Beginning Cultivation

Du Ruolan knew as soon as she heard this that Wei Lingyue would consider her proposal, so she wisely stopped while she was ahead and returned to Begonia Courtyard.

Her thinking was straightforward. Since the good things were not on that little brat Wei Yunxi, she was even less likely to let Yunxi follow her daughter to the sect. She could not allow Yunxi to dilute her daughter's cultivation resources.

Meanwhile, Wei Yunxi's worries took a turn for the better the very next day. Another child cultivating in the Cultivation Hall successfully underwent Qi Introduction: Wei Zongjin, the child of Wei Lingyue's second younger brother. He was considered the first of the "Zong" generation.

When their Spiritual Roots had been tested, Wei Zongjin had been overshadowed by Wei Yunqing, so he had been unwilling to accept it. After hearing Wei Yunxi's words in the Cultivation Hall yesterday, a fire had built up inside him. He wanted to fight for the chance to enter the Haoran Sect.

Wei Zongjin possessed wood, fire, and metal Spiritual Roots, each with a Spiritual Root Value of eighty-five. He was far more gifted than Wei Yunxi after she had concealed her Spiritual Root aptitude. Moreover, after Wei Yunqing had successfully undergone Qi Introduction, he had already been able to sense clusters of Spiritual Qi. Today, in the comparatively Spiritually Qi-rich Cultivation Hall, he succeeded in undergoing Qi Introduction in one stroke, becoming the second child to do so.

That very night, Du Ruolan told her daughter that Wei Yunxi would not be going to the Haoran Sect with her.

Wei Yunqing immediately asked anxiously,

"Mother, why? Didn't you tell me she could go to the Haoran Sect with me?"

Du Ruolan immediately soothed her.

"Qing'er, be good. Over the past two days, Mother had Zhenzhu turn Zhuohua Courtyard upside down. The hairpin you took a fancy to, as well as all the resources her mother left behind, are not on Wei Yunqing. Those things are all with the Feng Family.

"The Feng Family is deeply wary of the Wei Family. Even if she goes to the sect with you now, she will not be able to take those resources with her. Taking her along would not only make her dead weight, you would also have to look after her to some extent for the Feng Family's sake. What if that drags down your cultivation?"

Wei Yunqing felt that her mother made sense, yet something still sat uneasily in her heart. She could not put it into words, so she could only frown and say,

"Then Mother, you must find a way to get that hairpin. I feel like that hairpin is very important to me."

"Don't worry. As long as she remains in Wei Manor, she won't be able to stir up any waves."

Du Ruolan immediately promised her. Her goal was simple: keep Wei Yunxi under her nose, making her easy to control and suppress, while also prying out the good things Feng Jiayun had left behind.

Wei Yunqing was still young then and did not yet know that opportunities were not always objects. Her opportunity was Wei Yunxi herself, a truth she would only understand much later.

But by then, the gap between them had already widened. She could not even get close to that younger sister and could only circle around her.

Meanwhile, the Feng Family finally sent over a maidservant, specifically stating that she was to guide Wei Yunxi's cultivation. She too possessed water, wood, and fire Three Spiritual Roots, and her cultivation was at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, immediately eclipsing Zhenzhu.

This blatant slap to the face made Wei Lingyue somewhat uncomfortable, but he said nothing more. They were concerned about their own niece's cultivation, and if her aptitude was insufficient, they would simply pile resources onto her. He had no reason to refuse.

After exchanging a few words with her, he had the woman named Feng Xiu go directly to Zhuohua Courtyard.

Wei Yunxi had finally received her reinforcements. If the Feng Family had delayed any longer in sending someone, she would not have been able to resist undergoing Qi Introduction herself.

Feng Xiu's cultivation was above Zhenzhu's. The moment she arrived, she took over Zhuohua Courtyard, driving Zhenzhu to the outer courtyard with a single glance.

"Miss, these are the things Patriarch Feng asked me to bring you. He said you can undergo Qi Introduction and cultivate without worry."

After saying this, Feng Xiu handed Wei Yunxi a delicate Storage Pendant.

"Thank you, Sister Feng. Please tell Uncle that I am safe, and thank him for the preparations he made for me."

