Shen Qing quickly withdrew his hand. He seemed to understand why Zhuang Yue was different.
Many geniuses had succeeded in guiding spiritual energy into their bodies on the first attempt, but having such a distinct sensation of energy from the very start was rare.
The tingling sensation that had pricked Shen Qing’s fingertips just now was caused by the spiritual energy flowing through Zhuang Yue’s meridians. It was a residual energy that had not yet been absorbed and refined. For such a phenomenon to occur at the beginning of cultivation suggested that Zhuang Yue had exceptionally strong spiritual roots—he was likely among those with extraordinary talent.
After completing a small cycle through his meridians, Zhuang Yue opened his eyes to find that Shen Qing’s expression had returned to normal.
Feeling nervous, Zhuang Yue asked, “How was it?” While meditating, he had vaguely felt someone lightly touch him.
During the day, while meditating on the cushion, he had only tried the technique once according to the cultivation method, yet he had immediately felt spiritual energy enter his body. The direct disciple senior sister hadn’t mentioned how long it normally took, but this seemed way too fast.
Among the students in the class, he was the only one who had succeeded on the first try. He had a belly full of questions but didn’t dare ask his senior sister—he feared drawing too much attention from the sect’s upper ranks.
Shen Qing smiled slightly. “You didn’t imagine it. You’ve successfully drawn spiritual energy into your body. Zhuang Yue, your spiritual roots are exceptional. You’re highly suited for cultivation. I believe it won’t be long before you reach the Foundation Establishment stage.”
Achieving the Foundation Establishment stage marked the true first step into the path of immortality. Only then could one truly be considered a member of the sect.
Shen Qing rarely smiled, but when she did, her features softened. The sight momentarily dazzled Zhuang Yue, but he quickly regained his senses and grinned in return. “I’ll take your blessing to heart!”
At that moment, one of his lingering doubts was resolved. He finally understood why the old man had been so confident in sending him close to the high-ranking members of Mingguang Palace, where the owners of the Sea Spirit Silk Robe resided.
If his original body possessed such an exceptional spiritual root talent, then once discovered, he would surely be accepted as a personal disciple by someone within the sect. This would make it much easier to establish a connection with the owner of the Sea Spirit Silk Robe compared to his current situation.
Luckily, I held back and didn’t foolishly ask anyone about it, Zhuang Yue thought with relief.
Had he been even luckier and caught the attention of a Sea Spirit Silk Robe’s owner, that old swindler would surely have forced him to abandon his current plan and instead use deception or theft to achieve his goal. Zhuang Yue had no intention of taking such a risk.
That possibility was definitely not impossible, after all, even Shen Qing had praised his talent.
Lost in his pleasant thoughts for a moment, Zhuang Yue then straightened his expression and solemnly said, “Shen Qing, I have a request. Please keep my spiritual root talent and my success in guiding spiritual energy into my body a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”
Shen Qing was puzzled. "Why is that? If your sect knew, you would receive more dedicated guidance, and even your resources would improve." Then, you wouldn't have to struggle so much for just one or two cloud tokens, to the point that your shoulders are worn raw.
Zhuang Yue sighed and said, "I just have my own reasons. I don't want others to know."
Hearing this, Shen Qing didn't ask further. She simply nodded and said, "I understand. I won’t tell anyone."
This was something Zhuang Yue particularly liked about Shen Qing. She never asked questions that would embarrass or trouble others.
Zhuang Yue said, "Thank you."
Perhaps after they spent more time together, understood each other better, and built more trust, he might tell her his secret one day.
Cultivation was an addictive thing. Now, Zhuang Yue finally understood why cultivators often went into seclusion.
Immersing himself in the connection with the world's spiritual energy, nurturing his meridians while watching his spiritual power slowly grow stronger, filled him with an incredible sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
If he didn’t have to attend classes, tutoring, and work, Zhuang Yue would have loved to spend all his time meditating and refining his spiritual energy. He was so engrossed, as if he had fallen into qi deviation, that he finally provoked Zhong Yunyi’s dissatisfaction, and she came straight to confront him.
