After my conversation with Shan Sha, I returned to the inner Sect, heading straight for the mansion grounds.

As I entered the yard, the metallic gate emitted an obnoxiously loud groan—precisely as I had designed it to—making it impossible to ignore. This wasn't just a random noise but a signal to the entire mansion that I had returned, a security measure I'd implemented to prevent unwanted intrusions.

The sun was high in the sky, signaling midday. The blistering heat typical of the approaching summer was thankfully tempered by the protective arrays we had strategically placed around the area. These arrays, including the Borderline Evernight Array, Thousand Divine Breath Array, and the Demonic Cloud Everwinter Array, cast a soothing, cool shade over the grounds.

Despite their badass-sounding names, the arrays were mediocre and easy to cast.

As I entered, I noticed Song Song in the yard, seated in a meditative pose next to Speedy. It was an unusual sight, given that she was supposed to be in indoor cultivation.

"Are you done with your indoor cultivation already? So soon?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as the heavy door to the mansion creaked shut behind me.

"Spending all day in darkness is boring, so I plan to slowly get used to it. How do those geezers spend years—and even decades—locked up in indoor cultivation?" Song Song asked, looking rather annoyed.

"I've heard some spend centuries in indoor training, especially the Core Elders or Nascent Soul Cultivators," I replied.

I'd never thought about it before, but now that Song Song mentioned it, spending so much time alone in a dark room with no source of entertainment would be hell for most people—especially doing so for years.

No wonder some cultivators ended up crazy. Also, that kind of thing wouldn't bode well for the Princess of Mental Instability here. The less time Song Song spent in her own head, the better it was for everyone. Who knew what messed-up things she could come up with on her own?

"Anyway, how was your visit to your friends in the outer sect?" Song Song asked. She didn't care, but she had learned basic manners and courtesy.

"Nothing much happened," I shrugged and sat beside her, patting Speedy's shell. "Except for that whole conspiracy by a monstrous beast on the third floor who was brainwashing people. It was actually something set up by a cultivator in the past to try and body-snatch someone."

"What?" Song Song opened her eyes and looked at me, confused.

"Well, I'm close to a breakthrough myself."

"Okay, that's good. But I think we should go back a bit and talk about that whole conspiracy thing again," Song Song said.

"Really? But that's already old news," I shrugged.

She knew I was egging her on; sadly, Song Song had matured and didn't fall for my bait. Nobody could trick her so easily anymore. She wouldn't get angry unless she allowed herself to. Which was good overall, but it made it harder to tease her now.

"Any other news?" she asked, raising a questioning brow.

"Well, I'm close to a breakthrough, so there's that," I shrugged.

"Yes, I know…" her lips thinned. She knew this was a game between us and stayed in control, "You'd do well to remember that I'm still a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and can sense how strong someone is. Inadvertently being able to sense their cultivation level and how close they are to the next breakthrough is a basic ability for most at my stage."

Indeed, Song Song's sensitivity to Qi was already remarkable; her recent breakthrough had only amplified this ability.

"How far can you even sense?" I asked.

"Pretty far. For example, I can sense that your friend, Hu Jin, is using the arena in the inner Sect," Song Song replied. "He's fighting a seven-star Qi Gathering Cultivator and somewhat winning."

She could sense things far away. It was far beyond what the usual Foundation establishment Cultivator should be able to feel.

I was also curious about who Hu Jin could be fighting. Perhaps it was just some young master he'd pissed off, or maybe someone more important. But despite my curiosity, I stayed in place; this whole thing could be a pitfall.

"Well, that guy's like a can of cats. Best to steer clear, or you might end up with a scratch," I remarked casually, leaning on Speedy and beginning my cultivation.

I felt the Qi gather and filter through my spiritual roots before becoming my own.

…

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

After an entire day of cultivating, I went to one of the food stands in the evening to get something to eat.

It wasn't one of those fancy restaurants in the inner Sect but more of a humble food stall, made of wood and about the size of a cheap New York apartment. It was run by servants and disciples who made dishes from their homeland, offering a variety of food from the White Tiger Continent.

The aroma of sizzling meats and exotic spices wafted through the air, enticing hungry, rich disciples to part with their not-so-hard-earned spirit stones.

The area resembled a makeshift convenience store designed specifically for food. Plates of various dishes were meticulously arranged behind an intricate array that functioned both as a display and a barrier. The array itself was cleverly constructed, with sections designated for different types of cuisine, reflecting a thoughtful approach to maximizing space while catering to diverse culinary preferences.

