Chapter 3: You, a Fine Lady, Why Turn to Thievery?
Inside was an exquisite wooden box that, when carefully opened, contained a translucent little jade bottle.
Underneath the bottle, there was also a letter pressed flat.
"May I be like the stars, you like the moon, our radiant light reflecting each other night after night. With a three-foot green blade, I'll carve a path to immortality, vanquishing demons and evil for your return.
——Ling Jitan"
...
...
Yu Qingtan felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through her heart.
"Do kids in the cultivation world mature this early…"
"I've actually been confessed to by a guy…"
"We're not even close, a cake and a bottle of medicine and you've fallen for me, can my charm really be that high…"
Charm, Charm Points…
With a bad feeling, Yu Qingtan opened the system panel.
[Charm Points: 1]
[Favorability Value: 1]
"Wang Defa…"
Who am I, where am I…
After a long while, Yu Qingtan managed to somewhat calm her complex emotions.
She also understood the malicious intent of the Fairy Cultivation System.
[Charm Points]should be obtained through others being attracted by one's charm, [Favorability Value]should be obtained through others having affection for oneself.
This "others," according to the system's character, was probably restricted to males.
"This is making me, a fine young man, play the role of a female Sea King in the cultivation world!"
Yu Qingtan was speechless and choked up, but it seemed she could only submit in order to achieve immortality.
A beauty by birth, now compelled to be a bandit.
"Sigh…"
Yu Qingtan picked up the jade bottle again to examine it, it looked like a cultivator's potion bottle, just a few sizes smaller.
Upon opening the bottle, a rich spiritual energy surged out, prompting Yu Qingtan to involuntarily take a breath.
Glancing inside the bottle, she saw two drops of light blue translucent liquid not mingling with each other, and immediately capped the bottle.
"What's with this kid, a reserve Protecting Disciple, a mere child, to have something like this."
Yu Qingtan was astonished in her heart.
The liquid in the bottle, she recognized, was Spirit Dew.
Spirit Dew forms on the spiritual plants that grow within the Spiritual Spring, but the yield is very low.
The first-level Spirit Dew occasionally sold in Hundred Treasures Pavilion starts at 150 Spirit Stones per drop.
"This gift is too generous, I don't want to accept, but it's so tempting!"
Yu Qingtan struggled internally, with these two drops of Spirit Dew, she could definitely break through to the second layer of Qi Cultivation.
Qi Cultivation practitioners between the first and second layers have veins too fragile to consume elixirs to enhance their cultivation level, and elixirs have problems with pill poison and resistance.
None of these problems exist with Spirit Dew; its only issue is that it's expensive, even more so than elixirs.
Yu Qingtan recalled the recent meetings between her former self and that boy, where she casually brought up her worries regarding the assessment.
He really did put quite an effort into this.
"This kid must have his own secrets, but I won't treat you poorly in the future, as for offering my body in return, sorry but no!"
After wrestling with the thought for a while, Yu Qingtan decided to accept everything as is, it would not be difficult to look out for him in the future.
Purchase First-Level Skill Upgrade Card.
[Favorability Value: 0]
Use First-Level Skill Upgrade Card on [Exquisite Dance], successful use.
[Exquisite Dance Minor Achievement 92/200]
As the First-Level Skill Upgrade Card was used, Yu Qingtan's mind seemed to be filled with scenes of herself practicing Exquisite Dance day and night, mastering each movement's details even more proficiently.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Qingtan began dancing Exquisite Dance in her room involuntarily.
Her movements were skillful, her dance graceful.
Due to the quick pace at critical points, it even produced an afterimage, as if two were dancing together.
This was the primary sign of minor achievement in Exquisite Dance.
After the dance, Yu Qingtan let out a long sigh of relief, revealing a smile.
The assessment was in the bag.
Next, Yu Qingtan continued practicing the Exquisite Dance.
For dinner, she made do with the pancakes prepared by her predecessor.
Not only did she have to master the Exquisite Dance, but she also needed to show gradual improvement over the next few days, aiming for a semblance of proficiency.
