Li An sat cross-legged in her room, the remnants of a spirit pill spread out before her. "Time flies by while cultivating." It had been one week, and with the help of the extra pill You Mei had given her, Li An had managed to finish creating another forty hexanodes.

"Eighty hexanodes." She pinched her lips together. "Enough for the meridians in one hand. But I'll need so much more for my entire body. This is going to be more challenging than I initially expected."

Her estimate of around one thousand hexanodes in total was clearly an underestimation of the true number. At this rhythm, she would need more than two thousand hexanodes, which converts to approximately 50 spirit pills. "I doubt I can even find that many spirit pills in the entire sect."

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock on the door. Before she could respond, the door swung open, and You Mei entered with a cheerful smile. She was wearing a bright yellow cultivator robe, the unique sign of an inner sect disciple. "It suits her lively personality," Li An thought.

"Li An!" You Mei threw herself into her arms.

Li An hugged her back, her eyes softening at the sight of her friend's smile. "You Mei, you look radiant. Congratulations on joining the inner sect."

You Mei stepped back and rubbed the back of her neck. "Thank you! It's been an incredible week. The sect leader has been teaching me so much. Did you know we've been working on spiritual energy circulation techniques? It's fascinating."

She looked at Li An with her eyebrows drawn together. "But enough about me. How are you doing? Have you managed to reach the third stage of the Foundation realm yet? If you need help, I'm here for you."

Li An shook her head gently. "Thank you, You Mei, but I want to save the pill for later stages that are harder to advance. I'm progressing steadily on my own."

She would obviously not tell You Mei anything about the artificial hexagonal meridian system. Although they were friends, Li An never had any plans to trust her with private or important information.

"I get it. Sometimes it's better to save resources for when you really need them." You Mei paused, then asked, "Do you need more spirit pills or treasures with pure spiritual energy?"

Li An's eyes lit up. "I've been wondering about that. Do you know how to obtain them?"

You Mei sat down beside her.

"While these treasures are rare, all the greater elders have a certain amount of them. However, spirit pills are a bit more complicated," she frowned. "They require a pill refiner to make them, and the Gentle Sword Sect doesn't have one. We buy all our pills from the outside."

"So, the only way to get spirit pills is through external sources." Li An was already expecting an answer like this after investigating the market.

"Exactly," You Mei confirmed. "And they don't come cheap."

After talking a bit more, You Mei stood up and her smile returned. "Anyway, I should get back to my training. If you need anything, just let me know, okay?"

Li An nodded, watching as You Mei left the room. The moment the door closed, her face lost all emotion.

"This is tough... It's a shame that the Gentle Sword sect has no pill refiners." She placed a hand on her chin. "And what is the true reason behind the sects' interest in Yi Jian Valley? There's a deep secret hidden in this scheme, I can feel it."

Li An went to sit by the window, the morning light streaming in and casting a warm glow across the room. She stared out at the village, deep in thought.

The mysteries surrounding Yi Jian Valley and Elder Jiang's involvement weighed heavily on her mind. She knew she needed more information to unravel the secrets and understand the true stakes. There had to be a huge benefit involved.

"Where should I start?" she pondered. "I need a place where I can gather information quietly, without raising suspicion."

Li An remembered the large building close to her house. "The outer sect library. I need to delve into the history and geography of Yi Jian Valley."

Although the servant had brought some books about these topics before, Li An was sure there were many more inside the library.

She left her home and made her way through the village streets. The morning air was crisp, and the village was already bustling with activity. Disciples hurried to their training sessions, and merchants set up their stalls for the day.

Li An smiled. She had lived most of her life in the darkness and cold of the Universe, so she treasured these small moments of sunlight more than other people, even if it was winter.

Soon she could see a large, imposing building made of dark pine wood and cobblestone. The outer sect library had a high, slanted roof made of red tiles and ornate amber carvings of strange creatures that were half a lion and half a crocodile.

As Li An approached the building, she noticed the delicately carved stone steps leading up to the heavy wooden doors, which were slightly ajar. She pushed them open and entered the library.

"Oh? There's more people than I imagined." Outer sect disciples sat at long wooden tables, absorbed in their reading. Some pored over books about cultivation techniques, while others studied martial arts manuals.

The interior of the library was vast, with high ceilings and rows upon rows of shelves filled with books and scrolls. The scent of aged paper and ink permeated the entire place.

Coming from a technological society, Li An couldn't help but feel amazed by the way cultivators stored their information. It was as if she were travelling back to the past in order to visit her prehistoric ancestors.

Li An's eyes scanned the room until they settled on the librarian, a young woman with a bored expression sitting behind a large desk. The pink-haired librarian was engrossed in a book with a lurid cover, clearly an erotic novel about two righteous cultivators in forbidden love.

