I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

This time, Fang Xuan held his second brother's hand and tried again to gather sword energy.

Having learned from his previous experience and with the special handshake technique taught by Ning Qian, he was no longer reckless.

Calm down and focus.

The sword remained silent, devoid of any spiritual light, but the chilling, malevolent aura it once exuded seemed to have subsided considerably.

Fang Xuan carefully extended that chilling sword aura along the blade.

"laugh--"

There were significantly more sharp, piercing sounds coming from the air than before.

The tip of the sword pointed in the direction a withered branch, about the thickness of a thumb, snapped cleanly three zhang away.

It was done, and the sword didn't slip from his hand.

Fang Xuan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that his palms were still a little numb, after all, the recoil force of the sword was still there.

But compared to the terrifying feeling of almost being blown away last time, it's much better now.

Moreover... it seems that it's particularly easy for me to condense sword intent. Could it really be a rare talent?

However, it is still far inferior to Ning Qian's sword intent, which she can produce effortlessly.

He practiced repeatedly until the soreness and numbness in his arms became uncomfortable, then he stopped.

Each time the sword momentum is successfully unleashed, it is accompanied by a backlash. Although it can be endured, it is still truly exhausting.

"I'm numb, but others are even more numb."

He swung his arm, looked at the now silent black sword, and suddenly grinned.

In the future, even if I miss the strike when I fight someone, the recoil alone will be enough to give the other person a hard time.

He then found a clean, soft cloth and carefully wiped the sword blade.

Then he sheathed the sword and carefully placed it away.

By the time we finished doing all that, it was getting late.

After a long day of hard work, Master Fang finally got to eat a big white steamed bun.

Fang Xuan rubbed his hands together and took out the reward from the system space: a whole, large white steamed bun! It was still warm.

hehehehe...

Take a bite.

It still has that familiar texture—soft, slightly sweet, and more satisfying than crumbly bits.

The pure and gentle spiritual energy, like a warm current, quickly spread throughout the body and finally flowed into the dantian.

This propelled his already half-step Void Core cultivation level, launching another assault on the barrier.

Although he didn't break through immediately, he could feel the barrier loosening a bit and his spiritual energy becoming more solid.

It smells so good, so delicious!

Although the system rewards are a rip-off, the steamed buns are genuinely effective.

I just don't know when I'll be able to accumulate enough energy to break through to the Void Core stage...

Human effort can make a difference; we will have steamed buns and elixir of immortality.

After finishing our snack, it got completely dark.

Fang Xuan returned to his bamboo house, sat cross-legged on the futon, and began his daily meditation practice.

Although one can improve quickly by eating steamed buns every day, one's own cultivation cannot be neglected, and one's foundation must be solid.

A half-step nascent soul is ultimately not a true nascent soul.

The Void Core Realm is a crucial transition from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core, requiring the high compression of liquid spiritual energy to condense a phantom core seed in the dantian.

Whether it's the total amount of spiritual energy, its purity, or the recovery speed, there will be a qualitative leap.

He must break through as soon as possible so that he has enough strength to deal with the troubles to come.

.......

Night fell over the valley.

In another bamboo house, Ning Qian was not resting, but was also meditating and regulating her breathing.

The effects of the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Pill continued to work, and in conjunction with the characteristics of her own latent bloodline, it was reshaping her spiritual bones.

She looked inward at herself, but the expression on her face grew increasingly solemn.

She also discovered that deep within the hideous wound on her back where her spiritual bone had been removed, there were strands of newly formed bone, as clear as jade and emitting a faint golden light.

How is that possible...?

The loss of the spiritual bone is an almost irreversible and devastating blow.

Even with top-tier elixirs to prolong life and heal injuries, at most only some cultivation can be preserved; the idea of ​​regrowth of spiritual bones is unheard of.

Unless... that pill is not an ordinary healing elixir at all.

She thought of Fang Xuan. This junior brother who suddenly appeared, saved her, gave her elixirs, and then moved into her valley.

Just who is he?

He could casually produce such unheard-of rare medicines, and his swordsmanship talent was also terrifyingly strong.

Ning Qian's heart sank slightly.

Although Fang Xuan has shown kindness all this time, and could even be described as a savior.

But we still can't trust it too much...

Just consider it... something I owe him...

.......

She then thought of her current situation.

When he first joined the Qingyun Sect, he was subject to a restriction in the ancestral land due to his special status.

It was precisely because of this restriction that she hadn't resisted the order to have her bones dug out.

In this life... she was already disheartened and planned to drag her crippled body to this secluded valley to end her remaining days.

However, Fang Xuan's appearance and the reshaped foundation also caused ripples in the stagnant water.

To shorten her lifespan, she activated a secret technique.

The art of observing qi.

It's not a combat spell, but a peculiar and unusual technique that allows one to vaguely perceive another's fortune, destiny, and even karmic connections.

The cost was enormous, and she almost never used it.

My gaze fell upon the bamboo house next door, which was lit by a faint candlelight.

Looking through the wall, I saw Fang Xuan meditating.

In her eyes, Fang Xuan was enveloped in a layer of clear, silvery-white aura, solid and pure, a sign of exceptional talent and rising fortune.

It also subtly carries a hint of the noble purple hue belonging to the direct descendants of a prominent family.

This is not surprising; it is consistent with his behavior and status.

But when she looked at the "lifeline" connecting her and Fang Xuan, she was stunned.

The life line usually reflects the nature and depth of the relationship between two people.

Those with deep-seated hatred have a life line as black as ink.

For blood relatives or close friends, the life line may appear pale gold.

Ordinary relationships are colorless or very pale gray.

But the lifeline connecting her and Fang Xuan...

It was actually a faint pink color.....

Ning Qian: "...?"

She blinked, thinking she had misread it, or that her aura-gazing technique had malfunctioned.

Another wisp of her lifespan burned away, and she focused her gaze again.

That's right, it's pink.

Although faint, it truly exists.

The color, like peach petals in early spring, intertwined with the destiny and fortune of her and Fang Xuan.

What does pink represent?

For the first time, a clear look of bewilderment appeared on Ning Qian's usually aloof face.

She was well-read and knowledgeable, but she had never seen pink used to describe the connection between fate lines in any ancient text.

I've thought about it a lot, but I still can't figure it out...

He could only withdraw his gaze and end the Qi-gazing technique.

His complexion also appeared paler due to the depletion of his lifespan.

.......

We should test the waters a few more times...