Chapter 7:Fire and Wood

Arc 2 - Chapter 7: A Hidden Path in the Marketplace

The bustling streets of the Qin Family's city were filled with vendors shouting about their wares, the scent of roasted meat and fragrant herbs filling the air.

Ruoyan, dressed in a simple yet elegant pale blue robe, held her mother's hand as they walked through the market.

Her two elder brothers, Qin Yu and Qin Hao, walked ahead excitedly, their eyes darting toward weapon stalls and rare herbs.

"Little sister, do you want anything?" Qin Yu asked, grinning as he held up a delicate hairpin.

Ruoyan shook her head, her large eyes scanning the street.

She wasn't interested in accessories—she was searching for something else.

Since awakening her Chaos Space, she had started cultivating in secret. But there was a problem—higher-level cultivators could sense her true power.

She needed a way to conceal her cultivation completely.

As they passed through a quieter part of the market, Ruoyan's sharp senses picked up a faint spiritual fluctuation.

Turning her head, she spotted an old man sitting in the corner of a small alleyway.

His stall was nearly empty, save for a few dusty scrolls and strange trinkets.

"Mother, can I look there?" she asked sweetly.

Her mother smiled and nodded.

"Don't wander too far, dear."

Ruoyan walked over, her eyes locking onto an ancient jade slip covered in cracks.

'This jade slip… it has special attractive energy!'

She reached out, touching it gently. A wave of spiritual energy surged through her fingertips, confirming her suspicion.

The old man's cloudy eyes sharpened as he looked at her.

"Little girl, you have good eyes," he muttered.

Ruoyan blinked, putting on a naïve expression.

"Grandpa, is this useful?" she asked sweetly.

The old man chuckled.

"It's a basic Veil of Obscurity Technique. It can hide your Qi fluctuations from most cultivators. But it's useless if you don't cultivate."

Ruoyan's heart pounded.

This was exactly what she needed!

"How much?" she asked.

The old man smiled mysteriously.

"For you, just one silver tael."

That was an absurdly low price.

She quickly handed over the money before the old man could change his mind.

The moment the transaction was complete, the jade slip vanished into her Chaos Space, hidden from prying eyes.

She gave the old man one last glance—was he truly just a vendor?

But before she could ask, her mother called for her.

With a small bow, she turned and ran back to her family, holding the secret treasure she had just obtained.

That night, Ruoyan sat in her room, her tiny fingers clutching the jade slip.

'Let's see what secrets you hold.'

Closing her eyes, she poured her spiritual sense into the jade slip.

A flood of information rushed into her mind—the technique's instructions, circulation methods, and applications.

"This… is more advanced than I expected," she murmured.

The Veil of Obscurity wasn't just a normal concealment technique—it could compress and alter her Qi signature, making it appear like an ordinary mortal's.

Even higher-level cultivators wouldn't detect her unless they inspected her directly!

Excitement surged in her heart.

'With this, I can cultivate freely without anyone knowing!'

She immediately began practicing, circulating the energy as instructed.

A faint gray mist formed around her body, then disappeared.

She tested it—her Qi fluctuations vanished completely.

If someone checked her now, they would think she was just a normal three-year-old girl.

"Perfect," she whispered.

Her path to power would remain hidden—until she was ready to reveal her strength.

Ruoyan sat cross-legged on her small bed, her delicate hands resting on her lap. Moonlight spilled through the wooden window, casting soft silver light onto her young yet unnaturally composed face.

The Veil of Obscurity had worked perfectly, concealing her true strength from prying eyes. However, she knew that hiding everything forever would be too suspicious.

If she appeared completely talentless, her family might protect her out of love, but outsiders would look down on her.

If she appeared too talented, she would attract too much attention.

'I need to control how others perceive me.'

Ruoyan had Chaos Energy and the Heavenly Dao Spirit Root, an existence beyond even divine-level talent. But she couldn't let anyone know.

She had already avoided the initial spiritual root testing, but eventually, people would become curious.

She needed a believable spiritual root to show the world—one that was neither too weak nor too heaven-defying.

'Two spiritual roots should be safe…'

Ruoyan carefully considered her options.

In this world, spiritual roots determined a person's cultivation talent:

Single Elemental Root – Extremely rare, highest affinity with one element, rapid cultivation speed.

Dual Elemental Roots – Common among geniuses, strong affinity with two elements.

Tri-Elemental Roots – Average talent, decent cultivation speed.

Quad-Elemental Roots – Mediocre talent, slow progress.

Five-Elemental Roots – Useless for cultivation, as energy disperses too much.

'If I choose a single root, it might attract unwanted attention.'

'If I choose three or more, people will think my talent is average.'

After careful thought, she settled on a dual-root combination.

'Fire and Wood would be best.'

Fire Spiritual Root was aggressive and suited battle techniques.

Wood Spiritual Root was known for healing and stability, making her seem less threatening.

This combination was considered a decent talent—strong enough to be valued, but not enough to be envied or targeted.

'This way, I can appear useful while staying low-key.'

Now that she had decided, it was time to alter her spiritual fluctuations to match her cover story.

Closing her eyes, she activated her Chaos Space and used its unique energy to mimic the fluctuations of a Fire and Wood spiritual root.

Slowly, she adjusted the flow of her Qi, making sure it matched the natural signatures of dual-element cultivators.

'Once I step out of this room, I will be known as a Fire-Wood dual spiritual root cultivator.'

A satisfied smile curved her lips.

This was the perfect balance between mediocrity and potential.

At breakfast, Ruoyan's mother, Lady Ye, gently stroked her hair.

"Ruoyan, my dear, since you didn't take the spiritual root test last time, would you like to try it soon?"

Ruoyan hesitated for a brief moment before nodding shyly.

"I… I think I have some talent," she murmured, lowering her gaze like a bashful child.

Qin Yu, her eldest brother, beamed.

"Our little sister is amazing! What if she has an incredible talent?"

Her second brother, Qin Hao, chuckled.

"I bet she has at least dual roots like me."

Lady Qin smiled warmly.

"If Ruoyan has talent, we will support her wholeheartedly. If not, she will always be our precious daughter."

Ruoyan's heart warmed at her family's love, but she remained cautious.

'I must not let my guard down. Even if my family means well, the world outside is dangerous.'

The Qin Family's spiritual root testing ceremony was scheduled for three days later.

Ruoyan knew she had to perfect her disguise by then.

That night, she practiced releasing only the Fire and Wood fluctuations while keeping her true power hidden deep inside her Chaos Space.

'This way, even the elders won't notice anything unusual.'

She took a deep breath, her small hands tightening into fists.

'From now on, I am Qin Ruoyan, the Fire-Wood Dual Spiritual Root Genius.'

And so, her carefully planned deception began.