"Interesting. No one seems to care about it." Li An looked at the librarian's black cultivator robes and understood. "It's not that no one cares, but they are not willing to do anything to her since she is an outer sect disciple without a good future."

To a certain extent, outer sect disciples had more freedom than inner sect and personal disciples, because they were not so tightly bound by reputation and loyalty to the sect.

Li An reached the desk and cleared her throat softly. The librarian looked up, her eyes narrowing slightly at being interrupted.

"Yes?" She marked her place in the book with a finger.

"I'm looking for books about the history and geography of Yi Jian Valley," Li An said politely. "Could you point me in the right direction?"

The librarian sighed. "History and geography, you say?" She closed her book with a soft thud and stood up, stretching lazily before gesturing for Li An to follow her.

They walked through the aisles and the librarian led her to a section at the back of the library.

"Here you go," she said, pointing to several shelves filled with old, dusty tomes. "These should have what you're looking for."

Li An nodded her thanks, remembering the limited selection she had seen on the night of her reincarnation. "Obviously, the servant couldn't bring even 5% of the total amount in the library," she thought bitterly.

Li An began to browse the shelves, pulling out various books and scanning their contents. After she selected a few promising volumes, she went to the secluded table behind the last shelf of the library, shielded from prying eyes.

"These books are way too heavy." Li An placed the stack of books on the table and settled into a chair, opening the first tome with sweaty palms.

As she delved into the pages, she found detailed accounts of the Yi Jian Valley. One particular story caught her eye.

"A legendary battle between two unknown cultivators in the valley. The exact details of the battle were lost to time, but it is known that the dense sword qi from one of the powerful cultivators created the three forests surrounding the valley. These forests are not only rich in spiritual energy but also harbor precious metals that grow underground due to the residual energy from the battle."

"So, the three forests were formed by the aftermath of a single sword strike," Li An thought, her fingers lightly tracing the words on the ancient page. "I cannot imagine the cultivation realm necessary in order to be that strong."

She continued reading, her mind racing with possibilities. "If the outside sects were only interested in the precious metals, they would have attacked much earlier. These metals are valuable, yes, but not worth the risk of provoking a powerful sect like the Gentle Sword."

Li An paused, her brow furrowing as she considered the implications.

"Could the sword cultivator have left behind an inheritance?" she mused. "An inheritance from someone powerful enough to shape the land with their qi would be incredibly tempting, enough to drive sects to war. But if that were the case, why hasn't the Gentle Sword sect found anything after thousands of years of investigation?"

She flipped through more pages, absorbing every piece of information. "The sects are likely driven by more than just greed for metals or a potential inheritance." A grin surfaced on her lips. "There must be something else, something they believe is hidden within Yi Jian Valley."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Li An's mind worked furiously, trying to piece together the puzzle.

"What could it be?" she questioned herself. "The Gentle Sword sect's thorough investigations should have uncovered any inheritance or treasure long ago. Whatever this deeper secret is, it has eluded even the most diligent searches."

She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling of the library while lost in thought. "The sects wouldn't go to such lengths without a significant reason."

"Perhaps there's something about the nature of the valley itself," she speculated. "Something that the sects believe is crucial to their power or survival. It could be a hidden artifact, a source of ancient knowledge, or even a unique natural phenomenon."

Li An understood that she had to find out some answers as soon as possible. This was directly connected to her safety inside the Gentle Sword sect. The sooner she knew, the sooner she could start her preparations for the chaos.

She closed the book and stared at the table. "I need some leverage against Elder Jiang, or I will never be able to leave the sect village again."

Li An stood up and made her way back to the librarian. The pink-haired woman was still engrossed in her erotic novel, her bloodshot eyes almost popping out as they flicked over the pages. Li An cleared her throat softly once again, drawing the librarian's attention.

"Yes? What do you need now?" She made sure to put emphasis on the 'now'.

"I was wondering who I could talk to if I want to know more information about Yi Jian Valley," Li An asked in a soothing tone.

The librarian sighed and glanced around the room. She then pointed to a corner where an inner sect disciple sat, reading a thick tome about the history of the sect forefathers. "That would be Xu Wen. He's a loser who knows quite a lot about history and geography. He's over there."

Xu Wen had a scholarly look. He was quite slender and hid his intelligent brown eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. His hair was neatly tied back, and he wore the simple yet elegant yellow robes of an inner sect disciple.

He sat hunched over a book, completely absorbed in its contents.

"I guess historians are looked down upon in the Cultivation World." Li An was not very surprised. Knowledge of history and geography could not increase the strength of a cultivator, which was basically the purpose behind cultivation.

Li An neared Xu Wen in light steps, being careful not to disturb him. She stopped a respectful distance away and coughed silently. "Excuse me, Senior Brother Xu Wen?"

