No matter how things had happened at the time, in hindsight, the man always seemed to be in the wrong.
Therefore, as soon as the topic came up, Mei Qing wisely stopped arguing and instead asked with concern about how Bi Zhen had overcome her emotional tribulation.
“Emotional tribulation?” Bi Zhen replied with a half-smile, half-serious. “What emotional tribulation? Now that we’ve come this far, naturally that tribulation has dissipated.”
“Eh?” Mei Qing was astonished. “You mean that just by… doing what we did, the tribulation is over? If I had known it was this easy…”
“Shame on you! What nonsense are you spouting?” Bi Zhen blushed furiously. “It’s not as simple as you imagine. Tribulations are tribulations—they don’t vanish so easily. Don’t you remember that the night before last, we barely escaped with our lives? If even such a tribulation couldn’t be overcome, then no one in the world could pass any tribulation at all!”
Mei Qing finally understood. No wonder Bi Zhen had said that the key to overcoming tribulation lay in “sincerity”—as the saying goes, without storms, how can one see the rainbow? Thinking back, although the previous night had been arduous, the rewards had also been substantial.
“Then you must be close to forming your core now, since the tribulation has passed,” Mei Qing asked.
Bi Zhen nodded. “Exactly. Having passed this tribulation, and having benefited from our dual cultivation the night before last, I can already sense the vague form of my core beginning to solidify. Haven’t you noticed anything yet?”
“Me?” Mei Qing was surprised. “What should I have noticed?”
“You’re so slow! You’ve memorized so much, how come you forget now? We practiced dual cultivation, and actually, the night before last, during our cultivation, my core had already begun to form—it just hadn’t fully solidified yet,” Bi Zhen replied with a chuckle.
“Oh…” Mei Qing suddenly recalled that he had indeed felt something different at the time. However, his attention had been focused elsewhere, so he hadn’t paid much attention.
In truth, Mei Qing’s cultivation path was practically unheard of in the world. Cultivation requires utmost focus and purity of thought—no cultivator could ever divide their attention. Yet strangely, Mei Qing’s body seemed to cultivate itself. As long as he entered the state, he could leave it to his body without interference. That’s why he had already formed his core without even realizing it.
This step was no easy feat. Since ancient times, cultivators who formed their core were called “Zhen Ren” (True Persons), officially entering the realm of cultivation. For ordinary practitioners, even the fastest required twenty or thirty years to progress from Foundation Building to Core Formation. Most would consider themselves lucky to achieve it within fifty years. Many never managed it at all, remaining forever outside the threshold.
What Mei Qing didn’t know was that he had shattered this record in a shocking manner. Even the famed genius Fan Wentai, known as the “Plum Blossom Daoist,” had taken ten years from Foundation Building to Core Formation—a feat already considered astonishing. Mei Qing, forming his core in just a few months, could only be described as a monster.
Even Bi Zhen, who had started cultivation from childhood and was considered an extraordinary prodigy, had still needed fifteen years to form her core.
In Bi Zhen’s mind, she suspected that Mei Qing must have had some extraordinary fortune in his childhood. Those seemingly dull and sluggish years might have actually been the result of someone secretly cleansing his meridians and enhancing his constitution. Otherwise, there was no way he could have advanced so rapidly upon entering cultivation. However, Mei Qing’s memory of those years was hazy at best.
Mei Qing himself wasn’t too concerned about it. Upon hearing Bi Zhen’s words, he immediately turned his attention inward. He now noticed, just as the cultivation texts described, a tiny, bright, round, and radiant point within his cauldron—like a pearl resting on a crystal plate. Indeed, his core had just begun to form.
“No wonder I feel so refreshed and energetic today! I didn’t even realize I’d already formed my core. Still, I’m not quite familiar with the sensations. Perhaps tonight, my dear wife, we could cultivate together again?” Mei Qing said cheerfully.
Bi Zhen lowered her head shyly. “Indeed. Once today’s matters are settled, you should spend more time with me. Dual cultivation after core formation has its advantages—especially in stabilizing and nurturing the core. I’ll tell you more tonight.”
…If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said anything—I should have let the beautiful Bi Zhen beg me to cultivate instead. Such were the fanciful thoughts of a certain person.
“Also, I’ve burned all the notes you annotated. Since we both remember them, we can just organize the original manuscript and submit it. Let’s keep this between us—no third person needs to know,” Bi Zhen reminded Mei Qing as they were about to disembark.
Mei Qing nodded in agreement. Neither of them mentioned the mysterious hand that had tried to steal the cultivation manual that day. Yet Bi Zhen had her suspicions, and she likely had an idea of who was behind it, though it was probably a matter with far-reaching implications.
The carriage stopped once at the entrance of the Nanyuan Imperial Retreat. Bi Zhen didn’t get off, but the driver exchanged a few words with someone before continuing. Mei Qing couldn’t help but marvel at how favored Bi Zhen was by the Emperor, being able to pass through the imperial grounds so freely.
After turning a couple of corners, the carriage slowly came to a halt. They got out and looked up to find themselves at the gate of a small garden.