Many strange places were erected by disciples or elders in the inner Sect; one just had to be willing to explore them.

"I heard that the red-haired guy fought some foreigner cultivator in the arena," said one of the shop's customers, a plain-looking young girl with long dark hair tied in a ponytail. She was accompanied by another girl with wavy hair and freckles.

"Well, I heard something similar. Though they said it was his fiancée who broke the engagement. People said they killed each other," said the wavy-haired girl.

In true xianxia fashion, a guy intervened in their conversation. "Those are lies! My cousin has a friend who watched them fight, and they say they kissed at the end of the fight."

Oh, scandalous—I thought, before picking up my food, paying my due, and walking out. There was no need to stick around and listen to silly rumors.

Hu Jin was always at the center of many rumors and was in the spotlight everywhere. It seemed like he'd had some fight with his fiancée—or perhaps his ex-fiancée now. Who knew? This fight could have ended with them falling in love for some reason.

Cultivators were weird like that. It would have been prime entertainment if Hu Jin hadn't been a black hole of trouble.

…

Days passed, and everyone soon forgot about Hu Jin and his fiancée. The latest rumor was about him getting involved with Zun Gon and some rival elders of his. Apparently, Hu Jin created a pill that impressed everyone.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with me. I sat meditatively in the yard, with Speedy behind me and Song Song beside me.

Little by little, Qi was meticulously filtered through my spirit roots, the process gradual yet steady. Suddenly, there was a cold flux akin to an intense wave of mint crashing against my entire body. It was refreshing, enveloping me in a vivid sensation as if I could breathe through my skin.

Just like that, I knew I had broken through to two-star Qi Gathering. It wasn't cinematic. There were no crowds to celebrate my breakthrough, and it wasn't that hard.

"Congratulations," Song Song said, opening one eye and sending a smile my way before returning to her cultivation.

I, on the other hand, stopped cultivating and rested a bit. I patted Speedy's sleepy head, feeling his rough scales. This little guy could handle attacks from Foundation Establishment monstrous beasts, and I had been working on an array with him in mind.

As I contemplated, the wind picked up around Song Song, carrying a scent of blood. She opened her eyes, smiling.

"Congratulations on reaching three-star Foundation Establishment," I said.

But seriously, what was up with that talent? She had literally just broken through to two-star Foundation Establishment. Sure, she worked hard, but lots of people worked hard. Her cultivation speed was borderline at the level of Extreme Physiques, and it didn't seem like it was slowing down anytime soon.

"How many spirit roots do you possess?" I couldn't help but ask, my curiosity piqued.

"Officially, it's eighty-six," she replied shortly, not going into much detail.

"What about unofficially?"

"It's rude to ask a cultivator those things," she pouted.

"Wait, it's actually more?" I inquired, now more curious than ever. Usually, spirit roots were counted when the cultivator was young. Meaning she had somehow increased her spirit roots. "How did you increase your spirit root count?"

Song Song went quiet at first as if wondering whether she should tell me. But in the end, she trusted me quite a bit. "Through some borderline demonic rituals. Though, there are usually steep drawbacks."

"Really?" I rubbed my chin, feeling a sense of excitement at learning something new. I had guessed that, theoretically, it should be possible, but I never could think of a way. "Did you get any of those drawbacks too?"

I couldn't understand why she bothered increasing her spiritual roots when she was already a top-grade talent. But I had enough social skills to realize she didn't want to discuss this.

"Not me. My ritual was top grade and not something you can replicate," Song Song said.

I was about to ask many more questions and details as a sense of excitement danced in my heart. But when I saw the look on her face, I immediately dropped the issue.

For some reason, she really didn’t want to talk about this.

“Anyway, have you heard about that expedition the four great sects will jointly participate in?” I asked, deciding to change the subject.

Whether Song Song noticed or not, she didn’t object and nodded. “Yes. I’ve already secured a couple of spots for us. You would have had to go anyway since you’re our Sect’s monstrous beast specialist, and the Sect wants to show you off.”

Well, I was going to go regardless. My cousins had heard rumors that the place they were going to was actually some kind of inheritance from an immortal.

People often exaggerated rumors, so I took that with a grain of salt.

But I had never been to any inheritance or ruin site of that caliber. I couldn’t help but be curious about what arrays those old folk used. Perhaps it wasn’t arrays at all! A whole new branch of cultivation could be lost to time, just waiting to be rediscovered!

It was fascinating just reading about ancient cultivators, not to mention actually being in one of their ruins and investigating it!

“Well, you seem happy,” Song Song commented from the sidelines, a smile dancing on her lips.