"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you, child," the ghost woman said softly. Her voice had a melodic, echoing quality that makes anyone who hear it calm down
Míngzhū, however, wasn't taking any chances. She had already scrambled meters away, her back pressed against the cold stone wall.
"I rarely get visitors," the spirit continued with a faint, wistful smile. "Actually, I don't get any visitors at all.
Weren't you looking for the Root Elixir recipe? It is behind my tomb. If you look closely, you will see a small, jade-carved box. You will find exactly what you are looking for inside."
Her tomb? Míngzhū's heart slowed its frantic pace as she took a proper look at her.
The woman was far too dazzling and beautiful to be a common ghost.
She was nothing like the terrifying, vengeful spirits depicted in the horror movies Míngzhū had seen in her former life.
This woman possessed deep, intelligent purple eyes and long, flowing black hair that seemed to drift in an invisible breeze and she radiated an aura of ancient power and grace.
So, she is the great immortal… the one who created all of this, Míngzhū realized.
Shifting from terror to deep respect, she immediately knelt and bowed her head to the floor.
"Oh, please, do not be so formal in front of me," the ghost laughed, a sound like silver bells. "I am but a lingering soul trap here, I cannot do anything to you anyway."
"I... I am so sorry for breaking into your tomb, Great Master!" Míngzhū stammered, still keeping her head low. "It is just that I truly, desperately need that Root Elixir recipe."
"Hmm," the Immortal hummed, floating closer. She peered at Míngzhū with an analytical gaze. "I can see that you possess no spiritual roots at all. I take it you intend to use the elixir for yourself?"
"Yes... I greatly want to be a cultivator," Míngzhū admitted, her voice filled with a rare earnestness.
"Don't they all?" the spirit replied with a knowing look.
Míngzhū didn't reply, she simply remained in her bow. The spirit sighed gently. "You seem like a nice child for a person who breaks into tombs.
I was actually woken up by your polite greetings earlier and allowed myself to show myselyto you. I don't mind giving you the recipe. A girl with a face like yours is bound to attract danger in this world. I assume you want to be able to protect yourself?"
Míngzhū nodded vigorously.
"Indeed, this world is quite cruel to pretty women like us. Hohoho!" the ghost chuckled, seemingly amused by her own beauty. "Now, why are you waiting? Grab it already!"
Following the spirit's instructions, Míngzhū approached the back of the tomb and retrieved the small box. Inside, the ancient parchment was perfectly preserved.
"You can start refining it right here," the spirit suggested. "Every ingredient required for the elixir can be found growing in this place."
"There is a high-quality furnace over there in the corner, and more importantly, this place is filled with pure Qi energy. It is the perfect environment to succeed."
Míngzhū didn't need to be told twice. She immediately began to gather the glowing plants and set up the furnace.
She worked with absolute, unwavering focus.
While the Root Elixir recipe itself was relatively straightforward for someone with her alchemical knowledge, the true challenge was the ingredients, plants that were considered extinct in the outside world.
After just an hour of intense work, the furnace hissed, and a single, glowing pill emerged.
"I did it!" she beamed with absolute joy. The goal she had prepared for over the last twelve years was finally within her reach. Without hesitation, she swallowed the pill and waited for the results.
"Hmmm, nothing is happ—"
Suddenly, her words were cut off.
Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a sharp, stabbing pain erupted in her chest. She doubled over, coughing violently until she threw up a mouthful of dark blood onto the cavern floor.
"Ah, I forgot to mention," the ghost said casually, watching with an apologetic expression.
"Creating spiritual roots in a fully matured body isn't going to be an easy process. You will feel as though your internal organs are being rearranged, and your veins will likely go ballistic for a while."
Míngzhū clutched her stomach, her face pale and dripping with sweat. "Thanks for the... heads up," she wheezed out through gritted teeth. "I'm experiencing the exact... thing you're describing... right now!"
Despite the agonizing pain, she couldn't help but respond with her usual touch of sarcasm.
After what felt like an eternity of agonizing, soul-tearing pain, the storm inside Míngzhū's body finally began to subside.
The violent thrashing of her veins calmed, replaced by a sensation that felt like warm liquid silk flowing through her newly formed meridians. She instinctively crossed her legs and began to meditate, guiding the raw energy until it settled deep within her dantian.
Míngzhū could finally feel the world around her, the hum of the earth and the pulse of the glowing plants. She had finally crossed the threshold. She had reached the fearly stage of cultivation of the Qi Gathering Realm.
"Congratulations on finally becoming a cultivator!" the ghost woman exclaimed, her translucent form shimmering with genuine delight.
"It is all thanks to your incredible guidance, Great Master," Míngzhū replied, her voice still a bit shaky but filled with sincere gratitude.
She felt lighter, stronger, and more alive than she ever had in either of her two lives.
However, the Immortal's smile carried a hint of warning.
"But do not think for a moment that your current level is enough to get you out of this pit."
"You are currently at the very bottom of the mountain, child. You will need to reach at least the Xiantian Stage to be able to utilize any flying artifacts to escape this abyss."
Míngzhū's excitement vanished instantly. She looked up at the impossibly high opening of the pit, which was now nothing more than a hallow of darkness.
"I have many flying artifacts here that you may choose from once you are ready," the spirit continued, gesturing vaguely toward the mountain of treasures. "But you must put in the work. You cannot fly without the foundation to support it."
Míngzhū did the mental math, and her head began to throb with a dull ache.
In this world, the Xiantian Stage was no small feat. For an average person with decent talent, moving from the initial stages to the Xiantian realm often required ten or more years of bitter, secluded cultivation.
Furthermore, as one progressed higher, the bottlenecks became harder to break, and the time required grew exponentially longer.
That's why it takes hundreds of years for other to even get close to Soul wandering stage and thousands for the next stage and above.
Ten years just to move from stage one to two? Míngzhū thought frantically. If I stay down here for ten years, the plot will be long over!
It was not bad but too much wasted time she could have spent on other things outside.
She stared at the wall of the underground cave, trying to figure out if she could simply climb out, but the stone was slick with moisture and glowing moss. There was no way out for a mere mortal or a low-level cultivator.
"Oh, don't worry yourself so much, little girl. I will help you," the ghost woman said, her purple eyes twinkling with a mischievous light.
Míngzhū turned toward the spirit, her expression shifting instantly. She scrambled to the woman's side, putting on her best "innocent child" face and looking up at the Immortal with wide, pleading eyes, silently begging for pity.
"Really? You will truly help me speed up my cultivation?" she asked in her most charming, cute voice.
"Yes, I will," the Immortal replied, reaching out as if to pat Míngzhū's head, though her hand simply passed through her hair like a cold mist.
"But... there is always a return in every favor, right? In this world, nothing of such value is ever truly free."
Míngzhū took a heavy gulp, her throat tightening. She felt a wave of nervousness wash over her as she looked at the dazzling, beautiful ghost.
Despite the woman's graceful appearance, she was still an ancient being who had been trapped in a tomb for thousands of years. There was no telling what kind of difficult, dangerous, or perhaps even bizarre demand a spirit like that would make in exchange for such a massive shortcut in power.
"What... what exactly is the price, Great Master?" Míngzhū asked, her voice barely a whisper.
