Chapter 7: Bearing the Crime of Hiding the Jade

 As the moon set and stars sank, dawn was approaching.

The red sun suddenly bloomed from the east, instantly brightening the dim sky.

[You have been drawing in Qi all night with unwavering dedication, and your spiritual energy is overflowing, and your fortune-bringing heart was clear. You broke through the limits of your Qi refining Technique.]

[Congratulations, you advanced to the Qi Refining Realm!]

She opened the wooden window. The mountains were bathed in red light with an intense blaze.

Jiang Yuebai took a deep breath of the morning mist, "Ah, it smells bad!"

She looked down at herself, covered in mottled dirt and emitting a foul smell, but her body felt light, her energy was abundant, and her senses were sharp.

Jiang Yuebai smiled foolishly, her black eyes radiant like the sun.

After washing up, she was about to knock on the door of the northern room to share her joy with Tao Fengnian, but she saw him coming back from outside, covered in mud and looking tired.

"Grandfather, did you not return all night?"

Tao Fengnian followed Jiang Yuebai's gaze, looked at himself, and gave a bitter smile. With a wave of his cleaning technique, he became refreshed.

"Are you hungry? I'll cook."

"I'm not hungry, Grandfather, you rest."

Jiang Yuebai quickly took away the hoe and bamboo hat from Tao Fengnian's hands, pulled him to the stone table, and offered him a smoking pipe.

"Grandfather, look, I made a breakthrough."

Before exhaling a mouthful of smoke, Tao Fengnian was taken aback by Jiang Yuebai's words, his pupils trembled.

The pipe fell to the ground as Tao Fengnian stood up from the stone stool, staring at Jiang Yuebai for a while.

Her face was glowing, and her spiritual energy was soaring.

"In one day and two nights, you...you broke through?!"

How many more surprises and shocks would this little girl give him? Yesterday, she absorbed the Dao Rhyme, and she might have truly become a Five-Spirit Root with full nine value. Even if she wasn't, she probably wasn't far off.

People always said that Five-Spirit Roots were inferior, but they overlooked one thing: the affinity of spiritual energy for Five-Spirit Roots with extremely high root values was several times higher than that of a single-element root. It took more time, but with effort, one could bridge the gap.

Moreover, Five-Spirit Roots had the advantage of having a large amount of spiritual energy and possessing complete attributes, making them more durable. It's just that throughout history, there had never been anyone with all five root values above seven, which gave Five-Spirit Roots a bad reputation.

And in Tao Fengnian's view, the only drawback of Five-Spirit Roots was in the early stages of cultivation. Once they formed a Golden Core and started to comprehend the rules of the Heavenly Dao's operation, having all five attributes made it easier for them to improve their cultivation compared to those with incomplete attributes.

This was also why the founder of the Tianyan Sect, Lu Xingyun, was unknown before forming his Golden Core but soared to greatness afterward.

Jiang Yuebai's smile was bright, "Grandfather, you rest first. I'm going to tell Manager Hong. I'm not any worse than those outer disciples!"

Jiang Yuebai was excited and ran off.

"Hold on!"

Whoosh!

The swift wind brushed against her face and suddenly closed the courtyard door. Jiang Yuebai stopped in front of the door, puzzled.

Tao Fengnian's face darkened, and the excitement in his eyes had not faded.

"Before the end of the month, you were not allowed to go anywhere or tell anyone about your breakthrough!"

"Why?" Jiang Yuebai stared.

Tao Fengnian ponders for a moment, and even he has some wicked thoughts in his heart due to her exceptional talent.

"Yesterday you said you once obtained a Golden Melon Seed, but you nearly lost your life. Now, this breakthrough in one day and two nights is similar to that Golden Melon Seed; it may cost you your life."

Jiang Yuebai's gaze flickered; she was sharp and perceptive. She understood Tao Fengnian's meaning but held back her frustration.

In the mountains, in the three months of hardship, she risked her life to obtain the Token of Ascension to the Immortal Realm, only to be denied the opportunity because of her poor aptitude.

On the Path of Heart Inquiry, she surpassed so many others, only to give up her position as an outer disciple because of her mediocre aptitude.

Mediocre aptitude, mediocre aptitude! She wanted them to know that she was not mediocre!

Redness appeared in Jiang Yuebai's eyes as she suppressed her indignation and grievances, while Tao Fengnian sighed deeply.

"In the heavens and on earth, which path do you want to take?"

Jiang Yuebai's pupils trembled slightly.

"I know you are not convinced, and you want to prove yourself. But if you go and tell everyone now, it will only show achievements obtained from those who are not as good as you. This has no meaning and will only hold you back."

"Entering the Dao in one day and two nights is impressive, but do you know that some people enter the Dao in just one night, some take a hundred days to build a foundation, and there are even mortals who defy the heavens and ascend in broad daylight? In the vast world, outstanding individuals are endless. What does your little achievement count for?"

