Breakthrough: Qi Condensation Second Layer!

Xu Chunniang felt a pang in her heart so sharp she could barely breathe. If all that Spiritual Dew hadn't been poured out, but instead absorbed, she probably could have broken through to Qi Condensation second layer!

Xu Chunniang took a deep breath. Fine, it was her own fault for not thinking of it earlier. Anyway, the Spiritual Dew was produced using the Spiritual Rain Technique, so she could just make some more.

Two days later, looking at the full bottle of Spiritual Dew before her, Xu Chunniang felt a flicker of excitement.

She could already feel her cultivation wavering slightly. With this Spiritual Dew, she was sure to break through to Qi Condensation second layer!

Xu Chunniang suppressed her surging emotions, calmed her mind, and took a gentle sip of the Spiritual Dew. Instantly, a large amount of Spiritual Qi filled her body. Without further hesitation, she began circulating the Carefree Art.

As more Spiritual Qi was absorbed, her Dantian felt as if it were reaching its limit.

"Not enough!"

Xu Chunniang frowned and took another small sip of Spiritual Dew. More Spiritual Qi surged into her body, with most of it, guided by the Cultivation Technique, flowing into her Dantian.

Xu Chunniang drank the Spiritual Dew in small sips, and finally, on the fifth sip, the Spiritual Qi in her Dantian seemed to break through a certain threshold and exploded forth!

At that moment, the circulation speed of the Carefree Art within her body also reached its peak…

Two hours later, Xu Chunniang opened her eyes, a faint smile appearing. She had broken through to Qi Condensation second layer!

After the breakthrough, the Spiritual Power within her was about three times that of the first layer of Qi Condensation. Xu Chunniang felt her physique had strengthened slightly, and her five senses had become more acute.

This Spiritual Dew was indeed effective. If she had cultivated at her usual pace, it would have taken at least half a month to break through.

There was still half a bottle of Spiritual Dew left in the bottle, and she couldn't waste it. Xu Chunniang continued to consume the Spiritual Dew, beginning to consolidate her cultivation.

Three days later, the Spiritual Dew in the bottle was depleted. Feeling that her cultivation had gradually stabilized, Xu Chunniang stopped circulating her Cultivation Method and opened her eyes.

Counting the time, she had been at the Carefree Sect for half a year. In a few more days, it would be her ninth birthday.

Half a year ago, Xu Chunniang was still an illiterate village girl. Now she had reached the second layer of Qi Condensation. It was truly hard to imagine.

"The Grain Abstinence Pills are gone again. They really don't last long."

Xu Chunniang shook her head helplessly. It was quite interesting; the days when the Grain Abstinence Pills ran out were always the days she went out for some fresh air.

After her cultivation breakthrough, the journey that usually took two hours now only took an hour and a half.

Seeing the Dining Hall before her, Xu Chunniang smiled slightly and walked in.

Steward Zhao's eyes showed a clear surprise when he saw Xu Chunniang.

He remembered the last time he saw this girl, she was only at the first layer of Qi Condensation. How long had it been since then? She had already broken through to the second layer of Qi Condensation so quickly?

Moreover, her aura was very stable, not like someone who had rushed their breakthrough and had a shallow cultivation.

"It's only been a little over a month since I last saw you, and you've broken through again! This cultivation speed is quite rare among Outer Sect Disciples."

His words were unintentional, but they were taken to heart.

Xu Chunniang gathered from Steward Zhao's words that, by normal standards, she shouldn't have broken through so quickly.

Xu Chunniang subconsciously felt that she couldn't reveal her method of cultivating with Spiritual Dew.

Her eyes darted around, and she feigned a hint of confusion.

"Is my cultivation speed very fast? Unfortunately, I've already used up most of the Spirit Stones the sect distributed. It will be difficult to maintain this speed later on."

Hearing this, Steward Zhao was a bit stunned. "You've been cultivating using Spirit Stones all along?"

