Chapter 5: An Anomaly in the Qi Sea (Please bookmark and follow)

Shaoheng felt a sense of relief; having vented the pent-up malice in her heart, she felt incredibly refreshed.

Lu Yuan, however, fell into a heavy silence, his expression complex.

That single word, "insufficient," had triggered a memory.

When Shaoheng was not yet a year old, she had been able to pick up a brush and trace characters. Later, after a tutor was hired to instruct her, she displayed an ability to remember everything she saw.

When the young Shaoheng realized that the tutor could no longer teach her anything, she had crawled into her father’s arms, wrapped her hands around his neck, and coquettishly asked to listen to the great Confucian scholars who had been hired for Lu Shaojia.

He had replied nonchalantly, "My dear Heng'er, why bother your mind with such exhausting trifles?"

When Shaoheng grew a little older, she discovered that both her older and younger brothers had two shadow guards each at their disposal, so she had discontentedly demanded the same from him.

Lu Yuan had smiled and placated her: "Heng'er, don't worry. Your father, your mother, and your brothers will all protect you well. Shadow guards are useless to you. I shall have your mother add a few more maidservants to attend to you."

...Those memories surfaced one after another, leaving Lu Yuan speechless for a moment.

Jiang Yunjiao raised a trembling hand, pointing at Shaoheng, and said in a shaky voice, "You... you..."

Lu Shaojing could no longer restrain himself. Breaking free from Jiang Yunjiao’s grasp, he threw a punch at Shaoheng in a fit of rage, cursing, "It was clearly you who were never satisfied, you who were sinister and vicious! Everything today is Lu Shaoheng’s own doing! I don't have a sister like you!"

Shaoheng was not afraid in the slightest.

In the years leading up to this, she had indeed not practiced diligently, nor had she forged a solid foundation in martial arts.

Yet, even so, Shaoheng was gifted with extraordinary talent. She could easily grasp the essence of those martial arts manuals, and the techniques she learned were several times superior to Lu Shaojing’s.

Moreover, she knew these moves and patterns by heart!

Shaoheng’s reaction was lightning-fast. Striking after him but arriving first, she sidestepped his punch and swept a leg toward his vital point, knocking him directly to the ground.

"No further fighting. Violators will be disqualified from entering the sect."

The four disciples who had been overseeing the test were still on the ground, having not yet returned to the spirit boat.

Seeing the two fighting, Yan Ci frowned immediately. She pressed her right hand downward, and Shaoheng instantly felt an invisible pressure descend upon her, as if she were carrying a heavy boulder.

However, she felt a ripple emanate from her abdomen, which completely neutralized the pressure.

Shaoheng had read many medical texts and was well-versed in the body’s acupuncture points and meridians.

The source of the ripple was below her navel. In Taoist texts, it was called the "Sea of Qi." *Baopuzi* recorded: "The lower Dantian is the Guanyuan point of the Ren meridian, three inches below the navel, the place where essence is stored."

She kept it hidden, still feigning difficulty as she said, "I shall naturally heed your instruction, Senior Sister."

Watching Lu Shaojing reluctantly agree and his expression improve, Shaoheng then put on an appearance of relief.

She had made her words clear and explicit, as if she had unlocked a set of shackles. Without sparing another glance at the Pingnan Marquis’s household, she walked to the meditation cushion originally left for her, sat down, and closed her eyes to rest.

Suddenly, a beam of spiritual light fell upon her.

The white light was gentle and held no malice.

After the light dissipated, although Shaoheng was still wearing those rags, the dirt had vanished. Even her greasy hair was refreshed, falling naturally behind her back.

Shaoheng turned her head to see Yan Ci.

The female cultivator remained expressionless, merely saying, "This is the most basic Cleansing Spell. You will naturally learn it once you enter the sect."

