Chapter 6, A Grain of Sand, A World

Those who are able to join the sect are all exceptional individuals. The sect has set the illusion array as the first examination question; regardless of one's cultivation level, if one's will is not strong, they will be eliminated. This first question often disqualifies half of the candidates. With Xiao Ming's arrogance, he is likely to face difficulties after entering the sect

Xiao Lian'er understood the meaning upon hearing the words and looked at her with admiration, saying: "Miss had already reached the third level of Qi Refinement at the age of eight, how impressive."

Her consciousness sank into the dantian for the first time. The dantian resembled a pool of azure water, with a grain of white sand floating in the middle

"The blazing sun flower can be made into rouge? Haha, you really have quite the imagination! The blazing sun flower contains fire elements; if you make it into rouge, be careful not to burn your face into a monkey's backside!" Xiao Mingyi couldn't help but laugh at the thought. After laughing, she ordered Xiao Lian'er, "Once it's done, you should try applying it; I want to see if it will turn into a monkey's backside!"

Xiao Mingyi said nothing and turned to leave

She will consume the flowers one by one

A few flowers wilted after two days, and Xiao Ming Yi did not come to the wooden house again. Xiao Lian Er quietly collected the petals. After seven or eight days, she gathered all the wilted flowers and buried the withered stems in the soil

Xiao Lian'er felt a tightness in her heart. The flower had clearly withered. After she plucked the petals, she buried the flower stem. Xiao Mingyi's question must have stemmed from lingering suspicion, realizing that she had only buried the stem. Without blinking, she lied: "I saw that the flower was bright red and collected the petals to try making rouge."

Xiao Mingyi let out a hum, pointing at Xiao Lian'er and said: "Are you also like Shui Xin, feeling so pleased with yourself just because you know that Ming'er will be following me to the Yuandao Sect? Don't forget Shui Xin's fate!"

"Miss, could you show some mercy? I can no longer continue, can I?" Xiao Lian'er pleaded with a sorrowful face, persistently imploring Xiao Mingyi.

On a spring morning, the sunlight cascades down from the mountain peak, illuminating several white jade gates nestled within the mountains, sparkling like jewels. A wide stone staircase leads directly from the foot of the mountain to the summit, disappearing into the mist. The grandeur of the sect's presence is overwhelming.

Only a wisp was absorbed, and the fine sand came to a halt, emitting a faint luster

Can it absorb the medicinal power within the meridians? Xiao Lian'er was astonished

The fiery elements produced by the blazing sunflowers were increasing. Upon consuming the last flower, Xiao Lian'er felt as if she had swallowed a piece of burning coal. It scorched her forehead, causing beads of sweat to form, and a dull pain began to throb in her lower abdomen

It is said that ten thousand years ago, the founding master of the Yuandao Sect, Yuantongzi, traveled here and praised it as a land blessed by heaven. He then used his great supernatural powers to expel the demonic beasts from the peak. He occupied the entire mountain peak, established a protective formation, and founded the sect.

On the day before his departure, Xiao Ming accompanied the master and his wife to pay respects at the ancestral hall and bid farewell to their relatives, thus not being at home. No one would come to the medicinal garden in the courtyard to look for him. Xiao Lian'er decided to take a bold step and consume all twenty-four petals of the blazing sun flower at once, in an attempt to see if it could dissolve the final thin layer of medicinal power outside his dantian.

The entire Canglan Continent takes pride in cultivating immortality, and anyone with potential aspires to join a prestigious sect. The Yuandao Sect recruits disciples every March. The road to Qingmu Mountain is extremely crowded.

Nearly ten years have passed, and I have finally returned to Tianqiong Peak. Xiao Lian'er felt a sudden dryness in her eyes. Gazing at the mountain peak hidden deep within the white clouds, a surge of hatred stirred within her, causing her body to tremble slightly

Having dug a proper hole, Xiao Lian'er carefully placed the flower inside

She flew down continuously along a bottomless glacier crevice. She did not know how long she had been flying. The harsh winds of the northern desert were left far behind her. She entered a tranquil world. The luminous stone in her hand emitted a faint blue light, illuminating the surrounding crystalline glaciers.

She reached out her hand, joyfully wanting to catch it

Cold Crystal Orchid

... ...

