After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 4

That earnest attitude always gave Ying Buran a strange feeling…

Ying Buran had considered the possibility that she might lack talent or possess poor aptitude, but she never imagined she would be completely incapable of cultivation.

Is this how all Heaven’s Chosen are?

Sect Leader Luo Wangqing sighed again, pointing to the crystal and explaining, “See, this crystal is used to detect whether a person has the innate potential for cultivation, or whether they have the foundation to begin. Innate potential determines how far you can progress on this path, while foundation is the very basis of your cultivation.”

“…So, does this mean I don’t have even the slightest foundation?” Ying Buran asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.

Luo Wangqing nodded. “That’s right. Without a foundation, you can’t draw qi into your body, let alone condense spiritual energy within you for cultivation.”

“But don’t worry. As a Heaven’s Chosen, you’ll remain at the Flowing Cloud Sect. We’ll do everything in our power to ensure your safety and prevent the Ghost Clan from approaching you again.”

Ying Buran pondered for a moment, sensing something off about Luo Wangqing’s words and the way she looked at her.

To test her suspicion, she asked, “Aren’t you afraid my misfortune might spread to this place?”

“No, you don’t need to worry about that. You can stay here without concern,” Luo Wangqing assured her.

“But if you truly want to cultivate, I remember there’s another method,” Zhao Qingxun interjected, drawing both their gazes.

Ying Buran, surprised and delighted, subtly glanced at Luo Wangqing. Luo Wangqing’s expression clearly showed displeasure at Zhao Qingxun’s words, her gaze carrying a hint of reproach.

Zhao Qingxun, seemingly oblivious to Luo Wangqing’s disapproval, continued, “Without a foundation, I can forge one using my own essence bl00d. Though it won’t lead to a great path, it will at least allow you to enter the Dao.”

Though Ying Buran had no experience with cultivation, the term “essence bl00d” immediately struck her as something precious.

Instinctively, she asked, “Would this have any consequences for you?”

“At worst, it could damage her own foundation. At best, it would leave her with weakened essence bl00d and impaired cultivation for a time,” Luo Wangqing answered flatly, her tone calm but concealing deep disapproval.

Hearing this, Ying Buran immediately rejected the proposal. “Absolutely not! I won’t accept such a method.”

After a moment of silence, Zhao Qingxun continued with unwavering resolve, “But this is currently the only viable method. Moreover, if you truly embark on the path of Cultivation, you’ll gain some self-defense capabilities.”

“Our Sect is secure enough. We can protect her without her needing to defend herself,” Luo Wangqing said, frowning.

Zhao Qingxun shook her head, disagreeing. “There are no impenetrable walls in this world. Besides, she’s a Heaven’s Chosen. Forging a foundation for a Heaven’s Chosen won’t have any significant adverse effects on me.”

The two argued for a while, leaving no room for Ying Buran to interject. In the end, Luo Wangqing was persuaded by Zhao Qingxun and stepped back in silence.

Zhao Qingxun turned to Ying Buran, who hesitated before shaking her head. “I don’t want to benefit by harming others.”

Moreover, she already owed Zhao Qingxun so much and didn’t want to incur any further debts.

“This isn’t just for your sake; it’s for ours too. The safety of a Heaven’s Chosen is paramount to us. I hope you can understand.”

Finally, after Zhao Qingxun repeatedly assured her that it would only leave her weakened for a few days and have no lasting consequences, Ying Buran relented and agreed.

According to Zhao Qingxun’s plan, she wouldn’t leave the Sect for the next few days, which conveniently allowed her to guide Ying Buran through the initiation process.

Luo Wangqing, Zhao Qingxun’s Master and the most powerful cultivator in the Flowing Cloud Sect, would oversee the construction and maintenance of the formation. Her involvement ensured maximum protection for both of them.

The process of establishing the foundation was far from easy for either of them. Ying Buran endured excruciating pain until she went numb, relying solely on instinct to follow Zhao Qingxun’s guidance in constructing the foundation.

The moment the foundation was complete, Ying Buran collapsed from exhaustion. Before losing consciousness, she vaguely heard words like “punishment” and “mistake.”

Were they afraid something might go wrong and affect Zhao Qingxun, so they wanted to punish her?

