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Qin Shu thought about it. Learning the Fireball Technique seemed feasible. After all, her Fire Spiritual Root had the highest value. Starting with this would likely be easier.

"Then I'll trouble you, Senior Sister," she said.

Shu Ying patiently taught her the incantation for the Fireball Technique, carefully explaining how to form hand seals and draw out fire spiritual energy.

Qin Shu understood the steps but felt even more confused.

Draw out fire spiritual energy? But her three types of spiritual energy were fused into one! How was she supposed to separate them?

Seeing Qin Shu staring with her round almond-shaped eyes, looking adorably clueless, Shu Ying couldn't resist pinching her cheek with a smile. "Don't worry if you don't quite get it now. Just try it out first; you'll get the hang of it gradually."

Qin Shu blinked, feeling a little awkward being treated like a ten-year-old and having her face pinched.

Meeting Shu Ying's encouraging smile, Qin Shu followed her movements to form the seals, watching as Shu Ying summoned a red flame that danced on her fingertips.

Unsure how to separate her fire spiritual energy, Qin Shu decided to try drawing out just a bit of her purple spiritual energy instead.

Poof. A small spark appeared in her palm, only to disappear instantly.

Shu Ying's eyes flashed with surprise. "Not bad! To see even a spark on your first attempt is impressive. Try again!"

Qin Shu knew the flame only lasted briefly because she had drawn out too little energy.

However, when she caught the unfriendly gaze of a nearby boy, her long-dormant sense of caution was instantly heightened.

Ah, yes. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered." With her triple spiritual roots and remarkable progress in cultivating spiritual energy in just four days, she was already attracting attention. If word spread that she had extraordinary comprehension abilities, she could kiss her peace goodbye.

Resolving to stay low-key, Qin Shu tried forming seals again. But this time, there wasn't even a spark.

She tried several more times, all to no avail, her frustration becoming increasingly evident.

"What's going on? I swear I'm doing it exactly as before!" Her high-pitched voice, deliberately raised, caught the attention of everyone in the hall.

The skinny boy scoffed mockingly, "You were just lucky the first time. Do you think luck will always favor you? Real geniuses who can summon fireballs in one or two tries are already in the inner sect. They wouldn't still be here."

Qin Shu's shoulders slumped dramatically. Shu Ying frowned at the boy, displeased, then turned back to comfort Qin Shu. "That fire spiritual root girl with a value of ninety-nine from your batch also took two days to produce her first fireball. Don't rush, little sister. Practice a bit more, and you might succeed."

Qin Shu nodded. "Thank you, Senior Sister. I'll keep trying at home."

She turned and left, looking utterly dejected.

Shu Ying sighed. This little girl was still too young. She'd learn soon enough that setbacks were a dime a dozen on the path of cultivation.

The moment Qin Shu left their sight, her demeanor returned to normal.

That boy? Definitely cannon fodder. Nosy and petty, the type that couldn't tolerate others' success.

Back in her small wooden cabin, Qin Shu spent the next four days in seclusion, only leaving each morning to collect steamed buns from the cafeteria. The rest of her time was devoted to studying the use of spiritual energy.

Following Shu Ying's guidance, she practiced forming seals, drawing energy from her dantian, and adjusting the output to make the fireball grow or shrink.

Once she memorized the technique, she tried something different. She opened her palm and summoned a fireball directly, without forming seals.

Touching the flame, she was surprised to find it didn't burn her.

But when she used it to light a lamp, it worked perfectly.

An idea struck her. The flame in her hand turned into a green ball of wood energy, then shifted to a yellow hue representing earth energy.

Qin Shu grinned. So, her purple spiritual energy could transform at will.

This was a relief. Her wood and earth spiritual roots had lower values and absorbed energy more slowly. Now, she could simply redirect the more abundant fire spiritual energy as needed.

She realized that the techniques taught in the hall were essentially about channeling specific energies.

For example, channeling fire energy to the fingertips created fire; channeling wood energy into plants promoted their growth and revealed their age and properties.

Most disciples struggled with suppressing other types of energy during this process, which was why they needed incantations to help.

But she had no such issues. Once spiritual energy entered her dantian, it turned into purple energy. She could switch it at will, without needing to suppress anything.

As she played with a green orb of energy in her palm, she wondered if she should take on a sect task next.

Although the sect provided food, lodging, and resources for the first year, disciples with poor aptitude couldn't rely solely on closed-door cultivation. They needed fortuitous encounters or alchemical pills to assist their progress.

Disciples below the second level of Qi Refinement couldn't take on external tasks, but they could help within the sect—harvesting medicinal herbs in the fields or drawing water for the kitchen, for instance.

Deep in thought, Qin Shu absentmindedly dispelled the green energy in her hand.

She glanced at her fingers and froze.

She remembered cutting her hand while picking fruit on the mountainside a few days ago. Why was there no scar now? That morning, the wound was still visible!

Thinking hard, she recalled that wood energy was associated with life.

She wanted to test it again but couldn't bear to harm her smooth, fair hands.

After hesitating for a long time, her gaze fell on the little pink-heart-patterned black snake lying on her bed.

Why harm herself when she had a ready-made test subject?

She picked up the snake and unwrapped the scarf tied around its body. Then, gathering a green orb of wood energy, she pressed it against the snake's seven-inch mark.

Xie Shiyuan woke up again, feeling irritable. Who wouldn't be annoyed, constantly being woken from their healing slumber three times a day? He almost wanted to bite the little brat disturbing him.

But the next moment, his irritation dissolved under the soothing influence of the wood energy.

Snakes naturally loved wood energy. The rich life force mended his shattered meridians. As his broken pathways healed, his long-dormant heartbeat resumed.

However, Qin Shu's cultivation was limited, and she soon withdrew her hand.

As the comforting sensation faded, Xie Shiyuan instinctively nudged her fingers, reluctant to let go.

Qin Shu felt the snake's cool touch against her fingers and froze.

Then, overjoyed, she exclaimed, "It works! My little snake is alive again!"