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Diligently cultivating for two hundred years, Xie Jiuniang finally achieved Core Formation, but before she could spread the news, she was brutally murdered by her Dao companion, Lin Wangchen, that very night.
In the moments before her death, Lin Wangchen used a forbidden technique to steal all her cultivation base and life force.
Lin Wangchen announced to the outside world that she had failed her breakthrough and died to inner demons, feigning excessive grief to refuse visitors, when in fact, he secluded himself for cultivation.
Lin Wangchen had a good reputation before; despite having many admirers, he was devoted to his Dao companion. No one investigated the truth behind Xie Jiuniang's death, including the members of the Xie Family.
However, Xie Jiuniang was reborn!
When she woke up again, her robe was torn, and she lay alone in a small cave.
Her half-opened eyes were calm, devoid of the overwhelming hatred for being betrayed by a lover, but rather conveyed a sense of inevitable resignation.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, nor unprovoked kindness.
Lin Wangchen had saved her life several times and provided her with abundant cultivation resources over a hundred years. She occasionally felt puzzled before, but now she understood the truth.
To put it plainly, she was like a pig raised by Lin Wangchen, destined for slaughter once fattened.
A domestic pig's fate is just that, isn't it?
Yes, there should be no hatred...
Xie Jiuniang moved her fingers, slowly sat up, took out a water bottle from her storage bag, and took a large gulp of spiritual spring water, finally easing her parched throat.
She surveyed the cave and found nothing.
Almost two hundred years had passed, and she vaguely remembered what had happened today.
It was the year she turned eleven when she first entered Yunmu Mountain and found a nearly extinct Cleansing Spiritual Grass, which, once refined into an elixir, could remove one of the spirit roots.
The so-called spirit roots are the foundation of cultivation for humans. The common spirit roots are eight types: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, and lightning.
The fewer the spirit roots, the better the aptitude.
Those with more than four spirit roots have lower aptitude; three spirit roots are considered average, while dual spirit roots indicate high aptitude. And a single spirit root is the best.
A single spirit root, also known as the Heavenly Spiritual Root, is fiercely competed for and fostered as a top talent by the Great Sects.
Xie Jiuniang had three spirit roots—fire, wood, and metal—signifying average aptitude. Without great opportunity, Foundation Establishment was her limit in this life.
But with the Cleansing Spiritual Grass!
If she became dual spirit rooted, her future in the Sect would be bright.
To her utmost surprise, the opportunity she had fought hard for ultimately benefited her cousin, Xie Ying.
Xie Ying thus became a Fire Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root, her fame skyrocketed, she was taken in early by a powerful master, and for a while, she was without compare. As a result, the Xie Family's fortune rose spectacularly.
The only one who was resentful was her, the one from whom the opportunity had been stolen, weak, pitiful, and helpless.
"Young friend, are you feeling better?"
Someone entered the cave from outside, wearing the vestment robe of a Sect's direct disciple—the Crane Cloud Robe—which made the person's stature even more upright, and his handsome features, gentle and soft demeanor, and the faint smile on his lips as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Lin Wangchen?!
Oh, it's the younger him...
Seeing the girl's stunned face, Lin Wangchen thought she was scared and comforted her, "Young friend, do not be afraid; the lion-tiger is dead. Where is your home? Let me take you back first."
Xie Jiuniang lowered her eyes, silent.
What's the situation now...?
She had been chased by a lion-tiger after digging up the Cleansing Spiritual Grass; Lin Wangchen saved her for the first time and placed her, unconscious, in the cave...
Today was also their first meeting.
Xie Jiuniang shook her head, refusing his offer to accompany her, and stood up to walk outside.
Lin Wangchen watched the young girl's receding figure, deep in thought.
Xie Jiuniang didn't care if Lin Wangchen would have any suspicions; at the moment, she just wanted to get as far away from him as possible, afraid that she couldn't restrain herself from drawing her sword at him.
