"I won't teach, you take her away!"
In the dim room, Jiang Yuebai looked up at Hong Tao. Is this the kind person you were talking about?
Hong Tao looked at the old man sitting cross-legged on the bed, silently puffing on a smoke rod. "Elder Tao, the Inner Affairs Hall has issued an order. Within a year, you must train a Spiritual Cultivation Apprentice. If you don't take her today, another servant will be sent tomorrow."
Hong Tao had taken on the task of persuading Elder Tao to accept an apprentice. He hadn't even started looking for someone when he met Jiang Yuebai; perhaps this was her fate with Elder Tao.
"This child may have Five Spirit Roots, but her performance on Wenxing Road was no less than that of the Outer Sect disciples. She's exceptionally smart and quick-witted. Give her a chance; she might surprise you."
Bang!
Tao Fengnian slammed the smoke rod onto the table. "What's the surprise? You all just want me dead! Get out, I won't accept this person!"
Jiang Yuebai was so startled she shrank behind Hong Tao. As a Steward Disciple of the Inner Affairs Hall, Hong Tao had somewhat of a temper too.
"I've dropped her here; if you don't take her, take her to the Inner Affairs Hall to find the elder yourself!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yuebai was pushed out, and Hong Tao turned and left, slamming the door shut.
Jiang Yuebai stood helplessly in place, her neck shrinking, giving Elder Tao an awkward smile.
"Grandpa, I…"
"Get out!"
Jiang Yuebai trembled all over, quickly hoisting her bag and running to the courtyard. The house door was slammed shut by a gust of wind.
Hong Tao spoke nicely, so she came full of anticipation. What kindness? What sincerity? Lies!
Achoo!
On the cool moonlit night, Jiang Yuebai felt cold, hungry, and exhausted, her body covered in wounds still seeping blood. She couldn't run anymore, and she didn't know the road. The vast Immortal Sect was unfamiliar to her.
When she entered the valley earlier, she saw a toad as big as a house basking in the water pond at the valley's entrance, puffing clouds and smoke, exuding an impressive presence.
Hong Tao said that was the Guardian Valley Spiritual Toad, a late-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual beast. Trespassing in Huaxi Valley could lead to being devoured.
Jiang Yuebai shivered, thinking her life was most precious in this vast world. For tonight, she would stay here.
Ignoring whether the old man agreed or not, she followed the scent to the courtyard kitchen and found half a bowl of still-warm rice in a large pot.
"What kind of rice is this? It smells so good."
Gurgle～～
The rice grains were plump and distinct, faintly emitting a lustrous glow like white jade, releasing the original fragrance of rice that made her swallow greedily.
Even if the old man wants to kill her tomorrow, she must die well-fed.
Jiang Yuebai sat under the stove and started eating with chopsticks.
After eating half a bowl of rice, Jiang Yuebai licked her lips insatiably, feeling still hungry but with her stomach warm, her fatigue vanished, and suddenly she felt energetic.
The courtyard wasn't big, facing south with three rooms. Tao Fengnian lived in the main room to the north. To the east was a small kitchen, and the west room held some farming tools and miscellaneous items. However, it had an empty bed with new bedding in the wardrobe.
Jiang Yuebai lit a lamp, moved the hoe and scythe aside, then carried the wooden basin to the courtyard's water tank to fetch water, bustling back and forth.
Under the cool moonlight, she worked for over an hour, finally tidying up the room. Jiang Yuebai wiped her sweat and let out a long breath.
Under the warm yellow light, the farming tools were neatly placed in the corner, the green brick floor swept spotlessly clean, the chipped wooden table polished bright, and the bed layered with soft cotton bedding, looking very comfortable.
At this moment, Jiang Yuebai finally felt a sense of reality that she had arrived at the Immortal Sect, though the pressure of being chased away still lingered.
Jiang Yuebai climbed onto the wooden stool by the table, kneeling on it to open the bundle Hong Tao had given her. Inside was a palm-sized gray pouch she couldn't open, sensing nothing inside. It was likely a storage bag that required cultivation to open.
There was also a regular small cloth bag containing ten walnut-sized crystal stones. As soon as they poured out, they overshadowed the oil lamp's light, casting the room in vibrant, flowing colors.
"Are these Spirit Stones? I thought Lady Lin's luminous pearl was the most beautiful in the world."
Jiang Yuebai quickly stowed away the ten Spirit Stones. These belonged to her, and she couldn't let anyone take them.
But she wondered what ten Spirit Stones could buy—perhaps a sword that flew in the sky, her most desired item.
After a moment of longing, Jiang Yuebai picked up a black iron token. One side read 'servant,' the other scribed 'Heavenly' something—the second character she didn't recognize but assumed it was the 'Interence' character from Heavenly Interence Sect.
Next to the token was a yellow paper map folded like a booklet, a blue booklet inscribed with 'Energy Introduction Technique.'
Lastly, there was a medicine bottle, a box of ointment, and a set of gray cloth clothes and shoes.
Inside the medicine bottle were six brownish Elixirs, which should be the Energy Introduction Elixirs Hong Tao mentioned. As for the ointment this was...
"Antiseptic medicine?"
Jiang Yuebai looked at the scars all over her body, chuckled lightly, and quickly fetched water to wipe herself clean, carefully applying ointment to her wounds.
