Mortal: Junior Sister Song Yu

In the early winter when Li Xiao was ten years old, Song Zhi brought back some news.

That day, heavy snow fell, and Song Zhi, unusually, did not go into seclusion. Instead, she brewed a pot of spiritual tea in the courtyard.

The aroma of tea wafted through the air as she beckoned Li Xiao to her side, a blush creeping across her face: "Xiao'er, your teacher is getting married."

Li Xiao's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and scalding tea splashed onto the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware. For the past five years, Song Zhi had treated him like a teacher and a mother, spending every day with him, teaching him cultivation, and protecting him from the wind and rain.

Now that she is going to have her own family, he is both happy for her and somewhat lost, as if he is about to lose something important.

Song Zhi rarely showed a hint of shyness, her eyes gentle as water: "The other party is Elder Zhao of the Law Enforcement Hall of Luoyun Sect. He joined Luoyun Sect as a rogue cultivator and has the cultivation of the peak of Foundation Establishment. Although his spiritual roots are not good, and his three spiritual roots have almost exhausted their potential in Foundation Establishment, he is an upright person and enforces the law strictly. Over the years, he has taken care of us many times. We have agreed that we will hold a dual cultivation ceremony in a while."

Li Xiao looked down at the teacup, the tea leaves floating in the water, just like his mood at that moment.

He was silent for a moment, then looked up with a sincere smile: "Congratulations, Master. I have heard of Elder Zhao. He is a Foundation Establishment Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, and is upright and incorruptible. He is a good match for you."

Three months later, Song Zhi and Elder Zhao's dual cultivation ceremony was held at the Yingxianping of Luoyun Sect.

That day, guests flocked to the area, with representatives from various peaks coming to offer their congratulations.

Elder Zhao, whose real name was Zhao Wuji, looked to be in his thirties. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, wore a black and gold robe from the Law Enforcement Hall, and had a sword hanging at his waist.

He treated Li Xiao with great kindness. After the ceremony, he privately gave Li Xiao a storage bag containing five mid-grade spirit stones and two bottles of pills: "Xiao'er, your master often mentions you to me, saying that you are the most hardworking child she has ever seen. Use these resources first. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to the Hall of Enforcement to find me."

Li Xiao bowed respectfully, feeling a greater sense of respect for his master's Daoist partner.

Another year passed, and Song Zhi gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Song Yu.

"Yu'er, this is your brother Xiao."

Holding the infant in her arms, Song Zhi said to Li Xiao, her face still a little pale, but her eyes overflowing with happiness, "I will be in seclusion for longer periods in the future. As your senior brother, you must take good care of your junior sister."

Li Xiao looked at the exquisitely beautiful baby, whose chubby little face and exceptionally bright eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.

A sense of responsibility welled up in his heart, and he reached out his finger to gently touch Song Yu's small hand.

The small hand actually grabbed his fingers with such force that even he, a Qi Refining cultivator, was surprised.

"Giggle..." The baby let out a clear laugh, and a blue light flashed in his eyes, echoing the golden spiritual energy on his fingers.

From that day on, Li Xiao's daily life included taking care of Song Yu.

As she had predicted, Song Zhi went into seclusion for five years.

During these five years, Li Xiao cultivated alone, managed his cave dwelling alone, and took care of Song Yu alone.

He used spirit rice to make rice porridge to feed the baby, used spirit spring water to wipe her body, and even used his own golden fire magic to nourish her meridians.

He discovered that when his magical power entered Song Yu's body, it was automatically transformed into pure water elemental power without any rejection.

This made him even more convinced that this junior sister was no ordinary person.

When Song Yu was three years old, he had already shown amazing talent.

She can sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and is especially fond of water-based spiritual energy.

Whenever Li Xiao cultivated at night, she would sit beside him, watching with wide eyes, as if she could see the wandering spiritual energy.

What surprised Li Xiao even more was that she could control a small stream of water from three zhang away, making the water droplets dance in the air.

Li Xiao was secretly shocked. "This is very likely the legendary Heavenly Spiritual Root. Ordinary spiritual roots can only sense spiritual energy after the age of three, but she could control water at the age of three. This kind of affinity..."

When Song Yu was five years old, Song Zhi came out of seclusion to test his spiritual roots.

The test was held in a separate courtyard. Song Zhi was even more solemn than when Li Xiao took the measurement years ago, and even invited the peak master of Bai Feng Peak, Fairy Zi Yuan, to observe.

The Purple Iris Fairy never married, and she doted on her junior disciple Song Zhi, and was even more fond of Song Yu.

She brought a piece of ice-cold jade pendant, which is said to have a calming effect.

When Song Yu placed his small hand on the crystal ball, an extraordinary phenomenon occurred.

