The Sanglin Secret Realm outside Xuan City had been open for several months. Deep within a remote underground stone cave, Yan Jiuzhi lay feebly on the cold ground, crimson blood slowly soaking through his clothes.
He tried to use his Divine Sense to probe his storage ring, but found nothing inside.
...Heh. Had he really fallen to such a pathetic state, stripped of everything he owned?
That woman—had she escaped again?
Who had shielded her from disaster this time?
He pondered which fish had slipped through his net and escaped execution.
Yan Jiuzhi’s dark eyes were filled with gloom, a turbulent murderous intent surging within him.
Yet when he raised his eyes and caught sight of the Goddess statue at the top of the cave, his pupils suddenly constricted.
He finally sensed that something was amiss.
The stone grain across the cave walls ran crisscross, and the Goddess statue towered high above, her eyes half-closed as she looked down. The statue was surrounded by complex, mystical runic patterns.
The scene before him was so familiar...
This was the Sanglin Secret Realm?!
The minor secret realm he had inadvertently stumbled into back during his Qi Condensation stage?
After enduring countless twists and turns and overcoming numerous obstacles to reach this final trial, he had only obtained a single bead and a few manuals.
He abruptly stood up, but his legs involuntarily wobbled.
With this movement, the blood flowing from his wounds gushed even more fiercely.
With trembling hands, he reached for the storage pouch at his waist and pulled out a somewhat inferior-looking jade bottle.
Opening the stopper, he poured out a few pills. As he looked at the familiar elixirs, a trace of nostalgia flashed through his eyes.
These were... refined by Elder Gao...
Without hesitation, Yan Jiuzhi swallowed the elixirs, then circulated his Spiritual Power to begin healing his wounds.
Was this... his Inner Demon Illusion?
Or had everything that woman said... actually been returned to him?
"I'll return it all to you!"
"I'm giving it all back to you! Let's go back to the past and start over!"
"Stop trying to kill me, just don't kill me! It's been three hundred years, haven't you had enough!"
"Yan Jiuzhi, you lunatic! A complete lunatic! I'm giving it all back to you!"
With a frantic expression and wild ramblings, she had crushed the sphere in her hand, grey mist had billowed forth, and he had lost consciousness.
...
Start over?
If all of this was real...
Then as long as he left and refrained from selling any secret realm spoils in Xuan City, he would undoubtedly make it in time to save his sect.
The pain in his body right now was so real.
Every single heartbeat was real as well.
Had she really sent him back three hundred years to when he was sixteen?
Or was it some new magical treasure?
That woman had a bizarrely endless array of magical treasures; he had shattered countless artifacts capable of creating similar dreams and illusions.
Still, whether it was real or fake—
Even if this was merely an illusion, he would still save them!
...
Ever since drawing Qi into her body, Lixi felt entirely transformed. Her skin was smoother, her five senses were sharper, and her body even felt much lighter.
This must be the charm of cultivation, she thought.
Would the sword-flying she had always dreamed of actually become a reality?
Speaking of swords, the one she currently used was still just a wooden sword made for her by her Second Senior Brother. He had polished it until it was exceptionally smooth, and she was currently using it to practice basic sword forms.
Second Senior Brother had also made her a very exquisite soft couch so she could conveniently absorb Moon Essence at night.
Now, whenever she lay beneath the osmanthus tree to practice, absolutely no one would disturb her, and not a single sound would be uttered.
What a truly lovely group of people they were.
Lixi felt she was growing fonder of this place by the day; aside from being poor, there was truly nothing bad about it.
"Junior Sister, you're holding that too high." Lin Zewu corrected her with his hands clasped behind his back like a little adult.
Lixi lowered her head and looked at the chubby little peanut.
This seniority in the sect was truly crushing.
Lin Ruo smiled as she raised her hand to help Lixi correct her posture, taking the opportunity to praise the little brat: "Xiao Wu's foundation in these sword forms is solidly learned. Very good, keep up the hard work."
The child immediately scampered off to resume practicing, using his eyes to encourage his Junior Sister: *You need to work hard.*
Lixi: "..."
