Stealing Luck from the Heavenly Dao's Favorite

Wei Lingkai escorted the eight disciples to the Lecture Hall, then headed alone to the Disciples' Hall to meet Elder Zheng.

News of his arrival spread through the outer sect like a sudden breeze. It was hard not to notice his inner sect robe, especially when he left on a flying sword. The gossipers quickly uncovered that this impressive figure was the uncle of the eight newly admitted Wei family disciples.

A disciple who shared the same courtyard as Chen Feng sneered, "Serves him right. Picked the wrong target."

"Chen Feng brought it on himself," another replied. "Just because new disciples lack backing doesn't mean they're free to be bullied. We were all new once. People like him disgust me."

"Right. Instead of eyeing others' storage bags, why not take on more missions? That way you earn spirit stones and contribution points with a clear conscience."

"Well said. Let's check the Mission Hall for any new tasks."

The three departed together, all of them already at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Now that their yearlong protection period had ended, they were starting to take on sect tasks to earn resources.

These conversations eventually reached Chen Feng's ears. He knew now he had misjudged his target. Since then, he had kept his distance from the Wei family disciples. He planned to wait until things quieted down, until no one remembered the incident, before picking his moment to act.

Chen Feng believed his plan was sound. It was unlikely that all six remaining Wei disciples would reach the third layer of Qi Refining within a year. Some would become menial disciples. The rest would be forced to split up for sect tasks. Once they were separated, he could target the weakest among them. He didn't believe the inner sect uncle could keep watch over them all day and night.

The plan was detailed and logical, but reality would prove merciless. His very first move would cost him everything—his ambition, his future, and ultimately, his life.

Thanks to Wei Lingkai's support, the Wei family disciples now cultivated in a relatively stable environment. Though they still traveled in groups, each began to follow their own cultivation routines.

Every morning, they would gather to eat together at the dining hall, then part ways for the day.

Wei Yunting and Wei Zonghan, both at the third layer of Qi Refining, headed together to the Cultivation Hall. Each chose a private meditation chamber, planning to leverage the denser spiritual energy there to break through to the fourth layer. Only after reaching that threshold could they begin practicing the spells contained within their jade slips.

Wei Yuying, Wei Zongjin, Wei Zongyu, and Wei Zonghao opted to attend lectures instead. They wanted to compare the sect's teachings with what they had learned at the Wei clan's own training hall, hoping to pick up anything the family might have missed.

Wei Yunxi, meanwhile, chose to visit the Archive Pavilion. She wanted to brush up on her understanding of the cultivation world. Although she had studied some basics in the Wei and Feng households, and supplemented it with knowledge from novels in her previous life, she understood that fiction and reality could differ drastically. Expanding her knowledge was a necessity.

More importantly, she had just broken through to the fourth layer and planned to consolidate her foundation. That was why she opted to go alone.

Wei Yunqing, for reasons unknown, chose to accompany her. Her explanation was polished and proper.

"Eldest Sister said we should move in pairs. I wouldn't feel at ease if you went alone. It's better if we go together."

Wei Yunxi smiled sweetly. "You're right. I just advanced to the first layer of Qi Refining and don't plan to push forward anytime soon. I want to take things slow, so I'm heading to the Archive Pavilion. Would you like to come along?"

Wei Yunqing thought for a moment, then said, "I'll go with you for a few days. Once I see there's no danger, you can move on your own."

The implication was clear—she would "look after" her out of obligation, not out of interest. If something did happen later, it wouldn't be her fault.

"Alright," Wei Yunxi replied without hesitation. She wasn't sure what Wei Yunqing was up to, but she figured there was no harm in letting things play out naturally. It was just the Archive Pavilion. What trouble could possibly arise from reading books?

On their first visit, they registered at the entrance, then entered the first floor. The books here were free to browse for outer sect disciples. Access to the second, third, and fourth floors, however, required contribution points or spirit stones. One low-grade spirit stone granted a day's access. Making a personal copy of a jade slip cost extra. The sect, after all, was not a charity.

Wei Yunxi began browsing the shelves:

"A Concise History of the Weiyu Realm",

"Encyclopedia of Spiritual Plants",

"Rankings of Different Heavenly Fires",

"Extinct Treasures of the Weiyu Realm",

"Geographic and Geomantic Trends of the Weiyu Mountains",

"Introductory Spells of the Five Elements",

"My Tangled Past with Haoran Sect's Founder",

"The Rise of the Haoran Sect."

The further she went, the more outlandish the titles became. Some felt like novels from her past life, likely penned by bored cultivators rather than scholars. They might be entertaining, but not particularly informative.

She casually picked two serious-looking titles and sat cross-legged in a quiet corner, skimming through them with practiced speed.

Behind her, Wei Yunqing's brow twitched. She had a gut feeling that her younger sister wasn't here just to read. But it was only the first day, so she suppressed her doubts and followed suit, pulling a book from the shelf and sitting down.

She barely paid attention to the text. Her eyes kept drifting toward the corner where Wei Yunxi sat.

Wei Yunxi had no fear of trickery. This was the Archive Pavilion, guarded by a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the door. Wei Yunqing, still only at the first layer of Qi Refining, couldn't stir up much trouble. So Wei Yunxi focused her attention fully on reading.

Time passed quickly. By the time her stomach rumbled with hunger, it was already late in the afternoon. She had missed dinner. She popped a fasting pill into her mouth, rose to her feet, and returned the books to their proper place.

Wei Yunqing quickly followed and asked, "Yunxi, were the books interesting?"

"They were. I finished both. You can read them tomorrow if you'd like," Wei Yunxi replied before leading the way out.

She offered a respectful nod to the Foundation Establishment cultivator at the entrance and returned to her courtyard.

Once they arrived, the two went their separate ways.

Inside her room, Wei Yunxi activated the isolation formation, then sat cross-legged to cultivate. She began by circulating her qi through one full cycle, refining and compressing the spiritual energy before guiding it into her dantian. Afterward, she resumed practicing the Soul Refining Art, a technique best suited for night cultivation.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, she absorbed the first trace of violet qi, feeling invigorated. She left her room and repeated the previous day's routine.

This time, however, she selected different books. Meanwhile, the two volumes she read yesterday ended up in Wei Yunqing's hands, and this time, the latter read them very carefully.

Wei Yunxi rubbed her round little chin. A realization struck her. Wei Yunqing seemed to be searching for something—and whatever it was, she could only find it through her.

It reminded her of her nickname from the novel: the "Treasure Boy."