A pure blue light burst forth from the sphere, so pure and so vast that it seemed to contain the entire ocean.

The blue light rippled like water, almost illuminating the entire cave, and a thin layer of water vapor even formed on the surface of the crystal ball.

"A Heavenly Spiritual Root! A Water-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root!" Song Zhi's voice trembled with excitement, tears welling in her eyes. "My daughter actually possesses such talent!"

Fairy Ziyuan also smiled with satisfaction: "Zhi'er, congratulations. As long as a person with a Heavenly Spiritual Root doesn't die young, reaching the Nascent Soul stage is within reach. My Bai Fengfeng recommends her for a true disciple position. Once the Supreme Elder confirms, she will receive the sect's full support in nurturing her."

Song Yu began formal cultivation at the age of five, practicing the top-level cultivation technique of Bai Feng Peak, "Ruoshui Divine Scripture". Later, the Supreme Elder Lü Luo visited Bai Feng Peak, which officially established Song Yu's status as a true disciple.

Li Xiao naturally became her senior brother, responsible for guiding her basic cultivation.

Perhaps because he had felt Li Xiao's golden fire magic since infancy, Song Yu was particularly close to this senior brother.

Her progress in cultivating the "Ruoshui Divine Scripture" was rapid. In just three years, she broke through to the sixth level of Qi Refining. Her solid foundation amazed even Fairy Ziyuan.

Li Xiao, a "genius" with dual spiritual roots, felt immense pressure in her presence and had to work even harder.

"Senior brother, why do I always feel there's a very special aura in your swordsmanship?"

Song Yu sat on the stone steps, resting her chin on her hand, watching Li Xiao practice his sword in the courtyard.

She was eight years old, a graceful young woman in a green dress, with long, flowing hair and chubby cheeks that were very cute. Her eyes and brows held both the gentleness of Song Zhi and the heroic spirit of Zhao Wuji.

At this time, Li Xiao was eighteen years old, seven feet tall, with handsome features. Due to years of sword practice, his posture was as upright as a pine tree, and he had a sharp aura.

He sheathed his sword and stood there, a flash of golden light appearing and disappearing on the blade: "This is the intent of killing. The Golden Essence Technique combined with the Golden Splitting Blade Technique imbues each strike with the sharpness of metal-elemental magic. Your Ruoshui Divine Scripture emphasizes overcoming strength with gentleness, the highest good being like water, which is different from my approach."

"Could you teach me swordsmanship, senior brother?" Song Yu's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"What kind of behavior is it for a girl to be wielding swords and knives?" Song Zhi walked out of the quiet room. Although she was already a mother, her appearance was still beautiful. "Yu'er, you should concentrate on cultivating the Ruoshui Divine Scripture. The advantage of the Heavenly Spiritual Root lies in the speed of cultivation. Don't waste it on unorthodox methods."

Li Xiao said, "Master, although Junior Sister has a Heavenly Spiritual Root, the cultivation world is fraught with danger. It's always good to have more ways to protect herself. While the Ruoshui Divine Scripture is powerful, it's weak in close combat. Why not let her learn some basic saber or sword techniques, or even formations, just in case?"

Song Zhi thought for a moment and finally nodded: "Very well, I will ask Elder Bai Fengfeng to come and teach her swordsmanship and formations. Elder Bai's swordsmanship is extraordinary, and his knowledge of formations is deeply rooted in Xuanjizi's teachings. I think he should not refuse to teach Yu'er."

Thus, the spiritual practice of the fellow disciples officially began.

During the day, when Song Yu was cultivating, Li Xiao would stand guard beside him.

Occasionally, the little girl would share her insights on "The Divine Canon of Ruoshui".

The insights gained from cultivating the Heavenly Spiritual Root were also of great benefit to him, who possessed dual spiritual roots. He discovered that water-attribute spiritual energy could neutralize the ferocity of the fire spiritual root, making the metal and fire spiritual energies more harmonious.

When he activated the Golden Essence Technique, he actively introduced a trace of water spiritual energy emitted by Song Yu. The conflict between the metal and fire spiritual energies was reduced by 30%, greatly improving his cultivation efficiency.

"Senior brother, try this." Song Yu stretched out her small hand, a crystal drop of water condensing at her fingertip. "Imagine your magic power as a stream of water, let the metal elemental energy flow like a stone in the water, and let the fire elemental energy be like firewood, constantly heating and nourishing the stone."

Li Xiao did as instructed, and things went much more smoothly afterward.

He sighed inwardly, realizing that the Heavenly Spirit Root's understanding of spiritual energy was indeed uniquely superior.

At night, Elder Bai arrived. He was an old man with white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and eyes that shone with wisdom.

He taught Song Yu basic sword techniques and skills, and also taught the two basic formations such as the Maze Formation and the Four Symbols Formation.

