From the edge of the crater, Senior Lu observed the 4 qi condensation disciples stuffing themselves with beast meat.

The other 4 were scattered around on the mountain.

Han Lingyun didn't notice when one by one, the other qi condensation disciples were taken away. Just as he felt his unprecedented appetite being satiated, Han Lingyun found that the scenery around him had changed yet again.

His body jolted at the sudden change of temperature. The hot air of the crater having been replaced by the biting cold of the mountain side. Han Lingyun reexperienced the unnerving feeling of his sweat freezing up.

Every time Han Lingyun was transported like this, he couldn't escape from this disorienting feeling for a short instant. However, perhaps because of the wave of tiredness that had swept over his body towards the end of his meal, this time it took Han Lingyun more than a couple of breaths to regain his wits.

Understanding that the blue in front of his eyes was the sky, Han Lingyun tried to get back up on his feet. But he failed to move a muscle. Han Lingyun realized that his limbs had been attached to the ground, fixing him in place in a star position.

"Your two legs and arms are sealed in ice. Try your best to get back to your own cave before dusk, the wind is going to be cold tonight.

It would recommend you get some rest. Tomorrow we are going to start the group exercises."

Han Lingyun didn't hear the voice of Senior Lu any more after those words. At this point, there wasn't much shock or surprise. Having already understood the assignment, he didn't try to resist or complain. On the contrary, Han Lingyun took a moment to appreciate the absolute stillness of the atmosphere.

He couldn't get used to this complete lack of sound, except from his breathing and heartbeat. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of peacefulness, of intimacy even.

What would it be like to be the only remaining person in the world?

With his thoughts drifting, Han Lingyun nearly fell asleep. He shook himself up right before his consciousness faded away.

'Come on Lingyun! It's not the time to sleep just yet. Or I will be regretting it dearly later tonight.'

The position felt very awkward to cultivate, but Han Lingyun managed to circulate some qi, refreshing his clouded mind.

After this, Han Lingyun concentrated wholeheartedly on the fire rune. The aim was simple: to make the binding ice melt enough for him to break free of the constraints.

Rather than trying to heat the surrounding air, Han Lingyun focused on the ice in direct contact to his arms. This was much more energy efficient. Sensing that the melting process had begun, he diverted a little portion of his attention to evacuate the water from his arms. It would be quite a shame if the water started freezing again.

An incense of stick later, enough ice had melted around his arms for Han Lingyun to slip them out of the two ice blocks.

After his arms were freed, Han Lingyun slashed the ice around his legs with just his hand forming qi blades with the blackbird art. Just like this, he had gotten rid of his restraints while the sun still held over his head.

Han Lingyun climbed back up and reached his own little cave where he collapsed and fell asleep. Both his body and mind had been drained between the yin yang pool and the feast rich in qi.

…

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With his perception, Senior Lu could monitor the 8 disciples from everywhere on his mountain, each one in his own circumstance. Their paths were not designed thoughtlessly, but with the application of a craftsman.

When the 8 disciples had fallen asleep in their respective holes, Senior Lu retreated to his wooden hut. Inside, a stairway led to the depths of the earth. Senior Lu didn't descend at impossible speeds, far from it. He went down the stairs like a mortal would, a step at a time.

However, a regular mortal wouldn't have been able to keep going this far without being burned to death. Yet Senior Lu remained unconcerned.

The temperature had surprisingly cooled down to room temperature when Senior Lu reached a grand room at the end of the endless stairs.

Inside was an incredible display of minerals, special magic beasts' parts, weapons of all sorts and sizes as well as shelves filled with undefined objects.

Shimmering golden symbols in the air revealed the complex formations in place.

Senior Lu selected a dozen or so types of materials, seemingly randomly. Then he jumped inside the gaping hole at the center of the immense room.

He landed in front of a grand furnace, radiating an intense blue light that would blind disciples in seconds. Behind, a small but terrifyingly powerful display of formations generated an area where the temperature was close to the absolute zero.

