Mo Qingyan slowly opened her eyes as the first rays of dawn filtered through the window of her small room. The exhaustion from the previous day still weighed on her body, but her mind — the mind of the former Immortal Emperor — was fully awake and alert.
She sat up in bed and crossed her legs into a cultivation posture. The room was silent. Her parents were still asleep. It was the perfect moment to try advancing.
She took a deep breath and began circulating her Qi according to the techniques she remembered from her previous life. The flow of spiritual energy moved through her meridians with relative ease, just as it had for the past two years. It reached the peak of Qi Refining without issue… and then stopped. Again.
The invisible wall was still there. Firm. Unbreakable.
Qingyan frowned. She tried pushing harder, concentrating her will like a hammer. The Qi gathered in her dantian, spinning with intensity, but she couldn't break through the barrier into Foundation Establishment.
"Again…" she thought with growing frustration. "Two full years stuck at Peak Qi Refining. This isn't normal."
As she persisted, she began to feel something strange. A warm, diffuse sensation spreading through her body. It wasn't the normal flow of Qi. It was more… sensitive. As if every meridian was more alive than usual. Especially in certain areas: the lower part of her abdomen, her small breasts, and above all, the region around her hips and ass. A slight uncomfortable tingling appeared when she tried to force the breakthrough.
She stopped for a moment and opened her eyes.
"What is this?"
She lightly touched her lower abdomen with her hand. The sensation was subtle, but it was there. She didn't pay it too much attention. She thought it might be residual fatigue from the previous day or a side effect of pushing her Qi so hard during the tests.
She closed her eyes again and continued cultivating, but her mind began to wander toward another topic that had been obsessing her for months.
Her physique.
"This body has something special. I feel it every time I cultivate. The Qi flows differently — smoother, more… receptive. It's not a normal physique."
She then recalled several special physiques she had encountered in her previous life as Mo Xie. She had seen all kinds in her harem and among her enemies.
She remembered the Saint of the Pure Moon Sect, who possessed the Frozen Moon Pure Yin Body, one of the most powerful for female cultivation. It allowed extremely fast Qi absorption and near-perfect compatibility with ice and yin techniques. It was so powerful that even she, as Emperor, had considered capturing her just for that physique.
She also remembered the Demonic Princess of the South with the Reborn Phoenix Body, and several others with rare constitutions that allowed them to advance at monstrous speeds once unlocked.
"If my physique is a Pure Yin Body… that would be excellent," she thought with slight satisfaction. "Pure Yin physiques are among the strongest for ascending in this mortal world. With my knowledge as a Peak Immortal Emperor and a Pure Yin Body, I could break through realms much faster than any ordinary cultivator. I might even jump straight into the higher realms of the Immortal World in just a few years."
That idea pleased her. It gave her hope.
"Yes… it must be a Pure Yin Body. It's the most logical explanation. I just need to find a way to unlock it. Once I fully activate it, the stagnation at Peak Qi Refining will disappear and I'll be able to advance toward Foundation Establishment without problems."
Encouraged by that thought, she tried once more to force the breakthrough. The same warm, strange sensation returned, stronger this time, spreading from her lower abdomen toward her hips. She felt a slight heat between her legs and a tingling on the skin of her ass. She frowned, uncomfortable, but attributed it to excessive effort.
"That's enough for today."
She got up from the bed, changed her clothes, and left her room.
In the backyard, her father Mo Tian was already awake, practicing basic fist forms with slow, steady movements.
"Qingyan!" he greeted her with a wide smile.
"Perfect timing. Come, let's do one last training session before you leave for the academy in three days. I want to see how much you've improved after yesterday's tests."
Qingyan nodded without showing emotion.
"As you wish, Father."
They faced each other in the courtyard. Mo Tian adopted a defensive stance, smiling confidently.
"Attack whenever you're ready. Don't hold back."
Mo Qingyan didn't wait. She lunged forward with fluid, precise movements. Her strikes were clean, infused with Peak Qi Refining energy. Mo Tian blocked the first two, but the third forced him back. The circular kick that followed made him jump backward.
The exchanges were fast. Mo Tian tried to counterattack, but Qingyan dodged with ease and responded with more powerful strikes. In less than a minute, she had cornered her father against the courtyard wall.
With a final movement, Qingyan spun and delivered an open palm strike that stopped just centimeters from Mo Tian's chest, generating a wave of Qi that made his clothes ripple.
Mo Tian froze, breathing heavily. He slowly lowered his arms, his eyes wide.
"…Incredible," he murmured. "Qingyan… you've improved so much in just one day. Your Qi control and speed… they're superior to mine. If you keep this up, you're going to embarrass a lot of the academy disciples."
Qingyan withdrew her hand and bowed slightly.
"I'm just practicing, Father."
Mo Tian let out a proud laugh, still surprised.
