A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

The sect's competition had already begun, but Wushuang had already secured a designated spot. Each peak received one, allowing her to skip the sect competition and directly participate in the Four Sects Competition. The eldest senior brother never participated in such events, finding them boring. In previous years, even the sect leader's intervention hadn't been effective. While the second senior brother was belligerent, he was injured and definitely couldn't participate. So, if Wushuang wanted one, there wouldn't be any competition. Of course, Master had said that if she wanted a spot, she would definitely get it. After all, she was the youngest, so both senior brothers had to give in. Wushuang felt that Master's approach would only raise a spoiled and overbearing girl. Fortunately, she had grown up, her values formed. After two, perhaps even three, lives, she sometimes couldn't tell which was Du Shuangshuang or Du Wushuang. Every memory felt like a past experience, so even being a spoiled girl wasn't an option for her.

During this period, Wushuang also successfully integrated two small beads of thunder crystal marrow into his own life-saving magic weapon, Tianling. The sword now has a faint purple color, but it cannot be seen without careful observation. The sword even contains a little bit of thunder and lightning power, which was absorbed by the thunder crystal marrow when it blocked the lightning for Xiaoli.

He had originally divided these small beads into ten, and one had already been given to Xiaoli, who Wushuang now wore it around his neck, encased in a shell made of a divinely shielding shell. Such a precious item hanging around his neck would easily attract others' covetousness, so of course it had to be hidden. He had also included one in the gifts he had given to his master, and Wushuang hadn't given any to the others yet. He planned to fuse the remaining Thunder Crystal Marrow into his own natal magic weapon.

I originally wanted to fully integrate into the world at once, but my master wanted to take me out for some training. There's a floating island not far from the Tianji Sect. However, it's nestled between the Tianji Pavilion, Yunlang Pavilion, and the Hehuan Sect, so there might be members of the Hehuan Sect there. This adds the added risk of uncertainty for Wushuang. Besides that, it's a good place for training.

The time was set for a week later, because Wushuang wanted to finish the second stage of the Ice Skin and Jade Bone Technique's medicinal bath before going.

The first medicinal bath of the second stage wasn't as painful as I'd imagined; it was just a slight sting, from the outside in, but completely bearable. Wushuang felt that if it were just this level, he wouldn't even need to rest for long and could just keep soaking. However, the spiritual plants for the third stage hadn't been gathered yet, and some of them were very hard to come by.

After completing the first medicinal bath of the second phase without feeling anything special, Wushuang practiced for two cycles of cultivation and then went out to practice swordsmanship for a while before starting the second medicinal bath. The second phase of the medicinal bath required three baths in total. Originally, if the first bath was too painful, he would rest for a day before taking the second bath, but now he didn't need to do that at all.

Wushuang stepped into the tub, emitting a rich medicinal aroma, without hesitation. She felt no burden at all, only thinking about completing the bath as quickly as possible and improving her strength. However, to her surprise, this experience was completely different from the first.

At first, everything seemed to be going smoothly; Wushuang even felt it was easier than the first time. But as time went on, things began to change. The initially mild tingling sensation began to intensify, as if countless tiny needles were pricking her body simultaneously.

"What's going on?" Wushuang was secretly surprised. According to common sense, the same formula shouldn't produce such a big difference. But reality ruthlessly shattered her expectations, and the pain became more intense.

Wushuang clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force. Her brows furrowed in a frown, her expression a picture of intense pain. Her complexion shifted between red and white, sometimes as red as a ripe apple, the next as pale as paper. The veins on her forehead and neck bulged, visible and ready to burst at any moment.

At the same time, Wushuang's eyes sometimes widened in disbelief, and sometimes became so weak that she could barely keep them open, as if she was about to faint. This drastic contrast made her look extremely ferocious and terrifying, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered, refusing to give up easily.

As the drug's effects slowly receded like the tide, until the last trace vanished completely, Wushuang's tense heart finally relaxed. She breathed a sigh of relief, her entire body slumping limply into the tub, as if all her strength had been drained away. She sat there quietly, as if time had frozen for an eternity...

After a long moment, Wushuang finally awoke, slowly and laboriously edging herself out of the tub. With every movement, she felt a deep sense of fatigue and weakness radiating from every part of her body. Her eyelids felt heavy, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open them. At this point, she couldn't even lift a hand, let alone clean up the mess of her bathing supplies. So, she simply ignored them and cast a dust-cleansing spell, instantly clearing away any remaining water stains. Once done, she staggered and lurched towards the bed. Finally climbing onto it, she sank headfirst into the soft covers, her breathing becoming even, and she slipped into a sweet dream.

Wushuang slept in an incredibly deep sleep, as if completely detached from the world. Time slipped by, and three full days and nights passed. Yet, even as she slept, a series of extremely subtle yet astonishing changes were quietly taking place within her body. Her bones occasionally crackled, as if undergoing a reshaping and baptism. Even her once ordinary fingernails began to undergo a remarkable transformation—becoming increasingly transparent, as translucent as crystal; simultaneously becoming thinner and lighter, as light as a cicada's wing, yet possessing an extraordinary hardness, making them indestructible.

When Wushuang woke up, she felt the changes in her body and was very excited. However, when she thought about the suffering she had endured in the medicinal bath, she suddenly felt that the spiritual food in front of her was not delicious. She was so hungry the moment she woke up that she was eating!

She calculated the time and realized that if she continued to sleep for three days and three nights after the medicinal bath, she would have to take it quickly. However, the thought of the painful bath made her want to back out. It was simply too painful. Wushuang was torn. However, she knew that if she didn't take a bath, she would miss the appointment with her master. She gritted her teeth and decided to take the bath. After all, suffering a little was better than losing her life. What kind of training is not dangerous? It is said that there are the two spiritual plants that she needs for the third stage. With a little luck, she might be able to get them all.

Wushuang gritted her teeth, struggling to lift her feet and step by step towards the steaming medicinal bath. As she slowly immersed herself in the bath, a piercing pain instantly spread throughout her body. It felt like countless steel needles piercing her skin and bones, making it almost unbearable. However, Wushuang did not retreat. She endured the excruciating pain and continued to sink into the bath.

As the seconds ticked by, the pain intensified, and Wushuang felt her consciousness begin to fade. She clutched the tub tightly, trying to stay awake, but ultimately, she couldn't withstand the overwhelming pain. She bit her lip, scratched the tub's edge, and dug her nails into her flesh. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, her vision went black, and she collapsed into the medicinal bath.