Artifact

For the rest of the day, the three of them cultivated, absorbing spiritual energy around them.

Song Huo was the first to open his eyes and was pleased to see that Lu Ping has achieved the second level of Rank 1 in Body Tempering. She had gone from a person with no experience in cultivation to achieving this rank within a day.

What was even more impressive is his niece, Song Jia. Earlier that morning, she was already at the seventh level of Rank 1 in Body Tempering. At the moment she was already rising to the peaks of eighth level. A little more and she will advance to ninth level.

He didn't disturb the two and waited a little more. When the sun had already set, Lu Ping finally opened her eyes.

"Second Master!" She noticed him watching over them. When she turned to her side, her mistress still had her eyes closed. "Ah! I'll go make dinner now."

"You both can go back to the underground chambers on your own. I will leave some books and scrolls for you both to study. Practice cultivation once you wake up then run 10 laps to increase your stamina. Increase the number by 10 each day. At the end of the week, I will come meet you both back in the arena." After Song Huo left his instructions and gave Lu Ping the books and scrolls for both her and her mistress, he turned to leave the back of the mountain and went back to the residence.

Lu Ping went inside the hut and made dinner for her and her mistress. She thought there wouldn't be any ingredients so she brought a lot from the kitchen. But she didn't know they would take a long time at the back of the mountain so she didn't think to bring the ingredients and their clothes with them.

'Looks like the Second Master or Old Patriarch prepared this hut for this situation.'

She saw some rice, vegetables, herbs and spices in the small kitchen and used them to cook a simple meal.

Outside of the hut, Song Jia continued to cultivate. The spiritual energy she has absorbed went inside her, flowing along her channels, strengthening her. When it reached her lower dantian, it separated into the different pools.

She could sense her advancement and focused on containing the energy within her. A moment later, she was bathed in light as she advanced into another rank. She was now in Rank 2 of Initial Foundation, first level.

Cultivators in this realm have accumulated enough qi to start using it in techniques. Though qi can be used to affect the body and the environment, it can't yet leave the body.

She opened her eyes. 'Phew! It's really great to have some privacy. No one will bother me while I cultivate here.'

Although, if she stayed in the Spirit Artifact, she could still cultivate there as well. The only thing is, she can't advance in rank while there.

At the thought of the Spirit Artifact, she remembered the treasures they took from the Treasure room.

"Little Crystal" She called out in her mind.

"Jia! Congratulations for advancing in rank! You're the best!"

"Thanks!.. Also, what do you want to do with the spirit artifact and other stuff that we got from the treasure room?"

"Why--I have to merge with them of course!" Excitement was evident in her voice.

"Do you need my help or are you going to do it on your own?"

"Here..This one first." The jade earrings appeared on her palm. "Make a contract with it with a drop of your blood then focus your qi in it."

She took a needle from her sleeve and pierced the skin of her forefinger. She dropped blood on both earrings and focused her spiritual energy in it.

The contract was done quickly.

"Jia, I have merged with it!" Little Crystal sounded like a teenager.

"Good!.." Suddenly, Song Jia remembered one tiny detail. "Isn't it that if it lacked an artifact spirit, it could only be called a transcendent saint artifact?"

"You're right! But the Spirit artifact before has already lost its artifact spirit. Check this place out later. There are some big changes here!"

"I see. I will see you later then.. By the way, why do you sound like a teenager?"

"It's because of the merge! Hehe"

"Eh? Your appearance changed as well? Now, I'm really curious.."

She got up and headed to the hut where she found Lu Ping bringing the food to the table. "Let's eat first, Miss Jia.."

"Okay! Thanks for the food!" Song Jia ate the food while thinking that she should find time to teach Lu Ping how to cook better. It didn't taste bad but it could still improve.

"You're welcome , Miss Jia!" Lu Ping smiled widely. She was so happy to be able to do things with Miss Jia. She felt an increase in power within her. In the future, she would be able to protect her mistress better. "Miss Jia, Second Master has left some books and scrolls for us to study. He also said that he'll meet us at the arena at the end of the week. We can go back to the underground chambers after this. Also, he said that we have to run 10 laps and increase it by 10 each day."

"Okay! We'll go back as soon as we're done here. By the way, how do you feel right now?"

"I'm alright, Miss! I just have low stamina and I need to be more flexible and have more strength. But I could also feel an increase of power in me!"

Song Jia focused her senses and could see that Lu Ping has already reached Rank 1 of Body Tempering and is already at the peak of the second level. By tomorrow, she would be at least in third level.

"Show me your wrist for a moment.."

Right away, Lu Ping placed her arm against the table and turned it over, her palm facing the ceiling. Song Jia placed her two fingers against her skin.

She focused her divine sense inside of Lu Ping. She noticed that the energy was not flowing as fast. There was a slight blockage in her meridians. It could be solved by acupuncture.

Song Jia lifted the pads of her fingers from Lu Ping's wrist. "Finish up quick. We'll head down before it gets too dark." She then started reading the books and scrolls quickly so Lu Ping could read it later on.

"Alright Miss!" Although Lu Ping was curious about what Song Jia just did, she didn't voice out her question.

She has been noticing a number of changes from her mistress since she was heavily injured.

Although she still has that cheerful side of hers, there was an obvious maturity in her. She wasn't naive anymore. In fact, she really acted older than her. Before, they were of the same mental level, still young girls. But for some reason unknown to her, her mistress has started to fulfill her role as the granddaughter of the Imperial's General. She could still remember how her mistress would prefer to read novels compared to the books and scrolls about martial arts and cultivation.

Old Patriarch Song Qing, Patriarch Song Xia and Second Master Song Huo used to tell her how she should read those books and practice always so she would become a hero like the characters in her novels.

Only then would her mistress read the cultivation and martial arts books and scrolls. Only then would she practice and spar with Master Teacher Zi Tai.

But now, she didn't even hear the Second Master try to convince her mistress to do all of these. She did it all on her own. She was even the last one to take a break from cultivating earlier.

'Is it because the people who harmed her before are still around?'

A bitter smile appeared on Lu Ping's face as she thought of how pitiful her mistress is.