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Qing Xuanling walked toward Elder Zi with her chin held high. Though her left hand and feets burned with hellish pain, she didn't care.
She was too focused on the fact that with only her current strength, she could now face a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator on equal footing—without any tricks.
For the first time in her life, she felt somewhat satisfied with her own strength, but of course, she still aspired to much more. But for the moment, she was quite happy.
Not only that. What she had faced was the equivalent of an above-average cultivator, who usually possessed diverse and powerful techniques. Until now, she'd never faced someone like that.
Had this happened hours earlier, she was certain she would've lost. But things were different now. Though she hadn't undergone a visible transformation, she knew her strength had improved significantly.
This sensation of growth was so pleasurable that Qing Xuanling felt she could ignore any pain. After enduring two years where her strength barely increased, this was simply too gratifying.
Elder Zi snorted upon seeing Qing Xuanling's arrogant expression.
"What are you proud of?" Elder Zi regarded the wretched state of Qing Xuanling's left hand and feet with exhaustion and slight fear. "Look at the condition you're in! This was merely a warm-up spar! Warm-up! How am I supposed to explain this to Fifth Sister?!"
Qing Xuanling smiled sheepishly. "I don't see it that way… Though it was a training match, it showed me a path to further increase my combat power. What I learned—even at the cost of these wounds—is worth it. This could save my life someday."
She gazed at her mangled hand with a bitter yet accepting expression. Qing Xuanling was willing to pay such a price to strengthen herself.
Elder Zi observed Qing Xuanling's determination and found no way to contradict her. He couldn't tell a young girl not to be determined, could he?
He sighed heavily. "Even if it was worth it—why didn't you come running to ask for help the moment the match ended?! You're a girl! I bet you feel awful now with your hand in this state!"
Qing Xuanling's expression tightened. She couldn't deny it. She knew her hand would be hideous once fully healed. Saying she felt bad was an understatement. But she truly didn't want to complain about aesthetics after delivering that speech about the pain being worthwhile…
Elder Zi shook his head and enveloped Qing Xuanling in his Qi.
"We're leaving. You need urgent treatment! Let's see if Fifth Sister can heal this!"
With that, both vanished from the classroom.
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When Qing Xuanling opened her eyes, she was no longer in the classroom—but in a courtyard nestled within an unfamiliar forest. In the distance, she could hear Sister Wangu's voice lecturing on alchemy.
The courtyard was incredibly beautiful—traditional style with green and red hues everywhere, bamboo doors, and the entrance surrounded by dozens of flowers forming a first-class floral arrangement.
Elder Zi took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and entered the courtyard, calling out loudly. "Fifth Sister—I have a problem requiring your help! It concerns Little Nine!"
Sister Wangu's lecture abruptly ceased. Two figures emerged from within the courtyard: Sister Wangu and Xuan Dan. Both appeared somewhat worried.
They looked at the two figures at the courtyard entrance. Initially confused—their eyes widened upon seeing Qing Xuanling's left hand and feet.
"What happened to her?!" Sister Wangu shrieked, appearing beside Qing Xuanling in an instant, grabbing her hand and inspecting it. "Her hand appears cut by something sharp and burned by… by…!"
Xuan Dan finished her sentence through gritted teeth. "Celestial Flower's Pink Fire! Damn it—I knew you'd do something like this, you crazy bitch! Do you truly lack any sense of self-preservation?!"
Qing Xuanling smiled wryly as Xuan Dan approached with a raised fist, ready to strike her.
Sister Wangu ignored their antics and sent a voice transmission to Elder Zi.
"Old sixth—what the hell happened?! These wounds are at least half an hour old!"
Elder Zi sighed—as if accepting his fate—and began explaining what occurred. "Today was my first class with the brat—I started with a practice match…"
Sister Wangu's expression remained calm at first—but as Elder Zi spoke, her expression darkened. She shot him a murderous glare—but only for a moment before swiftly turning to Qing Xuanling.
"Disloyal disciple—are you truly telling me you fought so recklessly over a mere warm-up spar?!" Sister Wangu yanked one of Qing Xuanling's ears forcefully. "Are you some barbarian?! Why must you harm yourself just to fight, damn it?!"
