Stealing Luck from the Heavenly Dao's Favorite

The little red-maned horse pawed at the ground with its front hoof, then licked its lips and snorted loudly at Wei Zonghao. Despite their approach, it didn't seem hostile.

Wei Yunxi's eyes lit up at the sight. She saw a chance and quickly said to the chubby boy beside her,"I think it really likes sweets. Maybe we can use some candy as an offering. Try bargaining with it."

Wei Zonghao immediately clutched his storage pouch, visibly reluctant. His supply of candy was running low.

Wei Yunxi puffed out her baby-fat cheeks and added, "Brother Zonghao, I'll repay you with a full pouch later."

She was making a promise on credit, of course. They'd settle everything after passing the trial.

In the end, Wei Zonghao still couldn't keep his stash. He gave in and struck a deal with the red-maned horse.

As the two of them climbed onto its back, they realized the candy had been well spent. Despite its small size, the young horse ran as swiftly as a prized steed, unbothered by the weight of two children. It was surprisingly strong, and it knew the mountain paths like the back of its hoof. Carrying them both, it galloped toward the entrance of Haoran Sect with unhesitating speed.

Every time the horse slowed, Wei Yunxi would prompt Wei Zonghao to feed it another candy. Each time it got its treat, it would happily dash forward again. Hidden in the shadows, Yufeng Zhēnjūn couldn't help twitching at the corners of his mouth as he watched.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the two children finally reached the gates of Haoran Sect. No one was there to greet them.

Once the horse came to a stop, Wei Yunxi and Wei Zonghao hopped off its back. Their agreement with the beast had come to an end. With visible reluctance, Wei Zonghao offered the last piece of candy from his pouch and muttered, "Horsey, I gave you all the sweets I had. Thank you for getting us here ahead of time. When I become a disciple of Haoran Sect, I'll come visit whenever I can."

Just then, a disciple landed in front of them on a flying sword.

Dressed in a green Daoist robe, Song Ke looked at the two tiny figures with a smile. "Are you two here for the assessment?"

"Yes, Senior," Wei Yunxi said politely. "My name is Wei Yunxi."

"I'm Wei Zonghao. We're both from the Wei clan in Kunyu City," the chubby boy added quickly.

"You've done well," Song Ke said, nodding with approval. "I've recorded your names and rankings. You may rest here at the gate. Once the three-day deadline ends, you'll proceed to the next round."

The siblings cupped their hands in a respectful bow. "Thank you, Senior."

Song Ke then walked over and patted the red-maned horse on the head. "You're lucky this time. You found disciples willing to help you. Let's see if you dare sneak off again."

Wei Zonghao immediately stepped forward and explained after bowing, "Senior, the little horse got trapped in some iron brambles. We heard it crying and helped it out. It gave us a ride as thanks."

Song Ke chuckled. "No harm done. That was your ability, and its good luck. I'll take it back to Spirit Beast Peak. You two rest here and meditate. This place is safe."

"Yes, Senior!"

With that, Song Ke led the red-maned horse onto his sword, and they turned into a streak of light, vanishing from sight.

Wei Zonghao stared after him, eyes full of longing. "When do you think we'll be able to ride flying swords?"

Wei Yunxi gazed in the same direction and replied, "To fly on a sword, you need to reach the Foundation Establishment stage."

"Ai... that's going to take a long time."

"Then we start working hard now," Wei Yunxi said, clenching her little fists. "One day, we'll fly too."

The two of them found a spot sheltered from the wind, sat down on the ground, and began meditating without much fuss.

As soon as Wei Yunxi entered her cultivation state, she felt the spiritual qi around her rushing into her body. The density of qi here was far richer than the Wei clan's training hall. No wonder this was the second-ranked sect in the entire western region.

Seeing his Little Sister had started cultivating, Wei Zonghao also crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Although they had passed the first trial, more challenges awaited them ahead.

Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, Wei Yunting and the others were still pushing forward with difficulty. All the trouble they encountered had been caused by Wei Yunqing. In the end, they decided to relieve her of any duties. All she had to do was follow the group.

Ironically, once she stopped interfering, their pace improved significantly. But Wei Yunqing wasn't happy about it. She could feel the others distancing themselves from her. The isolation made her even more frustrated.

On the final day of the assessment, the scattered teams regrouped. With more people, they felt safer, though it was clear some had been lost along the way.

The Feng clan team didn't see Wei Yunxi and immediately asked Wei Zonghan about her.

He could only say that his Little Sister had fallen behind, but with another Wei clan child. He added,"Those two are pretty clever. Maybe they made it to the sect before us. We might see them when we get there."

He said it to reassure the Feng clan and himself. After all, they had always looked after Wei Yunxi, their niece. What he didn't expect was that his words would actually come true.

At that moment, Wei Yunxi was trying to break through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining. The qi here was too rich. She didn't want to waste this opportunity.

Thanks to the Immortal Artifact's concealment, she wasn't afraid of exposing her spiritual root's true attributes. Besides, breaking through to the fourth layer didn't require much qi. She was still a small, unremarkable cultivator. It was best to stay quiet, survive, and grow slowly.

She cultivated all night long, drawing in spiritual qi, circulating it through her body, refining it, and guiding it into her dantian. When the third day's morning sun rose, she seized a trace of violet qi and finally broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining.

Her meridians were forcefully stretched open by the influx of qi, bringing a dull ache, but she guided it with her powerful divine sense. After one complete circulation, it settled smoothly into her dantian. A quarter of it was now filled.

The flower hairpin Immortal Artifact automatically adjusted her displayed cultivation to the first layer of Qi Refining, so she wouldn't raise any suspicion.

The surge of qi during her breakthrough startled Wei Zonghao awake. Seeing her open her eyes, he exclaimed, "Little Sister Yunxi, you broke through?"

"Mhm, I'm at the first layer now."

"Wow, you're amazing! Your cultivation level is the same as mine now," Wei Zonghao said in awe.

"The qi here is way denser than at home. If you push harder, you might reach the second layer soon."

Wei Zonghao nodded vigorously. "I will, I will. I already felt like I was close last night... but then I fell asleep."

He scratched his head sheepishly.

Wei Yunxi smiled, clearly in a good mood. "Brother Zonghao, I'll stand guard for you. You'll definitely break through today."

"Okay! But let's eat something first. I'm starving."

He rubbed his growling belly.

Without hesitation, Wei Yunxi pulled out some Bigu Dan. She took one for herself and handed one to the chubby boy.

That afternoon, Wei Yunting's group finally reached the sect's outer plaza. A number of children had already arrived. They weren't the last to make it, but not the first either.

"Look over there. Isn't that...?"