In the bright midday light, the Azure Sky Sect stood proudly among the tall peaks. Beautiful green hills and sparkling waterfalls surrounded the grand halls and monuments that reached into the clouds.
The surrounding area was softly misted, giving the scene an otherworldly feature. As they travelled along the stone paths, disciples in blue and white robes engaged in conversations about cultivation.
The atmosphere of the sect was magical, the peaceful walking of some and the elegant flying of others on sword or without the use of swords.
Su Mei, an inner disciple, sat cross-legged in quiet meditation. She was focused on advancing from the mid-stage to the late-stage of the Vein Fusion Realm.
The air around her buzzed with spiritual energy, swirling gently, but despite the calm atmosphere, she was frustrated at her heart.
Years had passed, and while others advanced, she remained stagnant.
With the financial backing of her respected father, an inner sect elder, she should have reached the pinnacle of the Vein Fusion Realm by now, at the age of 200.
But even with her extraordinary talent, the breakthrough she so desperately needed remained elusive.
Su Mei's breathing became uniform, each breath slower than the one before, as she concentrated on directing the flow of spiritual energy through her meridians.
The energy flowed through her veins like a soft stream, but when it got closer to breakthrough just at that movement it met an invisible barrier, the spiritual energy hit the barrier but it had no effect.
For a brief minute, Su Mei pushed harder, seeking to break through the barrier. However, her attempts were unsuccessful. The spiritual force faltered, became unstable and then vanished completely.
Her body experienced a sudden backlash that felt like lightning strikes. Su Mei breathed heavily and put her hand on her big chest as she felt severe pain. Her shoulders trembled as beads of sweat dripped down her white face.
Frustration overtook her, and she clinched her hands, breathing heavily. The bitter taste of failure hung heavily on her tongue as she bit her lip to suppress her desire to scream.
Regardless of how much spiritual energy she purified or how skilfully she managed it, the bottleneck remained unmoving, an impossible wall that prevented her from moving forward.
She let out a tired sigh, relaxed her tense shoulders, and turned her attention to healing. Even though she was exhausted, she remained determined and thought, "I'll try again in a few days."
Even after falling, Su Mei's beauty remained captivating. Her stubborn yet beautiful face was framed by her long, smooth dark purple hair.
Her closed purple eyes and her slender, curvy figure were elegantly highlighted by the sect's luxurious blue robes, embroidered with complex golden cloud patterns.
The fabric thighly clung to her big chest and slender waist before flowing down her legs, offering small glimpses of her smooth skin.
A few hours later…
As Su Mei remained deep in meditation, a voice echoed from outside the cave. "Senior Sister Su!"
It was Lin Chen, a fellow inner disciple under the same elder. He admired Su Mei's beauty and talent but had always fallen behind her in cultivation. "I know you're cultivating, but I found something that might help you break through!"
Su Mei's eyes narrowed as her focus got disrupted, but hearing about a breakthrough she immediately became curious. With a wave of her hand, the stone door opened, revealing the world outside.
Sunlight spilled into the cave, illuminating Lin Chen. He was a striking young man with short, dark red hair and sharp brown eyes. He wore the same uniform as her which had the Azure Sky Sect's symbol on the chest.
She remained calm and said, "Come in and tell me what you've found, Junior Brother Lin. If it helps me break through, I will surely reward you."
Lin Chen cupped his fists and replied, "Senior Sister, As you can see, I've broken through to the late stage of the Elemental Bloom Realm and reached the peak stage in just a few days."
Hearing this, Su Mei narrowed her eyes and used her spiritual energy to assess his cultivation. To her surprise, he was telling the truth.
Despite being more than fifty years younger than her and having no significant support, Lin Chen had managed to reach the peak of the Elemental Bloom Realm. Considering his lower talent compared to hers, his achievement was truly remarkable.
Lin Chen then reached into his spiritual bag and pulled out a glowing fruit. "It's all thanks to this, Senior Sister."
Su Mei's gaze locked onto the fruit a golden glow, as the fruit came out it soon filled the cave with a calm & peaceful environment. The fruit was shaped like a five-pointed star, each petal curling outward.
Su Mei took the glowing fruit in her hand and it aroused curiosity in her eyes as she felt very calm just touching it. Though it felt unique, she couldn't help but ask, "What is this magical fruit, and where did you find it, junior brother?"
Lin Chen smiled faintly and replied, "I went on a dangerous mission outside the sect. Let's just say it wasn't easy to get my hands on this. I had to fight off many people to acquire two of these fruits."
"I consumed one myself, and after experiencing its effects, I realized you've been trying to break through for a long time. So, I brought this one for you, Senior Sister. I hope… you'll accept it," he said, in a shyly voice.
Suddenly, Lin Chen's demeanor shifted from shy to becoming calm and radiating an unfamiliar confidence. Su Mei noticed but chose to focus entirely on the fruit in her hands.
"As for what this fruit is," Lin Chen continued, "I'm not sure. I checked the sect library before bringing it to you, but I couldn't find anything about its origin."
He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "But I'm certain this will help you, so without much thought, I brought it to you, Senior Sister."