A New Face, A New Path

Chi Qiu gazed at the person-height bronze mirror before her. Within its polished surface, a face more refined and noble than before reflected back.

Though a hint of childishness still lingered, her brows and eyes somehow exuded an increasingly captivating, almost bewitching charm the longer one looked. Even Chi Qiu herself found it hard to resist after prolonged scrutiny.

She shifted her gaze, stepping back several paces to reveal her entire figure in the mirror. The young woman reflected wore a loose, plain grey robe, yet it failed to conceal her perfectly sculpted physique.

Two flawlessly curved, fair thighs were exposed, resembling the finest quality suet jade, utterly mesmerizing.

Observing herself, so utterly feminine after only a few days, Chi Qiu felt an inexpressible bitterness welling within her heart. As a powerful body cultivator, once known for her ruthless actions and fierce fighting style, witnessing her own gradual transformation into a more alluring figure was deeply unsettling.

Such a situation, even for Chi Qiu, who possessed immense resilience and had faced countless setbacks, was momentarily unacceptable. Even the joy of having just transcended the mortal realm and entered the path of cultivation was significantly dampened.

At least after transcending, my appearance won’t undergo any more drastic changes, Chi Qiu consoled herself. Resigned, she simply turned the bronze mirror to face the wall, out of sight, out of mind.

Having turned the mirror, Chi Qiu picked up the white page that recorded the ‘Moon Gaze Treasure Canon’. The previous characters swiftly vanished, transforming into tiny specks of dust that scattered with the wind.

Then, smaller, more densely packed characters reappeared. The text was divided into two sections: the upper section contained the cultivation method for the Spirit Nourishing Realm, while the lower section detailed an attack art.

Chi Qiu had previously noted in the national treasury catalog her desire for a cultivation method accompanied by an attack art. Now, she had clearly reached the realm where she could begin practicing this art.

A cultivator’s combat prowess was invariably linked to three factors: their cultivation realm, their accompanying arts, and their spiritual treasures or artifacts.

Cultivation methods formed the most crucial foundation for practitioners, used to elevate their realms. These methods were divided into varying grades, with cultivators typically classifying their profundity into three tiers: Heaven, Earth, and Human.

Those exceptionally profound Heaven-tier methods were often circulated only among the Nine Great Sects of Daqi, who held transcendent status. For instance, the ‘Tianyan Method’ cultivated by Su Hanxing was the prized treasure of the Tianyan Sect.

In contrast, the method Chi Qiu had previously practiced was merely a Human-tier method. Not only was its cultivation speed incredibly slow, but the spiritual energy it stored was also pitifully scarce.

Secret arts, also known as techniques or secret techniques, encompassed an extremely broad range. Whether they were offensive arts for battling enemies, escape arts for travel or evasion, or even control arts that directly targeted the soul, all could be categorized as ‘arts’.

Given the vast disparities in their power, the Heaven, Earth, and Human tiers were insufficient for detailed classification. Therefore, secret arts were divided into nine grades, with the first grade being the strongest and the ninth grade the weakest.

Executing a secret art required the support of one’s cultivation realm. If a Spirit Nourishing Realm cultivator rashly attempted to unleash a first-grade secret art, they would be unable to manifest even a fraction of its power, even if they sacrificed their life.

Aside from cultivation methods and secret arts, there existed a special category: divine abilities. Divine abilities were exceedingly rare and not constrained by the classifications of methods or secret arts.

For example, the divine ability Chi Qiu had acquired years ago, ‘Intertwined Gold’, possessed formidable combat capabilities, could temper the physical body, and the ‘Void Gold Qi’ flowing within her body was extremely potent against spiritual treasures.

Given the rarity and power of divine abilities, they were simply divided into two tiers: Greater Divine Abilities and Lesser Divine Abilities. ‘Intertwined Gold’ belonged to the Lesser Divine Ability tier.

Chi Qiu brought the page closer, meticulously reading the lower section. It detailed an eighth-grade sword art named ‘Moonlit Sky’. When cultivated to mastery, it could harness the power of Lunar spiritual energy to combat foes, making its potency significantly greater when used at night.

Due to its relatively low grade, Chi Qiu didn’t take long to grasp the essentials of the sword art. However, having no prior foundation in swordsmanship, even with understanding, she found it difficult to execute.

Chi Qiu put down the page and fell into contemplation. Although she had recovered some of her cultivation, it was still insufficient in the Daqi Imperial City, where experts abounded.

Breaking through to the next realm or successfully cultivating ‘Moonlit Sky’ would both consume a significant amount of time. Perhaps it would be better to leave the Imperial City and roam the continent as she once did.

