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The process of mining spirit stones was cruder than one might imagine.
It had nothing to do with sophisticated techniques or delicate procedures. Rather, it was simply the most primitive use of physical strength possible.
Perhaps that was why Qing Xuanling currently felt quite at ease.
She took a deep breath, drew her arm back, and gathered her strength. She opened her mouth to inhale deeply—and Pang!
She pecked with her beak, producing a sharp clang as dozens of blue crystals tumbled to the ground.
Qing Xixi quickly moved forward to gather them, placing them into a storage ring the clan had provided for transporting all the raw spirit stones they mined.
Qing Xixi's work was meticulous—he even picked up the tiniest fragments of spirit stone debris. Qing Xuanling watched curiously at this brother of hers, who was usually so quiet.
Qing Xixi was the seventh sibling in their ten-member "family," and also the most reserved. One couldn't say he was the weakest—but he came close. Still, he was remarkably consistent and always followed orders well when needed.
Like now—gathering raw spirit stone fragments with a small smile on his face. He was even humming a tune. It was strange that someone could be so happy doing a task that required kneeling on the floor picking up rocks—but he truly was.
Many would consider him simple-hearted.
Qing Xuanling rubbed her nose, trying to clear the strange smell from the air, and asked Qing Xixi—the only one present with her, since the other three were extracting stones elsewhere in the tunnel:
"How did you feel, Seventh Brother, experiencing this kind of massacre for the first time? I spent most of the time supporting Captain Linxi, so I didn't experience it as deeply as you all did. At least, most of our siblings seemed quite affected."
Qing Xixi's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden question. He'd never spoken much with this cold-looking sister, even though brothers with lower numbers seemed able to joke around with her easily.
He smiled faintly and shrugged. "I think I felt like them—I mean, I also never experienced death, of both enemies and friends, in such a way before. It's just… well, honestly, I can't really do much."
"I'm not as talented or clever as you all, so it's already lucky that I can protect my own life in a battle like that. I… I'm just happy I survived. Though I think the others carry heavier worries than I do—they've been looking gloomy lately…"
'A fool.'
That was the word that came to Qing Xuanling's mind as she looked at her seventh brother. She realized something.
It seemed he simply couldn't think too deeply about things—and that very limitation was precisely why he wasn't as depressed as those who could ponder deeply. He also lacked great ambition or confidence in his talent, so the weight of responsibility on his shoulders was feather-light—and he knew it, or at least sensed it intuitively.
She brought a hand to her chin as she watched him finish gathering the fallen stones and step away, giving her space.
An idea arose in Qing Xuanling's heart when she reflected on the way Qing Xixi lived his life—and it took root, refusing to leave.
'Am I… really a genius? Is it really necessary for me to live without even taking a short break?'
Her strength was simply too low. Although the clan currently regarded her as a genius, compared to true prodigies like Cheng Yogun, she was nothing.
True, he possessed that mysterious Underworld Sword Mantra—but she couldn't forget he wasn't much older than her. At most two years, maybe just entering his eighteenth year.
His reaching such strength was incomprehensible to Qing Xuanling. And even if she dismissed someone like him as an anomaly, she still couldn't compare to Qing Wentian or her siblings number fourth and above.
Qing Xuanling returned to her mining work, her mind lost in deep thought—almost as if possessed.
Her strikes against the wall ahead—the end of the tunnel, packed with raw spirit stones—were like a furious tornado: relentless, with no pause between blows, mirroring her chaotic mental state.
'I can tell Qing Wentian and those other four have never used their full strength yet. They probably have divine talents or special physiques too—just like me—that the clan forbade them from revealing under any circumstances. So even though I've matched them in our spars so far, the real gap between us isn't small.'
Though she knew her divine talent would reveal its true potential as her cultivation level rose and time passed, she'd always believed that, even if things were like this, she could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with geniuses her age.
After all, she was a rare sword genius, and her innate combat talent wasn't low either. Yet none of that seemed to matter next to the brilliance of a divine talent or special physique.
Her lifelong efforts were not enough for her teammates to reveal them true strength.
So she couldn't help but reflect on Qing Xixi's calm expression. He'd also looked gloomy after the battle a week ago—but fully recovered the very next day.
As he himself said, he was aware of his limited talent and intelligence, so he was content just to have survived. He didn't dwell on whether more lives could've been saved if he'd done more, nor did he feel repulsed by his own weakness.
On the contrary, he was happy simply to be alive.
Such a mindset surely brought great peace.
'So why don't I start thinking this way from now on…? My innate talent for cultivation is low to begin with. I've come this far through inhuman effort and opportunity—but this might be my limit. I can't think of a way to strengthen myself enough to catch up to them. Maybe I should start viewing things from the perspective my modest talent allows…'
Though she had paths forward, they were all long-term. Even her research—something she firmly believed could eventually place her among her generation's geniuses—would take time… decades, unless she had some fortuitous encounter.
But was it really wise to rely on uncertain luck to decide her future?
So realistically, perhaps the best thing for Qing Xuanling was to let time pass. Keep cultivating with the same dedication as before, keep researching with a curious heart—but stop trying to match monsters clearly more gifted than her.
It only brought endless exhaustion and worry. She already pushed herself harder than any of her peers ever had at any point in their lives. So why add the burden of chasing those undeniably more talented than her?
Qing Xuanling's movements slowed, becoming lifeless.
Her normally bright eyes grew dull…
Qing Xixi, suddenly noticing Qing Xuanling growing sluggish, approached and tried to touch her shoulder with concern.
"Ninth Sister, are you alright…?"
But he never reached her shoulder before a sudden drowsiness overcame him, making him collapse to the floor.
A small, elongated translucent figure of a mystical cerulean color emerged from the wall Qing Xuanling had been mining, regarding him with disdain.
"Hmph! Quite bold—to dare interfere with this great being's trials."
The figure's voice was high-pitched and childlike. Its long, scaled body playfully coiled around Qing Xuanling, its whiskers brushing her face. Its golden eyes—with vertical pupils seemingly capable of seeing past and future—studied Qing Xuanling with curiosity.
"Curious… very curious! This girl's fortune drew me here from the Mother Vein while I slept—but now that I look closer, her natural luck is far from enough to cause such a disturbance…"
The translucent figure's eyes gleamed intensely as it scrutinized Qing Xuanling more closely.
"Hmph! This girl is quite impressive… To awaken such a divine talent! I wonder how—was it predestined, or did she resonate with [] from that place? Hehe! Well, I suppose only someone with such talent deserves to undergo the Dragon's Trial!!"
"But now… let's see what drastically boosted this girl's fortune…" The tiny dragon mused. "Hmm, yes—a few miserable lucky encounters here, near-deaths there… Oh! Whoa—this little one had terrible luck before! Quite surprising for a Child of Destiny… Ah! Here it is! I see—her's the target of another divine talent. That explains it."
The little dragon nodded, satisfied after quenching its curiosity. But suddenly, its gaze fixed on something inside Qing Xuanling's body—specifically, her blood.
"…What is this aura in her blood? It seems to be half the reason for her status as a Child of Destiny. Hmm, let's see… Eh? Wait, wait—I didn't mean to look, damn it! P-please, leave me alone!"
The little dragon's body trembled violently as it muttered in fear—when suddenly, its form was violently flung backward!