"Ow, ow! Master, stop—I had a—"
"What did you have?! If you dare to say that you had a reason, I'll beat you so hard you'll remember it for the rest of your life!" Sister Wangu roared in fury while dragging Qing Xuanling into the courtyard. "Pray these wounds can be healed—or I swear you'll never dare do something similar again!"
Qing Xuanling was dragged like a small child by Sister Wangu under Xuan Dan and Elder Zi's gazes.
Xuan Dan sighed heavily. "Hah—she truly never learns! I don't know why she always has to be like this…"
The corner of Elder Zi's lip twitched. "Aren't you the same person? I'm surprised you can say such things…"
"We are—and we're connected—but our personalities differ greatly." Xuan Dan shook her head. "Perhaps because I was born with alchemical talent and dislike fighting, I'm somewhat cowardly. So I truly dislike when Xuanling does such reckless things. What if she becomes crippled and I'm forced to protect her? I don't know if I'd disappear if she dies…"
Elder Zi was momentarily perplexed—but upon reflection, Xuan Dan's words seemed to make sense.
"You have it rough…"
Xuan Dan rolled her eyes. "Not as rough as you'll have it soon. Master's eyes were quite terrifying when she looked at you…"
Elder Zi fell silent for a moment and nodded. "…True."
He sighed in defeat and entered the courtyard with Xuan Dan.
Inside, Sister Wangu continued inspecting Qing Xuanling's wounds with a furrowed brow.
"Sigh… It's not as bad as it looks—merely superficial wounds. But I cannot remove the scars. If they were normal, I could do something—but they were cauterized by pink fire…"
Thinking of this again, she couldn't help but grit her teeth once more.
Because of old Sixth's foolishness, her disciple would now live with scars!
She shot Elder Zi another murderous glare—making him reconsider his life choices…
At that moment, someone offered an unexpected suggestion.
"Master—what if Qing Xuanling cultivates using her body cultivation technique? It places special emphasis on the skin. Combined with some healing pills, she might be able to heal these wounds." Xuan Dan mentioned with a sigh. "Remember the Demon Blood Pill I made before? It's the pill required for her body cultivation."
Sister Wangu's eyes narrowed. "That pill you could only make alone upon reaching mid-stage…? Mmm—I don't know much about her body cultivation technique—but undoubtedly, my disciple's primary body has quite strong skin…"
Though the conversation concerned her recovery, Qing Xuanling only paid attention to one thing.
"Xuan Dan—you reached mid-stage?!" Qing Xuanling smiled happily. "Incredible! As expected—you've advanced faster than me!"
"You—shut up and let your clone speak! She seems more rational than you!" Sister Wangu immediately silenced Qing Xuanling and turned to Xuan Dan. "Disciple—tell me about this body cultivation technique you mentioned."
Xuan Dan hesitated briefly—but after some thought, decided to recount how they'd obtained the body cultivation technique and how Qing Xuanling had ultimately "improved" it.
She knew that they would ask her about the origin of the technique anyway, so it was best to tell the whole story from the beginning.
Indeed—when Xuan Dan finished speaking, Sister Wangu and Elder Zi regarded Qing Xuanling with strange expressions.
"Disciple… you, by any chance…" Sister Wangu's gaze was complex. "... Are you a masochist?"
Qing Xuanling's face darkened several shades. "…Master—please don't joke. My preferences are normal. I don't enjoy pain more than others. I simply… am willing to endure it if it allows me to grow stronger."
Sister Wangu and Elder Zi exchanged defeated glances and shrugged.
"…Brat—I'll tell you this even though I know you won't listen." Sister Wangu sighed. "Be careful—you won't always be lucky enough to do such crazy things and get away with it. Some wounds cannot be healed. I don't want to lose a promising clan member over such foolishness."
Sister Wangu had no intention of saying more. Though she disliked Qing Xuanling's methods—they weren't exactly wrong. That persistence in pursuing seemingly useless things to completion—and the determination to mutilate her own body—was precisely what had forged the current Qing Xuanling.
Qing Xuanling seriously considered the advice and nodded. What Sister Wangu said wasn't untrue. If she wasn't careful, she might truly become crippled.
'Next time I do something like this—I'll ensure I have several safeguards to avoid permanent damage.'
Sister Wangu pursed her lips—immediately reading Qing Xuanling's thoughts—but said nothing. At least she'd considered it.
She sighed. "Come—I have a cauldron much larger than yours. It will be more useful for practicing that barbaric body cultivation technique."
