Chapter 690

Dayang Fu.

Yang Hongxia felt that Fang Yue's surroundings seemed to radiate a chill.

It was no illusion—being near Fang Yue truly made one feel cold, as if the surrounding temperature had dropped several degrees.

This condition gradually intensified day by day as time passed.

At first, when near Fang Yue, Yang Hongxia had merely felt a coolness.

But as time went on, that sensation shifted from cool to icy; merely staying near Fang Yue made one feel as if standing in a frozen wasteland.

Looking at Fang Yue, it seemed his emotions had grown distant, and his speech had diminished.

He who once occasionally interacted with her now devoted himself entirely to cultivation, as if suffering Qi Deviation.

This deeply worried Yang Hongxia.

Her planned strategy of being close to gain advantage seemed to have achieved little.

Just as Yang Hongxia was at a loss, the day of the Martial Duel arrived.

Whether Dayang Fu could climb out of the abyss, secure a place in Chunuan City, and rank among the top hundred in the Tian Shang Alliance depended entirely on this Martial Duel.

She handled all the paperwork tirelessly; these trivial matters never troubled Fang Yue, providing him with a stable cultivation environment.

After Fang Yue took charge, Dayang Fu had not suffered any further incidents.

Those who had planned to resign now lost their resolve; the once crumbling, sky-high tower of Dayang Fu had barely stabilized.

The Martial Duel was the most lively day among all festivals in Chunuan City.

Streets were packed with people, the festive atmosphere already buzzing from early morning.

Amid the bustling crowds, martial artists clashed over petty quarrels.

But after being scolded by Lan Shan, they all fell silent.

"Martial Duel!"

Yang Hongxia clenched her fists, her heart racing.

Though Dayang Fu had lost many lives and suffered heavy losses, a strong ranking in the Martial Duel could turn everything around, earn recognition from the Tian Shang Alliance, and secure the best resources to strengthen the Dayang Caravan!

Then, perhaps… she might finally be worthy of Lord Han?

Yang Hongxia secretly thought this, while Mang Liuzi, who had long suffered Heavy Injury, showed signs of recovery and eagerly wished to join the Martial Duel.

"Can you even do it?" Yang Hongxia's skeptical gaze swept over Mang Liuzi—his slight frame couldn't compare to Lord Han's.

"Aren't there two slots? Giving me one won't hurt."

Mang Liuzi spoke weakly.

Compared to Fang Yue's monstrous power, he truly had no chance.

But he was still a Xiantian Expert; previously, he had been injured and still recovering, so he had no chance to act, hiding in his ward, oblivious to the world outside.

Now that his injury had improved greatly, he could finally move about again.

Mang Liuzi was very protective of his life—he had abandoned the young mistress and fled, which proved it.

Yet… the Martial Duel was one of the reasons Mang Liuzi came to Chunuan City—he had to participate.

Through his performance in the Martial Duel, the fame he accumulated might impress the prodigy disciple from Ji Bing Sect—Tail—or the Talented Woman Mu Liu, serving as a key to make their acquaintance.

Influenced by the citywide festive atmosphere, Mang Liuzi felt eager and remained highly excited.

And just then…

Creak.

Fang Yue's door suddenly opened.

As soon as the door opened, a cold current surged outward from the threshold.

Yang Hongxia and Mang Liuzi felt the temperature drop sharply; they turned and saw Fang Yue had emerged from seclusion.

"Lord Han!"

Both exclaimed in delight.

Yang Hongxia noticed that today, Fang Yue's expression held more joy than his usual icy mask.

"Lord Han, what's so joyful?"

"Cultivation has succeeded."

Yang Hongxia had expected Fang Yue, in high spirits, to speak more to her today.

But the reply was only these four icy words, leaving her feeling hurt and frustrated.

Lord Han hadn't been like this before…

She racked her brain but couldn't figure out what she had done to upset him.

Yet… Fang Yue himself insisted it had nothing to do with her—it was purely due to the cultivation method.

What kind of harmful technique is this, erasing emotions, turning people cold and heartless, causing such harm!

TMD, this is so annoying!

Why can't Lord Han cultivate some ordinary Martial Arts? He's already so powerful, yet still works so hard on such a complex technique…

Yang Hongxia's face was full of worry; she tried to start a conversation with Fang Yue but was instantly shut down—no emotional connection could form, he was too cold, detached, desireless.

Meanwhile, Mang Liuzi grinned and tried chatting with Fang Yue; when he saw Fang Yue's cold response, he fell silent.

Only when Fang Yue asked about the Martial Duel did Mang Liuzi return to his cultivation.

Someone would notify him when the time came.

The legacy left by Lord Han was truly extraordinary, especially the 【Frozen Heart Method】 Fang Yue was now cultivating.

Though still in the phase of comprehension, it was nearly complete—and its effects on him were already growing increasingly apparent.

First was the outward radiating chill, directly lowering the surrounding temperature.

To Yang Hongxia, this merely meant it grew a bit colder—but in truth, Fang Yue had already restrained it severely.

If he let it out a little more, ordinary people would probably be frozen into ice sculptures on the spot.

The other thing is the effect of the Frozen Heart Method on one's inner self.

Just like the direct feedback Yang Hongxia got, Fang Yue... had become cold and icy.

It wasn't that he wanted to be this way, but rather that during the process of cultivating the Heart Method, the Heart Method was changing him.

Fortunately, Lord Han's cultivation diary also explained this — it's just an inevitable part of cultivating the Frozen Heart Method.

But Lord Han also left a note... it is the person who cultivates the Heart Method, not the Heart Method that cultivates the person. To master one's Martial Arts is the most basic requirement of a cultivator!

This point is a demand on one's temperament, and has nothing to do with Comprehension.

Even if Fang Yue's Comprehension were heaven-defying, if his temperament couldn't keep up, it would all be for nothing.

Fortunately, when first learning the Frozen Heart Method, the demand on temperament isn't high, and it can be gradually adjusted back.

And as he gradually delves deeper into studying the Frozen Heart Method and his strength and realm steadily improve, he must tame the Heart Method bit by bit, not letting it affect himself.

Take Lord Han, for example — he had long since reached the stage of perfect control, and any so-called icy heart had long been tamed into complete submission.

"The road is still long!"

Even so, Fang Yue truly felt the progress of his cultivation, and believed that before the Martial Decision officially began, he would surely be able to complete his cultivation of the Frozen Heart Method and achieve great success with the divine art!

Fang Yue greatly anticipated the power of the Frozen Heart Method, because in a certain sense... the Frozen Heart Method fights using 【Curse】!

(End of chapter)