She could seek opportunities while simultaneously cultivating her realm and honing her swordsmanship. This way, her enemies would also find it harder to track her down — a truly multi-beneficial approach.

Furthermore, there was her current dwelling. Chi Qiu glanced around the small hut that had been her home for the past few months. It was dilapidated and messy, devoid of tables or chairs.

The only furniture inside consisted of a brazier, a bronze mirror, and that meditation mat. Chi Qiu ate, cultivated, and even slept on that mat.

Previously, it hadn’t mattered; her physical body had been robust. She could have slept on a pile of stones and still rested peacefully. Now, however, it was entirely different.

Each morning, Chi Qiu awoke feeling sore and uncomfortable all over, a sensation that only subsided after she completed her body tempering with Lunar spiritual energy.

Chi Qiu made up her mind. She first dressed neatly, concealed her appearance, and left the thatched cottage, walking for about half an hour to a nearby market.

Since her cultivation had not yet reached the Heart Scripture Realm, her storage spiritual treasure, the green ring, was still unusable. Thus, Chi Qiu spent some copper coins to buy a cloth bag for her luggage.

She then went to a weapon smithy and purchased a refined iron sword of the same length and width as the Azure Frost Sword. Afterward, she visited a martial arts hall and acquired a few introductory mortal sword manuals.

Chi Qiu, being familiar with such preparations, also bought all the other travel essentials like pots and bowls. As she prepared to leave the market, she recalled the full-length bronze mirror she had recently bought for the hut.

Naturally, Chi Qiu couldn’t take the large mirror with her. After a brief moment of hesitation, she bought a small, exquisite palm-sized bronze mirror to carry.

This small mirror was quite expensive. The shop owner, delighted to have such a generous customer, even gifted Chi Qiu some polishing paste for its maintenance.

Chi Qiu herself didn’t know why she had bought this mirror. She didn’t want to think about it, nor did she dare to. She only knew that she truly wanted it, so she bought it.

Loaded with her purchases, Chi Qiu jogged all the way back to her small thatched cottage. She first packed the remaining spiritual jades into the cloth bag, then neatly arranged the wooden box containing spiritual elixirs inside.

The flying boat, which Chi Qiu was still unable to activate, was also tossed into the cloth bag. Following this, Chi Qiu picked up a sword sheath.

She had searched for a long time at the weapon smithy specifically for this. The scabbard had two slots, capable of holding two long swords, thus allowing her to carry both the iron sword and the Azure Frost Sword.

When traveling, one naturally needed to be cautious; Chi Qiu understood the importance of not flaunting one’s wealth. The refined iron sword would suffice for ordinary situations, reserving the Azure Frost Sword for moments of danger.

After packing, Chi Qiu slung the cloth bag onto her back, hung the sword sheath at her waist, and placed the green ring on her little finger. She had initially wanted to take the meditation mat, but it was simply too cumbersome to carry, so she reluctantly left it behind.

The cloth bag was not light, but fortunately, Chi Qiu’s body, tempered by spiritual energy, possessed strength far exceeding that of mortals, making it effortless to carry. Chi Qiu donned her cloak and a bamboo hat, from which a light veil draped down, obscuring her face.

After a final glance at the small hut she had inhabited for several months, Chi Qiu departed, following the stream downstream.

Chi Qiu’s steps were swift. An hour later, she had traveled over fifty li. Here, the small stream converged into a great river, known as the Python River.

It spanned over ten li in width, and its length extended for an unknown myriad of li. This was also the primary waterway leading to the Imperial City within Daqi, bustling with countless merchant ships daily.

Chi Qiu walked along the riverside path towards the lower reaches. Months ago, she had arrived at the Imperial City by merchant ship, and this time, she intended to continue south along the Python River.

After walking just over ten li, Chi Qiu noticed a small boat rapidly approaching her. She focused her gaze, and it turned out to be Su Hanxing, whom she hadn’t seen in days.

The small boat was less than a zhang long, and apart from Su Hanxing, there was nothing else on it. Chi Qiu stopped to wait; the boat’s speed was astonishing, clearly indicating that Su Hanxing was coming to find her.

In just a few breaths, the small boat reached the shore. Su Hanxing, clad in a white robe with his hair casually unbound, brought the boat to a halt and lightly leaped ashore, landing beside Chi Qiu.

“By your appearance, you must have transcended the mortal realm and entered the path of cultivation. Are you in such a hurry to leave the Imperial City so soon?” Su Hanxing’s gaze seemed to pierce through the light veil. His face initially showed astonishment, but he quickly composed himself, displaying his usual smile.

