THIP Chapter 31 V1

It was unclear whether the events in the secret realm had left a shadow on Mingli’s heart or if Mu Liuyin’s words had truly inspired her. But ever since Mingli returned from the Spiritual Herb Secret Realm, she had thrown herself into relentless training, day in and day out.

Mingli had always been a hardworking cultivator. After all, talent alone wouldn’t have gotten her to mid-Foundation Establishment by the age of eleven. But now, she was training almost without rest, barely stopping to eat or sleep.

Thanks to her innate Sword Heart and unwavering focus, she didn’t encounter any bottlenecks in her cultivation, at least not until the Nascent Soul stage. In just three months, she brute-forced her way to late Foundation Establishment.

Eventually, Mu Liuyin had to put her foot down, firmly forbidding Mingli from pushing herself so recklessly. Only then did Mingli reluctantly ease up on her training.

Ten years ago, Qin Yu had sealed a spatial rift above the Eastern Sea. Since then, two more rifts have appeared in other regions. Although both were eventually sealed, the Astrological Tower had failed to foresee them. Combined with certain sects pulling strings from behind the scenes, the Tower had grown increasingly low-profile in recent years.

Still, as long as the Celestial Tome existed, the foundation of the Astrological Tower would never truly be shaken.

Watching Mingli practice her swordsmanship, Mu Liuyin couldn’t help but feel uneasy. By her estimation, Mingli would easily surpass the original storyline’s pace and ascend within a hundred years. And yet, the existence of the Celestial Tome always left her feeling unsettled. She sighed faintly.
“Xiao Jiu, do you think I’m strong enough to destroy the Celestial Tome?”

“Σ(っ°Д°;)っ Host, nooo! Please don’t try to steal the Celestial Tome!” Xiao Jiu panicked.
“Only powerful demonic energy can destroy it! If you even get close, the Tome might predict your intent and act first!”

Mu Liuyin was speechless. “What’s the origin of this thing? Why is it so ridiculous?”

“QWQ Xiao Jiu doesn’t know either…”

“…Then what good are you?”

Xiao Jiu whimpered, “You were praising me in the last world! Now you say I’m useless?! QAQ… sob sob…”

It had been so long since Xiao Jiu last cried that Mu Liuyin almost forgot it was a crybaby. She sighed and quickly comforted the little spirit until it calmed down.

“Master,” Mingli called softly.

Mu Liuyin shook off her anxious thoughts and took the sword from Mingli to personally demonstrate the technique she had just been practicing.

Though it was only a mid-level technique from the Taiyan Sect, in Mu Liuyin’s hands, it became something far more profound and awe-inspiring.

Mingli’s wide eyes never left her master. She thought her master looked stunning at that moment.

One by one, the nine sword forms were laid out before her. Mingli focused deeply—she felt as though she understood, and yet, didn’t fully grasp it.

Mu Liuyin handed the sword back to her and told her to try again.

After finishing the routine, Mingli saw the slightly helpless expression on her master’s face. Her face flushed with embarrassment. She looked down, nervously gripping the sword hilt and softly apologized, “Master… there are still a few parts I don’t quite understand.”

Ahhh! Little Mingli’s shy, serious face is just too adorable! So sweet and squishy!

Mu Liuyin felt like her heart was melting. She didn’t know where she’d gone “wrong” in raising her. Mingli was supposed to be a cold and distant character, but somehow ended up being soft and sweet instead.

If Qin Yu ever found out about these thoughts, he would be completely dumbfounded. After all, Mingli only behaved like this around Mu Liuyin. To everyone else, she was cold and indifferent.

Mu Liuyin gently took her small hand. Mingli’s heart skipped a beat, then she heard her master’s warm, gentle voice:

“Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”

Mingli’s face turned even redder as Mu Liuyin guided her hand through the sword movements.

At first, Mingli was distracted by the closeness of her master’s presence. But by the time they reached the fourth form, her focus sharpened. When Mu Liuyin released her hand after completing all nine forms, Mingli closed her eyes and began to practice from the beginning, completely fluid and uninterrupted, like flowing water.

With every completed form, spiritual energy gathered around her. After finishing all nine, an invisible vortex of energy formed around her.

It was a sign she was about to break through.

Mu Liuyin’s expression turned serious. Mingli was only eleven years old and already at the late Foundation Establishment. Her cultivation speed was too fast. If she formed her core now, her foundation might be unstable. With a light flick of her finger, Mu Liuyin dispersed the vortex of spiritual energy building up around her.

Just as Mingli felt her body teetering on the edge of forming a core, the wild surge of spiritual energy suddenly slowed. Her master’s calming voice reached her ears:

“Mingli, stabilize your cultivation. Don’t form your core just yet.”

Hearing her master’s gentle and reassuring tone, Mingli nodded softly and began to consolidate her realm.

When she finally opened her eyes, the sky had already begun to darken. She looked over to see her master sitting by a small fire—when had she even built that?—grilling meat over it.

The scent of the freshly roasted meat wafted through the air. Mingli’s eyes sparkled as she sat beside her master, eagerly waiting to be fed.

Mu Liuyin smiled, ruffling her hair, and handed her a roasted spirit-deer leg. Mingli took a big bite—ahhh, her master’s cooking was as amazing as ever!

Even though cultivators could live without eating once they reached Foundation Establishment, Mingli had discovered when she was six that her master had a secret hobby: sneaking off now and then to cook delicious food. It didn’t match her cold, aloof image or her status as a peak tribulation-stage cultivator at all.

But it tasted so good!

Maintaining her cool and powerful image out in the world was exhausting enough. In private, Mu Liuyin indulged in her little quirks. And because she spent so much time with Mingli, her secret had eventually been exposed.

For a while, Mingli even pestered her to teach her how to cook. But when it came to culinary talent, Mingli was nothing like she was with cultivation—her skills in the kitchen were pretty much nonexistent.

In some distant memory, there had once been a girl whose cooking was just as terrible as Mingli’s.

Watching Mingli eat so happily, Mu Liuyin couldn’t help but chuckle. “Slow down.”

Mingli mumbled a few vague replies through a mouthful of food and obediently slowed her pace.

Mu Liuyin took a bite of the roasted meat herself, and the flavor instantly exploded in her mouth. She couldn’t help but wonder—could spirit beasts and spirit plants from the cultivation world be stored in Xiao Jiu’s system space? Food made from ingredients infused with spiritual energy was just too delicious—several times better than anything from the mortal world.