Xu Wen looked up, his eyes blinking behind his glasses. "Yes? Who are you?"

"My name is Li An, but Senior Brother can call me Li'er*." Li An smiled warmly, taking a seat across from him. "I've heard that you're quite knowledgeable about the history and geography of Yi Jian Valley. I'm very interested in learning more and thought you might be the perfect person to ask."

Xu Wen's eyes lit up at the compliment from a girl, and he straightened slightly. "Well, yes, I do know a fair bit. What specifically do you want to know?"

Li An leaned in with an earnest gaze. "I'm particularly interested in the legendary battle between the two unknown cultivators. I've read bits and pieces, but I feel like I'm missing the full story. Your insights would be invaluable."

"The battle you're referring to is quite fascinating." Xu Wen adjusted his glasses, a faint smile playing on his lips. "It's said that their sword qi was so powerful that it created the three forests around the valley."

Although Li An already knew that, she made sure to show a shocked expression. "These kinds of anti-social people are always easy to fool. They rarely receive praise and acknowledgment, so a few kind words can make them open up completely."

Xu Wen continued, "One of the cultivators was rumored to have been a sword master of unparalleled skill. His attacks left such dense qi that it altered the landscape permanently. The metals that grow there now are a direct result of that battle."

Li An nodded, her eyes wide with interest. "That's incredible. But what about the cultivators themselves? Do we know anything about their identities or why they fought?"

"Unfortunately, their identities remain a mystery." Xu Wen shook his head. "The records don't say much about who they were, only the impact of their battle. Some believe they were rivals from powerful sects, others think they might have been rogue cultivators."

"Tch, useless."

Li An furrowed her brow, feigning deep thought. "It's such a compelling story. You must be one of the few who knows so much about it. Your dedication to history is truly admirable, Senior Brother Xu."

Xu Wen blushed slightly at the praise. He felt his heart pound faster every time Li An moved a bit closer to him or said the words 'Senior Brother' with a warm smile.

"Thank you. I find history fascinating, especially the parts that others overlook. The Yi Jian Valley is full of such mysteries."

"Do you think there could be something more to the valley? Something that all the sects could be interested in after all these years?" Li An pressed on.

"It's possible." Xu Wen looked thoughtful. "Every decade the Gentle Sword sect discovers new mining deposits. Perhaps there are hidden secrets or untapped resources that haven't been discovered yet."

Li An nodded slowly. "Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me, Senior Brother Xu. I truly appreciate it."

Xu Wen smiled warmly.

"Anytime. It's nice to have someone take an interest in these things. Would you like to come tomorrow and continue our discussion?"

Li An grinned inside her heart. "I was planning on doing that anyways, but it's great that you asked."

"Of course!"

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

With the passing of thirty sunsets, the embrace of winter tightened, painting the world in frost and shadow. The wind whispered through the valleys, carrying with it the crisp scent of pine and the faintest hint of distant blossoms. It wouldn't be long until the snow began to fall upon the land.

Li An sat closely next to Xu Wen in a secluded corner of the library. His eyes sparkled as he stared deeply at the smiling girl. Ever since he met Li An, every day has been a gift of happiness. He had never laughed so frequently before, and he didn't wish for this dream to end.

Today, they were engrossed in a discussion about the three forests surrounding Yi Jian Valley. Li An leaned in, her shoulder brushing against Xu Wen's, as they pored over several open books.

"What about this area in the eastern forest?" Li An suggested, pointing to a map. "Do you think it could hold any clues about the cultivators?"

Xu Wen chuckled, shaking his head. "I still don't understand why you are so fascinated by the unknown cultivators, but this game is quite fun."

He then opened the tome, 'Creatures of the Southern Forest,' and tapped on page two hundred ninety-six. "Look here, Li'er. Hunters looking to catch Crimson Boars have already checked that area."

"Sigh... I really cannot compete with you, Senior Brother."

After many days of searching for answers together, their conversations flowed much more easily than before.

Li An resumed reading the book in front of her, praising herself for finding such an excellent helper for this job. Xu Wen had already finished memorising all the information in the inner sect library, and that was the only reason why he was here in the outer sect.

"It would be hard to find a person with more knowledge in social sciences within the village."

Suddenly, Li An's body stopped moving, her eyes widening as she stared at a passage in one of the books.

"Senior Brother, look at this," Li An said excitedly, tapping the page. "It's from the book 'The Mysteries of the Fog'. The author writes about the depths of the northern forest. It says here that the fog there contains monsters of unimaginable power and creates illusions in the minds of humans."

Xu Wen leaned closer, his eyes scanning the page. "Oh? You mean those legends? They were unfortunately confirmed to be false."

Li An frowned. "But I read in the records of the outer sect that many disciples disappeared there."

