Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Snowflakes drift for miles, and the mountain peaks stand like swords.

At the summit of the highest, towering snow-capped mountain, lies a forbidden ice cave.

This place is perpetually shrouded in darkness, with only howling winds and snow.

The frost that condenses in the air is the sharp intent of a sword.

The ground and cave walls are all made of ice that has remained frozen for thousands of years.

The ice walls were as smooth as a mirror, reflecting a cold, eerie glow from the depths of the cave.

A giant ice lotus floated silently in mid-air.

A figure sat cross-legged on the lotus platform.

A long, wide-sleeved robe, whiter than snow, was spread out, and her snow-white hair fell to her waist, unbound.

His face was so handsome it seemed otherworldly; the contours of his eyebrows and eyes looked as if they had been sculpted by a deity from the heavens, without a single flaw.

The man's eyes were closed, his expression indifferent, and his aura blended seamlessly with the entire ice cave.

This person is none other than Ji Lingxiao, the Supreme Elder of the Lingxiao Sword Sect and the only cultivator in the cultivation world in nearly a thousand years who can be called a Sword Venerable.

He is currently in seclusion.

His spiritual realm was clear and his heart was as still as water; his ruthless swordsmanship was nearing perfection.

His breath was faint and almost nonexistent, as if he had become part of the snow-capped mountain.

Without warning, a very slight ripple appeared on the calm, mirror-like surface of his spiritual abode.

It came suddenly, yet it couldn't be ignored.

"Buzz—"

His natal flying sword, "Frostbite," hovering three feet in front of him, then let out a soft hum.

The Frost Sword is forged entirely from extraterrestrial ice crystals. Its blade is transparent and flawless, and it exudes a chilling aura year-round.

But at this moment, a faint warm light appeared on the transparent sword blade.

The light was faint, yet it stood out starkly in the cold darkness.

Ji Lingxiao's long eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were like a frozen pool that had been sealed for ten thousand years, but now, because of that sliver of warm light, a ripple appeared at the bottom of the pool.

He raised his well-defined hand, his fingertips touching the frosty blade.

The buzzing sound became clearer, devoid of any murderous intent, and instead carried an innate sense of intimacy and attraction.

That feeling traveled from my fingertips straight to my soul.

Ji Lingxiao paused.

His brows furrowed slightly.

The Frost Sword was forged in his hands and became connected to him by blood and mind.

This sword's cry is a resonance unique to one's bloodline.

But his clansmen had all perished a hundred years ago.

There are no longer any blood relatives of his in this world.

"Inner demons?"

He muttered to himself, but his voice did not echo in the empty ice cave.

Perhaps what happened a month ago became his inner demon.

They attempted to use false blood ties to shake his unwavering resolve.

Ji Lingxiao withdrew his fingers, closed his eyes again, and tried to erase that tremor from his spiritual abode.

But the feeling was like a drop of ink in clear water; no matter how much it was diluted, it still remained.

Ji Lingxiao tapped lightly with his fingertips.

A condensed sword intent ripped through the void, pierced the ice wall, and disappeared into the wind and snow.

A moment later, a white figure arrived on a sword and stopped outside the ice cave.

The newcomer was slender and graceful, dressed in white, with a beautiful and refined appearance and an extraordinary air about her.

It was Lin Qingxue, Ji Lingxiao's only personal disciple.

She knelt respectfully at the entrance of the cave.

"Master."

Her voice was cold, but her tightly clenched hands betrayed her inner turmoil.

The Master had been in seclusion for several years, and this was the first time he had summoned her alone.

"In the Eastern Wilderness, there have been unusual phenomena of heavenly lightning recently."

Ji Lingxiao's voice came from deep within the cave, as indifferent as if it were wrapped in ice and snow.

"Your cultivation has reached the bottleneck of the Golden Core stage, and you have been unable to break through it for a long time due to an unstable state of mind."

"Then I'll go there and find out the reason, just as a learning experience."

He did not mention anything about the sword's cry.

However, I had been to Qingyun City in the east before, and that kind of thing happened there.

Send a disciple to check again to see if anything unusual has happened.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingxue, who was kneeling at the cave entrance, had an uncontrollable gleam in her eyes.

This was the first time her master had sent her on a mission.

Does this mean that she is no longer the same in her master's heart?

Outsiders assumed that Lin Qingxue, having become an apprentice of the Supreme Elder, would receive his personal instruction.

Who would have thought that after so many years of being a disciple, Lin Qingxue had barely even seen her master's face a few times.

I saw him in public places within the sect.

The idea that she could take a chance on the Sword Master's wife had long been suppressed in her heart.

As long as I can become a disciple valued by my master and stay by his side, that is enough.

Only she has that qualification.

Lin Qingxue suppressed her excitement and bowed her head, replying, "Disciple obeys."

"I will certainly live up to Master's expectations!"

She stood up, bowed deeply in the direction of the ice cave, then summoned her flying sword, which transformed into a streak of light and sped off towards the Eastern Wilderness.

That eager posture seemed to be proving his ability through action.

The ice cave returned to silence.

Ji Lingxiao closed his eyes, trying to enter a meditative state again.

However, the faint, lingering connection of blood did not disappear despite his disregard.

It was like an invisible thread, extending from his heart and constantly pulling him along.

His slender fingers tapped lightly on his knee unconsciously, the rhythm slightly off.

Could it be that the little rascal who ran away is pregnant with his child?

The moment the thought arose, Ji Lingxiao immediately cut it off.

No, it's impossible.

Once one cultivates to the Golden Core stage, the possibility of having offspring becomes extremely slim.

Among the cultivators in the sect who were two realms lower than him, there were thousands of concubines, but none of them had ever given birth to a child.

Ji Lingxiao pondered for a moment, and finally took out a communication jade slip.

"Brother Sikong, could you help me deduce something?"