Chapter 3
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This chapter is edited by Bakhtawar Kakar. Thank you for your contribution!
Chapter 3: The Overflowing Talent
In the crowded sightseeing cabin on the lower second floor of the Aurora Boat.
“You won’t believe this!”
“Oh? You say that, but how can you know I won’t if you don’t tell me?”
“I’ve had incredible luck these past two days!”
“?”
“You know I only have a middle-class Spiritual Root. Breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage at my age was only possible thanks to my family’s wealth.”
“…”
“Of course, I’ve been working hard too. Ahem, but that’s not the point. Since boarding the Aurora Boat, I’ve noticed something incredible—my cultivation speed has tripled! You heard me right, three times faster! At this rate, I’ll break through to the later stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage in just a few days!”
“Really? That sounds like nonsense.”
“Believe it or not, I’ll leave you in the dust soon enough!”
“…”
Similar conversations buzzed across the Aurora Boat.
Some disciples, however, kept their mouths tightly shut after experiencing this inexplicable “luck,” afraid that sharing it might cause their fortune to vanish.
“You’re all fools,” a disciple sneered, waving a feather fan with an air of superiority. “Haven’t you noticed that those experiencing ‘luck’ all live near one another?”
“Now that you mention it…”
“It’s obvious,” the disciple continued smugly. “Large flying magic tools like the Aurora Boat rely on a central magic array. Maintaining its operation consumes an extraordinary number of Spirit Stones. Those living near the central magic array naturally benefit from the Spirit Qi it leaks. It’s only normal for their cultivation speeds to increase by two or three times.”
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd.
“Listening to you is better than ten years of study!”
“Today, I’ve learned that human wisdom truly knows no bounds.”
“Congratulations to the group of idiots who stumbled into fortune.”
The disciple fanned himself more vigorously, basking in his perceived brilliance.
Just then, his gaze landed on Elder Gaoyi, who had appeared at the end of the corridor in his white robes.
“It seems I was right! Elder Gaoyi must have come to repair the magic array.”
Following his line of sight, the group turned to see Gaoyi.
Gaoyi, who had been preoccupied with a somber expression, seemed momentarily relieved upon overhearing the disciple’s explanation.
Could it really be explained that way?
Gaoyi was amazed at the disciple’s reasoning. If only the real explanation were so simple!
In truth, Gaoyi’s investigation had revealed the source of the concentrated Spirit Qi: Bai Lian.
The rumor that Bai Lian was a Natural Saint had already garnered widespread attention. If other sects discovered that merely being near her could accelerate cultivation, they would undoubtedly attempt to abduct her, using her as a tool to gather Spirit Qi for their benefit.
With Bai Lian’s lifespan, she could serve as such a tool for a thousand years!
Gaoyi’s face darkened as he addressed the gathered disciples.
“Don’t worry. The magic array is experiencing a minor issue. It just needs a formation flag replaced, and everything will return to normal.”
The disciples nodded eagerly, reassured.
Meanwhile, the fan-wielding disciple doubled down on his self-praise, fanning himself even harder.
I’m a genius! A man blessed with divine wisdom!
Gaoyi’s expression softened as he changed the subject.
“Tomorrow, the Aurora Boat will reach its destination. This trial is your opportunity to showcase everything you’ve learned so far. Perform well—don’t disappoint yourselves!”
“Yes, Elder!”
Satisfied, Gaoyi turned and walked away.
Not long after, he arrived outside Bai Lian’s door.
The water-typed Spirit Qi in the air was so thick it felt almost tangible. Even other Spirit Qi types, excluding fire, were amplified to two or three times their usual concentration.
Her talent is monstrous. It’s practically overflowing!
Gaoyi marveled at this unprecedented phenomenon. Bai Lian had shown no signs of such an ability before. It had to be a new power awakened after her Saint Body had fully emerged.
When the Saint appears, there is hope. When the Saint appears, the Duxian Sect will be saved!
For the first time, Gaoyi felt that the catastrophic prophecy of the Eastern Divine Land wasn’t so insurmountable after all.
