Duobao Spirit Monkey leaped out from the beams and presented two third-grade spiritual fruits to Bao Gu as if offering treasures, its large, watery eyes, like black pearls, eagerly looking at Bao Gu.
Bao Gu did not take the spiritual fruits but instead patted Duobao Spirit Monkey on the head and said, “Little monkey, remember, from now on, be stingy with Little Martial Aunt and senior sister. Don’t give them any more spiritual fruits or medicines.”
Little Martial Aunt chuckled and said, “Bao Gu, you’ve grown up! Do you still want to learn the high-level techniques of Xuantian Sect? Do you still want to learn spells?”
Bao Gu replied, “I’ll master the low-level ones first!” She quickly dressed herself, shivering from the cold, and crawled into bed to study a jade slip under the covers.
She was a Five Spirit Root cultivator, requiring a massive amount of spiritual energy for cultivation. Just advancing from the third to the fourth level of Qi Refining had consumed seven to eight hundred top-grade spirit stones, not to mention the spiritual medicines and fruits she consumed and the spiritual energy gathered by the spirit gathering array. The further she advanced, the more spiritual energy she needed, doubling with each level. She estimated that advancing from the fourth to the fifth level of Qi Refining would require thousands, if not tens of thousands, of top-grade spirit stones. This would amount to an unimaginably huge sum.
She couldn’t always exchange the little monkey’s spiritual fruits and medicines for spirit stones; that would be inappropriate. Living off others and exploiting one’s own people was the most disgraceful act, just as her father used to say, “There’s plenty of money out there. If you want money, earn it outside. Exploiting your own people will only make you poorer and bring disaster to your family.”
Bao Gu had a rough idea in her mind about how to earn spirit stones, but whether it was feasible or not required further consideration.
Over the next month, Bao Gu stayed indoors. She meticulously read through all the books Yu Mi had given her, from beginning to end, and when hungry, she had Duobao Spirit Monkey bring her some low-grade spiritual fruits to stave off hunger.
Duobao Spirit Monkey moved the tiger-skin nest Bao Gu made for it to the head of her bed, sleeping or gnawing on spiritual fruits when bored.
In the morning, after Bao Gu finished her cultivation, she returned to her room to read the books again. A knock on the door startled her.
Little Martial Aunt stepped into Bao Gu’s room and sat down on a chair beside her, saying, “Bao Gu, I’m going into closed-door cultivation to refine a Nascent Soul magical treasure. The time is uncertain, probably three to five months.” While speaking, she threw a storage bag to Bao Gu, saying, “These are the spirit stones I’ve exchanged for magical treasures over the past month. You can use them to set up a spirit gathering array for cultivation. Cultivation is not achieved overnight; you must not be impatient, as that is a great taboo.”
Bao Gu reached into the storage bag and found over two thousand top-grade spirit stones and more than a dozen bottles of Qi Refining Pills.
Little Martial Aunt said, “The ancient ruins will soon open, and it’s very chaotic outside now. Stay in the yard and don’t wander around. The Taiyin Sect is still watching us, and Xuantian Sect has had several conflicts with Taiyin Sect recently, with casualties on both sides.”
Bao Gu thought for a moment and asked, “Little Martial Aunt, doesn’t Xuantian Sect have any properties in Xuan Yue Ancient City?”
Little Martial Aunt replied, “No. There are many cultivation forces in Xuan Yue Ancient City, and Xuantian Sect, being weak in numbers, cannot hold its ground there. It’s already difficult for Xuantian Sect to maintain its current foundation.”
Bao Gu asked, “What about Taiyin Sect?”
Little Martial Aunt answered, “Taiyin Sect has properties in Xuan Yue Ancient City and several Nascent Soul cultivators stationed there. Why do you ask?”
Bao Gu responded, “Just curious, wanting to know.”
Little Martial Aunt looked at Bao Gu and said, “It’s inevitable for cultivation sects to conflict over resources, but this conflict is different from the past. Taiyin Sect is interested in something on you.” After saying this, she stood up and walked outside.
Bao Gu called out, “Little Martial Aunt.”
Little Martial Aunt turned to look at Bao Gu.
Bao Gu said, “It’s not just Taiyin Sect that’s watching me, right?”
Little Martial Aunt replied, “Focus on your cultivation. Your safety is someone else’s concern. Just don’t run around, and you’ll be fine.”
Bao Gu nodded and continued reading her books. When she first joined Xuantian Sect, several disciples from Taiyin Sect had ambushed Yu Mi. Later, Yu Mi used lightning birds to deal with them, likely causing many casualties. After arriving in Xuan Yue Ancient City, an elder from Xuantian Sect attacked them, severely injuring Yu Mi. Later, Elder Feng arrived and severely damaged the elder’s reputation, killing two disciples from Taiyin Sect. The grudge between them was not small. However, with her low cultivation level, even if the two sides fought to the death, it wouldn’t involve her. If she went out, she could easily be killed with a single slap.
