How the Dragon Asks

In the time that Qin Ran was dead, Bai Ruoxi found herself bored. She determined the aptitude of Long Qiqi, but she found that Long Qiqi was too focused and didn't teach her cultivation or provide her with any good techniques.

In the end, Long Qiqi had to explore cultivation on her own.

However, her talent was truly lacking. It had been over a month since she started meditating and cultivating, yet she still hadn't even sensed a trace of qi.

"How long have you been trying to sense qi?" Long Qiqi sat on a swing, gazing at the sky, and asked Li Shiyin, who was sitting on a chair.

Li Shiyin had recently developed an interest in studying medicinal herbs and wanted to learn alchemy. At this moment, she was lying on the chair, with a book covering her face, lost in her own world... No one knew if she had been reading the book, but she had certainly gotten enough sleep.

Upon hearing Long Qiqi's question, she pondered for a moment and replied:

"Every person's constitution is unique, and it's not appropriate to generalize. Each person has their own special qualities. Some people may not be very perceptive, so it takes them longer to sense qi. However, their cultivation may progress quickly afterwards. On the other hand, some people may sense qi quickly, but their subsequent cultivation progress may be slow. Just like my master said, those cultivators who have an unstable foundation in the foundational stage are likely to be stuck at the Golden Core stage for their entire lives. And..."

Long Qiqi knew that Li Shiyin was trying to console her, but she didn't find any comfort in her words. She had thought that after becoming human, cultivation would become easier. Even if she couldn't make rapid progress, she should at least be able to make some daily advancements, right? But here she was, stuck in one place, making no progress at all.

"Just tell me how long it took you," she impatiently interrupted Li Shiyin.

Li Shiyin lifted the book from her face and extended her right index finger to Long Qiqi.

As Long Qiqi looked at that slender and symmetrical finger, hope surged within her. She cautiously asked, "One month?"

If even someone like Li Shiyin, who was praised as a genius by everyone, took one month, then it was acceptable for her, who couldn't sense qi after a month.

But that finger, as thin as a slice of onion, shook left and right.

Well, of course. After all, she was a genius. It would be understandable even if it took ten days. Long Qiqi nodded and asked again, "Ten days?"

The finger shook again.

A sense of defeat welled up within Long Qiqi. Indeed, everyone was different. Geniuses were truly geniuses, and she was truly unworthy of cultivation.

"One day?" she sighed.

The finger still shook.

Long Qiqi looked up at the sky and suddenly felt that this world was devoid of meaning.

"To be precise..." Li Shiyin put the book down, revealing her lovely face. She said to Long Qiqi, "It was an instant. On the day I arrived at the Peak of Pill Refinement, my master told me that the first step in cultivation is sensing qi. So, I went to my room and started meditating, closing my eyes and trying to sense qi. And then, I felt a gentle flow of qi... in my dantian, to be precise."

Long Qiqi felt like she didn't want to live anymore.

"Don't mind me anymore. I want to find a tofu and smash myself to death."

Seeing Long Qiqi's expression, Li Shiyin hesitated with her words. She wasn't good at comforting people, but after some thought, she came up with a positive example and said to Long Qiqi, "My master also had a slow time in sensing qi. My master said it took several months for him. But look at him now, he's really powerful!"

"Oh, thanks. I feel so comforted," Long Qiqi replied nonchalantly.

But she was indeed comforted. She thought, perhaps it's not that humans are different from each other, but rather that humans are different from demonic beasts. She looked at Chasing the Wind, who was sleeping on the cat climbing frame, and asked loudly, "Big Silly Tiger, how long did it take for you to sense qi?!"

"Finished!" Li Shiyin shook her head. Of all the people she could have asked, she had to go and ask Chasing the Wind. She covered her face with the book and waited for Long Qiqi to be struck down again.

"What?" Chasing the Wind looked over with sleepy eyes, not hearing clearly what Long Qiqi had asked.

