Chen Jinshu collected the hundred fallen Moon Spirit Honeybees into her storage pouch—their burned remains would make excellent fertilizer. She then tapped the giant tree beside the hive with a stick, dislodging more bees, including a sluggish, oversized Moon Spirit Queen Bee.
"This queen could pollinate my spirit plants..."
Just as her Shadowpeak Flich lunged for the kill, she stopped it. "She's still useful!"
The sparrow obediently retreated to her shoulder as she stored the queen in her Spirit Beast Pouch and harvested the hive.
An Hour Later
Deep in Cold Pine Forest, a green blur streaked like a comet before halting—revealing Chen Jinshu in her emerald robes.
"Rainbow Step lives up to its name." She smiled, savoring the technique's fluid grace.
Each footfall was as light as a dragonfly's touch. But mastery required rhythm. With it, she could evade lethal strikes—unlike during the ambush. Testing her speed, she darted between trees, punctuating movements with Golden Needles. A rabbit fell, cleanly pierced.
By dusk, she returned to her three-acre field. The Jade Orchids had been harvested, and the soil was revitalized. Inside the barrier array, she piled the bee corpses and incinerated them with a Fireball Technique. The ashes—half reserved for her spatial field—were scattered before a Spirit Rain drenched the soil.
Cool mist kissed her face as she planted ten secondary herbs for Qi Condensing Pills (mid-Qi Refining stage). The cramped plot fit 200 sprouts each, while her spatial field grew purer ingredients for personal use.
Back at Plum Blossom Courtyard, she transplanted the queen and hive onto a peach tree branch, keeping three jars of Moon Spirit Honey for herself.
Nightfall
Rain pattered melodiously on the courtyard roofs as Chen Jinshu studied Veiled Breath Art. Concealment techniques were indispensable—masking cultivation and thwarting prying eyes. Chen Huaiyang had claimed this version could baffle peers. Once learned, even he'd struggle to gauge her strength.
"I must master this quickly."
Most cultivators took 3–4 years per level. She'd reached Layer 3 in under a year—a pace that invited suspicion. (Her past laziness had delayed progress, but her recent six-month sprint was alarming.)
With the Lotus Mark's purification bypassing energy-condensing steps, Layer 4—the first bottleneck—was within reach in 1.5 years. Hence, this art's necessity.
"One breath veiled, all sound stilled..."
As she recited the mantra, a strange "hunger" gnawed at her mind—not for food, but spiritual energy.
"Overexertion?"
She spooned Moon Spirit Honey. The moment it melted on her tongue, the Lotus Mark devoured it, releasing a wisp of golden gas into her dantian.
"Did it just... boost my comprehension?"
Heart racing, she guided the gas into her consciousness. Instantly, enlightenment struck.
Half an Hour Later
Her hands flickered through seals. Her aura dimmed to mortal frailty—vanishing entirely.
"Chirp?" The sparrow, bewildered, confirmed her success. Without their soul bond, it would've mistaken her for a human.
"A beginner's grasp, yet this potent. At proficiency, could I erase my presence entirely?"
Her eyes gleamed.
Note: The sparrow's confusion stems from matching her cultivation (Layer 3). Chen Huaiyang, as a higher-tier cultivator, could still detect her.