Hours passed without any interruption, and when the crystals finally dimmed, that was when Xuan made his way out of the cave.

He was half expecting Hanbi to arrive, but alas, she must be tired after that zither performance. And of course, it wasn’t like she was obligated to follow him around like a duckling.

Anyways... It’s time for seclusion, Xuan thought with a sigh.

Yet the moment he stepped foot onto the snow, he was met face to face with two people.

Hanbi, and the First Head Monk, Chen Shun.

"You two...?"

"We came here to fetch you," Chen Shun chuckled. "But you came out just in time, so let’s go. Xue Hanbi will accompany you as your healer, and then switch with Foyan after 12 hours as discussed."

"I see, alright. Are we heading there right away?" Xuan asked.

Chen Shun smiled and pulled out two blindfolds. He handed one to Hanbi, and then the other to Xuan.

"Put these on. The location of the seclusion cave must not be revealed to anyone," he explained cautiously.

Both Hanbi and Xuan seemed a little skeptical, but they soon accepted anyway, putting the blindfolds on.

He waited for some instructions, when all of a sudden, he was grabbed by his collar and lifted up into the sky.

Before Xuan could retort, the wind pressure silenced him as he darted through the sky, barely managing to breathe.

But within seconds, that wind pressure vanished as he was tossed back down to the ground, landing directly into a pile of snow.

He heard a thud beside him, which likely belonged to Hanbi.

Xuan grumbled. "You know... you could’ve at least warned us."

Chen Shun’s childish laugh rang out as he approached and took both their blindfolds off.

A bright golden light blinded him, and it appeared to be the sun. Xuan moved out of the way, and then realized that the sun was shining through a single gap in the cave’s ceiling.

It was a surprisingly large cave, sectioned off into multiple parts. There was a section for food, living quarters, and even a makeshift kitchen as well as a cultivation ground. But of course, the majority of the cave was taken by the training platform.

"You can guess where the food is. Because you’re considered a patient, and you will have an extra person around, your rations have been doubled. Instead of rations worth two days, you now have rations that would last you four days," Chen Shun said proudly.

"Wow..." Xuan replied unenthusiastically. "It’s almost like we’re getting the exact same amount of food, isn’t it?"

"Well, that’s what you’d like to believe." Chen Shun smirked. "But when two people are at death’s doorstep, you never know how food distribution is going to go. Anyway, you will only be able to leave this seclusion cave after a full month has passed, so get accustomed quickly."

"Thanks for the pep talk. I’ll make sure I’m strong enough by the end of this training to defeat a Spirit Master," Xuan said confidently.

Chen Shun gave Xuan a look of praise, and then without wasting a single second, he vanished from sight. Xuan wasn’t sure which way he went since the hole in the ceiling was too narrow, and there didn’t appear to be any other exits.

He didn’t think over it much as he turned toward Hanbi, who had been staring at him since they first arrived.

"You know I could’ve probably just solved this Qi blockage problem by going up a realm, right?" Xuan asked with a sigh, sitting down on the cold stone platform.

Hanbi shook her head sternly. "I’ve already made up my mind, and you agreed, so I don’t want you complaining."

Xuan raised a brow. "Is that how it’s going to be?"

He stretched out on the floor, putting his hands behind his head. "Also, no one told me you were going to be living here. I was under the impression you’re going to come and go."

"I don’t have time to come and go," Hanbi said. "Staying here would be more efficient. Plus, I have a few questions for you."

She approached and sat down beside him, a determined expression appearing on her face.

"Do you think I’m beautiful?"

Hearing that, Xuan sighed. He kind of had a feeling it would go this way, but he knew exactly why she asked this question.

So he simply turned his head toward her, looking her up and down. Then, he nodded.

"You’re a sight for sore eyes, that’s for sure. But me not lusting after you from the first day doesn’t mean I swing the other way. I just don’t get attached to people easily, nor do I give out my trust like candy."

With that, an uncomfortable silence descended. However, it was soon broken by Hanbi, who scooted closer and suddenly lifted his shirt, revealing his abdomen.

There used to be many scars in the past. Knives, gunshots, and plenty more. But after he ate the Yang Pearl, all the scars vanished from his body.

Though there were a few cuts thanks to his Grand Jade Temple training.

But aside from that, he remained quiet as Hanbi brushed her fingers over his abdomen, finally stopping on the Dantian.

"This is going to hurt a little, so don’t cry," Hanbi said plainly. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Xuan chuckled. "Cry? Yeah sure, like I’d—AAAAAAAAH!"

A scorching pain caught him completely off guard. It was as if someone had taken a scalpel and began cutting his nerves. It was even worse than the pain he had to endure after consuming the Yang Pearl.

But noticing how calm Hanbi was being, he steadied his breaths, calming down. Then, with a grunt, he bore through the pain.

He wasn’t sure what she was really doing since he didn’t notice a single change in his Dantian. Despite that, he let her finish this weird procedure that lasted nearly an hour.

But once it was done, she tapped his abdomen a couple of times and shot him a smile.

"Glad you didn’t cry. That would’ve been a little embarrassing."

"Is this revenge for me saying I’m not attracted to you?" Xuan asked, rolling down his shirt and sitting up. "Because if it is, well played."

"I’m not that petty." Hanbi turned her head away with a pout. However, he could still see a faint smile tugging at her lips.

And upon noticing that smile, Xuan remembered the performance earlier, which brought forth a question.

"That song... It’s not finished, is it?"