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Lin Wangchen had already reached Foundation Establishment, so it was impossible for her, a minor Qi Cultivator, to kill him. If she dared to reveal even a trace of killing intent, she would be the one lying dead the next moment.
Lin Wangchen was never a kind-hearted or trustworthy man.
As soon as people walked out of the outskirts of Yunmu Mountain.
"Ninth Sister!"
"We've found Miss Ninth!"
A round-faced girl hurried over, followed by several Xie Family guards.
The round-faced girl grabbed Xie Ying and checked her for injuries, saying with relief, "Ninth Sister, you almost scared Sis to death. I thought you were..."
"It's my fault for making Sis worry."
Xie Ying had some affection for her fourth sister, although they shared the same poor judgment in men, falling for the same scoundrel.
When Xie Ying went missing in Yunmu Mountain, the family immediately arranged for a search party. After almost half a day without success, hope was waning until Xie Ying emerged on her own.
She was then escorted back to the Xie Family.
Xie Ying asked fourth sister to take her to the clan's medic for inspection first. After being examined, her injuries were found not to be serious, and she then returned to her residence.
Xie Fourth Sister silently activated the room's isolation formation to block any external divine sense from probing before asking, "Ninth Sister, tell fourth sister the truth, why did you go to Yunmu Mountain?"
"I..." Let me think for a moment.
Xie Ying carefully recalled what had happened in her past life at this time...
Xie Fourth Sister poked her forehead with her index finger saying, "Trying to play dumb? Don't even think about it. Aren't you going to confess honestly? It's only been a few days since I went into seclusion, and you almost got into trouble."
"It seems to be because..."
Xie Ying touched her slightly sore forehead and had no choice but to say, "My Qi Nourishing Pills were skimmed off again, so I thought I'd try my luck on the outskirts of Yunmu Mountain to see if I could gather some low-level spirit plants to sell."
Xie Fourth Sister frowned and asked, "Why didn't you tell me when they were deducted?"
Xie Ying replied, "You were in seclusion."
"That's true, but how much can low-level spirit plants be worth? It takes a thousand Spiritual Pearls to exchange for a single Spirit Stone, and you wouldn't have enough even with a basketful."
The more Xie Fourth Sister talked, the angrier she became, and immediately said, "The main branch is bullying the honest ones, this won't do! I'll go with you to find our uncle for an explanation. The family allowances are distributed by him, who else should we turn to if not him?"
"Never mind, it's useless."
"Are you that foolish? You've been wronged and you just keep silent?"
"There's nothing I can do. My parents aren't home, and as a child, I can't argue with them." Xie Ying had tried to argue before, but no one took her seriously, "The aunt from the main branch said they would first reallocate it to my elder sister, and they would repay me with a Foundation Establishment Pill when my sister got more accomplished."
Xie Fourth Sister was shocked, "You believed that?"
"That doesn't matter," Xie Ying narrowed her eyes.
What did the aunt from the main branch say at that time? She said that in a year, the great sects would be recruiting new disciples, so resources should be prioritized for the elder sister first.
If the elder sister made something of herself and took a good master, it would be a great benefit to the family. By then, not to mention the small Qi Nourishing Pill, even a Foundation Establishment Pill could be obtained for her.
That was just pie in the sky!
The aunt herself was still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Peak.
Xie Ying, though young, was not foolish. She had no fear of approaching her uncle with the issue, but the uncle was shameless, telling her not to throw a child's tantrum.
It's not about fighting for a bun but for a sense of dignity.
On impulse, she ran off to Yunmu Mountain...
Reflecting on her younger, spirited self, Xie Ying felt a mixture of emotions.
Naive, impulsive, without cunning.
No match for the slick uncle and his wife, nor could she outwit her sister, who had inherited their parents' true colors.
But as Xie Ying, now reborn and returned, considered she might as well round it up to a good number. The main branch now owed her a Foundation Establishment Pill.