Li Xuan ignored the voice. He already knew who it belonged to. Pretending otherwise would only make things awkward, and he wasn't the type to act greedy before someone who had saved his life.
"If the little miss wishes," Zhen Lang said in that gravel-soft voice of his, "I can assist you in absorbing the Heavenly Dao Fruit."
"Alright," Xiao Fengqi replied, her tone light but eyes gleaming with mischief. She walked toward Li Xuan and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Li Xuan, remember—I owe you one," she said with a teasing smile.
Li Xuan bowed his head slightly, clasping his hands together. "I won't forget," he said. It was the first time in his life bowing to someone from the upper clans. His pride squirmed, but this girl had saved him; she deserved that much respect.
Xiao Fengqi placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward, her ponytail swaying. "Oh? Where did the proud Mr. 'I-don't-care-about-anything' go?"
"I may be arrogant," Li Xuan said, straightening up, "but I'm not ungrateful."
She chuckled. "Good. Then go home before your aunt starts worrying."
He nodded. The reminder struck him like a pebble thrown at still water—small, but spreading ripples. His aunt would indeed panic if she came home early and found him gone. He'd already spent half the day chasing those ingredients. He turned to leave as Xiao Fengqi stepped toward the swirling vortex that hovered like a quiet storm in the corner of the chamber.
Zhen Lang followed her up the stairs to another floor. Li Xuan paused halfway, watching the old man's slow, deliberate steps. Anyone else might assume Zhen Lang was currying favor with the Xiao family, but Li Xuan saw something else in that gaze—an old loyalty, or perhaps debt, that had nothing to do with rank.
He pushed the thought aside and left.
Outside, the world felt quieter than before. Evening light pooled on the cobbled streets; vendors were packing up, their shouts fading into a low hum. By the time he reached his small house, the sun had already dipped behind the mountains. Hummingbirds darted through the shrubs, their music mingling with the sigh of the wind. It wasn't grand, but it was home.
Li Xuan stepped inside. The air was still warm from the day. As he entered his room, a faint pulse tingled in his palm—the feather mark on his skin began to glow, thin lines of light weaving upward until they converged in midair.
A figure formed from that glow.
Wusheng Xuebai appeared as if stepping out of a dream, her long hair flowing like drifting snow. Her smile curved with amusement. "That was so sweet, I almost cried," she teased.
Li Xuan gave her a flat look. "Did you expect me to act like a gold digger?"
Her laugh was light and melodic, echoing faintly around the room. "Hardly. Besides, the Heavenly Dao Fruit isn't of much use if it doesn't match your essence."
"Correspond with essence?" He leaned forward, genuinely curious. "What do you mean by that?"
She crossed her arms, floating an inch above the floor. "Every cultivator is born with a Wisdom Spiritual Essence—think of it as the root of their soul. It solidifies during the Foundation Realm and manifests its nature later. That girl's essence resonates with flame—it's inherited from an ancient powerhouse. The fruit simply amplifies what's already within her."
"An ancient powerhouse's… bloodline?" Li Xuan asked, eyes widening.
"Yes," Wusheng Xuebai said before he could finish. "A true bloodline. Her ancestors' will lives in her veins. With that, her growth will be terrifying."
He sat back, lips parting slightly. A person with a bloodline could borrow the wisdom of their ancestors, draw unprecedented ancient strength. In comparison, someone like him with no noble heritage, and no hidden lineage was little more than a grain of dust.
His thoughts drifted to the old Li family records. Their greatest ancestor had been a peak Honorable Spirit Ancestor, a man who'd once quelled rebellion in Jian State's palace. That glory had long faded.
"So she's destined for greatness," he murmured.
Wusheng Xuebai tilted her head. "And what about you? Still hoping you carry your family's bloodline?"
Li Xuan gave a dry laugh. "Wouldn't that be convenient?"
Her smile softened. "From what I see, you shouldn't even be able to cultivate at all."
The words should have stung, but his expression didn't change. He'd already lived through worse judgments.
"So that's why my strength stagnated at Three-Turns Foundation," he said quietly. "But if I'm that hopeless, why agree to be my teacher and yet you know there is no future for me'?"
Wusheng Xuebai sighed, her ethereal form dimming slightly. "Because resilience matters more than talent. You've clawed your way to Three Turns alone with no master and no backing. That effort is stupid resilience but it doesn't mean you are a dead end ."
