Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Progress in Their Own Ways

By the time Wei Yun Xi could consistently draw first-rank high-grade Dust-Cleansing Talismans, good news came from Wei Zong Hao’s side. He had actually broken through in one push and advanced to Qi Refining fourth level, giving the Wei Family disciples a huge surprise.

Wei Yun Xi felt this had to do with Zong Hao fully refining the Heaven-Mending Pill, as well as the spiritual energy he had accumulated through past cultivation. Still, it was something worth celebrating, so the Wei Family’s eight disciples gathered together again.

Wei Yun Ying even egged Zong Hao on, asking him to share his cultivation secrets. Zong Hao did not refuse. He told everyone about the method of exhausting the spiritual power in his dantian before cultivating again.

“This method was something Yun Xi told me. I just followed it, and the effect was pretty obvious.”

Wei Zong Hao had no intention of taking all the credit for himself.

After hearing that, Wei Yun Qing immediately spoke in a sarcastic tone. “Yun Xi, little sister, if there’s such a good method, why didn’t you tell us sisters? We live in the same courtyard!”

Wei Yun Xi gave a faint smile. “This kind of cultivation method can only be used in an absolutely safe cultivation environment. Otherwise, it’s easy to be plotted against.”

Wei Zong Han nodded. “That’s true. When you’re out training, you must never exhaust the spiritual power in your body. Before Foundation Establishment, if we run out of spiritual power, we’re just like mortal children – we have no ability to fight back at all.”

Wei Yun Xi nodded. “Yes. That’s why I use talisman drawing to consume spiritual power now. It improves my talisman skills and speeds up my cultivation. It’s killing two birds with one stone.”

After saying that, she gave everyone two Dust-Cleansing Talismans to practice with. They were all first-rank low-grade, but better than nothing.

Wei Yun Qing did not think much of those first-rank low-grade talismans. But since everyone else accepted them, she casually tossed hers into her storage pouch, planning to get rid of them when she had the chance.

Wei Yun Ting smiled and thanked Yun Xi, then said to everyone, “Among the eight of us, five have already reached Qi Refining third level and secured our status as Outer Sect disciples. The remaining three of you shouldn’t be discouraged. There are still nine months left. I’m sure you can meet the requirement.

“After some time, I’m going to push for Qi Refining fifth level. After I break through, I’ll apply to cultivate on a peak closer to the Inner Sect. If anything happens, send me a message talisman.

“Even if our cultivation progress differs, we’re all Wei Family disciples. We still need to watch out for each other.”

Wei Zong Han, standing nearby, added, “Same for me. So from now on, you’d better travel together. Don’t go off alone. If you get bullied, go find Little Uncle.”

“We’ll remember.”

At the end, Wei Zong Han turned to Wei Yun Qing. “Yun Qing, little sister, your aptitude is the best among all of us, and the family has high hopes for you. You absolutely can’t slack off. Do you understand?”

Wei Yun Qing’s expression stiffened. Then she nodded and agreed. After sitting a while longer, she made an excuse about cultivation and returned to her room.

Only then did Wei Yun Ying speak up. “Brother Zong Han, why bother reminding her? She might not appreciate it. We thought her aptitude was good. If she passed the sect test, she could at least snag a registered disciple spot, but nothing happened at all.

“Now her cultivation speed isn’t even as fast as Zong Hao’s three spirit roots, and she still dares to pick on Yun Xi. What a joke. Does she think that just because her aptitude is good, everyone has to flatter her?”

“Enough, Yun Ying. Say a little less,” Wei Yun Ting said. “If she does poorly, how does that help us? Cultivation still depends on the individual. Yun Xi also has three spirit roots, and her cultivation speed isn’t much different from Yun Qing’s, right?

“She thinks her good aptitude gives her the right to be arrogant. We don’t have that, and we don’t need to envy her. Just cultivate properly. One day, your efforts will be rewarded.”

This time, Yun Ying did not argue back, because she was about to break through to Qi Refining third level as well. She felt that aside from spirit roots, she was no worse than Wei Yun Qing.

