CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 7: ADVANCEMENT TO SECOND RANK

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

Wen Guiyun introduced Gu Qingqing one by one to everyone, except Rong Ye, she got to know her other four senior brothers one by one. She discovered that although her senior brothers had different personalities and cultivation directions, they were all very handsome, which made Gu Qingqing very satisfied.

"Alright, now that you have met your senior brothers, I need to make arrangements for your cultivation," Wen Guiyun sat back in the main seat, his smile fading, becoming very serious, "In the future, I, along with your five senior brothers, will jointly teach you. I will teach you for four days, and each of your senior brothers will teach you for five days. If you have any issues in cultivation, you can come to me directly."

Unlike Si Lin and the others, Wen Guiyun took them in when they each already had their own path and were all over ten years old, so he only needed to give minimal guidance. Gu Qingqing, however, was only five years old and needed someone to guide her closely. Wen Guiyun himself didn’t have much time to teach her, so Si Lin and the others had to take on the responsibility of caring for and teaching their junior sister.

Not only Gu Qingqing, but even Si Lin and the others were surprised by Wen Guiyun’s arrangement.

"What, do you have any issues?" Wen Guiyun glanced at Si Lin and the others’ expressions, sweeping his gaze over their faces and asked lightly.

Although Wen Guiyun was usually not too harsh on them, even extremely kind, Si Lin and the others didn’t dare to overstep in front of him. Hearing his implication, they quickly shook their heads, indicating they had no complaints.

Wen Guiyun nodded in satisfaction, turning his gaze again to Gu Qingqing, "Your senior brothers each have their strengths. By following them, you can learn many things. It’s always good for a girl to learn more things."

Gu Qingqing had a good impression of Wen Guiyun and knew he meant well for her, so she quickly nodded.

Since Spirit Hidden Mountain had only six peaks and Gu Qingqing was still young, she was temporarily kept at the main peak. After the others left, Wen Guiyun first took Gu Qingqing to her room and returned to the main hall after she was satisfied.

"Qing, come over here, let me give you a proper diagnosis," Wen Guiyun beckoned to Gu Qingqing in a gentle manner.

Hearing this, Gu Qingqing hurried to Wen Guiyun’s side, looking at him.

Wen Guiyun extended his right index finger and tapped on Gu Qingqing’s forehead. A thread of spiritual power entered her body through his fingertip. Gu Qingqing instinctively closed her eyes, feeling a bit nervous.

In just ten breaths, Wen Guiyun’s finger left Gu Qingqing’s forehead, and she opened her eyes, big sparkling eyes curiously staring at Wen Guiyun, awaiting him to speak.

"I have examined you; your body has no issues. Your inability to speak may be related to your innate talent. The Word Spirit Technique is very mysterious, and there aren’t many existing records. I’m not very clear on it, but I discovered a seal within your body, which might be related." Wen Guiyun patted Gu Qingqing’s head, seeing her eyes fixed on him with a hint of admiration, his heart softened a bit, "Rest assured, I’ll find a way to help you speak."

Gu Qingqing loved the affection from Wen Guiyun, rubbing her head against his palm, her eyes crinkled in a fierce nod.

Wen Guiyun gave Gu Qingqing a jade scroll, which documented cultivation methods, the most basic and simplest on the continent. He instructed Gu Qingqing to press the jade scroll on her forehead. As soon as she did, new information entered her mind, all related to cultivation.

Gu Qingqing spent some time digesting this information, and after opening her eyes, they shimmered brightly, eager to try.

Since her talent awakened, her cultivation had always been passive, simply absorbing spiritual energy from the air unconsciously. Now, having learned the cultivation method, she couldn’t hold back anymore, regardless of Wen Guiyun being by her side, and directly sat cross-legged on the ground, practising cultivation according to the jade scroll’s instructions.

Seeing Gu Qingqing’s childish act, Wen Guiyun smiled and shook his head, eyes holding a fondness he himself didn’t notice, poured himself a cup of tea, and sat quietly watching her cultivate.

He initially thought Gu Qingqing wouldn’t succeed on her first try, but surprisingly, just as he finished a cup of tea, there was movement from her side.

Gu Qingqing was surrounded by a vortex of spiritual power which expanded, causing items in the room to start moving. A hint of surprise flashed in Wen Guiyun’s eyes. With a wave, he steadied the objects in the room, poured himself another cup of tea, and sat beside, waiting for Gu Qingqing to finish.

The spiritual power vortex grew larger, eventually enveloping her figure completely, resembling a cocoon from afar.

After about a quarter of an hour, the vortex around Gu Qingqing suddenly contracted and then rushed into her body, vanishing instantly. A flash of light passed over her, and then she opened her eyes.

Feeling the evident spiritual power within her, Gu Qingqing joyfully stood up, pausing when she noticed Wen Guiyun sitting nearby. She then approached him, eyes sparkling as she looked at him, her face full of "seeking praise".

Wen Guiyun hadn’t spent much time with children like Gu Qingqing before and wasn’t particularly patient with kids. Yet now, looking at Gu Qingqing, perhaps because she was his apprentice, he found her actions irresistibly adorable.

"Qing is impressive; first try and you’ve already broken through, now you’re a second-stage cultivator." Patting Gu Qingqing’s head, Wen Guiyun praised her without reservation.

Receiving affirmation and praise, Gu Qingqing felt a bit shy, but her eyes shone brighter and a brilliant smile appeared on her face.

"You’re still young, cultivation shouldn’t be rushed; you might as well learn other things." Wen Guiyun smiled at her happiness, instinctively cautioning her. Gu Qingqing nodded, and he couldn’t resist patting her head again.

Amid their harmonious moment, Gu Qingqing’s stomach suddenly growled. Embarrassed, she covered it, not daring to meet Wen Guiyun’s eyes.

Wen Guiyun paused, realizing she might be hungry since she was young and her cultivation level was low, still needing food. Feeling a bit guilty, as their cultivation levels were high and they were not particular about food, he pondered for a while. Then he recalled a Green Fruit Tree in the garden behind the main peak. The fruit was sweet and filling, so he quickly ordered the puppet to pick some.

After eating the fruit, remembering the earlier awkward moment, Gu Qingqing felt too shy to interact with Wen Guiyun, who didn’t pressure her and allowed her to rest, going himself to the main peak library.

Gu Qingqing settled on the main peak; her talent was good, so there was no worry about her cultivation. The main concern was teaching her to read and write since she couldn’t speak, allowing her to communicate with others via writing, mainly following Wen Guiyun in literacy and calligraphy while staying there.

Until the fifth day when it was time for her to go to the first peak.