Though not large, the garden was exquisitely arranged. Artificial rockeries at the entrance concealed winding paths. Willows swayed gracefully against the palace walls, their reflections shimmering in the clear pond outside, creating a serene and tranquil scene.
“Princess Bi, my goodness! What a pleasant breeze brings you here today?” a shrill voice called out. Mei Qing turned to see an elderly eunuch with a beaming face hurrying toward them.
“Why, it’s Master Zheng! How have you been?” Bi Zhen greeted with a smile.
“Oh, how could I not be well with your blessings! His Majesty has been cultivating his golden elixir and should be finishing up soon. What about Minister Lu?”
“His Majesty is indeed nearing completion. As for Minister Lu, he was here earlier, but he had an urgent matter and left in a hurry. Did you come to see Minister Lu today, Princess?”
“Not at all,” Bi Zhen replied, secretly flashing Mei Qing a triumphant smile before turning back to Zheng. “I came to see His Majesty. Since His Majesty will be done soon, we’ll go in and wait.”
Zheng’s face showed some hesitation. “Of course, Princess Bi may enter freely, but I wonder about this gentleman…” He glanced at Mei Qing.
“Oh, he’s someone His Majesty wishes to see as well. I brought him especially today. You needn’t worry,” Bi Zhen said, pulling Mei Qing along as she stepped forward.
Zheng raised his hand slightly but decided against stopping them. After all, Princess Bi was highly favored by the Emperor. If she said the Emperor wanted to see him, who was he to question?
As Bi Zhen and Mei Qing entered the garden, their faces were filled with confidence. Just as they were about to succeed, a voice suddenly rang out behind them: “Ah Bi, you’re here already?”
Startled, they turned around and saw two figures approaching. The one in front was a middle-aged man who looked no older than forty, dressed in a clean, light-blue Daoist robe. His face was slightly gaunt, as if too frail to bear his own weight, yet his bearing was lofty and refined, exuding an otherworldly aura. Behind him stood a towering, muscular man with a thick beard like bristling spears, wearing a brown short robe that revealed his bronze-toned muscles, gleaming like polished bronze.
“Oh no! Didn’t we send him away already? How did he come back so quickly!” Bi Zhen’s face changed. She quickly pulled Mei Qing forward, walking faster while loudly declaring, “His Majesty summoned me, so I came.”
Could this Daoist be none other than Lu Bing? Mei Qing’s heart sank. He couldn’t understand why Lu Bing had been lured away but had returned so soon. He was also puzzled—why was Lu Bing, the commander of the Jinyiwei, dressed in Daoist robes?
As they were about to rush in, Lu Bing suddenly appeared before them, coldly snorting, “When did His Majesty summon you? And why is Mei Qing here too… Hmm? Ah Bi… You’ve already… Did you do something with this brat!?”
He glanced at the two of them and immediately noticed Bi Zhen’s changed state. His previously gentle eyes suddenly flared with a chilling light.
“None of your business!” Bi Zhen gritted her teeth, flinging the bracelet on her wrist into the air. “Chaos without limit, seal the five elements—seal!” With this cry, she herself suddenly became hazy, like a wisp of mist, swirling past the middle-aged man.
Lu Bing didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed. “You’re using this trick on me? Heaven and Earth, borrow power—break!” Without moving, he simply raised his right hand, forming a simple talisman with two fingers, then pointed forward with a sharp shout.
Bi Zhen’s bracelet suddenly appeared in his hand. Then, with his left hand, he reached into the bracelet and grabbed—just like that—Bi Zhen’s previously hazy form was now firmly in his left hand.
“Let me go!” Bi Zhen cried out in alarm, but suddenly her body went limp, collapsing softly into Lu Bing’s grasp, unconscious.
“Bi Zhen!” Mei Qing’s heart pounded with fear for her safety. He rushed forward, reaching out to grab her.
“Boy, don’t move!” A thunderous voice rang out. A massive force pressed down on his shoulder like a mountain, making his bones creak and rendering him unable to move an inch.
Looking back, he saw the brown-clothed giant had appeared behind him, hand resting on his shoulder. The giant grinned, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth.
Mei Qing tried to push upward, but the pressure only intensified, nearly crushing him into the ground. Just as he felt himself about to be forced into the earth itself, he quickly used his spiritual awareness to connect with the talisman at his chest and silently chanted the earth遁 spell: “Metal, wood, water, fire—earth god, lead the way—遁!”
Instantly, his body felt weightless. The giant’s mountainous palm pressure missed entirely. Mei Qing felt his consciousness flow freely with the earth’s energy, as if he could go anywhere. With a thought, he darted toward Lu Bing’s feet, reaching out to snatch Bi Zhen from his grasp.
The giant grunted in surprise but didn’t stop. He changed from a palm strike to a fist and roared, “Hmph!” before slamming his fist into the ground.
Mei Qing suddenly felt his entire body tighten, as if bound by invisible chains. He collapsed to the ground, unable to move. A massive force surged into his body, and his senses faded—he knew nothing more.
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