Inside a room within the Main Household Mansion of the Aasmany Clan, a girl draped in a white silk robe could be seen lying on a layer bed sheet spread on the wooden floor. As the first light of day shimmered through the window, it landed on the girl’s charming face, illuminating her beautiful silver hair and causing it to glitter as if it is covered by moonlight.
Suddenly, the girl’s eyelids twitched before slowly opening, revealing a pair of hazy charming gold and red eyes that focused on the next moment. She then lifted her body and did a stretch while examining her body.
She noticed that, unlike most people who have just entered Body Refining stage, her body did not seem to have gone through the impurity cleansing process. Or to be exact, there was no impurity to be cleansed from her body. Yet this came to no surprise to her.
After examining herself, she then proceeded to sit in the lotus position on top of the bed sheet and calmed her mental state.
As she gradually calmed her mind, she suddenly felt as if she has opened her eyes, yet as she took in the sight before her, she did not recognize it as the room which she was residing in before. Instead, she only saw darkness. Yet within this darkness, there was an outline of a seed shimmering with a half white and half black blight.
But this sight did not surprise her as it was explained within the explanation of the Yin-Yang Circulation Technique that once she started forming the seed outline, she will naturally have her ‘Inner Eyes’ unlocked.
Inner Eyes are not truly eyes, but they are a type of ability which allows one to gaze into their body. This ability is commonly unlocked once one reach the Qi Refining stage using a common technique. But the technique is not without any dangers. The process of unlocking the inner eyes is a painful one, and if an accident happens while using the technique, it would cause extreme pain to the cultivator. And during worst case scenario, they may even turn blind.
Knowing this, she was able to recognize that she is currently looking at the dantian within her body.
As she looked at the seed outline within her dantian, she was able to feel how it slowly emits a type of unrecognizable energy, slowly causing a change within her body.
Finished examining the result of her first day of cultivation, Yvette stopped examining her body and opened her eyes for the second time. But after opening her eyes, Yvette noticed that her eyes that were originally already quite sharp are now even sharper. She could even clearly see the movement of the specks of dust that is floating in the air.
As Yvette marveled at her enhanced sight, her pair of fox ears twitched slightly from the sound of the footsteps she could hear coming from the outside. From this, she realized that not only did her sight has been enhanced, all her other senses also seemed to have been sharpened.
But before Yvette could examine her other enhanced senses, soft knocks came from the door of the room followed by Esfir’s voice.
“Yvette, are you awake?”
“Yes, mother.”
With her confirmation, Esfir entered the room with Daiyu and an older female servant following right behind her.
After the older female servant closed the door, Esfir sat in front of Yvette elegantly with her legs folded while Daiyu silently stood behind Yvette. When the old servant stood behind Esfir, she was about to tell something to Yvette, but she suddenly stopped and gave her a deep look.
“Hm? The feeling that your body radiates… It seems that you have finally started cultivating, and you have even reached the Early Body Tempering stage!”
When Yvette heard her words filled with amazement, she bowed her head and said.
“I thank mother for your generous praise, but I believe reaching the level of Early Body Tempering stage is not worth mentioning.”
“There is no need to be so humble, as your mother, even as an adopted mother. I would naturally be proud towards the achievements of my children, no matter how miniscule it may be. I also hope that you would have less reservation to us as your family, or at least towards me, your father or brother.”
Seeing the motherly smile on Esfir’s face as she said those words, Yvette’s face was still expressionless. But a hard to detect glint shone deep within her eyes as she slowly nodded, making Esfir’s smile bloom.
“Now for what I actually came here for.”
Followed by those words, she glanced behind Yvette, or to be exact, towards Daiyu that has been standing behind Yvette silently all this time.
Sensing Esfir’s glance, Daiyu that has been looking at her new master all this time looked back towards Esfir and gave a courteous bow with an expressionless face.
“Daiyu will be your handmaiden from this day onwards, but since she has not been trained as a handmaiden yet, she will also receive guidance from the old servant that is behind me for a year. But at other times, she will still accompany you as a handmaiden. She will also follow you to the North Yin Peak once you have finished looking around the Main Peak. It is fine if you wish to directly go to the North Yin Peak, but I believe it would be better to be familiar with your own home where you would be staying in for a long time.”
Then, without waiting for any reaction from Yvette, Esfir stood up.
“Alright, I must go now. I and your other future teachers will go visit you once you have arrived at the North Yin Peak, if you are in need of anything, you can get a servant to inform me or your father. I hope you will also visit us during the first week of each month if you are able to.”
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Turning around, Esfir walked out of the room with the old servant in tow, leaving Yvette inside the room with her new handmaiden, Daiyu.
Inside the room, Yvette stood up and said.
“Let us also go and not waste time.”
“Understood, My Lady.”
Daiyu said with a deep bow before proceeding to lead Yvette out the room.
In the Main Mansion, a pair of unknown girls can be seen walking through its corridor, the sight of two girls with different charms caused many males in the mansion to stare with wide-eyes regardless of age, while the few married men that were dazed while walking with their wives received a smack behind their head.
After walking for some time, Yvette and Daiyu finally left the Main Mansion.
Outside, the land was covered in the morning mists as the faint sound of sweeping came from the surroundings. Accompanied by the sound of rustling plants, the peak gave a sense of morning tranquility.
