"It really does have an owner!"
Chen Jinshu found a slightly damaged music score on one of the bookshelves. The deep, resonant melody she had heard earlier was emanating from it. The moment she held it in her hands, the sound stopped. It was a strange phenomenon, as if the tune had been deliberately meant to lure someone to pick it up.
"To the fated one who takes it."
She quickly noticed a line of handwriting left by the owner of the cave dwelling on a desk in the corner. The owner had gone traveling far away, but having lived in the cave for many years, they had wanted to leave behind some traces to show their attachment.
"What a carefree cultivator."
Chen Jinshu herself longed to explore the outside world, but at her current strength, she was still too weak. Besides, there was nowhere safer than the sect.
This journey had merely been to assist her master in eradicating traces of demonic cultivators, yet she had encountered more than her share of strange occurrences. It left her feeling uneasy about the world beyond.
As for the Millennium Thunderstruck Paulownia Wood, there were no notes left regarding it. Perhaps when the cave's owner departed, the wood had not yet arrived. Chen Jinshu collected the wood and then left the cave.
Five Days Later, at Ink Plum Courtyard
Chen Jinshu had returned to the sect with her master two days earlier. Her master needed to report the demonic cultivator incident, so their mission rewards would take a few days to process. She'd heard that due to the severity of the demonic activity they dealt with, the rewards might be quite generous.
At the moment, Chen Jinshu was in the courtyard sorting through Demonized Spirit Rice acquired from Qingping Market. Most of the rice grains were damaged or inedible. However, some of the grains showed a strange change—their outer husks were lightening, turning toward white.
She carefully separated these pale grains, planning to test-plant them in the spiritual herb field. The Medicine King Peak had a rule: disciples who discovered new strains of spiritual herbs or rice could earn substantial rewards.
"These whitening grains… it's like light emerging from darkness. Perhaps it's related to demonic qi."
Just as she casually dropped the white grains into a growth-accelerating solution, a message from her master arrived.
"The reward's finally here. I wonder how much it will be."
She quickly made her way to the Pill King Hall, where her master was waiting.
She wasn't late—when she arrived at the side hall, only Dai Yuzhu was there.
"You're fast, junior sister. Don't tell me you rushed over for the rewards?" Dai Yuzhu teased.
"You jest, senior sister."
"No need to worry. The sect leader was quite generous this time. You'll all be satisfied."
Soon, the rest of the disciples gathered.
"We did well in this demon-cleansing mission—wiping out an entire demonic cultivator nest and preventing a great disaster. The sect leader permitted me to pick spiritual items from the treasury tailored to your needs."
Master Shui Huanmeng smiled faintly, and with a wave of her hand, a spiritual item appeared before each disciple.
"Shaosi has been stuck at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment for years. One Barrier-Breaking Pill wouldn't be worth it. So, I picked a Sacred Flame Fruit instead. It can help you break through to the seventh level and also enhance your fire spiritual root."
Zheng Shaosi's face lit up with joy, and he respectfully thanked her.
"Mofeng already has many spiritual tools, but lacks a proper inheritance for crafting. I managed to get a mid-grade third-tier crafting legacy for you. It should last you a hundred years of study."
…
Master Shui had clearly taken their individual needs into account. Every disciple seemed satisfied with their reward.
"Jinshu, your cultivation is still low, so it's important to build a strong foundation. But your spiritual instrument's grade is lacking. I chose Millennium Cold Silkworm Thread for you. It will raise your Zither's grade and boost its power."
Chen Jinshu's heart fluttered. This item struck right at the core of what she needed. She almost forgot to bow in gratitude.
"Thank you, Master! I'm deeply honored!"
"No need for that. Your senior brothers and sisters also received great items. During the last outer sect competition, I felt your strings weren't quite up to par. With this top-grade cold silkworm thread, even Feng Lingchuan wouldn't be a match for you."
"You flatter me, Master!"
"When do you want to replace the strings? I know a third-tier crafting master who could reforge your Zither."
Chen Jinshu's mind raced. The reward came so suddenly, she hadn't prepared. But she knew—miss this chance, and who knew when another would come?
"During the trip, I happened to obtain some Millennium Thunderstruck Paulownia Wood. Could it be fused into the Zither as well?"
She asked carefully.
"Oh? You acquired something like that? A Zither made of such wood is already extraordinary—one struck by lightning, no less!"
Shui Huanmeng was surprised. She hadn't expected her youngest disciple to have such a stroke of luck. Even her own pipa was crafted with materials of a slightly higher grade, but she hadn't had such treasures at Jinshu's age.
"Then let's forge it all at once. No need for multiple reforging attempts and risking damage."
"Thank you, Master!"
Jinshu couldn't hide her delight, a subtle smile forming as she took out a massive chunk of wood.
"You have so much of it—you could forge an entirely new Zither."
"Master, please keep the original base. Just replace the soundboard."
"Don't worry. I'll have the craftsman proceed carefully."
When she returned to Ink Plum Courtyard, she still had some Millennium Cold Silkworm Thread left. Master Shui advised her to keep extra strings, as they were essential during battle and could even save her life.
"Let's hope the next time I see my Lüqi Zither, it's reached a whole new level."
Three days passed in a flash.
Chen Jinshu was cultivating in the Spiritual Herb Space. Suddenly, spiritual energy surged wildly from the spirit field. Sensing something wrong, she immediately ran to the wooden hut. A thick white fog hovered above the spiritual fields. The plants below were growing at an astonishing rate. In the blink of an eye, herbs that once took three months matured instantly. Those needing a year were halved in time.
"Is this the alchemy furnace's feedback?"
She'd been wondering why the Genesis Alchemy Furnace absorbed so much demonic qi without reacting at all. Turns out, the moment had simply not yet arrived. The white mist now overflowing had potent accelerating effects.
"Can this energy aid my cultivation too?"
She immediately began channeling her spiritual arts. White misty spiritual energy surged into her body. Just then, the lotus petal on her forehead activated, absorbing the white energy and transforming it into strands of light green spiritual power. Warmth spread through her meridians, flowing into her dantian.
Her cultivation, originally at the sixth level of Qi Refining, surged upward, breaking through to the seventh level and pushing toward the eighth. But remembering her master's warning about steady progress, she suppressed it.
"So, this furnace's feedback broke the barrier that most cultivators struggle with—just like that."