The Power of Environment

When Li Yunxi spoke, her words were laced with palpable envy. It was understandable, however; her two companions, who had joined the Luoshen Sect at the same time as her, had already reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, while she remained stuck at the First Layer.

Cultivation aptitudes varied greatly from person to person. Bai Lan and Xue Linglong, in particular, possessed top-tier aptitudes, far surpassing those of ordinary cultivators.

Indeed, it was unlikely that the entire Luoshen Sect could produce a third individual whose talent could rival theirs, let alone Li Yunxi.

“Ahem, well, Sister Yunxi, aptitude is a mysterious thing, quite inexplicable. You really shouldn’t dwell on it too much. Didn’t Elder Qiu say not to envy others? Every person is a unique existence in this world.”

“Perhaps aptitude can dictate the speed of cultivation, but it certainly doesn’t determine how far you’ll go in the future. Besides, aptitudes can be changed,” Xue Linglong explained, clearly discerning the inferiority complex in Li Yunxi’s heart.

Knowing that someone harbored such negative emotions, Xue Linglong felt compelled to help alleviate them. A cultivator whose heart was burdened by too many negative emotions would inevitably encounter problems sooner or later.

“I—I know,” Li Yunxi conceded. “I’m just a little curious, curious about what level of aptitude you two truly possess. It’s a shame the sect doesn’t conduct detailed aptitude tests right now; we have to wait another two and a half years for that.”

Li Yunxi sighed, her gaze lingering on them.

Bai Lan merely cast a fleeting glance at the two conversing, then lowered her head, seemingly engrossed in something on the ground.

A large chest blocks the view of one’s toes. It’s true. Damn it, why does this wretched body have such large breasts? Should I just cut them off? Bai Lan’s mind was consumed by self-loathing.

While men might appreciate women with larger chests, it didn’t necessarily equate to a positive trait within a man’s own perception. In the eyes of a normal male, a woman with a good figure often invited unwanted attention and harassment.

As she closed her eyes, her mind replayed a jumble of terms from her previous life, the most prominent being ‘big chest, no brain.’ It wasn’t that Bai Lan couldn’t approach her new body with equanimity; it was simply impossible at this moment.

This was a pure clash between her male mindset and her female form. Even if a woman’s soul were to inhabit a man’s body, adaptation would not occur quickly.

“Sister Linglong, Sister Bai Lan, why has she gone quiet again? She seems so melancholy,” Li Yunxi remarked after a brief exchange with Xue Linglong, shifting her attention back to Bai Lan.

“Eh? This, well, I don’t quite know how to put it. Sister Bai, she… she seems to be struggling to adapt to her rapidly developing body,” Xue Linglong admitted, a slight headache forming.

“Ah?”

Li Yunxi’s brow furrowed at the statement. She cast a bewildered look at Bai Lan, taking in her curvaceous figure. A careful comparison to Bai Lan from half a year prior revealed a drastic, almost unrecognizable transformation.

“Pfft! Haha, no way! Sister Bai Lan, you can’t truly be troubled by such an enviable body, can you? Honestly, if I had the choice, I’d willingly give up ten years—no, twenty years of my life to have your figure and face!” Li Yunxi teased.

Upon hearing Li Yunxi’s playful jab, Bai Lan immediately rolled her eyes. She then turned to Li Yunxi, her expression remarkably serious, and replied, “You’re not me. How would you possibly know if I like this kind of figure?”

Bai Lan’s retort was sharp, instantly silencing Li Yunxi and leaving her speechless. Yet, in her heart, Li Yunxi couldn’t help but wonder if Bai Lan’s mind was somewhat unusual. What woman would ever reject a good figure?

Soon, they arrived at the entrance to the Luoshen Sect’s core area, which functioned as a small sect market where many items could be purchased. Near the entrance, a mission board prominently displayed available tasks.

An inner sect disciple stood guard there, overseeing the numerous outer sect disciples who came to collect missions. The area buzzed with people coming and going.

Upon arriving, Bai Lan realized that very few gazes actually lingered on her. Ultimately, she had been overthinking things; with no one truly staring, the self-imposed pressure she felt naturally dissipated.

This was precisely why Xue Linglong had insisted on bringing Bai Lan here. In a crowd, one often discovers whether the things they worry about truly hold any significance.

Humans are peculiar beings, easily and imperceptibly influenced by their surroundings. This influence can be so subtle that one might not even notice it.

For instance, in Bai Lan’s previous life, she knew a childhood friend who was exceptionally intelligent. Everywhere this friend went, people would praise his cleverness and academic prowess.

This aura of admiration persisted until university. However, after graduating and starting a job in an unfamiliar environment, the people around him were no longer effusive with praise or warmth.

As a result, he struggled to adapt and eventually fell into depression. The impact of one’s environment on a person is truly immense; no matter how intelligent you are, you cannot fully escape the pervasive influence it has on thought and personality.

Of course, there are some who can resist it to a certain extent—those who live in seclusion, completely unwilling to accept external elements.

But even such individuals can only resist a portion of external influences and refuse to change themselves. In doing so, they are merely perceived as eccentrics by those around them.

“Senior Sister Lin, we three would like to take on three missions to collect Hundred Flowers Nectar,” Xue Linglong said, stepping forward with a beaming smile as she addressed the disciple managing the tasks.

Xue Linglong’s personality was remarkably well-suited for social interaction. Possessing a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, she instinctively understood everyone’s thoughts, allowing her to adapt and cater to others’ feelings.

Consequently, with the sole exception of Chen Xuan, no disciple in the Luoshen Sect who had interacted with Xue Linglong ever found her to be annoying.

“Oh, it’s Sister Linglong! Three missions, right? Please wait a moment.” The inner sect disciple, a woman named Lin, immediately smiled upon seeing Xue Linglong.

She then glanced, subtly, at Li Yunxi and Bai Lan before turning to the mission board. From it, she retrieved three wooden tokens, which served as proof of mission acceptance.

By holding these tokens, completing the task, and finally submitting the required items along with the tokens to the designated person, the mission would be considered complete. The recipient would then, as per the rules, award them contribution points.

It felt much like playing a game—which, in a way, was quite normal, for life itself was a game, and it simply depended on how one chose to play it.

“Here you go. By the way, who is this junior sister? I haven’t seen her before. She even has the cultivation of the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining.” After handing the mission tokens to Xue Linglong, the woman named Lin casually inquired about Bai Lan’s identity.

Seeing this, Xue Linglong promptly pulled the aloof Bai Lan forward, positioning her before Senior Sister Lin.

“Eh, what are you doing?” Bai Lan asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

“Nothing, just introducing you. This is Senior Sister Lin, an inner sect disciple. And this is my ‘sister,’ Bai Lan. Please don’t mind her cold demeanor; my sister is warm-hearted despite her outward coolness,” Xue Linglong explained, introducing Bai Lan to Senior Sister Lin.

Senior Sister Lin scrutinized Bai Lan. While they were both women, she had to admit that the person before her was exceptionally striking, both in temperament and appearance.

Most importantly, she felt an odd sense of familiarity, yet she was certain she had never met Bai Lan before.