Since Lu Yuan had already come to her door, both sentiment and reason said she ought to meet him.
Hua Rong's fingertips still rested lightly against the icy armrest as she pondered inwardly, This boy has most likely come because he hit a bottleneck while comprehending the Ice Profound Meaning and wants guidance. Or perhaps he knows he cannot pass the assessment and wants to beg me to lower the standard for taking him as a disciple.
If it was the former, then for the sake of his passable temperament, she did not mind spending a sliver of effort to point him toward the right path.
But if it was the latter, she would show him the door without the slightest mercy.
Lower the difficulty of the assessment? Absolutely impossible.
In her principles of cultivation, taking disciples had always valued quality over quantity. There was not the slightest room for compromise.
Her mind made up, Hua Rong lifted her hand faintly and spoke in a low voice. Her voice pierced through the palace doors and echoed outside. "Come in."
The palace doors slowly opened, and Lu Yuan stepped into the Extreme Ice Temple.
His figure was straight and tall, his steps steady and powerful. Every step landed with calm composure, and the aura around him was clear and restrained as he walked straight toward the high platform at the center of the hall, without the slightest timidity.
Atop the high platform, Hua Rong sat upright upon an icy chair. Her beauty was peerless, yet between her brows and eyes lay an innate layer of cold aloofness. Extreme ice spiritual energy lingered around her, making her seem like a snow-and-ice goddess untouched by the mortal dust.
A glazed ice dress draped down from her body, and beneath its hem, a pair