The Tenth Frame

Pei Ling pressed his red lips together and smiled faintly, his expression hard to read.

His strength was limited now, so the Ten-Thousand-Bone Soul-Birthing Formation could only do so much. In his previous life, he had spent years setting it up and poured untold effort into it. When the formation was finally complete, the looks on the faces of those so-called righteous cultivators had delighted him. Even the gaping hole in his chest had seemed to hurt a little less.

Speaking of strength, he had only just reached Foundation Establishment. His cultivation was nowhere near enough. Yet he could feel that after his rebirth, his Divine Soul had retained the strength of Late Tribulation Transcendence. That was not good news.

It was like cramming more into a fragile jar than it could hold. Sooner or later, it would burst.

To solve the problem, he would have to raise his cultivation beyond Deity Transformation in a short time. Only then could he barely contain a Divine Soul at Late Tribulation Transcendence, and that was hardly possible. His other option was to find a suitable cultivation method and temper his Divine Soul anew.

He knew where to find a suitable method.

Chapter 10: The Tenth Frame

Qiao Ranran had no idea how long she had been walking the Immortal Ascension Road. It felt as though she had taken only a few steps, yet a lifetime had passed.

How long was a lifetime? She thought about her two lives, neither of them particularly long, and could almost feel a dark cloud forming over her head.

Sometimes she could not tell whether she had done something terrible to die young in both lives, or something wonderful to be given another chance each time.

Either way, it was a little alarming.

Her thoughts wandered, but her feet did not stop. The moment her Spiritual Power recovered, she climbed another step. Sweat dripped from her temple onto the stone beneath her feet and vanished without a trace.

She had never been particularly hardworking, in either life. She had no great ambition and only wanted to take things as they came. If that person had not kept pushing her forward in her previous life, she might never have learned so many Spell Arts or reached the Golden Core Stage so quickly.

That made it sound as if she ought to thank him.

But she knew he had done it all because, despite her lack of ambition, she was obedient and useful. She was a handy tool. At least, her command of Spell Arts and her skill in Medicine far surpassed many others'.

Fine, she really should thank him. In this new life, everything she knew was hers to keep. Since he had "helped" her, if fate brought them together again, she would find a chance to stab him once. That would settle the Karmic Debt between them, and she would hold nothing else against him.

Qiao Ranran ground her molars. Thanks a lot!

Another step.

What was with the Profound Heart Sect? Even taking on a disciple had to be wrapped in mysticism. Was this what they called fate?

One more step.

Baby Face had not seemed eager to take on a disciple. He had looked reluctant even when he found her.

She kept going.

He seemed to know alchemy. She had caught the scent of Spirit Plants in the ash on him, and judging by the ingredients, he had been making a Nine Cauldron Pill. Did that mean he was a high-ranking alchemist? Anyone capable of making a Nine Cauldron Pill had to be at least a Seventh-Rank Alchemist.

A Seventh-Rank Alchemist would be treasured by any major sect.

And the Profound Heart Sect had one who wanted to take her as his disciple.

Well, that was interesting.

She was exhausted, but she did not want to give up. She might be lazy and easygoing, but once she decided to do something, she never quit.

Several of the people watching from the mountaintop had already left. Baby Face, who had been clamoring to leave, stood with his arms crossed and his brows knitted, staring at the slender figure on the Immortal Ascension Road. His cheeks were puffed out, and there was no telling what he was thinking.

Then a laugh sounded behind him. "I didn't expect her to be so determined. Feeling stuck now? Trying to work out how to make her give up on her own so you'll have a good reason not to take her as your disciple?"

Baby Face: "..."

"She's an interesting child. Everyone seems to think well of her, don't they? Once she makes it up here, if you truly don't want her, I'm sure someone else would be happy to take one more disciple. You needn't worry about having another burden."

Baby Face bristled. "Senior Brother, what are you saying? I brought her here. She's my disciple!" Those ravenous people would surely love to drag the child back to their own dens. "Besides, she's a Medicine Cultivator!" On this mountain, he was the one best suited to be her master.

"Oh?" The newcomer raised an eyebrow. A faint mist seemed to veil him, obscuring his features without diminishing his striking beauty. "And you already know she's a Medicine Cultivator?"

"I smelled it," Baby Face muttered. "She smells of medicine." There was the scent of Spirit Plants and medicinal herbs, as well as Elixirs. They were all low-level Elixirs, but their rich fragrance showed they were of fine quality.

It was not a scent someone would pick up by accident. Only a person who spent a long time among such things would carry it, as though it came from her very bones.

"She's in the Qi Refining Stage?"

"Mm. Qi Refining First Layer."

"And she can already make pills?"

Baby Face: "..." He suddenly had a feeling that nothing good would come out of his nominal senior brother's mouth.

"Then it sounds as if she'll be fine without you as her master."

Baby Face: "..." Just as he thought.

From dawn until dark and on to the first light of the next morning, Baby Face did not hurry back to his Cave to fuss over his Elixirs, as he usually would. Instead, he silently watched the girl climb the Greenstone Steps one by one, drawing ever closer to him.

It was a strange feeling.

His senior brother passed by, glanced at her, and smiled. "Oh? She advanced?"

Baby Face: "..." Second Layer of Qi Refining. That talent was something else.

Over the years, disciples entering the Profound Heart Sect had generally advanced two or three layers after walking the Immortal Ascension Road. The especially gifted could even break through an entire major stage. Yet this girl had covered more than half the road and had only just managed to advance from Qi Refining First Layer to Second Layer of Qi Refining. With talent like that, who knew how far she could go as a cultivator?

Baby Face's expression changed. Only when he remembered Qiao Ranran's talent for Spell Arts and alchemy did it ease a little. He was already searching his mind for good Elixirs, Spell Arts, and cultivation methods that might improve her constitution. The sooner he tended to and expanded her Meridians, the better; it would greatly affect her future cultivation.

Rankings

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Transmigration into a Book

Sweet Romance Novel

Time-Travel and Rebirth Romance

Big Black Loves Eating Fish

Dual Rebirth

Cultivation Fantasy