Setting aside how Duan Mingyu was faring or whether his cold constitution had been temporarily alleviated, Nie Shiyun was actually somewhat worried that Qi Miaohan might still tread her old path—harboring a bone-deep hatred for Duan Mingyu and seeking revenge at every opportunity. In this story, anyone who opposed Duan Mingyu never met a good end. Even as a transmigrator who possessed full knowledge of the plot, Nie Shiyun still had to move cautiously at every step, treading as if on thin ice just to maintain a semblance of temporary safety.
Since making a great fool of herself at Red Rock Cliff, Qi Miaohan had vanished without a trace. People said she was hiding out of shame, but Nie Shiyun couldn't help but feel concerned. He was momentarily unsure whether he should try to stay on good terms with her or keep her at arm's length.
In the original book, among the Four Great Sects, the Moon Reflection Sect eventually betrayed Duan Mingyu—an outcome that caught everyone off guard. Zhai Bairong followed suit, betraying his sect to flee with him. Meanwhile, the Sect Master of the Sound Harmony Pavilion lost her beloved disciple, Qi Miaohan, because of Duan Mingyu, and thus chose to assist the Moon Reflection Sect in hunting him down. Soaring Peak Mountain did not participate in the struggle, though because of their disciple Rong Lü’s presence, they more or less turned a blind eye when the various factions besieged Duan Mingyu’s group. Red Rock Cliff, naturally, became the side that assisted Duan Mingyu. Although they harbored the dark intention of letting Xu Yehua obtain the Heavenly Yin Physique, they ultimately didn't expect Xu Yehua’s feelings for Duan Mingyu to be genuine, leading to them being outmaneuvered.
In terms of the final outcome, there were no winners among the Four Great Sects, but the Moon Reflection Sect and the Sound Harmony Pavilion suffered the most devastating losses, with even the smaller sects closely related to them being caught in the crossfire.
As the son of the Vice Pavilion Master of the Yunqing Pavilion, Nie Shiyun’s attitude, to some extent, represented the attitude of the pavilion itself. He dared to gamble with his own future, but when it involved his sect, he found himself hesitating.
Before he could reach a conclusion, Qi Miaohan, who had been the subject of much gossip, finally returned.
"Sister!" Qi Xuan’er had been sending messages to Qi Miaohan for days without receiving a reply. Hearing that she hadn't returned to the Sound Harmony Pavilion either had left her even more worried. Seeing Qi Miaohan now, though she looked despondent, Qi Xuan’er finally felt a weight lift from her heart.
Nie Shiyun looked up from the iron tool he was halfway through refining. Qi Miaohan looked pitiful indeed; compared to her previous spirited and high-flown manner, she was like a wilted flower bud.
"Waaaaah—!"
Upon seeing Qi Xuan’er, Qi Miaohan couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Disregarding the fact that Nie Shiyun was right there and might laugh at her, she immediately threw her arms around Qi Xuan’er and sobbed out her grievances. Qi Xuan’er and Nie Shiyun couldn't get a word in edgewise; they could only stand by as Qi Miaohan wept and cursed Duan Mingyu and Xu Yehua as a "scummy pair of men" who had humiliated her in public. She ranted that Duan Mingyu wasn't even that good-looking and only knew how to hide behind men, claiming he wasn't nearly as beautiful or vibrant as she was.
Even in the depths of her heartbreak, she didn't forget to indulge in a bit of narcissism. Nie Shiyun couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
"What are you laughing at! Don't you think so too?" Qi Miaohan slapped the seat cushion in anger. "Do you also think that Duan Mingyu is better? Truly, not a single man is any good!"
"I shouldn't have come to find you two, only to let you see me as a joke... especially you!" Qi Miaohan pointed at Nie Shiyun’s nose and shouted. Once her anger and tears had been vented, she felt quite embarrassed and began to twist the corner of her clothes resentfully.
Nie Shiyun hurriedly defended himself.
