Inside the room.

Feng Xi sat cross-legged on a brand-new meditation cushion, breathing rhythmically through her nose and mouth as she circulated her cultivation technique, practicing her breath control. Invisible spiritual energy drifted in from all directions, slowly flowing into her body.

As the spiritual energy entered, a burning sensation immediately arose in her lower dantian, causing her to furrow her brows involuntarily. But soon, this pain quickly faded, transforming into a warm, flowing sensation.

Not long after, Feng Xi opened her eyes and slowly exhaled, completing one full major cycle of her cultivation technique. A fresh feeling welled up within her, as if even her breathing had become smoother.

“Finally, I’ve drawn in spiritual energy!”

“This is what Master called the first level of Qi Refining…”

Feng Xi clenched her fists tightly, excitement sparkling in her eyes. It had been over a month since Master gifted her the immortal cultivation technique.

During this time, she had been extremely diligent. Apart from eating and sleeping, she spent every day sitting in meditation and practicing in her room. Her original servant duties had all been handed over to the newly arrived maidservant.

She even had the room to herself now. Through her persistent efforts, she had finally become a cultivator!

Feng Xi abruptly stood up, but stumbled and nearly fell. She hurriedly took a few unsteady steps forward, realizing she had somewhat lost control over her body; it felt much lighter than before.

Helpless, she could only stand in place, moving her stiff limbs around. After a moment, she began walking across the room like a baby learning to walk for the first time, striving to master this new physique.

Just as she was getting used to her new body, Chu Xiaoyi’s voice drifted in from outside.

“Sister Xi! Master Immortal is back and is calling for us to go over now~”

“Alright, I’m coming right out!”

After tidying her clothes and appearance, Feng Xi pushed the door open and stepped out. Standing outside was the exquisitely pretty Chu Xiaoyi.

Seeing her, Feng Xi grinned mischievously. She stepped forward, grabbed Chu Xiaoyi under the arms, and lifted with sudden force, easily hoisting the other girl over her head.

“Ah! Sister Xi! What are you doing?! Put me down quickly…”

Chu Xiaoyi clung tightly to Feng Xi’s arms, shouting in alarm.

“Alright, alright~”

Feng Xi put Chu Xiaoyi back down with a triumphant air. It was only then that Chu Xiaoyi snapped back to reality. Her eyes widened as she exclaimed in surprise, “Sister Xi! Your strength has gotten so great! Could it be… you’ve become an immortal?!”

“Hehe! That’s right!”

Feng Xi patted Chu Xiaoyi’s shoulder gleefully. “Your big sister is an immortal now! Remember to come find me if anything happens in the future. I’ve got your back!”

“That’s wonderful! So one really can become an immortal!” Chu Xiaoyi’s face was full of pure excitement.

“Mhm-hm. Where is Master now?” Feng Xi asked with a smile.

“Oh right! Master Immortal is still waiting for you in the courtyard. Let’s hurry over!”

The two young girls headed toward the estate courtyard. They soon arrived and saw Qin Lu squatting on the ground with a thoughtful expression. Both approached together to pay their respects.

Before Feng Xi could speak, Qin Lu suddenly turned his head with pleasant surprise. “Oh? Feng Xi, you’ve reached the first level of Qi Refining?”

“Hehe!”

Feng Xi rubbed her small nose and leaned forward proudly. “Yes! Just now while circulating my energy, I felt the spiritual energy entering my body just like you described, Master… and then I succeeded!”

“Hmm, not bad at all,” Qin Lu praised with a smile.

“This servant thanks Master for bestowing the immortal cultivation technique!”

Feng Xi suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily with a resounding thud. Just as she was about to kowtow again, she felt an invisible force block her movement. The force shifted, lifting her entire person off the ground.

Feng Xi stood up again, looking bewildered.

“From now on, you are also a cultivator. There’s no need to kneel all the time. Just focus on cultivating well,” Qin Lu’s gentle voice reached her ears.

Feng Xi nodded with a smile, her heart filled with joy. To have encountered such a kind Master… it had to be good fortune cultivated in a past life.

“Hmm?”

It was only then that Feng Xi noticed a three-foot-tall cauldron furnace and a metal workbench on the ground. Some strange objects were also placed nearby. She showed a puzzled expression.

Before she could figure it out, Qin Lu spoke up. “Ah yes, I called you over for something. You two help me pound these things into powder… and these too…”

As he spoke, Qin Lu pointed at a stone mortar, a pestle, and various materials on the ground, explaining each requirement.

After hearing the instructions, Chu Xiaoyi immediately agreed. “Okay~”

But Feng Xi couldn’t help asking, “Master… what are you planning to do?”

Qin Lu pointed at the cauldron furnace on the ground with a smile. “This is called an alchemy furnace. This is called an artifact forging platform. Starting today… I’m going to study these two things!”

With that, he waved his hand. A book appeared out of thin air, which he then took hold of.

Feng Xi stared at it and realized she couldn’t recognize some of the characters on the cover; she could only make out words like “Novice’s” or “Manual.” Her literacy was low, having only attended school in town for two years.

Seeing that Master had already reclined in his chair to read, Feng Xi didn’t dwell on it. She squatted down and began grinding herbs with Chu Xiaoyi.

In the quiet afternoon, the two girls whispered among themselves while working, creating a harmonious atmosphere. Through their time here, they both knew that Master Immortal had an excellent temper; he never got angry and always appeared amiable.

On the contrary, Steward Chen would often lecture them using etiquette as a pretext. However, ever since learning that Feng Xi possessed spiritual roots, Steward Chen’s discipline was now solely directed at Chu Xiaoyi.

“Sister Xi… what does it really feel like to become an immortal?” Chu Xiaoyi asked, full of curiosity.

“The feeling? Well… it feels like my strength has increased… my body feels lighter… and also—I’ve become smarter!” Feng Xi said excitedly.

“Ah? You can become smarter too~”

Chu Xiaoyi looked surprised before expressing her envy. “I really want to become an immortal too…”

“You don’t have a chance, though… Didn’t Master say so? Both you and Steward Chen lack spiritual roots; there’s no way for you two to become immortals.”

“Oh well… But being able to stay here already makes me very content,” Chu Xiaoyi said with a smile.

“Hehe! Once my cultivation reaches a certain level… I’ll take you back home to visit your parents.”

“That sounds great! We should bring some gold back so mom and dad won’t worry about money anymore~”

“Gold isn’t valuable enough. We should bring—Spirit Stones!”

The two young girls continued grinding medicine while chatting softly, their conversation filled with hopes for the future.