Chapter 57: Let's Cut Ties, You Jerk

Qiuzi lifted the restriction on her temporary immortal cave, took out her artifact-refinement materials and tools, and released the system's little glowing orb from the dark confinement of her sea of consciousness. She then began to concentrate on forging a magical garment.

Actually, achieving electrical insulation was not particularly difficult. The simplest method was naturally using rubber products, which were absolute insulators. However, the thought of having to wear a rubber suit whenever she went out for the next five years was completely unacceptable to Qiuzi. Therefore, she planned to craft a specialized magical robe capable of shielding against lightning and providing insulation.

Since she was already cultivating immortality, she might as well adapt to local customs, right? That was definitely the only reason—it had nothing to do with a reluctance to wear a rubber suit.

Fortunately, when she originally left Linyuan, the elders had stuffed her storage with plenty of fabric for making clothes, much of it spiritual material. Crafting one would not be too difficult. It was just that magical robes were traditionally designed to defend against external attacks; she never dreamed in a million years that she would one day need to forge a defensive robe to protect herself from her own power.

Next, aided by the system's precise calculations and various artifact-refinement data sets, it still took her a full month to successfully forge several insulated magical robes.

Qiuzi hurriedly put on her new robe, let out a sigh of relief, deactivated the cave's barrier, and finally stepped outside safely.

Intending to check on Feng Ting, she discovered that the younger girl had already arrived first.

"Sister Xiaoci, you've finally come out of seclusion!" Feng Ting cried out in delight, rushing toward her like a swallow returning to the woods. Halfway there, however, she suddenly remembered something, came to an abrupt halt, and looked Qiuzi up and down. Her gaze locked onto Qiuzi's hair, which, though no longer exploding outward, still retained a distinctly unnatural wave.

"Don't worry, I'm fine now!" Qiuzi's mouth twitched as she tugged on the fabric of her robe.

"Really? Then I'm coming in for another hug!" Feng Ting's eyes lit up. She took two steps back and launched herself forward once more. "Sister Xiaoci, I've missed you to death!"

Acting like a cat lover suffering from severe withdrawal, she embraced Qiuzi and began rubbing her face frantically against Qiuzi's chest.

Qiuzi: "..." Even with the physical body of a Deity Transformation stage cultivator, she was starting to feel a bit suffocated.

"Alright, alright!" She had to use all her strength to pry the girl out of her arms. Her chest wasn't that big to begin with; if she kept rubbing, it would be flattened. "When did you finish your seclusion?"

"I came out half a month ago." Feng Ting hugged her arm, shaking it coquettishly as a thought crossed her mind and her eyes brightened. "Oh right, Sister Xiaoci, look, look at my Golden Core!"

With that, she grabbed Qiuzi's hand and pressed it directly against her own chest. Qiuzi felt a soft rebound, her palm sinking slightly into the yielding warmth.

"..." What kind of bizarre mutual chest-groping ritual was this? Damn it, she sank in deeper than mine!

"My Golden Core is different now," Feng Ting urged with a joyful expression.

Only then did Qiuzi mobilize her spiritual power to probe Feng Ting's consciousness. Sure enough, the next moment, she sensed a brilliantly golden core. Unlike the smooth, flawless Golden Core when she had first formed it, this one was marked by intricate lines of lightning. Counting closely, there were actually seven of them.

"A seven-striated Golden Core!" The term flashed immediately through Qiuzi's mind.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!" Feng Ting nodded vigorously, starlight twinkling in her eyes. "Although my cultivation level hasn't increased, I feel like my spiritual power is much purer, and my meridians are a lot tougher. It seems like... I've gotten stronger?"

"You're not wrong," Qiuzi affirmed. "Although heavenly lightning is perilous, its greater significance lies in tempering the bones and purifying the spiritual power. So it's both a trial and an opportunity." It all depended on whether one could endure it.

