The last student of Moon Perching Peak, rumored to not have any cultivation talent, suddenly turned into a future genius of the cultivation world with a pentad spirit base. All of Splendid Cloud Sect excitedly discussed this for a few days as though they saw the future where Splendid Cloud Sect managed to wash away their previous humiliation.
The day after testing, Kong Hou received many presents. Not just the presents that the elders and peak masters gave her—even the apprentices of other peak masters came to Moon Perching Peak to give her gifts and also to encourage her.
"Little Shimei, while cultivating a pentad spirit base is slow at the start, do not feel pressure. Just endure until Base Building Stage."
"If you need anything, tell us shixiong and shijie. We will definitely help you. It's fine if your cultivation is slow to advance at the start. Better to be steady—we aren't anxious for quick results."
"Little Shimei, the hope of revitalizing Splendid Cloud Sect is on you."
Each day, she had to receive many shixiong and shijie. On the third day, Kong Hou finally could not control herself and asked what confused her. "Shixiong, Shijie, you all love Splendid Cloud Sect so deeply, and are the elite of the sect. You should be the hope of Splendid Cloud Sect—why me?"
She had seen some consorts in the palace flatter each other, yet inside, they wanted to kill each other. She had never seen people as sincere as these shixiong and shijie in flattering others.
"Hahahaha." The shixiong and shijie laughed awkwardly and said humbly, "Our talent cannot rival Shimei's, and we know our limits. Of course we hope that Shimei will get better and better."
"Revitalizing the sect is a tiring matter. We can live so well—why should we bother?" a shixiong with an honest appearance muttered. But coincidentally, everyone just finished laughing when he muttered and Kong Hou heard him.
"Ah-hahaha."
Everyone's laughter became even more awkward. "Little Shimei, your shixiong is joking with you."
"Yes, yes, we have disturbed you long enough. It is time for us to leave."
Kong Hou watched as her shixiong and shijie rushed in and rushed out. For the first time, she had doubts about the cultivation world she was in. The storybooks she had read clearly said that when the news of the protagonist's outstanding talent spread, the other members of the sect were jealous. If not for having a good master, the protagonist would fall for the schemes of others in the sect.
She looked at the mountain of gifts—what kind of jealousy was this?
Wang Tong walked into his youngest apprentice's cave residence and saw her staring blankly in the middle of a pile of gifts. He coughed and called her out of her daze. "Little apprentice."
"Master." Kong Hou stood and was about to bow to Wang Tong when Wang Tong waved his hand and said, "No need, no need. Master doesn't care about this. Do not bow this and bow that. I don't like this. Our Splendid Cloud Sect cares about being at ease, and minimizes these courtesies."
"Oh." Kong Hou was extremely obedient. After Wang Tong spoke, she sat back down on her well-furnished jade bed.
Wang Tong took out a book and handed it to Kong Hou. She saw the "Five Element Channeling Record" on the cover of the book and carefully held it in her hand. "Master, is this a secret manual of our sect?"
"Ah?" Wang Tong stilled and shook his head. He said, "This is a book that all cultivators get when just starting. It was authored by the ten major sects of Lingyou World. It is the most authoritative and practical book, much better than those unorthodox ones outside."
After hearing Wang Tong's explanation, Kong Hou felt this cultivation world was so strange. However, she could not pinpoint what was so strange.
"Here, let me first teach you about the meridians." Wang Tong saw Kong Hou sitting motionlessly with the book and said, "First flip to the second page."
Following instructions, Kong Hou opened the book. On the page was a diagram of the body's meridians. She didn't know who had drawn this, but the realistic diagram was packed with meridians and points. She couldn't help but touch her arm. So this small body was able to hold so many things.
"If you want to start cultivating, the first thing is to open your meridians. This is like the scholars of your mortal world. If they want to become the first at examinations, the first thing they do is not learn to write poems or essays but learn to read and write." He reached out and tapped a place on Kong Hou's forehead. "This is the mind court. From this, you can project and waken your mind. This is also a place you have to protect. Once, a cultivator was wounded here. He became insane and lost all of his cultivation."
"Heavenly Projection, Palace of Heaven, and the Violet Palace are important points after you draw spirit energy into your body and circulate the energy. If these three points are blocked, it will be extremely inconvenient for your cultivation." Wang Tong spoke of each point in detail. His teaching philosophy was unlike other masters'. Other masters felt that apprentices could remember things like the meridian points after reading the elementary books, but Wang Tong thought that the first step in cultivation was the most important one. If a cultivator did not place great importance on their body, no matter how far they advanced, they might be destroyed by a minor matter.
Teaching one on one, the master and apprentice spent three whole months until Kong Hou was familiar enough with the points that she could easily answer Wang Tong's questions. Wang Tong finally nodded and said, "Starting tomorrow, this master will teach you how to draw energy into your body."
Kong Hou stood up from the meditation mat and kicked her slightly numb legs. She then massaged the points on her legs with familiarity to relax the tendons and liven her blood.
