Scarlet slept for an entire day.
The battle against the Cloud Swallow Python had pushed her far beyond her limits.
Every strand of spiritual qi in her body had been exhausted. Every meridian had been pushed to its breaking point.
Yet beneath the exhaustion...
A quiet transformation was taking place.
Inside Scarlet’s dantian, her spiritual qi circulated on its own.
The Perfect Foundation she had established began displaying its true potential.
The spiritual qi refined from the spirit beast meat, combined with the pressure of the life-and-death battle, continued flowing through her meridians.
Her aura gradually became stronger.
The bottleneck that had confined Scarlet to the Seventh Stage of Qi Refining was beginning to crack.
Inside the room, Scarlet unconsciously frowned. The spiritual qi within her body surged like a rushing river.
Crack!
An invisible barrier shattered.
Boom!
A wave of crimson spiritual qi burst from her body.
The windows rattled as a powerful aura spread throughout the room.
Outside, Raeshan nodded in satisfaction.
"Eighth Stage of Qi Refining."
"As expected."
"A life-and-death battle is the fastest way for a cultivator to grow."
The spiritual qi gradually settled.
[Reader: She just broke through a minor realm, but you wrote it like she’s about to ascend to immortality. (ー_ー゛)]
[Author: I’m just following the Chapter outline. :)]
Scarlet’s breathing became calm once more. Not long afterward, her eyelashes fluttered.
She slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, she looked around blankly.
"...I’m back at the sect?"
The memories of the battle quickly returned.
The Cloud Swallow Python.
She immediately examined her body.
The moment she circulated her spiritual qi, her crimson eyes widened.
"My cultivation..."
"I broke through?"
She could clearly feel that the spiritual qi within her dantian had become far denser than before.
Her meridians were stronger.
Her control over spiritual qi was smoother.
She had successfully reached the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining.
Scarlet couldn’t help but smile.
"I actually broke through..."
She quickly got out of bed and hurried outside.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Raeshan calmly sitting beneath the ancient willow tree, enjoying a cup of tea.
She immediately cupped her fists.
"Master."
Raeshan glanced at her and smiled.
"So you’ve awakened."
Scarlet nodded excitedly.
"Master!"
"I broke through to the Eighth Stage of Qi Refining!"
Raeshan took another sip of tea before replying calmly,
"I know."
"I noticed the moment your aura changed."
Scarlet looked at him with admiration.
"As expected of Master..."
Raeshan set down his teacup.
"Do you know why you broke through?"
Scarlet thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"This disciple doesn’t know."
Raeshan replied,
"Because you fought with everything you had. During that battle, you exhausted every drop of spiritual qi in your body."
"You pushed yourself to your limits. When a cultivator survives a true life-and-death battle, the bottlenecks that once seemed immovable often loosen."
He looked directly at Scarlet.
"Remember this: Safe cultivation will make you stronger, but life-and-death battles will make you grow."
Scarlet silently engraved those words into her heart.
"I understand, Master."
Raeshan nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"The Eighth Stage of Qi Refining is a solid improvement."
"But don’t become complacent. You’re still one step away from the peak of the Qi Refining Realm."
Scarlet tightened her grip on the Crimson Flame Sword.
"Yes, Master."
"I’ll continue working hard."
A faint smile appeared on Raeshan’s face.
"Eat this. You exhausted nearly all of your spiritual qi yesterday."
"You’ll recover faster after eating."
Scarlet obediently sat down.
The fragrant Spirit Beast Porridge warmed her body with every bite.
[Author: Don’t ask where the hell this Spirit Beast Porridge came from. :)]
[Reader: (￣へ￣)]
By the time she finished, she could already feel her strength returning.
Raeshan looked at her.
"How do you feel?"
Scarlet clenched her fist.
"Much better."
Raeshan nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
He waved his hand.
A familiar spiritual herb appeared on the table.
The beautiful Spirit Water Lily emitted strands of pure spiritual qi, causing the entire room to feel refreshed.
Scarlet’s eyes widened.
"The Spirit Water Lily..."
Raeshan pushed it toward her.
"It’s yours."
Scarlet stared blankly.
"...Mine?"
"You earned it."
"You defeated the guardian spirit beast."
"The reward naturally belongs to you."
Scarlet carefully accepted the Spirit Water Lily with both hands.
Raeshan spoke calmly.
"Keep it inside your storage pouch."
"Don’t refine it yet. Your cultivation hasn’t reached the Ninth Stage of Qi Refining. If you use it now, most of its medicinal power will be wasted."
Scarlet nodded seriously.
"I understand, Master."
She carefully stored the Spirit Water Lily away.
Only then did Raeshan continue.
"There’s something else."
Scarlet looked up.
"Master?"
Raeshan smiled faintly.
"We’re leaving the mountain."
Scarlet blinked.
"...Leaving?"
Raeshan nodded.
"You’ve trained inside Blazing Sun Hall for an entire month."
"You’ve fought spirit beasts."
"But you’ve never experienced the outside world. A cultivator who never leaves their sect is like a bird trapped in a cage."
"They may grow stronger, but they’ll never truly spread their wings."
Scarlet’s eyes gradually brightened.
"So..."
"We’re going on a journey?"
Raeshan smiled.
"You could say that."
"We’ll travel across the Eastern Desolate Land."
"You’ll gain experience, and I’ll take the opportunity to look around."
Scarlet couldn’t hide her excitement.
This would be her first time leaving the mountain since becoming Raeshan’s disciple.
She immediately asked,
"When do we leave, Master?"
Raeshan replied without hesitation.
"Tomorrow morning. Spend today preparing."
Scarlet smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Master."
Raeshan turned and walked toward the door.
Just before leaving, he paused.
"Oh."
"I almost forgot."
He flicked his finger.
A small storage pouch flew toward Scarlet.
She caught it instinctively.
"Master?"
"There are some spirit stones and a few medicinal pills inside."
"They’ll be useful during our journey."
Scarlet was stunned once again.
"...Thank you, Master."
Raeshan waved his hand without turning around.
"As your master, it’s only natural."
After saying that, he left the room.
Scarlet remained standing quietly.
She looked at the storage pouch in one hand and toward the direction Raeshan had disappeared.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
"No matter where we go, I’ll follow Master."
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