Chapter 10 : Absolute Cold Disease

Chapter 10: Absolute Cold Disease

“Really impressive.” Chen Qin remarked.

“I remember you’ve just been promoted to second year of high school this year; have you chosen your companion beast yet?” she asked.

Chen Beiwu replied, “I have several targets, but nothing is finalized yet.”

The Azure Spirit Salamander was only a backup option; if the seven‑color encounter could trigger properly and he met a companion beast at Spirit Beast Pavilion with higher aptitude and better-suited attributes, Chen Beiwu naturally wouldn’t miss it.

“The companion beasts in the Spirit Beast Pavilion are docile in temperament and of higher quality than the spirit beasts sold on the market. I happen to have a dossier on water‑element spirit beasts from Yunlong Prefecture; you can take a look.” Chen Qin took out a translucent jade slip from her bag.

Chen Beiwu did not refuse, accepted the jade slip, and said “thank you.”

“What are you thanking for? We haven’t seen each other for just a short time and you’ve become so formal. Back when you touched my thunder, you weren’t nearly this polite!” Chen Qin glanced at him in astonishment.

“Sis Qin, that was cardiac resuscitation—it was to save a life.” Chen Beiwu said helplessly.

Chen Qin smiled, lifted her chin and chest, and deliberately teased, “I don’t care, just tell me whether you touched it or not.”

Chen Beiwu instinctively glanced at the plump, tempting fruit before him, shook his head slightly, and said, “Sis Qin, don’t joke about this.”

“All right, I won’t make it difficult for you.” Chen Qin turned to look at the community fountain and raised the topic: “Beiwu, have you ever heard of the Cleansing Spirit Melody?”

“No, I haven’t.” Chen Beiwu shook his head.

Musicians used music as a medium to play specific tunes that guided the celestial and earthly spiritual energy, allowing cultivators to gain various enhancements.

In the many arts of cultivation, though musicians weren’t as sought after as alchemists, talismanists, array masters, and other popular professions, they still held a certain status.

And the Cleansing Spirit Melody was the entry‑level piece for musicians; anyone who could successfully perform it became a first‑rank musician.

The Cleansing Spirit Melody had been passed down since ancient times; within its melody lay a trace of enigmatic heavenly rhythms that could help Qi‑refining cultivators gain breakthroughs—unfortunately it only worked the first time you heard it; repeated listens were useless.

Besides, the Cleansing Spirit Melody had another drawback: it required strong comprehension.

Those with low comprehension gained extremely limited effect from listening to it—less than what a first‑rank low‑grade Spirit Gathering Pill offered.

Conversely, those with high comprehension could quickly grasp the rhythm in the melody, significantly purify their magical power, and even glimpse higher realms to break through bottlenecks.

Precisely because of this, the Cleansing Spirit Melody had a colloquial name known to all cultivators: “Genius Testing Melody.” Cultivators who managed to advance one minor realm by listening to it were called geniuses by the world.

Chen Beiwu had once wanted to test the golden value of the Immortal Seedling Testing Melody, but the costly price had deterred him in the end.

“It’s good you haven’t heard of it.” Chen Qin exhaled in relief, and the gaze she gave Chen Beiwu grew increasingly serious: “Here’s a small suggestion: before you reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, try not to listen to the Cleansing Spirit Melody.”

Chen Beiwu was momentarily stunned, but he didn’t ask why; he merely nodded silently.

Seeing this, Chen Qin felt warmth in her heart.

After hesitating a moment, she stood on tiptoe and softly whispered into Chen Beiwu’s ear: “Let me secretly tell you a secret—after a cultivator breaks through Qi Refining Ninth Level, listening to the Cleansing Spirit Melody can increase the probability of breaking through Foundation Establishment by one percent.”

The fragrance around his nose and the warmth flowing by his ear made Chen Beiwu instinctively take a step back.

“Tch, why so shy? I’m not a man‑eating tiger.” She placed both hands behind her back and, with crisp, pleasant boot‑steps, gradually walked away.

Watching Chen Qin’s figure disappear, Chen Beiwu was slightly dazed.

“How come? Even after seeing her since you were little, you still can’t get enough?”

At that moment, Chen Beiwu abruptly turned around, and a middle‑aged man with a muscular build and dark, rough skin immediately came into view.

