Lan Yingqing—the rising star of the immortal world, Palace Master of Xiaoyao Palace—rose to that position while still in the Golden Core Stage. His mastery of talismans was unmatched, easily suppressing all cultivators below the middle Incarnation Stage. In a world where there were only five cultivators at the Out-of-Body Stage and even fewer at the Spiritual Transformation Stage, his strength was nearly unrivaled.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lan."
The title startled Lan Yingqing momentarily before he smiled and nodded.
But the other senior brothers clearly weren't pleased. They glared at Jin Baoer with wounded expressions.
"Junior Sister, you didn't even call my name..." Fourth Brother Guan Ziyun's messy hair shook with every move, and his eyes brimmed with grievance like a jilted woman.
Realizing her oversight, Jin Baoer stepped forward and clasped her hands politely.
"Jin Baoer greets Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Brother, and Sixth Senior Brother. I'm new here—please forgive any mistakes."
The air fell still. The brothers were stunned. Baoer sensed something was off and hesitated.
"Did I say something wrong?"
The Third Brother sighed, his gaze complicated.
"Nothing's wrong... I just didn't expect our little sister, only ten years old, to be this polite. You don't have to be so formal with us. Come, let's eat first, then bathe and rest. Training starts tomorrow."
He reached out and gently took her hand. Her body stiffened from the contact. He mistook it for wariness, assuming she'd endured hardship. In truth, she simply wasn't used to touch. In her previous life, after all ten of her fingers were severed, she forgot what it felt like to be held.
That night, surrounded by their warmth and enthusiasm, Jin Baoer's eyes grew complicated. In her thirty years of life, no one had treated her like this. As she looked down at a bowl of meat and vegetables bigger than her face, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her heart, long numb with trauma, seemed to soften slightly.
But as she lay down to sleep, the recent pain from the detonation of her golden core and spiritual roots throbbed like a brand. She couldn't rest. So she sat cross-legged and quietly absorbed the spiritual energy around her.
As someone who had already reached the Golden Core Stage in her past life, she was intimately familiar with the basics. Time passed quietly, and before dawn, she had already stepped into the first level of Qi Training. Her entire body felt nourished, and she wasn't tired despite staying up all night.
Suddenly, a loud explosion rang out.
Boom!
She instinctively pressed herself against the wall, her body taut, every muscle coiled for defense. Her eyes locked on the door. This was a reflex she'd developed from years of being hunted—this vigilance had saved her life more than once.
Footsteps approached rapidly.
"Little Junior Sister, are you awake?"
It was Third Senior Brother Luo Nanshan's voice, full of concern. She relaxed, realizing she had overreacted.
Opening the door, she saw him panting, his round face covered in sweat, the air tinged with a faint fishy aroma.
"Good morning, Third Brother."
Relieved, Luo Nanshan exhaled.
"Did we scare you? It's all Fourth Brother's fault. His alchemy furnace exploded again. I rushed over as soon as I heard."
As he passed by, Jin Baoer recalled Guan Ziyun from yesterday—the one with the chicken-nest hair. Apparently, his alchemy furnace was frequently more of a hazard than a help.
"Hey, Junior Sister, don't mind him. Are you hungry? I made white fish soup—easy to digest. You're still growing, so you have to nourish yourself."
That explained the fishy scent. Third Brother had gone out early in the morning to cook fish soup for her. She wasn't someone who got emotional easily, not after surviving so much. But this gesture felt unusually heavy.
During her years on the run, she had killed beasts, demons, and even fellow cultivators. It had always been kill or be killed. Could she really live a life where others cared for her?
The little girl pursed her lips and softly said thank you. Luo Nanshan's heart ached. She must have suffered greatly before arriving here. He made a silent vow to cook for her more often.
So Jin Baoer ended up having meat in every meal, and within a week, her once-thin face filled out visibly with new softness.
After breakfast, training officially began.
Although the old man's cultivation level was only mid-Golden Core, teaching a beginner Qi Training disciple like her was well within his capacity. Soon, the other senior brothers gathered too.
Besides the four from yesterday, the missing Second and Seventh Brothers also arrived.
"This is Junior Sister? So cute, but… a bit too young. A few more years and she'll be perfect."
Jin Baoer looked at the handsome man in front of her, then lowered her head. She couldn't help her young age.
Seeing her lack of response, the man waved it off.
"Alright, I'm your Second Senior Brother Qian Futu. That guy is your Seventh Senior Brother Du Hengchang."
He then leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "Don't be fooled by his honest look. He's the most uptight one here. A grown man still wears flower-printed pants..."
Before he could finish, Du Hengchang turned beet red and shouted.
"Qian Futu, stop talking nonsense! She's just a child!"
Qian Futu smirked and spoke louder.
"What? I'm lying? I saw your flower pants just last week—mmph—"
Du Hengchang lunged forward and covered his mouth, his whole face crimson.
Jin Baoer observed the chaos between the two with mild amusement. There was definitely something odd between them, but she stayed silent.
"Ahem! Enough. It's time to begin."
Their master finally interrupted and started instructing Jin Baoer in the basics of spiritual energy absorption and dantian location.
She listened carefully, feeling like she had entered a new world. In her previous life, Lou Yun had only given her a cultivation manual and a few vague instructions. She had to figure everything else out alone. Even when she succeeded, she taught it all to Su Xianzhi, dragging her own progress down. Others called her foolish, said she wasted her talent.
That old bitterness resurfaced. Resentment and fear surged through her like a wave.
"Baoer? My dear disciple? Are you alright?"
Startled, Jin Baoer snapped back to reality. She'd been lost in her memories. Her spiritual sea churned from emotional fluctuation, and even her dantian ached slightly.
Lowering her head, she quickly composed herself. She had a second chance. Why was she still clinging to the past?
"Sorry, Master. I was distracted."
The old man blinked in surprise. Then his eyes widened.
"You... already reached the first level of Qi Training?"
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