Chapter 62

Inside Hongniang’s secluded chamber, the atmosphere was filled with quiet delight.

“Master, junior sister Xian’er managed to complete five rounds of spirit tempering in such a short span of time. Her talent is truly astonishing.” Chixiao’s eyes sparkled with joy as she spoke, visibly proud of Xian’er. To her, Xian’er had always been a little sister in need of protection, and nothing was more gratifying than seeing her flourish.

“Five rounds of spirit tempering, huh?” Hongniang smiled, her gaze flicking between her most favored disciple and the chubby little girl happily munching on a lollipop.

“Sweetheart,” she asked, rubbing Xian’er’s soft, round cheeks, “tell your senior sister how many rounds of tempering you’ve completed.”

“Uh…” Xian’er pulled the slobbery lollipop out of her mouth and started counting with her fingers. “Senior sister Chixiao, actually I’ve done one, two… four, six, seven!” She held up five fingers on one hand and two toes from her bare foot, all the while keeping her other hand occupied with the lollipop.

She didn’t seem to think much of it. In her mind, seven rounds of spirit tempering were no big deal. Senior brother had said it was super easy, after all.

But her innocent announcement stunned Chixiao and Lulong into complete silence. The expressions on their faces were so dramatic, they looked like toddlers doodling with crayons—messy but intense.

“Wha—what… How is that even possible?” Chixiao was utterly baffled. Just a few days ago, Xian’er hadn’t started tempering at all. Now she’d completed seven rounds? That was insane.

Lulong was equally dumbfounded, staring at the food-obsessed little girl as if trying to reconcile her sweet demeanor with the monstrous talent she had just revealed.

“Senior sisters, you don’t believe me? Look, I’ll show you!” Xian’er declared proudly, as if showing off a prized treasure.

She activated her spirit energy and displayed her phenomenon—flying beasts, serene energy, life blooming around her. Due to her wood-element spiritual root, the entire chamber responded: new buds emerged from dead branches, and wild grass sprouted from cracks in the floor. Though the effect wasn’t as overwhelming as it had been on Luoxian Mountain, it was more than enough to shock the three women present.

Even Hongniang, who had herself completed seven rounds of spirit tempering, couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. The aura around her goddaughter’s spirit energy was even purer than her own.

“Xian’er, you’ve only been back for about twenty days. How did you manage to complete seven rounds in that time?” Lulong scratched her head, bewildered.

According to ancient texts, tempering had to be gradual and methodical. Even with a rare seventh-grade spiritual root, which Xian’er possessed, such rapid progress was unprecedented. Forcibly rushing it would normally lead to diminished results—or worse, physical harm.

But what Xian’er had shown defied those concerns. Not only was her spirit energy incredibly pure, it had also triggered divine phenomena: wildlife, flourishing nature… the works.

Hongniang joined the questioning with a warm smile. “Xian’er, tell godmother—how did you do it? Your spirit energy is even more refined than mine.”

As the three women stared at her expectantly, Xian’er remembered what her senior brother had told her.

“Oh! That was all thanks to my master!” she declared with perfect composure, not a trace of nervousness. Her voice was crisp and cheerful, making her lie sound downright professional.

Lulong nodded with admiration. “No wonder! Uncle Wudao truly is remarkable, to have developed such incredible techniques.”

Uncle Wudao’s reputation was rather unique. He hadn’t grown up within Luoxian Sect like the other elders; he’d joined midway through. But despite that, his contributions had been nothing short of monumental—helping the sect master Yun Wanli construct the great protective array around the sect, establishing the Formation Hall in the library, and inventing numerous helpful tools that benefited countless disciples.

And now, he had supposedly helped Xian’er complete seven rounds of spirit tempering in just twenty days. It was impressive—but given Wudao’s resume, not entirely impossible.

“So it was Wudao…” Hongniang murmured thoughtfully, watching her little goddaughter happily lick her lollipop.

“Chixiao,” she said suddenly.

“Yes, Master?” Chixiao responded at once.

“Spread the word. Let everyone know that Xian’er has completed seven rounds of spirit tempering. After all, she’s my goddaughter. Such a joyous occasion must be shared with the whole sect.”

Hongniang beamed. She loved Xian’er to bits. Even if that rascal Han Luo remained as uncooperative as ever, at least Luoxian Sect had Xian’er, a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy.

If she could latch onto Xian’er’s golden thigh, she’d still have a good shot at ascending to the Immortal Realm.

“Understood, Master.”Chixiao and Lulong took their leave. Meanwhile, Hongniang personally presented the desserts she had prepared to Xian’er.

“Wow! Godmother, this su-style cake is soooo good! Maybe even better than what senior brother makes!” Xian’er was all smiles, nibbling away in bliss.

“Why don’t you tell godmother a little more about your senior brother?” Hongniang asked gently, probing with interest.

She hadn’t given up on her plan to recruit Han Luo as a son-in-law. The more powerful one became, the more they realized how insignificant they were in the grand scheme of cultivation. She had reached her limits in this lifetime—forming a golden core was already a blessing. But ascending any further would be nearly impossible by conventional means.

Which was why she needed a new path.

And that path lay with Han Luo and Xian’er.

The days of meditating in caves like the ancients were long gone. Back then, rich spiritual energy made that method effective and safe. But now? With spiritual energy thinned and polluted, going into seclusion for long periods was more likely to be a death sentence.

“Okay, godmother! Let me tell you all about him…” Xian’er said cheerfully, stuffing her face with cake as she launched into a full report on her senior brother—without pausing even for punctuation.

Hongniang’s smile grew more radiant the more she listened.

Meanwhile…

When Chixiao and Lulong spread the news of Xian’er’s seven-time spirit tempering, the entire Luoxian Sect exploded.

“No way!” exclaimed Li Jun, who had just completed his third tempering and considered himself among the sect’s elite. He had always seen Chixiao as his only rival. But now, hearing that someone had already completed seven rounds made him feel crushed—like all his hard-earned confidence was being rolled into the dirt and stomped on until it bled.

“Seven times…” On Qianren Peak’s martial field, Wu Dao wiped sweat from his brow after finishing a brutal training set.

“I wonder how seven rounds of spirit tempering compare to five rounds of body tempering like mine,” he mused aloud. Then he crushed a first-grade cold iron blade into a ball and hurled it like a cannonball.

Boom!

The earth cracked where it landed, leaving a gaping pit. The watching cultivators stared at Wu Dao like he was some kind of monster.

Luoxian Sect had been peaceful for a while—but now, it was truly boiling.

And the shock wasn’t limited to the disciples. Several peak lords and even Sect Master Yun Yangzi were stunned and immediately made their way to Dao Peak to question Wudao himself.

Only Hongniang made her way alone to Luoxian Mountain.

That is… until she stepped into the mountain and was immediately trapped inside the Confounding Formation. Inside the illusionary maze, Hongniang looked at the shifting projections with a speechless expression.