What does it mean that they all lived with lifelong regrets?

Amidst the white snowflakes, Xie Jiexue stretched out her hand.

The snow on the Lake of the Heart is getting heavier.

The snow fell thick and fast, obscuring the entire lake surface and turning Xie Jiexue's vision into a vast expanse of white.

In the world, it seemed as if only she remained, along with the endless white.

Xie Jiexue stood there, motionless.

The snow seemed vast and icy, but Xie Jiexue felt no cold at all.

Snowflakes fell on her hands, but they couldn't cover her fair and translucent skin.

Xie Jiexue waited quietly.

Suddenly, after an unknown amount of time, the snow in the air froze for a moment, as if an invisible hand had pressed down on the entire world.

Then, the wind stopped.

The snow stopped falling and instead fell vertically, covering the entire lake surface.

Xie Jiexue lowered her head.

On the lake, her fifteen-year-old reflection is gone, replaced by an endless expanse of ice covered in white snow.

Snow is neither ice nor water, so it cannot reflect anything.

The undercurrents struggling beneath the ice have largely disappeared, replaced by the stillness of the icy water.

Xie Jiexue closed her eyes.

The second level of the Supreme Forgetfulness Technique.

become.

......

A long time passed.

Xie Jiexue only opened her eyes after the second level of stability was achieved and she had fully entered the third level.

She sat cross-legged in a frigid cave deep within the Supreme Sword Sect.

The Ice Cave was the place where the successive sect leaders of the Supreme Sword Sect secluded themselves for cultivation. It was located in the deepest part of the mountain. Some time after Xie Jiexue became the sword master, Chu Hanxiao gave the Ice Cave to her.

"You are the Sword Master, the future of the sect," Chu Hanxiao said.

From this perspective, Chu Hanxiao indeed had no desire for power.

Inside the cave, Xie Jiexue saw tiny, frozen ice crystals in the air.

Ice crystals floated slowly in the dim space, refracting a faint, cold light.

That was all formed from the cold air she exhaled, combined with the moisture in the cave.

Xie Jiexue internally examined his own meridians.

Inside her body, her heart and sword bones were pulsating slowly, each pulsation pumping a wisp of pure sword intent into her entire body, permeating her limbs and bones.

Wherever the sword intent reached, flesh and blood became tighter, bones became stronger, and even the brain became more peaceful.

Xie Jiexue swayed and stood up.

Her fair feet stepped onto the ground, creating a trail of pure white ice flowers.

Even after she leaves, the ice flowers will not disappear, but will spread in all directions.

This is the symbol of the fourth realm of swordsmanship, the Sword Domain Realm.

Sword energy permeates the body, unconsciously transforming into a sword domain, possessing the ability to suppress enemies and amplify oneself.

No need for deliberate prompting or focused effort; as long as she stands there, the space itself will naturally submit to her.

Moreover, with the Supreme Frost, Xie Jiexue's realm will only become stronger and more unique.

At this moment, she was even more powerful than Chu Hanxiao, who had entered the state of oblivion.

—She became the strongest member of the Sword Sect.

As for the state of no self... no one in the sect has ever achieved it. This realm was designed specifically for the Supreme Frost.

Grasp the Supreme Frost, and you will reach the state of selflessness; conversely, the same applies.

Xie Jiexue stepped out of the cave. The light outside made her squint slightly, but she quickly adjusted.

In another cave, she found the sect leader, Chu Hanxiao.

Chu Hanxiao was wrapped in a thick black robe, making his face look even older.

She was coughing softly: "Jie Xue, what's wrong?"

Xie Jiexue did not answer immediately.

Chu Hanxiao was injured two months ago when demons attacked the sect and Xie Jiexue was lured away from the mountain.

Chu Hanxiao was forced to fight back, and then killed three demons of equal strength to himself, repelling the attack. However, the price was that Chu Hanxiao's lung meridians were also eroded by demonic energy, leaving him with hidden injuries.

After that, Xie Jiexue rarely went out of the sect—she was the strongest and had to take on Chu Hanxiao's responsibilities.

"Are you still blaming me?" Chu Hanxiao asked, looking at the silent Xie Jiexue.

Xie Jiexue paused, then shook her head.

She felt that she was, and should be, to blame, and had even blamed him before.

But now, she felt nothing about it and couldn't recall that feeling. Thinking of Chu Hanxiao's injury, she shook her head.

Chu Hanxiao coughed lightly twice more.

The chill emanating from her body was no longer as intense, but even the chill she felt before she was uninjured was not as strong as Xie Jiexue's.

"Is there something you need?" she asked.

Xie Jiexue nodded and voiced her doubts.

Xie Jiexue came because of the third level of the "Supreme Forgetfulness Technique".

This level is completely different from the first and second levels of the Supreme Forgetfulness Technique.

The first step is to calm the mind, to suppress the turbulent mind, to make the surface calm, and finally to turn it into ice.

The second step is to suppress the underwater currents, causing the ice surface to freeze.

The frost and snow fix the ice surface, preventing it from being broken by the undercurrents, and disperse the undercurrents beneath the ice, turning it into still water.

All of this is in preparation for the third and final level.

There is still water in the lake of the heart, but the third step is to freeze the entire lake from top to bottom.

The lake of the heart is no longer a lake, but will become a whole block of ice.

Without a doubt, this is much more difficult than imagined.

In particular, Xie Jiexue discovered something.

Her sword bones were unwilling to listen to her.

Specifically, the part of the sword bone that didn't belong to her was restless, suppressing this change.

And so, Xie Jiexue got stuck at the very beginning of the third stage.

"Is this because of the conflict between the sword and the bone?" Xie Jiexue asked.

Chu Hanxiao looked at her with a complicated gaze, making Xie Jiexue feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

But she ignored it and repeated it.

Chu Hanxiao: "Jie Xue, this is Lin Wuhua's sword bone."

Xie Jiexue paused in thought for a moment.

She didn't know what Chu Hanxiao was saying or what he was trying to express.

"I... don't really understand..." Chu Hanxiao coughed lightly. "Sword bone transplantation, I've never heard of this method before. He was the one who suggested it."

"You...you can go ask him..."

"Of course, the sword bone contains the essence of its owner, and it is common for them to repel each other."

Xie Jiexue did not answer.

She was somewhat bewildered.

When was the last time she went to see Lin Wuhua, and what was the reason for it?

Is it a month ago, three months ago, half a year ago, a year ago, or even longer?

It's been so long that she's forgotten.

Even now, she feels that her mind is still hazy, as if there is a thick layer of snow between her and the fog.

Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long, she thought.

"Perhaps you could ask him; he's the one who knows best."

Xie Jiexue nodded dully, but inexplicably decided not to go to Lin Wuhua.

I don't know why, but this decision came naturally.

She left Chu Hanxiao's cave and hurried towards her own quiet room.

She stopped halfway down the road.

Lin Wuhua was waiting for her at the entrance of her cave.

His face was pale and he was emaciated, but his back remained straight.

"Jie Xue, it's been a long time."

Lin Wuhua stared at her for a long time before asking her a question.

"Do you really want to do this?"