I, who was turned into a woman by the Jade Maiden Master, want to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

If that's the case, then why did you give me that pill in the first place? It's fire-attribute, which clashes with Yu Jie Bing Qing's water-elemental cultivation method, right?

At this moment, Liu Bailian said from the other side, "You can circulate your internal energy to regulate your breathing. This will not only relieve the heat in your body, but also help you absorb the spiritual energy in the water to improve your cultivation."

"Don't worry. You have the four spiritual roots of metal, wood, fire, and earth. The [Fire Spirit Pill] I'm giving you won't do any harm; it can even enhance your fire spiritual root."

"Because with your reckless cultivation methods... I'm afraid the Ice Soul I give you will really take your life."

"Now the water in the Spirit Pool can nourish wood, and the Fire Spirit Pill can ignite wood to produce heat. Water can extinguish fire so that you won't be burned, while fire can dispel cold so that you won't be chilled to the bone."

"You only need to slowly circulate your spiritual root true energy to make it interlocked to increase your power, and you will not be harmed by your own weak aptitude."

Liu Bailian's words were true. Qin Rufeng slowly circulated his true energy and felt his entire body's aura become stable and harmonious. Moreover, the spiritual energy in the pool here was extremely abundant, multiplying the absorption effect several times over.

This reignited Qin Rufeng's greedy obsession with absorbing spiritual energy to improve his cultivation. Now, even the fairy could stop peeking and focused solely on practicing.

He couldn't stop, he just couldn't stop! Qin Rufeng wanted to squeeze all the spiritual energy out of the pool.

Moreover, the more she cultivated, the more familiar a spiritual energy she could feel. It was the same as the ice essence in her dantian and the spiritual wine that had been poured into her body that day.

This is... Liu Bailian's spiritual energy?

"As expected, she is helping me with my cultivation..."

Qin Rufeng felt grateful. He felt ashamed when he thought about how he had doubted her earlier, and his face flushed even more when he thought about how he had tried to peek while they were bathing together.

However, this little thing did not disturb Ru Feng's Dao heart; she continued to absorb spiritual energy without stopping. In fact, she became increasingly intoxicated by the feeling, and her heartbeat quickened.

However, what puzzled her was that besides spiritual energy, she seemed to be absorbing something else as well. It seemed to be... vital energy? It was even more comfortable than spiritual energy, like a refreshing spring dew that soothed the soul and made one feel completely relaxed.

"This feels so weird..."

"Since just now, the spiritual energy has stopped increasing, and all that's being absorbed is this yin-type primordial energy."

"Ah! 'Two-dimensional ball + leek and pomegranate' is not right!"

Qin Rufeng suddenly realized. She then realized that what she was practicing was no longer the Jade Purity and Ice Clarity!

The feeling of rapidly absorbing spiritual energy to improve her cultivation was so irresistible that she unconsciously practiced until she developed a disordered cultivation technique...

She is no longer practicing the Jade Purity and Ice Clarity Technique, but rather the Opening Cauldron Method and Yin-Yang Replenishment Technique of the Jade Cauldron of Harmony! What she is absorbing now is not the spiritual energy of the pool water, but the primordial yin of Liu Bailian.

Qin Rufeng immediately stopped, but found himself unable to stop. It was as if he was trapped in it and couldn't get out.

She felt a burning sensation in her chest and her cheeks; her heart was pounding. Could it be that she had gone mad from practicing her martial arts too much?

Ru Feng couldn't help but turn his head to look...

The dense reeds could not obscure the rippling water. The pure and immaculate fairy, the revered Xuanwu Saintess, was on the other side of the spirit pool.

I never imagined the Opening Cauldron Technique would actually work! I'm actually absorbing the vital energy of such a powerful being to aid my own cultivation? I have a strong feeling of theft; it's practically defying the natural order.

Ru Feng certainly didn't want to harm Liu Bailian, but she couldn't stop herself. Moreover, her mind had become a complete mess.

"No way! She helped me so much, wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity?"

Although for Liu Bai, this loss of vital energy was negligible, perhaps even imperceptible, Ru Feng still felt bad.