Xiao Lian'er adopted a low-profile demeanor, which greatly satisfied the vanity of He Tushu and Xiao Mingyi. She tilted her mouth and said: "As long as you understand, that's enough"

The excessive fire element, not yet fully dissolved with the medicinal crystal, had already begun to cause a faint pain in her consciousness

Xiao Lian'er lowered her eyes, secretly sighing about how she ended up following such a wealthy young lady. Before she could open all her meridians, she had to rely on Xiao Mingyi. Inevitably, she would have to find ways to guide her in establishing a foothold within the sect.

As I turned the mountain path, a sudden clarity unfolded before me. Tianqiong Peak rises majestically from the vast plain, its grandeur imposing. The summit of the mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist, and one can faintly see soaring white cranes amidst the green trees and the palatial pavilions.

Unfortunately, I have been delayed at home and have not been able to break through to the fourth level of Qi Refinement. However, I am only ten years old, and with my aptitude, I should be able to break through quickly once I enter the sect. Xiao Ming said with a pout, "I would like to participate in the sect examination and compare myself with my future senior brothers and sisters. However, there are too many people, and I am too lazy to squeeze in. It would be better to enter the sect directly with the jade token given by my father."

"Just a few useless flowers, why is she so happy?" Xiao Mingyi mumbled, glancing at Xiao Lian'er a few more times.

The tone is quite regretful

The door was suddenly flung open, the bolt breaking. The wooden door made a loud clanging sound

Xiao Lian'er was once again taken aback. She decided to refrain from using the fiery sun flower for the time being, lest Xiao Mingyi become suspicious.

If Xiao Mingyi wants to see it, she can only lie and say she took it to the cosmetics shop in the city. Anyway, she has to go to Yuandao Sect early tomorrow morning, and Xiao Lian'er doesn't have time to investigate.

"I will do my utmost," Xiao Lian'er immediately declared

She sat cross-legged in meditation. Her consciousness guided the fire elements to refine the medicinal crystal layer. The crystal layer emitted layers of mist, which seeped out from the pores of her entire body. The mist grew denser, gradually enveloping her completely. A layer of white frost formed on her eyebrows and eyelashes. She felt a warmth in her dantian, while her skin felt as if it were pressed against ice and snow. The alternating sensations of hot and cold caused her to tremble slightly.

Xiao Lian'er sighed inwardly

She dreamed of being in the northern desert

Soon, that row of sunflowers bloomed in full glory

"Alright, take a good rest. If you are late tomorrow, I will whip you." Xiao Mingyi gave a few reminders before turning around and leaving

The snow-white little finger pointed at her own nose. The words spoken by the ten-year-old girl carried the weight of a life.

The crack has reached its end. A hint of green has appeared in the ice layer beneath my feet

Yes. Xiao Lian'er filled a whole basket, feeling secretly reluctant. However, Xiao Mingyi said that if it is to be buried, it must be buried. Any complications would only detract from its beauty.

She proudly pointed out to Xiao Lian'er: "The sect only accepts disciples under the age of 15, and they must have reached at least the first level of Qi Refinement. A single constitution is preferred. If one is over 15 and has not broken through to the third level of Qi Refinement, they can only become a servant disciple."

She immediately knelt down and said with a trembling voice: "I, as a servant, am well aware that I lack the aptitude for cultivating immortality, so how could I dare to feel any pride? It is already a blessing I have earned over several lifetimes that the young lady has graciously agreed to take me into the immortal sect."

Xiao Mingyi only needs to test her cultivation level and does not have to participate in the sect assessment to gain entry. She sat in the carriage, lifted the curtain, and looked at the groups of people laboriously making their way to the Yuan Dao Sect assessment, a sense of superiority rising within her

Every year, during peak times, thousands of people come to seek apprenticeship. The Yuandao Sect only accepts one hundred individuals each year

Xiao Lian'er awoke with a start from her dream

Seeing her reluctant expression, Xiao Mingyi thought to herself that after entering the sect, Xiao Lian'er would still need to serve her loyally. Xiao Mingyi did not care much for the worthless blazing sun flower. She waved her hand and said, "Forget it, don't bury it. You can take it back to your room and put it in a vase."

Yuan Dao Sect has developed over several generations, constructing countless temples and halls from the foot of the mountain to the peak. It has gathered one hundred thousand disciples, yet occupies only a quarter of Tianqiong Peak, leaving ample space for disciples to practice their cultivation.

