The Glimmering Moon and the Night Ling Vine

After mastering her divine ability, Chi Qiu settled into a routine: traveling and cultivating ‘Blooming Life’ during the day, then resting and refining her cultivation realm at night. This cycle continued for over a month. With Blooming Life mastered, her travel speed had significantly increased, and she was now nearing the borders of Zhengyang Commandery.

As Chi Qiu consulted her map, orienting herself, a sudden thought struck her. ‘Though I’ve diligently cultivated lately, and both Blooming Life and the Moon Gaze Treasure Canon have progressed considerably, I still lack a single secret art for combat.’

‘While my current cultivation is sufficient to handle wild beasts, it would be a different story entirely once I enter Zhengyang Commandery. Encountering those demonic cultivators there would surely spell my doom!’

The realization halted Chi Qiu in her tracks. After a moment of contemplation, she recalled a crucial detail: the second volume of the Moon Gaze Treasure Canon contained a companion sword art, Moonlit Sky.

Now was the perfect time to begin cultivating it.

Chi Qiu resolved to pause her journey. Once her sword art reached a satisfactory level of mastery, her cultivation realm should also have broken through to the Spirit Nourishing Realm.

Only then, entering Zhengyang Commandery, would she possess the means to protect herself.

Since she intended to stay in this jungle for an extended period, establishing a more comfortable resting place was essential. With her pack on her back, Chi Qiu wandered the vicinity, eventually finding a relatively flat clearing to serve as her temporary abode.

Drawing her Azure Frost Sword, she severed a bowl-thick oak tree with a single stroke. She then dragged the trunk back to her chosen spot and began constructing a shelter to ward off wind and rain.

Chi Qiu was well-practiced in such tasks. However, her current body was far from as robust as her previous one.

Even with her expertise, it still took until nightfall to erect a small wooden hut.

First, Chi Qiu selected four sturdy tree trunks and firmly embedded them into the ground to serve as the foundation. Next, she used her Azure Frost Sword to trim the felled trunks into logs of equal length, then carved grooves into them.

Employing a mortise and tenon joint structure, she built four wooden walls atop the foundation. Finally, she chose the strongest log for the main beam, used thinner branches to lay out the roof, and covered it with a waterproof tarp. With that, her construction was complete.

After all that effort, Chi Qiu experienced a weariness she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She wiped the sweat from her brow; her ice-blue hair, damp and matted, swayed gently in the breeze.

Chi Qiu sat cross-legged outside her newly built ‘home,’ gazing up at the sparse stars in the night sky, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The rustling of grass in the soft wind filled her ears.

Amidst such a tranquil scene, she momentarily forgot about her cultivation.

Gently, Chi Qiu closed her eyes. She drifted into a deep sleep amidst the peaceful surroundings. It was her first time truly falling into slumber since embarking on her journey.

On that night of sparse stars and bright moon, the chirping of insects intertwined with the whisper of the wind. The blue-haired girl leaned softly against the wooden hut, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile on her face.

Around her, tiny specks of starlight twinkled. Then, from beneath Chi Qiu’s feet, tender shoots emerged, climbing and growing around her body, gradually enveloping her. Three pale purple vine flowers, each the size of a washbasin, unfurled.

These seven-petaled blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, releasing a rich, ethereal fragrance.

Unaware of any of this, Chi Qiu remained deeply asleep. She slept soundly, undisturbed.

The night passed without a single dream.

The morning sun, filtering through the vines, illuminated Chi Qiu’s face. She stirred awake, feeling refreshed and utterly comfortable. As she inhaled the delicate fragrance, Chi Qiu stretched, preparing to rise.

However, she suddenly discovered her hands were unable to move.

The grogginess of sleep instantly vanished, replaced by full alertness. She exerted all her strength but couldn’t budge, unable to draw her sword to face an enemy. This filled her with both alarm and urgency.

After a brief moment, Chi Qiu calmed herself and observed closely. She then realized she was entangled by a vine, and the fragrant scent she had noticed earlier emanated from the flowers blooming on it.

Relieved that she wasn’t kidnapped and seeing no one else around, Chi Qiu relaxed and lowered her gaze to the vine. Upon closer inspection, Chi Qiu was somewhat astonished.

This vine was no ordinary plant; it was a spiritual herb known as Night Ling Vine. The vine itself was incredibly tough, often used to craft vine armor or components for magical artifacts.

Its blooming Night Ling Flowers, in particular, possessed a fragrance that could calm the mind and aid cultivation, even serving as an ingredient for the ‘Tranquility Pill.’ Truly, this spiritual vine was a treasure from root to blossom.

‘How could such a spiritual plant grow beside me, and reach such a height, all in a single night?’ The only explanation Chi Qiu could conceive was her divine ability, Blooming Life. There was no other possibility.

At that moment, as she sought to activate her divine ability, she realized that the content on the second petal of Blooming Life, which she had been comprehending for over a month, had finally been successfully grasped, and had even begun operating automatically at some point.

A connection had already been established between Chi Qiu and the Night Ling Vine entwined around her. With a mere thought, the vines automatically loosened their grip, then gracefully climbed and attached themselves to the wooden hut.

