Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Although the sensation is extremely faint, it definitely exists!

Chen Anran quickly followed Su Wan's instructions and tried to guide the light spots closer with his mind.

The process remained difficult and obscure, like trying to draw a drop of water with a thread, failing nine times out of ten. But under the continuous and gentle gathering effect of the spirit-gathering stone, finally a tiny, extremely weak wisp of spiritual energy began to seep into his body very slowly, following his breath and thoughts, and converge towards his dantian.

When the first wisp of extremely faint spiritual energy finally trembled and fell into his dantian, taking root like a seed, Chen Anran shuddered violently and suddenly opened his eyes!

"What's wrong, Junior Brother? Is your leg numb again?" Feng Xiaolu, who was dozing off nearby, was startled awake and asked, rubbing her eyes.

Chen Anran didn't answer. He felt the warmth in his dantian, and a surprised smile appeared on his face. He looked up at Su Wan, who was approaching after hearing the sound, his voice tinged with excitement:

"Senior Sister, I think I can sense it!"

Su Wan was taken aback at first, then quickly stepped forward, placed her hand on Chen Anran's wrist, and a wisp of gentle spiritual energy probed into it.

A moment later, a radiant smile, unlike anything she had ever seen, bloomed on Su Wan's gentle face. She held Chen Anran's hand tightly.

"Spiritual energy has entered your body, and the initial seed has been planted in your dantian... Anran, you have succeeded! You have officially entered the Qi Refining stage!"

"What?! Junior Brother, you succeeded?!" Feng Xiaolu was instantly wide awake, jumping up and circling Chen Anran, looking him over and touching him. "Really? Let me see! Wow! Our Junior Brother is finally no longer an ordinary person!"

Little Bell was also woken up, and clapped her hands in a daze: "Junior Uncle is so awesome!"

Chen Anran felt the faint yet tenacious energy within her body, and looking at her overjoyed senior sister and junior nephew, she was filled with mixed emotions. The torment and setbacks of the past twenty days had all become worthwhile at this moment.

And there's another piece of great news: Chen Ran discovered that after he entered the Qi Refining stage, his museum also changed—an extra display case appeared, meaning he now has four display cases at his disposal.

With the help of the Spirit Gathering Stone, Chen Anran's cultivation finally got back on track.

Although progress was still slow, he could feel the slight increase in spiritual energy in his dantian every day, which filled him with motivation.

He also made efficient use of the four display cases in the Evolution Museum: one continuously circulated and evolved the spirit-enriched rice and various fruits and vegetables to ensure the foundation of the sect; two were used to evolve some potential materials or magical artifacts, such as Feng Xiaolu's set of "Little Five Emperors' Evil-Repelling Coins" that had been evolved and had been strung together and hung on her waist with great satisfaction; the fourth was used to place Feng Xiaolu's compass and let it slowly evolve in it.

Life is steadily moving in a positive direction.

One evening, the group sat in the newly renovated hall for dinner. The dishes on the table were still mainly spirit rice and evolved spirit vegetables, their aroma filling the air. Little Bell ate until her cheeks were bulging. Feng Xiaolu enthusiastically planned to go down the mountain again in a few days to buy some new items to decorate the room.

Su Wan, however, lost her appetite. She put down her chopsticks and sighed softly, "The sect is gradually improving, and An Ran has also joined the sect, which is very comforting to me. It's just that there has been no news of your second senior sister for almost two months."

The relaxed atmosphere at the dinner table immediately somber once the topic was brought up.

Feng Xiaolu's smile faded, and she muttered, "Yeah, that heartless one. The last time she replied to my message was ages ago. She just said 'Okay, busy, don't worry,' and then she vanished like she disappeared. I sent her so many messages and made countless phone calls a few days ago, but it was all like throwing stones into the sea."

Chen Anran frowned slightly; he still hadn't received a reply to the messages he had sent earlier. His second senior sister was stubborn and strong-willed, but she would never have been completely silent for so long in the past.

"Could it be..." Feng Xiaolu guessed, "Did she change jobs and become very busy? Or is she filming somewhere deep in the mountains where the signal is bad?"

Su Wan slowly shook her head, her eyes filled with even deeper worry: "Even if you're extremely busy, it's impossible to be completely out of contact for two consecutive months. I cast a divination last night, and the hexagram was obscure and unclear, suggesting some kind of obstruction."

"Divination?" Feng Xiaolu was surprised. "Senior Sister, you used your primordial spiritual power to cast a divination?" She knew that in the early stages of spiritual energy recovery, casting a divination would significantly deplete one's cultivation.

Su Wan nodded slightly: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. It's just that the divination is hard to interpret, which makes me even more worried. Your second senior sister is all alone out there, and now the world is changing and spiritual energy is reviving. I'm afraid she... has encountered some trouble, but because of her strong personality, she refuses to ask us for help."

Chen Anran put down her chopsticks, her expression turning serious. "I remember Second Senior Sister is in Guangzhou in the north, right?"

Su Wan and Feng Xiaolu both looked at him at the same time.

"Guangshi..." Chen Anran repeated the place name, her gaze becoming firm. "Senior Sister, Third Sister, I want to go to Guangshi to find Second Sister."

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional soft crackling of the oil lamp's flame.

"No!" Su Wan was the first to react, resolutely refusing. Her gentle face was filled with worry. "Anran, you've only just entered the Qi Sensing stage, your cultivation is shallow. How can you travel alone to that unfamiliar S City? Besides, Guangzhou is a major northern metropolis with a population of millions, a melting pot of all sorts of people. It's too dangerous!"

Feng Xiaolu quickly chimed in, "Yes, Junior Brother! I know you're worried about Second Senior Sister, but this can't be rushed! How about I go? I've been out there for a few years, I've seen more, and my cultivation is more stable than yours!"

Chen Anran felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she looked at the concerned and anxious expressions of her two senior sisters, but her determination remained unwavering.

"Senior Sister, you are the sect leader, and the sect's repairs are at a crucial stage. Little Ling'er's cultivation has just begun, and she cannot do without your guidance and support. Third Senior Sister," he turned to Feng Xiaolu, "your cultivation is indeed higher than mine, but since you've finally returned, I want you to properly cultivate within the sect. Otherwise, what if you encounter even more powerful demons while traveling elsewhere next time?"

Chen Anran's words silenced both Su Wan and Feng Xiaolu. His words were not without merit. As the sect leader, Su Wan, with the sect showing signs of revival, indeed needed her to oversee and arrange many affairs. While Feng Xiaolu was clever, her cultivation was only at the early stage of Qi Refining; traveling alone to an unfamiliar northern metropolis to search for someone carried considerable risk.

"But Anran," Su Wan's tone softened, but was still full of worry, "you've never traveled far from home, let alone to a big city like Guangzhou. You're unfamiliar with the place and the people there; how can your senior sister feel at ease?"

Chen Anran smiled and replied, "Although my cultivation is still shallow, I have the peach wood sword, so ordinary evil spirits cannot get close to me. Besides, I am only going to find someone, not to fight anyone, so I will try to keep a low profile."