New Cultivation

Xu Chunniang pouted, not taking Zhang Donglai's words too seriously.

Within the sect, he couldn't possibly make a direct move against her, could he?

The Carefree Sect's rules weren't just for show. If he dared to lay a hand on a low-level disciple, he'd have his cultivation crippled for violating sect rules!

Zhang Donglai was constrained by the sect's rules and couldn't act directly, so he could only resort to underhanded tactics in the Contribution Missions. But she had already decided not to accept missions from him, so she wasn't afraid.

Xu Chunniang thought indifferently, putting her grievances with Zhang Donglai aside. She strode out of the Administration Hall and headed towards the Merit Pavilion.

Xu Chunniang hadn't forgotten her task for the day; she needed to choose a movement technique.

The Merit Pavilion was quite crowded today. Yesterday's demonstrations had showcased a wide variety of sorceries, and these new disciples, having just received their Spirit Stones, were eager to pick their own techniques.

Upon learning that the steward of the Merit Pavilion was a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator, the usually quiet Merit Pavilion became even more solemn. Despite the crowd, no one dared to make a sound, lest they anger the Foundation Establishment Uncle-Master.

Even those who recognized Xu Chunniang, the "celebrity," dared not mock her.

Xu Chunniang was happy to have some peace and quiet. She went straight to the movement technique section and began browsing.

Unexpectedly, after yesterday's demonstration, the Light Body Technique had become a popular choice. Some disciples had already selected it for imprinting, and many more were queuing up.

Xu Chunniang had some free time, so she decided to look through other movement techniques. It wasn't as if she was set on the Light Body Technique; any technique that could improve her speed and agility would suffice.

Suddenly, a footwork technique called "Spirit Void Steps" caught Xu Chunniang's eye.

Movement techniques and footwork techniques served similar purposes. One affected the entire body, while the other focused on the legs, but both could enhance agility and speed. However, in terms of practice, movement techniques were generally easier to learn, while footwork techniques were slightly more difficult.

"Spirit Void Steps, an attribute-less sorcery. It channels Spiritual Qi to the legs, making them more flexible. Each step is as light as if walking on air, moving like a startled swan."

Xu Chunniang's heart stirred. She had watched the demonstrations of the Light Body Technique several times yesterday and naturally remembered that it involved filling the entire body with Spiritual Qi to make it lighter. With a lighter body, one's movements naturally became much more agile.

The Spirit Void Steps, on the other hand, directly infused Spiritual Qi into the legs to enhance speed.

"Perhaps I should choose the Spirit Void Steps," Xu Chunniang mused. The Light Body Technique required the entire body to be filled with Spiritual Qi, while the Spirit Void Steps only needed the legs to be filled. In terms of Spiritual Qi consumption, the Spirit Void Steps would surely be less demanding.

Moreover, many people had already chosen the Light Body Technique, and more would undoubtedly follow. Those who mastered the Light Body Technique would also find it easier to exploit its weaknesses. From this perspective, the Light Body Technique offered no real advantage.

Having made up her mind, Xu Chunniang no longer waited for the Light Body Technique. She directly picked up the Spirit Void Steps to get it imprinted.

She only planned to select this one sorcery this time, as she already had the Spirit Blast Technique for offense and didn't lack anything in that regard for now.

After waiting in line at the imprinting station for the time it took an incense stick to burn, Xu Chunniang placed the sorcery in her hand on the table and laid down five large Spirit Stones.

Steward Mu glanced down, surprised to see this young girl again so soon.

She collected the Spirit Stones, took out a new jade slip, and began the imprinting process. Soon, the sorcery was imprinted.

"Thank you."

Xu Chunniang thanked her politely, took the jade slip, and turned to leave. Just then, a telepathic message reached her ears, "Your Hidden Spirit Art is quite well-practiced."

If she, Mu Rong, were not a Foundation Establishment cultivator who could see through this young girl's true cultivation with a single glance, she might have been deceived by the Hidden Spirit Art she wore.

Xu Chunniang paused slightly. She wasn't surprised at all to have her true cultivation seen through by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. After all, the Hidden Spirit Art stated that it was ineffective against cultivators of higher realms and could only deceive cultivators of the same level.

