Time flew by. It had been a year since Yi Ling arrived in Jin Kingdom. She spent the entire year making herself stronger.
As soon as she woke up after coming back to the palace, she took all the herbs from King Jin's garden along with the herbs she got from the forest. She even "borrowed" his priceless cauldrons and took 50 buckets full of spiritual water from King Jin's pond. King Jin's mouth twitched the whole time, but he had already given his word. He hid himself inside his study, trying to keep his hands from wringing her neck.
After obtaining all these items, Yi Ling went into closed-door cultivation and ordered not to be disturbed!
Hearing this, King Jin couldn't help but vent his frustration to Yu Ran. She didn't even thank him? He was frustrated. As a King, he couldn't be disregarded like this! But he kept his word; he wouldn't find trouble with her. He'd have to wait until she came out. All this time, he had Eagle and Rabbit watch her courtyard, afraid she was faking her cultivation and might run away again.
Soon after, he realized he was wrong. Every now and then, loud explosions could be heard from Yi Ling's pavilion. It was the sound of exploding cauldrons. The servants tried coming in, but Yi Ling kept yelling not to disturb her. King Jin was at a loss and worried at the same time. He didn't know her capabilities after all.
By the sixth month, they heard another explosion. They were used to the sounds of explosions already, and every time, she would order more cauldrons. King Jin kept a blind eye to this. Yu Ran could only accept his fate that someone was wasting all the Jin Kingdom's resources.
Oddly, this explosion was not from a cauldron but from someone having a breakthrough. King Jin didn't know what level she was at. For some reason, her body wasn't emitting this aura at all.
Another six months passed, and they lost count of the cauldrons they sent her. She asked for a lot more herbs and spiritual water. Their medical treasury was almost empty. King Jin couldn't stop her at all; he had dug his own grave.
This past year, his patience was running thin. Any news regarding her made his blood boil. Who cares if she's the omen? Who cares if that woman made his heart beat faster? He sighed, hoping she would come out soon.
She did. Yi Ling opened her doors and went out. She was wearing a light blue robe that King Jin had sent her. Her skin was much fairer, and she had lost all her baby fat. She looked more like a lady now. Her borrowed body had just turned twenty.
When the servants saw that Yi Ling had come out, someone went to inform Yu Ran. Yi Ling roamed around her courtyard. She had finally reached the Dawning Stage. For some reason, her Qi Rank was the same as her old body when she arrived here. It was the 3rd rank of Qi Condensation. Passing five ranks to breakthrough Dawning Stage was a successful event. Even though she wasted a lot of resources, they were hers anyways. She ought to thank the King; she wasn't that mean. She walked around her garden and noticed that some flowers were the same as her garden in the Blue Rose Pavilion.
She missed them all, she thought. Thinking back, she should be able to roam freely now. If it comes to the worst, she'll just ask the King to let her borrow some guards. She wondered.
She knew someone had gone to inform the King that she had come out. She didn't want to go to him first, thinking that the King might assume she had some motives to be his consort now. She still didn't want it to happen. She wanted to see Mu Xin again. She smiled.