Chapter 074

Chapter 74: Fragments of the Future

The final three bolts of heavenly lightning crashed down upon Wei Yun Xi, hurling her to the ground. Her robes became ragged, barely covering her body’s most vital parts, and her consciousness began to blur.

Yet Yun Xi knew this was the critical moment. Using the last of her spirit sense, she quickly activated the third-tier defensive array from her storage pouch, surrounding herself in a protective barrier. Afterward, she lay flat, battling the restless lightning energy coursing wildly through her body.

Watching from afar, the old man’s lips twitched slightly. He gained a new understanding of this little girl’s frugality—she indeed had a defensive array, yet was too stingy to use it earlier. [This lass must have feared someone would ambush her.]

“Bah, judging others by your own petty heart,” the old man murmured irritably to himself, “If this old Daoist couldn’t protect a little cultivator renting his cave, I’d have long lost my reputation in Treasure Blossom City.”

Grumbling softly, he waved his sleeve, sweeping away those malicious onlookers spying on Yun Xi’s tribulation. To cause trouble on his turf—did they not know who he was?

After taking care of this matter, the old man leisurely returned to his shop to continue napping. [I’ve done my part. The little lass won’t die anytime soon. Whether she reaches Foundation Establishment is up to her.]

Yun Xi, meanwhile, struggled against the pain burning through her muscles. She gritted her teeth and wrestled with the final strands of lightning energy, guiding them carefully through her meridians until they smoothly entered her dantian. There, they sped up the process, rapidly liquefying the spiritual qi inside.

Once a third of her dantian was filled with spiritual liquid, Yun Xi slowly opened her eyes. The crushing pressure from the heavens had disappeared, and fine droplets of spirit rain gently descended—a reward from the heavens.

The spirit rain sank through Yun Xi’s charred skin, swiftly mending damaged meridians and organs. A portion of the purest spirit energy even entered her sea of consciousness, clearing her mind and gently expanding her inner vision.

At that instant, fleeting images flashed before Yun Xi’s eyes, so quickly she almost couldn’t grasp them. However, one particular figure—a girl in red robes—was clearly imprinted in her memory. The sorrow in that girl’s eyes spoke of countless words she couldn’t voice.

A heartbeat later, Yun Xi’s spirit returned fully to herself. Her eyes regained clarity, and she rose slowly from the ground. With her movement, the blackened crust covering her body cracked and fell away, revealing pristine, jade-like skin beneath.

Yun Xi frowned slightly, breathing out a cloud of turbid air before standing up completely. She shook off the remaining fragments of the charred shell, quickly casting a Cleansing Spell to tidy herself. Changing into her spare Grand Righteous Sect robes, the only spare she carried, she retrieved her defensive array and turned to enter the cave she’d rented.

She had to stabilize her cultivation and carefully examine the changes within herself.

When the cave’s isolation array activated once more, those hidden observers retreated. Yun Xi had survived the tribulation and entered Foundation Establishment. She was no longer someone they could afford to covet.

Inside the cave, Yun Xi maintained her cautious nature, activating the third-tier array again to ensure complete privacy before releasing the Immortal Spirit Herb.

“Spiritling, I’m now a Foundation Establishment cultivator!”

“Congratulations on officially stepping onto the path of true cultivation,” the herb responded sincerely. “The immortal road is long and thorny—I hope you can always remain true to your heart, bravely moving forward.”

“Thank you,” Yun Xi said with a grateful smile before asking, “Spiritling, when I finished my heavenly lightning tribulation, I saw fragments of images. They flashed by so quickly, but in the end, I only clearly remembered a girl dressed in red. Do you know what this could mean?”

The Immortal Spirit Herb gently trembled its leaves, seeming to deliberate how to reply.

“Is it inconvenient to speak of?” Yun Xi asked cautiously.

“Not exactly,” the herb replied. “I was just considering how best to explain it. What you saw during the tribulation were likely fragments of the future.”

“The future?” Yun Xi exclaimed in surprise. “You mean I can glimpse what’s yet to come?”

“Your ancestor could, but you’re still far from that,” the herb said plainly. “During your tribulation, you briefly touched the will of heaven, allowing you to glimpse certain fragments of the future.”

Yun Xi deflated slightly at this answer but quickly adjusted her mood. After some thought, she asked, “Could this be because of my Shaman clan bloodline?”

“Yes,” the herb explained patiently. “Before cultivators existed, the Shaman clan served as a bridge between heaven and earth. That’s why you could see future fragments. However, given your low cultivation, what you saw likely concerns only your personal future. Remember, though—the future is called so because it’s uncertain. Don’t assume you can alter it with just a few glimpses.”

Yun Xi neither agreed nor argued. [I myself am the biggest variable,] she silently mused. Whether she’d meet that red-robed girl remained unknown, so for now, she’d take things one step at a time.

“Don’t dismiss my warning lightly,” the herb added gravely. “In ancient times, the Shaman clan fell precisely because they meddled too much with heavenly decisions.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Yun Xi reassured earnestly. “With my current strength at early Foundation Establishment, I’m hardly qualified to intervene in anything. Improving my cultivation is my top priority.”

“Good. That’s the right attitude.”

Their conversation ended, and Yun Xi began meditating. With the Immortal Spirit Herb’s help, she swiftly stabilized her cultivation. She also started practicing the Foundation Establishment section of the Thousand Shadows Riding the Wind technique.

For now, her lightning and ice techniques still lacked depth. She would focus first on basic spells and the technique of manipulating objects with spiritual sense. She had also intended to practice flying by sword, but the limited space of the cave forced her to postpone this plan.

After exhausting her five hundred spirit stones, Yun Xi went to settle the payment.

The old man greeted her cheerfully, “Congratulations, young fellow Daoist, on successfully reaching Foundation Establishment and formally entering the great path of cultivation!”

“Thank you, Senior, for your care during my tribulation. Please accept my gratitude,” Yun Xi respectfully replied, bowing sincerely.

The old man accepted the bow gracefully, knowing he deserved it. Receiving back the cave’s control jade token, he remarked with a smile, “I see you’re a disciple of Grand Righteous Sect. Feel free to bring your fellow disciples here next time to rent my caves.”

“Of course,” Yun Xi replied warmly. “Senior’s caves are both secure and affordable. My fellow disciples definitely won’t miss out on such a good place.”

Her sect robes clearly showed her affiliation, so she openly admitted it without hesitation.

After bidding farewell to the old man, Yun Xi went to the robe shop he recommended and spent two thousand spirit stones on two new robes, one black and one pale grey—both discreet yet practical. She immediately changed into the grey robe and applied a semi-permanent makeup resistant to water. Only then did she head toward the Grand Righteous Sect’s branch in Treasure Blossom City.