65 Breaking Through the Boundary (Part 3)

"This must be Senior Sister Ran's Daoist partner."

Ye Buchen continued to add, "Although time is tight, I have indeed shown signs of breaking through to a higher realm recently. If I can further enhance this with the lotus seat and abundant spiritual energy, breaking through to a higher realm will be just around the corner."

Ran Qinghe knew that Ye Buchen's talk about breaking through realms was just to comfort her, but fortunately, she had the Breakthrough Pill to back her up, which slightly masked the anxiety on her face.

She glanced at the heads peeking out in the distance, then continued:

"I will go to the library to find some books on the basics of cultivation techniques. As for how much they can comprehend, that depends entirely on themselves. If there are any who are lazy and shirk their duties, I will kick them out of the sect as soon as possible."

As she finished speaking, her voice rose slightly, subtly warning them.

Knowing that she was always cold on the outside but warm on the inside, Ye Buchen smiled, though the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes showed a hint of a smile, and still said seriously, "Of course."

"As for magical treasures and artifacts, I will go back and borrow some more. You can use them however you like, but there is one thing: you are not allowed to give my pills to anyone else."

This is the biggest concession she can make.

As she was leaving, Little Bell, who had run off, came back and timidly tugged at her sleeve, saying, "Thank you, Senior Sister Qinghe."

*

Inside the library, the light was dim, and the air was thick with the somber scent of aged paper and ink. Ran Qinghe, with a clear goal in mind, headed straight for the bottom shelf, where the most basic cultivation techniques were piled high with dust.

Her fingertips swiftly swept across the scrolls and books: "Introduction to Qi," "Basic Breathing Techniques of the Five Elements," and so on. These introductory techniques were practically worthless to disciples of various sects, but for those children who had no foundation whatsoever, they were the only straws they could grasp.

"Ran Qinghe?" A slightly uncertain male voice sounded from the corner of the wooden staircase above.

Mingyu stopped in front of her, her gaze sweeping over the few basic cultivation manuals in her hands. A hint of confusion flashed in her eyes, but she didn't ask further. Instead, she said, "I was just looking for you. About Fuji..."

Ran Qinghe continued working, stacking up the last book she had chosen, and asked in a calm tone, "What happened to Fu Ji?"

Seeing that she seemed completely unaware, Mingyu paused, then lowered her voice further, yet it remained exceptionally clear in the quiet study:

Is there some misunderstanding between you two?

“He has been busy with cultivation lately, and he doesn’t even let his days off go. When asked why, he said that he wanted to compete with you in the academy’s annual grand examination.”

"A contest?" Ran Qinghe finally raised her eyes, her clear, cold gaze fixed on Ming Yu, revealing a hint of surprise. "With me?" Her brows furrowed slightly.

Mingyu continued, "The academy's grand exam is actually a massive battle among disciples from previous years. They can choose their own opponents, the winners advance, and the losers are eliminated, until only one person remains."

He looked at her, his tone tinged with seriousness, "Fu Ji has always been a quiet and unassuming person. His sudden remark makes me wonder if it's something between you two..."

Ran Qinghe's doubts deepened: "What if I win? What if I lose?"

Mingyu stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "It's nothing much, but the winners can choose their own reward. Some say they hope to become disciples of an elder, some say they hope to become a deacon of the Discipline Hall, and some receive a top-grade Heaven-rank magic weapon... Therefore, the competition in the annual examinations has always been extremely fierce."

Choose your own reward?

Ran Qinghe pondered these four words, then suddenly thought of something. She picked up a stack of books and scrolls and said, "I know what I'm doing, thank you!"

Fu Ji... could it be that he's after the Breakthrough Pill?

After reviewing the test files on ideological issues, she became even more certain. The records in the files were almost identical to what Mingyu had said.

The records for "Winning Rewards" are incredibly varied, just as Mingyu said, ranging from magical artifacts and elixirs to official positions and mentorships. There were indeed precedents of exchanging for high-grade elixirs.

The words "Fu Ji," "Great Examination," and "Breaking Through Realms Pill" swirled in her mind, sketching out a very clear answer.

Fu Ji's urgent need for the Breakthrough Pill must be for Shui Rong'er. However, although Shui Rong'er's talent is not exceptional, it is still reliable, and her lifespan is long, with five or six hundred years left. There is no need to compete with her for the Breakthrough Pill at present.

Fu Ji's actions were suspicious; in her view, they seemed more like a rash act of targeting.

Ran Qinghe disliked guessing; she preferred to face problems head-on. Leaving the library, she didn't return directly to Mortal Valley, but went straight to the martial arts training ground where Fu Ji often frequented.

In the center of the training ground, a figure in black was intently wielding a sword, his sword aura sharp and carrying a chilling aura unlike any other.

It was precisely Fu Ji who was involved.

Ran Qinghe stood quietly to the side, not disturbing him, until he finished practicing a set of sword techniques and stopped, slightly out of breath, before she slowly walked out.

"Fu Ji." Her voice was clear and cold, coming steadily through the surrounding noise.

Fu Ji turned around upon hearing the voice, and when he saw it was her, a fleeting, complex emotion flashed in his eyes before he regained his usual calm and composed demeanor.

"What do you want?" He nodded in greeting, his tone distant.