As Chi Qiu marveled at the power of ‘Blooming Life,’ she pulled out her Azure Frost Sword with a sense of eager anticipation. She wanted to know if the Night Ling Vine would wither instantly, like the previous common indigo flower, once ‘Blooming Life’ ceased its operation.

If it didn’t, she would truly strike it rich, as both the vine and flowers of the Night Ling Vine were incredibly valuable and in high demand.

Alas, the outcome was not beyond Chi Qiu’s expectations. After she ceased channeling ‘Blooming Life,’ the Night Ling Vine quickly withered and then vanished completely, even more thoroughly than the previous indigo flower.

Though mentally prepared for its disappearance, Chi Qiu still felt a slight pang of disappointment. However, she quickly regained her composure. ‘This Night Ling Vine is incredibly tough; even my Azure Frost Sword couldn’t sever it.’

‘Summoning this vine to interfere with opponents during battle would undoubtedly be excellent. Moreover, the Night Ling Flowers have a calming effect, and I can summon them at night to aid my cultivation.’

Chi Qiu rose and stretched, letting out a long yawn. ‘To think, the second petal of Blooming Life, which I’d been on the verge of comprehending for over a month, finally clicked while I was asleep! It seems proper rest is indeed crucial.’

Her next objectives were clear: cultivate the Moonlit Sky sword art and break through to the Spirit Nourishing Realm.

Although Moonlit Sky was an eighth-grade secret art, it was still far too profound for Chi Qiu, who possessed no prior foundation in swordsmanship. Before setting out, she had therefore purchased several basic sword manuals from a mortal martial arts hall to serve as an introduction, allowing her to gradually build up to cultivating the Moonlit Sky sword technique.

Facing the dawn, Chi Qiu gripped her sword and began to practice, mimicking the postures and movements outlined in the manual. Point, thrust, parry, slash, cleave, hack, shave… Chi Qiu meticulously practiced each of the numerous sword forms.

She continued until her arms ached and her legs felt weak, only then allowing herself to rest.

By evening, Chi Qiu sat outside, watching the sunset. Before her, a plump rabbit, golden and glistening with fat, roasted over a bonfire. After extensive practice, her hunger was far more ferocious than before.

Unable to tolerate the gnawing emptiness, Chi Qiu had caught a rabbit nearby and started a fire to roast it.

This part of the jungle was dominated by low-lying shrubs and small trees, none taller than three zhang, with large animals rarely seen. Predators were scarce, which explained the rabbit’s exceptional plumpness.

Chi Qiu picked up the stick skewering the rabbit and devoured it ravenously. Disregarding all notions of ladylike decorum, she gnawed at it with her face smeared in grease, leaving nothing but bones in short order.

With a contented sigh, she tossed the bones into the bonfire, then fetched some water to wash her face and hands.

As night fell, Chi Qiu sat cross-legged beside the bonfire. She activated ‘Blooming Life,’ summoning the Night Ling Vine, and amidst its subtle fragrance, began her cultivation.

The days that followed were largely similar to this one. She continuously alternated between practicing her sword art and cultivating.

Five days later, Chi Qiu’s swordsmanship reached a minor level of accomplishment. She executed various sword forms with ease, having mastered most of the mortal sword manuals. To celebrate her progress, she fashioned a wooden tub for bathing.

Twenty days later, finding her diet too monotonous, Chi Qiu cleared a small patch of land beside her hut to create a vegetable garden. She planted some common vegetables and, using the power of ‘Blooming Life,’ directed the earth’s spiritual energy to nourish them, causing them to grow rapidly.

This not only diversified her meals but also honed her divine ability, leaving Chi Qiu highly satisfied.

Forty days later, Chi Qiu achieved minor mastery of the Moonlit Sky sword art. Under the moonlight, she danced gracefully with her Azure Frost Sword, her movements elegant and light.

Yet, a closer look would reveal the lethal intent inherent in her every motion. Every point and parry of her longsword drew in the Lunar spiritual energy from the heavens and earth.

After forty days, Chi Qiu had finally mastered the Moonlit Sky sword art.

On a night over ten days later, Chi Qiu sat cross-legged in cultivation. The spiritual energy accumulated over these days surged wildly within her, rushing towards her dantian in relentless waves.

Seizing the opportunity of the full moon, when Lunar spiritual energy was at its densest, Chi Qiu prepared to break through to the Spirit Nourishing Realm.

Lunar spiritual energy converged from all directions, growing denser and denser. Eventually, a visible white light enveloped Chi Qiu’s body. Wrapped in the brilliant light, Chi Qiu felt the Lunar spiritual energy within her surge explosively, swiftly breaching the bottleneck.

Within her chaotic dantian, a spiritual aperture, the size of a longan, was carved open.

Chi Qiu’s body trembled, and the white light around her instantly dissipated. However, this Lunar spiritual energy did not disperse into the world; instead, it all poured into Chi Qiu’s newly formed spiritual aperture.

With this, Chi Qiu successfully broke through to the Spirit Nourishing Realm, restoring her cultivation to the level she possessed in her former male body.

Feeling the icy spiritual energy within her, as easily commanded as her own limbs, Chi Qiu rose with a sense of exhilaration. After cultivating for three months in this jungle, she was finally ready to enter Zhengyang Commandery.