She tried her best to run the "Ice Pure Jade Cleansing and Stopping the Opening Cauldron" technique, but it had no effect.

The more anxious she became, the worse it got. Finally, her body suddenly went limp, as if a string had snapped. As if she had lost gravity, her entire body floated up.

She should have been tilting her head back as she sank into the water, but she could no longer feel the water; it was as if she were floating in the void.

Immediately afterwards, it felt as if an electric current flowed from my body upwards and rushed straight to my brain.

"Ah~~~~" Ru Feng couldn't help but exclaim.

But... this doesn't sound like my own voice. Could it be coming from the other side of the pool?

At this moment, Ru Feng couldn't tell anything at all; she couldn't even tell who made the voice. When that electric current shot straight to the top of her head, she felt as if her soul had left her body and she was about to die.

Memories of the past began to flash before my eyes, even scenes of my life on Earth before I transmigrated appeared one after another. But at the same time as I was dying, I felt my blood and energy flowing smoothly through my body, and my thoughts were clear.

Is this what they call being on the verge of death or ecstasy?

A moment later, his soul finally returned to his body. Everything around him felt real again.

Is this what it means to go mad from internal energy? It feels really strange.

After all that, Qin Rufeng felt a tingling sensation throughout his body and a swelling sensation in his lower abdomen. His blood and qi flowed smoothly, and he felt as if a gentle, warm current was flowing out of his body.

Could the flower pond already be stained with blood?

The spiritual energy in the pond was now much more abundant than before. The lotus flowers in the pond absorbed the spiritual energy and began to produce more flowers at an accelerated pace.

Within those snow-white, delicate flower buds, the pink petals parted slightly, then slowly unfolded. Lotus leaves were also growing, and reeds were blooming, their blossoms scattering onto the pond. The water rippled, and fragrance filled the air.

Qin Rufeng felt like a snake, as if he had just shed his skin and been reborn.

PS:

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it should be recommended this Friday. Extra chapters will begin then. I'm currently still saving drafts, and the outline is undergoing various minor adjustments.

The protagonist's cultivation level is too low to go around showing off and slapping faces; let's focus on quickly increasing her cultivation level first. The plot will gradually unfold and progress when extra chapters are released.

Thank you for your support!

barley

Chapter 17: A "Day" Thousands of Miles

"Gurgle gurgle..."

Ru Feng's body had completely lost control and sank into the water, but she did not feel the slightest bit of drowning.

However, her consciousness gradually blurred, and she seemed to fall into endless darkness. All she could see was the hazy pool water and the scattered petals.

Looking up at the sky through the pool, the water and sky blend into one, a clear, deep blue, as if frozen in time.

It had indeed frozen solid; the pool water had turned to ice... Qin Rufeng was frozen inside the ice.

A moment later, the faint sound of ice shattering could be heard, and Liu Bailian's panicked expression could be seen. She seemed to be saying something anxiously, but it was impossible to hear her.

In a daze, Ru Feng realized that she was curled up in Liu Bailian's arms. First, she surfaced, then leaped up and flew to a tall building.

Her vision gradually blurred and she eventually lost consciousness. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in bed.

She suddenly sat up, and the silk quilt slipped gently off her body...

Just then, a voice came from beside me, "You've finally woken up."

Ru Feng turned her head and saw Liu Bailian sitting beside her bed. A little guilty, she asked, "What's wrong with me...?"

“You don’t need to push yourself so hard,” Liu Bailian said, frowning. “Everyone has their own destiny. Anyone can walk the path of cultivation, but how many can ultimately achieve enlightenment?”

"It's also my fault for forcing you to grow too fast; I shouldn't have let you enter the Spirit Pool. I just didn't expect you to have already cultivated Jade Purity to this extent."

Qin Rufeng understood the first part of what was said. But she didn't understand the second half...

"I didn't expect you to have cultivated your Jade Purity to this level?" Just what level?

Although Qin Rufeng cultivated diligently, she was not impatient for quick results. She didn't even look at the later parts of Jade Purity and Ice Clarity; she only practiced the most basic methods.

