injured?" Qing Lian asked as if very concerned.

Wu Ding snapped, "He's not dead, but might as well be mindless like the rest. He might never remember past deeds, so you'd better give up on thoughts and continue training your splendid disciple. I wish you and your disciple early enlightenment and ascension!"

With a slightly dark expression, Qing Lian said, "Regardless of any past misunderstanding, Wu Ding, please don't involve the two juniors. At first, it was his master who asked me to take Zhao Jun back to Pan Gu's secret realm. His master suggested staggering the time. As for why he did that, I don't understand, but I imagine it was for his cultivation. Yet, he and Zhao Jun still recognized each other, and now Zhao Jun is in agony too."

"So what?" Wu Ding replied, "Your disciple will certainly be like you as well, cutting off emotions and righteousness, putting aside all feelings of the mortal world."

Qing Lian shook her head slightly, "Zhao Jun isn't like what you say. She's a child who dares to love and hate. In the past, I indeed was harsh on her, but now I want to grant her wish. Since her cultivation is stagnant, I might as well fulfill her wish, let her return to Earth, and be with the one she longs for, as a token of my heartfelt intention to her."

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