Later, at Qi Miaohan’s request, the three of them brought out spiritual wine. Nie Shiyun and Qi Xuan’er stayed up all night, accompanying Qi Miaohan as she cursed Xu Yehua for being blind, offering her plenty of comfort. Although Qi Miaohan’s emotions still fluctuated wildly, she gradually became less heartbroken than she had been at the start. She was mostly just indignant and felt the need to act tough.
Nie Shiyun thought to himself that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, lingering one. In the original work, Qi Miaohan had been misled for much longer. By the time she realized her affections were misplaced, years had passed. During that time, she had given many precious gifts—even embroidered handkerchiefs, which were quite intimate tokens for women in this world. That was why she had eventually become obsessed, insisting on killing Duan Mingyu to vent her rage.
Now that she had been liberated early, given her volatile, wind-like personality, perhaps she would no longer fight to the death against that group of chosen protagonists.
"I received a message from Master, telling me to hurry back to the Sound Harmony Pavilion as soon as I get my Dharma treasure," Qi Miaohan said gloomily after several rounds of wine. Her tone was uncharacteristically filled with guilt; it was clear she understood she had brought great shame to her sect and displeased her Master.
"Sect Master Jiang dotes on you the most, Sister. If you act a bit more obedient, you'll probably be let out in a few years."
"You make it sound like I'm going to prison!" Qi Miaohan pouted and complained. "I suppose I won't be seeing you for a while."
Relationships between peers are easily forged. Although they had seen her at her most embarrassing, "sharing a hardship" brought them closer. After a night of long conversation, even though she didn't say it, the somewhat distant relationship between Qi Xuan’er and Nie Shiyun had improved significantly.
"None of the things said tonight are to be repeated. This is our shared secret," Qi Miaohan declared. The other two nodded in agreement.
Qi Miaohan had a straightforward personality. After just one night, she had actually included Nie Shiyun in her circle of friends.
Being able to talk and play with ordinary peers was quite nice, but... Nie Shiyun looked at the two of them. Although Qi Xuan’er was quick-witted, her personality was soft. Qi Miaohan was exceptionally talented but far too reckless in her dealings. Neither of them were people he could fully confide in. He sighed inwardly. The path of cultivation was one of seizing heavenly opportunities and guarding against the hearts of men; he might never be able to tell his secrets to anyone for his entire life.
The name of Duan Mingyu, which he hadn't heard for a long time, served as another alarm bell for Nie Shiyun, startling him out of his gradually lazy and comfortable life. He couldn't afford to be too idle.
In the following days, Nie Shiyun went to observe Nie Li. Nie Li was putting his heart and soul into refining the Lotus Leaf Whip for Qi Miaohan. Like a lotus leaf swaying in the wind, the feminine spiritual plant was fused with refined glazed glass, making it light and agile—perfect for a girl to use. The body of the whip was flexible and translucent, glowing with a faint light. Not only was it beautiful, but it could also distract an enemy's vision during combat. Qi Miaohan came to check on it once and was extremely satisfied, wishing she could take it away on the spot.
"As expected of Father, the quality of this Lotus Leaf Whip is excellent."
"It lacks a bit of power, but for a young lady like Qi Miaohan, who possesses a Wind Spiritual Root and wins through speed, this is sufficient."
*It's enough for most people, but it wouldn't last a few moves against the 'cheating' protagonist group,* Nie Shiyun thought to himself.
"If it could be paired with a matching defensive tool, it would certainly be even better."
"Defensive tools made from lotus leaves are quite rare." Most spiritual plants were soft; while they were often used as supplementary materials, the core of a defensive tool was more commonly made of metal.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be a lotus leaf. I also had a sudden realization while watching just now. I thought, if we took a lotus seedpod from the same root and fashioned it into a lotus pedestal, it could defend against enemies from above and increase speed from below. Wouldn't that be perfectly suited to maximize the advantages of her Wind Spiritual Root?"
