Primordial Era: The Holy Maiden Shiji, a woman of exceptional talent and beauty

Qingyangzi then spread an ancient book on the table and pointed to a passage: "Look here. The ancient book mentions, 'Only when the mind is as still as water can all things be clearly understood.' Perhaps we can start from this point to cultivate our character and enhance our spiritual power."

Mo Yun walked over, carefully examined the text, and then looked up at Qing Yangzi and Shi Ji: "Qing Yangzi is right. Cultivating one's mind is equally important. We should regularly go into seclusion to cultivate, purify our minds, and enhance our spiritual power."

Shi Ji nodded in agreement. He took out a crystal stone from his pocket and placed it on the table: "This crystal stone has never truly exerted its power. We can try to use it as an aid in cultivation and see if it can guide us to a new realm."

The three sat around the table, gently placing their hands on the crystal. They closed their eyes and began chanting incantations, their minds gradually merging with the crystal. As the chanting deepened, the crystal emitted a soft light, illuminating the entire chamber, making the three figures appear exceptionally sacred.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, the whole world stood still, and only their breathing and deep incantations echoed in the air. Gradually, they felt an unprecedented power surging within them, as if infinite energy was gathering inside them.

Mo Yun was the first to open his eyes. He noticed a significant increase in his spiritual power and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face: "This... this feeling, I have never had it before. It seems that our cultivation has both made breakthroughs."

Shi Ji and Qing Yangzi also opened their eyes, their eyes also shining with surprise. Shi Ji felt the powerful force within her body and took a deep breath: "We should continue this kind of training. The enhancement of this power will be the key to our ability to meet future challenges."

Qingyangzi nodded in agreement, his voice filled with determination: "That's right. No matter how the outside world changes, as long as we are strong inside, nothing can easily defeat us."

The three of them looked down at the glowing crystal again, knowing that this was only the beginning of their long journey of cultivation, and the real challenges lay ahead.

Mo Yun pondered for a moment, then said, "The power of this crystal is beyond our imagination, but we must use it with caution. Over-reliance on external forces may affect our mental cultivation."

Shi Ji agreed, saying, "Mo Yun is right. Although the crystal stone is powerful, we must not forget the essence of cultivation. Cultivating one's mind and character is our foundation. This crystal stone is just an aid, not the main one."

Qingyangzi added, "Yes, this crystal can serve as a tool for our secluded cultivation, but more importantly, it depends on our own efforts and perseverance. We must always remain clear-headed and not let power blind us."

Mo Yun nodded: "In that case, we can formulate a cultivation plan. We will conduct closed-door cultivation once a month, for three days each time. During this period, we will use the power of the crystal stone, but we will rely more on our own cultivation and understanding."

Shi Ji and Qing Yangzi both agreed. They began discussing the specific cultivation plan and details, striving to find the cultivation method most suitable for them.

After the discussion, Qingyangzi sighed, "It is truly a rare fate that the three of us have come together to cultivate together. We must cherish this friendship, work together, and strive for a higher realm."

Mo Yun and Shi Ji were deeply moved. They held each other's hands tightly, their eyes filled with determination and conviction. They knew that the road ahead was long, but as long as they worked together, nothing could stop them from moving forward.

In the days that followed, the three of them began their secluded cultivation as planned. In the secret chamber, they sat around a table, where the mysterious crystal lay quietly, emitting a faint glow.

Mo Yun took a deep breath, feeling the energy emanating from the crystal, and slowly said, "Let's begin."

Shi Ji nodded, gently placed his hand on the crystal, closed his eyes, and began chanting a spell. Qing Yangzi and Mo Yun followed suit, and the three of them quickly entered a meditative state.

The crystal's radiance gradually intensified, resonating with the spiritual power of the three. They seemed to be in a strange space, surrounded by vibrant energy.

However, cultivation is not always smooth sailing. Mo Yun was the first to feel the pressure, and fine sweat beaded on his forehead, but he persevered, constantly adjusting his breathing, trying to achieve a deeper level of fusion with the crystal.

Qingyangzi also felt the challenge, and his heart began to stir. He tried to calm himself down, recalling his previous cultivation insights, and attempting to find a breakthrough.