“I have few friends and many enemies in the Imperial City, so naturally, I must avoid them,” Chi Qiu muttered under her breath, displeased that Su Hanxing had found her again, yet daring not to show it.

“Then I am truly fortunate to be considered a friend of Miss Chi. Would you care to come aboard for a chat?” Su Hanxing chuckled, perhaps feigning ignorance of Chi Qiu’s veiled meaning, and invited her onto the boat.

Chi Qiu saw Su Hanxing deliberately misinterpreting her words. Annoyed but unwilling to argue, she simply nodded in agreement.

Chi Qiu’s reaction was, of course, within Su Hanxing’s expectations. He was intimately familiar with the aloof personality of his old rival, who was both friend and foe. However, he hadn’t expected Chi Qiu to accept the appellation “Miss Chi” so readily. Still, jokes had their limits, and Su Hanxing understood this, so he said nothing further and invited Chi Qiu onto the small boat.

There were two wooden chairs on the small boat, clearly indicating Su Hanxing had specifically come for Chi Qiu. Chi Qiu sat down without ceremony on the inner chair, then removed her bamboo hat and tidied her slightly disheveled blue hair.

Su Hanxing froze the moment Chi Qiu removed her hat. His gaze was glued to her face, his pupils trembling slightly as they darted across her features. Seeing Su Hanxing in such a state, Chi Qiu inexplicably felt her cheeks flush.

She forced herself to remain calm, re-donned her hat, and asked, “Is it… very beautiful?”

Su Hanxing, seeing Chi Qiu put her hat back on, showed a hint of regret in his eyes. Hearing Chi Qiu’s slightly cold question, he resumed his smile and replied, “Indeed, you have blossomed into an even more captivating person.”

Chi Qiu was momentarily speechless. After a long pause, she finally responded, “I’m not here to hear that.”

Su Hanxing, taking the hint, stopped teasing Chi Qiu. He reminded himself internally that this was the same Chi Qiu who had once beaten him black and blue. Although her physical body was now that of a graceful young maiden, her soul remained unchanged.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he found Chi Qiu’s former tall, burly, and fierce appearance gradually fading. Now, the Chi Qiu in his mind was, no matter how he thought of her, an endearing young maiden with blue hair and blue eyes.

Su Hanxing forcibly suppressed his wild thoughts and spoke, “Your ‘Intertwined Gold’ divine ability is far too enticing. Previously, you kept a low profile, so few knew of this divine ability. But your performance in the tournament was too stunning, and coupled with your current drop in cultivation, many sects are now coveting your divine ability.”

Chi Qiu’s face behind the veil instantly turned cold. She didn’t believe that surrendering the divine ability would allow her to escape unscathed. If those influential sects decided to act against her, even with her cultivation intact, she would have no chance of victory.

“This… is indeed extremely troublesome,” Chi Qiu said, unsure how to proceed. Should she say that ‘Intertwined Gold’ could no longer be cultivated by anyone? No one would believe it. Those old foxes would only cease their pursuit once they held the divine ability in their own hands, and by then, she would long be a pile of dry bones.

“You needn’t worry so much. I have a solution. The divine ability is currently in my possession, and I have fully memorized it. Later, you and I will jointly present this divine ability to His Majesty, the Emperor of Daqi.

“Firstly, we can receive His Majesty’s reward. Secondly, those who covet the divine ability will give up once they realize it is no longer in your hands.” Su Hanxing, seeing Chi Qiu’s distress, quickly informed her of his plan.

After all, he had just begun to comprehend ‘Intertwined Gold’ himself and would undoubtedly use it in future battles. This was also a way to resolve a troublesome matter for himself.

Chi Qiu pondered carefully for a moment, then looked up at Su Hanxing, her blue eyes flickering slightly. “That is indeed feasible, truly feasible.”

Divine abilities were unlike cultivation methods or secret arts; they could not be recorded in books. Only the creator of a divine ability could fashion a token for its inheritance. This was why, when Su Hanxing came to demand the divine ability, Chi Qiu had directly given him the ancient profound iron.

Even if Chi Qiu herself had learned the method, she couldn’t teach it to others; one needed to obtain the inheritance token.

“Then, many thanks,” Chi Qiu said, cupping her fists in a respectful bow to express her gratitude.

“There’s no time to lose; let’s depart as soon as possible.” Su Hanxing’s face lit up with joy upon Chi Qiu’s agreement. He then summoned his Jade Sand Skiff and transferred a small pile of spiritual jades from his storage spiritual treasure, beckoning Chi Qiu to board.

