Stealing Luck from the Heavenly Dao's Favorite

Wei Yunxi didn't rush to deactivate the isolation array. Instead, she instinctively reached into her space to retrieve the immortal artifact gifted by Ethereal Grace, the one that could conceal her cultivation.

Inside the small jade box, no bigger than a palm, lay a delicate forehead ornament. It was crafted from three tiny red flower petals, exquisitely elegant without being too flashy—perfectly suited to her.

Without hesitation, Wei Yunxi pricked her fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto the ornament. The next moment, the artifact absorbed the blood and flew from the box, affixing itself between her brows. It fused seamlessly with her skin.

In that instant, a faint spiritual connection formed between her and the immortal artifact. The method for using it naturally settled into her consciousness. She didn't have time to study it closely. With a light stroke of her fingertip across the red flower between her brows, her cultivation dropped from Qi Refining Stage Two back to the stage of drawing Qi into the body.

Then, she softly uttered, "Hide."

The red ornament at her brow sank beneath the skin and vanished completely, as if it had never existed.

Just then, the isolation array was triggered again.

Wei Yunxi quickly composed herself, tousled her hair for effect, jumped off the bed, and opened the array. As she pushed open the door, her tone turned annoyed.

"Who is it? Why are you interrupting my cultivation?"

The two outside froze.

Feng Xiu swept her divine sense over the young miss and her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself and stepped forward.

"Miss, Zhēnzhū insisted on seeing you. She claimed it was an urgent matter. I tried to stop her, but she said she was acting under Madam's orders and activated the array on her own."

Wei Yunxi frowned and looked at Zhēnzhū with thinly veiled displeasure. Did this girl think she was worthless now, so she no longer bothered hiding her attitude?

"Zhēnzhū, I'm here. What urgent matter could possibly be so important? Speak."

She crossed her arms and waited calmly.

Zhēnzhū had come to investigate Wei Yunxi's cultivation progress. Ever since Feng Xiu arrived at Zhuohua Courtyard, she hadn't been able to get close to the training room. But earlier that morning, Feng Xiu had cheerfully instructed Chunyu to prepare bathing supplies for the young miss.

Their expressions suggested that Wei Yunxi had succeeded in drawing Qi into the body. She needed to confirm it herself before reporting back to Madam Du Ruolan. So she found an excuse to request a meeting.

When Feng Xiu blocked her with the claim that the young miss was cultivating, she had used Madam Du's name to pressure her way through and convinced Feng Xiu to activate the array.

Now that she saw Wei Yunxi in person—and confirmed she had indeed succeeded—Zhēnzhū realized she'd need a good excuse, or the young miss might have her removed from Zhuohua Courtyard altogether.

She quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Please forgive me, Miss. It was presumptuous of me. But you've been secluded in cultivation for two days. I was worried something might've gone wrong. When I asked Sister Feng Xiu, she wouldn't let me in. I was afraid…"

Wei Yunxi tilted her head.

"Afraid of what?"

"I was afraid something went wrong with your cultivation. That's why I triggered the array."

Wei Yunxi nodded slowly. Not a bad excuse—quick thinking, at least. She held out her small hand.

"Well, now you've seen me. I'm perfectly fine. Anything else?"

"No, Miss. Please forgive my intrusion."

Zhēnzhū immediately seized the chance to retreat.

"Fine. Then you may go. From now on, you are not permitted to enter the inner courtyard again."

Zhēnzhū gritted her teeth but could only bow and retreat from the main courtyard.

Feng Xiu, uncharacteristically sharp-tongued, commented with a smirk, "She's amusing, isn't she? Still at Qi Refining early stage, yet worrying like she's a clan elder."

She didn't even bother to hide her disdain. Wei Yunxi didn't argue—she knew full well that Zhēnzhū was a spy planted by Du Ruolan. She had no intention of currying favor with someone who was never on her side to begin with.

After Zhēnzhū left, Feng Xiu turned to Wei Yunxi, smiling.

"Miss, you found a way to hide your cultivation?"

