“It is only proper. Fellow Daoists of the Snow Domain Alliance, such trivial matters should naturally be handled by us.”

  Several inner disciples echoed Yun Han’s words, nodding in agreement.

  The Snow Domain Alliance disciples hesitated. Shen Bingyun was about to refuse on the grounds of their elders’ instructions when the blue-robed man standing at the very end of their ranks coughed softly, almost imperceptibly.

  Shen Bingyun’s gaze flickered. He paused, then nodded.

  “In that case, we shall trouble the senior brothers of the Profound Frost Sect.”

  A faint smile curled at the corner of Yun Han’s lips. He turned toward Yun Che’s direction and said loudly,

  “Junior Brother Yun Che, the task of feeding the Snowcloud Crane shall be entrusted to you. Be sure to proceed with utmost care.”

  At once, the Snow Domain Alliance disciples all looked toward Yun Che, expressions varied.

  By now, how could they fail to see what was happening?

  This Yun Che had clearly offended Yun Han.

  Among the inner disciples, someone scoffed.

  “I was wondering who Senior Brother Yun meant just now. As expected, it’s this Junior Brother Yun Che.”

  “The task suits him perfectly. With talent like his, cultivation itself is a waste of time—he’s got no chance in the upcoming exchanges anyway,” another chimed in.

  “Such menial work suits only a useless person like him. Junior Brother Yun Che, you’d better serve diligently—don’t bring shame upon the Profound Frost Sect.”

  Mockery followed one after another.

  At this point, the Snow Domain Alliance disciples fully understood: Yun Che had not only offended Yun Han, but—due to his poor aptitude—had become the common object of ridicule among the inner disciples.

  Such scenes were hardly rare across sects.

  Thus, in the eyes of the Snow Domain Alliance, Yun Che was immediately categorized as a “waste.”

  The Zhou-surnamed female disciple beside Yun Che knitted her brows tightly. She shot Yun Han an annoyed glance and whispered,

  “Junior Brother Yun, if I hadn’t come over to speak with you, he wouldn’t have targeted you like this. I…”

  Yun Che shook his head.

  Yun Han’s hostility toward him was nothing new. Since their first encounter, Yun Han had been accustomed to sarcasm and cold mockery. As for the other inner disciples, they had long looked down on him—because of the rumors of him “entering the sect by jumping off a cliff,” and because of his background as a former menial.

  More importantly—

  he was only at the third level of Qi Condensation, the very bottom among the inner disciples.

  In this world, strength decided everything.

  Yun Che glanced toward the Snowcloud Crane lying in the distance. His expression remained calm, as though he had heard nothing.

  Soon after, Yun Han arranged for several disciples to lead the Snow Domain Alliance members to the guest quarters.

  Before leaving, Shen Bingyun glanced at Yun Che and said gently,

  “Junior Brother Yun, though the Snowcloud Crane has been tamed, its wild nature remains. When feeding it, do not approach too closely—be careful not to get injured.”

  Yun Han sneered a few more times at Yun Che, then turned away.

  Moments later, the space outside the hall emptied.

  The Zhou-surnamed woman frowned and offered a few more words of caution before rising and leaving as well.

  Gazing at the now-empty ice platform, Yun Che slowly stood and walked toward the Snowcloud Crane. When he reached a distance of ten zhang, he stopped and studied the spirit beast carefully.

  Seen up close, the Snowcloud Crane appeared even more majestic. Nearly three zhang in length, its feathers were icy blue like polished jade, with faint golden patterns flowing along their edges. Its long neck curved elegantly, head held high, golden pupils clear as amber. Its wings were folded neatly at its sides, wing tips touching the ground—every single feather exuding a pristine, snowlike luster.

  Most striking was the diamond-shaped ice crystal embedded at the center of its forehead, about the size of a thumb. Light seemed to circulate within it, brightening and dimming with each breath.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Sensing Yun Che’s gaze, the Snowcloud Crane slowly opened its eyes. Its golden pupils swept toward him, and a biting chill spread outward. The surrounding temperature plummeted as fine frost bloomed across the ice platform.

  Yun Che’s robes fluttered lightly. The power within him—merged with those void-like light motes—flowed naturally, causing the cold to dissipate the moment it touched his body.

  A trace of surprise flickered in the Snowcloud Crane’s eyes. It studied Yun Che deeply before closing its eyes again.

  Yun Che’s heart stirred.

  This spirit beast possessed no small degree of intelligence—it seemed almost capable of understanding human intent.

  After a brief pause, he turned and headed down the mountain. Midway, his divine sense quietly expanded, encompassing everything within a hundred zhang.

  The Cold Pond lay in the perilous back mountain, beyond a forest of ice pines. Snow lay thick beneath the trees, yet Yun Che’s steps were light and steady, leaving no trace.

  As he neared the pond, laughter drifted over—it was several Snow Domain Alliance disciples chatting idly with Profound Frost Sect companions.

  They all turned to look when they saw Yun Che walking alone.

