"You should leave the way you came. This place is my domain."
Shui Huanmeng's voice held a clear note of displeasure as she heard the voices of intruders.
Not only had they trespassed, they had the audacity to covet her treasures.
"This treasure belongs to the heavens and earth. Just because you say it's yours, doesn't make it so," one of them scoffed, seeing no trace of spiritual pressure from her and growing bolder by the second.
Boom—
With a flicker of her expression, Shui Huanmeng released the full might of a Nascent Soul cultivator. The speaker had no time to react. The sheer force of her spiritual pressure sent him flying hundreds of li, crashing into mountain after mountain.
Thud. Thud.
The successive crashes left the disciples stunned. Even now, as Golden Core cultivators, they couldn't begin to grasp the full extent of their master's power after breaking through.
"We'll need to erase their memories. Otherwise, word of this place will spread."
A tier-four spiritual vein was a rare and priceless resource no matter where it was found. It could easily sustain multiple Golden Core families. With that thought, Shui Huanmeng plucked her pipa and began to play. The tune was hauntingly beautiful, lulling those who heard it into drowsiness.
Moments later, all the wandering cultivators who had come to investigate were driven off, their memories wiped clean of what had happened.
Next, she activated a top-tier defensive formation, covering the entire spiritual vein and sealing off all energy fluctuations.
"This spiritual vein is exceptional. You can return here to cultivate in seclusion when needed. It's just over ten thousand li from the sect. At your current speed, it would only take two or three days."
"Master, is Junior Sister alright? Why hasn't she woken up?" asked the eldest disciple, glancing at Chen Jinshu, who still lay motionless at the center of the lotus platform.
Her spiritual energy was steady, but she remained unconscious.
In truth, Chen Jinshu had long regained consciousness after the tribulation ended. However, her mind had been drawn into the spirit field within the cauldron, so from the outside, it seemed as if she had yet to awaken.
"Stand guard over her for a few days. She's probably just exhausted and resting," Shui Huanmeng said after checking her condition.
"Understood, Master."
…
Inside the Spirit Field
Chen Jinshu stood before three newly formed acres of violet-gold farmland, unable to hide her joy.
"A violet-gold thunder field... I'm rich!"
The golden lightning flickered faintly over purple soil, filling the space with a strange but energizing glow.
"What if I plant blood vermilion fruit here? Could it evolve into thunder vermilion fruit? Thunder-aspect spirit fruits are incredibly scarce in the cultivation world."
Acting on instinct, she harvested a nearby acre of ripe blood vermilion fruit, then transplanted several saplings into the new thunder field. After finishing the planting, she began to examine the surrounding space. These three acres had formed as a result of the tribulation lightning being absorbed into the field.
Her breakthrough to Golden Core had also added another four acres to the field. Now her total spirit farmland spanned more than twenty acres.
"I could never finish planting all this alone..."
Fortunately, she had a plan. She would convert part of the land into spirit orchards. With the spatial flow now running three times faster than the outside world, even young trees would mature in record time. Before long, she would have several acres of fruit-bearing groves.
Of course, she would also need to grow herbs essential for Golden Core cultivation, especially if she wanted to elevate her alchemy to tier-three.
While Xuanming Sect was powerful, tier-three pills were not only expensive but also limited in number. Most were custom-made, either refined by Golden Core alchemists themselves or entrusted to high-level pill refiners.
It was a lucrative business, one that brought fame and rare pills in return. And since the sect's tier-three resources were never sold externally—they could barely meet internal demand—it was a market ripe for her to tap into.
"Didn't expect the breakthrough to ripen all the herbs at once."
She glanced across the field, seeing all her previously planted herbs glowing with maturity, ready for harvest.
"There's no way I can use all this myself. I'll sell some to the sect and trade for tier-three pills."
Her tribulation had come suddenly. Aside from her main weapon, she had not prepared many tier-three items or pills, which meant another wave of costly purchases was coming.
She walked over to the dragonbone whip, noticing the hostility it once radiated had lessened significantly.
She could now approach it safely.
"Once I return, I need to find a whip technique and refine this weapon properly."
She had a strong sense that mastering this dragonbone whip would give her a crucial edge in the upcoming Five Continents Alliance competition. She steadied her breath, and soon her consciousness returned to her physical body. When she opened her eyes, she was met with eight curious faces peering down at her.
"Thank you, Master, Senior Brothers, and Senior Sisters, for standing guard."
A bit embarrassed, Chen Jinshu quickly rose. The lotus platform beneath her disappeared at the same time. The protective lotus had been awakened by her birthmark, a latent ability that activated only during life-threatening danger. She could also summon it manually, but doing so would cost a large amount of spiritual consciousness.
That was why she had reserved it specifically for the tribulation.
"Junior Sister, you really were hiding your strength. Who would've guessed you'd attract the violet-gold tribulation, something unseen in a hundred years. No wonder you entered the Washing Moon Pool."
"Indeed," Shui Huanmeng said with pride. "The pool cleansed most of the impurities from her body, allowing her to return to her natural state. That purity raised her potential ceiling considerably."
She waved her hand and brought out eight bottles of pills.
"These are tier-three pills I refined myself. One bottle per person. Each pill is enough to support three months of cultivation. Use them wisely. They were not easy to make, especially with how rare the ingredients are."
"The sect's medicinal fields won't yield more tier-three herbs for some time. I waited a long time to gather enough for even this batch."
The disciples accepted the gifts with joy and gratitude.
Chen Jinshu and the others stayed in the heart of the spirit vein for another half-month, stabilizing their cultivation. Then, with help from their master's flying ship, they returned to the sect in just two days. It was hard to believe how fast a Nascent Soul cultivator could travel.
Once back, Shui Huanmeng gathered them again at Biyi Palace.
"The addition of a new Nascent Soul to our sect is a major event. The sect will soon host a celebration in my honor. All of you will help with the preparations. Whatever materials or costs are needed, let me know."
"Yes, Master."
The disciples exchanged glances. They could already sense the growing undercurrents between the sects.
A new Nascent Soul cultivator signified a major rise in power. Naturally, the sect would host the event on a grand scale, inviting representatives from across the land.
And when that happened, the entire cultivation world was sure to stir.