Shi Ji, on the other hand, was facing a problem of blocked spiritual energy; he felt his spiritual energy flow becoming sluggish. He took a deep breath and tried a different incantation, hoping to clear the blocked meridians.

Time flowed slowly as they cultivated, the three in the secret chamber seemingly isolated from the outside world. They continuously overcame difficulties, interacting with the power of the crystal, and gradually improving their cultivation.

Finally, after a struggle, Mo Yun broke through the bottleneck first, feeling a qualitative leap in his spiritual power. He opened his eyes, a joyful expression on his face: "I did it!"

Shi Ji and Qing Yangzi also awoke from their deep cultivation, their eyes gleaming with unprecedented light. Their faces, like dark clouds, were filled with surprise and satisfaction.

Shi Ji took a deep breath, as if trying to absorb every bit of spiritual energy in the secret chamber. He exclaimed, "This is incredible! I feel as if I am connected to the entire universe."

Qingyangzi gently stroked the crystal that still radiated a warm light and sighed, "Yes, this cultivation has truly been unprecedented. There have been countless difficulties, but every breakthrough has made me feel that I am one step closer to the Great Dao."

After this period of secluded cultivation, all three of them had significantly improved their strength, with Shi Ji showing the most rapid progress. He felt that he had reached a new level, and a strong urge to travel alone and further hone his skills welled up within him.

One morning, Shi Ji summoned Mo Yun and Qing Yangzi to a secret room and said to them seriously, "I feel that my cultivation has reached a bottleneck. If I want to make further breakthroughs, I need more experience and opportunities. Therefore, I have decided to leave for a while and travel around on my own."

After hearing this, Mo Yun and Qing Yangzi were somewhat reluctant, but they understood Shi Ji's decision. Mo Yun patted Shi Ji on the shoulder and said, "Since you've made up your mind, we'll support you. Just be careful out there and don't trust others too easily."

Qingyangzi also advised, "Shiji, you must remember that the most important thing to avoid on the path of cultivation is to be calm and impatient. No matter what difficulties you encounter, you must remain calm and steadfast. We are here waiting for your return, and we hope that your journey will be fruitful."

Shi Ji looked at them gratefully and said, "Thank you for your understanding and support. I will keep your advice in mind, work hard to improve myself, and strive to return to reunite with you as soon as possible."

After saying this, Shi Ji packed her bags, took a deep look at the crystal stone in the secret room, and turned to leave the place where they had cultivated together.

During her journey, Shi Ji heard about a sect called "Lingyun Sect". This sect was originally renowned in the martial arts world, but in recent years, due to the sect leader's ambition and unscrupulous expansion of power, internal strife has been constant, causing great suffering to the surrounding people.

One day, Shi Ji was passing through a small town near Lingyun Sect when he happened upon Lingyun Sect disciples bullying the common people. He stepped forward to stop them, but the disciples threatened him, saying, "Mind your own business! It's best for an outsider like you to stay out of Lingyun Sect's affairs!" Shi Ji, however, remained fearless. He calmly replied, "A wanderer of the martial world should uphold justice and help the needy. How can I turn a blind eye to your Lingyun Sect's bullying of the people?"

The Lingyun Sect disciples were furious that Shi Ji was so determined to interfere in their affairs, feeling that an outsider dared to so arrogantly challenge their authority. So, they exchanged glances and decided to teach this ignorant young man a lesson.

"Kid, don't be stubborn and ask for trouble!" one of the disciples said viciously, while throwing a punch at Shi Ji.

However, little did they know that Shi Ji's cultivation level had far surpassed theirs after her previous seclusion and training. Facing the incoming fist, Shi Ji merely smiled slightly, her figure flashing lightly as she dodged the attack like a ghost.

"What?!" The disciple was shocked to find that his attack had missed, and Shi Ji was already standing behind him.

Before they could react, Shi Ji had already subdued the disciples one by one with incredible speed and power. His movements were fluid and swift, as if everything was under his control.

Just then, a long-bearded, dignified elder emerged from Lingyun Sect. He had been cultivating with his eyes closed within the sect, but the commotion outside had startled him. When he saw Shi Ji easily subdue several disciples single-handedly, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He walked up to Shi Ji, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Young hero, what skill you possess! I admire you greatly. May I ask your name, young hero?"