Bao Gu spent a month reading all the books. The records of various spiritual fruits, medicines, and minerals were easy to read and memorize after a few readings. However, the books related to formations were extremely profound and complex, very difficult to understand and learn. Talismans, alchemy, and weapon refining, each was a vast field of study. Bao Gu could only grasp the basics for now. As for spells, with her current fourth level of Qi Refining, her meager true qi could barely support the consumption of spells, only managing to use some minor spells and light body techniques.
Yu Mi had taken Bao Gu’s axe, so in the afternoon, when practicing combat skills, Bao Gu took out the Golden Core period treasure sword Yu Mi gave her to practice swordsmanship. She guided the true qi in her dantian in combination with the combat techniques to perform the sword techniques, which were quite impressive. Especially when she swung the sword, she always felt a stream of qi in her dantian flowing with the sword techniques, which was even more effective than sitting in meditation and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. As she swung the sword, shadows danced, and radiant light flowed, with a faint sword qi circulating. This made Bao Gu feel like a master, quite proud of herself.
The sky was overcast, and goose feather-like snowflakes filled the air, covering the courtyard in white.
Bao Gu thought, “Compared to the wandering swordsmen in the mortal world, I must be considered a hermit master!”
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck from the overcast sky above, followed by a thunderous explosion. The rolling thunder was even more fierce than the storms in June and July.
Bao Gu was so startled that she almost cut her own hair with the sword. She sheathed her sword and stared at the sky, thinking, “Thunder and lightning in the dead of winter? What’s going on? Someone is undergoing tribulation!” Bao Gu had never seen the legendary heavenly tribulation in her life, so she eagerly looked in the direction of the lightning strike.
After about a dozen breaths, another bolt of lightning struck from the sky, falling straight from the sky towards the back courtyard of Qingfeng Pavilion like a pillar of light.
Could it be that someone from Qingfeng Pavilion was breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage?
As Bao Gu was pondering, she suddenly saw a dazzling light soaring into the sky, followed by a familiar figure engulfed in flames, rushing into the sky after the long sword. Bao Gu recognized at a glance that the figure engulfed in flames was her senior sister!
The third bolt of lightning struck directly at the sword-shaped object radiating blinding light.
Yu Mi rushed into the sky, grabbed the sword that had soared into the sky, and directed the heavenly lightning onto the sword.
The blinding light made Bao Gu unable to open her eyes.
After a while, she opened her eyes and looked towards the sky, only to see the dark clouds dispersing. Her senior sister, wearing a flowing fairy dress that glowed with flames, stood in the air, holding a dazzling, spirit-light-circulating treasure sword, standing like a banished immortal descending to the world.
Bao Gu saw her senior sister’s treasure sword disappear, and the fiery red dress turned into a color as white as snow. Her senior sister flew towards the back courtyard of Qingfeng Pavilion and disappeared from sight.
Bao Gu realized her senior sister was in closed-door cultivation to refine the sword. Had the treasure sword been successfully refined? Did its emergence attract heavenly lightning?
She waited in the courtyard for a stick of incense’s time before seeing her senior sister appear at the courtyard gate.
Bao Gu hurriedly greeted her, asking, “Senior sister, did you refine an incredible treasure sword? Otherwise, why would heavenly lightning descend?”
Yu Mi’s face was full of smiles. She pulled Bao Gu into the courtyard, closed the courtyard gate, and excitedly said, “It was worth the fire seed you gave me and the more than a thousand top-grade spirit stones!”
Bao Gu was happy for Yu Mi, putting aside the previous grievances. Wait, she seemed to hear her senior sister mention something about more than a thousand top-grade spirit stones. She asked, “Senior sister, what about more than a thousand top-grade spirit stones?”
Yu Mi said, “To collect refining materials, Little Martial Aunt and I traveled to many places, spending all the spirit stones we had.”
Bao Gu felt as if struck by lightning. She exclaimed, “All the spirit stones are gone?”
Yu Mi looked at Bao Gu and said, “Only some middle and low-grade spirit stones are left.”
Bao Gu stared at Yu Mi, speechless for a long moment. She then realized, if a single fire seed could cost so many top-grade spirit stones, and her senior sister and Little Martial Aunt went out together, with Little Martial Aunt also needing to buy materials for refining magical treasures, it was indeed possible they had spent all the spirit stones. Bao Gu suddenly felt that cultivation was an expensive endeavor!
She was instantly unhappy.
She was penniless, and so was her senior sister! When Little Martial Aunt emerged from closed-door cultivation, all the spirit stones and valuable items would have been transformed into a Nascent Soul magical treasure or a life-bound magical treasure, leaving Little Martial Aunt penniless as well! Their Lingyun Peak lineage was penniless! She hadn’t even figured out how to advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining!
Bao Gu silently returned to her room and sat down, lost in thought. She was being watched by Taiyin Sect and couldn’t go out to earn spirit stones. With the three of them being such big spenders, what should they do? When Yu Mi followed her in, Bao Gu quickly said, “Senior sister, we can’t rely on the little monkey’s treasures even if we’re out of spirit stones.”
Duobao Spirit Monkey sat up from its tiger-skin nest, vigorously nodding and “squeaking” in agreement with Bao Gu.
