Xu Yinyin's Core Formation

Beside Myriad Things Come's shop, Qiao Bin anxiously glanced at Yang Ning in the open space not far away and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister, you should be practicing with the Hall Master in the Law Enforcement Hall at this hour. Why are you here?!"

Xu Yinyin unhurriedly wiped the water droplets from her hands with her apron.

"Master said this morning that she was going to report the Demonic Sect mole to the Sect Master, and told me to practice on my own today."

Qiao Bin's eyes were full of anxiety. Although the person in front of him was nominally his Junior Sister, she was actually the "little ancestor" cherished by the entire Law Enforcement Hall.

"Yes, the Hall Master told you to practice on your own, not to come down the mountain to this place! You've even become a shop assistant!"

Xu Yinyin waved her hand, "Oh, Senior Brother, it's not much different. Relax."

"It's a huge difference!" Qiao Bin's voice involuntarily rose by eight octaves.

He immediately realized his loss of composure and quickly covered his mouth, lowering his voice, "Practicing and helping out are worlds apart. How can there be no difference?"

Xu Yinyin was unconcerned, "Then what you all talk about all day, 'Incense Sect,' you also come here every day, under the guise of cultivation? Since you can come, why can't I?"

"How can that be the same? My little ancestor!" Qiao Bin stomped his foot in frustration.

Seeing Qiao Bin's extreme anxiety, Xu Yinyin finally put away some of her teasing. "Alright, alright, Senior Brother." She suddenly closed her eyes, then abruptly opened them, a golden light flashing in her eyes, and a pressure of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage suddenly erupted.

Although Qiao Bin had just broken through to the Core Formation Mid Stage two days ago, the aura Xu Yinyin unleashed was sharp and fierce, no less than his Core Formation Mid Stage cultivation. The wind pressure forced him to retreat several steps involuntarily.

"Junior Sister... you're not also...", Qiao Bin's eyes widened in disbelief.

Xu Yinyin then retracted her pressure and said with a chuckle, "I haven't joined your Incense Sect, don't overthink it. I'm here for a different kind of cultivation."

Last night, after hearing Yang Ning's insights on the flow of water in the Law Enforcement Hall, Xu Yinyin's state of mind suddenly became much clearer, and even the bottleneck of her Foundation Establishment Late Stage showed signs of loosening.

Yang Ning possessed unusual goods, and had many unconventional ideas not held by other cultivators; he possessed a heart of enlightenment. Coupled with his pair of eyes with a hint of roguishness and his handsome face, this made the twenty-year-old girl, who spent all her days cultivating, develop a strong interest in him. This was also why, on her way down the mountain, she had proactively suggested wanting to visit the Myriad Things Come shop.

After bidding farewell to Yang Ning and returning to her own shop last night, his words had been echoing in her mind.

"Be patient, draw from the flowing water one stream at a time, guide it along its course, and gather it into a vast sea."

Xu Yinyin followed his words, regulating the true qi within her body one stream at a time, guiding it to flow freely through her meridians, and finally slowly gathering it in her dantian. By the time the morning sun rose, a Golden Core had already formed in her dantian.

Seeing Qiao Bin's shocked expression, Xu Yinyin tried her best to suppress the upward curve of her lips and cupped her hands in greeting, "Please, Senior Brother, make yourself at home. I still need to clean the shop. Oh, no! I need to cultivate!"

With that, Xu Yinyin turned and walked into the shop, leaving Qiao Bin standing alone in the wind, disheveled.

As the sun gradually rose, Yang Ning smelled a "fragrance." He turned to look and saw Qiao Bin squatting beside Yang Ning's sun lounger, with five cigarettes in his mouth, puffing away.

"Cough, cough, cough—" Yang Ning quickly waved his hand to disperse the smoke, "What are you doing!"

"Yes, yes, sorry, Brother Ning." Qiao Bin quickly stood up and moved to the leeward side to continue smoking, picking up a branch and drawing circles on the ground.

"Brother Ning, what exactly is the meaning of life?" Qiao Bin's voice carried a hint of confusion.

Yang Ning sat up and pushed his sunglasses down, looking at Qiao Bin from above the frames, "Huh?"

"After decades of arduous cultivation, I've been caught up by a junior who's only been cultivating for two years."

Qiao Bin smiled bitterly, his hand continuously drawing circles in the dirt with the branch. Tears streamed down his face silently, "They all say that prodigies are prodigies, something we ordinary cultivators can never reach. I used to think I had decent talent, but now it seems like a firefly's light daring to compete with the bright moon."

Listening to Qiao Bin's heavy sigh, Yang Ning felt a pang of sympathy.

"Birdbrain, birdbrain. People can't always look up, they should occasionally look down at their feet. Reaching the Core Formation Stage after decades of hard work is already very difficult. Think about how many people spend their entire lives and don't even reach half your cultivation. Sometimes, looking down is how you find confidence, isn't it?"

Qiao Bin turned to look at Yang Ning, a snot bubble hanging from his nose. He thought to himself: That's right, Brother Ning doesn't even have a spiritual root and can never embark on the Immortal Path, nor can he enjoy the long lifespan of a cultivator. Compared to him, I'm already very fortunate.

Looking at Qiao Bin's comical appearance, Yang Ning also pondered: Sigh, with the System by my side, my Physique has reached 15, comparable to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. I'm only twenty years old and don't need to cultivate as arduously as him. I can improve my cultivation just by running the shop and collecting Spirit Stones every day. Compared to him, I don't know how much luckier I am!