Warmth enveloped her body. The pressure of time and the stinging cold forced her to focus completely. It forced her to create a new skill. Minnie looked at it with slight annoyance. The purpose of the system's avatar was profit, so Minnie wanted May to rely entirely on the system. However May didn't care what Minnie thought.

  Breathe in and out. From head to toe. Control the flow. Minimize movement. Qi energy circulated throughout her body in a closed system, with only minor losses to the surrounding environment. Eventually, flow and heating became second nature to her. She no longer had to actively think about it to control the flow; it became semi-automatic. Her talent was undeniable.

  My control for this ability had already improved. I now only surround my body with it. Hmm, it took me maybe a couple of hours? My talent is really impressive. She smiled to herself. This could be considered a bit arrogant, but out of the hundreds of elite students at Cloud Academy, probably only the twins could achieve a similar result to her.

  It was only an F-class skill, but it served its purpose well.

  May trembled slightly. She was satisfied, but she was currently working at full capacity.

  Simultaneously, she used three skills: [Basic Body Warming Aura] to ensure she didn't freeze to death in the snow, [Qi Suppression] to avoid detection by other cultivators, and finally [Qi Sensing] to be able to see anything in the dark night and observe the area from a distance.

  Qi Sensing was currently class D, allowing her to see almost a hundred meters away in complete darkness. She also felt that with the passage of time, her ability was approaching its limit and becoming stronger and stronger... It was exhausting, but all three skills were becoming more powerful with each passing minute.

  May slipped her hand into her pocket, took out a pill, and popped it into her mouth.

  It was the [Cultivation Fasting Pill] that Hua Tang had given her. It contained all the necessary nutrients and was used by cultivators when they devoted themselves to cultivation. Thanks to it, she didn't have to eat or drink for the next 24 hours. She still felt a slight discomfort from hunger, but she quickly ignored it.

  “You're crazy...” Minnie whispered after about three hours, seeing May maintain three abilities at once. “But... I see it too. Your abilities have become much stronger... Your current talent is undeniable.”

  If she wanted to improve her skills to such an extent through the system, she would most likely have to spend tens of thousands on it.

  A few hours later, May discovered that [Basic Body Warming Aura] had risen to rank F+. She no longer had any trouble surrounding her body with it completely. Currently, her losses of Qi were minimal. The other two skills she used also seemed to be a degree stronger.

  “I'm getting sleepy...” May said, already feeling slightly tired from constantly observing the area and maintaining her position. “Minnie, how much would it cost to remove this fatigue and sleepiness?”

  “2,500...”

  “Without hesitation? Minnie was startled by May’s behavior, as she was usually stingy in such matters.

  May didn’t change her stance and replied expressionlessly. “Can’t you see my progress? I’m making huge gains for such a small amount. I can’t break out of my focus now, or I’ll lose everything.”

  Minnie did indeed notice that she was extremely concentrated at the moment. She didn't take her eyes off the building she was observing for even a moment. The skills she used also seemed to be more elegant and refined. Minnie knew she was right. If she wanted to improve these skills through the system rather than her current position, she would have to pay ten times more.

  Minnie decided to leave her alone for now and not disturb her.

  The whole day passed, her control was getting better and better, and Qi began to work more and more naturally. Seeing that she was making progress, she continued to observe the area. She didn't take any breaks, only when it became bright outside again did she stop using [Qi Sensing].

  Time passed mercilessly, and May noticed that her progress had slowed significantly. Practicing in this way was clearly reaching its limit.

  By now, she hardly had to think about using those abilities at all. It was as natural as breathing, and the effect was nothing short of incredible.

  And so, she began to cultivate. She guided the Qi through her entire body and initiated the first cycle. It was a pleasant change of pace from her usual routine.

  "What on earth are you doing?" Minnie finally blurted out, sensing the shift in the Qi flow within her body. "Don't tell me you've actually started a cultivation cycle while simultaneously using two abilities and scouting the terrain?"

  It wasn't a matter of talent or physical strength, but of focusing on multiple things at once. It wasn't exactly impossible, but it was like trying to watch TV, read a book, and text with your other hand all at the same time. It required an impossible level of multitasking. Most people would struggle to focus on even one of those things.

  I'm doing all this at once, and on top of that, I'm talking to you... I'm starting to get a little bored, so I might as well start the cultivation cycle.

  Minnie didn't know what to say. Even with her talent, it shouldn't be that easy. Was it something innate? A natural ability to multitask? If so, it was a terrifying talent. Minnie could sense how easy it was for her. She was doing perfectly.

  May forgot the world around her, focusing solely and exclusively on her Qi flow. She withdrew into the confines of her own body. Only from time to time did she cast a curious glance at the people occasionally exiting the building she was watching. They weren't doing anything suspicious, though, mostly just shoveling snow or moving various items.

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  Consequently, she didn't pause her cultivation for even a moment. Hours ticked by. She eventually halted one of her many cycles to take a brief rest. Cultivation was becoming increasingly painful with each passing cycle, and she needed a rest.

