In the days that followed, Mo Tiange continued her cultivation while also trying to figure out the secret of the string of Liuli Beads on her wrist.
The beads didn't look particularly valuable, so she wore them on her hand without anyone asking about them. Those who knew understood they were her mother's keepsake, while those who didn't simply saw them as ordinary glass beads. In other words, to others, these beads were nothing more than common Liuli Beads.
Recalling her experience that night, Mo Tiange thought it might have been caused by her tears. She rubbed her eyes to produce more tears and dripped them onto the beads, but nothing happened. Yet aside from that, there had been nothing special about that night.
Staring at the still-clear Liuli Beads in her hand, she sat in a daze.
These beads felt cool to the touch, somewhat similar to the sensation of Spirit Qi Entering Body. Beyond that, they were extremely hard—no matter what she used to strike them, not even a single chip appeared.
Unable to figure it out, she sat cross-legged again, closed her eyes, and began cultivating.
Since Spiritual Qi had already appeared within her body, she slowly learned to control it as described in the technique.
Controlling Spiritual Qi for the first time was extremely difficult. The Spiritual Qi wandered through her meridians and Dantian, completely uncontrollable. She could only first guide it through a Circulation of Qi and, after gradually adapting, continue trying to control it.
Now, because she had Spiritual Qi within her, she could also sense the Spiritual Qi outside her body. However, the surrounding Spiritual Qi was extremely sparse, almost imperceptible. Therefore, her subsequent cultivation remained futile—the Spiritual Qi she absorbed amounted to less than a wisp.
Realizing this, Mo Tiange stopped cultivating.
Since cultivation was useless for now, she would first uncover the secret of these beads.
She firmly believed these were a Magical Treasure left by her father, definitely no ordinary object—she just didn't know how to use them.
Suddenly, inspiration struck. Since it was a Magical Treasure, why not test it with Spiritual Qi?
Having decided, she resumed cultivation, but this time she mobilized her Spiritual Qi and slowly channeled it outward. This required tremendous effort to control the Spiritual Qi within her body.
By the time she could barely control the Spiritual Qi, Mo Tiange was drenched in sweat. However, she didn't plan to rest first. Instead, she began gathering the Spiritual Qi, channeling it through her meridians, and releasing it outside her body.
The moment the Spiritual Qi touched the Liuli Beads, fear suddenly appeared on her face.
Because she discovered the Spiritual Qi had gone out of control.
The instant the Spiritual Qi contacted the string of beads, it flowed madly into them like a torrent. She completely lost control. Suddenly, her Dantian erupted in excruciating pain—the little Spiritual Qi she had painstakingly gathered had been completely sucked dry by the beads!
Horrified, she had no time to think further. The pain was too intense, and she lost consciousness.
This time, the unconsciousness was brief.
When Mo Tiange woke, she found it was still dark, with only faint moonlight shining through the window.
Sitting up, she immediately thought of her Spiritual Qi and hurriedly assumed the meditation posture. This time, however, she discovered that not only was the Spiritual Qi in her Dantian intact, but there was also a little more—though only a very small amount.
Her initial panic subsided, replaced by growing delight. Could it be that the beads required Spiritual Qi to activate? But why had Spiritual Qi emerged that night when she hadn't done anything?
The more she thought, the more confused she became, until she accidentally noticed the beads on her hand emitting a faint, glowing light under the moonlight. Her heart stirred, and she moved the beads back and forth in the moonlight. Sure enough, when moonlight shone on the beads, they brightened slightly; without moonlight, they grew dim.
Could it be that night, it was actually because of the moonlight that Spiritual Qi had emerged?
With a target, verification became easier.
Mo Tiange spent several days testing and discovered that the beads would develop a hazy fluorescent glow under moonlight—upon closer inspection, it seemed like a layer of white mist. After some time, the beads would gradually dim. If she held the string of beads at this point, Spiritual Qi would generate within them and flow into her body. It seemed the beads absorbed moonlight, converted it into Spiritual Qi, and then transmitted it to her.
She also tried not absorbing moonlight, carefully channeling out a very thin wisp of Spiritual Qi. Sure enough, before long, that Spiritual Qi slowly returned to her body—and with a little extra.
Verifying this idea filled her with joy.
These beads seemed to collect Spiritual Qi. This way, she could use the beads for cultivation without worrying about lacking Spiritual Qi!
Understanding the use of the Liuli Beads, Mo Tiange's cultivation progressed faster and faster. With an excellent technique, a source of Spiritual Qi, and diligent daily cultivation, the Spiritual Qi within her body grew increasingly abundant.
Only three people noticed her changes. One was Aunt Lin—every day she helped Aunt Lin with chores, becoming more at ease and efficient. Another was Tian Qiao—originally, she was a head shorter and much frailer than Tian Qiao, but gradually she grew to Tian Qiao's height. The last was Old Master—sometimes when she couldn't understand a line or two of the technique, she would ask him. Old Master would explain each character to her but never asked where she had learned these things. Only sometimes, his gaze when looking at her held many complex emotions—seeming both gratification and melancholy.
Thus, she gradually stopped thinking about her mother and her current circumstances, simply repeating her daily routine of studying, working, and cultivating.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three years, Mo Tiange grew considerably. She was now even slightly taller than Tian Qiao, her figure no longer frail, her complexion fair, and her features increasingly distinct.
She had originally been a delicate child, but years of poor nutrition had left her sallow and emaciated, appearing dusty and unkempt. Now, with fair skin and smooth complexion—especially the spirited aura surrounding her—she gave an impression of uncommon grace at first glance.
During these three years, she read all the books in the study room and no longer needed to attend school. Tian Qiao, at her aunt's request, also stopped going to school, instead learning women's work and cooking daily. Although her aunt didn't teach her directly, her cultivation made her extremely perceptive. Watching from the side, she learned faster than Tian Qiao. Gradually, her aunt told her she no longer needed to help Aunt Lin with chores but should accompany Tian Qiao in learning women's work, often guiding Tian Qiao.
Yet these were merely embellishments in her life. Her nightly cultivation remained her most important task.
Over these three years, she understood the string of beads better and better, and cultivation became easier. After cultivating for a year, the Spiritual Qi gathered in her Dantian grew increasingly abundant until a sudden mutation occurred. All her meridians seemed to be cleared at once as the Spiritual Qi circulated through her body and settled firmly in her Dantian, no longer drifting aimlessly.
Comparing with the technique, she knew she had finally stepped onto the threshold of Immortal cultivation, reaching Qi Refining Stage Level 1.
In the subsequent two years, she continued cultivating without pause. Just recently, she felt she had reached another boundary, on the verge of a breakthrough.