Shaoheng nodded and replied, "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Half an hour is neither long nor short. Unlike the clear boundary Shaoheng had drawn, severing all ties of gratitude and resentment, the others were busy bidding farewell to their friends and family, lingering with endless attachment.

It wasn't until a dull boom echoed from the horizon that the clouds parted, revealing the true form of the spirit boat.

It was a massive longship, black and green in color, with mysterious patterns inscribed on its surface. It had already hoisted its great sails, churning up wind and waves.

The four disciples performed hand seals, casting spells to carry the nine of them through the air, heading straight for the spirit boat.

"My child!"

"My girl!"

...

Shaoheng had just landed on the deck and steadied herself, struggling to overcome the uncomfortable yet novel sensation of weightlessness, when the spirit boat shuddered and set sail, heading in a certain direction.

The cries of the relatives began to fade until they could no longer be heard at all.

Shaoheng leaned against the railing, watching as a film of light outside the hull blocked the turbulent airflow. Even so, she could tell from the passing clouds just how fast they were traveling.

She couldn't help but think: Is this the stuff of the cultivation world?

As she turned her head, she finally saw the true leaders of this trip for the Zhenyi Yuan Sect: three elders with solemn faces and extraordinary auras.

The leading old woman held a vermilion staff carved with a phoenix and tapped it against the deck, drawing the attention of everyone on the boat.

"I am an outer sect elder of the Zhenyi Yuan Sect, named Zhao Tang. You may address me as Elder Zhao."

Elder Zhao’s silver hair was combed meticulously. Her skin was aged, but her pupils were clear and sharp, showing no signs of dimness. Her solemn demeanor alone made people afraid to act out of turn.

"It will take two days to return to the sect. You nine may each choose a cabin on the Cloud-Piercing Ship to rest."

"Since your aptitudes have all been tested, I will first tell you the rules of the Zhenyi Yuan Sect. All disciples with low-grade aptitude must first enter the outer sect. Those with middle or high-grade aptitude may enter the inner sect directly. The sect resources you receive each month will differ greatly."

As soon as these words were spoken, even Shaoheng couldn't help but look at Jiang Yunjiao.

According to the previous test results, she was the only one who could enter the inner sect directly.

Elder Zhao continued, "The Zhenyi Yuan Sect recruits disciples every September. Newly entered outer sect disciples must first receive three months of instruction from a teaching elder and will be granted the low-grade cultivation technique, the *Peiyuan Yangqi Manual*. Nine months later—that is, when you have been in the sect for a full year—you will participate in the outer sect competition."

"The top ten will be able to enter the inner sect to cultivate, and those who perform exceptionally well will have the chance to be taken as disciples by inner sect elders!"

These words made Lu Shaojia and the others surge with excitement, unable to stop themselves from imagining their future glory.

Jiang Yunjiao, however, remained unchanged, calm and composed, a faint smile on her face.

Shaoheng’s mind was suddenly occupied by something else. She noticed that the air around her seemed to have changed; did it feel fresher when she breathed?

Elder Zhao flicked her staff, and nine beams of spiritual light flew out, landing in the hands of the newly recruited disciples.

Shaoheng looked at the object in her hand. It was a rectangular jade slip, warm to the touch with a delicate texture.

"This is a spirit tablet used for storing information. Press it to your forehead to read the contents. It contains common knowledge about the cultivation world and the essentials for sensing spiritual energy. Note that since you have not yet truly begun to cultivate, your spiritual sense is weak. You must read it slowly, or you will injure yourself."

But Elder Zhao spoke too slowly; Shaoheng had already pressed the jade tablet to her forehead, and streams of information flooded into her mind.

She skimmed through the tens of thousands of words without feeling the slightest bit of discomfort.

Elder Zhao was still saying, "We have now reached the edge of the mortal world, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is gradually becoming abundant. The higher your aptitude, the stronger your ability to sense spiritual energy. You can practice the essentials in the jade tablet over these two days so that you can draw energy into your bodies as soon as you reach the sect."