"What’s going on with you lately? I never see you except in class," Zhong Yunyi said. She was dressed in a newly made outfit, her hair was carefully styled, her makeup was applied, and she even wore a hairpin.
Zhuang Yue laughed it off. "Ah, I’ve just been busy earning cloud tokens. I want to exchange them for a Minor Spirit Boosting Pill as soon as possible. I still haven’t drawn spiritual energy into my body, so I’m getting anxious."
Zhong Yunyi couldn’t really criticize someone for being hardworking, so she decided to let it go.
Half a month passed, and more people succeeded. Just two days ago, Zhong Yunyi had also drawn spiritual energy into her body. She said, "You don’t need to rush. Since we’ve all entered the inner sect, whether sooner or later, we will all reach the Foundation Establishment stage."
After thinking for a moment, she said, "How about this? I'll lend you some cloud tokens first so you can buy the Minor Spirit Boosting Pill and speed up your spiritual energy absorption."
The newcomers were all pushing themselves hard, afraid of falling behind. After Zhong Yunyi succeeded, her need for the Minor Spirit Boosting Pill was no longer as urgent.
She came from a wealthy family. Although she knew how to sew, she wasn’t suited for manual work. After holding on for three days, she couldn't take it anymore. At first, she went every day, then every other day, and finally, only once every three days.
Up until now, she was still short by nearly half the amount needed to buy a Minor Spirit Boosting Pill, which left her a bit discouraged. Since she had to wait anyway, she figured she might as well lend the tokens to Zhuang Yue and gain some favor.
Even though she was out early and back late, Zhuang Yue had still heard about her situation. He shook his head and said, "No need, I’ll have enough soon. Dressed like this today, are you meeting someone important?"
With his first monthly stipend, Zhuang Yue had made two sets of practice clothes. Now, he had four sets to rotate between. His hair was always done in the simplest style, with nothing but a hairpin to keep it in place. He had no accessories at all.
Unlike him, who prioritized convenience and dressed as simply as possible, Zhong Yunyi, even when required to wear practice clothes, still made sure her hairstyle wasn’t too plain and always had some small accessories in her hair.
Zhong Yunyi rolled her eyes and said, "I've never seen a girl more unkempt than you. Even Dong Wan knows to change her hairstyle every few days."
Just then, Dong Wan came downstairs, looking innocent. "What about me?"
"Nothing, nothing," Zhuang Yue said with a smile. But seeing that Dong Wan was also dressed up surprised him. "Are you going out too?"
Zhong Yunyi punched him lightly on the shoulder. "It’s not just us—you’re coming too! Hurry up, wash up, and change your clothes."
Zhuang Yue was completely confused but got forced into sitting still while Zhong Yunyi and Dong Wan styled his hair into a neat bun, dressed him in a slightly newer casual robe, and dragged him out the door.
"Hey! What event is this? Wait for Shen Qing!" Zhuang Yue tried to pull his sleeve back.
Now that his body was recovering, Zhuang Yue was getting stronger, nearly pulling Zhong Yunyi off balance.
"You!" Zhong Yunyi huffed. "If she could come, would I be leaving her behind? This is an internal event for Mingguang Palace’s newcomers. She’d feel out of place as an outsider."
Up until now, only a few of them could talk to Shen Qing normally. Even Liu Xiangru, who often visited their floor, was still a little cautious.
When they arrived at the Cloud Dining Hall, Zhuang Yue realized that Zhong Yunyi had rented a side hall and set up fifteen tables.
This gathering was organized for a few people who had returned after recovering.
During the health examination, a few people with hidden illnesses had failed to pass through the main hall and were taken away directly. At the time, those who knew about it thought they would never return. But unexpectedly, after more than two months, they had come back.
