Bright white light shone from all around him. All around him, pure white. Ice walls whiter than whitest jade, snow floor, crunching underfoot, paler than finest silk. Thick yin still swirled around them, but now, the light was so bright that he could see clearly through it. Chandeliers of icicles dangled overhead. Frost coiled on the air, mixing with the yin.
Huis breath clouded the air, cold so intense it chilled him to his bones. Subconsciously, he ran his hands over his arms. Good thing Zhubi isnt here. Hes a snake, and cant regulate his body heat well. Hed freeze to death!
Gui Hui!
ii waved at him from across the room, still held in a frostbitten hand. Behind her, a massive woman stood, frozen deep in a thick block of ice. Only her arm stretched out of the ice. A perfect beauty, the womans skin glistened like ice, almost translucent. Black hair frad her face and cascaded around her shoulders in gentle waves. Lips as red as blood brought color to her otherwise pale face. The womans eyes laid shut, as if she slept within the ice.
Im caught, ii said, struggling a little, only to give up. She sighed and flopped against the hand.
Howd she grab you from the entrance? Hui asked, tilting his head. Her arms look normal from here, so how did she reach that far away? Even Zhang Zhisho would struggle to reach that far!
Zhang Zhisho Whoops. I forgot to heal her. Well, to be fair, ii got stolen as soon as we entered! I didnt have ti!
I hope she doesnt die. Id feel awful about that.
ii shrugged. She looked down at the hand that held her and patted at the strong-as-steel fingers. Stretchy arms?
Hui shrugged. Makes as much sense as anything I ca up with. He jumped into the air and flew over to her. Grabbing one of the fingers, he peeled it back, away from ii.
The stiff, icy cold finger resisted his motion, but when he pulled it away, it didnt snap shut again. Hui frowned, then shrugged. If its making my job easy, I wont fight it! He dropped a little, pulling the next finger down.
Gui Hui, youre strong! I couldnt lift it at all, ii said, shocked.
Eh? No, no. Im average strength for a fourth-tier cultivator, Hui demurred quickly.
Right, right. You practiced with Jizhi Zhii and got strong. I should practice with her. ii sighed wistfully.
Ah, well, its not as if everyone would have the sa benefit from the sa practice. I had a good resonance with Jizhi Zhiis techniques. Perhaps your optimal resonance cos from soone elses techniques, Hui said, waving his hand.
ii squinted at him. Im a disciple on Jizhi Zhiis peak. How am I supposed to find another Master with different techniques? I only was able to escape music techniques thanks to killing my Master.
Hui spread his hands. That is for you to discover. I cant tell you your path in life. You should always search out your optimal path for yourself. A path that soone else guides you down is just that: soone elses path.
Thats huh, ii murmured thoughtfully.
Peeling away the third finger, Hui went to pull off the fourth and final finger. Prepare yourself, ii. I almost have you free.
Even as he said it, the hand snapped shut around ii once more.
Hui pressed his lips together. Elder Sister, did you have to wait until I was almost done? Ill scream, I will scream! Im not afraid!
ii looked over her shoulder at the giant woman frozen in the ice. What do you want for? You didnt hurt . There must be a reason, right?
Silence. The frozen woman remained perfectly still.
Hui coughed. Am I interrupting? Should I go?
ii shook her head. You ca all the way here. Whatever she wanted with , she can do it in front of both of us.
Despite her bold front, her voice quavered a little, and she paled slightly at the suggestion Hui leave.
I see. Shes nervous, too. Understanding, Hui settled into the lotus pose. Then I shall beco atmosphere.
Eh? ii asked.
Hui raised a hand. Taking a deep breath, he drew a massive amount of the icy, raw yin into himself. It chilled him inside and out, leaving his qi passages icy cold, even tinging his qi with cold yin all over. He took another breath, drawing yet more qi. Again, his qi cooled. Yin surged inside of him, coloring not only his qi but his qi passages and ridians with cold, dark energy. More. Enough to give yin poisoning. I want to completely blend into this place until I beco transparent, and that ans becoming completely soaked in yin!