“Dong, dong, dong…”
He knocked on Bai Lian’s door.
“It’s me.”
“Elder Gaoyi?”
Bai Lian immediately got up.
She had been lying idle, playing with water in her hands while the jade rabbit rested quietly beside her. Its wide, starry eyes glimmered as if it were intoxicated.
When she opened the door, Bai Lian greeted Elder Gaoyi. “Elder Gaoyi, what brings you here?”
Gaoyi explained his concerns with a serious tone.
Hearing him out, Bai Lian’s face twisted into an annoyed smile.
System, can’t you do anything right?!
It wasn’t the first time she had experienced this kind of frustration. The Tao Halo Special Effect she had received earlier had been equally maddening—while others around her gained profound insights, all she got was the view of her own feet without understanding a thing.
And now, the Water Spirit Special Effect was proving just as useless.
Only I can’t benefit from it!
Her irritation deepened as task options appeared before her:
[Task 1: “Are you telling me what to do?” (Reward: Thunder Breath)]
[Task 2: “I see, Elder Gaoyi!” (Reward: Light Skill +1)]
Bai Lian sighed helplessly and chose the second option. “I see, Elder Gaoyi! I was only trying to improve my strength before we reached the test site. I didn’t realize it would cause such a commotion.”
Gaoyi’s expression softened with relief. “It’s good that you understand.”
He was about to leave but hesitated. Bai Lian’s words had left him feeling guilty for dampening her enthusiasm.
“Well…”
Reaching into his storage ring, Gaoyi retrieved a jade bottle.
“Take this bottle of Jade Purification Pills as a small compensation.”
Is there such a good thing?!
Bai Lian stared at the jade bottle in her hand, stunned.
Jade Purification Pills were a precious resource even for Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, let alone someone like her at the early stage of the Golden Core Stage. Consuming this bottle would undoubtedly push her to the middle stage of the Golden Core Stage.
Elder Gaoyi is a truly kind man!
Bai Lian was deeply moved. She enthusiastically sent him off with her thanks.
However, she decided not to consume the pills right away. Given her conspicuous Special Effect, it was safer to wait until after they had disembarked from the Aurora Boat.
Half an hour later, word spread across the Aurora Boat that the central magic array’s formation flags had been damaged, leading to a Spirit Qi leak.
Disciples who had enjoyed the benefits were wringing their hands in regret.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have bragged about it! Now they’ve fixed the formation flags!”
Those who had missed out on the chance were equally upset.
“Why am I only hearing about this after the leak was sealed?”
“I wish they’d kept it from me entirely!”
Amid the clamor, the Aurora Boat pierced through the sea of clouds and reached its destination at noon the following day.
They arrived at a remote location on Mount Yuheng, nestled in the northern reaches of East Divine Land. The landscape featured two towering peaks surrounding a wide valley.
In the open space of the valley, a crowd of cultivators gathered, gazing up as the massive Aurora Boat descended.
Among them were the Saint and Xia Qingqing, who had arrived ahead of schedule.
“She’s finally here!”
The Saint’s eyes glimmered with a light that concealed her thoughts.
Nearby, disciples from the Biluo Sect whispered amongst themselves.
“We only need to keep an eye on a few people from the Duxian Sect. At the top of the list is Qiongming Peak’s Bai Lian.”
“I wonder… who is stronger? Our Saint or Bai Lian?”
“Obviously our Saint!”
“When Bai Lian passed by our Saint last time, she didn’t even merit a glance!”
As their murmurs continued, the Aurora Boat touched the ground. Disciples of the Duxian Sect began descending one by one.
Among them, Xiao Jinse emerged, mingled with the crowd.
The Saint’s gaze locked onto her instantly. Without hesitation, she left her fellow Biluo Sect disciples and hurried over.
“Miss Xiao, where is your Elder Martial Sister?”
From another direction, a second voice rang out.
“Sister Su, why isn’t your Elder Martial Sister with you?”
The Saint instinctively turned to see Xia Qingqing approaching from the opposite side. Their gazes met.
In that instant, an unsettling sense of crisis surged in the Saint’s heart.
