Newly initiated cultivators who have just drawn Qi into their bodies cannot immediately wield spiritual energy to cast spells. First, they must circulate the energy through their meridians several times to fully nourish and acclimate their bodies to its presence. Only then can they begin to use Qi to cultivate body and mind, and execute techniques—this marks the true entry into the first level of Qi Refining.
The Furong Body-Tempering Technique provided detailed guidance for each stage of Qi Refining, with a particular focus on nourishing the body inside and out using spiritual energy to improve constitution. As Tang Yue ran the Qi through her body following the method described, she noticed that her usually sluggish meridians began to clear, and the spell ring at her chest absorbed more Qi—this technique truly suited her physique.
The book also included a mental technique that aided in better absorption of medicinal pills and reduced pill toxins. After trying it with a pill, she felt a cooling sensation at the location of the spell ring in her chest, easing the constant, stabbing pain she'd grown used to.
Using her divine sense to observe internally, she saw that the pill had dissolved and flowed toward her chest, where it passed through the spell ring and slowly released faint green motes. She sensed the motes carried the energy of wood and nature, slightly improving the quality of her wood spiritual root.
She had always thought the resentful spell ring on her chest was just a tyrannical overseer pushing her toward vanity, but it seemed it actually refined elemental energy. Well, at least it was somewhat useful.
Cultivation was a matter of consistent effort, not something that could be rushed. After meditating for a few hours, she took out a crystal lens and metal frame she had ordered from her mother's workshop days earlier.
Now Tang Yue intended to solve a major question she had about the cultivation world: Did microorganisms exist here? Ever since the question came to her, she couldn't eat or sleep in peace without testing it.
Luckily, she'd read enough science books in her modern life to understand the basics of how microscopes worked. After assembling the device and applying a drop of river water, she adjusted the lens several times—and truly, she saw tiny creatures swimming around!
She added a drop of diluted sugar water to the slide and saw the microorganisms swim toward it, feeding off it. This confirmed that microbes in the cultivation world were still carbon-based and not directly reliant on spiritual energy.
However, Tang Yue noticed there were fewer microbes here than she remembered seeing in modern Earth samples. Even when she examined other surfaces, the count remained low.
Perhaps some microbes here existed on a spiritual level that normal microscopy couldn't detect—she would need to increase her cultivation and strengthen her vision to see them. With that in mind, she headed to her mother's library to search for vision-enhancing cultivation methods.
Thankfully, Shui Yingrou had brought a vast collection of books from Wuji Mountain as her dowry when she married into Kunwu City. Without them, Tang Yue would have had to waste time hunting for these techniques. It was said that most of the City Lord's library had been copied from her mother's collection—otherwise, Kunwu City would never have enough texts to fill a proper archive, nor attract so many rogue cultivators seeking knowledge.
In the cultivation world, books were categorized carefully, and their catalogs were etched into jade slips with spellwork. By injecting divine sense into the slip, one could conveniently browse through all the listed books.
Tang Yue searched but couldn't find many specialized vision-enhancing techniques. Most were auxiliary methods included in other techniques, rarely the main focus.
Eventually, she found a technique called Heaven's Eye Method (天目诀), used to assist with disciplines like astrology, feng shui, and physiognomy. It also offered minor improvements to vision—since those arts required sharp eyes to discern details.
She set the book in her basket, planning to read it later. Something was better than nothing.
While she was absorbed in reading, a servant informed her that a junior from the Baopu Pavilion named Yue Yanling had come to visit. Tang Yue recalled Yue Yanling from the original novel—a so-called "girlfriend" who practiced pill and talisman crafting but often manipulated the original host into doing her bidding.
Though she didn't plan to stay close, she couldn't snub the girl too suddenly—it would be too suspicious. So she asked the servant to bring Yue Yanling in to see what she wanted.
After exchanging greetings, this senior sister "girlfriend" offered Tang Yue some pills helpful for Qi Refining. Smiling sweetly, she said, "Ah Yue, I asked my master to make some pills for Qi Refining disciples. They'll help with your cultivation. I brought them just for you."
Tang Yue inspected the pills. They radiated strong spiritual energy, with faint markings on the surface—clearly high-quality, probably of earth grade. This was likely a gift from the Baopu Pavilion Master to maintain good ties with the City Lord's wife, passed off as a personal favor by Yue Yanling.
Tang Yue smiled lightly. "Thank you, Senior Sister. But what took you so long to visit? I thought you'd forgotten about me."
Yue Yanling looked flustered and quickly explained, "How could I forget my good sister? I didn't want to disturb your recovery. When I heard you'd gone to the auction, I knew you were better and came right away."
Tang Yue didn't bother exposing the lie—Yue Yanling had clearly stayed away to avoid being dragged into drama. She politely made small talk and asked, "What have you been busy with lately?"
