Chapter 4: Initial Cultivation - The Heroine Insists on Being My Master

Chapter 4: Drawing Qi into the Body "How did Jiayin know that symbol?" Xin Yun didn't give her a direct answer. "I bear a grudge against them!" Wen Jiayin uttered through clenched teeth, recalling past events. So that's what happened... That's what it was all along... Xin Yun found herself at a loss for words, realizing that what she once thought was an accident had long been a seed of disaster planted due to her own negligence. She held tightly onto the small hand that was clutching her clothes and trembling slightly, a faint coppery taste rising in her throat. "The Red Crow, if I remember correctly, should belong to the Mo Xiu's Duye Sect, known for crafting ghosts using human souls. The highest cultivation within the sect is a Distraction Stage cultivator." In this world, the levels of cultivators are divided into eight major realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Out-of-Body, Distraction, Integration, and Tribulation. After undergoing the ordeal of eighty-one tribulation lightning strikes, one can ascend to immortality. Distraction Stage cultivators are considered experts in the entire cultivation world, akin to big shots in ordinary sects, but in truly top-tier sects, they're not enough to be noteworthy. For instance, Jing Dao Sect has three cultivators at the Tribulation Stage alone. Xin Yun's eyes took on a faint crimson hue. "That sect committed countless atrocities and offended many. Recently, they were annihilated, which serves them right." "What?!" Hearing that the sect's highest cultivation had reached the Distraction Stage, Wen Jiayin initially steeled herself for a prolonged vendetta that might take hundreds of years. But it turned out that justice had been served in just a few days. Was it divine retribution after all their evil deeds? Wen Jiayin suddenly felt an aimless sense of emptiness, as if she'd punched a cloud. The Wine Immortal had told her there were more troublemakers back then, but by the time she arrived, the others had fled. She'd vowed to one day hunt down the remaining culprits to avenge the old beggar and rid the world of evil. But now, her enemies were gone, significantly diminishing her motivation for rigorous cultivation. "Do you want to avenge with your own hands?" Xin Yun asked hesitantly, noticing Wen Jiayin's prolonged silence. "I do want to, but that sect has committed so many evils. By the time I'm strong enough, who knows how many more innocents would have suffered. It's better if someone put an end to them sooner," Wen Jiayin muttered somberly. "Ayin is so righteous." Xin Yun affectionately patted Wen Jiayin's head. Realizing she was still in Xin Yun's embrace, Wen Jiayin felt a wave of embarrassment. "Master, put me down..." Laughing lightly, Xin Yun finally released her. "Master, are we going to explore more places?" Wen Jiayin awkwardly changed the subject to hide her discomfort. "Not for now. You just need to remember these specific places on Lingjian Peak. The rest can wait. For now, I'll teach you how to draw Qi into your body. Tonight, with the help of a medicinal bath, you might step into the first layer of Qi Refining." Xin Yun proceeded to explain the cultivation ranks again to Wen Jiayin, who already knew them but feigned amazement. "As for drawing Qi into the body, there isn't a concrete method. It depends mainly on one's talent and comprehension. You have brilliant potential, so it should be easy for you to resonate with the fire spiritual energy. Once the gathered spiritual energy in your dantian turns into mist, it marks your entry into the Qi Refining phase." Wen Jiayin listened intently, finding even Xin Yun's voice captivating. As time passed and darkness fell, Xin Yun decided it was time to pause the "lecture" and take Wen Jiayin for a medicinal bath. The water in the medicinal bath came from a spring, but the cold was intense and couldn't be used directly by Wen Jiayin. Xin Yun dropped a few leaves with red veins into the water, quickly transforming the chill into warmth. Then she added many herbs, each a rare treasure from various secret realms, nearly extinct outside. The value of this single medicinal bath was immeasurable, and even the water left after Wen Jiayin's bath would be eagerly bought for spiritual stones. Since Wen Jiayin hadn't yet drawn Qi into her body, Xin Yun added only a small amount of each herb. "Master, it feels like you're adding ingredients to cook me," Wen Jiayin remarked, leaning on the tub's edge, strangely reminded of stewing pig knuckles as she watched Xin Yun toss in herbs. Xin Yun was amused, pinching Wen Jiayin's cheek, "So tender, it would taste good cooked." Wen Jiayin glanced up at Xin Yun. Her master was so different from the book's portrayal; she even joked around. Maybe the book's accuracy wasn't all that high? With renewed courage, Wen Jiayin playfully suggested, "Add more sugar, I like it sweet!" "Sweet it is," Xin Yun replied, patting her hands after adding the final herb. She said to Wen Jiayin, "Alright, little ingredient, time to get in. Do you need help undressing?" "There's no need!" Wen Jiayin vigorously shook her head, "I'll get in by myself, no need for Master's help!" Seeing the shy child, Xin Yun chuckled but stopped teasing. "The medicinal bath will sting a bit; its medicinal properties will start refining and purifying your body. I'll be outside, so don't worry. Even if you don't succeed in drawing Qi