"Yes. It's a treasure Mother left me. When I had you guard the door earlier, I was actually searching for something to conceal my cultivation. I came across this by chance. Once I recognized it as mine, not even you could see through it, right?"

Feng Xiu nodded seriously.

"That's right. You appear to be at the stage of drawing Qi into the body now."

"Good. Then tomorrow we'll go back to the training hall. And while we're at it, let's show off a little in front of Wei Yunqing. That should make her drop the idea of taking me to Haoran Sect."

What Wei Yunxi didn't know yet was that Du Ruolan had already whispered enough sweet nothings to shift Wei Lingyue's decision.

She trained through the night, and at dawn, opened her eyes with a faint smile.

During those hours, she had re-refined the flower ornament immortal artifact, this time binding it with her soul. Now, not only could it hide her cultivation, it could also mask her aura. If she wanted to, she could even change her face and vanish from anyone's detection.

Even better, the artifact could fake a higher cultivation level—by projecting the aura of someone one major realm higher. For instance, with her current strength at Qi Refining Stage Two, she could pose as a Foundation Establishment Stage Two cultivator. The cost, however, was soul power. Unless it was a matter of life or death, it wasn't worth using.

After all, no matter how convincing the disguise, it was still a lie. If she were forced into combat, the truth would be exposed—and the consequences could be fatal.

She hadn't tested the function yet, but based on her understanding, it worked by simulating a higher-level pressure to fool others. Purely for show, a bluff—but an effective one.

What pleased her most, though, was the fact that this was a genuine immortal artifact. As long as she wished to hide, no cultivator in Weiyu Realm would be able to detect her. It was her greatest shield—something that would let her cultivate in peace, without attracting trouble.

"Miss, it's time. We need to head to the training hall."

Wei Yunxi deactivated the isolation array, swaying her little head.

"Mm, let's have breakfast first. Then you can take me there."

This time, she deliberately waited outside the training hall. The moment she saw Wei Yunqing arrive, she ran forward with a bright smile.

"Big Sister Yunqing, why are you so late today? I've been waiting for you since early morning! I have good news—I've succeeded in Qi Gathering!"

Wei Yunqing's expression dropped. She hadn't expected this little brat to progress so fast—she had become the third disciple in the family to succeed in Qi Gathering.

"Big Sister Yunqing, why do you look unhappy? Didn't you say you'd take me to Haoran Sect? I worked really hard so I wouldn't embarrass you."

She even pouted a little, looking slightly aggrieved.

The other clan disciples in the training hall had overheard. Their eyes were filled with envy and jealousy. Why were both these sisters so lucky?

Wei Yunqing took a deep breath, forcing down her irritation.

"Congratulations, Little Sister, on your progress. But the elders said this is only the first step on the path of cultivation. It's nothing to be proud of. You must stay humble and continue working hard."

Wei Yunxi rolled her eyes internally. As expected of the female lead—such sanctimonious words just flowed out of her mouth. Still, she nodded obediently.

"You're right, Big Sister. I'll keep working hard."

Wei Yunqing's gaze flickered. She leaned closer and quietly asked,

"Little Sister, how did you manage to succeed so quickly?"

===

As you might know, this is the second novel I've translated from this author - and I immediately noticed some fascinating differences between their works. Beyond the obvious variations in cultivation stage and realms or worlds, what struck me most was the author's remarkable growth in writing skill.

While both novels maintain similar chapter lengths, the actual writing quality shows dramatic improvement. In their debut novel often felt somewhat 'clipped' and 'stiff' in its original Chinese - particularly during the Nether Realm Arc. I found it challenging to translate smoothly, as I typically work to expand and polish details while maintaining authenticity. This also happen in The Villainess Refuses to Repent, as this novel also challenging for me because the same reason. Even with my efforts, the final result retained some of that abrupt quality (though in my opinion, it was still an improvement over the original).

But with this second novel? That challenge has completely vanished. The prose flows naturally, making the translation process far more enjoyable and yielding much more polished results.