As the sun set, its warm rays bathed the entirety of Yun Village in a golden hue.
"Brother Yanshui, there are so many fish—my mother and I can't possibly finish them all!" Yun Yandong exclaimed, looking at the bamboo basket filled with over a dozen carp, his round face full of exasperation.
"Nonsense. Your mother isn't in good health; she needs to drink more fish soup to build her strength," Yun Yanshui replied dismissively as he handed all the fish they had caught at Lizhai Valley to the chubby boy, keeping only three or four for himself to take home for his own mother.
"Over the years, my mother and I have really depended on you and your family," Yandong said, his expression falling. "But we have no idea how to repay you."
"Little fatty, we're brothers. What's with the formalities? If you really want to repay me, study hard and try to earn a title one day. If that doesn't work out, just stay here in Yun Village, help the clan grow, and have ten or eight kids. If any of them have spiritual roots, your branch will prosper!"
"I might not be good at studying, but having kids? That I can handle!" Yandong grinned, his round cheeks bouncing as he laughed.
"Then eat well, build your strength. When you marry ten or eight wives, you'll need the energy to keep up!" Yanshui teased.
"Hahaha!" Yandong burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
"Brother Yanshui, you should also have lots of children to grow the clan!" Yandong added with a mischievous smile.
"Of course! I can't let my lineage end with me," Yanshui replied with a smirk.
"Alright then, I'll head home. See you later!" Yandong waved as he waddled off, basket in hand.
"Take care on your way," Yanshui called out, waving back.
As he turned to head home, a sudden warm surge from the soul imprint he shared with his sister, Yanshuang, coursed through his mind. The energy shot into his dantian, where it condensed the spiritual energy he had been cultivating, transforming it into a fine thread.
"What's this?"
Feeling the unexpected shift in his dantian, where the spiritual energy seemed to decrease rather than increase, Yanshui frowned, concerned that something might be wrong.
"Don't panic. Don't jump to conclusions. Go home, eat, and ask Yanshuang about it when she gets back," he thought, calming himself.
Returning home, Yanshui handed the fish to his mother, who began preparing a pot of fish soup. Just as he was about to head into the village to call his father home for dinner, he spotted Yanshuang skipping back home with a cheerful expression.
"What's got you so happy?" Yanshui asked.
"Brother, I've broken through to the next realm!" Yanshuang exclaimed, practically beaming with excitement. She felt this was a milestone worth sharing with her family, wanting them to partake in her joy.
"Broken through?" Yanshui asked, puzzled.
Yanshuang explained the concept of a breakthrough in detail, and only then did Yanshui understand what it meant.
"By the way, Sister, I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?"
"Let's go inside first," Yanshui said, pulling her into the house.
After shutting the door, Yanshui turned to his sister with a serious expression. "My dantian's spiritual energy has decreased instead of increasing!"
"What? How is that possible?" Yanshuang froze in shock. Such an occurrence was unheard of, and even her master had never mentioned anything like it.
"I'm serious. Earlier, after fishing with Yandong, I felt a warm current coming from the soul imprint I share with you. It rushed into my dantian, and the spiritual energy that was about to overflow suddenly decreased. Now, it's just a single thread!" Yanshui explained, his voice tinged with bitterness.
"Let me check," Yanshuang said, placing her hand over his dantian and channeling a sliver of her spiritual energy to examine it.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand and smiled. "Brother, there's nothing wrong with you—you've broken through too!"
"Broken through?" Yanshui asked, stunned.
"That's right."
"That bronze mirror is truly incredible," Yanshui murmured, realization dawning upon him. The mysterious bronze mirror in the cellar had to be the source of this phenomenon.
Despite lacking spiritual roots himself, his blood-bond with the mirror had somehow granted him a cultivation pathway. After Yanshuang consumed the celestial fruit borne of the mirror, he had inexplicably gained cultivation abilities.
The most astonishing part? Unlike Yanshuang and Yantian, who needed to train diligently every day, his cultivation advanced effortlessly whenever Yanshuang broke through.
The more Yanshui thought about it, the more he agreed with his father's assessment: the bronze mirror was no ordinary object. If its powers were revealed to outsiders, it would undoubtedly bring catastrophic disaster upon their family.