The older girl's eyes lit up. "Besides classes, I've been enjoying the Spring Market. It's a grand year, so many vendors from Huayue City have set up stalls. I thought you'd be interested since you've been cooped up for a while."
Tang Yue recalled previous outings with Yue Yanling—she always footed the bill while the other girl pocketed more than her share. So that was her real aim today: find a sugar mama. Even so, Tang Yue decided to accompany her for a look around.
Baopu Pavilion had come to Kunwu City as part of the marriage alliance between Shui Yingrou and Tang Wenhua. It had once been a branch of Wuji Mountain, brought in at Tang Wenhua's request to strengthen the city. Kunwu City was too young and lacked decent alchemists, which severely limited cultivators' growth. Pills often helped push through bottlenecks or enhance the body—so alchemists were vital.
Baopu Pavilion's master, Zhang Xuanlu, had once been a registered disciple of Shui Yingrou's father and was now a respected pill and talisman master despite only being Nascent Soul. He brought his disciples with him to Kunwu City, dramatically increasing the city's strength.
Given that Baopu Pavilion was part of her mother's faction, Tang Yue couldn't afford to offend them, no matter how annoying Yue Yanling was.
Ah, the burdens of being a second-generation cultivator, she thought. Still, compared to the benefits she received, tolerating some fake friendships wasn't a big deal. She also wanted to see the bustling market.
"Alright, Senior Sister," she said. "Give me a moment to change."
"Don't forget to bring lots of spirit stones!" Yue Yanling added cheerfully, not wanting her pampered companion to forget her role.
The Spring Market was set up near Duobao Pavilion, in the commercial district. The place was lively, with exquisite magic tools and accessories from Huayue City—hairpins, bracelets, and more—all designed for female cultivators. Apparently, consumer power transcended worlds.
After some browsing, Yue Yanling had already recommended gear from head to toe—almost like she was earning commission. Tang Yue wasn't interested; her mother's vault already overflowed with superior items. Still, she listened patiently, treating it as a learning experience.
Realizing her "generous" sister hadn't bought anything, Yue Yanling's enthusiasm dimmed. She had hoped to get a mid-tier item out of this. Seeing her effort, Tang Yue treated her to some street snacks as a polite gesture of thanks.
They sat drinking chilled seasonal drinks from a food stall. Cultivators didn't fear heat or cold and rarely gained weight, making it easier to indulge in food.
Tang Yue's attention was drawn to the Shennong Hall across the street—it was recruiting apprentices. She grabbed a flyer to check the requirements. The apprentice system was flexible, requiring only a few days of attendance each week. It resembled an internship: learning herbs in exchange for helping out with tasks. Talented individuals could become outer disciples and study medicine.
Medicine still had a place in the cultivation world. Practitioners focused on healing as a path to virtue—not just treating injured cultivators but also aiding commoners. The techniques differed from alchemy, and Tang Yue was curious about the distinction.
She also wanted to design beauty-enhancing remedies, so learning proper medical knowledge was essential. She picked up an exam bamboo slip—passing it would grant apprentice status.
She could reference books or ask experts. The point was to familiarize herself with basic herbs—not to test existing knowledge, since most applicants were beginners.
Tang Yue recognized only a few herbs and turned to Yue Yanling, an expert in alchemy and talismans. "Senior Sister, if you help me pass this test, I'll gift you a yellow-grade artifact suitable for Qi Refining."
"That's too generous!" Yue Yanling said, delighted.
Tang Yue smiled. "Teach me the answers, and we'll go shopping for your reward after."
Yue Yanling assumed this was a whim and warned her, "Apprentices at Shennong Hall have to collect herbs, process materials—even wade through filthy swamps for spirit bugs. Can you really handle that?"
Tang Yue laughed. "I know. I just want to learn and make my mother proud."
Seeing her resolve—and with the promise of a gift—Yue Yanling agreed. "Fine, but if you can't take the hardship later, don't blame me."
Tang Yue found it amusing how deeply the image of her as a pampered weakling had taken root. "I won't."
Yue Yanling, to her credit, took it seriously and helped her finish the bamboo slip in half an hour. Tang Yue passed the exam and got her apprentice qualification, memorizing all the herbs listed in the process—her excellent memory, enhanced by cultivation, made it easy.
The hall gave her an herbal encyclopedia and told her to come back next week. "Let's go buy your artifact, Senior Sister."
Yue Yanling beamed. "I want a small cauldron for alchemy—Master plans to teach me the basics soon, but I don't have a good one yet."
After purchasing the cauldron, she escorted Tang Yue home without asking to stay for a meal, clearly in high spirits. Tang Yue figured their "plastic sisterhood" was still worth maintaining—for now. After all, Yue Yanling was older and already at Qi Refining level 6. She could still be useful.