The Cunning Treasure Hunter

"If there is destiny, even if separated by a thousand miles, you will meet again."

This was a widely spread proverb in the Central Plains.

And now, Sev felt its truth with his own skin.

In his arms was his long-lost sister, Elise, whom he had missed so dearly.

"Elise, Elise, Elise..."

"Stop calling me, brother," said Elise with a sigh, gently patting her brother's head.

He was crying. Tears as big as beans fell from his eyes.
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And this was happening in the heart of the Iron Fist Sect.

All the monks silently watched the scene unfold. Vera was no exception.

Even Marcus, Ethan, and Valen watched on quietly.

"Why didn't you intervene this time, benefactor?" asked Master Nathaniel, casting a curious glance at Valen.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why didn't you join the attack on the stronghold in The Central Plains?"

Valen, often known as the Demonic Lord of Swords, had brought Ethan, Marcus, and Vera to the Iron Fist Sect.

He had pleaded for the Iron Fist Sect's protection for those three and had even saved Arther from the brink of death.

"Master Gregory advised against it," Valen replied nonchalantly.

"Advised against it? Why?" asked Master Nathaniel with a frown.

"Iron Fist Sect's Abbot said not to go, and when I asked why, he told me not to ask further."

"...I see."

Master Nathaniel mulled over the response. It was clear that the Iron Fist Sect didn't trust him.

After all, Valen was once the commander of the Heavenly Net Division, serving under the Akrest Clan's Sword Sovereign Zephyrion Akrest.

Allowing someone affiliated with the Akrest Clan's Shadow organisation to participate would have been unwise. Who knew what knowledge he possessed or whose side he might take on the battlefield?

Valen's reputation was that of a "merciless blade," one who followed the orders of the Unity without question. If he still harbored ties to the Akrest Clan, it could spell disaster.

The worst-case scenario? A life-and-death duel with Valen in the middle of the battlefield.

And currently, in the Iron Fist Sect, there were only a handful of individuals capable of suppressing him, including Master Gregory himself.

"Do you know anything about this matter?" asked Valen, giving Master Nathaniel a sideways glance.

"I wouldn't dare to guess the vast thoughts of the Abbot, benefactor.Homage to Infinite Light," replied Master Nathaniel with a polite bow.

"Is that so..." muttered Valen, though his expression betrayed mild dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile, Vera stepped forward, unable to bear the crying any longer.

"Are you done crying?" she asked.

She then proceeded to separate Sev from Elise.

"What are you doing?! Can't a brother hug his sister for a while?" protested Sev.

"Oh, so you don't need me to dissolve the Cold Ice Needles in her body? Understood."

"No, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what?" Vera's sharp gaze locked onto Sev, making him shrink back in submission.

Vera was his benefactor. Even if she couldn't cure Elise's debilitating condition, she was the one who brought his sister back into his arms.

"Is it really possible?" Sev asked hesitantly.

"An eighty percent chance," Vera replied matter-of-factly.

The high probability surprised Sev, but it was Elise herself who looked most astonished.

"Wait! The person who implanted this into me is the Palace Master of the Northern Ice Palace!" she exclaimed.

"I know. Just stay still," said Vera, her tone calm and composed.

"Here? You'll do it here?" Elise asked nervously.

Vera nodded. The midday sun was at its zenith, bathing the area in pure energy—the perfect time to dissolve the Ice Needles.

This wasn't about using external martial arts like the Cherry Blossom Sword Art or theSoul Harmony Realm Technique.

It was about using the unique power derived from her own internal energy, cultivated through years of hardship.

"Shouldn't you at least explain what you're going to do before you start?" demanded Sev, holding his sister protectively.

Vera sighed in frustration.

"You act as if I'm going to harm your sister," she said, her patience wearing thin.

"But… but my Elise is so fragile!"

"I'm aware."

Without another word, Vera approached, pulling Elise from her brother's embrace.

Under the warm rays of the midday sun, Vera gently seated Elise in a sunny spot.

"Sit cross-legged," she instructed.