Chi Qiu pushed off with her legs, leaping directly onto the Jade Sand Skiff. She watched as Su Hanxing inserted the entire small pile, perhaps dozens of spiritual jades, into a slot on the skiff’s deck, and her mouth twitched slightly.

“This matter is of great importance, so naturally, we must race against time. If the Jade Sand Skiff were to fly self-sufficiently, it would take five hours to reach His Majesty’s envoy. But with spiritual jades, it won’t even take half an hour,” Su Hanxing explained to Chi Qiu, who stood dumbfounded.

Chi Qiu silently sat on the long couch. She was, of course, aware of Su Hanxing’s immense wealth; just their previous skirmish had seen her destroy over a hundred of his spiritual treasures.

A rumbling sound erupted.

The Jade Sand Skiff, satiated with spiritual jades, began to accelerate rapidly, reaching an incredible speed in just a few breaths. Yet, Chi Qiu on board felt no undue sensation; it remained as steady as a mountain.

“I already contacted His Majesty’s attendant before I came. I was originally thinking of tying you up and bringing you if you disagreed, but it seems that won’t be necessary now,” Su Hanxing said as he dropped the last spiritual jade into a hole on the skiff’s deck, then turned and sat before Chi Qiu.

“I wouldn’t be that foolish. Thank you. If you hadn’t told me, I might have died without even understanding why.” Chi Qiu didn’t mind Su Hanxing’s remark about tying her up; at this moment, her heart was filled with gratitude. After all, Su Hanxing could have simply ignored her, presented the divine ability alone, and still received the imperial family’s commendation.

“There’s no need for further thanks. I took your divine ability and even extracted the Void Gold Qi from your original body. I already owe you a tremendous favor; this is merely a small recompense. The distance to His Majesty’s envoy is about four thousand li; we’ll arrive in another half an hour,” Su Hanxing interrupted Chi Qiu’s continued thanks.

Half an hour passed in a flash. Along the way, Chi Qiu finally let go of her prejudice against Su Hanxing. Although he had turned her into this, at least he had returned to save her life. Moreover, this new body possessed extremely strong cultivation talent, far exceeding anything Chi Qiu had ever seen in her life, and its young age meant its cultivation potential was undoubtedly far greater than her previous body’s.

The Jade Sand Skiff gradually decelerated. Ahead stood a massive pavilion, roughly a hundred zhang tall. Su Hanxing maneuvered the skiff to a halt before the pavilion, where a figure was already waiting.

The person stood nearly nine chi tall, clad in a black and gold robe, with deep brown carved boots. They stood with hands clasped behind their back, facing away from the two, yet Chi Qiu felt waves of oppression. This person’s strength was undoubtedly terrifying.

“Your Highness, why are you waiting here?” Su Hanxing’s usually composed expression faltered slightly; the newcomer’s status seemed extraordinary.

“Recently, my Hall of Marvelous Treasures has had a lack of trivial matters. Today, I happened to be passing by and heard you won first place in the tournament, so I came to meet you,” the man said, turning to face Su Hanxing.

Chi Qiu removed her bamboo hat and looked up at the man. He appeared to be in his thirties, with an extraordinary bearing. Though a smile played on his lips, his eyes held no mirth, making it difficult to discern his true thoughts.

“So that’s how it is. Your Highness, this is Chi Qiu, seventh on the Daqi Prodigy Ranking. Chi Qiu, this is Prince Qi Wuhui, the Martial King, and Hall Master of this Hall of Marvelous Treasures,” Su Hanxing said, nodding in understanding, then introduced them to each other.

Surname Qi? Chi Qiu’s heart jolted. No wonder Su Hanxing called him ‘Your Highness’; he was a member of the imperial family. She had long heard of the Hall of Marvelous Treasures, the largest treasure trading venue within Daqi. So, this Hall of Marvelous Treasures was actually managed by the imperial family?

Immediately, Chi Qiu dared not be careless and bowed respectfully. “Your Highness.”

“Hehehehe… merely a hall master of a branch, it’s nothing significant,” Qi Wuhui said with a laugh, shaking his head. He then looked at Chi Qiu. “I heard a rogue cultivator entered the top eight this time. That must be you, I presume? I didn’t expect it to be a woman. Eh? How is it that you’ve only just transcended?”

Chi Qiu was momentarily speechless, unsure where to begin. Fortunately, Su Hanxing interjected promptly. “When I fought her, I used the Soul Transference Art to extract her soul. Afterward, her soul entered a new physical body, thus losing all her cultivation.”

