Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Jealous to Madness

“Not at all. This is a happy event. I want to share in the good luck too,” Wei Zong Jin replied with a smile.

As he spoke, he glanced at Yun Xi. The arrogance and pride he once carried had long been reined in. Reality had proven that Yun Xi really was stronger than him.

Zong Hao did not want the atmosphere to turn awkward, so he asked, “How long has Zong Yu been in seclusion?”

“He’s been in seclusion for ten days. This time, he’s preparing to break through to Qi Refining level eight,” Wei Zong Jin said.

“Then level nine isn’t far either,” Zong Hao said.

Zong Hao was happy for his brother. Among the Wei Family boys, he was closest to the quiet Zong Yu. Zong Yu also seemed to be heading down the sword path, so his cultivation was the most diligent. Zong Hao even felt inferior to him.

While they were talking, Wei Zong Han and Wei Yun Ting arrived at the courtyard gate.

The first person the two saw was Wei Zong Hao. They had noticed the commotion from Tribulation Transcendence earlier, but they had not expected it was their own younger brother forming his foundation. Only after receiving Zong Hao’s message talisman did they hurry over.

When Zong Hao turned to greet them, Yun Xi also came into their view. Especially with the Inner Sect disciple robe on her, both of them froze for a moment.

Wei Yun Ting asked, “Yun Xi, you also advanced?”

Yun Xi smiled, dimples showing. “Yes! On the way back to the sect, I luckily had an enlightenment, and I advanced smoothly.”

Beside her, Wei Zong Han congratulated Yun Xi with a complicated expression. They had entered the sect together, and back then, his cultivation and Yun Ting’s had been the highest among them. Now their younger brother and younger sister had overtaken them. That gap made him feel uncomfortable.

Yun Xi extended her divine sense and did not miss any tiny change on their faces. She saw their discomfort, but only curled her lips and pretended not to notice.

Cultivation was like this. It was like rowing against the current – if you did not advance, you retreated. While you advanced, others advanced too. No one would stand in place and wait for you.

A moment later, Wei Yun Ying sent a message talisman. She told everyone she was in the middle of completing a sect task and could not make it back, and she told them to celebrate first.

Wei Yun Qing was the last to arrive. Her cultivation had already reached Qi Refining level nine. This time, she came to see Zong Hao first to offer congratulations, second to keep contact with her clan brothers and sisters, and third to tell everyone that she had already exchanged for a Foundation Establishment Pill. After seeing her siblings, she would go and attempt Foundation Establishment Stage.

She believed she had the best aptitude among the eight of them. Being surpassed by Zong Hao had already made her feel stifled, so she was determined to take second place this time. Unfortunately, her wish was destined to fail.

One moment, she saw Zong Hao with a smile still on her face. The next moment, when she saw the Inner Sect robe on Yun Xi, her whole face twisted. Even her voice cracked as she almost demanded, “How could you possibly form a foundation?”

Yun Xi had been waiting for this moment. She smiled slightly. “Why can’t I form a foundation? Do breakthroughs have to follow age order?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the pressure of mid Foundation Establishment Stage rolled toward Wei Yun Qing. Yun Qing could not bear it and immediately dropped to one knee.

Yun Xi walked forward slowly and, with a bit of showing off, circled around Wei Yun Qing once. She smiled and said, “Sister Yun Qing, not only did I form a foundation, I’m even at mid Foundation Establishment. During training outside, I had an enlightenment and directly advanced to mid stage. Tell me, isn’t my luck good?”

As she spoke, Yun Xi did not withdraw her pressure at all. She wanted to crush Yun Qing’s confidence. If once did not work, then twice. If twice did not work, then three times. One day, Yun Qing would break.

Wei Yun Qing knelt on one knee and struggled for a long time but still could not stand. For the first time, she clearly felt the gap between Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Stage.

