After flashing a friendly smile that left Chen Ji uneasy and on guard, Yu Ying didn't reveal the small favor she had in mind. She stood up and swayed back into the house.
She wasn't trying to be mysterious; she simply hadn't figured out a smooth way to leave the sect and settle in an affiliated sect.
Having just dined at Fengshanlou, she hadn't really thought about anything else. She only held on until her head itched, and a wave of dizziness and sleepiness washed over her.
Her already fragile mental state made it even harder to keep her eyelids open. Thinking was impossible—she could only take a nap and revisit the problem later.
Yu Ying took a few steps into the room, flopped onto the bamboo couch, and buried herself in the quilt, falling into a deep, untroubled sleep. Outside, Chen Ji muttered curses inwardly at her seemingly inhuman nature.
She didn't notice the dark herbs hanging from the rafters. The moment she stepped inside, they emitted a faint bluish glow, flickering for a few breaths as though they were breathing.
Soon, the shimmering blue light fell like starlight, gently settling on her as if it had substance, before vanishing into her body.
The radiance awakened the spiritual energy within Yu Ying's body, causing it to circulate abruptly according to the basic Five Elements Technique she had cultivated, flowing back and forth like the shimmering light itself.
In her sleep, she felt her body become warm and comfortable, as if soaking in a hot spring. The slight frown that had furrowed her brows from strain gradually eased and disappeared.
The next morning, Yu Ying woke up in an exceptionally good mood.
She had dreamed vividly of herself as the head teacher of her high school, someone who loved giving pep talks.
In her dream, she stood before the cafeteria, passionately addressing the students who had come to eat, making them sing motivating songs and recite inspiring slogans. She caused quite a ruckus, yet wouldn't let anyone inside the cafeteria while she slurped a bowl of egg drop soup, savoring the warmth on her lips.
Before, when she had been hungry and exhausted from rushing to eat, she must have secretly cursed the headmaster's ancestors countless times. Now that the tables had turned, all she could say was that it felt wonderful to be the one holding the umbrella while everyone else got drenched!
Refreshed from her good dream, a thought suddenly struck her—something she could ask Chen Ji to help with.
Judging by the admiration the fellow disciples had shown in the outhouse toward the Azure Phoenix Fairy of the Azure Wave Pavilion and the senior disciple of the Huan Yi Sect, it was clear that cultivators' longing for enlightenment was like a werewolf's obsession with a beautiful young woman, they remained infatuated, whether they saw her or not.
After all, attaining enlightenment could greatly advance one's cultivation, the very essence of pursuing immortality.
Despite her limited aptitude, the outer sect manager valued her efforts, recognizing her diligence.
Although she no longer planned to get involved, in her previous life she had gone from kindergarten to topping the college entrance exam, and transforming from an ordinary, light-elemental ability user who could barely produce a glow into a top-ranked expert across multiple disciplines.
She still retained a few tricks for turning the impossible into the possible.
As the old saying goes, there is a path through the mountain of books and an endless sea of problems; diligent study will inevitably improve one's skills over time.
Yu Ying could easily write a book titled "Three Years of Immortal Cultivation, Five Years of Simulation" or "On Time Management in Immortal Cultivation", with Chen Ji assisting in promotion while also gathering intelligence on affiliated sects.
With both intelligence and spirit stones at her disposal, reaching the pinnacle of the lazy world was no longer just a daydream.
Once she set her mind on something, she pursued it with enthusiasm. Yu Ying reached into her storage bag and pulled out a meal still steaming.
Nothing else could interfere with eating first. Yesterday, she had devoured her food like Pigsy swallowing a ginseng fruit, barely savoring it. Now, she could appreciate it properly.
"Mmm…" The garlic cloves in the cold chicken feet salad were sweet, crisp, and utterly delicious.
"Hiss…" The braised pork trotter soup tasted even better when poured over the green rice.
The spicy pork trotters were intensely stimulating. Drawing on her past-life experience, Yu Ying, without any guidance, mixed the stir-fried enoki mushrooms into the rice, creating a balanced dish. The warmth of the mushrooms softened the spiciness of the pork, and she ate quietly, savoring every bite.
After finishing her meal in fifteen minutes, Yu Ying let out a satisfied burp, wiped her mouth, and strolled out like a street urchin, patting her belly.
As Yu Ying opened the door, her lazy smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.