"That's the problem with the outer sect records." Xu Wen showed an ugly face. "There is only incomplete information recorded, and the details are severely lacking. A greater elder was already sent to investigate that region seven or eight years ago."

Li An let out a long sigh and her hands went limp. "Let me guess. It was just a fairy tale to scare children away from that forest."

"Yes, that's right." Xu Wen nodded, flipping to another section of the text he was reading. "The records say a greater elder was sent to investigate. She returned safe and sound and reported that there was nothing inside the fog. She said the depths of the northern forest were exactly the same as the outskirts near the village. The disciples likely got lost in the fog or were attacked by beasts."

Li An frowned. "And no one went there anymore because there were no valuable minerals or metals to mine."

"Exactly," Xu Wen confirmed. "But the strange thing is, this greater elder... I believe she was from the You family. There was an accident with her some days later when she was crippled after a battle inside the western forest. No one heard much about her after that."

Li An's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "A greater elder from the You family? And she was crippled after investigating the fog? That can't be a coincidence."

The more she pondered about it, the more her heartbeat quickened. "This could be the lead I've been looking for." She needed to investigate the relationship between this elder and the depths of the northern forest.

She turned to Xu Wen, clasping his left hand. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Senior Brother Xu. You've been such a great help."

"It's my pleasure, Li An. I enjoy our discussions. They make history feel alive." Xu Wen smiled warmly. "See you tomorrow?"

"I might need to take some time off to cultivate," Li An said while fidgeting with her fingers.

Xu Wen felt a bit guilty. He knew he was taking a lot of valuable practice time away from his friend with their history conversations. "It's okay, Li'er. I wish you the best of luck, and let's meet here now and then."

Li An nodded with a blush on her cheeks and dashed towards the exit of the library. Although she looked shy outside, her mind was as cold as ever. "The situation with the elder is too sketchy. The northern forest might hold the key to the secrets of Yi Jian Valley, but I need to find more concrete evidence."

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

You Mei was waiting in the grand hall of the Gentle Sword Sect, her new yellow inner sect robes gleaming in the morning light. The sect leader stood beside her, squeezing her shoulder lightly with his hand.

"Don't feel too nervous. Little Feng doesn't bite," he assured her with a grin.

You Mei nodded and tried to calm down, but her hands were still trembling. Jian Feng was one of the old generation personal disciples of the Gentle Sword sect, a genius who reached the Core Formation realm at the age of thirty.

Today, she was to meet this legendary Senior Brother.

The door creaked and a young man who looked to be in his twenties entered the grand hall. He was tall and had an air of refined confidence around him. You Mei couldn't help but get lost in his dark blue eyes for a second.

Jian Feng's sharp gaze softened as he greeted You Mei with a polite bow. "Junior Sister You Mei, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

You Mei returned the bow, her heart lightened by his courteous manners. "The pleasure is mine, Senior Brother Jian Feng. I have heard much about your accomplishments."

"You flatter me, Junior Sister. The path of cultivation is long, and there is always more to learn. Here, let me give you some pointers."

He spent a few moments demonstrating his spiritual energy circulation technique. You Mei made sure to take note of how the energy flowed through all the primary meridians; it would help her greatly when breaking through the bottleneck to the Spirit realm.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. Your guidance is invaluable."

You Mei lowered her head slightly with a flush in her cheeks.

The sect leader, satisfied with the introduction, excused himself to attend to other matters. However, the moment the door closed behind him, Jian Feng's demeanor changed. His polite smile faded, replaced by a cold, calculating expression.

"You Mei," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "Stop dreaming of becoming the sect leader. You should act obediently and support me in gaining the leadership of the Gentle Sword Sect."

You Mei's eyes hardened. "I'm sorry, Senior Brother, but I cannot give up on my dreams. I will not act against my own ambitions."

"You won't?"

Jian Feng's expression darkened. Without warning, he released his aura of spiritual energy, the oppressive force making You Mei buckle to her knees. The air grew heavy, preventing her from taking oxygen into her lungs.

"You are naive, Junior Sister," Jian Feng sneered. "Know your place and scram. You don't want to have me as an enemy."

You Mei raised her head. There was a darkness inside her eyes that made Jian Feng shiver. "I will become the next sect leader."

As she struggled to rise, You Mei's mind was clear. "Humiliation is not something new to me. It cannot make me cry anymore. At this point, there are only two options: to win or to die."

She forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling under the weight of Jian Feng's aura, but her spirit unbroken.

"I will see you later, Senior Brother." Her voice was filled with contempt. Jian Feng glared at her with clenched teeth, not daring to strike. He would never become the young leader if he dared to hit his weaker Junior Sister.

You Mei turned and left the hall, her steps steady despite the weight pressing down on her.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

*The 'er in Li'er is a term of endearment in Mandarin.