Chapter 32: The Precious Yaohua Boat

By the time all preparations were complete, night had already fallen. Linxiu brought out a spirit vessel to carry Hansu back. This spirit vessel was equipped with a puppet that could steer the boat; as long as spirit stones were placed and the destination set, the passengers could rest inside while the vessel made its way. As the spirit vessel soared into the sky, Hansu, excited, circled the puppet, examining it with curiosity.

Linxiu drew Hansu to the table and had her sit down, dividing the day's purchases into two piles, one of which she handed to Hansu. Hansu quickly waved her hands to decline, but Linxiu smiled and asked, "Little junior sister, aren't you curious? You already have medicine, talismans, and other items gifted by our master and senior brothers, so why did we still come to the market to buy more?"

Embarrassed, Hansu twisted the hem of her robe, cheeks flushed, and replied softly, "Mm..."

Seeing her adorable demeanor, Linxiu's heart overflowed with a maternal tenderness. She ruffled Hansu's hair and said, "You can't live your whole life under someone else's protection. When you're out training, far from your master and senior brothers, what will you do when your pills run out? Many secret realms seem safe, but what if you stumble upon a spatial rift or accidentally step onto a teleportation array and are sent somewhere you've never been before? Even if you have plenty of supplies, what if you're trapped for decades? What then?"

Her words rang out like a great bell, shattering the self-imposed amnesia Hansu had harbored. Ever since Aunt Chrysanthemum had fallen into an eternal slumber, Hansu had devoted herself to secluded cultivation. She knew she would eventually have to walk her own path, but she had no idea how to do so. With Lan and Daojun, as well as Hengbo Daojun, the backing of their two families, and the entire sect supporting her, she had never truly become independent. Apart from cultivating, she relied on others for everything; she had never gone out herself or bought anything of importance—everything had always been prepared for her. She had arrived at the sect at age three; now, at twelve, she still saw herself as a child. In her previous world, twelve truly was still a child; even those in their twenties were often regarded as children. But here, the path was merciless. No matter how many generations of cultivators her family boasted, there were dangers she would have to face. As she was now, how would she handle an unforeseen crisis? Kind-hearted and untested, never having slain a beast or foe—could she cope with peril? Beyond cultivation, she needed to learn survival skills and hone her combat techniques, just like Linxiu and every other cultivator, so that she could walk the path of the Dao safely.

It came as no surprise that Hansu advanced once more. Perhaps it was fate, but her breakthrough occurred again as they crossed the Weakwater River—she rose from the second to the third stage of Foundation Establishment. Having experienced breakthroughs before, as soon as she felt the bottleneck break with a soft "pop," she immediately sat cross-legged and focused on calming the turbulent spiritual energy, guiding it through her meridians in order.

Once all was settled, Hansu slowly opened her eyes—only to be startled by the scene before her. Linxiu sat across from her, an expression on her face that was half pleased, half aggrieved. The spirit vessel was docked at the riverbank, and dozens of disciples surrounded it, all gazing at her with a mix of envy and longing.

"Um... what happened here...?"

"Your spiritual energy fluctuations during your advancement attracted the patrolling disciples. Word spread quickly, and soon all these people came to witness your second breakthrough on a spirit vessel. By the way, little junior sister, I didn't even know you'd already broken through once on a spirit vessel before! If only some of your perception and luck could rub off on me!"

"Uh, it's all thanks to your words, senior sister—they were so enlightening that I..." Hansu glanced shyly at Linxiu, her gaze darting nervously to the crowd outside the vessel, all staring at her like hungry wolves.

Linxiu patted her head with a smile. "I understand; perception and luck are things one can only envy. Little junior sister, you must work even harder, so as not to waste the gifts Heaven has bestowed upon you." She paused, glancing around, then couldn’t help but laugh. "Looks like all these fellow disciples are waiting for you to share your experience."

No sooner had Linxiu finished speaking than the onlookers elected a senior disciple in the late Foundation Establishment stage to step forward and greet her. "Senior Sister Linxiu, we were fortunate enough to witness Junior Sister Hansu’s breakthrough and enlightenment. We all wish to congratulate her and, um..."

Linxiu took Hansu with her as she descended from the spirit vessel, offering a graceful salute to the crowd. In her clear, cool voice, she said, "Today, my junior sister achieved enlightenment and advanced; there is no secret method. As long as everyone thinks deeply and reflects often, I’m sure each of you will find your own progress. Thank you all for your congratulations—Lingwu Peak is deeply grateful. Junior sister has just broken through and her cultivation is still unstable; we must hasten to retreat into seclusion. Please excuse us."

With that, she led Hansu in another bow, then turned and boarded the spirit vessel once more, replaced the puppet’s spirit stone, and set course for Lingwu Peak. The onlookers stared at one another in disbelief, but none dared question the beloved disciple of a Nascent Soul elder, so they could only disperse.

Afterward, a craze swept through the disciples, who rushed to buy spirit vessels. At all hours, small groups could be seen flying their vessels over the Weakwater River, dividing tasks so that one piloted while others meditated in hopes of a breakthrough... For a time, Yao Hua Vessels became highly sought after, materials for crafting them skyrocketed in price, and the patrol teams had to add another shift on the river to rescue disciples who fell in by accident—or on purpose, hoping to trigger advancement through danger. As for Hansu, who was forced to return to seclusion, she remained oblivious to all this.