  After resting for a bit and seeing that nothing suspicious was happening, she popped another pill into her mouth, to avoid wasting time on eating, and began the next cycle.

  And so, the entire night passed. She had never cultivated for this long in a single stretch in her life. Usually, she did it in short, slow bursts. Now, however, she was beginning to understand why some cultivators shut themselves away in caves for years. It truly was more efficient.

  Soon, another morning arrived. May finally stopped her all-night cultivation to rest again.

  She sighed quietly and said, “Minnie, I want to buy freedom from fatigue and lack of sleep again.”

  “Sure, and by the way, congratulations on advancing to the next stage.”

  Hmm? What do you mean by progress?

  "Huh?" Minnie was utterly stunned. "Don't tell me you didn't even notice you're already at the seventh stage of Qi Refinement?"

  May truly hadn't noticed that she had ascended to the next stage around midnight. She had been in a trance-like state, oblivious to the world and aware only of the flow of her own Qi. It was a rare phenomenon, though not unheard of.

  Curious, May decided to check her status and confirm Minnie’s words.

  Not bad.

  She made tremendous progress. Although the main reason for taking on this mission in the first place was to strengthen her combat abilities, strengthening her support abilities wasn't too bad either. Besides, she has only just begun.

  She soon returned to her routine. She began cultivating again.

  Evening was approaching. Then May noticed a horse-drawn carriage approaching the building in the distance, looking quite ordinary, even poor.

  May stopped cultivating and made sure there were no problems with her [Qi Suppression]. She took a deep breath.

  Just as I said, Minnie, it didn't take that long. It wasn't even three days.

  “Maybe for you! But I was so bored that I felt like a month had passed! Ugh, let's just get this over with! I can't stand watching you cultivate nonstop and not do anything interesting any longer! Minnie sobbed with exhaustion in her voice, even though she wasn't doing anything.

  Okay, okay, quiet now. I need to watch now what's going on.

  To gain a better view, she lowered herself even further, getting closer to the trees. The carriage pulled up cautiously, stopping right in front of the estate. Due to the far distance, she couldn't make out every feature, but based on their physiques, she recognized two men. One was shrouded in a crimson cloak, while the other had a shaven head. Both were tall and well-built.

  Lang Shao stepped out from the building and bowed so low that May had no doubt he was fearful of them. From this distance, she couldn't overhear their conversation, but the atmosphere seemed thick with tension.

  "They're going somewhere..." Minnie remarked suddenly.

  Indeed, they headed toward the back of the building. Instead of going inside, they directed their steps elsewhere.

  "Dammit..." May whispered, pushing herself up slightly. "I have to get closer, or I won't find out a thing."

  "It’s risky," Minnie replied. "There are three of them and only one of you. Besides, there might be even more of them in there."

  "I didn't sit in these stupid bushes for this long just to back down now. Besides..."

  May possessed the perfect skill for tailing people stealthily. [Ethereal Footwork of Flight] allowed her to cover vast distances in absolute silence. It was quite Qi-heavy, true, but she wasn't worried about her Qi reserves.

  May quickly slid down the hill, which was thankfully mostly icy. She was at the hill’s base in a few seconds. Then, without pausing even for a moment, she ran to the nearby trees to take shelter under their cover. Following a brief wait, she sprinted toward the next checkpoint, positioned in what seemed to be a firewood storage shed.

  In this way, in a few moments, she found herself almost at the building itself. When she was in more open spaces, she used [Ethereal Footwork of Flight] until she reached a safe place. This ability was really too good. She could move tens of meters per second without making a sound.

  She headed in the same direction as the men. She trekked through the deep snow, and fortunately, their tracks were still visible. Due to the heavy snowfall, those footprints would likely vanish without a trace in just a few minutes.

  May stepped carefully, treading only within their tracks. She didn't want to risk anyone noticing, even by pure accident, an extra pair of footprints.

  "It’s so far..." Minnie whispered after a few minutes had passed. May had been following their tracks all the way to a nearby forest, but the path was becoming increasingly strange and winding. She was no longer certain she could find her way back if she didn't turn around right now. Yet, she had already come too far to retreat now.

  It was no wonder the sect’s investigators had found nothing... They were likely searching in the wrong place.

  May continued to trail the footprints until the sound of male voices reached her ears. She couldn't make out their words, but she crouched low and slowed her pace. Finally, she had caught up to them. Now, she would tail them directly. She maintained a safe, distant gap, not daring to make even the slightest sound.

  Though she was certain she was undetectable, paranoia gnawed at her, whispering that they had already spotted her. However, nothing happened, and for the next twenty minutes, they continued through the woods. They had long since veered off the established mountain trails. The path wound up and down, veering right then left; the sect’s cultivators stood no chance of ever stumbling upon this place.

  Finally, the voices fell silent. May approached. Sticking her head out slightly, she noticed a lonely hut in the middle of a dark forest. She scratched her head. Surely such a small place couldn't hold so many kidnapped people.

  Nevertheless, she had to check it out.