"You're a monster, daughter. Go have breakfast. Your mother is already preparing something special before you start getting ready for the academy."
Qingyan nodded and went back inside the house, leaving her father alone in the courtyard, still processing what he had just witnessed.
Mo Qingyan entered the house after the morning training. The smell of freshly prepared breakfast hung in the air: rice with stir-fried vegetables, light bone soup, and some boiled eggs. Her mother, a woman with a kind face and calloused hands, was finishing setting the table.
"Qingyan, sit down. Eat something hot before it gets cold," her mother said with a loving smile.
Qingyan sat at the dining table without saying much. She picked up her chopsticks and began eating with elegant, controlled movements. Her mother sat across from her and started talking about everyday matters.
"Last night your uncles asked about you. I told them you were provisionally accepted into the academy. They were very proud.
They say you're the first in the family to get this far."
Qingyan nodded slightly, responding with polite monosyllables. The conversation flowed normally: the price of herbs in the market, the weather for the coming days, and how much her mother worried about her eating properly before leaving for the academy.
A few minutes later, the front door opened and Mo Tian entered, still sweaty from training. He quickly washed his hands and sat down at the table with a big smile.
"It smells so good!" he said as he picked up a bowl of soup. "Qingyan, you were especially strong today. I think you're going to surprise a lot of people at the academy."
Qingyan waited until both her parents were eating peacefully. Then, in a calm but firm voice, she spoke:
"Father, Mother… I need to ask you for a favor."
Both of them looked up at the same time.
"Tell us, daughter," her father replied.
"To break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, I need an herb with a strong yin attribute. I've researched it, and I believe a 'Shadow Moon Flower' or a 'Frozen Yin Root' would be ideal. I know they're hard to find, but if you could help me obtain one… I would be very grateful."
For a second, her parents fell silent. Then their faces lit up with excitement.
"Foundation Establishment!" her mother exclaimed, almost dropping her chopsticks. "You're already that close? My girl is about to break into the next major realm!"
Mo Tian slapped the table with his open palm, full of pride.
"That's incredible, Qingyan! If you need a yin-attribute herb, we'll get it. No matter how difficult it is. With your talent, once you enter Foundation Establishment, no one in the region will be able to catch up to you."
Her mother nodded enthusiastically.
"We'll do everything we can. Your father knows a lot of people in the herb guild. I'm sure we'll find something."
The meal continued in a cheerful atmosphere. Her parents talked nonstop about how proud they were and about the bright future awaiting Qingyan at the academy. She responded courteously, but her mind was already calculating possibilities.
After the meal, Mo Tian stood up with determination.
"I'm heading out right now. I know an old friend from work, Old Chen, has good connections. They say he keeps some rare herbs. I'll be back as soon as possible."
Qingyan bowed her head.
"Thank you, Father."
Mo Tian left the house with quick steps. Qingyan helped her mother clear the table and then retreated to her room to wait.
Several hours passed.
When the sun was already high in the sky, the front door opened. Mo Tian returned accompanied by a robust man around 45 years old, with a short beard and somewhat worn clothes. It was Chen Wei, one of his oldest colleagues from the herb guild.
"Qingyan!" her father called from the entrance. "Come here, Old Chen brought something that might interest you."
Qingyan came out of her room and approached the dining area. Chen Wei looked her up and down for a second longer than normal, then smiled in a friendly way.
"So this is Mo Tian's famous talented daughter. Congratulations on the academy."
Mo Tian got straight to the point.
"Chen, do you have the yin-attribute herb I mentioned?"
Chen Wei sighed and took out a small wooden box from his bag. Inside was a flower with silver petals and a faint cold glow: a good-quality Shadow Moon Flower.
"I have it. It's beautiful and quite rare. But…"
he paused, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, "I've been really tired lately. The work at the guild is heavy and my feet are killing me. I was thinking of using this herb as an exchange for a personal favor."
Mo Tian frowned.
"What favor?"
Chen Wei glanced sideways at Qingyan and then at her father.
"A foot massage. Nothing more. I just need someone to relax my feet for a while. I'm really exhausted."
Silence fell over the room.
Qingyan felt a wave of cold fury rise in her chest. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly. The mind of the former Immortal Emperor burned with indignation.
"A foot massage? This insignificant ant dares to ask for such a humiliating favor in exchange for a mere herb? From me?"
She kept her expression cold, but her voice came out sharp:
"I understand. Thank you for bringing the herb, Uncle Chen. But that won't be necessary."
She turned around without saying anything else and left the house with quick, angry steps. The door closed behind her with a sharp thud.
Mo Tian and Chen Wei stared at the closed door. Her father sighed deeply, clearly uncomfortable.
Qingyan walked to the small forest behind the house, clenching her fists tightly.
"Pathetic…
They're all pathetic.
To think I have to rely on people like that to advance…"