Gazing at the unfamiliar land before her, an overwhelming sense of lost filled her heart. But she quickly managed to suppress that feeling and gazed towards Daiyu, hinting her to lead the way. Then, with Daiyu guiding her, Yvette visited the few, notable places within the Main Peak.
Night, within a pavilion filled with books, a pair of girls could be seen quietly reading books. Yet the darkening of the sky went unnoticed to them who are under the illumination of the ceiling which has been emitting light ever since the sky darkened.
When Yvette closed the book within her hand, she glanced out the window nearby and noticed the sky which has already darkened. Even then, she did not seem to be anxious nor hurried as she quietly waited for her handmaiden who she permitted to read with her.
But without needing to wait for long, Daiyu quietly closed her book and noticed Yvette who was quietly waiting with closed eyes.
Seeing this, she quickly bowed her head as she said with guilt.
“This servant has imprudently made my lady waited like so, this servant is willing to any punishment.”
Hearing her words, Yvette opened her eyes and shook her head.
“I was the one who invited you to sit and who decided to wait, why worry like so?”
She then stood up from her seat and walked away.
“It is about time. Let us go to the teleportation array.”
“Understood, my lady.”
Saying that, she lifted her head and guided Yvette to the teleportation array.
The trip itself did not take long as every location commonly used by the clan members, such as the teleportation array, households, library, and dining hall, are all located at the topmost of the peak.
Soon, they arrived before a white, hexagonal platform situated in the middle of a garden. The platform was not decorated in any way, but the white platform did not look out of place inside a garden filled with nature. However, when Yvette glanced towards the platform, she saw a few lines and symbols shimmering with a golden light, with the darkness of the night, it made the sight even more eye-catching. Her curiosity aroused, Yvette slowly walked closer towards the platform.
Suddenly, when she was a few steps away from the platform, a shadow loomed over her, blocking the illuminating moonlight.
Turning around, Yvette saw a man standing imposingly behind her and Daiyu.
The man has roughly shaved facial hair on a chiseled face and disheveled golden hair with a hint of white, giving him a ruffian feeling. But his darkened skin tone, well-built muscle and sharp sky blue eyes gave off a contrasting feeling of a tempered soldier.
“Are you the Young Miss that the Patriarch has taken in?” The man suddenly asked in a deep voice.
As if expecting his question, Yvette calmly nodded in confirmation.
“Good, I am the protector and also the one in-charge over the teleportation array. Your parents might have already explained this to you, but you will be living at the North Yin Peak over there.” Followed by those words, the man pointed towards the north where the silhouette of a mountain peak could be faintly seen.
“The clan is divided into three peaks, the first is the Main Peak where the important members of the clan reside, the South Yang Peak where the male members of the clan usually reside. The South Yang Peak is also the only place which accepts normal guests. And there is the North Yin Peak over there where most female members of the clan reside. The clan is also in-charge of the Stellar City located right outside the clan’s three peaks. If you ever wish to visit the city, you may request to be teleported there using the array since you are the daughter of the Patriarch.”
Finished with his explanation, the man walked towards a pedestal near the platform and placed his right hand on it.
Moments later, the symbols and lines on the platform slowly brighten, but before Yvette could give it a closer look, the protector’s voice sounded.
“Go stand on top of the platform, it will send you to North Yin Mountain.”
Hearing his words, Yvette gave a last curious glance towards the runes before stepping on the platform with Daiyu right behind her.
When the pair stood on the center of the platform, the light emitted by the symbols has turned blinding, causing them to involuntarily squint their eyes.
Once the light finally died down, the pair has disappeared from the platform, not even leaving a speck of dust. Seeing this, the man walked away silently.
Meanwhile, on a certain garden on the North Yin Peak, a white platform that is almost identical to the platform on the Main Peak can be seen emitting a blinding light before suddenly dying down, revealing a pair of 5-year-old girls.
As the pair stepped off the platform, a garden filled with white flowers entered their view.
But the pair disregarded it and stepped down from the platform. At the same time, a person draped in white suddenly appeared from the shadows of the garden, appeared before them.
“Mistress Yvette and her handmaiden, I presume?”
Nodding in confirmation, she examined the person before her, she saw a woman with smooth, silver hair reaching her shoulder. Her complexion was pale with a pair of calm, ocean blue eyes. Her body did not seem full of strength, yet it was filled with gracefulness of a woman.
“Come with me, I will take you to the residence.”
Saying that, she turned around and led the pair away.
Not long after, they arrived before a white mansion. But as the pair neared the mansion's entrance, footsteps could be heard from the entrance as the door was slowly opened, revealing an elderly woman with a head filled with gray hairs at the entrance.
“I have been waiting for you, mistress. Please come in, I will be the one guiding you here onwards.”
Following those words, the woman who guided them silently disappeared into the shadows while the elderly woman smiled gently as she motioned Yvette to follow her.
Inside the mansion, many pairs of curious eyes can be seen following the newly arrived Yvette and Daiyu as they followed the elderly woman through the mansion corridor.
Even though it is already quite late, it is common for cultivators to not even sleep at all and spend their time cultivating instead. But for cultivators with low cultivation like them, they would still require a certain amount of rest.
But even as the countless eyes followed behind them, the two still has a face as still as water without a hint of nervousness, making the elderly woman pleasantly surprised.
‘For the two of them to have such a strong mental strength at this age, how strong would their mental strength be when they grow up?’
Even as those thoughts ran through her mind, her face did not have a change of expression, showing the amount of control she has over herself.