Stability is the foundation of a transmigrated individual's basic quality.
It wasn't until late at night that Yu Qingtan felt the problem was not significant anymore.
"Ah, a mighty male transmigrator practicing dance until midnight, it would certainly be a laughingstock if word got out~"
She rested for half an hour.
Yu Qingtan then cast a Cleansing Spell on herself, as remembered.
The Cleansing Spell is the simplest spell, with a short spiritual energy circulation path and low consumption, so it can be learned at the first level of Qi Cultivation, while most other spells are not practiced until reaching the third or fourth level.
Because of its simplicity, Yu Qingtan successfully cast her first spell after transmigration, and all the sweat and dust on her body disappeared.
After using it several times and cleaning her room until it was spotless, Yu Qingtan felt her spiritual power waning.
So, she sat cross-legged on the wooden bed and began her first session of cultivation after transmigrating.
The dantian is located in the lower abdomen, and sensing the dantian seems to be an instinct for Cultivators— Yu Qingtan easily felt her dantian and the few strands of spiritual power within, as thin as hair.
According to the experience summarized by countless Cultivators, the best cultivation effect occurs when one's internal spiritual power is depleted.
The Clear Water Technique is a mediocre but stable water-attribute Cultivation Technique, but Yu Qingtan was still extremely careful and slow in guiding the scant spiritual power in her dantian along the prescribed route of the technique, especially given the prior experiences of her original body.
As one complete cycle of cultivation took place, the surrounding spiritual energy was slowly absorbed, refined through the technique, and turned into Yu Qingtan's spiritual power.
Tianxiang Pavilion was built on top of a spiritual spring, and although the room where Yu Qingtan stayed was far from the spring's eye and the spiritual energy was sparse, it was enough for the early stages of Qi Cultivation.
Many a Loose Cultivator would be envious of such an environment for spiritual energy!
With each cycle, the spiritual energy flowed slowly through the meridians, providing Yu Qingtan with a comfortable tingling sensation.
Cultivation was indeed wonderful!
It was after ten cycles that Yu Qingtan felt mild pain in her meridians and a bit of dizziness.
Yu Qingtan immediately stopped her cultivation, as she might otherwise risk damaging her meridians and soul.
Taking advantage of the remaining two hours, Yu Qingtan fell into a deep sleep.
As for the Spirit Dew, she planned to use it in a couple of days.
First, she wanted to get more accustomed to cultivation, to avoid any mishaps.
...
"Don't come over~"
The next morning, Yu Qingtan was awakened by a nightmare.
In the dream, she was chased by six handsome men in ancient attire, all with the faces of male celebrities from her previous life, who flew on their swords intending to take her back to become their companion.
"How terrifying!"
...
"Qing Tan, it's time for breakfast!"
"Coming!"
"Why didn't you come for dinner yesterday?"
"I was busy practicing dance and cultivation."
"You're really going at it, huh!"
...
"Yu Qingtan, you've improved a lot in your dance today, and you played the zither better than yesterday. Everyone should learn from her. The assessment isn't far away," said the Gentle Instructor at the end of the class.
Yu Qingtan was somewhat flattered.
...
That day, on the outskirts of the Yunhua Mountain Range, just outside Suichuan Immortal City, on a small hillside.
A handsome young man gazed at Suichuan Immortal City not far away.
"Qing Tan, wait for my return!" The youth's face softened with a hint of tenderness. It was Fang Ling.
"Heh, little Ling, you're so fidgety and hesitant, not decisive at all. With the ancestral me and the Universe Light Pearl here, I guarantee you'll achieve Foundation Establishment within a year. When you come back then, take that girl and, if anyone dares to stop you, just kill them, kekeke~"
A seemingly unremarkable black pearl pendant on Fang Ling's chest flickered with a faint light, and the voice of a sleazy old man resounded in his mind.
Fang Ling ignored the old man's voice.
"Little Ling, hurry on, I'm already impatiently craving the blood of Demonic Beasts, kekeke~"
Hearing this, Fang Ling turned and resolutely sprinted towards the direction of the Yunhua Mountain Range.