The attribute panel Bai Sui saw was very succinct, showing only key information.

The [Age] column displayed “10/75 years.” The “10” at the front should refer to her current real age, namely her bone age of “10 years.”

And the “75” at the back was most likely the time she would die a natural death.

That is to say, if her cultivation level never rose again, she could probably only live to 75!

It didn’t look like a very long lifespan.

The first time Bai Sui saw the panel, she couldn’t help but mutter to herself. But now she had come to terms with it. This lifespan, to put it bluntly, was merely a reference; there was no way she would actually remain stuck at the first layer of Qi Refining forever.

As her cultivation level improved in the future, she guessed that her lifespan ought to change accordingly.

The [Cultivation], [Cultivation Art], and [Skills] on the back of the panel were also literal in meaning, not hard to understand.

It was instead the last column [Talents], which described something called “Pure Ice Jade Body,” that Bai Sui found difficult to comprehend for the time being.

It was roughly some kind of constitution!

Similar to those overbearingly named physiques like “Extreme Yin Body,” “Taixu Dao Body,” “Primal Spirit Divine Body,” “Great Dao Sacred Body,” and so on from the fantasy novels she had read in her previous life.

In short, when authors set up these things, they always liked to make them as flashy as possible, wishing they could use all the appellations like the ultimate of yin and yang, holy and divine Dao, and so on.

Her own “Pure Ice Jade Body” instead carried a touch of plainness and unadorned simplicity, neither as flashy nor as exaggerated as theirs.

The greatest Dao is simplicity, truly!

Of course, the name “Pure Ice Jade Body” was still a bit jarring at first glance.

It seemed as if it was constantly reminding Bai Sui of her gender.

But Bai Sui was not picky.

In this crisis-ridden cultivation world, having talent was always better than having none, and the notes mentioned that “Pure Ice Jade Body” had the traits of “Cultivation Talent” and “Calm Amidst Collapse,” which was enough to console her.

* * *

The night in Spirit Water Village was very quiet.

The occasional barking of dogs could be heard.

The mortals had already long gone to sleep, while many cultivators like Bai Sui were absorbed in concentrated cultivation under the cover of night.

A night passed without incident.

The next morning, the rising sun rose from the east, rousing the silent earth from darkness.

After a night of cultivation, Bai Sui opened her eyes and couldn’t help but exhale a long breath of stale air.

She summoned the attribute panel:

[Character: Bai Sui / Bai Sui]

[Lifespan: 10/75 years]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining First Layer: 97/100]

[Cultivation Art: Qi Drawing Art 'Initiation': 49/100]

[Skills: Wind Brushing Technique 'Initiation', Fire Ignition Technique 'Proficient', Planting Technique 'Ordinary']

[Talents: Pure Ice Jade Body 'Cultivation Talent, Calm Amidst Collapse']

‘One step closer to the second layer of Qi Refining! If this speed continues, I should be able to break through tomorrow or the day after!’

Seeing that both [Cultivation] and [Cultivation Art] had increased to some degree, Bai Sui felt very pleased.

Although her current level was still very low, and even after breaking through she would still be a small fry in the cultivation world, the effort she put in was being rewarded.

This kind of visible improvement was indeed something that lifted one’s spirits.

Glancing at the courtyard outside, which was already bright, Bai Sui felt not a trace of sleepiness.

This was how cultivators were; the process of cultivation was often also an excellent way of regulating and resting the body, even more effective than a mortal’s sleep.

Even without sleeping, they remained full of energy.

‘Another brand-new day brimming with hope!’

Because she was no longer her past self, her mindset had become more optimistic. She patted her clothes and got down from the bed.

Next, it was again washing rice and cooking, very simply resolving the problem of breakfast.

Early-stage cultivators still needed to eat; at this point, they were not much different from mortals, just with higher combat strength.

It was said that at the higher stages, one could abstain from grain; by then, it would probably be enough to simply absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon to get by.

Speaking of which, when Bai Sui left the South Dipper Sect, she had carried a few Fasting Pills with her. They tasted somewhat like hawthorn balls, and eating one would allow her to go without food or drink for ten days to half a month.

Unfortunately, the number of these pills was limited, and not long after arriving at Spirit Water Village, she had finished them all.

It was also thanks to the support of the Fasting Pills that she endured the difficult initial period.

After breakfast, Bai Sui raised her hand and cast a Wind Brushing Technique.

The pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks on the table rose as if lifted by an invisible hand, slowly floating into mid-air, then fell into a wooden bucket prepared to the side.

Then her finger drew circles in the air, and the water in the bucket suddenly swirled with a splashing whirlpool.

In just a few moments, the pots, pans, and bowls were scrubbed clean.

‘The spells of the cultivation world are surprisingly handy in such situations!’

She had both cleaned the dishes and trained the use of the spell.

Neither was delayed!

After that, she snapped her fingers. Under her manipulation, the already cleaned pots, pans, and bowls lined up neatly in a row, precisely and accurately returning to their places in the cupboard nearby.

‘Done!’

Bai Sui nodded in satisfaction, feeling that her control was growing increasingly proficient.

With a few more casts, she should be able to advance from “Initiation” to the “Ordinary” level.

‘The morning is the best time of the day; I should go water those adorable little spirit plants…’

Bai Sui thought for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked out.

Beside the house, there was also a simple large shed. It was something Bai Sui had specifically built with great effort using bamboo; planted inside were some relatively ordinary spirit plants.

