Having clarified this fundamental contradiction, she could finally say that she had truly begun to glimpse a corner of this world’s reality.

As time passed, three years slipped by silently.

During these thousand-plus days, not just the Jin Kingdom but the entire world exhibited a rare tranquility, with the footsteps of large-scale warfare seemingly halted.

Only some small Kingdoms in the borderlands experienced unrest. Adjacent to deep mountains and vast marshes, they had to deal with frequent invasions from demonic beasts that had become increasingly active in recent years. For some unknown reason, the monsters that had previously lain dormant were stirring again.

Such was the human realm—if not natural disasters, then war; if both were uncommonly absent, then demonic tribes would cause havoc.

In the Wei Kingdom, Crown Prince Xiao Jing and Second Prince Xiao Yan each led armies to repel demonic beast invasions, achieving remarkable military exploits. State Preceptor Yun Ya even personally took action, severing the head of a monster leader and sending it back to the Wei capital to be hung over the South Gate. The creature’s eyeballs were blood-red, and though its head resembled a lion’s, it was more than four times larger. Around its neck was not a mane but a layer of gray film, like fish fins that could spread open.

Just this head alone appeared massive and bizarre. Every day, people passing beneath the city gate not only marveled at it but also sincerely praised Wei Kingdom’s wise monarch and powerful State Preceptor.

Feng Miaojun’s life in Jin Capital flowed as calmly as an ancient well. Apart from attending to her businesses and maintaining regular correspondence with her adoptive mother, she only maintained the most basic social interactions, neither cold nor warm toward other nobles. She understood her somewhat special position in Jin Capital and thus didn’t deliberately forge relationships with aristocratic offspring. Due to her identity, others found this normal: as a disciple of the State Preceptor, she shouldn’t associate with the powerful to avoid displeasing the monarch.

She spent most of her time searching for books and cultivating. How much spiritual power Yun Ya possessed and how he deployed it, she had no idea. He was like a vast river with inexhaustible water that couldn’t be drained dry, and she couldn’t fathom its depths. To prevent him from discerning her true cultivation level, she returned exactly the amount of spiritual power she borrowed each day, keeping only what she had painstakingly cultivated herself. Strangely enough, the spiritual energy she attracted using Yun Ya’s power as a catalyst, after circulating through him and back, transformed into his distinctive dual ice-fire attribute.

Due to the curse mark, this spiritual power would remain in her dantian rather than dissipate into the air.

Every day, she sent the fresh spiritual energy collected into her body back to him, retaining an equal amount of ice-fire spiritual power. Since the first time Yun Ya hadn’t shown active opposition, she had continued this practice daily.

Over three years, the spiritual power accumulated in her dantian grew increasingly abundant, gradually condensing from its original gaseous state into liquid form, one drop, two drops…

Feng Miaojun was so delighted she couldn’t sleep for several days, because this was a sign of core formation.

Heavens above, she had thought she would never have the opportunity to cultivate in her lifetime, yet now came the day when she could form an internal core!

The significance of core formation was immense for her. With an internal core, the efficiency of drawing natural spiritual energy into her body would far surpass her previous capabilities.

Finally, on the day of the Autumn Equinox, she meditated on Little Solitary Mountain for ten full hours, from morning until night, before letting out a long cry!

Core formation achieved!

It was a perfectly round golden core with immortal energy swirling around its surface, truly beautiful. Without boundaries in the sea of qi, its size couldn’t be determined, but she guessed it wasn’t much larger than a mung bean.

The golden core slowly rotated, with surrounding spiritual energy responding as if summoned, joyfully rushing into her body, completely changing its previously indifferent attitude. Feng Miaojun felt the comfortable sensation of spiritual energy moistening her meridians and couldn’t help but shed tears of joy.

No one understood her diligent efforts better than Cao Dehuan, who stepped forward to congratulate her: “Congratulations to Miss Feng for stepping onto the golden core path. Your future achievements will be limitless.”

Night had fallen, already past the time visitors were allowed on Little Solitary Mountain. Cao Dehuan had made an exception for her. Feng Miaojun sincerely thanked him before descending the mountain, still accompanied by Chen Dachang for her return to Caixing City.

She lifted the carriage curtain to gaze at the distant view, her emotions rising and falling like the far mountain silhouettes. For other cultivators, core formation was merely a foundation; but for her, it was an unprecedented and crucial step!

From now on, she would no longer need to rely on Yun Ya’s spiritual power, but could instead use her internal core to gather and transform spiritual energy.

Between them, that strange and awkward spiritual energy transmission would no longer be necessary.

Of course, she wanted to declare loudly that “he is he, I am I, henceforth unrelated,” but unfortunately, she wasn’t qualified yet.

Due to the Giant Turtle Curse, their spiritual powers were essentially one entity. Feng Miaojun could extract his spiritual power, and vice versa. She could retain spiritual power and even form a golden core only because Yun Ya had enough for himself and was temporarily indifferent to her. Someday, if the great State Preceptor Yun engaged in relentless battle and lacked spiritual power, he might drain all the spiritual power she had painstakingly accumulated.

His continued cold observation without seizing her spiritual power might be part of his calculation: giving himself an external spiritual power reserve.

Therefore, while rejoicing that she could now be self-sufficient, she still needed to find a way to sever the connection between them, allowing each to follow their destiny.

As her thoughts were flying, suddenly a dull thud came from the top of the carriage, like a heavy object colliding. This was immediately followed by several banging sounds of hand-to-hand combat, and she heard Chen Dachang shout angrily: “Bold thief, get down!”

He was in the driver’s position, and someone had jumped onto the carriage.

“Clang,” metal rang out as weapons were deployed. Feng Miaojun gripped the water-splitting dagger in her sleeve. This was a self-defense weapon given to her by Xu Fengnian, one for each arm, more miniature than ordinary daggers, attachable to her forearms. The narrow, lusterless blade was a tool for stealthy assassiKingdom.

Of course, she had never wounded anyone with it. Would today be its chance to drink blood for the first time?

Just as she thought about helping Chen Dachang, a deep, hoarse voice suddenly sounded from outside: “We’ve been ambushed, with pursuers behind us. Please give us a ride. Once we enter Caixing City, I will surely express my gratitude!”

This person’s voice sounded like a broken bellows. Upon hearing this, Feng Miaojun immediately called out: “Dachang, is someone injured?” The person’s speech sounded like coughing up phlegm, clearly indicating some lung damage. So, they probably weren’t people coming after her.

Chen Dachang immediately replied: “Two people, both injured, one lightly, one severely.”

Feng Miaojun felt more at ease and said loudly: “Surrender your weapons and identify yourselves.” Could she and Chen Dachang not handle two injured people? “Otherwise, go feed the wild wolves.”

Another voice immediately responded: “Miss, our young master…” Hearing this delicate female voice coming from the carriage, it seemed to be a young girl.