Chen Jinshu strolled forward and gently reached out to stroke Xiao Yin flying in front of her. Its feathers were smooth and gleamed with a beautiful bluish shimmer under the sunlight.
"Master! I think I've awakened a bloodline inheritance—I've gained several inherited spell techniques!"
Xiao Yin nuzzled her hand joyfully as it spoke.
"Oh? You've actually awakened an inheritance?"
Chen Jinshu's interest was immediately piqued. After all, bloodline inheritances were no trivial matter—only beasts with tremendously powerful bloodlines could receive inherited spells. Even her master's Fire-Feathered Crane had yet to awaken a bloodline inheritance; it could merely breathe fire, making it a rare variant among spirit cranes.
"What kind of abilities did you get? Show me!"
"Master, the courtyard is too small. If I perform them here, I might lose control."
"You're right. Then let's head to the Combat Training Hall and rent a room."
Chen Jinshu considered it and agreed that the courtyard wasn't suitable. She decided to go to the Training Hall on Medicine King Peak and rent a larger practice room. A short while later, Chen Jinshu appeared at the Training Hall of Medicine King Peak with Xiao Yin, now shrunk to the size of a parrot.
The outer sect competition had recently concluded, so there weren't many cultivators in the hall. Chen Jinshu noticed only a few scattered figures inside. She paid five spirit stones to rent a Class C practice room, the lowest-grade room available—suitable for cultivators like her in the mid-to-late Qi Refining stage.
If her cultivation were higher, she could rent a Class B room, but that would be a bit extravagant.
Currently, she was without her favored zither weapon and simply wanted to observe the inherited spells Xiao Yin had acquired. She also planned to get some combat training in—no need for a higher-grade room.
Once inside the empty room, with white walls on all four sides, Chen Jinshu had Xiao Yin return to its original size. It could grow even larger, but that wasn't necessary now—its standard size was sufficient for casting spells.
"How many spells did you awaken in total?"
"There are five in my memory, but I feel there may be more—some are still too hazy," Xiao Yin replied after thinking for a moment.
"I see!"
"This first one is Illusory Luan Cry!"
Xiao Yin flew several loops in the empty room before letting out a sharp cry. The piercing sound nearly burst Chen Jinshu's eardrums. She quickly shut off her hearing to ease the pain—but the illusion had already taken effect.
Suddenly, she found herself surrounded by an endless ocean. Monstrous beasts leapt across the surface as far as the eye could see.
"This Illusory Luan Cry is no less potent than Butterfly Dream!"
Astonished, Chen Jinshu quickly closed her eyes to stabilize her mind. After a moment, the illusion finally faded.
"This spell can be used to seize the upper hand in battle. How much spiritual energy does it consume?"
"Not much—it's just a sound. Hardly any spiritual power is used!"
Chen Jinshu then realized Xiao Yin had also reached the late stage of Qi Refining, and its spiritual energy fluctuations hadn't diminished at all.
"This technique is excellent. It'll be a big help in battle!"
"Here's the next: Luan Feather Blades!"
Xiao Yin flapped its twin blue wings after a soft chirp.
Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred.
Swish, swish!
A barrage of shimmering blue feathers shot forward like arrows, striking the white wall with such force that it created holes and even cracks. These walls were made from a special material, built to withstand spell practice. Cultivators below late-stage Qi Refining usually couldn't leave a mark due to the wall's rapid regeneration.
But now, Xiao Yins attack had visibly damaged it—its power must have reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.
"Impressive power. I imagine the spiritual cost is higher?"
"A bit. I can use it five more times!" the bird replied, looking slightly fatigued.
"If you can cast it six times on full energy, that's already excellent." Chen Jinshu nodded in satisfaction.
"Here's the next one: Resonant Luan Claws!"
Xiao Yin, slightly recovered, soared forward again. With a few sharp swoops, it left claw marks of varying depth on the wall. Chen Jinshu's eyes widened—when the claws struck, they tore the very air, leaving golden streaks behind.
The speed was astonishing.
Even more surprising, the claw marks remained on the wall—proof of their immense strength.
"The other two spells require a wide open space. It's too cramped in here," said the bird, lowering its altitude.
"Just describe them to me then."
"Master, have you noticed my eyes have changed?" The bird blinked, gesturing for her to take a closer look.
"Amber-gold… Don't tell me one of the spells is vision-related?"
Xiao Yin nodded.
"And the last one?"
"It's speed-based. It lets me fly incredibly fast through the air."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu immediately understood. Luan birds had top-tier spirit bird bloodlines—their speed was unmatched among avian beasts.
"Good! Go practice the techniques for a bit. There's still time on the rental."
She had rented the room for an hour; barely fifteen minutes had passed.
"Okay!" Xiao Yin obediently moved to the side.
Seeing this, Chen Jinshu also took out her Azure Frost Sword and began practicing in a corner. Soon, two distinct sounds filled the training room…
An hour passed in the blink of an eye. When Chen Jinshu left the room, she felt a bit exhausted. Xiao Yin rested on her shoulder, also weary.
"Master… I want some red berries."
"We'll stop by the Affairs Hall on the way. We'll try the other two inherited spells next time."
Xiao Yin nodded gently.
Half an hour later, Chen Jinshu stopped by the Frost Pool Herb Garden to inspect the spirit vines and several plots of medicinal herbs, then continued on to the Affairs Hall to buy the red berries. That night, after bathing, she entered the Spirit Herb Space to check on the plants' progress.
To her surprise, a rare medicine known as Rotroot Regeneration Elixir Herb, which wasn't supposed to mature for another three to four months, was already fully grown.
"I didn't expect it to ripen this early! I should begin transplanting the spirit vine soon."
The spirit vine had always been a concern—its growth in the Frost Pool Herb Garden risked exposure.
Moreover, that garden was often tainted by demonic qi. While the situation had recently improved, there were still occasional outbreaks—there was no telling when the area would become unusable.
She had to act fast.