Even with Qi Wuhui’s extensive knowledge and composure, he was stunned for a moment upon hearing Su Hanxing’s words. He then spoke again, “So it was the Soul Transference Art. Young lady, you are quite magnanimous. Young Su caused you to lose all your cultivation, yet you can still accompany him here to me.”

Chi Qiu wanted to explain but found it difficult to speak, so she could only give an awkward smile. “Your Highness overpraises me.”

“Your Highness, this is the divine ability Chi Qiu wishes to present,” Su Hanxing said, finding Chi Qiu’s expression amusing. However, he didn’t forget the main purpose. He took out the ancient profound iron from his bracelet and respectfully handed it to Qi Wuhui.

“Oh? Let me examine it.” Qi Wuhui took the ancient profound iron from Su Hanxing and closed his eyes, beginning to comprehend it.

Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing naturally dared not disturb Qi Wuhui, who stood with closed eyes. They simply waited quietly. Fortunately, Qi Wuhui did not contemplate for too long; after just a dozen breaths, he opened his eyes again.

“This method is exceptionally profound, truly remarkable. Its grade should be that of a Lesser Divine Ability,” Qi Wuhui praised with a nod. “From my examination, this item can be comprehended at most two more times before it dissipates into thin air. It seems not only will I gain a new divine ability, but my Hall of Marvelous Treasures will also have another divine ability to sell.”

Qi Wuhui appeared extremely pleased. It was important to note that the inheritance tokens for these divine abilities usually allowed only one or two people to comprehend them. After reaching their limit, they would lose their spiritual essence and turn to dust.

The fact that it could still be comprehended twice meant this divine ability could be sold twice more. According to Qi Wuhui’s earlier words, he himself intended to comprehend this method, meaning that after his comprehension, the Hall of Marvelous Treasures could still sell this item.

“Your Highness, cultivating ‘Intertwined Gold’ also requires Void Gold Qi, but this Void Gold vanished ten thousand years ago. Does Your Highness have a way to find a substitute material?” Su Hanxing asked with slight hesitation, seeing Qi Wuhui’s delight.

“Hahahaha, Young Su, you don’t know this, but while Void Gold indeed stopped appearing ten thousand years ago, our Daqi has existed since antiquity, and His Majesty the Emperor has ruled this land for endless years. The Void Gold that disappeared ten thousand years ago is naturally present in Daqi’s national treasury!” Qi Wuhui burst into hearty laughter, his mood excellent.

Su Hanxing and Chi Qiu exchanged glances, both seeing shock in the other’s eyes. The power of Daqi, this colossal entity, was truly terrifyingly profound.

“This item is useful to me. Let me think about what I should give in exchange for this divine ability…” After his joy subsided, Qi Wuhui stroked his chin, falling into contemplation.

“It would be best if Your Highness could make use of it. This divine ability was offered by the two of us voluntarily, without seeking any reward,” Chi Qiu said, cupping her fists in a bow. Qi Wuhui’s status was transcendent, and she dared not ask for more, only hoping he would quickly list this item in the Hall of Marvelous Treasures so that all the major sects would know the divine ability had changed hands.

“Little fellow, you truly are a rogue cultivator by birth, overly cautious. Our Daqi does not engage in such bullying of juniors,” Qi Wuhui said with a smile, walking closer to Chi Qiu. He flicked her head with his finger and then added, “You, young lady, are exceptionally charming. Don’t worry. In the eyes of our Daqi, there is no difference between rogue cultivators and sect disciples; all are citizens of Daqi.

“Since a citizen of Daqi is willing to offer a treasure, then our Daqi will certainly not treat them unfairly.”

Su Hanxing, standing by, saw Qi Wuhui repeatedly call Chi Qiu ‘young lady’ and even flick her head. He wanted to laugh but dared not. This Prince Qi, titled Martial King, likely still didn’t know Chi Qiu’s former identity.

Chi Qiu, whose head had been flicked, winced and covered it. Seeing this important figure playfully joking with her, she could only feign obedience and nod, secretly lamenting that having a good appearance might not be such a bad thing after all.

“I’ve got it! Since your divine ability can still be comprehended twice, I shall grant you both an opportunity to comprehend another divine ability. Come, follow me into the hall.” Qi Wuhui put away the ancient profound iron, turned, and walked into the Hall of Marvelous Treasures behind him. Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing stood stunned for a moment, then their faces broke into expressions of delight. This trade was indeed too valuable.