Chương 5

"I cleared the first level, learned how to make Soul-Calming Talismans, and received the Guidance Art. At least I won't have to worry about getting back into the Ember Sanctum." Elara studied the Dao Embryo Pill resting inside the jade box, then turned her attention to the thin manual in her other hand. It contained the Divine Sects' Guidance Art, a specialized technique for imprinting an Ember Mark onto talismans that stabilized the mind. Strictly speaking, the art didn't even have a grade.

Its purpose was simply too specialized.

"Exit the Ember Sanctum." The moment Elara spoke, her consciousness shifted. She opened her eyes and found herself sitting on her bed again. She didn't take the Dao Embryo Pill right away. There was one more thing she needed to confirm. The sanctum's time flow. This wasn't a game session she could simply log out of anymore. If she entered some drawn-out trial and her body lay unconscious for several years, that would be a serious problem. Elara glanced through the window.

Morning sunlight still filled the courtyard. It wasn't even noon. She opened the wooden herb box on the table and inspected the Glowmist Grass she had harvested earlier. The herbs were still fresh, with no noticeable loss of qi.

"Less than two hours passed out here..." She frowned in thought. Inside the Ember Sanctum, the lecture alone had lasted several hours. Then came the talisman trial, where she had made attempt after attempt before finally succeeding. Altogether, she had spent roughly half a day inside.

"So about two hours outside equals an entire day in the sanctum." A twelve-to-one difference. Elara went still. That was absurd. If she could actually cultivate inside the Ember Sanctum, then even with mediocre aptitude, twelve times the available training time would let her outpace most ordinary geniuses. After confirming the basics, Elara sat cross-legged on the bed and opened the jade box. She picked up the Dao Embryo Pill and swallowed it. The pale red pill dissolved almost the instant it touched her tongue.

Warmth flooded her body. It spread through her meridians, bones, muscles, and organs until she felt as though she had been lowered into a hot spring. The sensation was powerful, yet surprisingly gentle. The Dao Embryo Pill was at least a High Arcane-grade pill. Its actual refinement difficulty was closer to a Saint-grade treasure. Even within the entire Moonwatch Sect, there probably weren't more than a handful.

And if any did exist, they would almost certainly be reserved for the sect's most promising heirs and chosen disciples. Yet Elara had received one simply for clearing the first step of the Stairway of the Great Dao. The truly extraordinary part of the Dao Embryo Pill was how it transformed the body. It didn't force an immediate, violent reconstruction. Instead, it slowly refined the cultivator's foundation from within, strengthening their aptitude over time without damaging their future potential.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Notifications appeared before her. [Dao Embryo Pill — High Arcane Grade consumed.] [Breakthrough achieved.] [Qi Refining Tier 2: 1/100] [Cultivation foundation is being refined...] [Talent acquired: Spirit-Touched Foundation.] [Spirit-Touched Foundation — Green] [Progress: 1/100] [Dao Embryo Pill nourishment in progress.] [Effect: Your cultivation foundation has begun to transcend mortal limitations. Your affinity with spiritual qi is greatly improved, allowing you to sense, attract, and absorb the qi of heaven and earth more easily.]... When Elara finally opened her eyes, she slowly exhaled. Her interface had already changed.

[Elara Lin] [Cultivation: Qi Refining Tier 2 — 1/100] [Race: Human] [Fortune: 2] [Talents] [Practice Makes Perfect — White] [Spirit-Touched Foundation — Green] [Skills] [Basic Arts] [Raincall — Level 2: 25/100] [Soften Earth — Level 2: 55/100] [Pest Ward — Level 1: 75/100] [Grassweaving Art — Level 1: 50/100] [Basic Talismans] [Soul-Calming Talisman — Level 1: 50/100]"A Green Talent..." Elara reread the description.

"And the pill is still improving it?" For once, she was genuinely at a loss for words. Practice Makes Perfect had given her exceptional comprehension when dealing with basic arts. Spirit-Touched Foundation was different. This was a genuine cultivation Talent. It directly improved the aptitude of her body. The change meant Elara had gone from someone with almost no real promise as a cultivator to someone who could easily stand out among a hundred ordinary disciples.

