Ruri received from the whale the first-level mental cultivation technique to occupy her time. The technique called "Nine God-Slaying Lotus" had nine realms, and each realm had nine distinct levels. Only the first realm was described, and, unlike physical cultivation, understanding was the key to everything; the required Qi wasn't as relevant.
Ruri didn't disappoint and focused entirely on studying it, only stopping to eat and sleep. Before sleeping, she always visited the forge; there, she watched her master, who kept a cold expression, but Ruri always smiled when looking into his eyes, seeing an unusual excitement in him.
