Dance Of The Phoenix
6. The Useful Sleep

New surroundings, new rooms, and new atmosphere. But this inhospitable environment made Gu Yuena feel that her quiet day in the dilapidated house was coming to an end.

It's okay, at least he can sleep in a soft and comfortable bed, then enjoy a good meal at all times and served like a maid princess. That's enough. There was no need to care about Gu Yueli who was now putting on a gloomy face at all times.

"I saw the phrase 'beautiful monkey is upset' on her forehead." Gu Yuena leaned back on the swing chair casually, seeing Gu Yueli coming 'visit' with a forced smile.

She looked even prettier with that smile than the sweet smile she had all along shown.

Gu Yuena stood up to greet the 'beloved sister' with all her heart. "Fifth Brother, welcome."

Gu Yueli endured the emotional turmoil in her chest, trying to hold back the image of being a gentle and innocent princess. He could not lose to the orphans in front of him.

"The Fourth Sister looks very happy. It seems like Father is back to loving Fifth Brother, Brother is also rejoicing. Fourth Brother has worked hard." Gu Yueli had just confirmed, without trying to get his father's attention, he could still stay in a better place than Gu Yuena. After all, their father loved Gu Yueli more as the youngest daughter.

"Sister is only carrying out duties as the eldest daughter in the Gu House. Right now First Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother are at a faraway place, here Yuena is the oldest. Of course, as an elder sister and daughter, Yuena had to endure everything. Dad was very satisfied with Yuena's work, then moved me to learn better. Anyway, besides the eldest daughter, I'm also Dad's legitimate daughter."

Gu Yuena confirmed that he was more useful than Gu Yueli. In addition to her position as the eldest daughter, she also had an important position in the continuity of the Duke's Residence. It managed to suppress Gu Yueli with his dual identity.

Gu Yueli's smile was increasingly forced. He doesn't like someone superior to him. "Fourth Sister, as the eldest daughter, has already suffered a lot. Has Fourth Brother ever heard of it? Someone spread rumors that the cancellation of Fourth Brother's engagement was caused by the kidnapping tragedy. Fourth Brother's reputation is getting worse. I'm afraid, it's gonna be hard in the future."

Gu Yuena smiled broadly behind her veil. "Then, it is already troublesome for Fifth Sister to guide me. Fifth Brother take it easy. This big brother will not cause any trouble for Fifth Brother and will fix the rumors as soon as possible."

Gu Yueli sneered in her heart that Gu Yuena was too naive to cover up all the rumors. She thought because her identity as a legitimate princess could fix things? Too naive!

"Then, Brother won't bother Fourth Brother."

"Sir, why the hurry? I just came here, I still have to adapt a little. Please help Fifth Sister. We can have tea for a while or ...."

"Fourth Brother, I'm busy right now. Anyway, I'm still in school. Just look. On holiday, we'll have tea together and I'll teach you." Gu Yueli felt the smartest here. Gu Yuena never went to school. He must be so stupid that he had to ask for his support.

"It's been troublesome Fifth Sister." Gu Yuena looked humble.

"No problem. We are brothers, we must help each other." Gu Yueli patted Gu Yuena's hand, then left with her servants. Originally he had come to trample on Gu Yuena's morale, but who would have thought that it would be suppressed like this. Fortunately, he was smart enough to avoid the fool.

While Gu Yuena who saw the departure of Gu Yueli only smiled slanted behind her veil. "Not stupid, but not smart enough." He smiled mysteriously, then turned around to enter the residence.

Inside his ample room, Xiao Hei jumped from the ceiling of the room and stood on the table. Xiao Hei seemed to have found a suitable nest for him, a ceiling full of crossed and patterned wood. Cats always have a strange favorite place.

"Meow~" Xiao Hei pushed a book that he had previously bitten and dragged with difficulty.

Gu Yuena sat on a chair, then picked up the book that Xiao Hei had pushed. That book was a cultivation guidebook. It seemed like Xiao Hei wanted him to learn cultivation for self-protection.

"I've been studying politics and history until I didn't think about it. You're very considerate." Gu Yuena smiled sincerely as she gently rubbed Xiao Hei's fur.

Gu Yuena was not used to magic or anything like that so barely ignored her mandatory cultivation. He forgot that he was in a world full of magic. Usually he only practiced physical and shooting, having absolutely no connection with magic.

Except one thing ....

Actually Gu Yuena—or Valentina—in the past believed in no belief in the existence of magic. If you say you don't believe it, then you're lying. But to say that he believes, is to say that he has gone mad.

Magic or something like that only exists in fairy tales. The existence of magic is too dubious. But after coming to this world, his trust towards magic increased.

When he was a child, he believed in magic since the awkwardness took away his family. But after adulthood, the belief fades alalagi after mingling with people full of logical and do not believe in the existence of spiritual things.