Nie Shiyun had only just thought of this; the past few days of observation had benefited him greatly. Hearing his suggestion, Nie Li became thoughtful, and then his face lit up with joy. He slapped his thigh, thinking it was a truly brilliant idea. He greatly admired his son for not being constrained by the conventional rules of low-level artifact refiners, despite only being at the Foundation Establishment stage. He felt that once Nie Shiyun’s cultivation caught up to his own, he might become an even more outstanding master refiner than his elder brother, Nie Mingde.
Though he was working on commission, he was also a craftsman. He immediately went to ask Qi Miaohan if she was interested in obtaining another defensive tool. There was no reason for Qi Miaohan to refuse; she generously added twice the amount of spirit stones. After all, a set of weapons and armor was far more effective than two separate pieces. She herself found the theme of lotus seedpods and leaves to be very elegant and refined. After hearing the idea, she was overjoyed, momentarily tossing the sorrow of her lost love to the back of her mind.
Upon learning that the idea had come from Nie Shiyun, Qi Miaohan was greatly surprised. Despite having a lower cultivation than her, he possessed such whimsical and brilliant ideas. The eldest miss of the Sound Harmony Pavilion, who knew nothing of anything besides cultivation, suddenly saw Nie Shiyun in a new light.
Nie Shiyun worked with Nie Li in the refining room, with Qi Xuan’er assisting. It took an entire month to complete the set of the Lotus Leaf Whip and the Eight-Grade Lotus Pedestal and hand them over to Qi Miaohan.
Nie Shiyun fully utilized his modern understanding of female consumer psychology. Applying the principle he had used before to fuse spiritual grass essence with lapis lazuli, he incorporated liquids of different colors and effects into the circle of glazed petals on the lotus pedestal. It was multicolored and very beautiful; in an emergency, shattering a lotus petal would trigger its effect.
Qi Miaohan assumed Nie Shiyun had provided these extra services, which weren't originally included, just to cheer her up after her heartbreak. Her evaluation of Nie Shiyun as an artifact refiner instantly skyrocketed. She patted his shoulder with great joy, declaring that she had definitely made a friend in him and telling him to come to her with any difficulties in the future.
Nie Shiyun didn't argue, bluntly stating that he certainly would and asking her to cough up a few more spirit stones right then and there. Qi Miaohan was a strange person; she disliked hypocrisy most of all. Hearing him ask for money so directly actually made her laugh happily. She truly did add quite a few more spirit stones before heading back to her sect to face her scolding, her mood having turned from cloudy to bright.
One more friend meant one more path. Nie Shiyun thought this way partly for that reason, and partly as a long-term plan. If Qi Miaohan ever truly faced off against Duan Mingyu in the future, it was better for her combat strength to be as high as possible. Even if she couldn't kill Duan Mingyu outright, she could at least harass him and escape with her life.
Once Qi Miaohan returned to the Sound Harmony Pavilion, the suddenly noisy Yunqing Pavilion became quiet. The spirit stones she gave, totaling eighty thousand for the Eight-Grade Lotus Pedestal and the commission, all went into Nie Shiyun’s pocket. He took the money to repay Nie Xingan, but his cousin refused to accept it no matter what. Having no other choice, Nie Shiyun could only make a mental note of it, deciding to repay his cousin with a future opportunity or favor.
Consequently, those eighty thousand spirit stones were swallowed clean by the space. Having steadily risen to the peak of Foundation Establishment during this time, Nie Shiyun faintly felt that he had touched the wall of the Golden Core stage. Refining the Eight-Grade Lotus Pedestal alongside Nie Li had given him insights in various areas. Thinking this was an opportune time to advance, he notified the pavilion that he was going into secluded meditation to break through. Then, he dove into the cultivation room and stopped seeing anyone.
