Cultivation: Starting from a Mortal Bone

In the end, Su Xiyue still didn’t go after Jian Bai.

It was only later that she learned—the Cyan Mountain Sect, Demon Sect, and the Elders who rushed over were all stopped by the Hundred Sword Sect.

If she hadn’t managed to break through to the Golden Core Realm by chance, this time, Liu Zixiao and Leng Ruyu and the other three... would’ve been doomed for sure!

Of course, it honestly wasn’t just luck.

Once her Root Bone evolved from Top Grade Spirit Bone to Dao Bone, breaking through to Golden Core was inevitable!

It’s just—choosing to break through in Lin Xian City cost her a dozen more Top Grade Spirit Stones, that’s all.

On the way, whenever they crossed paths with Cyan Mountain Sect disciples, they naturally followed Liu Zixiao and Su Xiyue back to Lin Xian City.

Just as they returned to the pavilion at the City Lord’s Mansion, Liu Zixiao couldn’t contain herself and asked, "Xiyue, you broke through here?"

"Yes!"

Su Xiyue nodded lightly.

The commotion caused by her breakthrough was so big, let alone hiding it from Liu Zixiao, probably...

She couldn’t hide it from any Immortal Sect.

Liu Zixiao just stared at her in a daze.

For a long time.

She still couldn’t quite believe it, it all felt unreal.

But Su Xiyue’s aura when she killed the Hundred Sword Sect Golden Core Elder was real—no one could fake that.

"Even though you have a Top Grade Spirit Bone, breaking through to Golden Core was bound to happen, but... but you’re only eighteen! Eighteen years old, a Golden Core?!"

Liu Zixiao couldn’t help herself from blurting out.

"Xiyue, how on earth did you do it?"

"I don’t really know."

Su Xiyue shook her head gently, and perhaps feeling like that wasn’t convincing enough, she added, "Just... I suddenly felt something, and then just broke through."

She wasn’t lying.

She really started the breakthrough when sensing her physique evolving—totally out of nowhere.

Still, Su Xiyue felt a tension in her heart.

There was a problem—one she could never avoid!

Root Bone!

Everyone knew her to have a Top Grade Spirit Bone, but it was obvious—the scope of the commotion she caused during her breakthrough couldn’t be explained by just a Top Grade Spirit Bone!

Now, all she could do was hide it for as long as possible.

"Suddenly felt something?"

"And then just broke through?"

Liu Zixiao felt like she was being brushed off.

That wasn’t even a real reason.

You have to know that Su Xiyue was still wounded at the time. Besides, how could she have Enlightenment in Lin Xian City?!

It’s been less than five days since then!

"Xiyue, you..."

"Aunt Liu, you’re not in the best shape. You should rest and recover first, so you don’t get any hidden injuries. I won’t bother you here."

Liu Zixiao wasn’t willing to let go, wanting to keep asking, but Su Xiyue found herself an excuse and slipped away.

Leaving her alone in the room.

Liu Zixiao opened her mouth helplessly, but in the end couldn’t get Su Xiyue to stay.

But she didn’t sit down to recover—she immediately went to find the Steward who had been stationed at Lin Xian City at the time.

The Steward naturally didn’t dare hide a thing and explained the situation in the city in detail.

"Xiyue really did break through in Lin Xian City..."

Liu Zixiao seemed a little out of it, murmuring at her lips, as if lost in some train of thought. But all of a sudden, her ears caught something crucial, "You mean, when Spiritual Qi was on the brink and utterly insufficient, Xiyue... her range of absorption suddenly expanded several times?!"

"Absolutely true."

The Steward himself was puzzled, he thought maybe the Saintess had some hidden card to gather Spiritual Qi, so he never considered other possibilities.

"The range... was that wide?!"

Hearing him describe the scope, Liu Zixiao’s brows knitted slightly, thoughts spinning like lightning in her mind.

Suddenly.

An unrealistic idea flashed past, her eyes grew wide, and she immediately sent the Steward away without another word.

Then, she brought out her Sound Transmission Stone.

Liu Zixiao’s chest heaved, her breathing quick—even she didn’t know if it was excitement or rage.

"Zixiao?"

On the other side, Sect Leader Su Xihe’s voice came through, then, as if relieved, she went on, "Glad you broke free from the formation."

She’d already heard the news—the Elders sent out were intercepted by Hundred Sword Sect, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

Now that Liu Zixiao got herself out, that was a huge relief!

This time, it wasn’t that those old geezers in the sect were slacking off, but that the Immortal Sect genuinely needed them to hold the fort. If the sect was left defenseless, Hundred Sword Sect might seize the opportunity to pull the rug out from under them.

"You’re not hurt, are you? What about Xiyue..."

"Su Xihe, you guys hid this from me so well!"

Su Xihe was about to ask for details, when Liu Zixiao suddenly called her out by name, her voice dripping with resentment!

If Qin Yu were here, he could probably collect some Flame Point from her rage.

"???"

Su Xihe was totally baffled.

"Sob sob!..."

Elder Liu was so aggrieved, she almost cried.

She always thought she was closest to Su Xihe and her sister, but such a huge event—they’d kept it from her.

