Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

Gun Gun had already taken the bait and was eagerly asking Yun Jin for the new incantation.

Yun Jin kept a straight face and replied solemnly, "This time, the chant has to be sung. But remember, only sing it in your mind. Never out loud. Especially, absolutely never in front of Eldest Senior Brother."

Even though only she could understand what Gun Gun said, it was better to be cautious. After all, singing carried rhythm, and that might catch someone's attention.

Gun Gun nodded repeatedly. It already found most of the chants Yun Jin taught to be pretty strange, so it definitely didn't want to risk saying them aloud.

Yun Jin inhaled deeply, then began to "sing" in her mind.

"Wumeng Mountain links to mountains beyond, Moonlight falls on Ripple Shore,

Can anyone tell me now, Is Heaven calling out to you once more?"

Gun Gun: "???"

Gu Jinghong: "???"

Yun Jin, with unwavering seriousness, asked, "Got it memorized?"

Gun Gun instinctively wanted to say it hadn't, but to its horror, the melody had already started playing in its head on its own. When it opened its mouth to try, it realized—it already knew it.

"Good." Yun Jin nodded in satisfaction. "Just remember to sing it in your heart during training. Alright, off you go."

Gun Gun was already too excited to stay still. It tugged on Gu Jinghong, urging him to take it out to find people—ten different people, to be exact. Tianjian Peak alone didn't have enough to meet its... beatdown quota.

It needed to expand its social circle.

Dragged along, Gu Jinghong turned back to glance at Yun Jin, clearly reluctant. His master had returned but hadn't said much to him.

But then again, he consoled himself.

That Ye Cheng didn't even get to see her at all.

Balance restored.

"Go on then. Get properly beaten up." Yun Jin encouraged him with a wave.

With no choice, Gu Jinghong left with Gun Gun to seek out its rather unorthodox training partners.

Yun Jin returned to her small courtyard, had a nice hot bath, and finally washed away the lingering discomfort from her breakthrough. Afterward, she contacted Yue Zhao through her messaging token.

The two minerals required for upgrading the Tai'a Sword had already been procured. Yue Zhao hadn't delivered them personally, instead entrusting a disciple from the Armament Peak to bring them back.

Fortunately, the materials weren't rare, and with Yue Zhao's financial resources, they had been gathered easily. Just in case, he had even prepared multiple sets to prevent wastage.

Yun Jin met briefly with him to retrieve the storage pouch, then turned to leave and re-enter seclusion.

Yue Zhao instinctively scanned her cultivation level—and froze.

His mouth slowly dropped open.

He was just about to speak, but Yun Jin's silhouette had already vanished from view.

Stunned in place, Yue Zhao began doubting his senses.

Had he made a mistake?

Had she really stepped into the Golden Core realm?

That couldn't be, right?

She had only just entered the sect as a mortal.

Now, barely two months later... Golden Core?

What kind of monster does that?

Then again...

She wasn't normal to begin with.

Yue Zhao was on the verge of mental collapse.

No, this was not normal at all.

Even disciples from the Four Great Holy Lands didn't cultivate this fast, did they?

Probably not.

Just what kind of little monster had their master picked up?

Yue Zhao even started to worry.

What if, the next time she came out of seclusion, she had already reached the Nascent Soul stage?

At the Grand Sect Assembly, she might really kill that Ruan Jun!

Just thinking of it made Yue Zhao shake his head violently, trying to calm himself down.

What was he thinking?

Three months to reach Nascent Soul?

That was... maybe... possibly... no way, right?

And yet, he couldn't bring himself to deny the possibility outright.

—

At Armament Peak, Yun Jin entered seclusion once more.

She had ten days to upgrade the Tai'a Sword to two stars.

After that, the remaining month would be devoted entirely to the Bu Tian Pill.

Speaking of which...

Yun Jin realized that the Earthfire Room really was a great place. Its privacy was excellent. She didn't need to worry about being spied on. The only downside was the spiritual stone cost. But Yun Jin was rich now—ridiculously so. The expense barely registered.

And that was just the stones from Yue Zhao. She still had a trove from Cang Li's gifts in her storage ring. Enough to last her for a long time.

Once she finalized the Bu Tian Pill's formula, she was definitely coming back here to refine it. Decision made, she cheerfully took out the minerals Yue Zhao had provided.

The Tai'a Sword itself was already forged from premium materials. This upgrade to two stars didn't require anything too exotic. If the system hadn't explicitly listed them as optimal, Yun Jin would never have guessed that these two stones—Abyssal Yin Ore and Blazing Yang Ore—would be involved.

In Cang Li's earlier deductions, these materials hadn't even been considered.

Both were second-grade ores, noted for their stable and balanced nature.

Cang Li's suggestion had been to continue using contrasting elemental materials to draw out the Tai'a Sword's unique traits.

In contrast, the system's perfect upgrade path was completely different.

Naturally, Yun Jin chose the system's plan.

Not just because she trusted it, but because she sensed something deeper. If she kept forcing opposing attributes, the Tai'a Sword might evolve into something strange or even dangerous. A deviant sword. But not a peerless one.

Who said Yin and Yang were only about conflict?

In truth, Tai Chi was the art of harmony and balance.

She no longer needed to intensify the extremes. What she needed now was fusion, gradual and complete.

What the Tai'a Sword would become after that, Yun Jin couldn't yet imagine.

But she knew one thing for certain.

It would be a true sword. A sword worthy of legend.

"A system, scan the two minerals."

[Scanning in progress.]

The results appeared quickly, but they were still vague.

So Yun Jin spent a few simplification points and initiated a detailed scan.

[Detailed scan complete.]

Step-by-step instructions flowed out immediately.

Abyssal Yin Ore, Grade Two ore. Neutral and stable in nature. Texture is soft... Begin with heavy hammering to remove excess impurities... Submerge in spiritual liquid to temper... Use Earthfire to fully melt down...

Blazing Yang Ore, Grade Two ore. Originally yellow-brown, turns dark gold after repeated refining. Start by burning with Earthfire to remove surface impurities... After every three hundred hammer strikes, temper with water... Once the surface softens, continue forging with maximum strength...

Each refining process was accompanied by pages of detailed instructions. Fool-proof, even for beginners.

Yun Jin was thoroughly satisfied.

But this was just the beginning.

Once the materials were refined, she would move on to the real challenge—the fusion and star upgrade.

That part would likely require more simplification points as well.

Yun Jin sat cross-legged, taking several deep, steady breaths until she felt her state reach its peak.

Then she stood.

And began the first step—refining the Abyssal Yin Ore.