Chapter Forty-Six: The Cultivation Begins

“This place is filled with pure energy—far more abundant than in the outer sect. Can you feel it?” Li Sibai asked.

Caiyao grinned at him and nodded. “Yes, brother. That means we must both redouble our efforts over the next six months and make the most of this extraordinary place.”

In truth, no matter how plentiful the energy here was, it could not compare to what she had experienced in the Nine Heavens. She said this only to encourage Li Sibai; after all, for a mortal cultivator who had never set foot in the Nine Heavens, such a cultivation environment was a rare fortune.

The following weeks passed with unwavering routine for Li Sibai.

He only attended the inner sect’s main classes selectively—choosing those most relevant to his current needs, since he was not yet allowed to study spells. Most of the classes, therefore, he skipped. He ate simple rations alone. Nearly sixteen hours a day were devoted to cultivation. Once he entered a meditative state, he seemed to forget everything around him—his entire being stilled, and oftentimes he even neglected his meals.

Caiyao kept him company throughout. Cultivating atop Jade Void Peak was indeed faster for her as well, though unlike Li Sibai, she was in no hurry to advance, so she remained cheerful and content each day. She also understood that Li Sibai was at a crucial threshold, so she took care not to disturb him.

Every few days, she would fly off to the Dark Forest to find delicacies, sing songs, and chat with the ancient tree spirit—most often about Li Sibai’s recent progress.

The old tree spirit was surprised to hear that Li Sibai was attempting to break through to the first layer of the Heart of the Zither realm. He hadn’t expected such rapid progress, yet his words hinted at concern: such a breakthrough would not be easy.

Caiyao listened but never mentioned these worries to Li Sibai when she returned to the peak; she did not want to distract him.

After every visit to the forest, having eaten a variety of medicinal herbs, she would help Li Sibai’s cultivation by bathing him in her seven-colored auspicious light. Under its radiance, the flow of Xuantian Power within him accelerated. Yet, each time the light faded, it failed to leave more true energy within him, a noticeable change from his initial exposure to it.

This puzzled Li Sibai, but as cultivating with the seven-colored light was a secret, he could not ask the elders and could only ponder it himself. When he asked Caiyao, she had no answer either.

Nevertheless, Li Sibai did not dwell on it for long. He could feel his true energy accumulating—albeit more slowly—but it was a steady process. The sheer amount of energy required to break through to the Heart of the Zither realm astonished him.

The reason he did not consult the elders was that he felt it would be absurd to trouble them with a minor issue like this breakthrough. He preferred to ask familiar senior brothers.

For instance, He Tianshu, after hearing his question, simply shook his head, unable to relate to Li Sibai’s current state. He recommended that Li Sibai not seclude himself in his room cultivating Xuantian Power all day, but instead take on more advanced missions to earn Jade Pure Xuantian Pills, which would be of great help for advancing.

One afternoon, Yao Xueqing arrived unexpectedly. She had just returned from a mission at the foot of the mountain. After Li Sibai had passed the first inner sect trial, she had immediately been sent on another mission and so had not been around for his second written exam. Learning of his success and his current residence, she came to visit.

Li Sibai had not seen Yao Xueqing since their last parting, and was delighted to share his recent experiences with her.

When she heard how Li Sibai had managed to pass the second round of exams by sheer luck, she laughed. Hearing about his current situation, she offered her advice.

“Xiaobai, I don’t think you should confine yourself to cultivating atop Jade Void Peak. Though the pure energy here is abundant and perfect for cultivation, I believe you need to advance through real combat—especially by taking on missions that seem impossible. That’s the way to truly unlock your potential.”

Li Sibai’s eyes lit up at her words; they echoed what He Tianshu had said, and he had considered this approach himself, though he was reluctant to give up the rich energy atop the peak. Now, with Yao Xueqing’s encouragement as well, he resolved to try.

“Senior Sister Yao, could you do me a favor?” Once the idea took root, he wanted to put it into action at once—he was not one to procrastinate.

Yao Xueqing blinked at him, wondering what new mischief he was up to, but she couldn’t guess.

“Go ahead, you rascal. If I can help, I will.”

“It’s just... well... I need you...” Li Sibai grew embarrassed, mumbling his words until his voice was barely audible.

Yao Xueqing’s face flushed crimson. “What did you say?!”

Li Sibai hurriedly waved his hands and blurted out the rest, “I need you to help me with combat training.”

Yao Xueqing finally breathed a sigh of relief, though her face remained tinged with red—a beauty in the making, no doubt.

“Oh, that’s easy. I’ve just completed a mission and will be staying in the inner sect for a while, so I’ll train with you.”

“Though my strength isn’t particularly high, it’s more than enough to train you, haha~”

They both burst out laughing.

Over the next few weeks, Li Sibai continued his tireless cultivation.

Whenever Yao Xueqing was free, he sought her out for combat practice during the day, and at night he would return to his room to cultivate Xuantian Power, forgoing sleep in the process.

Time was truly precious to Li Sibai.

He had only a few months left to raise his level as much as possible—he refused to be sent back to the outer sect and become a disgrace once more.

His unobtrusive presence spared him much trouble; in the inner sect, everyone focused on their own training, and only small cliques banded together. No one paid attention to a minor figure like him.

A month later, in a small grove atop Jade Void Peak—

Yao Xueqing sat beneath a tree, her face pale as she panted for breath, waving her hand at Li Sibai.

“No more, no more, let me rest a while!”

Li Sibai, wooden sword in hand, grinned at her from the side.

“Senior Sister Yao, then take a break. In a bit, could you help me practice the last six variations of the Xuantian Sword Technique? I really love this sword art.”

Yao Xueqing looked at him, a wry smile on her face. “Aren’t you tired at all?”