"...Alright," Elise responded hesitantly, her dark, void-like eyes betraying her unease.

Vera's tone was calm yet firm. "From now on, I will guide my internal energy as if it were your own, circulating it through your body."

"...What?" Elise blinked in confusion.

Ignoring her protest, Vera turned to Sev, her tone unwavering. "Since I don't know the secrets of the Snowy Heaven Ice Art, you should sit here too, Sev."

Sev's eyes widened. "M-Me too?"

"I'll use your guidance to channel my energy into your sister's body," she explained.

Both siblings exchanged uneasy glances. The circulation of internal energy was one of the foundational aspects of martial arts. Teaching such secrets, even partially, was a guarded practice. But this was no ordinary situation.

"So, by doing this, the circulation method of the Snowy Heaven Ice Art will..."

"Yes, I'll learn at least the basics of its energy flow," Vera replied calmly.

A difficult decision lay before Sev. As a branch descendant of the Northern Ice Palace, he was bound to protect its secrets. Yet, his sister's life hung in the balance. The choice was clear.

"Fine. Let's do it," he said with resolve, sitting cross-legged beside his sister.

The Northern Ice Palace had already cast him aside. Revealing a portion of its secrets to save his sister was a risk worth taking. Besides, neither Vera nor the monks of the Iron Fist Sect were likely to report this to the palace.

"Then, let us begin," declared Vera, placing one hand on Sev's back and the other on Elise's.

As she closed her eyes, she immediately felt the cold, energy flowing through Sev's body—a unique trait of those born in the Northern Ice Region. Starting from his core, the icy energy coursed through his meridians, and Vera memorized its path with precision.

She then mirrored this flow, channeling her Soul Harmony Energy into Elise's body.

The eighty percent success rate she had mentioned earlier wasn't baseless. The Army Blue Ice Needles implanted in Elise's body were derived from the All-Encompassing Frost Divine Art, a technique that embodied the unmelting ice of the Northern Ice Palace.

Unmelting ice. Eternal stillness. Immortality.

These were ideals that countless martial arts sought to emulate—Akrest's Skies, Celestial Sword Sect's Ethereal Blade, Northern Ice Palace's Eternal Frost, and even Mount Suncrest's Crimson Cherry Blossoms, which seemed to bloom forever.

But just as immortality was the essence of the Army Blue Ice Needles, the antithesis of such permanence was Vera's Soul Harmony Energy, which neutralized the needles' effects.

As her energy brushed against Elise's frozen meridians, the icy chill began to wane. The special properties of her energy melted the thin, hair-like needles embedded deep within the meridians. The once unyielding Army Blue Ice Needles lost their permanence, reduced to nothing under the warmth of the sunlit Iron Fist Sect courtyard.

But as the needles dissolved, an overwhelming surge of icy energy erupted from Elise's core—the awakening of her once-blocked meridians.

"Ah!" Elise gasped, feeling the dormant energy within her body spring to life.

Remaining calm, Vera skillfully retracted her energy. The Army Blue Ice Needles, once imbued with immortality, had reverted to ordinary cold energy, easily absorbed by Elise's meridians.

For the first time in years, Elise felt her own internal energy return, albeit faintly.

"It's done," Vera announced, withdrawing her hands from their backs.

Before anyone could speak, she declared solemnly, "I, Vera, a disciple of Mount Suncrest, hereby vow..."

The courtyard fell silent. Everyone knew the gravity of such an oath.

"...never to reveal the energy circulation techniques of the Snowy Heaven Ice Art to anyone. Should I break this vow, I will forfeit my honor before all the martial artists of the Nine Provinces."

Though no magical seal bound her words, the integrity of a righteous sect disciple was a binding force in itself.

Satisfied, Sev turned to check his sister's pulse. Tears streamed down his face as he confirmed her fully restored meridians.

"Don't strain your meridians until the scars from the needles have fully healed," Vera advised before stepping back.

By chance, her eyes met those of Marcus and Ethan, who stood nearby. Their gazes held pride and warmth, almost familial. For the first time in a long while, Vera felt a comforting sense of belonging.