Chapter Twenty-Seven: In the Blink of an Eye, Five Years Have Passed

The elder who guarded the Scripture Pavilion was surnamed Feng. Upon learning that Ji Mo had finally succeeded in drawing spiritual energy into her body, he took it upon himself to recommend an excellent body-forging technique to her. This technique was called the Golden Body Jade Bone Manual. Elder Feng earnestly instructed Ji Mo, "Ji Mo, this Golden Body Jade Bone Manual is the most suitable for female cultivators. Both your first and second senior sisters chose this technique as well. Not only does it grant formidable power, but it also won’t affect a young lady’s appearance."

Most female cultivators cared greatly about their looks, yet body cultivation often led one to become broad and imposing in stature, with features turning fierce, especially before reaching the Transcendence Realm. Such drawbacks were particularly obvious in the early stages. The Golden Body Jade Bone Manual, however, carried no such disadvantages.

Ji Mo happily accepted the manual Elder Feng had recommended and returned to the main peak. Whether or not the technique would affect her appearance was not a concern for her at all. Her real purpose in selecting a body-forging method was simply to create a cover for her practice of the Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art. At first, she worried that Elder Feng might question her motives, but to her surprise, there were many spiritual cultivators in the sect who chose body cultivation methods as well, sparing her the trouble of fabricating excuses.

The first layer of the Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art was equivalent to an ordinary postnatal technique. Entry was easy enough, but moving from the first to the second layer was by no means simple. Ji Mo was in no hurry; her days were filled to the brim. She practiced five different attribute techniques each day, two hours for each, totaling ten hours, with the remaining two hours allocated to the Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art.

Thus, she barely had any time for sleep. Fortunately, while cultivating, she could close off her five senses, making it almost no different from sleeping. Chi Yan, knowing she was cultivating both body and spirit, brought her meals morning and evening to her small courtyard, as her appetite was considerable. From then on, Ji Mo embarked upon a monotonous life of endless cultivation.

Five months later, Ji Mo finally broke through to the first stage of Qi Refining. By then, it had been nearly a year since she had entered the Moonwatching Sect. After her breakthrough, Ji Mo emerged from her small courtyard and summoned Chi Yan, pouring out her grievances: "Uncle Chi Yan, take me out for a walk today. I’ve been shut in for five months—I was nearly stifled to madness!"

"Very well, young miss. Where would you like to go?" Chi Yan looked at Ji Mo with comfort and pride. He knew a little of her character. When Lei Wei left, he had asked Chi Yan to stay home and look after Ji Mo, worried that the moment he was gone, the girl would run off to play, and when Lei Wei returned, he’d find his precious disciple had made no progress and be unable to answer for it.

To his surprise, after Lei Wei’s departure, Ji Mo dedicated herself to cultivation with remarkable diligence. Chi Yan was deeply gratified. Now, seeing Ji Mo break through to the first stage of Qi Refining, he was more than willing to take her out for a stroll. That it took Ji Mo five months to reach the first stage was, in truth, nothing to celebrate.

But Ji Mo possessed dual roots of thunder and fire, and not only did she practice techniques of both attributes simultaneously, she also cultivated her spiritual body. To reach the first stage of Qi Refining in only five months was no small feat. Moreover, her body cultivation had reached the fifth postnatal stage. This speed left Chi Yan thoroughly satisfied.

"Hehe, let’s go find Second Senior Sister. I’ve finished the two jars of nectar and five small bottles of fruit wine. I’d wager you’ve finished your Southern Wind Drunk too, haven’t you?" Ji Mo’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she giggled.

"Second young lady isn’t on the Southern Frequency Peak; she’s gone out for training," replied Chi Yan.

"What? Second Senior Sister isn’t here? What about Third Senior Brother?" Ji Mo asked.

"The third young master has also left," Chi Yan answered.

"Ah, since no one’s around, I’ll just wander about our own territory, and then get back to cultivating. The sooner I meet the requirements for training outside, the sooner I can go out for some fun." Ji Mo sighed and found a stone by the cliff to sit and rest.

Hearing the first half of Ji Mo’s words, Chi Yan felt even more gratified, thinking how much the young miss had matured. But upon hearing the latter half, his foot slipped, and he nearly stumbled into a ravine.

Ji Mo, of course, was unaware of Chi Yan’s thoughts. After giving herself a day off, she plunged once more into her relentless cultivation. Two years later, the Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art reached the peak of the first layer, but no matter how hard she tried, she could make no further progress. Another year passed in the blink of an eye, and she finally advanced to the second stage of Qi Refining. In these three years, Lei Wei had never returned.

"Has the cultivation of the Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art reached a bottleneck?" After three years of silence, the voice of Peony Fairy, who had handed her the other four attribute techniques, finally echoed in her mind.

"That’s right. No matter how hard I’ve tried this past year, there hasn’t been the slightest progress," Ji Mo replied.

"If you wish to break through the first layer and enter the second, you must awaken the bloodline within your body. Otherwise, you’ll never reach the second chamber," Peony Fairy said.

"How do I awaken it?" Ji Mo frowned.

"Here is how…" Peony Fairy’s voice carried a mysterious power that drew Ji Mo’s mind in. Unconsciously, Ji Mo sat cross-legged as she followed the instructions relayed to her.

Time ticked away, and before she knew it, two more years had slipped by. During this period, Ji Mo seemed to have turned to stone, not moving at all. Chi Yan checked on her several times, finding her aura stable and her whole being in a state of profound enlightenment. He chose not to disturb her. As a demon cultivator at the Condensing Core stage, Chi Yan knew well how rare such enlightenment was.

By ordinary standards, with Ji Mo’s cultivation, it would have been nearly impossible to enter such a mysterious state. But this child had always been different since joining the sect, not to mention her astonishing talent, so Chi Yan was not overly surprised.

One day, two years later, the bones throughout Ji Mo’s body began to emit crisp cracking sounds, and countless fissures appeared on her skin. Blood flowed from her nose, eyes, mouth, and every crack in her body. It so happened that Chi Yan was away from the main peak at that moment, or else the sight would surely have terrified him out of his wits.

This state lasted for about half an hour. By then, the courtyard was stained with large patches of blood that had flowed from Ji Mo’s body. Her breathing grew weaker, her vitality fading. Suddenly, the blood within her underwent a transformation; golden threads appeared within the red, and her waning life force surged back with strength. The cracks in her body closed up at a speed visible to the eye.

An hour later, all the wounds on Ji Mo’s body had healed as if nothing had happened. She opened her eyes and stood up. As soon as she rose, her bones rang out in a series of sharp pops. The Celestial Demon Body Refinement Art had finally reached its second layer. At the same time, she broke through to the third stage of Qi Refining.