"Sensing qi!" Long Qiqi emphasized.

Chasing the Wind lifted its big head, thought carefully for a moment, and then shook its head, sticking out its tongue and saying, "Don't know... "

"Are you really this clueless?!" Long Qiqi was speechless. Chasing the Wind didn't even know when it sensed qi?

"Ah..." Chasing the Wind yawned and innocently said, "I also don't know when I have qi... It just happens inexplicably."

"Fine!" Long Qiqi was choked up. From what she heard, Chasing the Wind didn't bother to cultivate at all. It ate and drank as it pleased, naturally acquiring qi, establishing a foundation, and embarking on the path of cultivation.

Long Qiqi was completely at a loss for words now. She swayed on the swing, not knowing what she was thinking.

Seeing that Long Qiqi had no more questions, Chasing the Wind lay back down and went to sleep.

As it grew older, this fellow gradually regained the demeanor of a big cat. If it wasn't dozing off, it was on its way to dozing off, always lazy and lacking vitality.

Who could tell that the big lump on the cat climbing frame used to be as lively as a puppy?

Long Qiqi rocked on the swing for a while, suddenly stopped, and got up to leave.

"Where are you going?" Li Shiyin was still "reading" her book and casually asked.

"I'm going to commit suicide!" Long Qiqi said.

"Oh..." Li Shiyin responded, not even glancing at Long Qiqi.

Because anyone could possibly commit suicide, except for Long Qiqi.

This melodramatic snake wanted to become a divine beast, constantly talking about destroying the entire Lingnan Region and creating a world only for demonic beasts.

Long Qiqi found Qin Ran by the side of Sword-Washing Lake. Qin Ran was holding a branch of the Devouring Demon Willow, studying it by the lake.

"This is the Devouring Demon Willow?" Long Qiqi walked over and asked.

"Mhm," Qin Ran nodded.

"You want to plant the Devouring Demon Willow?" Long Qiqi asked again.

"Yes."

"And you dare to plant this kind of demonic creature?"

Qin Ran glanced at Long Qiqi inexplicably and smiled, "You have the nerve to call someone else a demonic creature? You're a venomous snake yourself."

Long Qiqi looked at Sword-Washing Lake, which still had very shallow water, hesitated for a moment, and replied with a lack of confidence, "It's different..."

"What's different?" Qin Ran shook his head and said to Long Qiqi, "Whether it's the path of immortality or the path of demons, they are merely different manifestations of power. Immortal or demon, life or death, no matter how you try to differentiate living beings, they are all just different expressions of the heavenly dao."

"In the world of cultivation, the first thing one must understand is that Heaven and Earth are indifferent, treating all living beings as mere fodder. Whether it is a human or a snake seeking to ascend to immortality, the Heavenly Dao does not care. If the heavens had eyes, in their gaze, you and the soil beneath your feet are no different.

"I am cultivating the Devouring Demon Willow, not with any sinister intentions, but merely for the sake of research.

"And...," he looked at the willow branch in his hand, "this is a Level 9 Demon Beast!"

Long Qiqi noticed that Qin Ran's cultivation level was truly extraordinary. She stood by and watched as Qin Ran chose a suitable spot and inserted the willow branch into the soil. Then she asked, "Can you teach me how to cultivate?"

"Aren't you afraid that I'm some weirdo?" Qin Ran infused the willow branch with a hint of life force and asked Long Qiqi.

"I remain skeptical of your character," Long Qiqi replied, "but I believe in Shi Yin's sword."

Qin Ran chuckled in response.

He stood up and took out a book from his Qiankun Bag, tossing it to Long Qiqi, saying, "Then come with me on the path of an alchemist!"

Long Qiqi picked up the book and saw the words "Fundamental Fire-based Alchemy Techniques" on the cover, written in Qin Ran's handwriting. Clearly, these were foundational techniques that Qin Ran had prepared for her long ago.

As she looked at the book cover, her emotions grew complex.

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