Those striated marks were the traces left after the tempering. The more striations, the more perfect the Golden Core. Generally, they ranged from one to ten striations, with one being the most ordinary and ten representing a perfectly formed Golden Core.

For Feng Ting to undergo a tribulation under such sudden circumstances and successfully condense a seven-striated Golden Core was already quite remarkable.

"Not bad at all!" Qiuzi couldn't help offering another praise.

Feng Ting instantly burst into a radiant smile, her brows and eyes lifting. Her originally gentle and delicate demeanor became even more touching, stirring a sense of fondness even in Qiuzi, a fellow woman.

Looking closer, Qiuzi realized that the person before her had long since grown up. She was no longer the little sprout-like girl from Green Ox Village. After a few years of cultivation, she had blossomed into a young beauty. No wonder that young master had tried to flirt with her the moment they entered the city.

Qiuzi felt an inexplicable surge of pride, akin to a parent watching their daughter finally come of age.

"Right, where is that brat Zhen Yi?" She suddenly remembered the cat-eared youth, even though all of them had now fully assumed human form. "You're both at the Golden Core stage; since you came out of seclusion half a month ago, he should be about done too."

"Yes, he finished seclusion as well," Feng Ting nodded. "He just went out to gather information about the city and should be back shortly. Only Senior Brother Jing hasn't come out yet."

She glanced in the direction of Jing's cave—the resident social phobic—and sensed the aura over there. Finding nothing amiss, she felt reassured. Socially anxious Jing had withstood two rounds of lightning tribulation back-to-back, so it was only natural that he needed a bit more time.

"Let's go wait for Zhen Yi at the front." The two walked toward the teahouse by the street, sipping tea while they waited.

Today's streets were exceptionally lively, bustling with a steady stream of pedestrians. Quite a few cultivators had even set up small stalls along the roadside, selling magical artifacts, talismans, and other supplies. The teahouse was packed with patrons, and the sound of idle chatter constantly drifted over.

"Sigh, I wonder how much longer it will take to reach the Lanru Continent. I hear it's far more prosperous than our place."

"Of course! Why else would it be the number one continent in the Central Region? I heard that when their sects select disciples, anyone has a chance—they even recruit mortals."

"Is that true? Doesn't that mean we could try our luck too?"

"I really hope this trip goes smoothly."

"Don't worry, I heard that Yuanhai City has a total of four Deity Transformation True Immortals presiding over it this time. Crossing the Stormy Sea will be an absolute breeze."

"Four? Wasn't it always three?"

"Your information is outdated. Word is that the personal guards happened to encounter a True Immortal undergoing tribulation a while back and brought them back to the city along the way, which is why there are now four."

"What a coincidence. Do you know who that True Immortal is?"

"It seems their Daoist title is something like... True Immortal Perm!"

Pfft~~~~

Qiuzi instantly spat out a mouthful of tea. What the hell kind of Daoist title was True Immortal Perm?!

(〝▼皿▼)╯︵┴─┴

She touched her hair, which she had spent half a month struggling to flatten out, only for it to retain an unnatural wave. That was from getting struck by lightning, struck by lightning, you understand?! Not a perm!

"Sister Xiaoci..." Feng Ting glanced at the people chatting over there, then looked back at Qiuzi with a worried expression, softly comforting her, "Don't be angry. They don't know the truth. Even if it is a perm, yours is the best-looking perm there is."

Qiuzi: "..." Wait, whose side are you on?

Just which bastard came up with that nickname for her? She'd better pray they never cross paths with her!

" Oh! Senior Brother Zhen is back." Feng Ting suddenly stood up and waved toward the outside.

Sure enough, it was Zhen Yi.

"Junior Sister Feng." He turned and strode quickly into the teahouse. Seeing Qiuzi sitting nearby, he froze for a moment, then beamed even more brightly and blurted out, "Sister Xiaoci, you're here too! Oh? You got rid of your perm?"

"..."

Let's just break off our friendship, you little brats!

凸(艹皿艹)