Basic sword forms might look simple, but practicing them was definitely far from easy.
Actions like thrusting, chopping, raising, slashing, poking, and flicking each contained their own techniques, and mastering them was certainly not a task of a single day.
Lixi felt like all flash and no substance right now, having not even truly entered the threshold.
Xiaocui was far better than her. Having already learned some before, she could now execute fluid, beautiful sword flowers with every move full of imposing momentum.
Even Lin Shanlai praised her for having talent, and specially asked Elder Gao to test her aptitude.
As it turned out, she only possessed the lowest-tier five spiritual roots, making it uncertain whether she could even reach Foundation Establishment in this lifetime.
Yet Lixi felt that five spiritual roots were pretty good after all—at least she now had a chance to cultivate.
So she cheered Xiaocui on: "Xiaocui, you must practice well. As long as you draw Qi into your body and become a Qi Condensation cultivator, you'll live much longer than mortals. Practice, practice hard!"
Xiaocui felt that her young miss made a lot of sense. Her young miss had given her a new lease on life, so naturally she wanted to accompany and take care of her for a long time. She would definitely practice diligently.
Since it was already a small sect with only a handful of people, and Xiaocui happened to have spiritual roots, Lin Shanlai did not mind teaching her the sect's cultivation manual.
He very generously taught the *Xiaoyao Art* to Xiaocui, encouraging her to practice diligently.
Today, Elder Gao had once again taken the senior brothers and sisters who could not cultivate out to provide free medical consultations, leaving Lixi homework before he departed.
She had to memorize the *Comprehensive Compendium of Herbs* and the *Basic Treatise on Pulses*.
Lixi did not resist this kind of studying at all; her drive was immense. After all, who didn't know which profession was the most lucrative in cultivation novels?
It was undoubtedly the paths of "Elixirs, Talismans, Artifacts, and Formations." She wanted to become an alchemist.
Days passed one by one in fulfilling studies. Autumn gradually receded, and winter quietly arrived.
Two months since joining the sect, Lixi finally successfully advanced to the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer under the cold moonlight.
This breakthrough came as naturally as a stream forming a channel. The Moon Essence was extremely beneficial to her cultivation, making her daily practice run much more smoothly.
In high spirits, Lixi dressed herself up beautifully—from her hairstyle, accessories, and garments, down to her shoes and socks, every single detail was exquisite. In this winter season, she looked youthful, bright, and utterly charming.
However, when a beautifully dressed Lixi looked at the extremely simple dishes on the table, she fell into silence.
Dressed like this, even if she couldn't eat mountain delicacies and sea treasures, at least she shouldn't be eating radishes and pickled vegetables, right?
Taking another look at her senior brothers and sisters—good grief, winter had already arrived, yet every single one of them was still wearing thin autumn robes.
Had she only been in seclusion for a mere few days, and life had already degraded to this point?
Fortunately, her Senior Sister quickly cleared up her confusion: it turned out they had all gone out together for free medical consultations once again.
During these free clinics, not only did they charge nothing, but they even provided the medicinal herbs themselves.
Recently, these concentrated and frequent free clinics had earned them a certain reputation in nearby towns and villages, which could be considered their foundation for establishing themselves in the future. After this outing, they could also be considered officially graduated.
The Yunxiao Sect gave their full support to this. They were not particularly wealthy to begin with, and now they were forced to tighten their belts and live frugally.
Lixi numbly shoved radishes into her mouth. As a wealthy young lady accustomed to a life of luxury where food was served and clothes were brought to her, a nameless sense of desolation filled her heart...
Before she could even finish her meal, rain began to pour without any warning. The downpour grew increasingly fierce, beating against the roof tiles like broken strings of pearls and making a clattering sound.
Raindrops began to leak through the gaps in the tiles, landing squarely on Lixi's face. The icy sensation caused her to shudder involuntarily.
"It's raining! Quickly move the table and fetch a basin to catch the water."
Her fellow disciples were all completely calm, clearly long accustomed to it as some moved the table while others searched for a basin.
Lixi: ...
Winter had arrived; it was time to return to the rich Li family to rob the rich and aid the poor.