Gu Yuena's knowledge of magic was very little in general, but the memories flowing from the body he occupied made him understand what magic was.

Magic is just one part of the formation of qi or mana. Qi is energy that flows in air, like the element oxygen or hydrogen in chemistry. However, the existence of qi is more complex than elements and compounds.

The magic forming energy and other powers were called qi in the Yi Empire. But in Wyvernia, they call it mana. In scientific terms both names are actually one thing, but the difference between the two languages creates different mentions.

Qi will be absorbed by the body slowly since it is still young. They would gather it unconsciously and form spiritual power in the body that was used as a cultivation stock. At the age of 7 years, then someone will start the first stage of cultivation both in elementary school and home learning.

The cultivation of the first level was a spiritual foundation development. The Qi that becomes the supply in the body begins to be used depending on how much qi the body absorbs. The more qi one absorbed, the faster one would level up.

The first stage of cultivation had three levels or so-called 'stars'. First, a child will be helped by a parent or teacher to open the meridians.

The child could have opened his own meridians, but the limited understanding of cultivation can harm a child's body so it must be accompanied by an adult. This caused many orphans who did not dare to open the meridian so forced to live full of poverty and misery in the middle of a cruel world.

After opening the meridians, an assessment would be made using a spiritual stone. If a child's dantian capacity had covered a qi shelter of as much as 10 points, then he could be considered to have a 1-star 2 level cultivation. But if it was the other way around, they would be pressed back to absorb the qi alone and lonely.

The assessment doesn't end there. After a 2-star pass, they would be re-pressed to train mental strength. Mental strength is the power of the mind to control qi to the maximum extent possible.

When their mental strength did not reach 10 points, then it was considered a failure and had to return to cultivating. If he managed to achieve 10 points, he had been declared a 1-star 3-star pass and would continue cultivating the 2nd level.

Just the first level alone already sounds complicated. If a total of 10 cultivation levels were explained, his fear would not be enough for just one day. Really troublesome.

Gu Yuena closed her book after reading the cultivation of the 2nd level, namely the formation of qi which has a total of 3 stars; control, soul qi, and the form of qi. It took stages along it to achieve element building at the 4th level. The road is long.

"Xiao Hey, cover me." Gu Yuena had already decided to start cultivating.

Somehow those people said that he could not cultivate, he would prove it himself. He could not believe, a body this strong could not cultivate—though not as strong as Valentina's body just yet.

The black cat stood guard at the door straight like a cat statue. Gu Yuena went to the top of the bed and did the steps written in the book.

For some reason, suddenly he can remember it through the memory of the owner of the body. Can't the owner of the body cultivate? How could he easily understand it whereas Gu Yuena herself initially felt so foreign?

Ignoring all those questions without answers, Gu Yuena began to follow the guidebook calmly.

People say spiritual foundation building is quite uncomfortable. Yet Gu Yuena felt absolutely nothing but a cold aura enveloping her body.

He took a slow breath and absorbed as much qi as possible. The cold air continued to coat his cult like a blowing wind.

In addition to feeling the light air that made him comfortable, he felt that the veins of his body were stretching and throbbing. He began to feel uncomfortable for a moment, but was covered by warm air that made him almost sleep.

Don't know what air it is, but it feels like a cool autumn with a blanket on the body that gives it a warm feeling. The longer it gets drowsy.

Gu Yuena did not know how much qi had entered her body. He only knew that he was absorbing qi and felt the coolness and warmth in his body. He was relaxed with a dark and empty mind.

Until finally ....

He really fell asleep sitting down and looking down.

Things he did not know, even in a state of sleep, all the qi was continuously absorbed into the body within abnormal limits. It was as if the energy had gone out of control and rampaged within his body. However the red dots in energy slowly controlled it and pressured it to flow regularly.

It was the reason for the comfort that Gu Yuena felt when everyone felt tormented by the awakening of the spiritual foundation.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

The sky has completely darkened. Gu Yuena woke up from sleep when she heard the noise of falling objects and breaking with the cry of a cat from outside the door.

"What the hell ...." Gu Yuena rubbed her face while sighing deeply. There could be a commotion in the middle of her beautiful dream!

He got out of bed and opened the door. At that moment, he saw Xiao Hei widen his four legs with a ferocious look at the pale-looking Jiang Weiwei. Seeing that, Gu Yuena rolled her eyes.

"What's going on?" Gu Yuena folded her hands and leaned lazily. Some may dare to disturb their sleep. If he was in his place first, he had already thrown a knife at that person.

"Miss, the sassy cat went inside and made a fuss. I just want to throw him out." Jiang Weiwei spoke firmly. He feels weird.

Gu Yuena sighed, walked towards the black cat, then lifted it. "He's mine, Xiao Hei."

