Wei Yunxi had her reasons for giving the pill to Wei Zonghao. In both the Wei family and the Haoran Sect, she needed a reliable ally, and it would be best to cultivate that bond from a young age. She knew Zonghao was close to the quiet Zongyu, so when it came time to train outside in the future, she'd have a dependable team at her side.
Her actions were also a precaution against Wei Yunqing, who was constantly watching her with predatory eyes. By having Zonghao accompany her to the marketplace today, she not only reduced Yunqing's suspicions, but also had a safeguard in place to prevent the treasure from falling into Yunqing's hands.
But the process of obtaining the opportunity had gone too smoothly. Zonghao had witnessed the entire purchase. She was worried Yunqing might try to get information from him afterward. If he mentioned the empty pill bottle, Yunqing would definitely grow suspicious and start pestering her more intensely.
Wei Yunxi didn't want someone obsessed with her fortuitous encounter clinging to her. She only wanted to focus on cultivation. So giving the pill to Zonghao was a way of sealing his lips, while also securing a promise. Now that this opportunity belonged to the two of them, he certainly wouldn't leak a word to Yunqing.
Even if Wei Yunqing had protagonist's luck and could sniff out treasures, it would be useless if she couldn't find them. So this move wasn't impulsive at all—it was a well-considered investment made in advance.
To avoid any future mishaps, Wei Yunxi went directly to find Wei Zonghao and gave him the pill, making him her ally in the process.
At this moment, Wei Zonghao felt a warm current flowing from his meridians toward his dantian, and then further down to the spiritual roots at its base.
Moments later, he felt his spiritual roots heat up, and the temperature continued to rise. Sweat beaded along his forehead, running down his cheeks. His face gradually turned red.
Seeing this, Wei Yunxi encouraged him aloud.
"Brother Zonghao, hang in there. Whatever you do, don't pass out. Otherwise, the effect will be greatly reduced. Just think about how fast your cultivation would be if your spiritual roots were full. Even with three attributes, you wouldn't fall behind someone with a single-root system."
Zonghao clenched his teeth and curled his hands into fists on his knees. He understood very well that a pill capable of altering his root potential was likely the only one he'd ever encounter in this life. If he failed to reach the desired effect, it would be a complete waste of Little Sister Yunxi's goodwill. So he motivated himself to endure.
An hour later, Wei Zonghao finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Yunxi standing far away, her nose pinched shut.
"Little Sister Yunxi..."
Wei Yunxi immediately asked, "You're fully conscious now?"
"Yeah! Ugh, what is that smell..."
Zonghao was overwhelmed by the stench and was just about to gag when Yunxi formed a hand seal and held her breath. A gentle force swept out from her, brushing past him. In the next moment, the foul odor vanished.
"Hehe, thanks, Little Sister Yunxi!"
Scratching the back of his head, Zonghao chuckled awkwardly. He had figured out the stench was coming from him. The pill must have taken effect, pushing out some impurities from his body.
Wei Yunxi finally took a deep breath. She felt like she had come back to life. Even when she first guided spiritual energy into her body, it hadn't smelled this bad.
What she conveniently forgot was that back at the Feng family, she had taken Body Tempering Pills and soaked in medicinal springs. Those had already purged a lot of impurities from her system.
Besides, could Feng Jiayun have treated her own daughter poorly? Back then, she must have fed her all sorts of good things to enhance her aptitude. The original host was too young to remember it, that's all.
"Brother Zonghao, try circulating your Qi Refining Technique. See how your body absorbs and stores spiritual energy."
"Alright!"
Zonghao was eager to see the results for himself. With Yunxi's reminder, he sat back down cross-legged, took a deep breath, and silently began reciting the incantation to guide spiritual energy into his body.
His roots were fire, wood, and earth. Now, red, green, and brown dots of light in the air surged toward him. All three types of energy entered his meridians, circulated through his body, and finally settled in his dantian.
Not wanting to keep Yunxi waiting, he only completed a small cycle before opening his eyes. Grinning from ear to ear, he said:
"Yunxi, I can feel it. My root values must be close to the maximum now. The spiritual energy isn't leaking out at all, it's all being refined and stored in my dantian."
Wei Yunxi nodded with a smile. "Looks like the pill worked very well. Good thing you stayed conscious and saw it through, otherwise the results might not have been this good."
Wei Zonghao quickly stood and bowed deeply to her again. For him, this was as good as being reborn.
After accepting the bow, Wei Yunxi reminded him seriously:
"Brother, you absolutely cannot tell anyone that your root values have improved. Not even your parents. Otherwise, it'll invite trouble."
Zonghao thumped his chest with confidence.
"Don't worry, Little Sister. I'll take this secret to the grave. Only an idiot would tell outsiders. I'll use the momentum from the pill to break through to the third level of Qi Refining in the next two days. I can't fall behind, or I won't be able to go adventuring with you in the future."
"Good. Once your cultivation improves, let's visit the outer sect market together."
"Sure. I'll treat you to a spiritual meal then."
Both of them were in high spirits. After chatting for a bit, Zonghao quietly walked Yunxi home, then returned to his own room and cultivated like his life depended on it.
While Wei Zonghao was refining the pill, Wei Yunqing was meditating in her training room. But her restlessness disrupted her Qi Refining Technique. She suddenly coughed up blood, barely avoiding a deviation into madness.
Wei Yunxi had no idea any of this had happened. The next morning, as usual, she ate a milk fruit, did a round of yoga to loosen up, and prepared to head to the cultivation hall.
She had eaten one milk fruit every day for a month. It filled her belly, strengthened her body, and even increased her physical strength. Evidence of that could be found in the finger-shaped bruise she had left on Zonghao's cheek yesterday.
Thankfully, he had been too distracted by the appearance of the Bu Tian Dan to notice the mark on his face.
She was now looking into sword techniques and ice-type cultivation arts. Though she hadn't found anything yet, she wasn't worried. If needed, she could message Ethereal Grace privately and see if a suitable exchange could be made.
Wei Yunting, Wei Yunyīng, and Wei Yunxi met up at the courtyard gate, but didn't see Wei Yunqing. Seeing that her isolation array was still active, they knew she was cultivating and didn't disturb her. The three headed to the dining hall together.
After breakfast, they went to the cultivation hall and began their training for the day.
Once inside her room, Wei Yunxi began by practicing the attack spells she was most familiar with, making sure she could cast them instantly. Afterward, she sat down to recover her spiritual energy.
Once her dantian was full again, she began drawing talismans, starting with the simplest Dust Removal Talisman. As a practical first-rank talisman with an easy inscription, it was the perfect entry point for learning to draw talismans.