tonight, come out when I call, understood?" "Got it." Satisfied with Wen Jiayin's answer, Xin Yun left the room, her smile fading as she stood at the door. "Hypocrite," the inner demon sneered. Feeling good today, Xin Yun chose not to respond, suppressing it instead. The moon was exceptionally round that night, its glow outshining the stars, symbolizing a hard-won reunion. Inside, Wen Jiayin let out a breath of relief once immersed in the bath. Though she hadn't seen her master heat the water, the warmth was comforting, contrary to the pain she'd been warned about. But soon enough, she realized she was mistaken as pain akin to countless ants gnawing at her emerged. She bit her lip to suppress a cry. This was the medicinal power in the water reshaping her body, mixed with spiritual energy. She intended to seize this opportunity to embark on her path to immortality. Normally, one would sense the spiritual energy around them slowly and filter it to align with their spirit root. But Xin Yun was practically feeding the fire energy to Wen Jiayin. In such circumstances, expecting a child to endure the pain, let alone enter a meditative state for cultivation, was rare. Thankfully, despite her young body, Wen Jiayin retained an adult's mind. Controlling the spiritual energy within, she gathered it in her dantian, following Xin Yun's instructions as best she could. Outside, Xin Yun sensed the sudden gathering of spiritual energy in the room, and the fire energy becoming notably active. It hadn't been long, yet Wen Jiayin had already found her rhythm. She might indeed achieve the impossible tonight and create a new miracle for Jing Dao Sect. The duration to draw Qi into the body not only reflects a cultivator's aptitude but also their insight. Those with secondary or tertiary spirit roots typically take around six months to achieve this, while those doing it within half a month are destined for greatness, like the Qinglian Peak Master and Dan Peak Master, both with remarkable insight despite their dual spirit roots, reaching Distraction Stage and Integration Stage cultivation levels. For single spirit root cultivators, failure to draw Qi within three months is rare. Xin Yun herself had set a record of three hours for this achievement, leading the previous sect leader to regard her as the most promising disciple to ascend to immortality. While her feat is hard to replicate, a new prodigy had emerged—the sect leader's last disciple, a girl with a mutated wind spirit root. Managing to draw Qi within two and a half days, she became the sect leader's favorite, adored by everyone, which bred a somewhat spoiled character. Xin Yun had met her once, finding her personality vexing compared to Ayin's obedience. By Xin Yun's discerning standards, was any disciple in the sect comparable to Wen Jiayin? Standing at the doorway, Xin Yun waited. If Wen Jiayin managed to control the spiritual energy, it wouldn't hurt to soak in the medicinal bath a bit longer. She ended up waiting an entire day until the spiritual activity inside gradually calmed by the next nightfall. "Jiayin?" Xin Yun called out, hearing sounds from inside, knocking softly on the door. "Master! I'm coming out!" After the initial refinement, Wen Jiayin found the water filled with filth, even she was disgusted, but after cleaning up and putting on clothes to leave, she noticed a miraculous change! Her body felt lighter, injuries gone, and upon closing her eyes, she glimpsed the crimson spiritual power filling her dantian—her consciousness and spiritual energy! She had successfully drawn Qi into her body! "Master!" Wen Jiayin exclaimed excitedly as she rushed out, "I did it!" "I knew Ayin was the smartest," Xin Yun hugged the rushing Wen Jiayin warmly, showering her with praise. As she did, she noticed that perhaps due to the abundance of spiritual herbs in the bath, Wen Jiayin's aura had already reached the second layer of Qi Refining. Ayin's talent surpassed even Xin Yun's expectations, indicating that her cultivation methods needed updating the following day. But first, there was a more pressing matter. "Jiayin, have you decided which path you want to take?" "Huh?" Still caught up in her excitement, Wen Jiayin didn't quite grasp Xin Yun's question. "Dan cultivation, medical cultivation, spell cultivation, body cultivation, sound cultivation, and so on. Ayin, do you have a preference?" Wen Jiayin blinked, running the options Xin Yun presented through her mind. She barely had time to marvel at how knowledgeable her master was—truly befitting of the protagonist—before she realized something was missing: her forte, sword cultivation. "Master... aren't you a sword cultivator? Can't I learn the sword from you?" In the original text, the protagonist wasn't given so many choices. Had just a few days of her presence altered the storyline so drastically? "The sword..." Xin Yun lowered her gaze, suddenly hesitant to meet Wen Jiayin's innocent eyes. "Ayin, do you truly wish to learn the sword?" Although Xin Yun spoke with a smile, Wen Jiayin felt there was a sorrow in it deeper than tears. Author's Note: Just to clarify for some of the readers, the author's timeline for the main character is as follows: Xin Yun is currently in her third life. Her first life followed the book's original events, where her disciple betrayed her. In her second life, Wen Jiayin had transmigrated and was mistaken for the original character, becoming a scapegoat for a while before unexpectedly dying.