She felt bucket of cold water was poured on her, dampening much of Jiang Yuebai's joy of breaking through. She clenched and loosend her fists, still feeling unwilling.

"Flying with immortal cranes, all that is seen are the sun, moon, and high mountains. When mingling with flies and bugs, all that is seen is filth and dirt. You should aim for higher places, not show off to those behind you."

"But I just want to prove myself."

"The innocent are blameless, but carrying the burden of the jade brings guilt. There are some things you can't understand due to your limited experience. If you trust me, endure for half a month. After half a month, you will understand."

"This talisman can temporarily conceal your spiritual energy."

Tao Fengnian stopped saying more and left a yellow talisman on the stone table. He picked up the smoking pipe, arched his back, and wearily went to the kitchen to cook.

Jiang Yuebai felt sulky and couldn't understand. Her abilities belong to herself, not like the Golden Melon Seed that can be taken away at any time. Why would she be afraid?

Could it be that someone could take away her body?

She stayed sulking for three days, not leaving her room.

Until Tao Fengnian told her that twenty young disciples who entered at the same time as her were assigned to Flower Creek Valley. she put down the chart of acupoints and meridians and goes out.

Following Tao Fengnian to the fields, Jiang Yuebai sees several older boys and girls instructing a group of young children near the edge of the rice paddies.

They look familiar, and indeed they are the ones who entered at the same time as her.

"Eighty-One? Is that really you!"

Jiang Yuebai turns around at the sound and sees a slightly older girl and a boy approaching.

The girl looks shrewd and speaks familiarly, "We thought you went to the outer sect, but unexpectedly we see you here. Could it be that you're also here to be a spiritual farming apprentice?"

The boy looks a bit honest and simply nods without saying anything.

Jiang Yuebai is puzzled, "Why do you call me Eighty-One? Is it because... of the Ascension Stage?"

The girl nods, "Yes, you have become famous. Everyone saw what happened before the Ascension Stage. With the worst Five Spirit Roots, you still reached the eighty-first stage and fiercely slapped that young lady's face. We all found it satisfying."

Jiang Yuebai frowns, "I'm called Jiang Yuebai."

"I'm Lü Ying, and he's Shi Xiaowu. I'm currently apprenticing with Senior Sister Song Peier. I heard that the highest cultivation in Flower Creek Valley is Tao Fengnian and Song Peier, both at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. However, Song Senior Sister didn't become a spiritual farming master, unlike Old Tao. By the way, who is your master?"

Jiang Yuebai slightly turns her head and looks at Tao Fengnian who is working in the field.

Lü Ying is surprised, "You became Old Tao's apprentice? I heard he has been in the sect for almost forty years and has never taken an apprentice. He comes from a wealthy family. You are really lucky."

Shi Xiaowu mumbles, with a bit of envy in his eyes.

Jiang Yuebai, who entered the inner sect right after joining, is different from Lü Ying and Shi Xiaowu, who received introductory training, so she doesn't understand many things.

Lü Ying admires and envies her, scrutinizing her up and down, "How is your progress with guiding Qi into your body? I felt the spiritual energy last night."

Jiang Yuebai gloomily presses the yellow talisman hidden in her clothes and shakes her head.

Shi Xiaowu frustratedly scratches his head, "I still haven't felt the spiritual energy. I fall asleep every time I meditate."

Lü Ying raises her eyebrows, "My Four Spirit Roots are naturally easier than your Five Spirit Roots. We still have more than half a month, so there's no need to rush. If you have any questions, just ask me. We are all fellow disciples, and I'll definitely help you."

Shi Xiaowu interjects, "How can we not be in a hurry? I heard about the three people who entered the inner sect: Lu Nanzhi entered the Dao in one night, Xie Jingshan in one day, and Shen Huaixi in one day and one night. But the most impressive is not them; it's a Three Spirit Roots outer disciple who entered the Dao in three days, even faster than many single and double Spirit Roots."

Jiang Yuebai's eyes widen in surprise. Hong, the manager, mentioned that Xie Jingshan's Root Value is high ans so he will cultivate slower than Shen Huaixi, but now he is ahead of Shen Huaixi.

This means he has good talent and also works hard. Thinking about this, Jiang Yuebai's resentment dissipates somewhat.

People with good talent are not complacent. Why should she be dissatisfied?

"You mean the Three Spirit Roots disciple is Xu Hu, the hunter's son?" Lü Ying asks.

Shi Xiaowu nods, and Jiang Yuebai's attention is brought back.

Lü Ying suddenly looks mysterious, glancing left and right before whispering, "You guys don't know yet, but Xu Hu had a mishap in his cultivation last night. His Dantian burst, and he died."

Buzz!

Jiang Yuebai's mind trembled, and suddenly everything spun.

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