I must have fainted in the water... but that must have been the effect of the Jade Cauldron of Union, right? That's a dual cultivation method, surely it wouldn't have a similar effect if the Jade Purity and Ice Clarity technique was practiced to a high level?

This is the Jade Maiden Sect, not the Joyous Union Sect...

Just as she was pondering this, Liu Bailian handed her another small box. "This is a Fire Spirit Pill. It's the same pill you took in the lotus pond in the backyard."

Liu Bailian tilted her head, but her eyes still drifted towards Qin Rufeng as she spoke.

Qin Rufeng then realized that he was completely naked and had been seen by her from the beginning. Although Rufeng wasn't afraid of being seen, he couldn't just let her see him for free.

So she pulled the silk quilt over herself and wrapped it tightly. Then she asked, "Disciple... what's wrong? Do I still need to take this pill?"

Liu Bailian sighed and said, "You fell into the pool without making a sound, and your dantian was swollen with spiritual energy. Even the Fire Spirit Pill couldn't suppress you. The cold spiritual energy leaked out of the pool, causing the water to freeze and trapping you in the ice."

"Is this...outrageous?" Qin Rufeng frowned, thinking to himself, "I just didn't control my yin-yang replenishment properly, so how did my spiritual energy leak out and freeze the pool water?"

Qin Rufeng: "Then this Fire Spirit Pill..."

Liu Bailian: "I think you're like a spirited bird, and I'm worried you might die if I keep you. I'm giving you this just in case."

"Don't take it immediately. Wait until you cultivate until the cold energy attacks your heart and you can't control it anymore. Then take this pill to counteract the cold energy and it can save your life."

Liu Bai adopted a haughty expression and said, "I am, after all, the Holy Maiden of Xuanwu. I can't let you die by my hand; wouldn't that make me seem too tactless?"

Qin Rufeng thanked her, saying, "I am grateful for your help, Fairy. I will act within my capabilities and would not dare to dishonor your reputation."

Judging from Liu Bailian's reaction, she seemed unaware that Qin Rufeng had secretly drained her yin essence. However, Qin Rufeng was still uneasy and took his leave after resting for a while.

Liu Bailian seemed very worried about Rufeng's condition, but ultimately hesitated to speak. She stood on the high platform, watching Rufeng's figure disappear into the mountains and rivers.

Qin Rufeng was walking back to her thatched cottage. One thing bothered her greatly: her lower abdomen, specifically her dantian, was slightly bulging, and she even felt that her breasts had become heavier.

She couldn't wait to go back, so she immediately sat down to meditate and regulate her breathing on a blue stone in the mountains. As soon as she sat down, the entire blue stone was covered with white frost.

Ru Feng felt his dantian was very full. He felt like a python that had swallowed its prey, its belly bulging slightly, but he could slowly digest the prey in the time to come.

However, Qin Rufeng was not as clumsy as the python that was being fed; she now felt refreshed and light as a feather.

She was trying to use the lightness technique from the Jade Purity and Ice Clarity Kung Fu, but she almost lost control. With a single leap, she flew directly to the height of the treetops.

Taking two steps at a time, they traversed the air as if climbing a ladder to the clouds... Crossing forests and ridges as if walking on water! They could even skim across the sea like a dragonfly skimming the surface.

It's as if a valve inside the body has been opened. If one's body is a container holding spiritual energy, then this container seems to have been expanded.

This must be a breakthrough, right? Although it's not a breakthrough in realm, the upper limit of spiritual energy absorption has definitely increased.

Qin Rufeng was overjoyed. She tried to slow down and stand on the sea surface. Although she didn't form ice lotuses like Liu Bailian, she could still generate freezing air under her feet, which actually froze the surrounding seawater!

Qin Rufeng was overjoyed. After returning to his thatched hut, he continued to meditate and practice his internal energy.

She could feel that the primordial yin energy she had absorbed from Liu Bailian was still within her dantian. Through her internal energy cultivation, she gradually absorbed this primordial yin energy into her Ice Soul.

Ice Soul was significantly strengthened. Not only Ice Soul, but all five elements within his body were complete, and the full cycle of energy provided immense nourishment to all his spiritual roots.

