Chapter 007

Chapter 7: Entering Clan School

The spirit-testing disk’s reaction this time was not as dramatic. After a short pause, three sections labeled water, wood, and fire glowed gently in blue, green, and red, respectively—ordinary in brightness.

Wei Yun Xi opened her small mouth in surprise, her heart shaking with astonishment. She never imagined that a humble little silver ring could produce such an effect. To her, someone who had spent over twenty years immersed in the teachings of materialism, this felt incredibly miraculous.

However, Feng Clan Master appeared very satisfied with this result. He smiled and explained, “Yun Xi, your exceptional spiritual root has been successfully concealed. The next time your spirit root is tested, it will appear as a water-wood-fire triple root, each measuring sixty in value—considered slightly below average.”

Wei Yun Xi nodded, acting as though she understood completely.

Feng Clan Master continued, “In a few days, you’ll celebrate your fifth birthday. Afterward, the Wei family will officially test the spirit roots of all children who have turned five. Before that, you mustn’t begin cultivation or let your father know that we’ve tested your spiritual roots in advance.”

Wei Yun Xi nodded again, understanding perfectly well. [If I’m going to put on an act, it has to be convincing. Otherwise, I might expose myself.]

Feng Clan Master was pleased by Yun Xi’s obedience. Changing the subject, he said, “Although you cannot cultivate just yet, while staying with the Feng family you may attend classes with our clan’s youngsters, learn some practical martial arts, and strengthen your body. It will serve as an excellent foundation for future cultivation.”

Wei Yun Xi’s eyes sparkled brightly: “Uncle, can I really study with my cousins?”

Feng Clan Master nodded, “Of course. Didn’t you attend clan school back at the Wei family?”

Wei Yun Xi thought for a moment, then shook her head, “Mother said that the Wei clan’s school didn’t teach much of value, so she only let me attend the beginner’s class. She taught me the rest herself.”

The novel had indeed mentioned this point. The original Wei Yun Xi’s mother had disliked the Wei family’s atmosphere, considering its members greedy and shallow cultivators who would never achieve greatness. To prevent her only daughter from being corrupted, she quickly removed Yun Xi from school after noticing bad habits developing and taught her personally at the Radiant Brilliance Courtyard.

Wei Yun Xi actually approved of Feng Jia Yun’s decision. After all, children were easily influenced by their environment. Feng Jia Yun looked down on Wei Ling Yue, naturally unwilling to allow her daughter to become like him.

Furthermore, Feng Jia Yun’s decision saved Wei Yun Xi many headaches. Since she’d spent so little time with her Wei cousins, their unfamiliarity meant no one would be overly suspicious if her personality changed dramatically after suddenly losing her mother.

After all, she wasn’t a genuine five-year-old child, and she would never underestimate the vigilance of local cultivators. She remembered well that many transmigrated heroines had ultimately failed due to arrogance.

Listening to Wei Yun Xi’s explanation, Feng Clan Master pressed his lips together, understanding clearly why his younger sister had acted as she did. He gently touched Yun Xi’s neatly styled bun and said softly, “Your mother did it for your sake. However, the teachers we’ve hired for Feng Clan School are exceptionally skilled. You’ll learn many new things and make new friends. I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself.”

Wei Yun Xi happily clapped her hands, exclaiming, “That’s wonderful! I can finally make new friends!”

Feng Clan Master smiled warmly, pleased to see Yun Xi acting with a child’s innocence at last.

That same afternoon, Feng Clan Master arranged for the steward to deliver a set of practice robes and a bottle of “Body Tempering Pills” to Wei Yun Xi. These pills, refined exclusively by the Feng family’s own alchemists, were reserved strictly for clan members. Essentially, they were special internal pills designed to help children lay the foundation for cultivation.

Speaking of these pills naturally brought up the Feng family’s greatest strength. Their status in Emerald Jade City hinged entirely on their mastery of alchemy. With the relentless production of pills, the Feng clan had cultivated a Golden Core expert, Feng Feng, as their guardian and proudly supported numerous alchemists ranging from the first to third grades. Alchemy was their foundation, their source of pride and influence.

No cultivator in the cultivation world would ever claim they didn’t need pills, making the Feng clan an essential presence for Emerald Jade City’s growth. This was precisely why the Wei family had eagerly sought marriage ties with the Feng family.

But Feng Jia Yun had been wise enough to understand clearly that her marriage with Wei Ling Yue was a mere transactional arrangement without affection. After becoming his dao companion, she willingly refined pills for the Wei family and even guided their juniors—but she never shared her truly essential secrets.

This was why Wei Ling Yue, having a child with Feng Jia Yun to strengthen the familial bond, gradually distanced himself from her. Since the Wei family had failed to obtain their real objectives yet could not openly antagonize a second-grade mid-level alchemist like Feng Jia Yun, Wei Ling Yue felt trapped. Thus, he deliberately elevated Du Ruo Lan to irritate Feng Jia Yun.

Unfortunately for him, Feng Jia Yun didn’t care at all. His attempts to upset her felt like punching cotton. Frustrated, he vented his resentment on Yun Xi, blatantly favoring his elder daughter while neglecting his younger child, creating an awkward father-daughter relationship.

When Feng Jia Yun’s soul lamp extinguished, Wei Ling Yue felt relieved. At last, he could openly place the woman he genuinely liked beside him. Therefore, he eagerly made Du Ruo Lan his legitimate wife, Madam Wei.

Once Du Ruo Lan became Madam Wei, Wei Yun Qing’s status would rise accordingly as the legitimate daughter, officially recognized and elevating the heroine’s standing.

Wei Yun Xi deduced these complicated family dynamics based on interactions observed after returning to the Wei residence, piecing them together from attitudes toward Du Ruo Lan, Wei Yun Qing, and herself. Currently, she remained a cultivation novice, preparing supplies for her first day at the Feng Clan School.

Feng Clan School taught children aged five to ten, accepting anyone possessing a spiritual root. Students were divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes based on their progress. Wei Yun Xi was placed into the beginner class.

On her first day at clan school, Wei Yun Xi sighed deeply, gazing mournfully at the sky at a perfect forty-five-degree angle. [I spent twenty years at school as a graduate student, only to end up back at square one—kindergarten beginner’s class. What delightful sorrow.]

However, once she sat down and started attending classes, she realized that what was taught here differed drastically from her kindergarten lessons of old. Through the teacher’s lectures, she quickly gained a rough understanding of the Lofty Cosmos Realm.

Lofty Cosmos Realm was divided into five regions: East, South, West, North, and Central. Emerald Jade City was a small town in the Western Region, with limited cultivation resources. Therefore, the highest achievable cultivation here was the Nascent Soul Stage. Someone at Nascent Soul could essentially dominate the Western Region.

In contrast, the Central Region overflowed with cultivation resources. Numerous sects and powerful clans thrived there, and cultivators could reach the Divine Transformation Stage. Once beyond that, a cultivator faced a minor ascension to the Majestic Spirit Realm, an upper realm within Lofty Cosmos Realm, whose abundant spiritual energy could sustain cultivators from the Soul Departure Stage through to ascension to the immortal world.

However, achieving minor ascension wasn’t simple. It demanded both innate talent and abundant resources. Thus, smaller clans would often align themselves with larger families, who themselves maintained deep connections to sects.

As she listened, Wei Yun Xi began sketching a mental map of the Lofty Cosmos Realm.