Only Graceful Moon Residence and the dormitory building had vacant spots, so these people were assigned there. Zhong Yunyi happened to run into the instructor bringing them over.
After learning about their experiences, Zhong Yunyi wasted no time in arranging this banquet.
Zhong Yunyi had spread the word, and everyone who could attend had come. People were curious about their experiences.
One of the recovered girls was so emotional when she saw her fellow townsfolk again that she grabbed her friend's hand and sobbed. As she cried, she kept saying she thought they would never meet again. Her friend also started crying, and as the two of them wept, the others shed tears as well.
Zhong Yunyi comforted them from all sides, and after much effort, the girls finally stopped crying. She raised her cup and said, "Come, let’s use tea instead of wine and celebrate our sisters' recovery."
Zhuang Yue also raised his cup, joining everyone in offering congratulations.
The dishes were made by the small kitchen—delicate and delicious, with most of them being things Zhuang Yue had never seen before. After tasting each dish, he was already half full. He set down his chopsticks, picked up his cup, and listened to their conversation.
The girl, whose eyes were still red, held her friend's hand, speaking with lingering fear. "When they led us out through another door, I really thought it was over, that we were being sent home. But unexpectedly, they just took us to a courtyard and treated us."
"Since I was little, whenever I ran too fast, my chest would sometimes feel uncomfortable. But I never expected that I was actually born with a heart condition."
Congenital heart disease. (先天性心髒病 is not a sentence nor a phrase but a medical term that literally translate as "congenital heart disease.") Zhuang Yue immediately understood.
The girl in front of him had a rosy complexion, and her lips were full of color. She didn’t have the bluish tint typical of congenital heart disease patients. There was no sign that she had undergone surgery, rather, she looked just as healthy as any normal person.
Zhuang Yue was impressed. Though this world wasn't advanced in some ways, curing congenital heart disease without surgery was something his past life couldn't achieve.
The others also shared their own conditions. Some had deliberately hidden their ailments, feeling completely hopeless when they were taken away, only to be met with an unexpected turn of events.
One girl spoke with deep emotion. "Not only did the sect not blame me, but they also cured my illness. I can never repay such kindness."
"That's right! The sect is truly benevolent, worthy of the people's praise as a great and virtuous place. A true immortal sect should have such compassion."
"Hey, do you all know when and why they started checking for illnesses before allowing entry into the inner sect?" The girl sitting next to Zhong Yunyi was well-informed and deliberately tried to stir everyone's curiosity.
Zhong Yunyi was annoyed by her teasing. She reached out and playfully twisted the girl's arm a few times. The girl was ticklish and burst into laughter, nearly crying as she quickly begged for mercy.
Feeling triumphant, Zhong Yunyi flexed her fingers as if threatening her. "Let’s see if you dare to keep us in suspense again."
"I won’t, I won’t!" Wiping her eyes, the girl finally answered, "It all started because the last Palace Master had a closed-door disciple (關門弟子 closed-door disciple refers to the last or final disciple accepted by a master, often one they put a lot of effort into teaching.) who had a heart condition. When they first entered the sect, no one knew about it. But after they became the Palace Master’s disciple and grew older, the illness suddenly flared up. The Palace Master was completely shocked and heartbroken."
Gossip about powerful figures within the sect was always interesting, and all the newcomers listened attentively.
"The condition was extremely severe at the time. They almost didn’t make it. It took an enormous effort to save them. After nearly losing the disciple, the Palace Master deeply regretted not being more careful. So later, they established a rule that all inner sect disciples must undergo a health examination before entering."
TL: I might have to update this twice a week or less. I found another cultivation novel I rather liked so I'm focusing on that XD. It's slowpaced but it's quite chunky so I'm currently in love with it. If you like long format cultivation stories, (900+ chapters!!!) please read it as well. It's under CIGT at the top of the page. Penned by the very same author who wrote that amazing Otaku Code Zombie Apocalypse.
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