Chapter 120: Your Uncle-Master Is Here

With a flick of Nie Xingyuan's hand, Ji Jiuxuan was whisked onto the flying ship.

His expression remained completely impassive as he looked at Meng Jiao and said, "Ah Jiu is resting; you continue."

Though Meng Jiao wore a bitter expression, she did not utter a single word of complaint.

"Focus on circulating your cultivation technique. If you ignore the key points, you might as well not be practicing at all," Nie Xingyuan said, his face turning stern as he looked at Meng Jiao. "Continue."

This was the first time Ji Jiuxuan had seen her Uncle-Master reprimand her Senior Sister. However, since he was guiding her, she knew better than to interfere. She cast a minor cleaning spell on herself, retrieved two quilts and a pillow from her storage space, spread one out on the floor, and promptly fell asleep.

Nie Xingyuan turned his head to look at her, his stern expression instantly softening. *This little girl is so adorable! Unlike my troublesome disciple, who truly wears me out.*

He cast a protective formation around Ji Jiuxuan, shielding her completely from the wind.

Standing outside, Meng Jiao pondered her master's words for a moment before saying earnestly, "Master, please wait a moment." She sat down, closed her eyes, and began to meditate.

Had Ji Jiuxuan been awake, she would have noticed a level of seriousness in her Senior Sister that she had never displayed before. Meng Jiao was always diligent when it came to cultivation; despite her typically lively nature, she never wavered when it was time to be serious.

Before long, Meng Jiao opened her eyes, their depths glowing brightly. She looked up at Nie Xingyuan. "Master, I understand now."

After a quick cleaning spell, Meng Jiao resumed her run, moving with increasing speed. The gravitational pressure from her rings swirled around her body, and a golden light began to emanate from her skin. Sweat poured down her, but instead of slowing down, her pace quickened. In the end, she was sprinting, moving at an incredible velocity.

By the next morning, Ji Jiuxuan, who had been sleeping soundly, was awakened by the harsh glare of the sun. Checking the time, she realized she had overslept again.

She looked at Nie Xingyuan across the deck and smiled. "Good morning, Uncle-Master!"

It was, in fact, quite late; any other cultivator would have already spent half the day practicing sword forms. Yet, Nie Xingyuan said nothing, only smiling warmly. "Good morning, Ah Jiu."

Noticing the absence of her Senior Sister on the ship, Ji Jiuxuan instinctively looked down and was shocked to see her still running—she was moving so fast it looked as if she might take flight.

"Has Senior Sister been running all night?" Ji Jiuxuan asked in disbelief.

Nie Xingyuan remained perfectly calm, as this was a common occurrence. "Yes. As soon as you step down, I will have your Senior Sister switch to a new training regimen."

*So,* Ji Jiuxuan thought, *I was the one slacking off because of the system and my own reclusive habits. I never realized how incredibly hardworking everyone around me actually is.*

Once a cultivator reached a certain level of cultivation, they could forgo sleep entirely; a few cycles of circulating spiritual energy were enough to dispel any fatigue. But this was too intense! If she were forced to cultivate without sleeping, she would never be able to handle it.

"Wait, wait a moment," Ji Jiuxuan stammered, feeling the pressure. She just hoped her Uncle-Master wouldn't push her this hard.

After casting a cleaning spell, she hesitated between taking a Bigu Pill or indulging in a meal. The scenery was so beautiful that it felt a shame not to enjoy a leisurely feast. But her Senior Sister was still down there training, and she knew the only reason her Senior Sister had been doing this physical conditioning was because she was supposed to be doing it too. It would be unkind to eat a feast while her sister suffered below.

In the end, she took a Bigu Pill and swallowed it. A warm current of spiritual energy flooded her body, and the feeling of satiety was instant, leaving her with no desire for food. *Fair enough,* she thought, *Bigu Pills aren't actually that bad.*

She looked up at Nie Xingyuan. "Uncle-Master, I'm ready."

Nie Xingyuan nodded, and with a flow of spiritual power, he transported Ji Jiuxuan down from the ship. Meng Jiao came to a halt, gasping for air. She smiled brilliantly at her junior sister. "Junior Sister, thank goodness! You’ve saved me; I was absolutely exhausted." With that, she sat down on the ground. "Wait for me a moment!" She closed her eyes, and spiritual energy began to surge wildly.

Ji Jiuxuan stood by, sensing the fluctuations of energy in the air, and felt her own internal energy begin to stir. Her spiritual power began to circulate at an accelerated rate, and her cultivation, which had been stuck at the eighth level of Qi Refining, showed signs of breaking through.

Sensing this, the system hurriedly warned, "Host, don't suppress it this time, or you'll explode!"

*There are many ways to die in the world of cultivation,* Ji Jiuxuan thought, *but dying from an explosion due to over-cultivation doesn't seem to be one of them.* She figured that since her Senior Sister and Uncle-Master were family, it wouldn't matter if she advanced.

She stole a glance at her Senior Sister, moved a short distance away, took out a protective formation disk from her space, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate her technique.

Nie Xingyuan had noticed her movements the moment she started. Sensing she was about to advance, he flew down from the ship to stand guard. The flow of spiritual energy was so intense that it rushed toward Ji Jiuxuan, drawing even Meng Jiao's attention.

Meng Jiao opened her eyes and looked toward the source of the disturbance. She was stunned to see her little sister surrounded by such dense spiritual energy—it was clearly at the Foundation Establishment level or higher!

"Junior Sister is breaking through!" Meng Jiao walked over to Nie Xingyuan's side.

This was the first time they had ever witnessed Ah Jiu breaking through, and it was utterly shocking. In the entire sect, even a genius like Ji Minghuai in his youth couldn't have achieved such a display of spiritual energy during the Qi Refining stage!

"Yes, she is," Nie Xingyuan said, feeling proud of her. He pulled several formation disks from his sleeve, and in a few quick motions, he set up a massive defensive formation. The barrier was reinforced and even gained an effect that masked their presence.

Ji Jiuxuan’s breakthrough from the eighth to the ninth level of Qi Refining was spectacular, though it did not take long. Soon, the spiritual light around her flickered and settled into silence.

She opened her eyes to see her Uncle-Master and Senior Sister looking at her with smiles. "Uncle-Master, Senior Sister," she called out happily.

Nie Xingyuan looked at her sternly. "Ah Jiu, you must never do this again without taking full precautions. What would you have done if you were in danger?"

Ji Jiuxuan felt a bit embarrassed. "But I knew you and Senior Sister were here!" Still, she acknowledged his point. "I will be more careful next time."

Nie Xingyuan nodded. It had been his oversight as well; he hadn't anticipated this situation. He decided he would have to forge more defensive formation disks for her when they returned.

"Little Jiu, remember: unless it is an unavoidable situation, do not reveal this to outsiders. You must always be on your guard." They were happy that she trusted them, but they had to remind her. They didn't want any harm to come to her. Given her talent, she was easily a target before she could grow strong, and with those lurking in the shadows, they couldn't help but worry.

"I will remember, Little Jiu. Don't worry, Uncle-Master, Senior Sister, I will certainly be careful."

Seeing that she understood, Nie Xingyuan said, "Pack up. We should leave here." People were approaching from the distance, and it was best to leave to avoid unnecessary trouble.