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Qin Shu's gaze toward Lu Li shifted slightly. As far as she knew, one's Dao Heart was the firmest conviction within them—something that wouldn't waver easily.

Yet, if it did waver, it would be akin to shattering the foundation of a towering building—completely devastating.

And yet, he was so candid in admitting it. This honesty made Qin Shu lower her guard just a little.

"I don't know where you see this 'destined connection.' I've never met you before," Qin Shu said as she toyed with a small spade, digging in the soil.

Lu Li chuckled. "Naturally, a wise master pointed it out to me."

At that very moment, somewhere far away, a certain *wise master* sneezed unexpectedly.

Lu Jin narrowed her brows, her forehead's red birthmark seeming even more vivid.

"Senior Brother, why don't you just divine his whereabouts? It's just a simple tracking spell," she asked impatiently.

Sui Han's gaze remained cold and lifeless, devoid of any emotion.

"If it were that simple, why don't you divine it yourself, Junior Sister?" His voice was eerily indifferent.

Lu Jin let out a frustrated snort. "You really won't help me?"

Sui Han slowly shook his head. "It's not that I refuse—I'm simply unable to."

Lu Jin's temper flared. She swept her sleeve across his desk, knocking over an assortment of tortoiseshell divination tools.

"What nonsense! There's nothing in this world you *can't* divine! You just don't *want* to help me! You just want me to leave you alone!"

Sui Han's expression remained utterly unmoved. His pale, clouded eyes never wavered as he responded, "Junior Sister, you're mistaken. I couldn't even divine that I would go blind."

His once-sharp eyes were now forever void of sight.

Lu Jin stormed off, leaving empty-handed—angry, frustrated, and no closer to finding her brother.

Sui Han merely raised a hand. Instantly, all the scattered objects on his desk returned to their original places, arranged in perfect order.

Meanwhile, the very same Lu Li they were discussing was busy teaching Qin Shu the *Shrinking the Ground Into an Inch* movement technique.

Qin Shu followed Lu Li's instructions, gathering her spiritual energy into her legs, attempting to sense the guiding force.

Finally, she took a step forward—only to find it was just... a regular step. A little larger than usual, perhaps, but otherwise unremarkable.

Lu Li laughed and reassured her, "No need to rush. You may see me using this technique effortlessly now, but back when I was learning, it took me over half a year to master it."

Qin Shu nodded, yet deep down, she had her own theories.

If she treated the world as a coordinate system, establishing an XYZ axis, then her current standing point could be set as the origin. The next step she took would be at (X, 0, 0), with X representing the maximum distance her spiritual energy could support.

The key variable affecting X should be earth-elemental spiritual energy. If she could establish a link between her stepping point and the ground itself, using earth energy to harness the power of the land, wouldn't that allow her to cover vast distances—just like traveling three thousand miles in a single day?

Qin Shu closed her eyes, focusing intently on the spiritual energy beneath her feet.

Earth energy came from the land itself—steady, vast, and endless.

If she envisioned the ground as countless tiny particles, she could rearrange them with her spiritual energy. By restructuring their alignment, she could essentially create a "conveyor belt," allowing her to glide forward instead of merely stepping.

In simple terms, she wasn't *moving* forward; she was *moving the land beneath her feet.* It was as if she were running on a giant escalator—one step appearing small, yet covering a vast distance.

After contemplating for a long while, she steeled herself and tried again.

Lu Li observed her shift her energy into earth affinity, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise.

She had an earth spirit root too? That would mean she was a triple-spirit-root cultivator—far from an ideal talent in the cultivation world.

Those with poor spiritual roots often had little chance of making significant progress in the path of immortality.

Yet, despite her supposed lack of talent, he still couldn't divine her fate. That in itself suggested something was extraordinary about her.

Then, to his astonishment, Qin Shu *moved.*

She took a single step forward—and instantly appeared on the other side of the herb garden.

Lu Li, mid-swing with his feathered fan, abruptly stopped. He stared in disbelief.

"Do it again," he urged.

Qin Shu took another step.

In the blink of an eye, she had crossed the distance back to him.

Lu Li, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, could tell that while Qin Shu had successfully executed the movement, her technique was distinctly different from his own.

His voice grew serious. "Little Shu'er, how did you do that?"

Qin Shu considered her words carefully before answering.

"The world we live in—the cultivation realm—is filled with spiritual energy. Everything around us, from the air we breathe to the ground we stand on, possesses its own force. I merely borrowed the power of the land using earth energy, allowing it to propel me forward."

As she spoke, she realized something.

Her version of *Shrinking the Ground Into an Inch* was not the same as the original technique Lu Li had described.

The traditional method relied on complex spatial structures—concepts she couldn't yet grasp at her current cultivation level.

But this simplified version? It was effective and accessible, making it far more practical for her to use.

Lu Li's eyes gleamed with realization. "Borrowing force?" he murmured. Then, suddenly, his face lit up. "I understand now! Little girl, your comprehension is truly remarkable. If only your natural talent were better, you might even ascend one day."

He sighed inwardly. *What a pity that she's only a triple-spirit-root cultivator.*

By all logic, Lu Li's Dao Heart had stabilized, and he should have returned to his own affairs.

Yet, for some reason, he found himself unwilling to leave.

The disciples of Lingxu Peak had even arranged a guest residence for him—but he refused to stay there. Instead, he insisted on meditating at the base of Lingxu Zhenren's mountain, claiming he wanted to "hike up the mountain every day."

"Hike?" Lingxu Zhenren raised a brow. *Could it be...?*

Lu Li chuckled. "Lingxu Zhenren, I feel a great affinity with your mountain. Perhaps if I climb it a few more times, I may gain further enlightenment."

He wasn't entirely sure if he would gain insight, but there was one thing he was certain of—whenever Little Shu'er spoke, her perspective was so unique that it always gave him new ideas. Her mind was both expansive and unpredictable.

Just what kind of household raised such an unusual girl?

Thus, Lu Li ended up staying at Lingxu Peak. Every day, he made excuses to visit Qin Shu, slipping in a few conversations whenever he could.

Yet, to his bewilderment, the little girl never seemed to rest. From dawn until dusk, she was either training with her sword or refining her techniques.

The sheer diligence of it made Lu Li question himself all over again.

Was she *really* a sword cultivator? Or was she a body cultivator?

Cultivation was supposed to be a personal journey—yet suddenly, she had a persistent audience.

Even though he rarely spoke, Qin Shu found it unbearably awkward to be watched so often.

After three days, she made a decisive announcement.

"Lu Li Zhenren, please don't come tomorrow. I'll be going into seclusion for pill refinement."