"Mingyu told me that you intend to compete against me in the academy's grand examination," Ran Qinghe said bluntly, her gaze fixed on him. "Why?"

Seemingly a little nervous, Fu Ji kept wiping the sword repeatedly. "The Grand Examination is a competition between disciples to seek opportunities for breakthrough. Not only you, but I will also do my best to deal with other disciples from the academy until I win."

"Then, logically, you can ask Elder Lou Guan for the Breakthrough Pill?"

Ran Qinghe took a step forward, closing in on him: "I don't understand, there's more than just one breakthrough pill in the cultivation world, why..."

Fu Ji interrupted her, saying, "But this is the only Breakthrough Pill that I can obtain as quickly as possible."

Ran Qinghe added, "You may not be able to defeat me, nor may you be able to defeat the other disciples of the academy."

Fu Ji looked up at her and said, "During the annual major examinations, the cultivation levels of all academy disciples are suppressed to the Nascent Soul realm."

“At the same cultivation level, I may not be unable to defeat you, nor may I be unable to defeat the other disciples of the academy.”

Ran Qinghe paused for a moment, carefully observing every subtle change in Fu Ji's expression, before slowly uttering that name: "It's for Shui Rong'er, isn't it?"

Upon hearing the name "Shui Rong'er," Fu Ji froze almost imperceptibly for a moment, and his eyes finally showed a clear change, a defensive posture as if his innermost thoughts had been exposed.

But he kept his lips tightly pressed together and didn't say a word.

Ran Qinghe's doubts deepened, and a strange sense of irritation welled up within her. "Why? Shui Rong'er's cultivation is stable, and her lifespan is long. She doesn't need a breakthrough pill to prolong her life or break through..."

“It has nothing to do with her,” Fu Ji suddenly interrupted her. “This is my own decision.” He looked back at the sword in his hand. “In the grand exam, we will each rely on our own abilities.”

A chill rose from her eyes, and she stopped wasting words. "So, you say it's all about skill. Since you insist on this, then I'll tell you plainly."

"You may not be able to win against me."

*

"Senior Brother Lou, this is the ledger and reward/punishment record of the tasks taken by the Discipline Hall and the disciples of the Academy over the past three months. Please take a look."

A disciple presented a thick stack of account books, then bowed and prepared to leave.

Lou Tinglan casually flipped through a few pages and discovered that the name "Ran Qinghe" occupied most of the account book, causing him to frown slightly.

"Wait a minute, why is it that Ran Qinghe accepts so many missions, but the rewards are only some low-grade spirit stones and low-level pills?"

The disciple in charge replied, "Although Senior Sister Ran accepts missions very frequently, they are mostly routine matters of the sect, so the rewards are relatively meager..."

Lou Tinglan was well aware that Ran Qinghe had indeed been in a hurry lately, frequently going down the mountain. Although she had taken on many missions, her spiritual power had not increased.

He grew increasingly puzzled, and finally, one day after Ran Qinghe quietly left the academy again, he followed her from a distance.

Since her unpleasant encounter with Fu Ji that day, Ran Qinghe has devoted more of her energy to the Mortal Valley. Those children are just beginning to cultivate Qi, their foundations are weak, and they urgently need abundant resources and guidance.

During her free time, she frequently traveled between Yunya Academy and Mortal Valley, bringing with her all the resources she had accumulated from her missions over the past few months, including spirit stones, Qi Gathering Pills, low-level talismans, and even some spiritual herbs that could nourish her meridians.

Lou Tinglan followed all the way to the entrance of the path. Finally, after Ran Qinghe's figure had completely disappeared into the path, he followed her again silently. However, Ran Qinghe seemed to have vanished into thin air.

He hurried forward a few steps, but Ran Qinghe grabbed his shoulder from behind:

"Lou Tinglan, are you very free?"

Ran Qinghe leaned against a tree trunk with her arms crossed, clearly dissatisfied with Lou Tinglan's stalking behavior.

However, upon seeing that the person following her was Lou Tinglan, she stopped paying attention to him and turned to continue along the path into the simple courtyard enclosed by a fence.

As soon as Ran Qinghe opened the fence gate, a group of children with innocent faces surrounded them.

"Senior Sister Ran, may I learn the second move of the Azure Sky Sword Technique today? I've already mastered the first move perfectly. I'll demonstrate it for you!"

"Sister Qinghe, I've found a few more spirit herbs. Do you think they're suitable for use?"

"Senior Sister Ran, I can draw a freezing talisman too! Look, look!"

Ran Qinghe smiled and answered them one by one:

"Once you can practice the first move without falling, I will teach you the second move."

"What kind of spiritual herbs? Have you finished reading the 'Illustrated Compendium of Spiritual Herbs' that I gave you? Stop digging for wild vegetables all day long."

"The talisman you drew is so ugly, the strokes are all crooked. Does this talisman even know that it's a talisman for immobilizing people?"

Although Ran Qinghe maintained a cold expression, the subtle curve of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Finally, a child couldn't contain his curiosity and asked, "Senior sister, who is he? Why doesn't he talk? Does he not know how to talk?"

Lou Tinglan: ...

Another child chimed in, "The book says that male and female cultivators should become Daoist partners. This must be Senior Sister Ran's Daoist partner."