Profound Ice Art

Her long hair fell over her shawl, her jade-like face cool and aloof. It was Yan Bingxuan.

She had a schoolbag on her back and a book in her hand. When she walked in, she ran head-on into Chen Mobai, and her head tilted slightly, as if she were very surprised.

"I forgot to bring my textbook, so I came here to borrow one."

After Yan Bingxuan heard him, she looked at the Five Elements Technique book in his hand. Her clear pupils narrowed slightly, filled with doubt.

Hadn't this basic cultivation method already been fully taught back in the first year of high school?

But Yan Bingxuan had no intention of probing Chen Mobai's words. She lifted her snow-white, rounded chin and nodded lightly in response, then stepped past him and walked up to the female teacher in charge of registering book loans and returns.

"Hello, I'm here to return a book."

Once she finished speaking, Chen Mobai turned his head and happened to see the book she was returning.

"Frost Condensation Method"! It was the cultivation method Old Man Ding had mentioned, the one that could mutate a spirit root into an Ice Spirit Root.

"You finally bear to return it. You've borrowed this book for almost a year, haven't you?"

The female teacher with round-rimmed glasses seemed to know Yan Bingxuan. After taking the Frost Condensation Method, she spoke with a faintly teasing tone. The latter rarely revealed the slightest hint of a smile, like spring wind transforming into rain, causing Chen Mobai, who had only seen the great beauty Yan's cold face over the past year, to be involuntarily dazzled.

"When I heard you had withdrawn from school, I thought you must have succeeded. Now that you've come to return the book, I'm even more certain."

While processing the return procedure, the female teacher spoke as if unintentionally, making Chen Mobai's heart stir. He faintly felt that he knew the true reason Yan Bingxuan had withdrawn from school.

"Mm, I've already sensed Frost Intent. It counts as having cultivated an Ice Spirit Root, but my attribute points still aren't enough. I'll need quite a bit of time to raise them."

Yan Bingxuan was usually someone of very few words, but this female teacher with round-rimmed glasses seemed very familiar with her. With a smile, she briefly described the progress of her cultivation.

"If it's you, you'll definitely succeed."

"Thank you."

Unlike her usual cool, aloof bearing in class, Yan Bingxuan at this moment was very gentle and soft, making Chen Mobai feel the charm of this classmate of his for the first time.

"It must have been hard on you too, making yourself so cold and aloof on ordinary days in order to match the Ice Spirit Root."

"It's quite good too. Very quiet."

So she was pretending all along.

Just as Chen Mobai thought this, the female teacher had already finished the return procedure for the "Frost Condensation Art" and handed Yan Bingxuan's Student ID back to her.

"I don't need it anymore."

But the latter merely looked at it with lingering attachment, then shook her head and turned to leave.

Yan Bingxuan walked to the doorway and saw Chen Mobai standing there. Their gazes met. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, counting it as a farewell to the brief bond of having been classmates.

In their first and second years of high school, they had not been in the same class. Only when they were divided by subject tracks in their third year had they been assigned together.

It could be considered a bond neither large nor small.

"After your realm reaches the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer, you can give up cultivating the Five Elements Technique and switch to other cultivation methods suited to your spirit root attributes. What did you choose?"

Chen Mobai suddenly asked.

After learning of the spirit root enhancement method from Old Man Ding, he had also specifically searched online for knowledge in this area, and knew that although the Spiritual Root Enhancement Art was also an art, it leaned more toward being a spell.

Cultivators needed to cultivate it over a long period of time, persevering without pause. Sometimes even after a month, they might not necessarily see their Spirit Root Attribute Points increase.

Many predecessors would have cultivators seek out a cultivation method that matched their own spirit roots to cultivate. This way, they could avoid letting their realm fall behind too much while also allowing it to promote the Spiritual Root Enhancement Art, killing two birds with one stone.

"Profound Ice Art."

Yan Bingxuan answered subconsciously, only reacting afterward. Why did she have to answer him? "If fate allows, we'll meet again."

After hearing her answer, Chen Mobai's thought of giving her the "Black Water Technique" faded as well. He had originally felt that the Ice Breath and Ice Spell inside should have some value for her as references, and had wanted to form a good connection.