Jiang Weiwei was silent. Miss's cat? Since when does Fourth Miss like cats?

"No need to wonder like that. I saw her in the old house and looked pityed, so I decided to take care of her. You know, I always pity to see a lost animal, so I'm holding it."

Somehow Jiang Weiwei felt that Gu Yuena was not talking about the cat but her. Is it just his feelings.

Jiang Weiwei acted as normally as possible and approached Gu Yuena. "Miss, it's my fault. Weiwei did not know that this sweet cat was Miss's pet. Miss doesn't blame Weiwei, does she?"

Gu Yuena smiled. "Why should I blame you? Weiwei, you just recovered, don't have to serve me right now."

Jiang Weiwei sighed. "Miss, Weiwei misses Miss very much. Didn't Miss miss Weiwei? Previously Miss lived in a dilapidated old house, very unsuitable for Miss. Weiwei was so happy that the Family Head let Miss return to the main residence." He was also happy that he would not pass through the haunted lake again.

Gu Yuena nodded in agreement. "You go back to your place, I want to go to sleep."

"Miss, sorry to bother you. Weiwei will be back tomorrow, sleep well."

Gu Yuena smiled showing her gentleness. He and Xiao Hei entered the room leaving Jiang Weiwei alone.

Jiang Weiwei sighed, looking relieved of something. He cleared up the mess that had happened thanks to Xiao Hei and left from there in a state of chaos. If not for Gu Yueli's orders, he wouldn't have come here while his condition was still recovering.

Gu Yuena inside the room did not want to pay too much attention to Jiang Weiwei. He sat on the bed and put Xiao Hei who was wagging his tail many times. It seemed that Xiao Hei was annoyed at Jiang Weiwei.

While sitting down and releasing her thoughts, Gu Yuena realized that her body condition had drastically changed. Before he felt very weak and heavy, but now he felt like a feather. He only realized this after his mind was detached from Jiang Weiwei.

The pair of red irises were closed to check for spiritual power. The first thing he saw was a different darkness than usual. There was a faint stream pacing around him, as if enveloping him from the darkness.

Gu Yuena was a bit in shock, but instantly no longer felt shocked as foreign memories regarding the image of spiritual power overpowered her.

It seemed like there were too many secrets in this body that were hidden by the memories of the original owner. The memory will appear when things that are hidden begin to be discovered.

Gu Yuena could only be patient waiting for those memories to slowly appear to make her adapt to the latest situation. He was curious, what experienced the original owner who could not be known directly.

"Gu Yuena, whatever you're hiding from me ...." He muttered to himself while looking at the flow of spiritual power.

He watches carefully. His hand grabbed the flowing stream of qi. When his hand touched the flow, the qi in front of him seemed to undergo a change and moved straight to focus Gu Yuena's finger.

As if in his control, the qi moved following the direction of Gu Yuena's hand movements like a wave of water following a current. When the qi followed the direction of her hand, Gu Yuena moved her fingers to control the shape of the qi until the flow in front of her changed into a large holo according to the movement of Gu Yuena's hand which led her to change shape.

This was the second level of cultivation, the formation of qi.

"Actually I completed two levels at once?" Gu Yuena was a bit surprised. What kind of cheating did he use? He only remembered that he had fallen asleep very fast because of the opening of the meridian.

Does he cultivate while sleeping? It doesn't make sense!

The 2-star 1st level is qi control. Just now Gu Yuena was doing it smoothly as if she was playing. He only did what his memory showed.

Furthermore, a 2-star was soul qi. What he had just seen was a soul qi following the direction his finger was moving.

But that soul qi had now turned into a form of qi which was a 3-star qualification, the last stage of the 2nd level and was about to enter the 3rd level cultivation, foundation formation. Just one step for him to awaken the element in the body.

Elements passed down from parents. The Dukes Gu Family Element was Fire. Most likely Gu Yuena will inherit it. He will not be surprised anymore. Yet for now, he had to focus himself on the hardest challenge in the early stages of cultivation.

Foundation formation has a high level of difficulty. Most people experience a disability in their spiritual power and experience permanent disability at the 2nd level due to failure at the 3rd level. It was caused by the 3rd level examination that could only be done once in a lifetime.

To pass the 3rd level, actual physical training must be done. Usually people would choose weapons and start determining the direction of cultivation would be what it would be in the future. It began to be applied when the power of the element was raised.

"Alright, Xiao Hei, you should help me find a martial book tomorrow. Although I am very good at martial arts, but this body has a weaker endurance than its spiritual power. It's torturing me."

"Meow~"

"For the reason why Gu Yuena hid her strength all this time so willingly considered trash, I will uncover it soon." He squinted his reddish eyes. "I want to see what other surprises you're gonna show me."