The name Dao Embryo Pill suddenly felt very fitting. It had quite literally rebuilt her potential from the foundation up.

"I have the gardening arts now. I finally have decent cultivation aptitude too." Elara glanced at her nearly empty coin pouch.

"Next, I need to save up for an actual cultivation method." Ever since arriving in this world, nearly all the money she had left had gone toward the basic arts she needed to survive as a Spirit Gardener. Whenever she cultivated, she simply sat down, regulated her breathing, and tried to absorb whatever qi she could sense around her. It worked. Barely. Compared to a real cultivation method, it was painfully inefficient.

Unfortunately, even the cheapest Low Basic-grade Qi Gathering Art sold for at least five Spirit Stones. That was more than two months of rent. Elara sighed.

"Once I sell this batch of Glowmist Grass, I should expand the garden." She had planted only twelve stalks before because her qi reserves were so limited. Casting Raincall and Soften Earth several times a day had already pushed her close to her limit. Anything beyond that would have been difficult to maintain. And even if she had somehow managed the workload, she hadn't had enough money to buy many more seeds. Now things were different.

With her plan settled, Elara picked up the wooden herb box and headed back toward Valehaven's market district. Soon, she arrived at Dawnmere Trading House. As usual, someone was arguing near the counter.

"You're telling me a little pest damage cuts the price that much? The herb still matured!"

"Our appraisal rules are fixed, sir. You're welcome to try another shop if you believe you can get a better price."... Cultivators came and went through the busy storefront. The clerks handled customers while Cedric stood behind the main counter, quietly working an abacus. The moment Elara entered, a young clerk hurried over.

"Welcome. Are you buying today, or selling?" Cedric looked up. He recognized Elara immediately. More specifically, he recognized the wooden herb box in her arms.

"Henry, I'll take this one." The clerk hesitated.

"Yes, Master Cedric." He stepped aside and moved on to another customer. Cedric looked at Elara.

"Glowmist Grass again?" He gave her a warning look.

"I'll remind you now. If there's pest damage and you didn't properly treat it—""Two quality grades deducted. I remember." Elara set the box on the counter and opened the lid. Inside lay nine mature stalks of Glowmist Grass. Their leaves were rich green, full of qi, and in excellent condition. Cedric gave a quiet grunt of approval. He picked them up one by one, turning the leaves between his fingers.

After decades of handling spirit herbs and dealing with cultivation arts, he could read quite a bit from residual qi alone. Raincall. Soften Earth. Pest Ward. All three had been applied cleanly. The girl had surprisingly good comprehension. Cedric had already noticed that yesterday. It was simply a shame that her cultivation aptitude seemed poor. He had examined her casually during their first meeting. Her qi had lacked depth and cohesion, and her affinity with ambient spiritual qi had been unimpressive.

Not exactly the signs of a gifted cultivator. Cedric rubbed a leaf between his fingers. Then stopped. There was another trace of qi on it. He lifted the leaf closer.

"Grassweaving Art?" Cedric looked at Elara.

"You learned it already?" Elara blinked. He could tell that from the herb? Her first thought went straight to the little straw servant currently wobbling around her garden. Had the idiot damaged something while chasing birds?

"Did the straw servant hurt the leaves?" Elara frowned.

"I can adjust its instructions next time. If the damage affects the price, maybe you could—""No." Cedric cut her off.

"That isn't what I meant." His frown slowly deepened. She had only purchased the Grassweaving Art yesterday. Even with excellent comprehension, learning a new art that quickly should have been all but impossible for someone with such poor natural aptitude. Cedric raised his gaze. A faint blue glow appeared deep within his pale eyes. A perception technique swept across Elara. Then he froze. Qi Refining Tier 2. Her qi was stable and well-contained.

More importantly, the surrounding spiritual qi seemed to gather toward her almost naturally. Her affinity was far beyond anything he had sensed yesterday. That was clearly the mark of a strong cultivation foundation. Cedric stared at her. Had he actually misjudged her that badly?