"Profound Ice Art" looked at a glance like it had been prepared for Ice Spirit Roots. It turned out he had been indulging in wishful affection.

Watching Yan Bingxuan's departing back, Chen Mobai turned and went back again.

"Can I borrow this book?"

The female teacher with round-rimmed glasses was just about to put the "Frost Condensation Method" back on the shelf when she heard Chen Mobai's voice. She hesitated and pointed at the book in her hand. "This one?"

"Mm."

"This is a book from Zone A. If a student wants to borrow it, they need an approval note from a main subject teacher."

When Chen Mobai heard this, he nodded lightly, recalling what Old Man Ding had said. Although there were quite a few Spiritual Root Enhancement Arts, in order to prevent students with weak self-control from becoming addicted to them and wasting precious time for laying their foundation, they generally had to wait until after entering university before being allowed to come into contact with this kind of knowledge.

"I understand. Thank you, Teacher."

The female teacher with round-rimmed glasses had a decent impression of the very polite Chen Mobai. She thought he had a favorable impression of Yan Bingxuan and wanted to use this to find common ground. In order to prevent Chen Mobai from delaying his cultivation time, she deliberately opened her mouth to give him a hint.

"Bingxuan's grandaunt is a true cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection from the Natural Academy. It's said that she's about to attempt Core Formation. This trial is difficult to predict in life and death, so before Core Formation, she plans to cultivate a successor. Bingxuan is one of the candidates. If the Frost Condensation Method succeeds and she condenses an Ice Spirit Root, then nine times out of ten, it will be her."

After Chen Mobai heard the female teacher's words, he froze for a moment, then understood that she had misunderstood. However, he knew the latter was also kindly reminding him, warning him that he was still young now and should place cultivation first. If he successfully reached Foundation Establishment, he would still have more than a hundred years afterward to pursue things slowly.

"Foundation Establishment Perfection. I'm afraid you couldn't find even one in all of Vermilion Cloud City."

Although the Immortal Sect had an orderly inheritance and was a cultivation civilization, it still could not avoid the aggregation effect. Cultivators with the talent to take another step basically all ran off to those Cave Heaven great cities that possessed high-grade Spirit Veins.

Although Vermilion Cloud City had the Two Great Academies and an extremely rare Fourth Grade Fire Vein, aside from Foundation Establishment Cultivators whose cultivation had already reached its limit, none would stay here for a long time.

This was even more so for cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection who had hopes of Core Formation.

"Although our city doesn't have cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection, it does have two Golden Core True Persons."

Hearing Chen Mobai's sigh, the female teacher, as a native-born Vermilion Cloud Native, could not help but say this.

That was true. Among the Immortal Sect's Seventy-Two Blessed Lands, some did not even have a Golden Core True Person holding down the fort.

But their Vermilion Cloud City had two. They respectively presided over the Two Great Academies: one was True Person Scarlet Robe, who had returned to his roots in glory, while the other was True Person Pure Serenity, who used Vermilion Cloud City's Fire Vein to refine magical treasures.

"If only I could listen to a Golden Core True Person preach once. Just once, and maybe I'd have the confidence to charge at Foundation Establishment."

The female teacher was also at the perfection of Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, but she had never dared to attempt Foundation Establishment. If a Golden Core True Person said one sentence to her, that she could successfully reach Foundation Establishment, perhaps she could borrow that breath of confidence and rush through.

But what kind of status did a Golden Core True Person have? They could be said to be the heavens of Vermilion Cloud City! Forget a mere High School Teacher like her, even the students of the Two Great Academies might not necessarily have an opportunity to meet one face-to-face.

Just then, the bell for class rang.

Chen Mobai immediately said goodbye, took the Five Elements Technique, and hurried back to the classroom.

He put on his wireless earphones and tapped open the Five Elements Technique lecture video he had downloaded offline last night. To avoid being seen by his deskmate, he even turned off the screen of his phone, which was disconnected from the internet, and hid it beneath his textbook.

Venerable Qingping's slightly long-winded voice sounded by his ear. Chen Mobai's finger made a precise swipe across the screen without looking.

Fast-forward!