The little girl has an amazing talent for array formations. She was able to set up a simple maze array in just three days, which made Li Xiao lose his way in the courtyard for half an hour.

However, he didn't have much talent in swordsmanship. It took him three months to learn the most basic "thrust" technique. His sword strikes were weak and powerless, which made Elder Bai shake his head in frustration.

However, she didn't insist, and simply enjoyed the time she spent with her senior brother.

Whenever Li Xiao practiced his swordplay, she would sit beside him and watch, occasionally offering him tea or wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.

That innocence warmed Li Xiao's heart.

That year, he finally broke through to the tenth level of Qi Refining.

The tenth level of Qi Refining is a watershed moment in the Qi Refining stage, known as the "Liquefaction Barrier." Before this, the mana within a cultivator's body circulates in a gaseous state, like clouds and mist.

Starting from the tenth level, the center of the cyclone will generate enormous pressure, compressing gaseous mana into liquid. A Qi Refining cultivator can condense up to thirteen drops of liquid mana to solidify their foundation before Foundation Establishment and maximize the release of their potential.

Liquid magic is several times greater in both mass and power than gaseous magic.

The breakthrough happened in late autumn.

Li Xiao began preparations a month in advance. Song Zhi found him three Qi Condensation Pills, Zhao Wuji sent him a bottle of Qi Strengthening Pills, and Song Yu combed his meridians every day to help him calm his heart fire.

He secluded himself outside the quiet room for seven days and seven nights.

For the first three days, he pushed the Golden Yuan Technique to its limit, causing the golden vortex in his dantian to spin wildly like a tornado, absorbing the rich spiritual energy provided by the spirit stone array under the futon.

My meridians were stretched so hard they hurt, as if they were about to snap at any moment.

The sharpness of the metal elemental energy becomes a double-edged sword at this moment, cutting through the meridians while simultaneously making them more resilient under the repair of the fire elemental energy.

On the fourth day, he took a Qi Condensation Pill. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a surge of spiritual energy that rushed into his dantian. The speed of Qi circulation instantly doubled, and there was a faint tendency for it to condense at the center, but it was always just one step away from completion.

"Not enough!" Li Xiao gritted his teeth and swallowed the second Qi Condensation Pill.

A surge of powerful spiritual energy rushed into his dantian like a flood, and finally, the first drop of liquid magic power condensed at the center of the vortex.

The drop of liquid was golden yellow, heavy as mercury, suspended in the center of the cyclone, exuding a chillingly sharp aura.

"Tick-tock".

Like a drop of water falling into a lake, the moment that drop of liquid magic fell, the entire vortex began to collapse and condense.

Countless gaseous magical powers were forcibly compressed into liquid form. The magical power that was originally abundant in the dantian was reduced to only one-tenth of its original amount, but its quality increased more than tenfold.

The meridians also expanded by 30% under the feedback of this power, and their surface was covered with a faint golden light, greatly increasing their toughness.

On the seventh day at dusk, Li Xiao finished his practice and opened his eyes.

A glint flashed in his eyes, leaving two golden streaks in the air.

He stood up and casually slashed out with his sword, without using any special moves, merely releasing his magical power.

The blade's edge left the body three inches away, leaving a crack more than a foot deep on the ground. The crack's edges were as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been cut by a sharp blade.

This is a sign of the later stages of Qi Refining—the outward projection of mana.

From then on, he was no longer just a melee swordsman, but a true cultivator.

"Finally, I've reached the tenth level of Qi Refining." Li Xiao felt the surging power within his body and a smile appeared on his lips.

He knew that from this moment on, he had truly stepped into the threshold of the world of cultivation.

The door to the meditation room opened, and Song Yu stood outside holding a bowl of spirit rice porridge. Her face was tired, but she smiled brightly: "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Senior Brother! This porridge is made by me. I used the gentle fire and slow simmering method from the Ruoshui Divine Scripture, which is the best way to stabilize your foundation."

Li Xiao took the porridge, and as he looked into his junior sister's bright eyes amidst the steaming heat, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Although the path of cultivation is arduous, he is no longer alone because he has his master and junior sister by his side, and he can cultivate sword techniques and martial arts together with them.

Outside the window, the autumn wind blows, and fallen leaves flutter down.

But in Li Xiao's eyes, the trajectory of every falling leaf is clearly visible, and the direction of every gust of wind is clear to him.

Reaching the tenth level of Qi Refining is not only a breakthrough in magical power, but also a comprehensive enhancement of the five senses and divine consciousness.

He gripped the hilt of his sword, gazing towards the direction of the Golden Swallow Mountains, a golden glint flashing in his eyes: "Father, Mother, I am one step closer to the day when I can avenge you."