Fulfillment

Zhou Qing lowered the magnetic field's intensity and lightly brushed it over the thread in his "hand."

To his surprise, he found that this thread was far tougher than he had imagined.

It was not fragile silk, but tough iron wire.

It seemed it would not be easy to snap it.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Qing slightly increased the magnetic field's intensity.

After returning, he had cultivated for two hours. His physical and mental energy had been nearly exhausted, and the energy his magnetic field could exert was probably less than a tenth of its full power.

Only after raising the magnetic field's intensity to its limit did he sense the thread tremble slightly beneath his control.

The thread, made up of countless tiny points of light, suddenly became scattered. Many chaotic points of light abruptly appeared around it, making what had originally been a solid thread turn illusory.

Nie Yunxi adjusted her state of mind and quickly entered a state of communion with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

In this state of communion, she felt that there was no longer any barrier between her tiny self and the boundless natural world. It was as though she had merged into heaven and earth.

This state of unity between man and heaven captivated her.

Who knew how much time had passed before she suddenly felt her thoughts become unsettled.

A powerful palpitation seized her, as though the earth were shaking violently and a lone mortal were facing the terrifying might of an earthquake.

Countless fearful stray thoughts arose in her heart. She was kicked out of that state of harmony with heaven and earth. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was no longer her companion, but turned into savage beasts that violently battered her spiritual roots, leaving her head splitting with pain.

Suddenly, she felt someone pat her shoulder. Immediately afterward, her consciousness was dragged out from the depths of her awareness.

Nie Yunxi abruptly opened her eyes.

The surroundings were silent. Wei Xu and Wang Xiaohu were still sitting beside her in meditation, while Zhou Qing sat across from her, watching her with concern.

As if she had survived a disaster, Nie Yunxi let out a long breath and said, "Good thing you were here!"

Feeling guilty like a thief, Zhou Qing gave a dry laugh. "It was what I should have done."

"Get up and rest for a while. Continue meditating after you've adjusted your state of mind."

Nie Yunxi nodded to him gratefully and rose to walk to the doorway.

The cool air outside refreshed her spirit.

It was already deep into the night. The mountains were hushed in utter silence, with only the occasional dreamlike cry of a sleeping bird.

The stars crowded the sky.

Looking at these familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar sights, Nie Yunxi said, "I still can't believe we truly came to the Cultivation World. Don't laugh at me, Senior Brother, but even now, whenever I wake up, I always feel dazed for a while before realizing that I'm no longer at home. I've come to the Cultivation World and become a Cultivator."

"Senior Brother, do you ever feel that way?"

Zhou Qing smiled. "Yesterday, I burned the old clothes I brought from home. It felt like cutting away the ties binding me to my past life."

"Cultivation is, by nature, a process of continually breaking away from one's mortal identity. Attachment to one's past life will become an obstacle on your path, Junior Sister. You should be careful."

Nie Yunxi gazed at him with admiration. "Senior Brother is better than us in every way."

"Though we have begun cultivating, among those of us from Cloud Prefecture City, I'm afraid only Senior Brother will be able to travel far on the immortal path."

"A hundred years, perhaps even a thousand years from now, Senior Brother will still be in this world, while we may already have turned to dust. When that time comes, Senior Brother, don't forget us."

Zhou Qing sensed that her mental state was somewhat abnormal. She had become more sentimental than usual. Guessing that it was an aftereffect of having shaken her mind earlier, he could not help feeling a little guilty.

He had been too eager to test his ability, to the point that he had lost the caution he ought to have had.

Fortunately, the consequences were not serious. Otherwise, his sin would have been great.

Zhou Qing comforted her, "Junior Sister has thirteen spiritual roots, second only to Wei Kuang among this generation of disciples. You are the one with the broadest prospects among us. Once your cultivation is profound in the future, Senior Brother may even need you to lend me a hand."

Nie Yunxi said solemnly, "Junior Sister has received much guidance from Senior Brother. I will remember this kindness in my heart. If I am fortunate enough to travel far on the immortal path in the future and gain the ability to serve Senior Brother, then no matter what Senior Brother commands, Junior Sister will be willing to see it done for you."

Zhou Qing said, "No need to be so serious. All right, you can continue meditating."

Nie Yunxi nodded and once more entered a state of communion with heaven and earth.

It was not until midnight that the three of them ended their cultivation for the night.

After thanking Zhou Qing again, the three took their leave from his courtyard.

The night passed without incident. The next day, Zhou Qing rose early.

There were still brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones left behind by the previous owner in the room.

He ground a stick of ink evenly, then wrote on rice paper that he wished to repair the house and listed the tools and materials he needed. He specifically requested an iron hammer and an anvil.

They would make it easier for him to forge iron pellets.

Mixed among the many pieces of lumber, stone, and ironware, these two items would not arouse suspicion.

Speaking of which, the things he wanted would count as no small expense in the mortal world.

But in the Azure Cloud Sect, they did not even count toward the benefits provided to disciples.

Even as an Outer Disciple, he could simply ask the sect for them.

After finishing, he posted the list at the entrance to his courtyard, then headed for the Instruction Platform.

It was another day of serving as an "assistant instructor."

Whether it was Chen Qingxuan or the other disciples, everyone seemed to have already grown accustomed to his role.

When he returned from the Instruction Platform in the evening, he discovered that the materials he had requested had already been prepared and placed on the open ground against the wall to the right of his courtyard gate.

Zhou Qing carried the iron hammer and anvil he needed into the courtyard, then moved in some lumber and stone as well to obstruct the view.

Though no one was necessarily watching his movements at all times, there was never any harm in being more cautious.

While moving these things, Zhou Qing discovered that he was clearly stronger than before. As for how much stronger, he had no way of testing it for now.

His daily schedule was packed to the brim. He simply could not spare time for anything else.

But in three months, things would improve.

By then, once all the disciples had become proficient in circulating the heavenly cycle, they would no longer need to cultivate at the Instruction Platform, instead cultivating at their own residences.

Then he would have enough time to do his own things.

For these three months, he would focus wholeheartedly on cultivation. When the time came, he could test just how great the results of his three months of cultivation had been.

Zhou Qing tossed the items into the guest room opposite the collapsed storage room, then returned to his room to cultivate.

He ended his cultivation two hours later.

His mind was still full of energy, a little stronger than yesterday, and his cultivation speed had also increased a little.

The feeling of seeing progress every day filled Zhou Qing's heart with fulfillment.

Before long, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. Nie Yunxi and the other two had arrived.

Zhou Qing welcomed them inside. Wang Xiaohu immediately cried out impatiently, "Brother Zhou Qing, I found out about another strange thing."

Zhou Qing was no longer surprised by Wang Xiaohu's knack for knowing everything. He smiled and asked, "What strange thing?"