"By the way, Yanshuang, I have another question for you."
"What is it?" Yanshuang asked, curious.
"You once told me that powerful cultivators can see through the cultivation level of weaker individuals at a glance, right?" Yun Yanshui asked, voicing a worry that had been on his mind for some time.
"If that's true, won't it be obvious to a strong cultivator that I lack spiritual roots but still have cultivation? If they discover that, I'm done for."
Yanshui's concern wasn't unfounded. This fear had kept him from wandering far from the village, especially to avoid running into the blind Daoist who might notice something unusual.
"That's definitely a problem," Yanshuang replied, her expression growing serious.
"But don't worry, Brother. For now, just avoid leaving the village or encountering my master. Tomorrow, I'll subtly ask him about this and see what he says."
"Alright, but make sure your questions don't make him suspicious or lead him to notice anything."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
"Water, Frost, your father's back! Come out and eat!" their mother called from outside the house.
"Coming!" Yanshui replied, motioning for Yanshuang to join him in the courtyard.
The family of four gathered around the table in the courtyard, enjoying the aroma of freshly cooked dishes. During the meal, Yanshuang excitedly shared her breakthrough in cultivation, prompting a wave of joy and pride from Yun Yunshan.
When he learned that Yanshui had also broken through to the second layer of the Fetal Breath Realm, Yun Yunshan couldn't contain his happiness.
However, the thought that his son's cultivation had to remain hidden tempered his excitement. He knew that revealing such a secret could bring disaster.
After the meal, the siblings discreetly recounted their earlier conversation to their father. This deepened Yunshan's concern, his brow furrowing as he nodded in agreement.
"Yanshui is right to be cautious. I hadn't considered this angle," Yunshan admitted.
"However, Yanshuang, you shouldn't approach your master directly. You're still young, and it might be hard for you to ask without raising suspicion.
"I'll go to him myself tomorrow and probe for answers."
"Alright, Father. I'll leave it to you," Yanshuang agreed readily.
The next morning, Yun Yunshan rose early and took Yanshuang to the willow tree outside the village.
While his daughter sat cross-legged in meditation beneath the shade, he carried a jar of aged rice wine and half a pound of mutton to the blind Daoist, greeting him with a respectful bow.
"Good day, Daoist Master."
"Ah, Brother Yunshan, is that you?"
"Yes, it's me."
"You're always so courteous, bringing wine and treats every few days. I've been thoroughly spoiled," the Daoist chuckled.
"As my daughter's master, teaching her the path of cultivation, this is the least I can do," Yunshan replied with a polite smile.
"I'm here today to visit you, Master, and to express my gratitude for my daughter's recent breakthrough."
"Haha! Yanshuang truly has exceptional talent. In such a short time, she has already reached the second layer of the Fetal Breath Realm. It's a joy to see," the Daoist said, clearly pleased.
"That's precisely why I brought this wine—to thank you for your great kindness!" Yunshan said, pouring the mutton and wine with deference.
"Brother Yunshan, you flatter me too much. I promised to guide Yanshuang well, and I always keep my word," the Daoist said with a hearty laugh. Unable to resist, he opened the jar of rice wine and began drinking deeply.
"Master, I've heard that mountain cultivators are capable of remarkable feats. Is it true that powerful cultivators can easily discern the cultivation level of weaker individuals?" Yunshan asked, his tone casual.
"It's true."
"How do they do it so effortlessly?"
"With spiritual sense," the Daoist replied simply.
"What is spiritual sense?" Yunshan asked, curious.
"Spiritual sense is akin to what you mortals call the five senses—hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch.
"In the mortal world, martial artists can train and enhance their five senses through rigorous practice.
"Cultivators, however, go far beyond this. Beyond the five senses, they develop a sixth sense, which we call spiritual sense.
"Born from the combination of the five senses, spiritual sense surpasses them all in capability.
"The stronger a cultivator is, the more powerful their spiritual sense becomes, allowing it to cover vast distances.
"In battle, spiritual sense can be a decisive weapon, giving cultivators an edge over their opponents," the Daoist explained.