Hearing that, Wei Yun Xi’s lips curled slightly.

In the novel, Wei Yun Qing had also been like Wei Yun Ying. She would flatter the female supporting character Wei Yun Xi while milking her for resources, and at the same time she would guide the Wei Family disciples into envying and resenting Wei Yun Xi’s aptitude. Then she would try every way possible to get the female supporting character to openly support and take care of the Wei Family disciples. After enough time, the female supporting character would naturally be unable to take it anymore.

As time went on, the female supporting character’s relationship with the Wei Family disciples would also become extremely unstable. That was why when trouble happened, no one was willing to stand up for her.

In this lifetime, she had hidden her aptitude. She made Wei Yun Qing into the one everyone envied and resented, while she built an image of someone with poor aptitude but diligent cultivation. Her relationship with the Wei Family disciples also became more harmonious.

After that, everyone changed the topic. They exchanged message talismans with each other and then went back.

For a long time afterward, Wei Yun Qing rarely acted together with the Wei Family disciples. Everyone slowly got used to it.

One year later, the protection period for new disciples ended, and the cultivation levels of the Wei Family’s eight disciples had spread far apart.

Wei Yun Ting and Wei Zong Han had taken the top-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pills left behind by Little Uncle. They stabilized their cultivation at Qi Refining sixth level, moved out of their old courtyard, and went to cultivate on a mountain peak where mid-stage Qi Refining disciples gathered.

Wei Yun Ying and Wei Yun Qing broke through to Qi Refining fourth level one after another, but for now they still lived in the original courtyard.

Wei Yun Xi stabilized her cultivation at Qi Refining eighth level. To outsiders, she still showed herself as only Qi Refining fourth level. She was basically always at the Cultivation Hall. Otherwise, she was either reading on the second and third floors of the Library Pavilion, or listening to lectures at the Lecture Hall. She did not have many chances to see her sisters.

Wei Zong Hao, relying on his upgraded spirit roots, stabilized at late Qi Refining sixth level and was about to break through to seventh. But he did not choose to move to a different peak. Instead, he stayed in the original courtyard to cultivate together with Qi Refining fourth level Zong Yu and Zong Jin.

Starting tomorrow, they could not just focus on cultivation anymore. They also had to start taking sect missions, and this was mandatory. Every month, Outer Sect disciples had to complete one sect mission. If they accumulated more than twenty missions without completing them, they would be dragged off to do hard labor. They would even lose their status as Outer Sect disciples and be automatically demoted to servant disciples.

Wei Yun Xi had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Early that morning, she was invited by Wei Zong Hao. Together with Zong Yu, the three of them went to the Outer Sect Mission Hall to take missions.

The huge Mission Hall flooded with Outer Sect disciples. Based on their cultivation levels, they formed four lines to take sect missions within their abilities.

After circling around once, Wei Zong Hao returned and said to Yun Xi, “Yun Xi, let’s line up over there. There are missions suitable for newbies like us.”

“Is it hard?”

“It shouldn’t be. Our cultivation level is what it is. We can’t take anything too hard anyway.”

“Alright. Let’s line up first.”

Not long after the three of them joined the line, Yun Qing, Yun Ying, and Zong Jin arrived. Now the remaining six of them had split into two small groups.

Although Yun Qing and Yun Ying acted together, the two still disliked each other. They just maintained surface peace, and when cultivating, they still kept to themselves.

“Yun Ying, come line up over here.”

Wei Yun Xi kept a good relationship with Yun Ying. For now, everyone had no real conflict, so she was willing to maintain her image as a well-behaved younger sister.

After hearing her, Wei Yun Ying walked over to ask about the situation. Yun Xi repeated what Zong Hao had found out, and the three of them went to the end of the line to queue up.

The line moved quickly. When it was Wei Yun Xi’s turn, the person receiving her was an old acquaintance – Senior Sister Hua Xuan Zi.

“Senior Sister Hua, long time no see. Are you on duty here now?”