Chen Ji was nowhere to be seen, and she didn't sense him in the courtyard but Yu Ling stood before her door, arms crossed, eyes blazing with an intense fury.
It was like facing a ghost.
"I must have taken the wrong step when I went out," Yu Ying thought, quickly recognizing the risk of a beating. She nodded to herself and stepped back.
"I shouldn't have gone out. I should focus on my cultivation and improve every day."
Yu Ling, fierce as ever, stepped forward and grabbed her ear, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You still want to cultivate? If you keep improving every day, you'll ascend to immortality. You can't even explore Yao Guang City properly, why would you need cultivation?"
If Yu Ying hadn't unlocked the door's restriction, she would have kicked it open this morning and dealt with her troublesome cousin herself.
"I didn't do anything! I was just feeling down, so I went out for a walk to clear my head…" Yu Ying stumbled as Yu Ling yanked her sharply.
When facing a cousin whose strength rivals that of a power-type user, what choice does a hero have besides being cautious?
Yu Ling sneered repeatedly.
"My cousin's ability to relax has become known throughout the outer sect of Yao Guang Sect, and her reputation has soared. How come I never realized my cousin was so capable before?"
"Oh, you're even more obedient than the Red Cloud Goose? That goose can only talk, but you… you can fly!"
Yu Ying: "…" Mainly because she had never transmigrated here before.
No, what exactly did she mean by 'becoming famous'? She had only gone out for a casual meal, so why all the fuss?
Yu Ying had plenty of grievances to voice, but instead, a burp scented with braised pig's trotters escaped her lips, which only fueled Yu Ling's anger. The girl even rolled up her sleeves.
Yu Ying: "…" Never mind, she wasn't picky about food but right now, she couldn't afford to suffer a loss.
Unconcerned with her image, Yu Ying quickly grabbed Yu Ling's arm and pulled her into the yard; it wouldn't do for her cousin to beat someone up outside.
Then she used a lot of sweet talk to soothe the fire-breathing dragon into a calm, pretty little fairy.
But Yu Ling still got angry whenever it was mentioned.
"I went to the Hall of Affairs early this morning to deliver spirit herbs, and I heard a group of outer disciples chatting and laughing. Some of them even pointed at me and kept laughing. How could I stand it?"
Yu Ying quickly nodded. "I can't stand it either!" If it were her, she would also want to find out what had happened.
"After I delivered the spirit herbs, I immediately asked around and found out what you did at Fengshan Restaurant yesterday!" Yu Ling glared at her from the side.
"Everyone says you've wasted your potential, given up on yourself, and no longer see yourself as a disciple of the Yaoguang Sect. That's why you disregard the sect's image and embarrass yourself in front of affiliated sects."
Yu Ying blinked. "…There's no rule in the sect forbidding people from eating, is there?" After all, why else would Yao Guang Sect disciples be at Fengshan Restaurant?
Yu Ling was momentarily speechless, her expression a mix of confusion and exasperation.
"I know your spiritual awareness is lacking, but Uncle Qin said you might still have a chance to recover. If you persevere, there will definitely be hope."
As Yu Ling spoke, her expression grew sorrowful.
"Back in the mortal realm, my mother was murdered by my stepmother, your mother was sold off, and we were bullied at home worse than dogs. If it weren't for our connection to the immortals, we might have died alone in some remote corner long ago."
Yu Ling's eyes reddened as she held Yu Ying's hand.
"On the way from the mortal realm to the Cloud Realm, you held me and promised that even if you died, you would never return to that life living in darkness, worse than pigs and dogs. Have you forgotten?"
Yu Ying lowered her eyes, unable to respond to such expectations.
The original owner of this body had refused to give up, even unto death. That perseverance had achieved its goal but at the cost of her life.
In her previous life, she had started curling her hair from a very young age, not out of preference, but because her shameless, face-obsessed parents forced her to.
From as far back as she could remember, she couldn't afford to lose at anything. Her name was a homonym for "win." If she didn't succeed, her parents would ignore her and subject her to a silent, bitter cold war.
When the apocalypse came, she hadn't cared much about survival. She only reluctantly set a goal for herself.
She wanted to become someone her parents would admire, someone whose life they could only watch while struggling between life and death, someone they could no longer torment, someone she could use to save face, and someone who would make them regret their past actions.
Unfortunately, before she could earn their respect, the Zombie King appeared and destroyed several bases with his overwhelming level-ten power.