Although primordial yin is not spiritual energy, it acts as a catalyst, greatly enhancing the efficiency of cultivation. Moreover, the feeling of primordial yin nourishing the dantian and permeating the whole body with the circulation of energy is so comfortable that it is irresistible, and one feels no fatigue even after cultivating for a long time.

Qin Rufeng's cultivation level was advancing by leaps and bounds. Now she understood why the Blood Shadow Sect was so determined to seize this "Jade Cauldron of Union Technique".

Qin Rufeng was somewhat curious about his current cultivation level. The cultivation levels in this world were quite different from those in cultivation novels.

From lowest to highest, they are Qi Refining Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, Flowing Cloud Realm, Crystal Cloud Realm, and Void Cloud Realm. Each realm is further divided into three stages: early, middle, and late.

Qin Rufeng was quite familiar with the first three realms, but the later realms, like the Cloud Realm, were completely different from those in cultivation novels.

In fact, these three realms correspond to the so-called Upper Three Realms: Flowing Cloud Realm, Crystal Cloud Realm, and Void Cloud Realm.

Qin Rufeng didn't know much about the Upper Three Realms, only that the Jade Maiden Sect was located in the Flowing Cloud Realm. Liu Bailian's realm should be the Flowing Cloud Realm, but he didn't know what stage she was at.

That said, Qin Rufeng had only just begun cultivating the Jade Purity and Ice Clarity technique. How could he have gotten so far with all that drinking, tea, bathing, and dual cultivation? He's probably at least at the mid-stage of Qi Refining.

Regardless, Liu Bailian owes her a huge favor. How is she ever going to repay it?

However, Qin Rufeng was certain of one thing: Liu Bailian would no longer help her improve her cultivation. The fate-determining assessment was just around the corner, and it was about time for him to hand in his paper.

Chapter 18 Harvest

Sensing that the big exam was approaching, Qin Rufeng became incredibly diligent, practicing day and night.

Nourished by Liu Bailian's Yin energy, she could work tirelessly. However, the chill within her Ice Soul became increasingly difficult to control due to her diligent cultivation. It was common for her to be completely frozen.

Although Liu Bailian gave Rufeng a Fire Spirit Pill, she was reluctant to take it because she felt she hadn't reached her limit yet. That pill was meant to save her life, so she didn't want to use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

After another long period of internal energy cultivation, Qin Rufeng felt so cold that she had lost all feeling in her body. She finally decided to rest and move around a bit.

Qin Rufeng thought of the seven "Calabash Brothers" he had planted before. They were fruits from the ginseng vine, planted in the ground and then left unattended, and now quite some time had passed.

When Qin Rufeng arrived at the herb garden, he was shocked. The once lush and verdant garden was now completely overgrown, with only seven spiritual herbs remaining on the entire plot.

It seems that these seven "Calabash Brothers" absorbed a lot of the land's spiritual energy, causing the surrounding area to become barren.

The seven spiritual herbs are of two types. According to the description in "The Art of Living Vessel Refining: Chapter of Wood," five of them should be fire-attribute plants called "Firestorm Ginseng," which have the function of self-destruction. The remaining two are wood-attribute tonics called "Living Grass," which can enhance cultivation spiritual energy.

The above-ground part of this fiery ginseng looks like a chayote. It's wrapped up in many tendrils of varying thickness, looking both haphazard and eerie.

The "living grass" looks much better. It has tender red, straight stems and leaves that grow taller and taller, with a bright red flower blooming at the top.

According to the Wood Chapter, the living grass can be eaten raw, stewed, or used in alchemy. It has the effect of replenishing spiritual energy and nourishing spiritual roots.

These two plants didn't seem dangerous, so Qin Rufeng decided to dig them out first.

She carefully parted the soil, digging out the roots bit by bit, like an old farmer digging ginseng.

The underground root tuber is the essence of this living herb. It looks like a thousand-year-old ginseng or he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum). It resembles a human in shape but is covered with roots. The skin is white and tender, and even feels slightly warm to the touch.

According to the records in the Wood Chapter, this ginseng-like living herb is actually the lowest grade. The higher the grade, the more human-like it is, and it can even move and talk.