Xu Chunniang turned back, blinking her eyes, "Please keep it a secret for me, Martial Uncle."

Mu Rong's lips curved slightly. This young girl wasn't afraid of her. It was hard to tell if she was bold or simply carefree. However, as a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, she naturally wouldn't bother with a mere Qi Condensation disciple.

A few onlookers recognized Xu Chunniang, the one who had "stolen the spotlight" yesterday, as she spoke with the Foundation Establishment Uncle-Master. However, they dared not cause any trouble in the Merit Pavilion and could only watch as Xu Chunniang departed.

After leaving the Merit Pavilion, Xu Chunniang went to the Dining Hall.

The Dining Hall had even more new disciples than the Administration Hall and the Merit Pavilion. The usually deserted hall now had a long queue.

Steward Zhao was busy, constantly taking out Grain Abstinence Pills from his storage bag. The line didn't seem to shorten because everyone had run out of their Grain Abstinence Pills.

Xu Chunniang shook her head. She had originally hoped to get back early and cultivate for a while, but it seemed that was no longer possible.

Her appearance, as usual, drew ridicule from the crowd. Xu Chunniang had truly become famous yesterday, though her reputation wasn't exactly good.

Xu Chunniang ignored them as usual.

She didn't even understand what they were laughing at. Her sorcery casting was flawless, and she had achieved excellent results. The Qi Condensation second-layer cultivation she displayed was certainly not low.

These people, instead of focusing their time on cultivation, spent their days gossiping here. It was no wonder that many of them were still stuck at the first layer of Qi Condensation.

As these new disciples' cultivation increased, the amount of Grain Abstinence Pills they could receive at once increased from two bottles to three.

When it was Xu Chunniang's turn, she unhesitatingly took three bottles. If she hadn't been limited to receiving no more, she would have even wanted to take her entire year's ration, as it took several hours to collect the Grain Abstinence Pills each time.

By the time she returned to her residence, it was already dark.

Xu Chunniang didn't cultivate. Instead, she began planning her cultivation for the new year. She enjoyed the feeling of making a plan and then executing and completing it step by step.

Xu Chunniang's current cultivation was at the peak of the second layer of Qi Condensation, not far from the third layer.

With the Spiritual Dew in hand, she believed she would break through soon.

In terms of sorcery, besides the Spring Growth Technique, Spiritual Rain Technique, and Hidden Spirit Art that she had already mastered, she still had the Earth Moistening Technique and Spirit Void Steps to learn.

"I'll focus on improving my cultivation first. Once my cultivation improves, my physical fitness will also be enhanced. Cultivating sorcery after reaching the third layer of Qi Condensation will allow me to better utilize the sorcery's effects. It also happens that after my cultivation breaks through, the practice of the Hidden Spirit Art can enter the next stage."

After finalizing her plan, Xu Chunniang, uncharacteristically, went to bed early. Maintaining good mental state was always more beneficial than detrimental to cultivation.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM) the next day, the cave was still dim. Xu Chunniang woke up.

Having lived in the cave for a year, she had long grown accustomed to the environment. Moreover, since entering the first layer of Qi Condensation, she could see in the dark, so darkness posed no hindrance to her.

Xu Chunniang sat cross-legged, preparing to condense Spiritual Dew.

Although her storage bag still had some Spiritual Dew left, after so many days, some of the Spiritual Qi had begun to dissipate. Xu Chunniang did not plan to use that for her upcoming cultivation breakthrough.

With repeated castings of the highly proficient Spiritual Dew Technique, a continuous stream of Spiritual Dew dripped down, falling into the white jade bottles she had prepared.

As her cultivation increased, the time it took Xu Chunniang to fill a bottle of Spiritual Dew shortened from two days to half a day.

In just two days, she had collected three bottles of Spiritual Dew.

After collecting the three bottles of Spiritual Dew, Xu Chunniang began to adjust her state. Only when both her body and mind were at their peak did she gulp down the Spiritual Dew, attempting to break through her cultivation.

Xu Chunniang continuously circulated the Carefree Art, absorbing the Spiritual Qi brought by the Spiritual Dew within her body and channeling it into her dantian