Eighteen years of secrecy!

If Su Xiyue hadn’t happened to break through in Lin Xian City, she’d have been kept in the dark forever?!

"What’s this about hiding things from you?"

Su Xihe was totally confused. She only meant to check they were safe—how did it turn into her hiding things?

"Go on, keep pretending."

Liu Zixiao’s lips curled into a cold sneer, her tone tinged with mockery and disdain, as if she’d seen through it all.

"Pretending?!"

Su Xihe’s voice instantly shot up, barely hiding her fury. These five days, she hadn’t slept for worrying over Liu Zixiao—now she was being accused of pretending?!

She snapped, "Liu Zixiao, have you been hit on the head by Hundred Sword Sect?!"

"Heh!"

Liu Zixiao kept sneering, huffing and snorting, "Good job, Su Xihe, still not telling me the truth, right? Do I have to spell it out before you’ll admit it?!"

Now that she was being scolded for having a broken head, Liu Zixiao’s heart was totally shattered.

Sob sob.

"???"

The Sect Leader, far off in the Immortal Sect, started doubting herself because of Liu Zixiao’s insistent accusations.

At last, she was sure—there really was nothing she’d hidden from Liu Zixiao, but began to worry, "Zixiao, did you really get injured in the head..."

"You’re the one with a head injury!"

Liu Zixiao was completely furious, nearly shouting, "Su Xihe, quit pretending. Do you know Xiyue has broken through to Golden Core?!"

"???"

"!!!"

Su Xihe was stunned—first joy, then shock, but she quickly came to her senses.

It seemed her sister really was still messed up.

She wasn’t sure if it was serious, or if Liu Zixiao would ever recover.

Now she’d begun talking nonsense!

The Sect Leader was full of sighs and reminded her, "Zixiao, do you know what you’re saying? Xiyue’s still in Lin Xian City; how could she possibly break through to Golden Core?"

"She killed a Hundred Sword Sect Golden Core Elder right in front of me!"

"The Demon Sect people saw it!"

"Every cultivator in Lin Xian City saw it!"

Liu Zixiao shouted, sounding furious that her best friend still wanted to hide things from her!

"What?!"

Now, Su Xihe seemed to realize something.

No matter what, Liu Zixiao wouldn’t lie about this kind of thing!

That sort of lie would be exposed instantly, totally meaningless.

So... her little sister, Su Xiyue, really did break through to Golden Core?!

This...

How is it possible?

Xiyue was still healing in Lin Xian City; how did she suddenly break through to Golden Core?!

As a Sect Leader and older sister, she knew her sister’s situation like the back of her hand.

Ten years!

At least ten years—maybe even longer.

Breaking through to Golden Core at bone age thirty would already be astonishing.

Eighteen? Totally impossible.

Su Xiyue hadn’t even been at Foundation Establishment peak for long.

Besides, that’s in a Loose Cultivator City with thin Spiritual Qi!

"Are you sure it was Xiyue you saw?!"

Su Xihe’s voice turned shaky—a bit nervous, a bit incredulous, and even a bit excited.

"How could it not be?!"

Liu Zixiao snorted, clearly annoyed, "In a few days, the whole Yunlan Domain will know—and they’ll know Xiyue has... Dao Bone!"

Su Xiyue breaking through Golden Core was an undeniable fact!

Still... as for Dao Bone, even seeing the situation, most people would just guess.

Even Liu Zixiao now was mostly fishing for information.

"Dao Bone?!"

But Su Xihe’s voice suddenly shot up, pure shock in her words.

How did Dao Bone suddenly get dragged in?!

"Liu Zixiao, what nonsense are you talking? How could Xiyue be Dao Bone? Maybe she got lucky and broke through to Golden Core, but that doesn’t mean she’s Dao Bone!"

As her real sister, she couldn’t possibly have mistaken her own sister’s Root Bone, right?

When Su Xiyue was little and had her Root Bone tested, she’d been right there watching.

Liu Zixiao didn’t argue—she just repeated everything the Steward had said.

"With that scope, what else could it be but Dao Bone?"

Cyan Mountain Sect once had a Dao Bone cultivator; naturally, they had records. As an Elder, Liu Zixiao had access to them.

That’s also the basis of her suspicion about Su Xiyue being Dao Bone!

As she described it all, Su Xihe fell silent—and finally hung up her Sound Transmission Stone without another word.

"Su Xihe!"

Liu Zixiao decided—when she got back, she would definitely make this woman pay for it.

But from Su Xihe’s reaction, she started to feel unsure... Could it be Su Xihe herself didn’t know?!

For a moment.

Liu Zixiao couldn’t be certain either.

It took a while before she calmed herself down enough to sit and recover.

...

Not long after Su Xiyue got back to her own place, her Sound Transmission Stone started to pulse.

She hesitated, but eventually picked up.

"Xiyue, you broke through to Golden Core?"

Su Xihe’s voice came through, still tinged with excitement—and she didn’t go straight to the Dao Bone stuff.

"Mm."

Su Xiyue only answered with a single syllable, but that faint tone nearly made Su Xihe lose her composure.

Mm?

You break through to Golden Core, and all you give me is ’mm’?!