Xu Chunniang nodded, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Doesn't the sect distribute Spirit Stones to us precisely so we can use them for cultivation?"

Steward Zhao's mouth twitched slightly. So this girl had been extravagantly cultivating directly with Spirit Stones all along. No wonder her cultivation speed was so fast!

"While cultivating with Spirit Stones is faster, the function of Spirit Stones is far more than just for cultivation," Steward Zhao said earnestly. "You've only been in the sect for half a year and are enjoying the benefits for new disciples. But once the three-year welfare period for new disciples is over, you'll need Spirit Stones almost everywhere! Especially the annual contribution to the sect, plus the consumption of Grain Abstinence Pills, which amounts to eighteen Spirit Stones, and that's not a small sum!"

Xu Chunniang blinked her eyes, putting on an air of serious listening.

Seeing that the girl Xu was taking his words to heart, Steward Zhao nodded with satisfaction. "Besides that, whether it's choosing Sorcery from the Merit Pavilion, attending lectures in the Lecture Hall, or buying spiritual medicine in the Treasure Pavilion, you'll be inseparable from Spirit Stones."

"If the Spirit Stones run out, can't I just earn more?"

Xu Chunniang asked with some confusion, "I heard that the Commission Hall has many tasks posted, and I can earn Spirit Stones there."

Steward Zhao shook his head gravely. "You girl, do you think Spirit Stones are like stones by the roadside? Spirit Stones aren't that easy to earn.

Although the Commission Hall has many tasks, those tasks are not easy to complete. In fact, cultivators who haven't reached the fourth layer of Qi Condensation often can't even take on tasks after entering the Commission Hall."

Xu Chunniang rubbed her nose sheepishly. She didn't intend to deceive this Senior Brother Zhao.

It was just that the matter of Spiritual Dew was related to her cultivation, so she could only pretend that she had been cultivating using Spirit Stones all along.

"Alright, since you've used them, you've used them. After all, it's only the first year, and it's good to improve your cultivation quickly."

As Steward Zhao spoke, he placed a Token and two new bottles of Grain Abstinence Pills on the table. "Just try not to be so wasteful in the future."

Xu Chunniang nodded vigorously. She had always been very frugal.

Leaving the Dining Hall, Xu Chunniang walked back, her mind preoccupied with thoughts.

It was one thing not to know before, but now that she knew cultivating with Spiritual Dew was so fast, she was unwilling to cultivate at her previous slow pace.

However, if her cultivation improved too quickly this way, it would inevitably attract the attention of others.

Xu Chunniang didn't want to be noticed; she just wanted to cultivate in peace.

If only there was a way to make her cultivation appear lower...

When she went to the Merit Pavilion last time to pick out sorcery, she thought she saw some concealment-type sorcery. She wasn't sure if those concealment sorceries could hide one's cultivation.

Right now, Xu Chunniang had no other options, so she could only go to the Merit Pavilion and try her luck.

New disciples, after Qi Introduction, had one chance to enter the Merit Pavilion for free, where they could learn two sorceries without charge.

Afterward, if they still wished to enter the Merit Pavilion to learn sorcery, they would need to spend Spirit Stones to purchase them.

Many sorceries usable by Qi Condensation cultivators only cost five Spirit Stones to imprint, which was a benefit for Outer Sect Disciples.

Of the twelve Spirit Stones Xu Chunniang received, two were spent when she was trapped in the cave at the beginning, and she hadn't touched the rest. She currently had ten Spirit Stones, enough to choose two sorceries.

"It's good to visit the Merit Pavilion anyway. Even if I can't buy the sorcery I want, I can still buy an Earth-element sorcery."

Xu Chunniang mused. She had already mastered the Water-element Spiritual Rain Technique, and she was still learning the Wood-element Spring Growth Technique. For now, she had enough Water and Wood element sorceries.

After showing her identity token to the disciple guarding the Merit Pavilion, Xu Chunniang decided to head to the concealment sorcery section first, to see if she could find any sorcery that could hide her cultivation.