Volume One, Chapter Eight: The Eighth Chapter—Taobao

Fortunately, Gu Mingxi realized these truths just in time, allowing her to be fully integrated into this world with the permission of the Heavenly Dao. Otherwise, if she were to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage and be discovered by the Heavenly Dao as an outsider, she would inevitably be expelled, which would likely cost her her life.

"Big sister! Big sister! Quickly enter your space, you are about to advance!"

While Gu Mingxi was still immersed in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Little Flower’s voice. In the midst of the chaos, it seemed she heard Little Flower saying she was about to advance.

Oh, she was about to advance.

Wait! Advance!

Gu Mingxi instantly snapped to her senses, discovering that the spiritual energy within her body was so full it was on the verge of overflowing, causing her meridians to ache from the pressure. She hurriedly followed Little Flower’s advice and entered the space to digest the energy.

Once inside, Gu Mingxi found a spot, sat down cross-legged, and began to circulate her cultivation technique, clearing the spiritual energy congested in her meridians. Half an hour later, she successfully broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Gu Mingxi opened her eyes in confusion. She had ascended two levels in a row, yet her foundation remained solid rather than shaky. Could it be... She looked at Little Flower, who was acting as her guardian. Little Flower nodded in confirmation.

It really was... an epiphany! She had only just cleared up her thoughts, and it had triggered an epiphany!

Little Flower said, "Big sister, an epiphany for a cultivator is always random and follows no pattern. Don't overthink it; it’s a good thing regardless."

Gu Mingxi nodded thoughtfully, letting go of her urge to investigate the nature of the epiphany. It was a gift from the Heavenly Dao, perhaps the Heavenly Dao was in a good mood today?

Little Flower added, "Big sister, I’ve noticed that after your epiphany, your fortune has increased significantly—much more than it was before."

"Do epiphanies increase one's fortune?" Gu Mingxi asked, puzzled.

Little Flower shook its head. "That is not usually the case. I don't know the reason for it either."

Gu Mingxi recalled the novels she had read in the past; none of them contained such a scenario. Novels? The past? Gu Mingxi suddenly smiled. That’s right, what she had read before were novels—fictional stories. But the world she was in now was real, a tangible world where she could strive to cultivate and ascend to the Immortal Realm. How could one take fictional things as absolute truth?

So, how could this world be a mere novel? Things in novels are a mix of truth and lies; there was truly no need to place such importance on it, or even feel fear toward it. Indeed, ever since Gu Mingxi realized she had transmigrated into the body of a "gift-giving boy" destined to die, she had been harboring fear. These fears were hidden so well that even she hadn't noticed them, but one could imagine what would have happened if they had erupted. It would likely have meant her cultivation stagnated and her path to success was severed.

Thank goodness! Thank goodness she had figured it all out! These hidden dangers were now removed!

Gu Mingxi looked up at the bright moon in the sky, felt the night breeze, and closed her eyes. She felt a lightness she had never experienced before.

Little Flower, sensing Gu Mingxi’s state, felt anxious but dared not disturb her. This time, the epiphany was different; it could not interrupt her, yet it feared that someone else might. It scurried about the treasure pavilion, found an eighth-grade defensive array disk, placed it beside Gu Mingxi, and activated it.

*Whew!* Little Flower let out a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't disturbed, all would be well. As for danger, how could an intruder enter the Gu family estate and commit harm without anyone noticing?

Gu Mingxi’s second epiphany did not last long. As the morning light touched her, she opened her eyes. She felt as though she had simply taken a nap and advanced once more, reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining. After checking her cultivation, she found no signs of an unstable foundation, so she let it be.

As for the fact that she had advanced three levels in one go through an epiphany, she decided to wait until her father returned to tell him. Her current cultivation was too low; if the news leaked, she would be pushed into the center of a storm. Fame was fine, but only after she reached the Golden Core stage or at least had taken on a master. Otherwise, as a tiny seedling, she would not be able to withstand such a violent gale.

In the following days, Gu Mingxi stayed in her room, practicing her talisman-making, experimenting with every type of first-grade talisman. Looking at the pile of finished talismans, she felt a slight headache—she couldn't possibly use them all. She gathered the ones of higher quality to give to Gu Mingyue; one had to pamper their best friend.

After receiving Gu Mingxi’s message, Gu Mingyue arrived quickly. "Mingxi, are you free today?" Gu Mingyue hadn't wanted to bother her while she was busy, so when she received the spiritual message, she came immediately.

Gu Mingxi handed a stack of talismans to her. "Mingyue, I've been practicing for the past few days, and I picked out some of the better ones for you to use."

Gu Mingyue accepted them without hesitation, then said confidently, "Mingxi, I’ve started exploring the Four Arts of Cultivation these past few days. I’m currently learning alchemy, and the elder says I have great talent—I produced six pills on my very first attempt." She then added with a touch of frustration, "It's just that the quality isn't stable yet. I've produced both mid-grade and high-grade, but no top-grade ones yet. Once I do, I’ll be sure to bring them to you!"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "Alright, then I shall look forward to Miss Mingyue’s top-grade pills."

Gu Mingyue raised an eyebrow. "Mmhmm!"

The two girls shared a laugh and then set off together to go shopping. Their first stop was the Treasure Pavilion, a large shop known for guaranteed quality and fair prices. It was the best place to buy or sell, which is why Gu Mingxi’s first thought was to sell her talismans there.

Upon entering, the shopkeeper hurried over to greet them. The Gu family was the greatest in Gu City, and the geniuses of the current generation were well-known to all. Gu City was named after the Gu family; essentially, the entire city belonged to them, and every head of the Gu family served as the Lord of Gu City. This was true for all four great families, and it was precisely because each family held its own city that they maintained their standing on the Qingyun Continent.

The shopkeeper smiled warmly. "Miss Mingxi, Miss Mingyue, how may I be of service?"

Gu Mingxi replied, "I have some surplus first-grade talismans. Does your esteemed shop accept them?"

The shopkeeper’s smile remained unchanged as he led them to a lounge on the second floor. Gu Mingxi handed over a storage bag, which the shopkeeper opened to reveal a pile of first-grade talismans of various types, all of high or top-grade quality.