When Zhao Chun returned, it was already the hour of stillness. The night was late and quiet. A few sparse stars were embedded in the sky, arranged without order.
She could not make out the Big Dipper or Sirius. Hu Wanzhi had left a message with Cui Cui, packed her things, and returned to the Daylily Garden. The already quiet residence once again fell into a silence that was almost maddening.
All of this was something Zhao Chun was already more than accustomed to. Her expression was normal as she pushed open the door and entered the inner room, her mind burdened with many thoughts. As Xu Feng had said, she needed to prioritize raising her cultivation base.
Reaching the peak of the sixth layer was not that difficult; with some time spent in ascetic cultivation, it would be a natural success. Afterwards, if she could cultivate the Fire Refining Furnace Technique, her combat power would see another great increase.
Furthermore, upon learning that Zhao Chun had visited Xu Feng, Meng Han had sent a letter, specifically asking for it to be given to her. The letter stated that when he and Xu Feng were traveling outside, they had unexpectedly discovered the ruins of an old sect.
It was there that they had obtained the Jade-Earth Root, and so he wished to invite her to go with them for further exploration. He also clarified that the ruins belonged to what was once just a minor sect and had been explored by many people. Now, only some items useful to those in the Qi Refining Stage remained.
Although they were useless to him and Xu Feng, they would be quite beneficial for Zhao Chun. He assured her that he would personally protect her on this trip and would definitely bring her back in one piece. The corner of Zhao Chun's mouth twitched slightly.
She was a bona fide jinx; wherever she went, trouble would follow, and every time it was a matter of life and death. She had, however, always held to the spirit of 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger,' and had managed to survive, albeit not smoothly, until now. Meng Han dared to say so, but she did not.
Heavens knew what strange things would happen this time. However, despite her inner complaints, Zhao Chun still made up her mind to go. To have a Foundation Establishment cultivator protecting her was a rare and good opportunity.
Later, when Xu Feng learned she intended to practice the Fire Refining Furnace Technique, he advised her to make up her mind soon and preferably make the trip before starting her cultivation. That old sect was originally an artifact forging sect, so there might be techniques or secret arts left behind for Zhao Chun to pick up.
After all, with Meng Han as a precedent, what if there was another fish that had slipped through the net? Moreover, the art of artifact forging mentioned fire control, and if Zhao Chun could obtain it, it would also be beneficial for her spell cultivation.
In addition, there was another major matter, which Zhao Chun only learned about when Xu Feng told her. The sects in the Southern Region numbered in the tens of thousands, the specific count unknown.
Some minor sects, with a Sect Master, Elders, and disciples numbering no more than the fingers on one hand, still dared to claim they had founded a sect. To be honest, the truly reputable sects in the Southern Region numbered just over a hundred. They would meet once every ten years to discuss the Dao at Tunqi Pond.
The genius disciples from every sect would emerge, making it a grand event for the entire region, also known as the Hundred Sects Assembly. And from now until the next Assembly, there were only two years left. The discussions of the Dao during the assembly were mainly for cultivators of the Core Formation and Foundation Establishment Stages.
Each sect would also bring along their Qi Refining Stage juniors to broaden their horizons and prepare for the next assembly. It was a major event for the entire region, where all the heroes under the heavens would gather. A heroic spirit surged in Zhao Chun's heart, and she naturally wanted to go and see it for herself.
Xu Feng chuckled lightly, "Junior Sister need not be hasty. You have not been on the path of the Dao for long, so I'm afraid you won't be able to participate in this session. However, with your talent, give it another ten years, and there will surely be a place for you on the Martial Platform."
"Senior Brother jests. I am also aware of this. It's just that even if I can't participate, I still wish to go and observe, to see what the heroes of the Southern Region are like."
Zhao Chun felt a bit embarrassed. It was true; no matter how much she fantasized, it was impossible for her to step into Foundation Establishment within two years. Xu Feng nodded and said after some thought, "That can be done.
Junior Sister, you are under Elder Li. At the assembly, each elder can bring five Qi Refining disciples as attendants. If the spots have not been decided by then, you can go and ask the Elder."
Zhao Chun smiled and agreed, but her heart was in a tangle. Putting in effort with Li Shu would be extremely difficult. Including herself, he had a full nineteen disciples under him, every one of them a dual spirit root.
It was clear that in terms of talent, Zhao Chun could not compete with those senior brothers and sisters. It seemed that only by making a breakthrough in combat power could she make a good showing in front of Li Shu and secure a spot for the assembly. Zhao Chun discreetly inquired about the eighteen fellow disciples above her.
Unlike others, within Li Shu's tutelage, the order of seniority was not fixed; one had to fight for their own rank. The first eleven had all reached Foundation Establishment. The Eldest Senior Brother was even at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, advancing towards the Core Formation Stage.
Starting from the Twelfth Senior Brother down to the Eighteenth Senior Sister, all were in the late stage of Qi Refining. Zhao Chun's competitiveness among them was practically negligible. However, the twelfth and thirteenth were currently seeking spiritual objects, likely preparing for Foundation Establishment.
That left the five from the fourteenth to the eighteenth, all in the late stage of Qi Refining, who had the spots firmly occupied. If Zhao Chun wanted to pry one of them away, she would have to advance to the late stage of Qi Refining. The time limit for this was only two years.
She took a light breath. After careful consideration, her heart was filled with nothing but confidence. When she had first entered the sect, she had only thought about how to be promoted to an official disciple within five years.
Yet, in just two short years, she had already entered the Inner Sect, her cultivation base approaching the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Although she had some good fortune, one could not ignore her ascetic cultivation through summer and winter; that was the foundation of her achievements.
Now with dual spiritual roots and the Fire Refining Furnace Technique in hand, it was not an impossible feat to challenge and defeat those above her two years later. Zhao Chun sat cross-legged on the cushion, lightly exhaling a breath of turbid qi, assuming a posture for quiet cultivation.
She closed her eyes slightly, feeling the spiritual qi circling her body. Ever since her Wood Spiritual Root was extracted by Yue Zuan, her cultivation speed had indeed become much faster.
However, without the balancing effect of the wood attribute, the metal and fire qi intermingled with increasing violence, occasionally causing a sense of ferocity to rise within her during cultivation. Fortunately, the Sympathetic Resonance True Perception Dharma Scripture itself could regulate it slightly, and with her own self-control, the remainder would not cause any major impact for the time being.
Zhao Chun pursed her lips. She still had to find a way to solve it. If she let it go on, she feared trouble would arise.
The sixth layer of Qi Refining was the unification of the upper and lower dantian, connecting the meridians and acupoints throughout the body. To put it simply, it was the culmination of a cultivator's previous practice, mutually reinforcing to forge a single entity. Her upper and lower dantians were both full.
What she needed to do now was to find an opportunity to connect the two dantians, allowing the spiritual qi to circulate and coexist. After achieving this, her flexibility in battle would be greater, and many magical arts could also be amplified. Take the Swift-Walk Sword Technique for example.
The upper dantian governed divine sense, and the lower dantian governed the physical body. When the two combined, it could unify mind and hand, achieving a state where one could command at will and the body moved with the mind's intent.
As for how to grasp that opportunity, it was also Zhao Chun's first time, and she couldn't figure out the key. She had heard from Xu Feng that when the mind and body showed a tendency to move in unison, that was when the opportunity would appear.
Thus, Zhao Chun thought of a place within the sect and intended to head there tomorrow morning.
(End of this chapter)