Page 57

Cheng Yan fell into a brief silence. At that moment, the others who had been downstairs rushed up, arriving just in time to hear Qin Shu's words.

He Xin couldn't hold back her laughter.

Qin Shu awkwardly straightened her posture to face them, only to realize that after spending half a year exposed to the elements on the rooftop, she was covered in dust.

The moment she moved, dust and debris flaked off her clothes.

She couldn't suppress another powerful sneeze.

Cheng Yan, unable to watch any longer, cast a Cleansing Spell with a flick of his fingers.

Only then did Qin Shu finally feel some relief. She raised her hand and cupped her fists in gratitude.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

But the moment she lifted her arm, she noticed her sleeves had become shorter.

She blinked, then tugged at the hem of her robe, looking down in confusion.

"Wait... did I grow taller?"

"It's only natural. You're at the age where you'd still be growing," He Xin chuckled.

"It's good, of course," Qin Shu murmured.

But then, she fell into deep thought.

"When I bought this robe, the shop assistant specifically told me it would adjust to fit... so why does it look too small now?"

Shu He, listening to her complaints, couldn't help but laugh.

"Perhaps the clothing only had a single-use enchantment for resizing. After that, it probably stopped working."

Qin Shu wrinkled her nose.

"Hmph, cheap things really don't last."

Shu He pondered for a moment before taking out a set of robes from his storage ring and handing them to her.

"Junior Sister, I happen to have a spare set. It's brand new—please don't mind taking it."

Before Qin Shu could respond, Cheng Yan interjected.

"No need."

Qin Shu turned to look at him.

To her astonishment, Cheng Yan had also taken out a set of robes and handed them to her.

"This is a Tianluo Lotus Silk Garment. It's not my preferred color, so you should have it."

Qin Shu stared at the pristine white robes in his hands, then looked at the identical pristine white robes he was currently wearing.

Her expression turned strange.

Master Brother, how can you lie so boldly without even blinking?

"I cannot accept a gift without merit. Such fine clothing is far too precious for me, Senior Brother." Qin Shu cupped her fists again and declined politely.

Cheng Yan's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this response.

"It's fine. If you feel guilty, you can help me with something—I owe the sect sixty years' worth of alchemy work. You can assist in refining some pills."

Qin Shu was stunned.

Sixty years?!

She hadn't even lived for sixty years across both her lifetimes combined!

And now, a single robe meant paying off sixty years of debt?!

With a straight face, she cupped her fists once more and solemnly declared—

"Senior Brother, upon further thought, I find this robe still quite comfortable despite its slight tightness. I shall continue wearing it as is."

Cheng Yan frowned, but before he could say anything, He Xin eagerly grabbed Qin Shu's arm and whispered excitedly—

"Shu Shu! You were in enlightenment for so long—what did you comprehend?"

Since they were all fellow disciples, Qin Shu saw no need to hide anything.

"I comprehended a way to borrow the power of nature for my own use."

She glanced at He Xin's bright, expectant gaze, and before she could react, He Xin urged excitedly—

"Show me! Show me! What does it look like?"

Qin Shu hesitated.

"Uh... you really want to see?"

He Xin nodded like a pecking chick, full of enthusiasm.

Qin Shu sighed in resignation.

"Alright, then."

As soon as she spoke, Shu He also turned toward her with keen interest, eager to witness her newfound technique.

Qin Shu stretched out a hand, her intent guiding the wind.

A delicate green leaf floated gently from the nearby willow tree and landed right in her palm.

With a bit of pride, Qin Shu held up the leaf and showed it off.

"How about that? Pretty amazing, right?"

But He Xin's expression became puzzled.

She mimicked Qin Shu's motion, gathering spiritual energy to pluck a leaf directly from the tree.

Holding up her own leaf, she turned to Qin Shu and asked—

"Like this?"

Qin Shu froze.

She looked at He Xin's leaf, then at her own, scratching the back of her head in confusion.

Only Cheng Yan understood the difference.

Qin Shu had borrowed the power of the wind, allowing it to deliver the leaf to her hand naturally.

Meanwhile, He Xin had used her own spiritual energy to forcefully pick the leaf.

At such a young age, her comprehension of the Dao was already this profound.

Her future was limitless.

As they descended from the rooftop, Qin Shu suddenly remembered something and asked—

"The beast tide... is it over?"

He Xin grinned.

"It ended ages ago! You've been in enlightenment for six months— the outside world has already returned to peace."

"Six months?!"

Qin Shu was shocked.

She had heard the saying 'In cultivation, time flows differently', but she hadn't expected time to slip by this quickly.

"No wonder my clothes don't fit anymore..." she muttered.

"Yeah," He Xin nodded. "At first, the senior brothers thought you'd wake up in ten days or so. No one expected you to be out for half a year!"

At that moment, Shu He went to summon Wen Chi.

Wen Chi, usually elegant and otherworldly, looked slightly drowsy when he arrived.

"Little Daoist Nun, your enlightenment took way too long. Any longer, and I might have broken through while waiting here."

Qin Shu eyed his clearly just-woken-up state.

Was he... cultivating in his dreams?

Curious, she tentatively asked—

"Senior Brother, can you actually train while dreaming? Can you teach me?"

Wen Chi snorted.

"You wish."

Qin Shu immediately deflated, slumping onto the table in disappointment.

Cheng Yan, seeing her dejected look, added—

"It's not a technique. It's an innate ability of the Wen family's bloodline."

Qin Shu felt genuine envy.

No wonder certain noble families held such high status in the cultivation world.

Some people were simply born superior.

"They really got the good stuff, huh..."

Meanwhile, she was plain and talentless, forced to rely on sheer hard work and ruthless efficiency to survive.

"Enough sighing," Wen Chi said lazily, fanning himself. "We've been out long enough. If we don't go back soon, Master might think we sold you off somewhere."

Qin Shu suddenly remembered something—

The giant snake she had left behind in the cave six months ago.

She recalled the time she had a pet cat in her previous life.

Once, she had to leave for three days to handle some paperwork.

When she returned, her cat gave her the cold shoulder for an entire week, refusing to let her pet its paw pads.

It even swiped at her with its little claws in protest.

Now, she had left her giant snake alone for six whole months...

She had no idea how it was going to react.

Well... worst case scenario, he'll just sulk for a while.

The group bid farewell to Shu He and boarded the teleportation array back to Xuantian Sect.

Ordinarily, the return trip required at least twenty people to activate the array.

But with Second Senior Brother's bottomless wealth, they simply paid for a private teleport.

Upon arriving back at the sect, Qin Shu stretched lazily, feeling an unexpected sense of belonging.

Even though the sect hadn't treated the original owner of her body well, it was still the closest thing she had to a home in this world.

Just as she prepared to fly back on her green leaf, Wen Chi tossed a bundle of fabric at her face.

"What's this for?"

"Your current outfit looks pathetic. Don't embarrass me."

Qin Shu stiffened.

"I can't accept gifts without merit!"

Wen Chi laughed.

"Really? Then what about the Bodhi Leaf I gave you?"