Behind Ye Spirit Mountain, clouds and mist hung like a lock, with only a thread of dim light breaking through the canopy of sky to fall upon a thousand-fathom cliff.
The cliff resembled cold jade, smooth and translucent, and naturally radiated a chill that made the place exceptionally frigid.
At the foot of the icy cliff lay a deep, secluded pool. Its waters were clear and limpid, and likewise shrouded in cold air.
At that moment, the pool reflected a broad-shouldered, powerfully built figure sitting in meditation before the cliff.
He had neither activated a spiritual barrier nor cast any spells, but simply cultivated in silence.
He seemed to have been cultivating for so long that pale frost covered his body.
At some point, the single figure reflected in the pool became two.
The new arrival stood straight as a pine, watching for a long time. It was Ye Jingcheng.
The broad figure was, naturally, Ye Jinghu, who had entered seclusion to reflect on his mistakes.
Since Ye Jinghu was still cultivating, Ye Jingcheng waited without speaking. Only half an hour later did the figure rise. Seeing that Ye Jingcheng had come, he was utterly surprised and hastily stood, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Eleventh Brother, sorry for the wait."
"I haven't been waiting long."
"After roughly fifteen years of arduous cultivation before this icy cliff, have you accepted the punishment?" Ye Jingcheng asked.
"Of course I have. I violated a great taboo of the Lineage and acted with a reckless man's courage, yet the Lineage hardly punished me and even rewarded me instead. I just feel that I've let down the Lineage's trust..." Ye Jinghu answered, his expression unchanged.
He seemed to have thought over these words for a long time, so they came out particularly smoothly.
He placed