Yun Xi looked at the somewhat ferocious expression on Yun Qing’s face and felt satisfied. She continued, “Sister Yun Qing, you have to work harder. As a cultivator, it’s not just about aptitude. It’s also about comprehension and how hard you train. Brother Zong Hao and I both have three spiritual roots, yet we formed foundations before you. That already says a lot.”

She went on, “We’re all Wei Family brothers and sisters. No one is better than anyone else. Stop looking down on people through your nostrils. There are plenty of disciples in the sect with great aptitude. No one is going to pamper you. It’s been so long – you still haven’t seen it clearly?”

When Yun Xi said this, Yun Ting and Zong Han did not stop her. They also felt Yun Xi had a point. Among them, Wei Yun Qing had the best aptitude, and yet what happened? Two younger siblings with three spiritual roots entered the Inner Sect first.

From that day on, Yun Ting, Zong Hao, and Zong Jin cultivated even more diligently. In their hearts, a belief had been planted – aptitude did not represent everything. Even though their future cultivation speed could not surpass Yun Xi, they still walked their own path one step at a time.

When Yun Xi saw the anger in Yun Qing’s eyes almost spilling out, she finally withdrew her pressure and then walked calmly back to Zong Hao’s side.

Yun Ting sighed to herself and stepped out to smooth things over. “We’re all family. Don’t let outsiders laugh at us.”

Without the pressure pinning her down, Yun Qing stood up shakily. She said with disdain, “Hmph! Wei Yun Ting, don’t act like a saint here. You’re just rushing to flatter her because she’s an Inner Sect disciple. But you should see whether she even cares. One day, you’ll regret it.”

After speaking, Wei Yun Qing flicked her sleeve and turned to leave the courtyard. She swore that if she did not form a foundation, she would never see the Wei Family again. At this moment, she was jealous to the point of madness. Why did it have to be Wei Yun Xi? If it were anyone else, she would not feel this stifled.

Wei Yun Ting’s face looked ugly. She only wanted to smooth things over, but Wei Yun Qing would not accept it.

Yun Xi said calmly, “Sister Yun Ting, don’t take it to heart. Yun Qing has always been like this since childhood. She can’t tolerate anyone being stronger than her. After my mother fell, she went to Zhuo Hua Courtyard to snatch what my mother left me, forcing me to hide at my maternal uncle’s family.”

She continued, “Even after entering the sect to cultivate, I didn’t dare carry what my mother left me. I didn’t want Wei Yun Qing thinking about it, and I also didn’t want to give her a chance to use me.”

Yun Xi looked at them and said, “You all heard it today. She didn’t even bother to pretend. The first thing she did was question how I could possibly form a foundation. Just because my aptitude is worse than hers, does that mean I can’t form a foundation before her? What kind of logic is that?”

Yun Ting and the others exchanged looks. They knew the relationship between the two sisters could not be reconciled. Still, Yun Xi was right about one thing – having worse aptitude did not mean you would cultivate slower than others. Yun Xi and Zong Hao were living examples, so it was no wonder Yun Qing looked as if she had been hit hard.

“Yun Xi, I understand what you mean. From now on, we should focus on our own cultivation,” someone said.

Yun Xi’s eyes shifted, and she smiled as she tossed out a sweet deal. “Sister Yun Ting, Brother Zong Han, Brother Zong Jin, after I formed a foundation, I’ve been improving my alchemy. As long as you can find the spirit herbs needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, I’ll refine them for you for free and guarantee the pills will be at least mid-grade.”

She added, “If I can’t refine mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pills, I’ll pay spirit stones myself and buy you high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills.”

The three of them lit up immediately. Compared to directly exchanging with the sect, gathering the materials themselves and asking someone they trusted to refine the pills was more cost-effective. This was Yun Xi’s promise to them. The three all smiled, cupped their hands, and thanked her, and they promised they would only come to her once they had gathered three sets of materials.

In the cultivation world, when you asked someone to refine pills for you, you generally provided three sets of materials. The alchemist had to produce at least one set of pills, or they would be ruining their own reputation.