Trapped

Xu Chunniang had no time to feel despair as she was enveloped by the cold liquid surging from all sides. It turned out there was a pool of water below.

She hadn't died?

Xu Chunniang, having narrowly escaped death, was almost stunned. After a while, she finally reacted, quickly holding her breath and surfacing. She swam towards the shore.

Under the faint moonlight, Xu Chunniang could only vaguely make out her surroundings.

This was a naturally formed cave. In the center of the cave was a small pool, and she had fallen from a crevice above it.

Judging by the height, the crevice was about seven to eight zhang above the pool. It would be difficult to climb out by human strength alone.

She could only hope that the cave had another exit...

Xu Chunniang shook her head, pushing her thoughts away. It was too dark, and she was quite exhausted. She would explore properly tomorrow.

It could be considered a blessing in disguise. Although she had fallen into the depths of the mountain, she hadn't come away empty-handed. Not only had she found a natural cave to temporarily shelter in, but she had also found a water source, saving her quite some trouble.

At the mao hour on the second day, Xu Chunniang woke up on time.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the sun hadn't risen yet. The cave was still dim, making it impossible to scout.

She couldn't sleep and didn't want to waste time, so she simply sat cross-legged and began to meditate.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she found that after entering meditation today, the amount of Spiritual Qi she attracted was almost three times that of normal.

Xu Chunniang merely felt a slight doubt before setting the matter aside. Meditation required concentration.

She closed her eyes and began to harmonize the surrounding Spiritual Qi.

The blue water Spiritual Qi was the most docile, and it merged quickly with the green wood Spiritual Qi. However, once the yellow earth Spiritual Qi was added to these two, it would dissipate immediately.

Xu Chunniang was not discouraged; she had encountered this situation countless times. She patiently started again.

Finally, after countless repetitions, the blue, green, and yellow Spiritual Qi merged for the first time!

Xu Chunniang steadied her mind, silently recited the cultivation technique, and guided the Spiritual Qi cluster into her body. The Spiritual Qi cluster traveled crookedly but was guided into her Dantian without any danger.

Success!

Xu Chunniang opened her eyes in surprise. Although she was still far from true Qi Introduction, this step was crucial.

Next, she only needed to guide the Spiritual Qi cluster into her Dantian, continuously fill her Dantian, and then use the cultivation technique to guide the Spiritual Qi in her body through a Great Heavenly Cycle cultivation.

Just as she was about to continue cultivating with a burst of effort, her stomach rumbled. Xu Chunniang snapped back to reality, realizing that her cultivation had taken a full half-day.

After cultivating for so long, she didn't feel tired at all; instead, she felt very energetic.

Xu Chunniang took a Grain Abstinence Pill and prepared to explore the cave to see if there were any other exits.

The mountain cavity wasn't very large. Besides the small pool and the place where she slept and cultivated, the rest of the area was almost in full view. There were no other exits at all.

Xu Chunniang, who had just been happy about the breakthrough in her cultivation, suddenly became dejected. No other exits meant she would be trapped in this cave!

She counted the Grain Abstinence Pills in her storage bag. There were only fifteen left. If she couldn't get out after eating them all, wouldn't she be trapped and die here!

Xu Chunniang shivered, somewhat frightened by her own thoughts.

She shook her head desperately, dispelling the terrifying thought from her mind.

"There must be a way. There are still fifteen Grain Abstinence Pills. If I ration them, eating half a pill a day, they'll last for thirty days! I'm small, and my consumption isn't high, so half a pill should be enough.

Thirty days is enough for me to achieve Qi Introduction."

She looked up at the mountain crevice. After achieving Qi Introduction, she should be able to climb out, right?

Xu Chunniang wasn't sure, but with no other options, she could only try her best.

Having made up her mind, she sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.

This cultivation lasted for a full ten days.

Apart from the necessary three hours of sleep each day, Xu Chunniang dedicated all her time to cultivation, and her progress was astonishingly fast. The Spiritual Qi in her Dantian became increasingly abundant, and it was soon to be full.

On this day, after guiding the Spiritual Qi cluster into her Dantian, Xu Chunniang found that her Dantian was completely full.

A flash of inspiration struck her, and she directly began to circulate the Carefree Art, carefully guiding the Spiritual Qi.

As the cultivation technique circulated, the Spiritual Qi followed the Spiritual Veins, traveling through her limbs and bones, undergoing a kind of transformative remodeling.

Xu Chunniang felt comfort all over. Wherever the Spiritual Qi reached, her body became warm, as if she were soaking in warm water.

However, the warm feeling quickly disappeared, replaced by intense pain.

As the cultivation technique circulated, the Spiritual Qi gradually moved away from the Spiritual Veins and ventured into deeper areas.

"Ah!"

Xu Chunniang couldn't help but cry out in pain. Even though she had been mentally prepared, she was caught off guard by the intense pain. Almost instinctively, she wanted to stop circulating the cultivation method.

But soon, she remembered what Martial Uncle Gu had said in the lecture room.

"During Qi Introduction, the initial areas traversed are protected by Spiritual Veins, and you will feel warmth. But as the cultivation technique deepens, the Spiritual Qi will travel into more areas unprotected by Spiritual Veins, and at this point, there will be intense pain. Many people will stop cultivating because they cannot bear the pain.

If you stop because of the pain, although it can still be considered successful Qi Introduction, your Path of Cultivation will also come to an end.

The pain you endure is actually the Spiritual Qi remodeling your body. The longer you persist in this step, the greater the benefits for your future cultivation."

No, she couldn't give up now!

Xu Chunniang steeled her resolve and continued to circulate her cultivation method.

She was originally a farmer's daughter, illiterate. Having finally obtained a chance to cultivate, she was determined to give it her all!

As time passed, the spiritual qi's transformation of her body deepened, even entering meridians that her cultivation technique had not guided.

Xu Chunniang trembled with pain but gritted her teeth, refusing to give in. She had to persevere for longer, and longer!

Eventually, her consciousness grew hazy. Unable to hold on any longer, she slumped her head and fainted...

Xu Chunniang was awakened by a foul odor.

Wrinkling her nose, she opened her eyes. Her consciousness was still lingering from the Qi Introduction, and she had no idea if she had succeeded.

Xu Chunniang first checked her body and found that her dantian was exceptionally full of spiritual qi, with it subtly circulating throughout her body. Only then did she relax, knowing she had finally succeeded.

Afterward, she had the leisure to search for the source of the smell.

To her astonishment, she discovered that the one emitting the astonishing stench was none other than herself?

Her entire body was covered in a layer of black filth, emanating an unpleasant odor from head to toe.

With a moment's thought, Xu Chunniang understood. This was the impurities expelled from her body as the spiritual qi transformed it.

The place was quiet and deserted. Xu Chunniang directly removed all her clothes and plunged into the pool to start washing herself.

It took a full hour of scrubbing before she managed to clean off the bothersome grime.

After washing, Xu Chunniang noticed that she seemed much fairer and cleaner than before. It was likely due to the spiritual qi cleansing and tempering her body.

"Now that I have spiritual qi within me, I wonder if I can leave this cave," she murmured, looking up.