The three of them weren't ordinary cultivators.
With their backgrounds, they knew secrets that most people could only dream of.
So, when Yao Ziyan calmly nodded and said, "That's right,"
Liu Ruyu's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait… So yesterday's Thunder Tribulation was because of you, Sister Ziyan?!"
Yao Ziyan nodded again, her expression as serene as ever.
Liu Ruyu fell into deep thought, piecing everything together.
It all made sense now.
Yao Ziyan had drunk the mineral water, her aptitude improved, and then—
Her bloodline regressed to its ancestral state.
This triggered an Ancient Lightning Tribulation.
Something that ordinary cultivators wouldn't survive.
But then—
The Boss intervened.
With just one word, he made the heavens themselves retreat.
Liu Ruyu exhaled slowly, still processing the enormity of it all.
Bu Lige, on the other hand, scratched his chin and sighed.
"Well, I guess this just proves that your luck is nowhere near as good as Sister Ziyan's."
His tone was casual—stating a simple truth.
But—
His words struck deep.
Liu Ruyu and Liu Rumei's expressions froze.
They looked at each other, suddenly feeling…
Sour.
---
The chance of an ancestral bloodline regression was so unbelievably rare.
Yet—
Yao Ziyan had achieved it so effortlessly.
Meanwhile, their own aptitude improvements—while impressive-
Suddenly felt lackluster in comparison.
The excitement in their hearts faded.
Unfair.
Bu Lige, noticing their shifting expressions, finally realized—
Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have said that…
After thinking for a second, he wisely shut his mouth.
Just then—
A hurried voice called out—
"Hah… Bu Lige, Sister Ziyan, did we make it in time?!"
Two figures rushed into Origin Mall, panting.
Like a gust of wind, Bu Shiyi and Jiang Shengjun burst into the shop.
Their expressions were anxious, as if they had been racing against time.
Their arrival couldn't have been more perfectly timed—
A lifeline for Bu Lige.
---
Bu Lige lit up at the sight of his sister.
"Sis! You're finally here!"
Yao Ziyan chuckled.
"There are still six bottles of mineral water left."
Bu Shiyi and Jiang Shengjun visibly relaxed.
On their way here, they had used their full cultivation speed, fearing that someone else might buy them all first.
Now—
It seemed like they had barely made it.
Without wasting a second, the three of them grabbed their bottles, paid the spirit crystals, and—
Drank them in one go.
---
The effects were instantaneous.
A spiritual cyclone formed around them, swirling with energy.
Then—
Bu Lige's aura surged.
His cultivation broke through on the spot!
"The spiritual energy in the world…"
Bu Shiyi suddenly paused, her eyes gleaming in surprise.
"…It feels so much clearer."
Yao Ziyan smiled knowingly.
"When your aptitude improves, your ability to perceive the world's spiritual energy naturally increases as well."
The three of them nodded in understanding.
It was an obvious truth—
Yet experiencing it firsthand was something entirely different.
Bu Lige sighed dramatically.
"It's a pity this only works the first time you drink it…"
Liu Ruyu scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Be grateful you even got this chance. Do you really think something this precious would work multiple times? How greedy."
Bu Lige chuckled awkwardly, wisely choosing not to argue.
---
Jiang Shengjun, on the other hand, was still amazed.
"I feel like my strength has increased a lot."
He clenched his fists, trying to gauge the difference.
Yao Ziyan simply shook her head.
"That's just an illusion."
Jiang Shengjun blinked.
"…Huh? What do you mean?"
"You've only improved your aptitude, not your cultivation realm."
Yao Ziyan spread her hands, explaining patiently.
"There's no way your actual strength increased overnight. At best, your combat ability has become more refined, and your spiritual energy recovery is faster."
Jiang Shengjun paused.
Then—
Realization dawned.
"…Oh."