If Li Ping remembered correctly...
Ji Shuwen was a little older than Yan Hengchuan, though not by much. She was only in her hundred and sixties this year.
In other words, she could reach peak Foundation Establishment around the age of a hundred and seventy and attempt to break through to Core Formation.
That pace was by no means slow. In fact, it far surpassed that of her peers.
In the Western Wasteland, generally only cultivators with a variant spiritual root could prepare to attempt Core Formation at that age. Even Wang Xingwei, a dual spirit root cultivator who had achieved Foundation Establishment on his own, cultivated more slowly than Ji Shuwen.
Li Ping believed that this was inseparable from Ji Shuwen's good fortune.
For instance, shortly after discovering that she had dual spirit roots, she had successfully entered the Crimson Flame Sect to cultivate. As soon as she reached peak Qi Refining, Li Ping had helped her smoothly achieve Foundation Establishment. Later, she had become Huang Yan's Dao companion and gained the support of the Huang Family's resources.
Of course, beyond the help of influential benefactors...
Her own luck had been fairly good, too. The bottlenecks between the minor stages of Foundation Establishment had not delayed her for long.
Only through all these factors combined had a genius from a humble Qi Refining lineage managed to rise so high.
Before she knew it, she was only a single step away from Core Formation.
Moreover, she was a Core Formation cultivator's Dao companion, a member of the Huang Family, and the city lord of the Immortal City. She held a position of great power and authority.
With her status, obtaining a Core Formation Treasure from the Purple Cloud Valley would not be difficult.
The only concern was her dual spirit