Chapter 7 — Starting Over

Lin Yue's cultivation was gone.

She stared at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan stared back.

Neither spoke.

Finally—

"Master."

"Hm?"

"My cultivation is gone."

"Yes."

Lin Yue waited.

Shen Yuan didn't elaborate.

Her eye twitched.

That was new.

"All of it."

"Correct."

"I was at the seventh stage of Body Tempering."

"I remember."

"Now I'm..."

She looked inward again.

Nothing.

No accumulated spiritual Qi.

No familiar circulation.

No seven-stage body refinement.

Nothing.

"Mortal."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Temporarily."

Lin Yue took a slow breath.

She trusted her master.

She did.

But there were limits to how calmly a person could react after losing three years of cultivation in a single night.

Technically—

more than three years.

She had begun cultivating as a child.

"Master."

"Yes?"

"Why?"

Shen Yuan finally smiled.

"Because your old foundation was terrible."

Lin Yue stared.

"My grandfather said it was excellent."

"Your grandfather was wrong."

That sounded harsh.

Shen Yuan reconsidered.

"More accurately, it was excellent for an ordinary cultivator."

Lin Yue waited.

Shen Yuan gestured toward the meditation platform beneath her.

They were inside Cloudveil Peak's primary cultivation chamber.

Formation lines covered the floor.

The Lunar Yin Marrow floated above Lin Yue's palms.

Last night, Shen Yuan had guided her through the first stage of absorption.

Then—

he had destroyed her cultivation.

Very gently.

According to him.

Lin Yue wasn't sure how destroying someone's cultivation could be gentle.

But there had been no pain.

Her accumulated spiritual energy simply dispersed.

Her body returned to its pre-cultivation state.

Except—

not entirely.

She felt stronger.

Far stronger.

Her meridians were wider.

Her spiritual root was complete.

And something cool and powerful now existed deep within her dantian.

"Your previous Body Tempering path refined your body seven times."

Shen Yuan explained.

"But it used ordinary spiritual energy."

"Isn't that normal?"

"Yes."

"Then what was wrong?"

"Nothing."

Lin Yue frowned.

Shen Yuan continued.

"That's the problem."

She looked even more confused.

"You're not ordinary."

The room became quiet.

Shen Yuan pointed toward her dantian.

"Your physique naturally contains Nine Yin Channels."

"Nine?"

"Most are still dormant."

He raised one finger.

"We're going to awaken the first."

Lin Yue looked down.

"With the Lunar Yin Marrow?"

"Partly."

"What else?"

Shen Yuan smiled.

She immediately became suspicious.

He retrieved another jade bottle.

Lin Yue closed her eyes.

"Master."

"What?"

"Please tell me the grade first."

"Half-Immortal."

Her eyes opened.

She stared.

Shen Yuan placed the bottle down.

Lin Yue stared at it.

Then at him.

"Half..."

"Immortal."

"I heard you."

"Then why ask?"

"I didn't ask!"

Shen Yuan laughed.

Actually laughed.

Lin Yue stared at him.

She hadn't seen that before.

For some reason, seeing her master amused by her suffering made her less nervous.

Only slightly.

"What does it do?"

"The Nine Heavens Foundation Rebirth Pill rebuilds your foundation according to your natural potential."

Lin Yue's expression changed.

"Immortal-grade?"

"Half."

"That isn't the part I was asking about."

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Your physique is stronger than your current foundation."

"Much stronger?"

"Much."

"How much?"

Shen Yuan considered telling her.

Nine-Yin Immortal Body.

Immortal grade.

Crimson-Gold destiny.

He decided against revealing everything immediately.

Not because he didn't trust her.

Because Lin Yue had spent three years believing she was broken.

Going from that to *you possess an Immortal physique* in a single day might create a different kind of instability.

"Enough that rebuilding from the beginning is faster than repairing what you had."

Lin Yue absorbed that.

"So you removed my cultivation..."

"Because keeping it would limit you."

She looked inward again.

A strange emotion appeared.

Yesterday, losing cultivation would have terrified her.

Today—

it felt different.

For three years, she'd desperately tried to reclaim the ninth stage of Body Tempering.

Again and again.

Now Shen Yuan was telling her the entire foundation she'd fought to preserve wasn't worth keeping.