Shi Ji returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Elder, you flatter me. I am Shi Ji; I was merely helping someone who saw injustice."

The elder sized up Shi Ji and noticed that although he was young, he possessed an indescribable aura. He thought to himself: This person has profound cultivation and is so promising at such a young age; he is destined for greatness.

Thinking of this, he cupped his hands again and said, "Young Master Shi, I am deeply grateful for your righteous help. Would you be willing to come to our sect for a chat? I would like to become your friend."

Shi Ji smiled slightly: "Elder, I cannot refuse your kind invitation. I will respectfully accept your offer."

Thus, led by the elder, Shi Ji entered the gates of Lingyun Sect. And this step marked the beginning of his inextricable connection with Lingyun Sect.

The disciple who had been subdued by Shi Ji struggled to his feet, his eyes flashing with resentment. He was filled with hatred for Shi Ji and secretly vowed to make this outsider who had humiliated him pay the price.

He thought to himself, "This Shi Ji dared to humiliate me like this in front of everyone, making me lose face. I must teach him a lesson about the consequences of offending the Lingyun Sect!"

This disciple, named Li Yan, was one of the most outstanding members of the Lingyun Sect, and was usually respected and envied by his fellow disciples. However, today, he suffered such a crushing defeat in front of Shi Ji, which he could not accept.

Li Yan thought to himself, "This Shi Ji's cultivation is so high. If I were to defeat him head-on, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. However, I will never give up so easily. I must find a way to make sure he dies without a burial place!"

He began to plot a wicked scheme, intending to use the sect's power to deal with Shi Ji. He decided to first go to the sect leader, embellish the story of Shi Ji, and then persuade the sect leader to deal with this arrogant outsider.

Li Yan thought to himself, "Shi Ji, do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have high cultivation? Hmph, I'll let you know that there's only one consequence for offending our Lingyun Sect—death!"

However, Li Yan was unaware that his plan had already been seen through by the elder of Lingyun Sect. Although the elder was outwardly polite to Shi Ji, he had actually been secretly observing his actions.

After Li Yan left with ulterior motives, the elder smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "This Li Yan, so narrow-minded, actually wants to use the sect's power to deal with an innocent outsider. Hmph, I'll see what tricks he can pull."

Meanwhile, Shi Ji was enjoying tea and discussing swordsmanship with the elders, completely unaware that she had become a thorn in Li Yan's side. However, even if she did know, she probably wouldn't care too much. After all, for a master like her, Li Yan's petty tricks were utterly insignificant.

Inside the main hall of Lingyun Sect, Shi Ji and the elder sat facing each other, the aroma of tea wafting through the air, and the two chatted quite congenially.

The elder took a sip of tea and slowly said, "Young Master Shi, I see that your cultivation is profound. May I ask where your master is?"

Shi Ji smiled slightly: "Elder, you flatter me. I do not have a fixed sect; I am just traveling around and learning from all sides."

The elder nodded approvingly: "The world is vast, and it's certainly worthwhile to travel and explore. I wonder what Young Master Shi's plans are next?"

Shi Ji pondered for a moment: "I originally planned to continue my travels and broaden my horizons. But since I have come to Lingyun Sect, I would also like to learn more about the sect's swordsmanship and martial arts."

The elder stroked his beard and smiled: "That would be wonderful. I can arrange for my disciples to spar with Young Hero Shi."

Just then, Li Yan hurriedly entered the main hall, a sinister expression on his face. He had originally planned to inform the sect leader, but unexpectedly encountered Shi Ji and the elders here.

Li Yan's heart sank, but he put on a respectful expression: "Elder, Young Hero Shi, this disciple greets you."

The elder glanced at him: "Li Yan, what do you want?"

Li Yan quickly thought for a moment and said, "I have heard that Young Hero Shi is highly skilled in martial arts, so I have come to ask him for a few pointers."

Shi Ji glanced at him, understanding that this was Li Yan's provocation, but his expression remained unchanged: "Since Brother Li has such an interest, I, Shi, will naturally oblige." (End of this chapter)