"Yes, Miss."

That night, Wei Yunxi impatiently activated the Isolation Formation Disk. Then she sat cross-legged in the cultivation room, with her five centers facing the heavens. After taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, she gradually adjusted the rhythm of her breathing and heartbeat.

As her mind slowly settled into stillness, Wei Yunxi felt all sounds around her fade away. She could hear only her own heartbeat. Then, in the darkness, specks of light drifted leisurely toward her—one, two, three—gathering in increasing numbers until they submerged her entire body.

Wei Yunxi then released a sense of goodwill, inviting these specks of Spiritual Qi into her body as guests. A green speck was the first to sink into her skin, followed by a second, then a third.

As the specks of Spiritual Qi entered Wei Yunxi's body, she felt her Meridians swell. The more Spiritual Qi she absorbed, the more pronounced the swelling became. It felt as though her Meridians had been clogged by the sudden influx of Spiritual Qi.

Wei Yunxi silently recited the Qi Introduction Art she had memorized by heart, guiding the blocked specks of Spiritual Qi through her Meridians. After one minor circulation, she stored the refined specks of Spiritual Qi within her Dantian.

Her Dantian had only just been opened and was merely the size of a duck egg. Yet she did not know that her Dantian was already twice the size of an ordinary beginner cultivator's. Moreover, as she guided the Spiritual Qi through its circulation, she had unconsciously mobilized her divine sense.

At that moment, only azure, white, and violet specks of light lay scattered across the bottom of her Dantian, barely covering its base. This signified that she had successfully undergone Qi Introduction.

Yet Wei Yunxi continued cultivating without realizing it, because the feeling was simply too comfortable. It was like soaking her entire body in a hot spring at just the right temperature, making her so comfortable that she wanted to moan.

As she circulated the Qi Refining Art, even more Spiritual Qi burrowed into her body. Before long, a layer of brownish grime seeped from the surface of her skin. A close sniff would even reveal a foul odor. These were impurities expelled from the body after one's first successful Qi Introduction.

Standing guard outside, Feng Xiu could not sense what was happening inside the room, but she knew that Miss Yunxi had likely succeeded in undergoing Qi Introduction. She had sensed that faint ripple of spiritual power just now.

Even when the rising sun climbed into the sky, Wei Yunxi had not withdrawn the formation. Feng Xiu was somewhat worried, but she could not rashly barge in, so she instructed Chunyu to go to the Cultivation Hall and ask for leave.

Chunyu understood Feng Xiu's meaning. She turned and left Zhuohua Courtyard, only to be caught up with by Zhenzhu halfway there.

"Chunyu, why isn't Miss Yunxi going to the Cultivation Hall today?"

Chunyu frowned and said,

"Miss said she wants to cultivate in her own courtyard and won't come out until she has undergone Qi Introduction. Miss is getting anxious, so I'm going to ask for leave on her behalf."

A glint flashed through Zhenzhu's eyes, and she parted ways with Chunyu.

Wei Yunxi was forced to interrupt her cultivation by the rumbling of her stomach. When she opened her eyes, she immediately felt dizzy—a reaction to low blood sugar.

Ignoring the strange odor on her body, she first deactivated the Isolation Formation. Feng Xiu rushed into the room at once and saw Wei Yunxi lying on the ground, inching forward like a little turtle. She could not help but curl her lips.

She first cast a Cleansing Technique to remove the shell of grime from Wei Yunxi's body. Then she went over and picked her up, fed her a Bigu pill, and only then checked her over from head to toe.

Wei Yunxi felt a warm current descend from her mouth into her abdomen, easing the burning sensation in her stomach. Only then did she ask in a soft voice,

"Sister Feng, how long did I cultivate?"

"Miss cultivated for two days and two nights. If you had not come out any longer, I would have charged in."

Dear ones, thank you all for your love and support for Feng Ling's story. It gave Feng Ling enough motivation to finish a fast-travel novel with relatively low readership. Feng Ling has kept every recommendation vote, monthly pass, and reward you gave in her heart. A new year has begun, and a new book is now underway as well. Please continue supporting Feng Ling—she will work hard to bring you even more exciting stories.