Fortunately, Xiao Mingyi is only ten years old, with a lively mind. After laughing, she thought of another idea: "If spiritual herbs can be used to make rouge and powder, that would be great. You should study it diligently; perhaps in the future, you could make some cosmetics for me."

So close yet unattainable, Xiao Lian'er’s gaze revolves around the flowers all day long

The fine grain of sand slowly rotated, and a thread of the medicinal crystal that had blocked the meridians was unexpectedly drawn into it.

Xiao Lian'er let out a sigh of relief. She suddenly realized that there was something unusual within her body. Upon probing with her spiritual sense, she joyfully discovered that the layer of medicinal power crystallization that had been shrouding her dantian was no longer present. The dantian was now revealed.

Her consciousness withdrew from the dantian. She instinctively felt that this grain of sand was related to the cold crystal orchid she had ingested. However, she was not quite clear on the specifics of the matter

She fell asleep peacefully

The hierarchy between the mountain gates is clearly defined. Disciples from the outer mountain gate must be at least at the mid-stage of the fourth level of Qi Refinement to cross over to the front mountain gate. The disciples are broadly categorized into outer disciples and inner disciples, with the middle mountain gate serving as the boundary. Only those true disciples who enter the inner mountain gate constitute the core strength of the sect

Xiao Lian'er was reluctant to give up, gritting her teeth as she forcefully controlled the energy sphere, desperately crashing it towards her dantian. A loud bang echoed in her mind, and her vision went dark as she collapsed softly onto the bed.

Xiao Mingyi wandered into the medicinal herb garden and, feeling somewhat irritated by the sight of the flowers, called out to Xiao Lian'er to pick them: "I am tired of looking at these flowers. Pick them and bury them in the ground."

That hint of greenery flew towards her, like fish swimming freely in the water, gently breaking through the sealed cold ice, coming her way

Between the Outer Mountain Gate and the Front Mountain Gate lies a broad expanse of hills and plains at the base of the peaks. Here, large areas of spiritual fields and medicinal gardens have been established, cultivating spiritual rice, vegetables, and low-grade spiritual herbs needed for the meals of the Qi Refinement disciples of the Yuan Dao Sect. Low-grade spiritual beasts are raised specifically for meat. The labor is carried out by outer disciples who have entered the initial stage of Qi Refinement and by miscellaneous disciples.

Regardless of the circumstances, it can absorb the medicinal power from the meridians, which is undoubtedly beneficial for itself

The sunflowers that were picked were placed in a large, round ceramic jar. Xiao Ming observed this and felt that he had been overly suspicious.

Qingmu Mountain extends in an east-west direction, spanning across the plain, with a long and narrow shape, stretching for tens of thousands of miles

If this continues, the consciousness will surely be harmed

Xiao Lian'er was taken aback, her eyes brightening: "This servant thanks the young lady!"

It was already dark. She had actually slept for such a long time. Seeing Xiao Mingyi standing at the door, her snow-white face was tightly drawn. She hurriedly got out of bed and bowed, saying: "Miss, I overslept and did not hear you calling me"

On the second day, before dawn, Xiao Lian'er climbed onto Xiao Mingyi's carriage with a small bundle and set off for the Yuandao Sect

At the center of the mountain range rises a peak that pierces the clouds. The summit is not abrupt; it resembles a curved dome inverted within the mountain, akin to an eyeball. This gives the entire Qingmu Mountain Range the appearance of a half-open, half-closed eye, hence its name.

After all, the child, Xiao Mingyi, has an exceptionally strong curiosity: "What do you keep the petals of the blazing sun flower for?"

Perhaps the blood splattered on Shui Xin's neck affected Xiao Mingyi's mood. In the days that followed, she did not ask Xiao Lian'er to send the blazing sunflowers for arranging in a vase

The Tianqiong Peak rises to great heights, covering an area of several hundred miles. Within the mountain lies a vast spiritual vein. The spiritual energy oozes from the crevices of the rocky walls, forming ethereal clouds. Thousands of spiritual springs cascade down, and when illuminated by sunlight, a magnificent rainbow arches gracefully across the mountains.

As one ascends towards the peak, the spiritual energy becomes increasingly dense. The Yuan Dao Sect has established the Outer Mountain Gate, Front Mountain Gate, Middle Mountain Gate, and Inner Mountain Gate in accordance with the varying levels of cultivation from bottom to top