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Oddly—

that didn't hurt.

It felt freeing.

"How long will it take me to return to the seventh stage?"

Shen Yuan activated the system.

**[Estimated time with recommended resources: 3–7 days.]**

He paused.

That seemed ridiculous.

Then remembered who he was talking about.

"About a week."

Lin Yue stared.

"A week?"

"Perhaps less."

She had spent three years failing to recover two stages.

Now—

one week.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Are all Peak Masters like you?"

"No."

The answer came immediately.

"Good."

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Lin Yue realized what she'd said.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

It was the first time Shen Yuan had seen one.

Small.

But genuine.

Interesting.

Perhaps Cloudveil Peak would be less quiet.

He wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.

---

The rebuilding began at sunrise.

Shen Yuan didn't give Lin Yue the Half-Immortal pill immediately.

First—

Body Tempering.

Properly.

Lin Yue stood in the training grounds wearing her new Cloudveil Peak robes.

Shen Yuan stood opposite her.

"Punch."

Lin Yue punched.

"Again."

She punched.

"Again."

After fifty repetitions, she finally asked:

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Why am I punching?"

"Body Tempering."

"I know."

She punched again.

"But shouldn't I use a technique?"

"You are."

"Which one?"

"Punching."

Lin Yue stared.

Shen Yuan maintained a perfectly serious expression.

She wasn't sure whether he was joking.

He wasn't.

Mostly.

Body Tempering was often overcomplicated.

Cultivation clans developed elaborate methods.

Stances.

Breathing patterns.

Medicinal baths.

Weighted exercises.

Combat forms.

All useful.

But the core purpose remained simple.

Break the body's limits.

Repair.

Strengthen.

Repeat.

For Lin Yue, however, Shen Yuan added something different.

He raised his hand.

The Lunar Yin Marrow floated above the training ground.

A thin strand of blue energy descended.

Lin Yue shivered.

"Cold."

"Good."

"How is that good?"

"Your body needs to adapt."

Another strand entered her.

Her muscles tightened.

Shen Yuan carefully controlled the amount.

"Again."

Lin Yue punched.

This time, the movement felt heavier.

The Yin energy resisted her.

Every muscle worked harder.

"Again."

She punched.

Again.

Again.

Again.

By the hundredth repetition, sweat covered her forehead.

By the two hundredth—

frost covered her sleeves.

Shen Yuan watched her foundation.

**[Body Tempering Stage One reconstruction: 42%]**

"Continue."

Lin Yue gritted her teeth.

Three hundred.

Four hundred.

Five hundred.

Then her arm stopped.

"I can't."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Good."

Lin Yue blinked.

"Good?"

"You reached your current limit."

He tossed her a bottle.

She caught it.

Then stared suspiciously.

"What grade?"

"Second."

Lin Yue visibly relaxed.

Finally.

Something normal.

She opened it.

Inside was medicinal liquid.

"Drink."

She did.

Warm energy spread through her exhausted muscles.

Shen Yuan raised one finger.

The Lunar Yin energy entered her again.

This time—

instead of resisting it, her body absorbed it.

Her muscles trembled.

Bones crackled.

Lin Yue gasped.

Then—

**[Body Tempering — First Stage achieved.]**

She froze.

Already?

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Again."

Lin Yue stared at him.

"I just broke through."

"I noticed."

"Shouldn't I stabilize?"

"Already stable."

She checked.

He was right.

Her foundation felt—

different.

Her old first-stage foundation had been thin.

Fragile.

This felt dense.

Cold spiritual energy permeated her muscles.

"How?"

"Better method."

That wasn't entirely true.

Better method.

Better resources.

Better physique compatibility.

And an Immortal personally controlling every strand of energy entering her body.

That helped.

"Again."

Lin Yue raised her fists.

This time—

she didn't complain.

---

By midday, she reached the second stage.

By sunset—

the third.

Lin Yue sat beside the training ground staring at the clouds.

Three stages.

One day.

Her previous self had required nearly eight months.

And somehow, her current third stage felt stronger than her old fifth.

Footsteps approached.

She looked up.

Shen Yuan carried two bowls.

He handed her one.

Lin Yue accepted it.

"Noodles?"

"Yes."

She looked inside.