Her parents were among those at one of the bases, and with that, all her motivation to prove herself vanished.
The other ability users who chose to self-destruct had their own regrets and unfinished wishes, but she felt nothing at all. she only wanted to die as quickly as possible.
Even now, she still had no clear reason to live. While you can still breathe, try to be kind to yourself. When it's time to die, then die.
Living is simply too exhausting.
Seeing that she did not respond, Yu Ling patted her head and sighed.
"Why don't you just keep taking fasting pills from now on?"
"Since our aptitude is poor, we should fast and cleanse our bodies of worldly impurities. Why have you suddenly become so greedy for food?"
Yu Ying looked at Yu Ling calmly. She was destined not to live the life her cousin desired, nor was she willing to live according to anyone else's expectations.
"Cousin, all these years I've tried my best, but my aptitude hasn't changed. Even if I were to achieve immortality, I still couldn't compare to others. My mind feels empty, and it's uncomfortable. I want to eat more to fill it up."
Yu Ling: "…Did you eat something and put it in your brain?!"
Seeing her cousin's speechless expression, Yu Ying recalled the beautiful dream from last night and borrowed a phrase often said by the head of the teaching department.
"We can't change the world; we can only change ourselves and find the most suitable way to survive."
Of course, the head of the teaching department had said this to correct laziness, but Yu Ying twisted the meaning and spoke nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
"The original path is blocked, so I want to try a different one. My spiritual consciousness is impaired, and I'm a bit lost."
"I've heard people say you must walk one step at a time and eat one bite at a time. I went to Fengshan Restaurant to find my own path!"
Changing yourself begins with eating; there's nothing wrong with that.
Yu Ling was taken aback.
Of course, it wasn't because of Yu Ying's later twisted logic.
"I can't change the world, I can only change myself…" Yu Ling lowered her head, murmuring to herself as she pondered the meaning of her cultivation.
Her aptitude wasn't great either; even if she remained in the sect, she still wouldn't match others like Yu Ying.
Yet she refused to accept it. Why should she measure herself against anyone else?
All she needed was to be herself and adapt to the survival of the fittest in the cultivation world.
The Great Way is ruthless, yet all things possess a spirit. As long as one finds their own path, they will discover their own world.
Yu Ying was about to continue spinning her thoughts when she immediately sensed something was amiss.
Looking up, Yu Ying saw Yu Ling suddenly stand, close her eyes, and sit cross-legged on the ground. Her spiritual energy surged as she began circulating her cultivation technique.
Soon, the spiritual energy lingering in the air thickened above Yu Ling's head, manifesting in four colors, red, green, yellow, and white with green the most concentrated.
What is happening? Yu Ying stared, utterly stunned.
Yu Ying sat on the stone bench next to Yu Ling and was immediately enveloped by the dense spiritual energy. The pressure made it hard to breathe.
Perhaps from eating so much earlier, her head began to tingle and itch again, leaving her unable to focus or think clearly.
"Holy crap! A sudden enlightenment?!" Chen Ji, carrying a medicine basket, stared at Yu Ling seated on the ground, utterly speechless.
Yu Ying, still in a daze, heard his exclamation. She looked up to see Chen Ji rushing over, quickly unfolding a small magic array from his Qiankun bag and raising a protective barrier.
Then she saw Chen Ji pull out a communication talisman, anxiously and incredulously circulating his spiritual energy as if to speak.
She didn't see him release the talisman. The warmth building in her mind intensified, and she unconsciously closed her eyes, slipping into a deep reverie.
Chen Ji sent the communication talisman to the outer gate steward. When he turned back, he saw Yu Ying slide off the stone bench and fall to the ground.
Even unconscious, she twisted her body instinctively, thrusting herself forcefully into Yu Ling's back.
He was worried about disturbing Yu Ling's enlightenment, so he stepped forward to stop her. But as he bent down, he saw Yu Ying's spiritual energy surge, and she had begun circulating her cultivation technique.
Chen Ji: "..."
Yu Ying is having an epiphany too?
Wait! when did epiphanies start becoming so insignificant?!
Upon receiving the message from the outer sect manager, the Golden Core cultivator patrolling the outer sect, like Chen Ji, froze as his divine sense swept the area.
What was that… thing pressed against the back of the enlightened disciple, eyes closed, mouth wide open, smacking its lips while cultivating?