"Yes, Ancestor!"
Feng Yangu answered solemnly.
"Good. You may go."
Shen Xinghu waved a hand.
"Understood, Ancestor!"
Feng Yangu hurried away.
"My cultivation at the Third Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm is nearing perfection. The day of my breakthrough is just around the corner!"
"Azure Feather Sect, once I break through to the Fourth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm, your sect will be destroyed!"
"The title of Search Province's foremost sect shall belong to my Starwave Sect! Hahaha..."
Shen Xinghu's unrestrained laughter rang through the loft, dark and rasping.
Night fell.
Heavenly Mist Sect.
Within the sect.
Dongfang Muxue's loft.
Dongfang Muxue sat cross-legged, her heart as still as water. She closed her eyes and focused on cultivating the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture.
Whoosh!
As she circulated the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture, the sect's Source Qi streamed into her body like a brook.
Before long, her eyes snapped open.
"I've reached perfection already?"
"It really is a Heaven-Tier High-Grade Cultivation Method. That was a whole day faster than I expected!"
Dongfang Muxue murmured in delight.
"Now that I've reached perfection, it's time to break through!"
She took out a Low-Grade Source Stone and channeled her Source Power, turning the stone into liquid droplets that she drew into her body.
"One isn't enough?"
Dongfang Muxue felt the power of the Source Stone within her and questioned herself.
"Of course. Breaking through from Qi Refinement Third Layer to the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement usually takes five Low-Grade Source Stones. How could one be enough?"
"I put too much faith in my Spiritual Wisdom, the sect's Source Qi, and the cultivation method."
Many factors affected how many Source Stones a cultivator needed for a breakthrough—Source Qi, Spiritual Wisdom, cultivation methods, Heavenly Treasures, and more. Dongfang Muxue had plainly overestimated her own abilities.
She gave a self-mocking smile, took out another Low-Grade Source Stone, turned it into liquid, and drew it in. Then she felt the stone's power within her again.
"Mm... The power of the Source Stones has filled me now. I should absorb it, merge it with my own power, and break through!"
Dongfang Muxue closed her eyes and circulated the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture, beginning to merge with the power of the Source Stones.
Whoosh!
The sect's Source Qi continued to pour into her body.
Boom!
Half a quarter-hour later, Dongfang Muxue's aura abruptly changed. She had successfully broken through to the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement!
"As expected, without Mother's Runic Formation suppressing me, breaking through Qi Refinement Third Layer was only a matter of time with my eight-star Spiritual Wisdom."
Dongfang Muxue opened her eyes and spoke calmly.
"At the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement, I can use Object-Assisted Flight. Sigh, too bad I don't have a weapon or tool to fly on."
"And it's already late at night. I can't even tell Master about my breakthrough right away."
Dongfang Muxue murmured to herself, unable to help feeling disappointed.
She walked to the window, where a figure in green came into view.
Lü Liu sat motionless on the Dao-Enlightenment Stone. Beneath the hazy moonlight, the sight stirred Dongfang Muxue's heart.
"Lü Liu, you're as tenacious as ever. So tenacious you're almost stubborn..."
Dongfang Muxue shook her head and sighed softly.
She knew about the Dao-Enlightenment Stone not because Zhang Xingfeng had told her, but because she had read about it on the stone tablet beside the Spirit-Awakening Tree.
Li Moqing had erected a stone tablet beside the Spirit-Awakening Tree, describing what the tree and the Dao-Enlightenment Stone did.
That way, neither he nor the other sect members would have to explain them to every newcomer.
The next day.
Heavenly Mist Sect.
Within the sect.
The Sect Discussion Hall.
"Master, what's this..."
Zhang Xingfeng entered the hall and stared in surprise at the enormous sheet of paper hanging behind Li Moqing, covered in densely packed writing.
"The Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture?"
A moment later, he recognized what was written on it: the sect's cultivation method, the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture.
"Master, why have you hung the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture in the Discussion Hall?"
Zhang Xingfeng did not understand.
Li Moqing smiled faintly but offered no explanation.
Only important members could enter the Sect Discussion Hall. Li Moqing had hung the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture here in the hope that they would learn it.
Those who learned it could then teach it to the other sect members.
That way, Li Moqing would not have to write out another copy of the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture for every newcomer. Wouldn't that work him to death?
"Master, Lü Liu has been meditating on the Dao-Enlightenment Stone for almost a full day. She hasn't eaten or drunk anything all this time, and I'm worried about her!"
"Master, should we bring Lü Liu something to eat?"
Just then, Dongfang Muxue entered the hall and asked with a worried frown.
"No need. If a mortal wishes to become a cultivator, their will must first be tempered, their body made to hunger, and their means exhausted."
"If she cannot endure even this small hardship, how could she ever become an immortal?"
Li Moqing answered solemnly.
"Well... all right."
Dongfang Muxue reluctantly gave in.
"Hm?" Li Moqing looked Dongfang Muxue over. "Muxue, you've broken through to the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement?"
"Yes, Master."
Dongfang Muxue answered quietly.
Last night, she had wanted to tell Li Moqing about her breakthrough from Qi Refinement Third Layer at the first opportunity. Now, the thought no longer crossed her mind.
Her brow remained faintly furrowed. She was still worried about Lü Liu.
Zhang Xingfeng had been about to congratulate Dongfang Muxue, but seeing her expression, he thought better of it.
Junior Sister has reached the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement, while I, her senior brother, am only at the second. When will I ever catch up with her?
He sighed inwardly.
Li Moqing saw Dongfang Muxue's concern and reassured her with a faint smile. "Muxue, you needn't worry so much. I know what I'm doing."
"Sit down and have some of the Sourceheart Tea I prepared for you." He turned his head. "You too, Xingfeng."
"Sourceheart Tea?!"
Dongfang Muxue and Zhang Xingfeng cried out in surprise.
They looked at the small rosewood tables beside the chairs and only then noticed the two cups of tea waiting there.
One had been drawn to the Divine Breath Pure Heart Scripture, while the other had been worried about Lü Liu. Neither had noticed the tea.
Only after they spotted it did they catch its fragrance, strange yet pleasant.
"Is this... is this really Sourceheart Tea?"
Dongfang Muxue stared at the two tea leaves floating in the cup, hardly able to believe her eyes.
For half a month after drinking Sourceheart Tea, a cultivator's cultivation speed would increase. More importantly, it could help cultivators gain enlightenment and break through bottlenecks that had troubled them for years!
"Of course it is, Junior Sister. When has Master ever lied to us?"
Without a trace of doubt, Zhang Xingfeng sat down excitedly.
"That's true."
Dongfang Muxue nodded gently and sat beside Zhang Xingfeng.
"But aren't two leaves at once a bit much? Sourceheart Tea is incredibly rare!"
She frowned, looking almost pained.
"It does seem like a bit much!"
Zhang Xingfeng also thought it was excessive, even wasteful.
Sourceheart Tea was a Heavenly Treasure that was nearly impossible to obtain. It grew only on Western Region Spirit Island.
And even Western Region Spirit Island had only three tea trees, which produced just over thirty thousand Sourceheart Tea leaves every hundred years!
Sourceheart Tea had a price, but no one was willing to sell it. Countless cultivators longed for it in vain!
Li Moqing had brewed two leaves in each cup. No wonder Dongfang Muxue and Zhang Xingfeng looked like that.
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