Qi Refining Ninth Level

Song Zhizhi's breath caught, and her heart involuntarily skipped faster. She recalled that breathtaking sword strike in Myriad Swords City half a month ago. That male cultivator in white should, in hindsight, have been Xie Xiuji.

So she had already met Xie Xiuji again back then.

Song Zhizhi withdrew her gaze, suppressed the distracting thoughts in her heart, and went aside to begin swinging her sword.

After ten thousand swings, Song Zhizhi was too exhausted to move. But recalling what had happened yesterday, she still forced herself to gather the last shred of strength and returned to her room to rest.

When she woke, Song Zhizhi got to eat the sweet-and-sour fish she had ordered yesterday. The fish was tender, soft, and sweet; its skin had been fried crisp, and the sauce atop it was pleasantly sweet and sour. It was still the familiar handiwork of the same chef.

Yet halfway through the fish, Song Zhizhi suddenly felt a gentle push against her abdomen. It made her stomach somewhat uncomfortable. She frowned, and her expression changed slightly.

"What is it?" Xie Xiuji noticed something was wrong and fixed his eyes on Song Zhizhi. "Are you feeling unwell?"

Author's note:

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Qi Refining Ninth Level

Song Zhizhi's heart suddenly lurched. Somewhat nervous, she stared at the chopsticks in her hand and evasively said, "I'm fine. I just ate too quickly and choked."

Sword Venerable Mingxiao looked at Song Zhizhi's rosy complexion and suspected nothing. He handed her a cup of water and said helplessly, "Drink some water first. Eat more slowly. No one is fighting you for it."

"Mm, thank you." Song Zhizhi lowered her head to drink. She looked perfectly calm on the surface, but no one knew that her heart was currently pounding like a drum.

She was not yet prepared to come clean to Xie Xiuji, nor did she have the courage to do so. Better to hide it for now. She would talk when she could no longer keep it hidden.

Song Zhizhi picked up her chopsticks and continued eating. Beneath the table, her other hand secretly stroked her belly. Was that the child moving just now? But wasn't the child only a month old? How could it move!?

Still, perhaps mother and child were connected at heart. Song Zhizhi vaguely sensed that her child was very healthy, so she did not worry too much.

She thought, Perhaps children in the Cultivation World are different from children in the modern world. Fetal movement after one month is perfectly normal.

But just in case, when she had time someday, she should still go consult Liu Changfei.

After finishing her meal, Song Zhizhi no longer felt any movement in her belly, so she devoted herself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

When people were busy, time passed quickly. Song Zhizhi received one-on-one instruction and training from Xie Xiuji on Clear Snow Peak for seven days. At last, she practiced the Heavenly Mystery Sword Art to a standard that satisfied Xie Xiuji—meaning that, when Xie Xiuji did not use spiritual power, she could fight him to a draw even when he used only a tree branch.

During this time, Song Zhizhi's cultivation also rose somewhat, breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. This was even faster than an ordinary Single Spirit Root cultivator. Worried that this speed might be too fast, Song Zhizhi asked Xie Xiuji, but he said it was normal.

Since Xie Xiuji, whose cultivation was so profound, said it was normal, Song Zhizhi stopped dwelling on it and happily left. Thus, she missed the unnatural look on Xie Xiuji's face.

The ever-cold Sword Venerable Mingxiao recalled the contents of a book he had read long ago. His pale pink lips pressed together slightly, and he lowered his head to cough softly. A trace of embarrassment flashed across his face—

When a man and woman dual cultivated, the party with lower cultivation would gain a portion of the other's cultivation from their primordial yang or primordial yin. He was a Mahayana cultivator, while Song Zhizhi was merely at Qi Refining. The gap between their cultivation levels was too vast. Had he not been gravely injured at the time, with little of his cultivation remaining, Song Zhizhi would likely have been unable to bear his cultivation after their dual cultivation and ultimately exploded to death.

Song Zhizhi's cultivation was now rising faster than that of an ordinary Single Spirit Root cultivator because she was refining his cultivation. Yet her advancement seemed somewhat slower than he had expected. Perhaps it was because he had been badly injured at the time and had not passed much cultivation to Song Zhizhi.

*

That day, Song Zhizhi received a voice-transmitting paper crane from Liu Changfei. "Zhizhi, there's an annual Hundred Treasures Fair at the outer sect tomorrow. I hear there'll be plenty of good things there that can't usually be found. Do you want to go take a look with me?"

Song Zhizhi was tempted. A few days ago, she had wanted to buy a bathing tub, but she had never managed to spare the time. Besides, she also had some matters she wanted to consult Liu Changfei about.

She glanced at Xie Xiuji beside her. How should I persuade Xie Xiuji to give me a day off?

With Xie Xiuji's hearing, he had naturally heard the contents of the transmission clearly. He nodded. "You have completed the first stage of your task. You may rest for a day tomorrow."

A brilliant smile immediately bloomed across Song Zhizhi's face. "Thank you, Senior Brother!"

Upon hearing the words "Senior Brother," the man's eyes stirred slightly, and he gave her a discreet glance.

Immersed in the joy of having a day off tomorrow, Song Zhizhi immediately felt much of the weariness in her body lighten. She quickly accepted Liu Changfei's invitation, then skipped back to her small building without so much as looking at a certain someone again.

Sword Venerable Mingxiao pinched the bridge of his nose, shook his head, and let out a helpless sigh.

Because she did not need to practice swordsmanship the next day, Song Zhizhi planned to sleep in. Yet when dawn had barely reached the hour of the dragon, she opened her eyes right on time.

Song Zhizhi sighed, resigned herself to her fate, got up, and swung her sword five thousand times as a warm-up before changing clothes and heading down the mountain.

But after running down the mountain, Song Zhizhi discovered that the Sword Sect's territory was far larger than she had imagined. The distance between the inner and outer sects was roughly the span of an entire city. Qi Refining cultivators could not ride swords, and relying solely on two legs, she would have to walk for two hours.

Song Zhizhi looked into the distance, her little face scrunching up. Misjudged it. It's so far!

"Chirp!" Suddenly, Song Zhizhi heard a clear crane cry overhead. She looked up at the sound and discovered a white crane as tall as a person circling in the sky. It slowly descended before her, then gradually lowered its body toward her.

Song Zhizhi:?

The white crane turned its head and pointed at its back with its sharp beak.

"Do you want me to sit on you?" Song Zhizhi stroked the feathers on its back and asked uncertainly.

Such an intelligent white crane—was it a spirit beast raised by her master? Why had she never seen it on Clear Snow Peak?

Rankings

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Transmigration into a Book

Sweet Romance

Transmigration and Rebirth Romance

Tu Yanyan

Amnesia Trope