Ordinary noodles.

Vegetables.

Egg.

No glowing herbs.

No thousand-year spiritual beast meat.

No Immortal medicine.

Just food.

Lin Yue looked suspiciously at him.

Shen Yuan noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You're staring at the noodles."

"I was checking."

"For what?"

She hesitated.

"Whether they were some ancient treasure."

Shen Yuan laughed again.

"No."

Lin Yue relaxed.

Then Shen Yuan added:

"The vegetables are from the Spirit Garden."

Her chopsticks stopped.

"The egg is from a third-rank Cloud Crane."

She slowly looked at him.

"The broth contains a small amount of hundred-year ginseng."

"Master."

"Hm?"

"You said they were ordinary noodles."

"They are ordinary noodles."

"For you?"

Shen Yuan considered.

"Apparently."

Lin Yue sighed.

Then ate.

They sat quietly.

The cloud sea below the mountain reflected the orange sunset.

Waterfalls descended from distant cliffs and disappeared into mist.

Spirit cranes crossed the sky.

For the first time since arriving—

Lin Yue wasn't thinking about cultivation.

She wasn't thinking about her damaged spiritual root.

She wasn't thinking about healers.

Or failure.

Or what people would say when she returned home.

She was simply eating noodles.

On a mountain.

With her master.

It was peaceful.

She had forgotten cultivation could contain moments like this.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"Why did you choose me?"

Shen Yuan's chopsticks stopped.

He could give several answers.

Ninety-seven percent compatibility.

Immortal physique.

Crimson-Gold destiny.

System recommendation.

Cashback.

All true.

None felt appropriate.

"You kept standing."

Lin Yue looked at him.

"In the pressure trial."

Shen Yuan continued eating.

"You were in pain."

"You knew?"

"I could tell."

"I thought I hid it."

"Poorly."

Lin Yue looked mildly offended.

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Everyone else saw damaged spiritual roots."

He looked toward the cloud sea.

"I saw someone who had been losing cultivation for three years and still showed up."

Lin Yue became quiet.

"Talent matters."

Shen Yuan continued.

"Resources matter."

"Luck matters."

"But eventually every cultivator reaches something talent can't immediately solve."

He looked at her.

"I'd rather teach someone who knows how to keep moving."

Lin Yue lowered her gaze toward the bowl.

"Even if I hadn't had this physique?"

The question was quiet.

Shen Yuan paused.

Would he have chosen her without it?

Perhaps not.

The system had drawn his attention first.

Pretending otherwise would be dishonest.

"I don't know."

Lin Yue looked surprised.

Shen Yuan didn't soften the answer.

"I noticed you because there was something unusual about your condition."

He continued.

"But I chose you after speaking to you."

That distinction mattered.

Lin Yue looked at him for a long moment.

Then nodded.

"Thank you for telling me the truth."

"You're welcome."

They returned to eating.

After a while, Lin Yue asked:

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"Do I really need to punch another five hundred times tomorrow?"

"One thousand."

Lin Yue's expression fell.

Shen Yuan's lips curved.

Peace was temporary.

---

The following morning, Cloudveil Peak received visitors.

Many visitors.

Shen Yuan stood outside his palace looking down the mountain.

Dozens of figures were climbing the stone path.

Elders.

Inner disciples.

Several Peak representatives.

Even ordinary sect disciples who had apparently invented excuses to visit.

Lin Yue stood beside him.

"Why are they here?"

Shen Yuan already knew.

News.

Cultivators loved rumors almost as much as cultivation.

The recruitment ceremony's events had spread throughout the Azure Origin Sect overnight.

The girl with damaged spiritual roots.

The mysterious snowfall.

Peak Master Shen personally stopping the trial.

Cloudveil Peak accepting its first disciple.

Some rumors were accurate.

Others—

less so.

According to one version, Lin Yue was the reincarnation of an ancient Ice Empress.

According to another, Shen Yuan had discovered her while receiving guidance from an Immortal in a dream.

One particularly creative rumor claimed they were secretly related.

Shen Yuan had ordered that disciple identified.

Not punished.

He simply wanted to understand how someone could invent nonsense so efficiently.

The first visitors reached the gate.

Qin Feng led them.

Beside him stood Zhao Tianming.

Lin Yue recognized him immediately.

