Five days later, Yun Xi and Zong Hao had arranged to visit the market to sell their spirit rice. But just as they reached the gate of the disciples' courtyard, they ran into Wei Yunqing.
Today, Wei Yunqing was beaming with joy. Her eyes held an unmistakable air of superiority as she looked at Yun Xi.
Zong Hao quickly masked his displeasure and asked politely, "Little Sister Yunqing, did something good happen?"
Wei Yunqing raised her chin slightly and said, "I had a breakthrough, so I came to share the good news. I'm preparing to move closer to the inner sect peaks for cultivation. I doubt we'll be seeing each other much from now on."
With a sweep of her divine sense, Yun Xi immediately noticed that Wei Yunqing's cultivation had jumped to the eighth layer of Qi Refining. However, her aura was clearly unstable, as if she had only just broken through. Advancing four layers in one go from the fourth to the eighth—either she had a rare opportunity, or she had consumed a large amount of pills.
Whatever the case, Yun Xi didn't feel jealous. She smiled and offered a cheerful compliment.
"Sister Yunqing, that's incredible. You've clearly been building up for this. I can't even see through your cultivation now. What layer are you at?"
"I'm at the eighth layer of Qi Refining!"
Wei Yunqing replied with great pride. Off to the side, the chubby Zong Hao was visibly shocked. A four-layer leap was no small feat. Still, he kept his smile as he congratulated her.
"Impressive, Little Sister Yunqing. Double spiritual roots truly are enviable. People like me can only hope to catch up."
Wei Yunqing grew even more smug under the praise and waved dismissively.
"If you cultivate diligently, you'll catch up eventually. Zong Hao, with your triple spiritual roots, you've reached the seventh layer in just one year. That's already very impressive."
Zong Hao had a few choice curses in his heart for this show-off, but on the surface, he forced a stiff smile.
"You're right, Little Sister Yunqing."
"I'm off to say goodbye to Yun Ying and then to Zong Jin and Zong Yu. You two go on ahead."
She was clearly shooing them away. Yun Xi and Zong Hao exchanged a look, then left without protest.
Once they reached the outer sect market, Zong Hao finally let out a breath.
"Little Sister Yun Xi, is talent really that important?"
Yun Xi knew he had been affected by Wei Yunqing's sudden breakthrough, so she smiled and replied,
"Brother Zong Hao, you're no worse than her. Why trouble yourself with comparison? Her breakthrough this time was suspiciously large. Either she got lucky or took a bunch of pills. Didn't you notice how unrestrained her aura was?"
Zong Hao thought for a moment and said,
"You're right. I didn't even sense her cultivation level earlier. I overlooked that."
"No matter how she broke through, she didn't take the time to stabilize her cultivation. Instead, she came looking for us to brag and said she's moving to a peak near the inner sect. You don't actually think those new peaks are easy to survive on, do you?"
Yun Xi spoke with little concern.
Zong Hao immediately understood and chuckled.
"You're absolutely right. Sister Yu Ting and Brother Zong Han moved to one of the outer three peaks together, and they barely have time to meet up anymore.And from what I hear, their cultivation is only barely at the late stage of the sixth layer. I'm already a layer above them."
Yun Xi nodded.
"Breaking through isn't just about having enough spiritual energy. Your state of mind has to keep up too. The Qi Refining stage is foundational. It's like building a house. If the foundation is unstable, no matter how fine the materials you use, the house will collapse."
"Little Sister Yun Xi, you really know your stuff."
"I've spent a lot of time in the Scripture Pavilion. There's everything in the jade slips. You just broke through recently, so don't rush it. Go read for a few days and settle your mind."
"Alright, I'll take your advice. This planting task I took on is actually quite fun. I want to start learning how to cultivate spiritual herbs. That way, when you start learning alchemy, I can supply the ingredients. We'll be a perfect team."
Zong Hao laid out his plan.
Yun Xi approved immediately. Zong Hao had fire, wood, and earth spiritual roots—excellent for planting. He could even learn alchemy, though he didn't seem to have decided yet. That was up to him. So she nodded and said,
"Sounds good. As long as you're sure of your path. We're only at Qi Refining now, so we still have time to explore."
"You're right."
Zong Hao felt that Yun Xi, despite her young age, always spoke with solid logic. He respected that. At first, he had drawn closer to her because of that pill she gave him. But after a year of getting along, he genuinely saw her as a trusted sister and wanted to stay close.
The two of them easily sold their spirit rice. Yun Xi also picked up some blank talisman paper and beast blood. She sold off a batch of completed talismans too, refilling her storage pouch with spirit stones.
Zong Hao, preparing to grow spiritual herbs, bought some tier-one seeds to keep on hand. After a loop around the market and finding nothing else new, the two returned to the disciples' courtyard together.
As soon as Yun Xi stepped into the courtyard, she saw Wei Yunying sitting under the pear tree, fuming at the jade table. The moment she spotted Yun Xi, she waved her over.
"Sister Yun Ying, what's wrong? Who made you angry?"
Yun Xi asked knowingly.
Wei Yunying snapped,
"Yun Xi, did you run into Yunqing?"
"I did. Zong Hao and I were heading to the market and bumped into her at the gate. She'd just had a breakthrough and looked very pleased with herself. Said she's moving to one of the outer three peaks to cultivate."
That confirmed it—Yunqing had already bragged to others too. Wei Yunying huffed.
"Yun Xi, do you know how she broke through to the eighth layer in such a short time?"
Wei Yunxi shook her head.
"No idea. We might be sisters, but I'm actually closer to you than her. Back at home, she used our father's favor to bully me and even tried to snatch away my mother's keepsakes. We only get along on the surface. If she really came across some great fortune, she'd never share it with me. She'd much rather see me left in the dust."
Wei Yunying believed that. After all, the four sisters had lived together in the same courtyard this past year. It was impossible to hide everything. She'd seen how Wei Yunqing regularly picked fights with Yun Xi, and how Yun Xi never rose to the bait and simply focused on cultivating. All she could do now was sigh.
"If only I had a chance like that too…"
Yun Xi smiled and said,
"As long as we keep working hard, we'll get there. I can tell you're close to breaking through to the fifth layer already."
"I am. I was planning to head to the Cultivation Hall today, but seeing Yunqing spoiled my mood. I thought I'd chat with you first and try again tomorrow."
Clearly, she had been thoroughly irritated.
Yun Xi actually admired Wei Yunqing's ability to stir resentment. With a slight glare in her apricot eyes, she said,
"Don't let her get to you, Sister Yun Ying. I'll tell you a secret—Brother Zong Hao said that although she reached the eighth layer, her aura is unstable. Her breakthrough wasn't solid like ours. No need to envy her at all."
Wei Yunying felt much better after hearing that. She grumbled a little more before heading back inside to cultivate.
Not long after Yun Xi reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining, she received a message talisman from Hua Xuánzǐ, asking if she wanted to form a team to take on a sect mission in the back mountains.
Yun Xi hesitated briefly, then replied with a yes. They arranged to meet at the Mission Hall the next day. As long as the mission wasn't too difficult, she planned to accept it.
She was seriously lacking in combat experience. Ever since killing Chen Feng, she had taken time to stabilize her cultivation, but she knew that simply increasing her level wasn't enough. Without strength to match, she would be like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. But she had her sights set on ascension—she was determined to become a true cultivator.
When Zong Hao found out, he decided to accompany her to the Mission Hall and see for himself.