  One Snow Domain Alliance female disciple, delicate and fair-skinned as snow, covered her mouth and laughed softly.

  “Junior Brother, are you heading off to gather food for the Snowcloud Crane? Ice-Scaled Fish are fine, but not its favorite. What it truly loves is Cold Jade Lotus Root—grown deep in the silt of the Cold Pond. Ordinary people can hardly harvest it.”

  Before Yun Che could respond, Sun Li—one of the accompanying Profound Frost Sect disciples—interjected immediately.

  “Junior Sister Ouyang needn’t bother advising him. This Yun Che is usually mute as a stone, and his aptitude is abysmal. During the entrance tests back then, he failed every category and even made a scene about jumping off a cliff. The elders had no choice but to accept him as a registered disciple.”

  “Registered disciple? But he’s wearing gray—doesn’t that look like outer sect attire?” someone asked in confusion.

  “I’m not finished,” Sun Li raised his voice. “This trash somehow ingratiated himself with a senior brother and was later taken in. Even so, with talent like his, he’ll never amount to anything beyond a laughingstock!”

  Laughter erupted.

  Yun Che cast them a calm glance, said nothing, and walked swiftly through the pine forest.

  The Cold Pond lay ahead. Its surface was frozen solid, save for a central area—about a zhang across—where underground springs kept the water exposed, glowing an eerie blue.

  Yun Che stood by the pond for a moment, his divine sense probing the water. Several Ice-Scaled Fish darted about in the depths, agile and swift.

  He did not rush to catch them. Instead, he crouched and touched the ice lightly with his fingertip. The power within him shifted subtly, and a faint aura—infused with void-like light—passed through the ice and seeped into the water.

  Deep below, the Ice-Scaled Fish suddenly froze, then turned and slowly swam toward the surface.

  With a flick of his wrist, Yun Che produced a prepared ice-silk net and dipped it into the water. In moments, five silver-scaled fish were caught.

  Yet he did not withdraw the net. His gaze turned toward the pond’s depths—where several jade-white roots lay half-buried in the silt.

  Cold Jade Lotus Root.

  After a brief hesitation, Yun Che set the net aside and formed seals with both hands. The Minor Luring Technique activated silently. The silt stirred, and a lotus root nearly a chi long broke free and floated upward.

  Its body was pure white, faint icy-blue patterns tracing its joints, exuding a refreshing spiritual aura.

  Yun Che retrieved it and stored both the fish and lotus root into a specially prepared cold jade box before turning back.

  When he returned to the ice platform, the sun was already slanting westward. The Snowcloud Crane still lay where it was. Hearing footsteps, it opened its eyes.

  Yun Che opened the jade box and tossed the Ice-Scaled Fish onto the ground before the crane.

  The Snowcloud Crane lowered its head to inspect them—then did not move.

  Yun Che placed the Cold Jade Lotus Root beside the fish.

  The crane’s golden pupils lit up. Its long neck extended as it grasped the lotus root in its beak—not swallowing it immediately, but gently pecking, as if savoring the taste. Only after a moment did it slowly swallow the entire root.

  After feeding, the Snowcloud Crane lifted its neck and let out a long, ethereal cry. When it looked at Yun Che again, the cold indifference in its gaze had softened slightly.

  Yun Che felt a stir in his heart but said nothing, simply standing quietly.

  Only then did the Snowcloud Crane lower its head and consume the five Ice-Scaled Fish one by one. With each fish, a faint blue radiance spread across its feathers, its aura growing ever more solid.

  When finished, it stretched its wings and gave a gentle shake. Several downy ice-blue feathers drifted down, strikingly vivid against the snow.

  The crane looked at Yun Che and let out a low, soft cry—almost a signal.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Yun Che stepped forward and picked up the feathers. They were icy to the touch yet resilient, faint light flowing at their bases.

  Seeing him take the feathers, the Snowcloud Crane closed its eyes in apparent satisfaction and ignored him thereafter.

  Yun Che carefully stored the feathers away, glanced at the darkening sky, and turned to leave.

  On the ice platform, the crystal on the Snowcloud Crane’s forehead shimmered faintly, casting an eerie blue glow against the falling snow.

  From the shadows of the distant hall, a figure watched Yun Che’s retreating form—eyes filled with doubt.

  It was the blue-robed man from the Snow Domain Alliance.

  He murmured softly,

  “The Snowcloud Crane bestowed its feathers… Is this boy truly only at the third level of Qi Condensation?”

  The rising wind and snow swallowed his words.

  Halfway down the mountain, warmth suddenly spread from Yun Che’s chest. He halted, retrieving the feathers. The faint light at their roots seeped into his palm, transforming into a cool current that flowed into his dantian vortex.

  Deep within the vortex, the scattered light motes trembled—growing slightly brighter.

  Yun Che clenched the feathers, eyes thoughtful.

  This task of feeding the Snowcloud Crane…

  might not have been entirely a bad thing after all.

  Not because of cultivation, not because of background—

  but because he chose the right way forward.

  and also a silent test.

  Some turning points happen without applause.