Yu Mi sat beside Bao Gu and asked, “Unhappy?”
Bao Gu pouted and said, “Worried about spirit stones!” As a Five Spirit Root cultivator, relying on her own ability to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for cultivation was not feasible! Needing so much spiritual energy, if she relied on absorbing it from the environment, how long would that take? What’s more, she needed to absorb equal amounts of five different types of spiritual energy, and the distribution of spiritual energy in the environment was extremely uneven.
Yu Mi laughed and said, “Seeing you spend spirit stones without a second thought, I thought you wouldn’t worry about them!” After laughing, she frowned. If it weren’t for Taiyin Sect constantly watching them, she could have taken Bao Gu to places with dense spiritual energy to set up spirit gathering arrays for Bao Gu’s cultivation. Now, with Taiyin Sect watching, even if she could protect herself by taking Bao Gu out, she definitely couldn’t ensure Bao Gu’s safety. Not to mention herself, even if Little Martial Aunt accompanied them, it might not be enough.
Yu Mi felt both hatred and annoyance towards Taiyin Sect but was helpless. Taiyin Sect and Xuantian Sect were neighbors, and Taiyin Sect had been encroaching on Xuantian Sect for many years, with constant conflicts between them. Xuantian Sect could only barely defend itself and had no strength to counterattack.
Taiyin Sect was overall stronger than Xuantian Sect, but its disciples were weaker individually. After suffering losses in small-scale conflicts, Taiyin Sect became more cautious. Now, the disciples who ventured out were mostly Golden Core stage disciples traveling in groups, always supported by Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
Now that Taiyin Sect knew about the treasure on Bao Gu, they were determined to seize it, potentially triggering a life-and-death battle between the sects, with Xuantian Sect having almost no chance of winning.
If Taiyin Sect hadn’t been unsure about the details of the Xuantian Sword, they might have already attacked Xuantian Sect.
With Qingfeng Pavilion’s Pavilion Master Lu protecting them, Taiyin Sect didn’t dare to storm in and seize Bao Gu. Otherwise, it would mean declaring war on two major cultivation forces at once. If Xuantian Sect and Qingfeng Pavilion fought Taiyin Sect together, Taiyin Sect wouldn’t benefit.
However, a serious problem was that she had destroyed Qingfeng Pavilion’s refining room while refining her life-bound magical treasure. When she apologized to Pavilion Master Lu, he mentioned that rumors about Bao Gu possessing a treasure were spreading outside. Pavilion Master Lu warned her and Bao Gu to be cautious. Previously, when Taiyin Sect caused trouble, the nine Nascent Soul stage cultivators of Xuantian Sect made a big scene, attracting attention from many forces. Now, some elders within Qingfeng Pavilion were also showing interest.
If someone from Qingfeng Pavilion secretly targeted Bao Gu, both Bao Gu and Xuantian Sect would be in danger.
Yu Mi hesitated before explaining the current situation to Bao Gu, asking, “What do you think?”
Bao Gu asked, “Can’t we return to Xuantian Sect?”
Yu Mi said, “Xuantian Sect isn’t without its flaws. Otherwise, your situation wouldn’t have leaked so quickly. Although we’ve removed two spies, there might still be others. Even if Xuantian Sect is united, it might not be able to protect you, potentially triggering an early outbreak of a sect war between Xuantian Sect and Taiyin Sect.” The biggest problem was Bao Gu’s weak cultivation. If Bao Gu were at the Golden Core stage, they wouldn’t be so passive. Unfortunately, Bao Gu’s cultivation required a large amount of spirit stones, which they couldn’t afford.
Bao Gu said, “Senior sister, let me think about it.”
Yu Mi laughed and said, “Asking for your opinion, do you really think you can come up with a solution? In the face of absolute power disparity, everything is just talk.”
Bao Gu said, “Solutions are made by people. We’re just in a difficult situation, not at a dead end.”
Yu Mi asked, “If they openly rob us and we don’t have strong external support or can’t afford it, what do we do? Right now, we can only bluff for a while, but it won’t last long.”
Bao Gu said, “Senior sister, tell me everything you know about Taiyin Sect, inside and out, including the Nascent Soul stage cultivators you can name, the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stage disciples who have made a name for themselves, Taiyin Sect’s power distribution, and the strengths and weaknesses of Taiyin Sect and Xuantian Sect.”
Seeing Bao Gu’s confident demeanor, Yu Mi couldn’t help but take another look at her. She didn’t know if Bao Gu could really come up with a solution, but she still detailed everything she knew about Taiyin Sect, including the Nascent Soul stage cultivators and notable disciples at the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages, Taiyin Sect’s power distribution, and the comparative advantages and disadvantages of Taiyin Sect and Xuantian Sect. The explanation took half a day to complete.
After listening, Bao Gu organized her thoughts and said, “The current conflict is mainly focused on me. Taiyin Sect wants to seize the treasure on me, or rather, they want to capture me to threaten the little monkey into handing over the treasure.”
Yu Mi replied, “Yes, how do we solve this?”