She lowered herself gracefully until she hovered just above the ground, legs folding into a cross-legged posture. Then she gestured toward him. "Show me the items."
Li Xuan waved his hand, and several small boxes appeared, suspended in the air by a faint shimmer of energy.
Wusheng Xuebai lifted one slender finger. The lids flew open, revealing the treasures inside—the Yaochi Snow Ginseng, the Graveyard Lily, and the Thousand Eye Fungus. Their combined scent filled the room, sharp and intoxicating.
"Incredible," she breathed. "High-grade ingredients indeed."
"So now what?" Li Xuan asked, crossing his arms.
"Space lock," she whispered.
The air trembled making the wooden beams groan. A transparent dome spread outward not even from her but just from space ,sealing the room and expanding it into a larger hall that resembled an endless space covered by trees and a small pool of water . Outside sounds vanished; even the night breeze halted at the invisible boundary.
Li Xuan's mouth hung open. This was no ordinary trick even powerhouses he knew quiet well didn't possess such extraordinary ability . She just breathed and a new world literally from nothing, it was like this was in his imaginations
The rise of power of a human being basically began at the foundation level,this level didn't involve much manifestation of skills except simple ones, just solidifying ones wisdom spiritual essence as a spiritual space finally opened to allow spiritual energy to be absorbed. Once fully formed, a peak 9 turns foundation level master could unleash slashes and low hand fighting techniques.
After this level, human power begen advancing basing on different factors .From spirit lord and continuing to advance :Spirit monarch,half step spirit venerable, honorable spirit venerable, honorable spirit ancestor, origin spirit ancestor before stepping into the saint realm .
Li xuan had just learnt how to pronounce these cultivation levels that felt like climbing an endless mountain to reach . He had seen many people perform powerful techniques,the least he could compare this woman to was the academy principal to say .
"Sit," she commanded.
He obeyed, lowering himself to the floor, legs crossed and hands resting on his thighs.
"Do you understand why you haven't advanced in six months?" she asked.
"All I know," he said, "is that whenever I absorb spiritual energy, it feels like it disappears."
"No." Her tone sharpened. "The energy doesn't vanish. It remains trapped in you. Your true strength, as I see it, is already that of a Nine-Turns Foundation Master."
Li Xuan blinked, stunned. "Nine Turns? That's impossible…"
"The reason," she continued, "is that your meridians are disconnected. They can absorb energy, but they can't circulate it. Instead of flowing into your bones and mind, this makes impossible for you to wield ."
The realization struck like lightning. It explained everything—his sudden bursts of power, his endurance, his strange control. No wonder he could easily master the palm strike and handle attacks from the Zhao family's minions .
"No wonder I could mimic the instructor's palm strike so easily," he muttered, half to himself.
"To progress," Wusheng Xuebai said, "we'll have to break and reconnect your meridians."
Li Xuan looked up sharply. "Break them? Wouldn't that mean starting from nothing?"
She nodded without saying another word .
He exhaled slowly. Starting over would erase a year's worth of sweat and struggle, yet the thought of true advancement stirred something fierce in his chest.
Spiritual energy that resembled like a spirit flame began spilling from her body leaving traces in the air ,it coiled around the jade boxes turning them into a fuming liquid that spilled to the ground leaving the items floating in the air .
" feel my energy and try to break through to spirit lord ",she ordered.
Li xuan waved his hands into the air and then brought them back to rest on his thighs . He breathed in and began allowing the spiritual energy to spill into his body . with it surrounding him, there was no struggle at all to collect it . It just penetrated his body with ease but it's flaming nature made his skin feel like it was being stung after every trail of spiritual energy penetrated his body.
" don't stop "
He swallowed hard, trying to gather more spiritual energy but it felt like he was hitting the bottle neck anytime even if he had just began . It felt as if he has become a limit human being with no more spiritual energy needed which wasn't the case.
He swallowed hard again, pressing his eyes tightly shut as if opening then would utter something. He let the inflow be smooth.
Wusheng xuebai floating the air touched her forehead and a droplet if what resembled blood flew out ,she guided it into li Xuan forehead,it entered smoothly through his skin as if there wasn't even a barrier .
Wusheng Xuebai's expression softened, though her eyes burned with focus.
His body jerked, shoulders arching in the process .He opened his lips and coughed blood .