Back in the South Dipper Sect, she had followed Aunt-Master Jiang in tending all sorts of spirit plants in the herb garden, making her something of a half-expert. Later, when she fled from the South Dipper Sect, the bundle Aunt-Master Jiang gave her included several jars of spirit plant seeds.

Thus, after settling down in Spirit Water Village, she returned to her old trade, opening up a small “greenhouse” beside the house and planting these spirit plants.

After nearly two years of cultivation, the inside of the shed was now a swath of vibrant green, bursting with life, and these spirit plants were due for harvest.

Although they were all the most ordinary varieties common in the cultivation world—Spirit Gathering Grass, Jade Vine, Three Harmony Butterfly, Four Seasons Melody, and such—which needed to be bundled together and sold by the bundle.

But even the leg of a mosquito is meat; once accumulated to a certain amount, they could also sell for a fair sum.

Holding a water ladle, Bai Sui walked in a cheerful mood among the spirit plants. From time to time, she splashed water on those that needed it; it looked casual, but she carefully controlled the amount.

These spirit plants were exceedingly delicate; too little water and they would easily dry up and die, too much and they would drown and rot, even harder to care for than a pampered young lady from a wealthy family.

Fortunately, Bai Sui’s Planting Technique had already reached the “Ordinary” level, so keeping them alive was no problem.

After watering, she took her bamboo basket, machete, and other gear, and was ready to head into the mountains to “make a living” again.

* * *

Spirit Water Peak, located on the southwest side of Spirit Water Village, about ten li from the village, was also the source of the small river known as the “Spirit River.”

Bai Sui usually came here to chop firewood, pick mushrooms, and hunt small animals.

It was an excellent place of tranquility, with no need to worry about being disturbed by others.

Today, as usual, she arrived at a rarely visited spot on the mountainside. She looked at the lush, verdant forest around her and nodded in satisfaction. Then she unfastened the small machete from her waist, and also set down the huge basket she carried on her back.

For Bai Sui, tasks like chopping firewood were no longer a challenge.

Now, she no longer needed to swing the machete with both arms as she had in the past.

She only needed to mobilize a bit of spiritual power and cast the Wind Brushing Technique, and the machete would nimbly weave through the thickets. With a series of rustling sounds, in a short while, bundle after bundle of cleanly sorted firewood of suitable size flew out from among the branches on their own…

‘The Wind Brushing Technique really is the best skill for wilderness survival…’

After setting the firewood aside, Bai Sui found a clean spot and sat down cross-legged.

‘Now it’s time to practice the Fireball Technique…’

She took a breath, ready to practice a new spell.

This Fireball Technique and the “Fire Ignition Technique” that Bai Sui already knew were different approaches to the same principle, except the latter was used more for daily life, while the Fireball Technique could be used for combat between cultivators.

At present, Bai Sui’s repertoire of combat skills was nothing to speak of. To put it bluntly, aside from using the Wind Brushing Technique to control a machete to chop at people, she basically had no other spell that could be used to harm enemies.

But one couldn’t blame her for that; the first layer of Qi Refining was the introductory stage for cultivators. Being able to use spells to make life more convenient was already the greatest ability at this level, and many offensive spells required the strength of the second layer of Qi Refining or above to cast.

The Fireball Technique was such a case.

A cultivator at the first layer of Qi Refining could learn it, but to possess any real power, one needed to reach the second layer of Qi Refining.

Pop!

After a long moment of preparation, Bai Sui gently swayed her fair index finger before her eyes, and a small flame the size of a soybean suddenly ignited above her fingertip.

The fireball was pale yellow.

It had no solid form, like a mass of burning dense gas.

A bit like…

A yellow dwarf star!

In Bai Sui’s mind, images from science education videos of her previous life about “yellow dwarf stars” suddenly surfaced.

Our sun was a beautiful yellow dwarf star.

She curled her finger and then gently flicked it, attempting to shoot the fireball out.

But the soybean-sized little fireball suddenly fizzled out with a puff and vanished.

Bai Sui frowned slightly, but a spark of playful interest rose greatly in her eyes.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Three more fireballs burst into existence in succession, then rapidly dissipated.

Finally, after many attempts, Bai Sui roughly figured out the trick to controlling the fireball. Following that, a fireball the size of a broad bean stably existed at her fingertip.

Its color was no longer pale yellow but a somewhat denser yellowish-white.

“Go!”

Bai Sui flicked her hand, and the fireball instantly shot toward a stretch of lake surface not far away.

With a soft boom, it splashed up a column of water several meters high.

‘The power’s not bad, but I still need to practice more…’

She sighed lightly, a faint smile appearing on her face.

* * *

Over the next several days, Bai Sui came here every day to practice the “Fireball Technique,” and at night she would silently cultivate the Qi Drawing Art at home, enriching herself.

And after several days of hard practice, she finally achieved her wish and stepped into the second layer of Qi Refining.

She summoned the attribute panel:

[Character: Bai Sui / Bai Sui]

[Lifespan: 10/80 years]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer: 6/100]

[Cultivation Art: Qi Drawing Art 'Initiation': 55/100]

[Skills: Wind Brushing Technique 'Ordinary', Fireball Technique 'Initiation', Planting Technique 'Ordinary']

[Talents: Pure Ice Jade Body 'Cultivation Talent, Calm Amidst Collapse']