Chu Xisheng woke from his dreams the next day and began practicing the Origin-Nourishing Art as usual.
Fortunately, sunlight still reached this inn in the morning.
Cultivation of the Origin-Nourishing Art depended heavily on morning light.
Without sunlight to assist them, practitioners relying solely on visualization would see its effectiveness reduced by about twenty percent.
Chu Xisheng did not practice any longer today. He hastily finished his routine, washed up, and left his room.
When Chu Xisheng passed through the long corridor and reached the inn's lobby, he found it packed with people of the martial world carrying sabers and swords.
They all turned to look at Chu Xisheng, their gazes differing.
Some were curious, looking him up and down to see what qualified him for a place among the Ten Divine Talented Young Blades; others stared fiercely, as though they wished to swallow him alive and skin him whole.
Chu Xisheng ignored them and strolled calmly down the stairs.
Ji Qianqian was also sitting in the lobby, wolfing down breakfast.
Her breakfast was ordinary soy milk, fried dough sticks, and potstickers.
Ji Qianqian had prepared a portion for Chu Xisheng too, setting it across the eight immortals table.
"Hall Master, eat while it's hot. I bought it outside. The fried dough sticks in Capital City are delicious, different from ours in Xiushui. And these potstickers-you can't get them in Xiushui."
Speaking indistinctly through her food, Ji Qianqian studied Chu Xisheng closely.
Yesterday, when she had returned from hiring a boat and met Chu Xisheng, she had found his entire aura strangely, extremely discordant.
But seeing him again today, she found that sense of discord had vanished completely.
Chu Xisheng's astral power and true essence were now perfectly integrated.
A trace of puzzlement appeared in Ji Qianqian's eyes. Then she