If punishment was truly necessary, she hoped it would fall on her, not Zhao Qingxun. After all, she was the one who had benefited from this, and she was the one who had desired to cultivate.

Because this thought had occupied her mind before she fainted, the first thing Ying Buran asked Zhao Qingxun upon waking was whether she had suffered any punishment.

Zhao Qingxun paused for a moment, then smiled and shook her head. “Don’t worry,” she said. “The process went smoothly. I’ve fully recovered while you were sleeping. Nothing happened.”

“That’s good.” Ying Buran breathed a sigh of relief after confirming Zhao Qingxun was unharmed.

Immediately, another question arose: “Why are you being so kind to me? You even risked hurting yourself. Is it really worth it?” Ying Buran remained puzzled, unable to understand why Zhao Qingxun would go to such lengths.

Zhao Qingxun’s smile stiffened, then slowly faded. She lowered her gaze and remained silent, vaguely murmuring, “I wanted to make amends,” to brush off the question.

But why did she need to make amends? What exactly was she trying to atone for? She offered no further explanation.

Ying Buran didn’t press the matter, but she buried the question deep in her heart, where it lingered.

Zhao Qingxun also asked her several questions about her physical condition. After confirming she was fine, Zhao Qingxun took Ying Buran’s hand and guided her in controlling her spiritual energy, drawing qi into her body.

A pale blue-white orb of energy floated in Ying Buran’s palm. She gazed at it in wonder, unable to resist touching it with her other hand.

The orb seemed to recognize her, swirling around her hand the moment she made contact.

“Congratulations,” Zhao Qingxun said from above, her voice tinged with relief. “From this moment onward, you’ve truly embarked on the path of Cultivation.” She gently patted Ying Buran’s head.

Whenever Ying Buran’s head was patted like this, she felt a strange sensation, as if she were facing… an elder?

Ying Buran stole another glance at Zhao Qingxun before quickly lowering her head.

What am I thinking? How could this be a senior-junior relationship? Zhao Qingxun doesn’t look old at all!

I must still be half-asleep.

“By the way, now that you’ve drawn qi into your body, you’ve officially embarked on the path of Cultivation. You’re currently in the Qi Refining Realm, which means you can choose a Dao Technique to cultivate,” Zhao Qingxun said, moving to her bookshelf. After a moment of browsing, she retrieved a scroll from a small box. “Senluo Art. This technique embodies vitality and possesses exceptional restorative abilities, while also excelling at restraint. It’s perfectly suited for you.”

Ying Buran accepted the scroll, feeling utterly overwhelmed by gratitude. She truly didn’t know how she could ever repay Zhao Qingxun.

Noticing her apparent confusion, Zhao Qingxun leaned closer and helped her unroll the scroll.

Their faces were so close that Ying Buran could feel Zhao Qingxun’s warm breath and hear her heartbeat. For a moment, she was completely lost in the moment, the tips of her ears growing warm.

Zhao Qingxun unrolled the scroll but didn’t sense any movement from Ying Buran. She tilted her head and noticed the girl’s face was slightly flushed. “Are you feeling unwell?” she asked.

Ying Buran snapped out of her daze, shaking her head vigorously. “No, no, I’m fine.” She nervously averted her gaze to the scroll, her expression turning bewildered as she stared at the unfamiliar script.

The characters on the scroll were unlike any she had ever seen, completely different from the script her mother had taught her.

Seeing Ying Buran’s confusion, Zhao Qingxun realized the girl couldn’t read Dao Script. She often forgot that Ying Buran wasn’t like those who had grown up within the Sect; no one had ever taught her these things.

It was her oversight.

“My apologies,” Zhao Qingxun said. “I forgot you don’t know Dao Script. Let’s start by teaching you to read it first, then we can move on to practicing Dao Techniques.” She didn’t put away the Senluo Art, however, but instead produced a small ring.

Holding the ring solemnly, Zhao Qingxun explained, “This is a storage ring. You can store items inside it. Just drip a drop of bl00d on it to bind it to you.”

She slipped the ring onto Ying Buran’s finger, her earnest demeanor giving the girl the strange impression that she was wearing a different kind of ring altogether.