Seeing his little apprentice's subconscious movements, Wang Tong gave a satisfied smile. It was easy to create a habit, and also easy to forget one. The only way one would not forget a habit was if that habit was instilled in their bones, and became as simple as eating or dressing oneself.
"Do you feel anger because this master had you learn about meridian points for three months?"
"I know that Master did this for my good." Kong Hou's eyes were filled with trust and admiration. "Listening to Master is not a mistake."
Wang Tong stilled and then roared with laughter. "Good apprentice."
Kong Hou saw Wang Tong laughing happily and laughed as well.
Before the day was light on the next day, Kong Hou already woke up. She dressed herself and arranged her hair behind her. In the recent days, she had learned how to do her hair with the shijie. She would not need the two clumsy shixiong.
Also, in a few days, she would be ten years old. She felt slightly ashamed having the two shixiong constantly doing her hair for her. Even if she was a little girl, she still wanted face.
Maybe because he guessed Kong Hou was interested in drawing energy into the body, Wang Tong came earlier than he usually did. Seeing that Kong Hou had already prepared, he did not say anything else. He had Kong Hou sit cross-legged and taught her the secrets of drawing energy into the body.
"Spirit energy is intangible and invisible, but one can feel it with their mind," Wang Tong said. "Even ordinary people who cannot cultivate will feel at ease in places with denser spirit energy, and live longer. For example, the mortals of Lingyou World will mostly live a century. But in your mortal world, sixty is old age. This is the difference between more spirit energy and less."
"Close your eyes."
Kong Hou closed her eyes, and relaxed her mind. She heard the sound of wind blowing past the cave, heard the birds singing, and smelled the fragrance of the blooming flowers.
"Use your body to feel the things in the air that made you feel comfortable, use your mind to draw them in, do not stop them from coming to you."
Wang Tong's voice became smaller and smaller. Or maybe, Kong Hou could not hear him any longer. She sank into an empty state. She felt some things come near her. Her limbs and body were feeling excited as these things came close.
Something washed her body, cleansed it so that her body became light, relaxed and clean.
The warmth of fire, the fragrance of the flora, the moistness of water, the smell of earth, the chill of iron. Kong Hou could not describe the feelings in words. She wanted to sink into this beautiful dream and never wake up.
Outside the cave residence, Wang Tong crouched at the doorway without any care for his image. His hair was covered in plum flowers that had fallen from somewhere, and he looked extremely desolate.
Tan Feng walked close, holding a bag with the new spring clothing for Little Shimei. He saw his master crouched at Little Shimei's cave residence like a farmer slacking off. He walked faster in front of Wang Tong and urged in a small voice, "Master, Shimei is still young, and has a pentad spirit base. She will advance slower at the start compared to others. Do not be impatient or angry—don't frighten Little Shimei."
"Back then, how long did you take to successfully draw energy into your body?" Wang Tong ignored his comforting words and asked.
Afraid Master was discontent with Shimei, Tan Feng deliberately added two more days. "After I learned the meridian points, I spent three whole days before I successfully drew in energy."
Shimei was on the second day of learning to draw energy into her body. It was normal she had not found the trick yet.
"I remember your eldest shixiong only took four hours." Wang Tong stood and looked at the bag in Tan Feng's hand. "Do not go in right now."
"Master, did you put Shimei into seclusion? !" Tan Feng panicked. "Kong Hou is still young—don't frighten her."
"Nonsense. Even if I put you into seclusion, I will not do that to Kong Hou." Wang Tong pulled Tan Feng to the side and said, "Your shimei is still in meditation. Do not disturb her."
"Shimei successfully drew energy into her body?" Tan Feng was overjoyed hearing this. "Shimei is outstanding—as expected of a pentad spirit base genius."
Wang Tong glanced at his second apprentice. Just now, the boy said that pentad spirit base did not have it easy, and now it was genius. He was both angered and amused, but he felt reassured. It was greatly fortunate that his apprentices were united.
"She didn't just succeed, and she is even better than your eldest shixiong. Just one hour, and she drew in spirit energy." Wang Tong gripped his beard that flew up in the wind. "I waited from yesterday to today—she still hasn't woken up."
"Master, I will wait together with you." Tan Feng's eyes were bright. Last time, people from Clear Dawn Sect had been bragging in front of him about a genius shimei. Next time he saw someone from Clear Dawn Sect, he could look down his nose at them.
His shimei was more talented than that little shimei and even more adorable. In fact, Tan Feng felt that no child in the world was as good-looking as his little shimei.
When Kong Hou woke up from her meditation, it was three days later. Welcoming her was Master's joy, and the delicious food the two shixiong had made for her.
The sect had fasting pills to give to disciples who had just joined, but the two shixiong said she was growing. They didn't let her eat fasting pills and frequently prepared delicious food for her.
Drinking the warm spirit rice porridge, and listening to the two shixiong's praises, Kong Hou felt as though she was turning warm all over.
She was most likely the most fortunately princess of the Ji Family. She hadn't just accomplished her witch of a white-bearded immortal taking her away from the imperial palace—she also had such a good master and shixiong.
She definitely would work hard on her cultivation to become an immortal.