In and out. As he breathed in, he absorbed yin, and as he breathed out, he expelled yang. Rather than lose his phoenix fire, he sublimated it within himself, hiding it deep in the depths of his soul. After all, if that becos tainted with yin, I have no way back to my ordinary yang-heavy form. I cant allow anything to happen to that!
His flesh cooled. His heartrate slowed. No longer clouding on the air, his breath whooshed out of him as cold as it entered, not altered at all by his bodys heat, as the yin drained his heat to almost nothing.
Gui Hui Gui Hui! Are you dying? ii asked, concerned.
Huis breath slowed. His entire body remained as still as an ice sculpture and equally as cold. Frost dusted his eyelashes, shoulders, and jade-white fingertips, so utterly paled by the cold as to beco perfectly white. His heartbeat quieted, fading to silence.
ii held her breath, desperately listening. Youre alive. Youre alive, right, Gui Hui?
Silence.
Her lower lip trembled. She scrabbled at the fingers, fighting their grip harder than before. Gui Hui! Gui Hui, wake up!
Above her, the frozen womans eyes snapped open. Ice blue eyes glead in the low light. Although the rest of her body remained completely frozen in place, her eyes turned toward ii. Ever so slowly, her lips turned upward.
Do not be afraid, child, a female voice sounded. It resounded through the room, sourceless. Within the ice, the womans mouth didnt move.
Who are you? ii demanded, fighting to see over her shoulder.
The woman sighed. Ive been locked within this prison for so long by that foul Tseng Caihong, but no longer! You will do as a fitting vessel.
A a vessel? ii asked. She trembled in the womans hand.
Mmm. You are not a dark yin attribute, as I once was, but you will do. Once I use you, I can find a yet more ideal body, the woman whispered. Her eyes glead in the ice, full of madness.
ii fought with all her strength, but she couldnt escape the hands grip. Gui Hui! Gui Hui, help!
Huis eyes snapped open. He looked up at the woman and smiled. Elder Sister, perhaps I could offer my body instead?
The woman scoffed. You? You arent even femal She paused. Her eyes widened.
Hui gestured. As Elder Sister can see, I am the dark yin attribute youre seeking after. Let ii go, and take my body instead.
The woman squinted. I could have sworn you were male monts ago. I sensed a male cultivator following after , with powerful yang, yearning after my power as those tasteless creatures often do.
Ah, well, everyone makes mistakes, Hui said, scratching the back of his head. I was already yin-attributed? Oh, but I had the yang-attributed phoenix fire active, lighting my way. Elder Sister probably sensed that and assud that was my body.
The female cultivator leaned in, pushing her face up against the ice. She stared at Hui with all her might. You are dark-yin-attributed. Nearly perfectly so. How?
Hui coughed. All cultivators have their own attributes, no? Im rely a spot of good fortune for yourself, I suppose.
Suspicious, she glared at Hui. Why offer yourself to ?
Well, I am rather fond of ii. I wouldnt like to see her die, Hui said. I suppose thats true-ish? Really, its more that I want to study you! Elder Sister, Im currently studying yin and yang, and you are the most powerful source of yin Ive ever seen. Isnt it natural that Id want to get a closer look? Even if it ans absorbing you!
Ah, well I certainly dont think she can actually overco my mind. She targeted a second-stage cultivator. I doubt she would have targeted ii if she was confident she could take over soone at a higher level, let alone a secretly-seventh-stage cultivator. Shes a Senior, but a weakened Senior. I dont like to think of myself as soone who takes advantage of others, but Elder Sister, since you attempted to take over soones body first, please dont hold it against if I take your soul over in return!
Hiding his thoughts, Hui gazed up at her innocently, making his eyes as devoid of guilt as though he spoke to Li Xiang.
The female cultivator hesitated a mont. All at once, her body distorted into a soft, malleable form, boneless and flexible. She released ii and swooped through the hole in the ice toward Hui, leaving her previous prison behind. At last!
As she flew toward him, Huis eyes lit up. Here we go!
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