Senior Lu couldn't hide his anticipation, this was where he felt most at home. Working the arrays in front and behind, Senior Lu adjusted the temperatures. Not all materials needed extreme conditions to be molded to his will. On the contrary, this would have adverse consequences.

Like this, Senior Lu started hammering relentlessly the long bone he had brought, mixing it with some minerals that melted almost instantly under the heat. His hammer brought incredible effects, fusing those materials into the initial seamlessly.

It wasn't clear if all of his actions were calculated from the start or if he improvised from his ocean of forging knowledge, capitalizing on his impressions on the go, on his inspirations of the day. As he worked, his powerful hands moved with precision and skill, honed from decades of practice.

Suddenly, Senior Lu interrupted himself and plunged the glowing shape into the array of absolute cold.

The sword embryo sizzled and dimmed in mere instants. It was maintained in levitation by the array. With a wave of his hand, Senior Lu began hammering once again, seemingly in a trance.

Finally, came the time for the sword to be completed. Senior Lu examined it carefully with his piercing eyes, making sure every detail was perfect. He circulated his qi into the weapon to finish the assessment. The final sword was pure white with azure blue patterns adorning the blade. After taking his time to appreciate his own creation, Senior Lu jumped back up to the luxury depot and tossed his newly formed work of art to the side.

He exited the shabby wooden house and took a breath of fresh air. Indeed, the wind had picked up tonight and it was especially cold. With his spirit sense, the bald man rapidly determined the disciples' positions and their exact states.

Noticing the shivering bodies inside of the hastily dug out holes made him nod lightly.

For Senior Lu, the body was like a weapon. One needed appropriate tempering to grow powerful. He was determined to mold these disciples to perfection.

The bald forging master refused to accept any disciples that have formed the foundation already because he felt their path was already set to some extent. His disciple forging wouldn't have such an effect.

With heat, pain and cold, he would sharpen and strengthen. But the method for each of the individuals would vary. Every weapon was unique, and so was every young cultivator.

The bodies were the raw materials, and the anvil was the power of nature, with a little help from his expert fists.

However, there was still one big difference between weapons and disciples. The spirit.

Senior Lu frowned. He had just noticed Mao Enlai leave his hole and run down the mountain. At the bottom of the slope, the young man sat in a lotus position and began cultivating.

His hole had been made too shabbily, not shielding at all from the freezing air. At the bottom, he could enjoy regular temperatures and cultivate.

…

The following morning, Senior Lu looked more somber than usual. Mao Enlai had already climbed back up and joined the other 7 disciples in front of the wooden house.

"Today will be a long day. Or at least as long as you can make it last for yourself.

I have a lot planned for those willing. Start by going up and down the mountain a couple of times for warm up.

After, we will be doing bare hand fighting, only using punches and kicks. No external qi, no pulling each other hair or biting or whatever you little rats could imagine. Just some good pummeling. You are not allowed to aim at the head either.

Those that don't respect the rules won't be allowed to heal in the yin yang pool after having been thrashed by me.

But apart from this case, I won't be intervening in the fights. If you want, you can avoid fighting all together, it's your choice.

For those wanting to follow my instructions, find a partner and punch yourselves until your fists are bloody and your joints start rattling. It's not every day one can have access to a yin yang pool, so wreck yourselves to your heart's content. This is the time to switch your mind off and forget what pain is.

After this, you'll have the chance to get fixed up in the pool. If your performance satisfies me, I'll bring you to the lava lake and the frozen pond for some more fun. But the 8 of you are already off to a bad start."

Senior Lu paused for a moment on Mao Enlai, full of disdain.

Before starting to run down, Han Lingyun turned towards Su Xialu and met his gaze. Su Xialu made a motion of warming his fists. They both grinned at each other and wordlessly began a race down the steep slope.