Due to the remote location and sparse spiritual energy, this place was rarely visited by others.
Apart from Bai Ye, this was the first person Qin Jue had seen here.
The figure was slightly slender, with long hair cascading over the shoulders, sitting cross-legged on the Cyan Rock in meditation.
Squinting his eyes, Qin Jue realized this person wasn’t absorbing spiritual energy, but rather drawing in the pure sunlight just rising on the horizon.
Isn’t this the cultivation method of the Star Gate?
Though the Star Gate absorbs stellar energy, while this individual is drawing upon pure solar force.
With this thought, Qin Jue’s brow furrowed slightly as he landed lightly beside the Cyan Rock.
Only then did he realize the figure was not just a woman, but a young girl.
Though not possessing nation-toppling beauty, her features were exquisitely delicate and pleasing, a true budding beauty.
As if sensing Qin Jue’s gaze, the girl’s eyes snapped open, and she coldly demanded, “Who’s there?!”
Qin Jue was slightly taken aback but quickly composed his retort, “And who are you?”
“Who I am is none of your business!”
The girl stood up, glaring fiercely at Qin Jue as if ready to attack at his slightest move.
“Then who I am is none of yours either,” Qin Jue replied with a smile.
The girl: “……”
For some reason, she suddenly felt an urge to rush over and punch this guy, but fortunately, she restrained herself.
“I’ll remember you.”
With a cold snort, the girl tossed out this threat, then leaped down from the Cyan Rock and swiftly vanished from sight.
Qin Jue was speechless; he hadn’t done anything, so why remember him?
“Come to think of it, could she be a spy sent by the Star Gate?”
Qin Jue pondered.
Since the Mystic Unity Mountain and the Star Gate were often at odds, frequently clashing over cultivation resources, both sides typically planted spies in each other’s ranks.
If the girl was indeed a Star Gate spy, Qin Jue needed to warn his senior brother.
However, the girl seemed only at the Yellow-rank level; even if she were a spy, she likely couldn’t cause much trouble.
Besides, Qin Jue wasn’t entirely sure, as he had never heard of any Star Gate cultivation technique that absorbed pure solar energy.
The martial artists of this world are divided into nine realms: Yellow-rank, Mystic-rank, Earth-rank, Heaven-rank, Sovereign, Legendary, Saint, Saint King, and Great Saint.
Among these, Yellow-rank is the lowest, and Great Saint the highest.
For minor powers in remote areas like the Mystic Unity Mountain and the Star Gate, having even a single Heaven-rank expert is considered formidable.
For instance, Qin Jue’s senior brother is a peak Heaven-rank martial artist, making him the strongest within a thousand-mile radius—except, of course, for Qin Jue himself.
As for experts at the Sovereign realm or above, such as the Legendary realm, they possess power capable of shattering heaven and earth with a mere gesture, comparable to the immortals of the myths from Qin Jue’s previous life.
Only top-tier forces like the Four Great Sects could boast such powerful individuals.
Those at even higher realms are mostly gathered in the sacred lands of the Central Continent, shrouded in profound mystery.
With the girl’s Yellow-rank strength, it was utterly impossible for her to pose any threat to the Mystic Unity Mountain.
Shaking off these idle thoughts, Qin Jue took out his wine gourd and sprinkled a few drops onto the weed.
“It should be about time now,” Qin Jue murmured to himself.
Sure enough, the weed trembled slightly and immediately emitted a milky white glow.
Then, its blades seemed coated with a layer of jade, turning tender green.
Even more miraculously, several golden patterns appeared on the blades, looking profoundly intricate—a sign of its evolution into a spirit herb!
In just a few days, the weed had completed its evolution, advancing to the spirit herb grade.
Although it was only the most ordinary type of spirit herb, it was truly incredible.
“It seems you can absorb more spirit wine from now on.”
With that, Qin Jue sprinkled a few more drops onto the “weed” and watched quietly.
After advancing to a spirit herb, this “weed’s” cultivation speed had noticeably increased, absorbing and refining the few drops of spirit wine in no time, its golden patterns growing brighter as well.
However, Qin Jue did not pour more wine.
As mentioned before, cultivation is not an overnight endeavor; haste makes waste.
If the “weed” became dependent on the spirit wine, it might be unable to cultivate without it, an outcome Qin Jue wished to avoid.
“Focus on your cultivation.”
Stretching lazily, Qin Jue lay back down, continuing his relaxed and comfortable daily routine.
However, to Qin Jue’s annoyance, the very next day he saw that girl again, still sitting cross-legged on the Cyan Rock, diligently absorbing pure solar energy.
“Is she treating my spot as her personal cultivation chamber?”
Qin Jue rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Then it occurred to him: if this girl relied on absorbing pure solar energy for cultivation, then this location was indeed an ideal place to practice.
Not only was it free from disturbances, but the early morning hours also offered the densest concentration of pure solar energy.
It made sense she would choose to cultivate here.
With a sigh, Qin Jue slowly approached the Cyan Rock.
This time, he didn’t cause the slightest ripple; even a Heaven Rank martial artist would be unable to detect his presence, let alone this young girl.
In Qin Jue’s eyes, the sun on the horizon resembled a vast, boundless energy reservoir.
The girl was like a vessel, continuously drawing the pure solar energy into her body and refining it into spiritual power.
After repeating this process hundreds of times, the girl’s aura gradually began to rise, reaching the Middle Stage of the Yellow Rank.
While Middle Yellow Rank wasn’t considered particularly remarkable within the Mystic Unity Sect, achieving it at her age did qualify her as a genius.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, her future achievements would at least reach the Heaven Rank.
“She seems like promising material worth cultivating. Should I tell my senior brother about her?”
Qin Jue fell into deep thought.
If the Mystic Unity Sect dedicated resources to nurturing her, given her cultivation talent, she could likely advance even further, perhaps even surpassing the Heaven Rank and stepping into the Sovereign Realm.
However, the girl wasn’t practicing the Mystic Unity Sect’s “Clear Void Scripture”; he wasn’t sure if Bai Ye would accept that.
Just as Qin Jue was seriously pondering this question, the girl finished her cultivation session and opened her eyes.
Qin Jue instinctively looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the air froze as both of them were stunned.
The next instant, the girl sprang up from the Cyan Rock and shouted angrily, “You again!”
Qin Jue blinked innocently.
Well, who else would it be?
“What do you want?” the girl asked coldly.
“Uh… shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?” Qin Jue feigned confusion. “I’m the one who lives here, after all.”
“You live here?” The girl was taken aback.
“Indeed.” Qin Jue pointed to the courtyard not far away. “I live right there.”
“Impossible!” the girl flatly denied. “I’ve been here many times. No one has ever lived there!”
“You must be referring to before. I was away for a while on some business, but I’ve returned now,” Qin Jue stated matter-of-factly.
Clearly, the girl must have entered the Mystic Unity Sect during the period when Qin Jue was away attending the Demon-Slaying Conclave; otherwise, she would have known he resided here.
Hearing this, the girl was instantly left speechless.
She glanced at the courtyard, then back at Qin Jue, finally letting out a cold snort before turning to leave.
“Wait.”
Qin Jue suddenly called out to her.
The girl stopped and turned back, her tone wary. “What do you want now?”
“The technique you practice… it’s not the ‘Clear Void Scripture,’ is it?”
