Qing Xuanling followed the one-armed elder to a forging chamber at the rear of the ancestral forge. The elder opened the door and gestured for her to enter with a relatively kind expression.

  She didn't hesitate and stepped inside immediately. The chamber's interior wasn't vastly different from Forge Number 3, but Qing Xuanling could sense a far more oppressive aura emanating from the arrays permeating the walls. Undoubtedly, this was a superior forge.

  "Elder…" Qing Xuanling began after surveying the room—but the one-armed elder interrupted her.

  "Call me Elder Gao—or Old Cripple." Elder Gao smiled faintly. "And I'm the one asking questions—not you. Brat, what sword technique do you use most often?"

  Qing Xuanling ignored the suggestion to call him "Old Cripple" and merely offered an uncomfortable smile at his question. "Elder Gao… I only know the Iron-Cutting Sword Art. It was the only technique I could afford with the money I had at the time."

  A flicker of surprise crossed Elder Gao's eyes as he reexamined Qing Xuanling's cracked sword. The reason he'd agreed to reforge it was because he sensed the blade was imbued with remarkably pure sharp Qi.

  Yet the Iron-Cutting Sword Art couldn't generate Qi pure or abundant enough to saturate a mortal-grade blade. After all, it was among the worst Yellow-rank techniques on the market—so infamous even a refiner like him knew it.

  "Why would a member of our Qing Clan need to learn such a low-tier technique?" Elder Gao frowned. "The clan should provide you a substantial subsidy until you turn eighteen! That alone should be enough to purchase at least a better technique than that trash!"

  Qing Xuanling averted her gaze. "…I spent my entire subsidy on Qi-nourishing pills."

  The wrinkles on Elder Gao's face seemed to multiply. "You did what?! Who permitted such foolishness—and more importantly, how have you not suffered pill poisoning?!"

  "Err... Instructor Huan speculated, when he realized what I was doing, that it might be because of the large number of fights I have. I fight at least ten times a week against demonic beasts. He believes my body expels the toxins with all that exertion…" Qing Xuanling murmured weakly.

  She wasn't entirely certain herself. Truthfully, given the quantity of low and mid-grade pills she'd consumed, she should have experienced at least four instances of pill poisoning by now. Yet for some reason, it had never occurred.

  Elder Gao wasn't as confused as Qing Xuanling. He understood the body's capacity to expel harmful substances after intense combat. What baffled him was…

  'How is she still only at the third layer after consuming so many pills and fighting enough to avoid pill poisoning?!'

  He felt he was looking at a bizarre creature—in the worst sense.

  He suppressed the urge to sigh and continued questioning Qing Xuanling. But the wrinkles on his face deepened with each inquiry.

  Finally, he realized something!

  'This girl is like a headless chicken—running blindly along the cultivation path! And somehow… she's survived until now!'

  Qing Xuanling's lack of guidance and fundamental knowledge was alarming. Really, she wasn't completely ignorant—in fact, she was quite erudite among her peers.

  The problem was she only knew the absolute basics! Things like recommendations for good techniques, pitfalls in cultivation, or useful tricks during cultivation were beyond her understanding.

  Elder Gao felt an urge to strangle the clan's instructors and teachers.

  Though in truth, at least fifty percent of Qing Xuanling's situation was her own fault. True—the clan had largely ignored her after discovering her complete spiritual roots.

  She'd never experienced an elder approaching her to offer cultivation guidance. The closest she'd gotten were combat tips from field exercise instructors.

  But she'd never received specific cultivation guidance.

  Yet that was also her fault. Had she bothered to ask, no elder would have refused to offer guidance.

  But for young Qing Xuanling—who had just overcome the shock of having complete spiritual roots and that vividly remembered adults' disappointed gazes—asking for help hadn't been an option. She'd wanted to prove she could stand alone.

  This, combined with cultivators' unwillingness to waste time on someone clearly destined to go nowhere, caused Elder Gao's current frustration.