From the advancement to Golden Core, through Nascent Soul, and up to Spirit Severing, every breakthrough for a cultivator would be met with a Lightning Tribulation. These ranged from light to heavy and varied based on the cultivator's own factors. Nie Shiyun knew in his heart that since he did not belong to this world and the original host should have died long ago, his Lightning Tribulation would surely be more violent than that of an ordinary cultivator. However, as long as he endured it, the effect of tempering his physical body would also be much stronger. It was a double-edged sword.
Nie Li, Nie Xingan, and even the Pavilion Master Nie Mingde personally came to protect Nie Shiyun. Advancing from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core was no easy feat; they were prepared to wait for several years. Yet, they didn't expect that only five days after Nie Shiyun began his seclusion, strange phenomena appeared in the sky, and dense black clouds gathered.
"It's coming so fast." Nie Xingan was somewhat surprised. Going from the peak of Foundation Establishment to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and then starting the tribulation had taken him a full six months. It seemed his cousin was truly a genius in cultivation.
"Something is wrong," Nie Mingde said, squinting at the heavy, pitch-black clouds in the sky, which looked as if they were about to trigger a violent storm. "Xingan, withdraw first."
Nie Xingan was stunned. His father felt the momentum of the Lightning Tribulation was so great that even he, a Golden Core cultivator, might be affected.
He followed the order and retreated quickly. Looking back at the dark clouds from a distance, several bolts of heavenly lightning had already descended, and the entire mountain seemed to shake. He couldn't help but be astonished; this looked comparable to a Nascent Soul tribulation. Was his cousin truly the one enduring this?
The ferocity of the heavenly lightning far exceeded Nie Li’s expectations. He and his brother could not interfere; they could only replenish spirit stones around the great array meant to resist the tribulation to maintain its power. Although the array absorbed a portion of the force, the increasingly fierce lightning showed no sign of stopping, and most of it surged into the cultivation room. Nie Li couldn't see what was happening and was terrified. He thought that his son’s accidental acquisition of the Spirit-Cleansing Pill was a sign of being favored by the Heavenly Dao, but now it seemed that might have been a fluke, and the Heavenly Dao, having come to its senses, wanted to wipe him out once more.
While those outside had various thoughts, Nie Shiyun himself, inside the array, was quite at ease.
Having prepared long ago, he was struck by a bolt of lightning that left his body covered in wounds and his hair a frizzed mess. He immediately dove into the jade pendant. Inside the chaotic space, he took out the Spirit-Restoring Pills and high-grade wound medicines he had prepared, restoring his body to exactly how it was before being struck. Then, he went back out to meet the next bolt.
A Lightning Tribulation could have at most nine bolts, but Golden Core cultivators usually only received two or three before it ended. Nie Shiyun, however, took all nine bolts squarely. This made him realize once again that he might have truly offended the Heavenly Dao; he was practically a thorn in this world's side.
After the final bolt descended, Nie Shiyun did not enter the jade pendant to recover. Instead, he stayed where he was, feeling the spiritual energy gathering around him and recovering slightly.
Having successfully advanced to the Golden Core stage, Nie Shiyun felt his abilities had stepped up to a new level. He stood up and took out clothes from his storage bracelet to put on—his original clothes had long since been reduced to ash by the lightning.
Seeing him emerge safe and sound, Nie Li’s emotions were like a roller coaster. Although his son looked quite disheveled and mentioned that the Dharma treasures used to resist the lightning had all been blasted to dust—a heavy loss—surviving nine full bolts of lightning while advancing to Golden Core was a stroke of immense luck. Nie Li’s joy far outweighed any other feeling.
After breaking through to Golden Core, Nie Shiyun spent a month in the Yunqing Pavilion to recuperate and stabilize his cultivation at the early Golden Core stage. However, he quickly felt a bottleneck, realizing that staying at home and practicing in seclusion would not yield much progress in the short term.
Thus, he requested permission from Nie Li to go out and travel for experience, seeking new opportunities.
***
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