After chatting with her mother about her novel—careful not to reveal any major plot points—Yan Qi didn’t let the pleasant conversation distract her from what she needed to do next. Once she finished helping with the housework, she hurried back to her room.
This time, however, her goal wasn’t to cultivate the Spiritual Vortex Technique. Instead, she focused on mastering other spells to bolster her offensive and defensive capabilities.
“I’ll start with the Golden Light Mantra this morning. After all, learning to take a hit is more important than learning to throw one.”
Glancing at the notes she had prepared for the Golden Light Mantra, Yan Qi quietly steeled herself. She flipped through the pages, absorbing the principles behind the technique, and once she grasped the basics, she immediately began practicing.
In less than three hours, she successfully enveloped herself in a thin golden film of condensed magical energy, turning her entire body into a shimmering, gilded figure.
“So this is the Golden Light Mantra? It might not withstand a strike from the Daoist Empress, but blocking ordinary blades and bullets is already impressive. The only problem is my limited mana reserves—I won’t last long in an extended fight.”
Staring at her golden reflection in the mirror, she assessed the spell’s effects before dispelling it and reverting to her usual white-haired, red-eyed loli form. The effort had noticeably drained her mana reserves, reminding her that she needed to cultivate more energy to grow stronger.
Without wasting another moment, she resumed her training.
…..
By evening, just as she returned to her room and was about to start another session, her phone rang.
Checking the caller ID, she saw it was her older sister, Yan Yu. Remembering the incident at Mount Qingxu two days ago—and the fact that she hadn’t contacted her sister since then in her Ji Zige persona—she quickly answered.
“Sis, what made you call me today?”
Hearing her little sister’s voice, Yan Yu—who had spent the last two days being questioned by the Special Affairs Bureau after her encounter with the mysterious blue-haired twin-tailed girl, Ji Zige—finally relaxed her tense expression.
For a brief moment, she wanted to pour out everything that had happened. But she stopped herself. She didn’t want her family, so far away, to worry about her.
“Nothing much, Xiao Qi. I just missed you, so I called.”
“Really? Just because you missed me, and not because you have something to tell me?”
Yan Yu paused, wondering if her sister somehow knew about her recent ordeal. But then she dismissed the thought—there was no way Yan Qi, hundreds of miles away in Windbreak City, could know what had happened in Ninghang.
“I really just missed you.”
Hearing the lie but choosing not to expose it, Yan Qi replied playfully,
“I knew it! After Mom and Dad, you’re the one who loves me most in the world. Otherwise, you wouldn’t call me the second you thought of me, right?”
“Yes, yes. After Mom and Dad, you’re my favorite person in the world, you little cutie.”
“Sis, stop calling me a ‘little cutie’! I’ve grown up—I’m a mature adult now!”
Yan Qi’s voice was full of mock indignation.
Amused, Yan Yu teased, “In my eyes, Xiao Qi, you’ll always be my little cutie.”
“Sis, if you keep this up, I’m hanging up.”
“Oh? Is that a threat?”
“Not a threat—just a warning.”
Knowing when to stop, Yan Yu chuckled and relented.
“Alright, alright. Fine. In my eyes, Xiao Qi is now a very mature adult. Happy?”
“Hmph. Barely acceptable.”
“That’s all I get after humoring you?”
“What else did you expect, dear sister?”
“Fair enough. If ‘barely acceptable’ makes you happy, then so be it.”
Hearing the laughter in her sister’s voice, Yan Qi could tell her mood had improved. Still, she sensed Yan Yu might need a bit more comfort.
“Alright, sis, is there anything else you want to talk about or share? If so, we should switch to a video call—phone bills aren’t cheap.”
“True, video calls are cheaper. But since you’ve been offline lately, I couldn’t reach you that way. That’s why I had to call directly.”
Realizing she’d disconnected her phone from the internet to avoid distractions while cultivating, Yan Qi felt a pang of guilt.
“Oh… sorry about that, sis. I’ve been really busy with something and didn’t want interruptions, so I turned off my internet. That’s why you couldn’t video call me.”
“Busy with something? What’s keeping you so occupied, Xiao Qi?”