  Qing Xuanling innocently regarded Elder Gao with her clear, azure eyes. Those eyes—paired with her simple yet pleasant appearance—finally extinguished the elder's anger.

  Elder Gao scratched his head in frustration. "Brat—before we even consider reforging your sword, we must fix these unstable foundations of yours! At this rate, you'll encounter serious problems when attempting to break through to mid-stage!"

  Qing Xuanling's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you certain, Elder Gao?! I thought that even if my cultivation was low, my foundation would at least be deep and stable…"

  Elder Gao snorted. "Deep and stable? Ha—that might appear so on the surface! While it's true your Qi is purer and more abundant than others at your level, there are many gaps in your cultivation! If I'm not mistaken, the only reason nothing's happened to you is because you cultivate the Five-Axis Rotating Art, correct?"

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  Shock flooded Qing Xuanling's face. She'd never told Elder Gao her cultivation technique!

  If she wasn't mistaken, Elder Gao's cultivation was only at peak Qi Refinement! He shouldn't possess any divine method to discern her technique!

  A mocking smile appeared on Elder Gao's face. "I merely deduced your cultivation technique based on your situation. There aren't many cultivation techniques stable enough to permit so many foundational flaws. Combined with your likely complete spiritual roots—it was impossible to think of any other technique."

  This time, Qing Xuanling was genuinely impressed. Elder Gao hadn't used any divine method to uncover so much about her—only profound experience and a sharp mind.

  She immediately believed his words about her unstable foundation.

  "Elder Gao—what can I do to fix the flaws in my cultivation?" Qing Xuanling grew worried. "I planned to attempt breakthrough to mid-stage in a few weeks, but based on what you've said…"

  "Forget it—unless you want to cripple yourself." Elder Gao nodded. "Your unstable foundation couldn't withstand breakthrough pressure… As for fixing these gaps—I'm not certain. I'd need to observe your cultivation to devise a solution, but that would be… inappropriate."

  "Let's do it immediately." Qing Xuanling interrupted, sitting cross-legged. "I've felt uneasy since learning my foundation is unstable. I won't sleep peacefully until it's fixed!"

  "Brat—don't be reckless." Elder Gao frowned. "When I say 'observe your cultivation,' I mean using my Qi to sense the most delicate processes within your cultivation. If I'm not careful, I could cripple you instantly!"

  A chill ran down Qing Xuanling's spine at the word "cripple"—but she quickly calmed herself.

  "In that case—I must beg for your assistance even more, Elder Gao." Qing Xuanling smiled slightly. "Where could I find someone with more precise Qi control than a peak-stage grandmaster refiner?"

  Elder Gao was stunned. The girl was right. Aside from Foundation Establishment elders, few cultivators in Qi Refinement possessed more precise Qi control than him!

  A smile appeared on Elder Gao's wrinkled face. "Don't blame me if you end up crippled, brat. You insisted!"

  Qing Xuanling pouted. "That can't be, Elder Gao! If something happens to me, I'll chase you for three days while crying desperately! You must ensure nothing happens to me!"

  Black lines formed on Elder Gao's forehead. Qing Xuanling's "threat" sounded strangely threatening…

  Elder Gao chuckled softly. The brat was far more shameless than he'd thought. He sat behind Qing Xuanling and placed his wrinkled hand on her back. "Begin cultivating the Five-Axis Rotating Art."

  Qing Xuanling nodded immediately. She quickly began absorbing spiritual energy from the air. The energy entered through her mouth, slowly descending to her liver. There, it gradually transformed into Wood-attributed Qi.

  She carefully manipulated that Wood Qi, moving it to her heart—where it transformed into potent Fire Qi, more abundant than the previous Wood Qi.

  Next, she channeled the abundant, frenetic Fire Qi to her stomach—where it became stable Earth Qi. The following step involved moving the Earth Qi to her lungs—where it transformed into sharp, pure Metal Qi.