“Dad, when did you get here?” he exclaimed in surprise.

“I’ve been here the whole time, but it seems neither of you saw me.” Chen Dong spread his broad, thick palm and shrugged his shoulders, saying, “A girl at thirty, carry a gold brick in marriage. If you want to, your dad won’t object—but your mother might need you to talk to her.”

“I’m just friends with Sis Qin.” Chen Beiwu looked toward the distant glow of the sunset. “You can forget about it in front of me, but Dad, in front of Mom, don’t go match‑making behind my back.”

Going home together with his father and finishing dinner, Chen Beiwu noticed that the spirit beast meat that had been drying in the ventilated place for over ten years had suddenly disappeared.

Sensing his son’s gaze, Huang Xiaoling began clearing the dishes and said, “You go cultivate properly, you don’t need to worry about family matters.”

Realizing his parents were discussing something, Chen Beiwu could only get up and return to the cultivation room.

Lying on the soft meditation cushion, he sighed.

To completely clear the cold poison in his mother’s body and leave no after‑effects, at least three Frost‑Purifying Pills were needed, costing nine hundred low‑grade Spirit Stones.

That amount was too much spiritual currency—there wasn’t enough in the entire family funds.

Even if selling off the family’s assets could barely scrape that sum together, his mother’s temperament wouldn’t allow it.

‘But three years ought to be enough!’ Chen Beiwu lowered his head and looked at his heart.

Different regions had different college entrance reward policies.

In the relatively remote Yuan‑Kong County, a student who successfully entered a Seven‑Nine Upper Sect could receive a thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones from the Immortal Alliance’s Shiyi Hall; those entering a Thirteen Immortal Sect would receive ten thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones.

As for entering one of the Five Great Grotto‑Heavens, that was a dream unattainable for countless examinees.

Just the publicly announced reward for Grotto‑Heaven entry was as high as fifty thousand low‑grade Spirit Stones, not to mention the massive sponsorships from local cultivator families and enterprises.

Needless to say, even at the level of Yunlong Prefecture, so far no one had been able to enter a Grotto‑Heaven; the difficulty was unimaginable.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that students who entered the Five Great Grotto‑Heavens effectively reserved a ticket to the Nascent Soul stage—only that ticket was too rare, and even Chen Beiwu didn’t have full confidence.

But he didn’t need to enter a Grotto‑Heaven; he only needed to get into a cultivation university at the level of the Thirteen Immortal Sects or above—and then his family’s difficulties would resolve easily.

…

First‑floor kitchen.

“How many Spirit Stones short are we now?” Chen Dong asked with a serious expression.

Huang Xiaoling’s hand, washing dishes, clenched into a fist and then slowly relaxed: “We’ve sold everything the household could, and we’re still five hundred low‑grade Spirit Stones short.”

Chen Dong frowned deeply, got up, and walked toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Huang Xiaoling asked hastily.

Chen Dong stopped: “I’m going to borrow some Spirit Stones.”

Huang Xiaoling pursed her lips, hesitated, and said: “You know the situation of our neighbors too; we can’t borrow even a few Spirit Stones—and Beiwu needs stones for cultivation too. Should I stop the medicine?”

“The pills cost only a few Spirit Stones—don’t be reckless!” Chen Dong said urgently and immediately halted. “There’s a brick‑firing task at the Green‑Glint Tile Factory lately; the pay is generous. If I take it on, I should be able to just barely raise the surgery fee.”

“No, that’s too dangerous.” Huang Xiaoling blurted out.

The brick‑firing task at Green‑Glint Tile Factory wasn’t simple—it was basically exchanging one’s body for Spirit Stones.

“Then what do you suggest? I can’t just watch you die with open eyes.” Chen Dong slammed his hand on the table, his chest heaving.

“Everyone dies eventually—just whether early or late.” Huang Xiaoling feigned calm and said: “Absolute Cold Disease needs a breakthrough Foundation Establishment to be cured. Even if the surgery succeeds smoothly, it only lets me live a few more years.”

“And you mean?” Chen Dong’s pupils narrowed.

“Beiwu’s aptitude far surpasses yours and mine. Five hundred Spirit Stones invested in him could make his future far broader.” She forced a smile.