She changed into the gray clothes from the bundle, wide and large like a costume, just thinking about how to tailor it to fit when the gray clothes began to shrink, eventually fitting her height and size perfectly, along with the shoes.
"How magical, will this outfit grow larger with me?"
The Immortal Sect fascinated Jiang Yuebai, filling her with endless novelty and igniting her vigorous curiosity.
"If the old man makes me leave tomorrow, I'll refuse to go, causing a scene even if it means rolling around on the ground."
With her hair still damp, Jiang Yuebai spread out the map, discovering that it was vast and expansive; she'd filled her entire bed, and yet half of it remained unopened.
Ink and wash painting, vivid and lifelike, showing mountains overlapping and mist wafting thinly.
It presented the grandeur of the Ninefold Mountain Range, Thirty-Six Peaks, and Eighty-One Valleys before her.
Seeing the small annotations on the side, Jiang Yuebai stumbled through them several times before she understood the meaning, quickly using a small dagger she carried with her to cut open her finger and drip a drop of blood onto the map.
The blood was absorbed by the map, and immediately a small red dot appeared in the lower corner, indicating her current location.
"Huaxi Valley is only the size of a fist on this map? But outside, it is clearly bigger than Jiang Family Village."
In this size comparison, Jiang Yuebai truly felt the vastness of the entire Heavenly Interence Sect; she feared she couldn't traverse such a large place in her lifetime.
Her heart deeply shaken, Jiang Yuebai closed the map, determined to quickly cultivate.
One day, she would certainly soar ninety thousand miles, riding the wind with sword in hand across heaven and earth.
Sitting on the bed, facing the oil lamp, Jiang Yuebai opened the "Energy Introduction Technique," the first part showing a diagram of the body's meridians. She had seen many names of acupoints and meridians in the clinic at Yong'an City, but couldn't recognize them all, so she flipped further along.
Fortunately, it was written later that Energy Introduction into Body does not require energy manipulation; merely calmly meditating according to the illustration to feel spiritual energy, absorb spiritual energy, and fill the Spirit Root to step into Qi Cultivation First Layer, formally entering the Dao.
[Sit cross-legged with a peaceful heart, loose and naturally serene, lips and teeth gently together, breathing softly and steadily]
[Gather divine light, reach the celestial heart, send into the mud pill, continuous and scarcely present]
Sitting with five hearts toward heaven for over half an hour, Jiang Yuebai felt nothing, her limbs grew sore, and she became drowsy.
Is it because her Root Value is low that she can't feel anything?
"Unacceptable, unacceptable. Poor aptitude requires greater effort; while others sleep, I cultivate, only then can I catch up with them. Right, the Energy Introduction Elixir!"
Jiang Yuebai poured out an Energy Introduction Elixir from the medicine bottle, swallowing it whole.
Gulp!
A cool sensation rushed from her stomach straight to her head, causing Jiang Yuebai to shiver unexpectedly.
She closed her eyes, silently focusing on the dark emptiness; under the stimulus of the cool sensation, she gradually saw faint, colorful glows.
Like dancing fireflies, only five or six clusters, gently floating around her.
Is this spiritual energy?
With excitement, Jiang Yuebai's breath lost its rhythm, and the glow clusters immediately scattered like startled insects.
Energy Introduction is hard!
Jiang Yuebai sighed inwardly, steadied her mind again, causing minute waves in the air with each breath, rising and falling, pushing the glows.
Long night passing, starlight slowly dimming.
Jiang Yuebai had long ignored the passage of time, focusing intently on the cluster of cyan light very close to her.
Come, come closer!
Seeing the last stretch of distance remaining, that cyan light was unwilling to approach, hesitating, making Jiang Yuebai anxious.
Low Root Value, even spiritual energy despises her?
When her breathing rhythm was disturbed, the light clusters were ready to escape again. Mustering determination, Jiang Yuebai mentally charged forward, bumping the glow cluster into her forehead.
At this moment, golden light swept across her eyes, as if a Female Immortal were caressing her head.
[Immortal Cultivation Data Panel activated, this panel only possesses data display function; do not attempt meaningless actions such as recharging]
[Spirit Root is destiny, cultivation depends on oneself; diligence can alter fate]
[Name] Jiang Yuebai
[Spirit Root] Five Elements Spirit Root (Gold 4, Wood 5, Water 4, Fire 4, Earth 4)
[Realm] None
[Cultivation Technique] Energy Introduction Technique (1/21)
[Spell] None
[Martial Arts] None
Jiang Yuebai dumbfoundedly stared at the panel appearing in her mind. Was this what the Female Immortal had given her?
Although the symbol behind Energy Introduction Technique looked strange, Jiang Yuebai inexplicably knew it represented a number.
She absorbed one cluster of light, gaining 1 point. If she absorbed 21 clusters, would she then be able to enter Qi Cultivation First Layer?
The previously aching back and weary Jiang Yuebai suddenly felt invigorated. Unsure of when she would reach completion before, now with a clear target, she was filled with enthusiasm!
[You focus on Energy Introduction; yet, due to poor aptitude, Energy Introduction efficiency is low. However, you continue taking elixirs and persevering; Energy Introduction Proficiency +1]
Wow, the item given by the Immortal is so intriguing. Keep going!