  Finally, she guided the Metal Qi—so sharp it could harm even her own body—to her kidneys—where it became gentle Water Qi, perfect for nourishing Wood Qi…

  That was the internal functionality of the Five-Axis Rotating Art—a cultivation technique utilizing the five elements' fundamental properties to generate stable, pure Qi.

  Few techniques in the world could produce purer Qi. It was a pity its cultivation speed was too slow and offered no additional advantage—otherwise, it wouldn't be considered Yellow-rank, but Profound-rank or even Earth-rank.

  Elder Gao pondered this internally while inspecting Qing Xuanling's internal cultivation—where he indeed discovered several flaws difficult for an inexperienced eye to detect.

  "The circulation of Fire Qi through your central meridian isn't fast enough—irritating the meridian, slowing cultivation speed, and creating hidden risks in future battles…"

  "You let Wood Qi burn too long—wasting much of the Qi and disrupting the mutual generation cycle…"

  "You generate too much razor-sharp Qi—slightly damaging your energy channels. Over time, this could cause Qi deviation…"

  Flaw after flaw poured from Elder Gao's mouth—leaving Qing Xuanling speechless. She'd never expected her cultivation to harbor dozens of flaws! Each worse than the last!

  Just as Elder Gao had said—her attempt to reach mid-stage would have failed catastrophically had she not fixed these innumerable flaws.

  Qing Xuanling marveled at Elder Gao's profound knowledge and his effortless explanations.

  Simultaneously, Elder Gao was deeply astonished by Qing Xuanling. Though he pointed out her flaws and offered correction methods, the girl consistently resolved issues instantly!

  In fact, Qing Xuanling anticipated Elder Gao's advice several times—correcting cultivation flaws on her own!

  Elder Gao sweated at his temples. He'd suspected from the start that despite Qing Xuanling's trash spiritual roots, her comprehension was good. But what was happening was absurd!

  Several of Qing Xuanling's flaws were habits she'd carried for years—damaging patterns most would find difficult to unlearn.

  Yet after hearing Elder Gao's advice just once, Qing Xuanling applied it perfectly.

  Most terrifyingly—as Qing Xuanling fixed her cultivation flaws—her correction speed increased!

  Elder Gao felt lost. Initially, he'd thought he'd need several days with the girl to resolve her body's hidden issues. But things seemed destined to conclude far sooner than planned!

  Five hours vanished in an instant.

  Elder Gao—behind Qing Xuanling—had a pale face beaded with sweat. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he struggled to keep them open. His dry lips parted and closed as if trying to speak—but no sound emerged. A small habit formed after speaking continuously for five hours. The counseling session had utterly exhausted Elder Gao.

  Qing Xuanling, on the other hand, had a radiant face—completely different from this morning. Her skin appeared clearer, her complexion healthier.

  A striking change—but expected. After all, Qing Xuanling had resolved all hidden flaws in her cultivation during this session.

  She slowly opened her eyes while exhaling deeply. Her gaze was profound—as if immersed in contemplation.

  'The Five-Axis Rotating Art is deeper than I initially thought. Though slow and simple, the mutual generation law within it profoundly benefits cultivation…'

  Qing Xuanling had considered changing her cultivation technique—but today changed her mind. Despite its painfully slow pace due to her complete spiritual roots, this technique was best for the current Qing Xuanling.

  She could seek a better cultivation technique in the future—when she became a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But for now, the Five-Axis Rotating Art was optimal for building a stable cultivation foundation.

  "How do you feel after mercilessly draining this old man?" Elder Gao asked as he collapsed onto the floor.

  Qing Xuanling laughed at his disheveled appearance. "Quite good. It's like being reborn. All the exhaustion I'd been feeling vanished instantly!"

  Elder Gao laughed heartily at that. His efforts had been worthwhile after all. He pushed himself upright and sighed before returning to official business.

  "I'd like to rest longer—but the Young Master pressured us to prepare your weapon as quickly as possible, so…" Elder Gao looked weary. "Let's begin planning your sword's reforging."

  Qing Xuanling beamed brightly. "Of course! I'm beyond excited to get started right away!"