Chapter Ten: A Breakthrough

Today’s update comes early; I’ll be heading out soon. Thank you all for your PK votes—my deepest gratitude.

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When that person said he would only teach it once, he truly wasn’t speaking lightly.

Perhaps because this cultivation method originated from his own Metal Spirit Root, more than half of the fifty words were terms Hongjian had never even heard before. It was obscure and difficult to comprehend. She listened intently, struggling to follow along, and could only force herself to memorize it in one go, intending to ponder over it later. By the time she had worked out a rough understanding, who knew how much time had passed—the stranger was already long gone.

Following the method, Hongjian tried to mobilize her true energy—once, twice—but no matter how hard she tried, the true energy in her sea of consciousness remained still as stagnant water.

Frustration surged within her, and the discomfort in her body seemed to intensify several times over. Could this wretched technique be a fraud?

She grew exasperated, and in her desperation, exerted a surge of energy. It was as if someone had set off a firework in her sea of consciousness—her vision went black, sparks danced before her eyes, and excruciating pain swept through every inch of her skin. Hongjian couldn’t even cry out in pain; clutching her head, she collapsed to the ground.

It took all her strength to endure the agony. Lying among the scattered rocks, heedless of the dirt and gravel clinging to her, with blood seeping from scraped arms and cheeks, she groaned, spat, and cursed, “Damn swindler!”

Her spiritual sense was wounded, her head a heavy fog. Only then did she recall that this method required a large amount of true energy to activate, and in her current state, even sustaining the simplest “Water Condensation Technique” was pure torment. Impossible! She had been duped.

Even the next morning, Hongjian was still overwhelmed by frustration and defeat. With her spiritual sense injured, she couldn’t help but droop in spirit, failing to notice the dramatic shift in how others treated her.

Yao Zhen started several times to speak with her, but hesitated. Chen Zaizhi, for the first time ever, called her “Junior Sister Fang.” Even Qu Changhe, during his lecture, cast her several extra glances.

It wasn’t until after Qu Changhe left that Hongjian overheard some senior disciples gathered around Chen Zaizhi, laughing about going to Xianyun Sect, that she suddenly realized the one who had conceded to her—Shi Qingxiang—was now unable to speak at all. With a sigh worthy of an elder, she thought, after all this, she’d gained nothing. She really owed Senior Brother Shi—at least his “Weak Rain Elixir”—an apology.

Still carrying that sense of grievance, Hongjian brushed off Fang Zheng, who had come to check on her, with a few words. As night fell, she forced herself back to the rocky shore, heedless of danger, determined to demand an explanation from the mysterious stranger. But to her aggravation, that scoundrel was nowhere to be found.

Rain began to fall deep into the night, and Hongjian stubbornly waited, soon becoming drenched through. She felt bitterly wronged and on the verge of tears. When she finally suppressed the sourness swelling in her chest, some impulse drove her to sit near the very stone where the stranger had appeared the day before. In the pouring rain, she drew a deep breath, resolved to risk everything, and tried once more—pouring all her energy into practicing the technique the “dead swindler” had taught her.

Maybe it was because she was mentally prepared this time, but though her sea of consciousness remained eerily still and her head ached and spun, it was far less painful than the night before.

Since she’d already committed herself, she gritted her teeth and persisted. How much time passed, she did not know, but suddenly she sensed her true energy gathering toward her sea of consciousness. When it reached the boundary, it transformed into a gentle drizzle, cool as silk, as light as mist, washing away all discomfort in an instant. The sheer comfort was like sinking into cool seawater on a scorching day—every pore was soothed, and she was utterly captivated.

With her eyes half-closed, a sweet smile curved her lips. She’d entirely forgotten she was sitting in the rain, and she couldn’t have known that as the raindrops struck her, they splashed into tiny crystalline droplets, emitting a faint, mysterious glow before quietly seeping into her exposed face and arms.

When Hongjian awoke, the rain had stopped. The sky was not bright but felt vast and high; the Endless Sea stretched dark and boundless before her, and the towering Pillar Cliff loomed nearby. In that moment, her spirits soared—she almost wanted to roll in the muddy water for sheer joy. Only then did she realize that the spiritual wound that had plagued her for days was completely healed.

She stood dazed for a moment, then, dripping with rain, leapt up and shouted in celebration toward the Endless Sea. She was cured! The cultivation method was real—the man hadn’t deceived her; she simply hadn’t mastered it before. Fortunately, he hadn’t shown up tonight, or how embarrassing would that have been? She hadn’t toiled in vain. Most importantly, the technique was pure bliss to practice, like being nestled in her mother’s arms.

Savoring the feeling, Hongjian found herself warming to the mysterious stranger. If she weren’t so muddy, she would have sat down to try again, just to see if she could re-enter that marvelous state.

Now that she was fully recovered and the major examination was approaching, her top priority was to help Fang Zheng reach the next level. Hongjian understood well—preference for males over females wasn’t unique to Pillar Cliff Sect; all the sects were the same. Even if she managed to reach the fifth layer of Qi Refining, she’d only be on par with Qi Xiuning. If she wanted to become a Nascent Soul master’s personal disciple, she’d have to be reborn as a boy.

Luckily, she could still pin her hopes on Fang Zheng.

At last, she seized a chance to be alone with him, and without hesitation took Fang Zheng to the cave. From her demeanor, he knew she was about to use the Myriad Transformations Life and Death Technique on his behalf again. Awkward and hesitant, he stammered, “Sister, I can practice on my own. I can do it. You’re still hurt; please rest.”

This was one of the rare times Fang Zheng dared speak out against her—probably still shaken by her display at the wager the day before. Hongjian’s heart warmed; she reached out and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. I’m already healed. Come.”

Once, she had found the emptiness after using the Myriad Transformations Life and Death Technique unbearable. But after her recent repeated spiritual injuries, this pain seemed trivial by comparison.

Fang Zheng still needed time to refine and absorb the energy, so Hongjian sat beside him to restore her true energy. When he finished, she was surprised to find her true energy had almost fully recovered as well. A thought struck her; she jumped up and called to her brother, who was packing up to leave, “Again!”

Yes, this was how it should be. With the mysterious stranger’s technique, what did she have to fear in using the Myriad Transformations Life and Death Technique? At worst, her own cultivation would stall for a while, but Fang Zheng would definitely break through to the third layer of Qi Refining. In that moment, Hongjian was so inspired she thought, even if Fang Zheng wasn’t chosen, it didn’t matter. She could just work harder and keep helping her brother advance like this. If he was chosen, he’d have to leave her side—so young, could he really handle it?

Torn between hope and worry, she pressed Fang Zheng’s hand and performed the Myriad Transformations Life and Death Technique again. This time, halfway through, his Wood Spirit Root suddenly surged with power, and the tremendous suction instantly drained all true energy from Hongjian. She’d experienced this once before and was overjoyed—Fang Zheng had broken through! At nine years old, reaching the third layer of Qi Refining—anyone would say he had boundless potential.

Not daring to disturb him, she waited for her brother to stabilize his cultivation. Only then did a delayed sense of wonder hit her: today, twice in quick succession, she had emptied her true energy completely—so why hadn’t her spiritual sense suffered any damage?

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