The Heavenly-grade genius.

Zhao Tianming now wore the robes of Heavenly Sword Peak.

A sword hung at his waist.

He looked toward Lin Yue.

Then paused.

His expression changed.

Yesterday—

Lin Yue's aura had been unstable.

Weak.

Damaged.

Today—

Body Tempering, third stage.

Lower cultivation.

But her aura was extraordinarily pure.

Zhao Tianming's eyes narrowed.

He couldn't understand why.

Qin Feng could.

At least partially.

He looked at Shen Yuan.

"You crippled your disciple."

Several nearby disciples inhaled sharply.

Lin Yue's expression changed.

Shen Yuan sighed.

"Good morning to you too."

Qin Feng ignored that.

"Yesterday she was seventh stage."

"Correct."

"Today she's third."

"Also correct."

"You destroyed her cultivation."

"Rebuilt."

Qin Feng looked toward Lin Yue.

"Why?"

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Her foundation was bad."

Qin Feng's expression became strange.

"She endured ninth-level spiritual pressure with a damaged root."

"Yes."

"That's bad?"

"For her."

Qin Feng stared.

Then he looked at Lin Yue again.

This time—

more carefully.

"Punch."

Lin Yue blinked.

"What?"

Qin Feng pointed toward a training post.

"Punch it."

Lin Yue looked at Shen Yuan.

He nodded.

She walked toward the wooden post.

It was made from Ironheart Wood, designed for Body Tempering disciples.

Lin Yue took a stance.

Then punched.

Boom.

The training post snapped.

The upper half flew across the courtyard.

Silence.

Lin Yue stared at her fist.

Zhao Tianming stared at the broken post.

Qin Feng looked toward Shen Yuan.

"Third stage?"

"Yes."

"Body Tempering?"

"Obviously."

Qin Feng walked toward the broken post.

He examined it.

No technique.

No hidden weapon.

Pure physical force infused with faint Yin energy.

He looked back.

"What did you feed her?"

Lin Yue answered before Shen Yuan could.

"Noodles."

Shen Yuan turned away.

Zhao Tianming coughed.

Qin Feng's expression became indescribable.

Lin Yue realized perhaps that hadn't been the answer he wanted.

"Also pills."

"That makes more sense."

"And Lunar Yin Marrow."

Qin Feng froze.

Shen Yuan slowly looked at Lin Yue.

She looked back.

"Was I not supposed to say that?"

Shen Yuan sighed.

"Not particularly."

"Oh."

Qin Feng's head turned.

"Lunar what?"

"Nothing."

"Shen Yuan."

"Would you like tea?"

"No."

"Noodles?"

"Stop changing the subject."

Behind Qin Feng, more visitors arrived.

Mu Qinglan among them.

She immediately noticed the broken training post.

Then Lin Yue.

Then Shen Yuan.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Third-stage Body Tempering."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"She was seventh yesterday."

"Correct."

Mu Qinglan approached Lin Yue.

"May I?"

Lin Yue looked toward Shen Yuan.

He nodded.

Mu Qinglan placed two fingers against Lin Yue's wrist.

Several seconds passed.

Her expression changed.

Then changed again.

Finally—

she looked at Shen Yuan.

"You repaired her spiritual root."

"Yes."

"Completely."

"Yes."

"Overnight."

"Mostly."

Mu Qinglan's gaze sharpened.

"Her meridians are stronger too."

"Yes."

"And her spiritual root quality improved."

"Apparently."

"Spiritual roots don't simply improve."

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Apparently they do."

Mu Qinglan stared at him.

Then she looked toward Lin Yue.

"How do you feel?"

Lin Yue considered.

"Better."

"Any pain?"

"No."

"Cold?"

"Only during cultivation."

"Instability?"

"None."

Mu Qinglan withdrew her hand.

She was silent.

Qin Feng folded his arms.

"So?"

Mu Qinglan answered slowly.

"Her foundation is..."

Everyone waited.

"...better than Zhao Tianming's."

Silence.

Zhao Tianming blinked.

Qin Feng looked toward his new disciple.

Then back toward Lin Yue.

"At third-stage Body Tempering?"

"Yes."

Lin Yue looked uncomfortable.

Zhao Tianming, however, didn't look angry.