Sister Wangu led Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan to a separate room—leaving Elder Zi behind. After all, Qing Xuanling needed to undress.
Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan were guided to a large alchemy hall where several cauldrons rested on tripods. At the hall's rear stood a cauldron two meters tall and one meter wide.
Qing Xuanling's eyes lit up. "Perfect size! With this—I won't have to stay in a fetal position constantly!"
"Here—take this Demon Blood Pill and knife." Sister Wangu handed the items to Qing Xuanling with a complex expression. "The knife is for removing the scarred skin from your hand and feet. Though your body cultivation technique can regenerate skin—the burned scars have already become part of your body's natural state. You must make new skin grow to remove those scars."
Sister Wangu's eyes appeared pained. "I truly dislike giving my disciple tools to harm herself… But if this is the path you choose—I can only support you. Just… please take care of yourself. I don't want to wake up one day to the news that you've died because you did something crazy."
Additionally, Sister Wangu made Qing Xuanling swallow an analgesic pill—reducing her pain sensitivity.
Qing Xuanling smiled faintly and accepted everything with a warm heart. This time—seeing her master's pained eyes—she truly couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. She promised to try not worrying her master again before climbing into the cauldron—completely naked.
She no longer felt shame at Sister Wangu seeing her naked body. After all—they were master and disciple, and Sister Wangu had already seen everything there was to see.
Qing Xuanling entered the cauldron with pill and knife in hand. First, she removed the scarred skin from her hand and feet—blood dripping steadily. But her expression didn't flicker—she simply swallowed the Demon Blood Pill and signaled Xuan Dan to begin.
She immediately began cultivating the Cauldron of the Devouring White Dragon. The analgesic effect of Sister Wangu's pill dissipated under the Clear Flame—while the Demon Blood Pill was rapidly absorbed.
But Qing Xuanling didn't emit a single cry of pain.
She cultivated silently—allowing her blood energy to improve. In that process, new skin—clear and smooth—began growing on Qing Xuanling's hand and feet. She smiled and continued cultivating.
Outside, Sister Wangu frowned at hearing no cries of pain. She sighed and told Xuan Dan, "Notify me when she finishes."
Xuan Dan nodded—still focused on heating the cauldron with pink fire.
Sister Wangu left afterward and encountered Elder Zi.
"I believe we no longer need to improve this girl's determination—in fact, we must moderate it…" Sister Wangu sighed. "Additionally—we must provide her with more safety measures. This girl is far too merciless toward herself. If we don't, she might return with her entire body covered in scars. Though she wouldn't complain—I know she'll feel depressed about that. That girl cares more about her appearance than she shows."
Elder Zi nodded. "She's still a brat—just one who knows too well what's truly important or not. At least we discovered this tendency before sending her on dangerous solo missions."
Sister Wangu pouted. "It's truly troublesome having such a disciple. How am I supposed to scold her? Tell her her methods—which clearly improve her strength—are wrong? Sigh… For now, I think I'll ask Old Gao for special gloves and shoes."
"That old curmudgeon will agree?" Elder Zi smirked ironically. "That old mule doesn't even listen to us."
Sister Wangu shrugged. "Who do you think forged her sword? From what I saw of the blade—that old man put tremendous effort into it. Moreover—I heard Qing Xuanling took him as master before becoming my disciple. That old man is protective of his own. He'll undoubtedly help."
"She took that old man as master? Impressive." Elder Zi's eyes widened in surprise. "I wonder what he saw in her—he's never taken disciples no matter how the clan begged him… Anyway—I think I'll take my leave now. I'm no longer needed…"
"Where do you think you're going?" Sister Wangu suddenly appeared before Elder Zi. "I still haven't collected my debt for bringing my disciple to me in that state…!"
Elder Zi closed his eyes—accepting his fate…
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From that day forward, the clan's treatment and care toward Qing Xuanling improved by several degrees. Worried she might eventually mutilate herself while fighting, they provided her with several protective pieces of equipment crafted by Elder Gao.
Additionally, she began receiving teachings about the human body's limits. No one wanted her killing herself attempting clearly impossible feats…
Qing Xuanling's days became busy with university classes, training the techniques she knew, and spiritual and body cultivation. Thus—without her realizing it—an entire month passed.
A month in which, finally, her cultivation reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.