Yun Xi's conversation with the Tribal Warrior went smoothly. After delivering the supplies, he logged off. It was currently the harvest season in his region, and he had to organize his tribe to hunt and gather. He was just as busy as she was.
Seeing that Ethereal Grace was also online, Yun Xi quickly sent a private message:
"Senior, I have a question. Would you happen to be available now?"
[Ethereal Grace]:"What is it?"
"This junior has reached the ninth layer of Qi Refining and is wondering—if I want to achieve a perfect Foundation Establishment without relying on a Foundation Pill, should I further compress my spiritual energy and try to break through to the tenth layer?"
[Ethereal Grace]:"You can."
"Also… I have a lightning root. During the breakthrough is it possible to temper the body using heavenly tribulation lightning?"
Yun Xi had hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask. She'd read plenty of cultivation novels where cultivators used heavenly lightning to temper their bodies. Since she had a lightning root, she believed it might give her an edge and serve as a powerful method of strengthening herself.
However, she wasn't entirely sure how it worked in practice, so she wanted to consult an expert. After all, within the sect, she had only revealed her water, wind, and wood roots—there was no sign of lightning. Her publicly known cultivation was just at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, still far from Foundation Establishment.
[Ethereal Grace]:"You've got ambition, little one. But using heavenly tribulation lightning to temper your body requires a very strong physical foundation. Are you cultivating any lightning-type techniques yet? If your body isn't strong enough and you try to channel heavenly tribulation lightning recklessly, it's extremely dangerous."
Yun Xi thought for a moment before replying:
"Senior, I've been consuming milk fruit given by the Tribal Warrior to temper my body. Compared to peers my age, my physical strength is two to three times greater. I haven't found any lightning techniques yet, so for now, I'm using the most basic Qi Refining method."
Ethereal Grace responded with an emoji of someone rubbing their forehead, then typed:
[Ethereal Grace]:"My advice is not to rush into Foundation Establishment. Focus first on compressing your spiritual energy as much as possible. Combine this with body cultivation and increase your physical resilience.
You're still too young. Once you establish your foundation, your body will develop very slowly. Until you reach the Nascent Soul stage, you won't undergo any significant growth. If you're fine with staying in a child's body, then early Foundation Establishment is an option."
A question mark appeared over Yun Xi's head.
"Senior, how did you know I look like a child?"
[Ethereal Grace]:"I'm one of the assistant admins in the chat group. I have access to member profiles, but don't worry, I won't leak any information."
"Oh, I see."
Having cleared that up, Yun Xi asked two more cultivation-related questions, then logged out of the chat group. However, she didn't immediately exit the spatial realm. She needed to rework her cultivation schedule.
It was now clear that she couldn't rush into Foundation Establishment. Standing at barely 1.34 meters, she had personal expectations. She at least wanted to reach 1.7 meters—anything shorter felt lacking in presence.
Her age was another hurdle. Even if she considered herself mature due to her past life, in the world of cultivation, she was nothing but a footnote—especially to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
So, her immediate focus was not on cultivation breakthroughs, but on physical training, finding lightning-based techniques, and building real combat experience. She also planned to prioritize alchemy. Picking up a trade would help her earn spirit stones and give her a good reason to access more cultivation resources.
After sorting through her thoughts, Yun Xi left the space. Before exiting, she brought along the green plant kept in a transparent glass container.
Over the past year, she had researched widely and even consulted planting masters within the sect. She now suspected this plant was a mutated Xianling Grass, with the ability to gather spiritual energy, similar to a gathering array. This type of spiritual herb had already vanished from the cultivation world.
Such a valuable auxiliary tool couldn't be wasted. She decided to keep it near whenever she trained alone. As for its other effects, she would uncover those slowly.
As soon as Yun Xi opened the glass case, the Xianling Grass emitted a soft green glow. The leaves trembled, then slowly unfurled like a lazy stretch. Shimmering green motes floated outward and spread across the training room.
Moments later, the glowing particles gathered again, encircling both Yun Xi and the Xianling Grass. She could feel the purified spiritual energy gently seeping into her meridians. Without hesitation, she sat down cross-legged and entered meditation.
She cultivated for four straight hours. By the time she finished, it was already night.
That session left her refreshed and invigorated, a sense of clarity she hadn't felt in ages. It reminded her of the first time she drew spiritual energy into her body. The feeling of being washed clean from the inside was beyond words.
Opening her eyes, Yun Xi turned to look at the Xianling Grass. Her eyes sparkled. She was sure that the pure spiritual energy had been refined by the plant, or at the very least, drawn to her by it.
"Hehe… Xiao Xian, you're amazing!"
Yun Xi grinned in a rather mischievous way, picked up the plant, gave it a quick kiss, then carefully placed it back into its glass case and stored it in her spatial ring. A treasure this precious must never be exposed to another soul.
In her excitement, she didn't notice that when her lips brushed the Xianling Grass, a tiny cut opened on her skin. Before any blood could drip, the wound closed. A faint smear of her blood had touched the plant's leaf edge, but it was instantly absorbed. The grass trembled slightly, then returned to its usual calm after being stowed away.
Noticing that the spiritual energy in the training room had been almost entirely drained, Yun Xi brought out talisman paper and brush to replenish her stock. Half her charms had been used up during her last mission with Senior Sister Hua, and she needed to restock.
But even after she fully depleted her spiritual energy, the room's aura still hadn't recovered. Normally, the energy in the training room would regenerate within half an hour. A strange unease crept over her.
Yun Xi didn't leave immediately. She first used two low-grade spirit stones to refill her dantian, then opened the training room door and stepped outside.
She had chosen one of the more remote rooms in the training hall, and it seemed that the nearby rooms weren't fully occupied either. After walking a bit, she ran into a few other disciples leaving their rooms.
Everyone exchanged looks. Then someone spoke up.
"Did your room's spiritual energy also fail to recover?"
"Yeah. Without enough qi, how are we supposed to train?"
"Let's go ask the steward disciple."
"I'm coming too. I spent contribution points on that session."
"I used spirit stones. I'm saving my points for a technique."
From the conversation, Yun Xi quickly gathered that her room wasn't an isolated case. But for some reason, she felt a little guilty.
Outside, a crowd had already gathered around the steward disciple. The steward looked just as confused as everyone else, trying to calm the crowd while sending messages to the outer sect elders.
Yun Xi blended in and began listening for more information.
"Senior Sister, did your room also lose spiritual energy?"
"It did. You too?"
She nodded seriously.
"Yes. I picked one of the more remote rooms, so the recovery rate was slow to begin with. But today, not even a trace of qi remained. That's why I came out to check."