Chapter 1048: Bai Hang's Tragic Life

Time passed quietly.

Xinran Zhanglao cultivated as usual; after finishing sword practice, she went as usual to check on Bai Hang inside the formation, discovering she was becoming more and more insane, just one step away from madness.

Half a year had passed, Bai Hang was still persisting; such perseverance was very impressive, and Xinran Zhanglao greatly admired it.

Ah—ah—ah!

The miserable cry echoed within the formation; Xinran Zhanglao heard this shout and laughed, saying: "Finally can't hold on anymore? Half a year, no food or drink, no cultivation, just staring at the formation to study—this woman has a good disposition, she's a fine seedling, also a seedling for sword practice; it's a pity, she's not my disciple."

Such a disciple is very suitable for sword practice, even more suitable than my useless disciple.

Bai Hang is a fine seedling; from any angle, she is an excellent sword cultivation talent.

The Way of the Sword first values perseverance; with perseverance, one can naturally find a path.

Next comes talent; talent is needed in other areas, but only in the Sword Way does one need persistence, day after day of cultivation without interruption—of course, Chen Chuyang that monster is an exception.

Chen Chuyang also trains hard, right? He hardly ever rests; during the time they lived together, Xinran Zhanglao discovered that Chen Chuyang's current cultivation was not luck but the result of his day‑after‑day training.

How could this be?

How can it be so complicated? Half a year has passed, a full half year, and I've gotten nothing.

Who the heck set up this damn formation? It's too much of a trap.

Ah—ah—ah!

Inside the formation, Bai Hang's wailing continued; she was truly going mad.

Hair disheveled, no trace of her former bearing; a beauty had become a madwoman.

The change came quickly; it's not Bai Hang's fault, she really is… tormenting.

Xinran Zhanglao understood her well; even if given the formation, she couldn't comprehend it—once those formations were combined, they were no longer the formations she knew, although most were of her own making, she truly didn't understand.

It was all set up by Qinglong Daoren; she merely played a supporting role.

So she understood Bai Hang well and also grasped her anguish.

I'm really going mad—what kind of formation is this, why is it different from the ones I've encountered before?

Not a single thing is similar; although they are formations, these formations have… no rules at all.

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!

Bai Hang lay on the ground, gazing at the sky; she thought she wouldn't collapse so soon, but unexpectedly, after only half a year, she was about to break down.

These formations are too tormenting.

She was unwilling.

I don't believe I can't crack this formation; I definitely can.

Bai Hang, you can do it; believe in yourself, you're a genius, you're the Holy Maiden of Tian Du Men—how could you… be defeated by a mere formation?

After the mental struggle, Bai Hang sat up, tidied her appearance, and then began cultivating.

Three days later, Bai Hang's spirit and energy had fully recovered, and she adjusted herself once more to perfect condition.

This time, she would make another push.

She didn't want to just collapse like that, nor did she wish to surrender.

It's just a mere formation; I can do it.

She cheered herself on; Bai Hang didn't believe in evil, nor did she believe she would be so fragile.

Entering a state of insight once more, Xinran Zhanglao saw this and praised: "Not bad; this kind of disposition is extremely suited for sword practice."

Stabilizing the mind and swiftly recovering… the mind—just this point, she has already surpassed many.

If this woman does not fall, she will surely have a place among the future giants of Cangzhou.

It's not that Xinran Zhanglao overestimates her; it's simply the fact.

Such disposition—among the people she knows, aside from Chen Chuyang, no one could possess it.

Within the Spirit Sword Sect, only Ming Wuzi could match her.

Ming Jianzi and her disciple Chen Churan cannot compare; the gap is still large, possibly due to insufficient experience, and may change in the future.

For now, they cannot be compared.

Inside Longshe Shan, peace was restored once more.

The sun rose and the moon set.

Time passed day after day.

Another three months passed.

Bai Hang was still persisting, not giving up; this time she changed her previous method.

It seemed she had gained something; Xinran Zhanglao glanced, then continued sword practice—cultivation is an eternal topic.

Seizing the time to cultivate, her sword proficiency rose rapidly.

Cultivating day and night, the Way of the Sword improved; Xinran Zhanglao had her own cultivation method, her level remained that of a peak True Person Realm, not rushing to break through— the True Destiny Realm is not easy to break into, and she wasn't in a hurry either.

Consolidating cultivation, consolidating the sword Way, comprehending sword intent, training the heart‑sword Way, and planning for the future—all required her determination.

Bai Hang sat inside the formation, murmuring: "Why is this formation so different?"

No matter from which angle one contemplates, it's all the same.

It's infuriating.

Once again falling into the trend of madness, Bai Hang quickly grasped her own mind, not letting herself become impatient, nor letting herself become deranged.

After steadying her mind, Bai Hang raised her head and declared firmly: "I, Bai Hang, am the pride of Tian Du Men—how could I be defeated by a mere formation?"

Whether natural formations or man‑made ones, I, Bai Hang, could never surrender.

In my life, Bai Hang, there are no words 'surrender'.

Bai Hang once again lifted her spirit to observe the formation.

Time, another three months passed.

One year passed.

Bai Hang was still treading in place, making no progress—yes, not a single step forward.

The Formation restricted her; she could not comprehend the Formation, nor could she break through it.

Qinglong Daoren emerged from seclusion, now holding many elixirs; these elixirs were all of high grade, and both Qinglong Daoren and Xinran Zhanglao needed elixirs for cultivation—their consumption was substantial, requiring many elixirs, while low-grade elixirs were useless to them.

In the coming decades, they might both be cultivating on Longshe Shan; Qinglong Daoren had swept the spiritual medicines from the surrounding peaks and planted them on Longshe Shan.

Much land on the mountain was reclaimed, dedicated to growing spiritual medicines to provide him with raw materials.

There were also some spiritual fruit trees, planted within Longshe Shan, separately.

After years of development, the spiritual medicines on the fields increased greatly, and their grade rose as well; within Longshe Shan, spiritual energy was abundant, the spiritual energy of the surrounding peaks gathered here, and the Formation transformed it into the spiritual energy they cultivated.

Most of the spiritual energy condensed into liquid, becoming spiritual spring water.

After so many years of change, that spring of spiritual water also changed, its spiritual energy becoming ever richer, and it has become a major feature of Longshe Shan.

He gave a batch of elixirs to Xinran Zhanglao, and Qinglong Daoren instructed, 'These elixirs for your cultivation over the coming period—if they run out, come ask me for more.'

Xinran Zhanglao accepted them without hesitation, putting them away on the spot.

'That woman is on the verge of breaking down this time; she has persisted for a year, which is remarkable.'

'Although she has made no progress at all.'

Those latter words were truly heartless.