He looked interested.

Very interested.

He stepped forward.

"Senior Sister Lin."

Lin Yue blinked.

Senior Sister?

Technically, Shen Yuan and Qin Feng were fellow Peak Masters.

As Shen Yuan's first disciple, her status among the current generation was indeed high enough for the address.

But hearing it from the sect's most celebrated new genius felt strange.

"Junior Brother Zhao."

Zhao Tianming looked at the broken training post.

"Would you spar with me?"

Qin Feng immediately said:

"No."

Zhao Tianming looked at his master.

"Why?"

"You're ninth-stage Body Tempering."

Zhao Tianming nodded.

Qin Feng pointed toward Lin Yue.

"She's third."

"Her foundation is stronger."

"Foundation isn't cultivation."

Zhao Tianming looked disappointed.

Lin Yue looked relieved.

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Later."

Both younger cultivators looked toward him.

"When Lin Yue returns to the ninth stage."

Zhao Tianming's eyes brightened.

"How long?"

Shen Yuan thought about the system estimate.

Then about Lin Yue's progress.

"A few days."

The courtyard went silent.

Qin Feng slowly turned.

"How many?"

Shen Yuan shrugged.

"Three."

Qin Feng stared.

Mu Qinglan stared.

Zhao Tianming stared.

Even Lin Yue stared.

"Master."

"Hm?"

"You said a week."

"I changed my estimate."

"Why?"

"You're progressing faster than expected."

Lin Yue wasn't sure whether to be pleased or terrified.

Shen Yuan looked toward the gathering visitors.

Then at the broken training post.

Then at his first disciple.

Three days.

Perhaps less.

And once Lin Yue reached the ninth stage again—

they could begin the true foundation process.

The Half-Immortal Nine Heavens Foundation Rebirth Pill remained in his storage.

So did the Primordial Lunar Origin.

He had no intention of giving her the latter.

Not yet.

The mortal realm might actually break.

But the Lunar Yin Marrow was enough.

First Yin Channel.

Nine-Yin Immortal Body.

A completely rebuilt foundation.

Shen Yuan smiled faintly.

Everyone currently thought Lin Yue's transformation was already astonishing.

They hadn't seen anything yet.

Then—

**[Ding!]**

A system notification appeared.

Shen Yuan's smile faded.

**[Disciple Lin Yue has reached prerequisite conditions.]**

**[Special cultivation route available.]**

**[Would Host like to derive a cultivation method suited to the Nine-Yin Immortal Body?]**

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Derive?

That was new.

He selected the notification.

Another message appeared.

**[Warning:]**

**[Derived technique grade will depend on resources consumed.]**

Then a list appeared.

Spirit stones.

Cultivation manuals.

Yin treasures.

Dao comprehension.

Even—

Primordial Lunar Origin.

Shen Yuan stared at the final option.

The system wasn't asking him to give the Primordial Lunar Origin to Lin Yue.

It was offering to use a portion of its Dao principles to create something specifically for her.

A cultivation technique.

One that didn't currently exist.

Shen Yuan looked at Lin Yue.

Then at the system.

Perhaps rebuilding her old cultivation wasn't enough.

Perhaps—

Cloudveil Peak should give her an entirely new path.

"Master?"

Lin Yue noticed his expression.

"What is it?"

Shen Yuan smiled.

"Change of plans."

Her face immediately became wary.

She had learned remarkably quickly.

"What plans?"

"Your cultivation."

Lin Yue stared.

"We just changed my cultivation."

"I know."

"And we're changing it again?"

"Improving it."

"How?"

Shen Yuan looked toward the cloud sea.

Somewhere beyond those endless mountains lay the Immortal Realm.

Ancient inheritances.

Higher cultivation.

Laws no mortal sect truly understood.

But perhaps Lin Yue didn't need to inherit someone else's path.

Not if Shen Yuan's system could create one for her.

He turned back.

"You're going to cultivate something that has never existed before."

Lin Yue's eyes widened.

The system interface glowed before Shen Yuan.

**[Cultivation Method Derivation available.]**

**[Awaiting Host input.]**

And for the first time since becoming a master, Shen Yuan wasn't thinking about what he could receive from his disciple.

He was thinking about what kind of cultivator he wanted to help her become.