Jian Dan gazed toward the mountain's edge with mixed emotions. She couldn't help but admire Du Yanran's caution and persistence—qualities that had allowed her to surpass Jian Dan in their past life, turning her into nothing more than a stepping stone.
True success is never accidental.
Since her rebirth, Jian Dan had assumed that by seizing the initiative, everything would unfold as she envisioned. She had grown complacent, even somewhat arrogant.
But today, Du Yanran's actions served as a stark reminder—this was how a true cultivator behaved. She seized opportunities without hesitation. When uncertainty arose, she investigated relentlessly, eliminating any potential threats before they could take root.
Moreover, Du Yanran's cultivation speed exceeded Jian Dan's expectations. She seemed desperate to advance, undoubtedly because—like Jian Dan—she remembered their past life and sought to escape this spirit-starved planet as quickly as possible.
For every gain, there is a loss.
Until she fully unraveled the mystery of Du Yanran's unnatural luck, Jian Dan decided to let events follow their original course—lulling her enemy into a false sense of security. Only then could she strike decisively at the critical moment.
In her view, no scheme could withstand absolute strength. But first, she needed to attain that strength. At this realization, the lingering pride and restlessness in her heart finally settled. And with that clarity—the barrier to Foundation Establishment trembled.
"It's coming."
Without hesitation, Jian Dan sat cross-legged atop the tree branch, facing the rising sun. She drew in the first wisp of violet solar energy, guiding it through her meridians as she cycled it according to the Primordial Chaos Technique. The violet qi purified her pathways before settling into her dantian. Then, like a vortex, she devoured the surrounding spiritual energy, forming a cocoon of dense qi around her.
Yet she knew—the ambient energy here wouldn't be enough.
After refining the violet qi, she entered her spatial realm, where time flowed differently. Seated beside the spirit spring on a meditation mat, she compressed her qi again and again, expanding her meridians while solidifying the gaseous energy in her dantian.
Only when her dantian could hold no more did she finally drink a single sip of the spirit spring water.
That one sip unleashed a tidal wave of spiritual power.
Her meridians expanded violently as the energy crashed through her body, forcing her dantian to condense the qi into liquid. Drop by drop, the silver-gray spiritual liquid—imbued with the hues of her five-element Chaos Spirit Root—pooled at the base of her dantian.
After nine major and nine minor cycles, the transformation was complete.
Her dantian was now one-third full—marking her official entry into the peak of early Foundation Establishment. With steady accumulation, she could advance to mid-stage at any time.
When Jian Dan opened her eyes, a prismatic gleam flickered within them. She exhaled sharply, shaking off the impurities expelled during her breakthrough. Her divine sense expanded exponentially, now covering a hundred-mile radius.
It was then she noticed—the white mist around her bamboo hut had thinned. The structure had grown into a two-story pavilion, and the spirit spring had widened into a small stream.
Before she could investigate further, a gentle repelling force nudged her—a silent reminder to leave.
She obeyed, reappearing atop the locust tree at high noon.
Nine days had passed.
Her breakthrough and consolidation had taken time, but within her spatial realm, the flow had been distorted. With a final exhale, she leaped down to where Du Yanran had taken the Spirit-Cleansing Fruit.
The boulder sat undisturbed, the soil beneath it now dry and cracked.
Yet lingering in the air was Du Yanran's scent—proof she had returned, likely to refine the fruit. A faint trace of fire-attribute qi remained, so weak it was nearly imperceptible.
Jian Dan's dark eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.
The battle between them had always been a struggle of east wind against west wind—one prevailing over the other in turns.
But now, subtle changes were taking root.
And from small seeds, great storms grew.