Today marked the fifth day. In just a few weeks, he hoped to comprehend enough basic techniques to prepare himself for the Transmigration Group Trial.
After finishing their meal, Xu Jiaojiao finally left with Lin Fan. Only after making sure that Xu Qingxian was well and not feeling any pressure did she depart.
Surprisingly, because his sister still believed he was an ordinary mortal, she didn't even attempt to sense his cultivation level.
Because of that, she failed to detect the vast sea of power surging within him.
Left alone, Xu Qingxian sat in silence for a moment before setting aside the basic movement technique. He then picked up his phone, curiosity flickering in his gaze as he opened the transmigration group chat.
[Transmigration Group Chat – +99 messages.]
"Did something interesting happen in the group?" he wondered aloud. Without hesitation, he tapped on the tab and began scrolling through the updates.
His anticipation quickly dulled. The chat was filled with idle discussions and trivial chatter. Sighing softly, he closed the group chat and switched to the daily check-in panel.
A light tap and the phone flashed with a familiar prompt.
[Congratulations on checking in on the fifth day. You have received ten low-grade spirit stones.]
Xu Qingxian's eyes narrowed slightly. He had returned to receiving spirit stones.
A faint smile curved his lips. Just then, another prompt appeared on the screen.
[Convert ten spirit stones to attribute points?]
[Yes / No?]
Without much thought, Xu Qingxian clicked "yes."
The spirit stones dissolved instantly, and his attribute points rose by 10, bringing the total to 70. Earlier, while dining with his sister, the luxurious meal had granted him 12 attribute points due to its unusually rich content.
Closing the system panel, Xu Qingxian placed his phone aside and turned his attention back to cultivation.
All that remained was to break through, and then he would be able to properly study the basic movement technique.
With that thought in mind, he steadied his breathing and focused inward. His consciousness sank into his body, where his qi surged and churned through his meridians.
A ripple soon spread within him. Already on the brink of a breakthrough, Xu Qingxian needed to exert very little effort. His body began to respond instinctively.
All he had to do now was continue cultivating.
Several minutes passed in utter silence. Then, within the depths of the cold palace, a faint cracking sound echoed outward.
It was subtle, like the fragile shell of an egg being tapped gently from within.
Feeling the shift, Xu Qingxian's eyes fluttered open for a brief second. Then he closed them again and resumed cultivating, allowing the transformation to continue uninterrupted.
Time drifted by as his body underwent subtle but powerful changes. A profound aura began to radiate from within him, wrapping his body in a quiet yet immense pressure.
His skin grew clearer, smoother, as if cleansed by some invisible force.
Xu Qingxian immediately sensed the transformation. Strength surged through his limbs, and a simple flex of his fingers told him all he needed to know.
If before, wielding the Starlight Sword left a strain on his body, now he could summon and swing it without reservation.
A quiet smile crept across his face.
"I didn't expect to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm this quickly. I'm catching up to the others faster than I thought."
Though he had only just stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was confident his strength was not inferior to cultivators who had been training for several months.
Suppressing the powerful aura within his body, Xu Qingxian picked up the basic movement technique again and immersed himself in studying it.
Time continued its quiet passage.
Evening came and faded into night.
He had dinner with Lin Fan. It seemed his sister had returned to her usual schedule, and there were no new events unfolding in the royal capital. Most of their conversation revolved around information they had already discussed before.
Xu Qingxian wanted to ask Lin Fan about the situation concerning their mother and sister, but in the end, he chose to remain silent. It wasn't the right time yet.
"I'll wait until I reach the Golden Core Realm in a few days. Then I'll go out and find out everything for myself."
Once he stepped into the Golden Core Realm, he would be strong enough to shatter the chains around him with his bare hands. That thought brought him some calm.
After all, that was the cultivation level most people in the royal palace pursued.
The night passed uneventfully. By the morning of the sixth day, Xu Qingxian resumed comprehending the basic movement technique.
Just as he had suspected, his growing understanding of techniques had significantly improved. His progress with the movement technique accelerated rapidly.
"Breakneck speed, my ass," he muttered, irritated. Other people could grasp the basic technique with a single glance, yet he needed three whole days to achieve that.
While it was still an improvement compared to his earlier attempts, it felt painfully slow in comparison to others.
Suppressing the frustration bubbling inside him, Xu Qingxian forced himself to focus again on the technique.
But as he tried to concentrate, a disturbing thought tugged at the edge of his mind.
"Even though sister said the king decided not to execute me tomorrow, can I really trust her words? What if something changes?"
A shiver crept down his spine. He was not ready to die. Not yet. Not when he had yet to explore the vast, mysterious world outside these palace walls.
"I just need to take things one step at a time," he told himself silently, then returned to cultivating.
By that time, the food he had consumed helped raise his attribute points to an even 100.
After completing the sixth day's sign-in, he received another reward: fifteen low-grade spirit stones, which he promptly converted, bringing his total attribute points to 115.
The mark he needed for the Qi Nourishing Technique was 128. He was slowly approaching it. Perhaps this time, the technique would finally be complete.
The sixth day also passed in uneasy silence. A heavy stillness settled in the cold palace.
Xu Qingxian felt the tension tightening in his chest. The air was thin and stale, and the coldness within the palace seemed more biting than usual.
It crept into his bones, chilling him as the long night dragged on endlessly, like an eternal stretch of darkness.
Then, finally, the seventh day arrived.
Today was supposed to be the day of Xu Qingxian's execution. Would everything unfold as smoothly as he had hoped?
His heart thudded with apprehension as he considered the possibilities. He mentally prepared for every scenario, calculating escape plans and defenses in case the worst occurred.
He could only wait and see.
Author's Note: Apologies for not releasing a second chapter twelve hours ago. Expect two chapters to be released later today.