Chapter 2: Remarkable Talent

Qi Shuoyuan gazed at his granddaughter in the cradle, his eyes brimming with tenderness. He reached out to tuck in her blanket. “You’ve worked hard because of us.”

“This is what I should do,” Wen Ying replied, neither servile nor overbearing, yet her tone was deeply respectful.

Qi Shuoyuan never doubted Wen Ying’s loyalty. Years ago, he’d disagreed with her following Yan Wei without a contract, but later, her strength and her devotion to protecting Yan Wei, everything she’d done over the years, proved her character beyond question.

He sat quietly by the cradle, saying nothing, just watching.

Seeing this, Wen Ying slipped away, remaining just outside the door to keep watch.

Suddenly, a sword’s energy sliced through the air—a figure streaked across the sky toward Xuanheng Courtyard.

The newcomer made no attempt to conceal himself, so Wen Ying and Qi Shuoyuan recognized him from afar.

Qi Shuoyuan stepped outside. The man landed swiftly from his flying sword and knelt before him. “Sect Master, Master asks that you come at once. There is a problem with Senior Brother Ji’s life tokens.”

The messenger was He Xiangze, a disciple of the Ancestor’s Path Pavilion, known for his steadiness in the sect. For him to seem so alarmed meant the matter must be grave indeed.

Besides, Elder Huaxu, who oversaw the Ancestor’s Path Pavilion, also had a communication jade. For him to be unable to respond and instead send a disciple meant something extraordinary had occurred.

Qi Shuoyuan vanished on the spot. Wen Ying hurriedly asked He Xiangze, “What happened with the life tokens of Madam and Young Master?”

He replied, “Aunt Wen, Senior Brother Ji’s tokens have suddenly been shrouded in a cloud of gray mist. We have no idea what’s happening. Even with Master’s divination techniques, we can’t discern their situation.”

In Xuantian Sect, Wen Ying was an exceptional figure. Aside from the elders, everyone called her Aunt Wen, though her true form was unknown. All that was certain was that she posed no threat or malice to the sect and followed Qi Yanwei willingly.

He Xiangze hesitated, then finally said, “Aunt Wen, I fear Senior Brother Ji and the others are in dire peril.”

He bowed and took his leave.

The wind swept through the courtyard, stirring fallen leaves.

Wen Ying’s spiritual energy surged; she wanted nothing more than to rush out and search for them, but the faint scent of the baby in the air brought her abruptly back to her senses.

She walked over to the cradle, gazing at the sleeping Ji Jiuxuan, who slumbered like a small piglet. Her murmured words were heavy with worry and pain: “Young Master, Madam, you must be safe. The young miss is still so little—she’s waiting for you to come back.”

Unaware of all this, Ji Jiuxuan once more entered that dark space in her dreams. The loading screen changed: “System update complete.”

“As the system’s first host, you have three lottery draws as a reward. The first draw will now commence. Please proceed.”

A large spinning wheel appeared, divided into many sections, each marked with a red lacquered box identical to the others. There was no way to guess what was inside each one.

Ji Jiuxuan watched as the wheel spun. If she pressed the button, her luck would determine her prize; if time ran out, the system would pick for her at random.

In her previous life, her luck at draws was always abysmal. Now that she’d been reborn, surely her fortune had changed?

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the draw button with anticipation.

“Congratulations, Host! You have received the Essence of Wood Spirit. This increases your affinity with plants, your sensitivity to vitality, and enhances the strength of your fire spiritual root.”

Essence of Wood Spirit? What was that?

The system offered no explanation, but Ji Jiuxuan sensed it was a valuable treasure.

That was enough—her luck really had changed. She was overjoyed.

She had thought the three rewards would be drawn at once, but after the first, she was ejected from the dark space and the system started upgrading once more.

She was still eager for more; being abruptly pulled out felt like a bucket of cold water dousing a flame.

When she awoke, Ji Jiuxuan found the world around her had changed again. Before her was a mourning hall draped in white cloth and flowers; the oppressive sound of weeping made her heart heavy.

She was in Wen Ying’s arms, bowing three times toward the central memorial tablets.

Who had died?

She looked curiously at the names on the tablets—Ji Minghuai and Qi Yanwei. Ji Jiuxuan froze, her expression blank.

Were they gone? Was she an orphan in this world once more?

Throughout the ritual, Wen Ying held her, standing to the side and returning the guests’ bows.

Wen Ying glanced at the memorial tablets, then at the dazed child in her arms, and could not help but shed tears.

Three years passed.

After finishing her cup of warm high-grade spirit beast milk, Ji Jiuxuan rubbed her stomach, feeling nostalgic for the delicacies of her past life. Though the spirit beast milk was delicious, drinking nothing else for over three years was torment for someone who had once tasted so many other foods.

In the cultivation world, newborns were only given spirit beast milk to keep their bodies pure. Only after turning three and having their spiritual roots tested could they begin taking fasting pills; with spiritual energy intake, some foods became permissible.

Ji Jiuxuan put down her empty cup and returned the books on the table to the bookshelf. For the past two years, Wen Ying had been strict with her, ensuring she never stopped learning the basics. The intensity would be overwhelming for most children, but for Ji Jiuxuan—a soul who had lived another life—it was nothing.

She already knew she had spiritual roots. Drawing spiritual energy into the body at too young an age would arouse suspicion in this world, as if she had seized a body, so she dared not act recklessly.

Just then, Wen Ying entered. At the sight of Ji Jiuxuan, her eyes filled with affection.

She produced a set of white robes embroidered with golden totems, formal in style.

While helping her change, Wen Ying said, “Today is your spiritual root testing, miss. From now on, you’ll be able to cultivate!”

“Aunt Ying, don’t worry! I’m definitely gifted beyond compare.”

Her small face was full of confident pride, her exquisite features utterly endearing.

Wen Ying smiled and played along, “Of course, our little Jiu is exceptionally gifted—no one can match her.”

Ji Jiuxuan knew Wen Ying was joking and grinned. “Just you wait and see, Aunt Ying!”

She trusted the system. If it said she had a fire heavenly spiritual root, then so be it. Coupled with the innate sword body, either one would shock the world—let alone both.

Wen Ying gently pinched her delicate nose, doting. “All right, Aunt will wait and see.”

She took her hand and led her outside. “It’s almost time. We should go.”

Every three years, Xuantian Sect held a disciple recruitment ceremony. Birth rates in the cultivation world were low, and children born directly within the sect—second or third generation cultivators—would have their own separate testing event.

On the way, Ji Jiuxuan spotted two figures approaching. As they drew near, she recognized one as her maternal grandfather, Qi Shuoyuan, who had left the sect after her parents’ accident.

Though she’d been an infant at the time, she remembered that Qi Shuoyuan had always been good to her. In these three years, it seemed he had aged rapidly. Where he had once seemed a youthful middle-aged man, spirited and vigorous, he now appeared worn and dispirited.

“Jiu’er.” Qi Shuoyuan knelt before her, mingling affection with a trace of sorrow.