“Sigh…” Lu Li let out a sigh as he picked up a strand of hair hanging by his temple, then looked at himself in the mirror again.
This was truly a situation that was both laughable and frustrating.
Laughable, because he was captivated by his reflection. Frustrating, because he had to maintain this appearance for six more days.
“Oh well, I knew what I was getting into when I joined the sect.” Lu Li let out a long breath.
“Forget it, time to cultivate.”
“By the way, Senior Sister Lu.” Qing Luo smiled and pointed at the main entrance.
“There’s one more thing.”
“What?” Lu Li stood up and glanced outside the door, only to find Shen Zhaoxue standing in the courtyard with a small pack on her back.
Behind her, eight former defeated opponents stood in an orderly line.
Their eyes were lively, curiously surveying the courtyard.
Shen Zhaoxue, at the head, had taken on the role of leader.
She occasionally corrected the younger girls, then looked toward the open door.
Whenever her gaze met Lu Li’s, she would lower her head and silently bow.
In that bow, the sharpness that had once filled her face vanished completely, replaced only by a demure submission.
“According to the rules of the Yin Yang Sect, the defeated must serve the victor.” Jiang Yuebai picked up a book from the shelf.
“I won’t disturb you two.”
“Me neither.” Qing Luo also waved her hand and slipped into the inner room.
“I have to go exchange pointers with other senior sisters in a few days.”
“Hey, you two!” Lu Li watched as Qing Luo and Jiang Yuebai walked away and closed the door behind them.
But Qing Luo had left him a mischievous grin.
“Sigh…” Lu Li scratched his head in a rather undignified manner.
The sight made the girls in the back row cover their mouths to stifle laughter.
Shen Zhaoxue shot them a cold glare to silence them.
“Senior Sister Lu, according to sect rules, for the next half month, you may command us as you please.” Shen Zhaoxue lowered her head.
“Whether it’s daily care, light chores, alchemy, artifact forging, or talisman drawing, we can handle it.”
“Then… scatter for now and get yourselves settled.” Lu Li had never faced the task of commanding so many girls before, and for a moment, he was at a loss.
“Shen Zhaoxue, come with me. Let’s talk about cultivation.”
“Understood.” Shen Zhaoxue bowed. When she turned around, she had reverted to her former imposing demeanor as the senior sister.
She skillfully directed the girls to either cultivate or contact the responsible miscellaneous service disciples to prepare items suitable for group living.
“Everything is arranged.” Shen Zhaoxue looked at Lu Li.
“Is Senior Sister Lu satisfied?”
“No problem. I actually wanted to discuss some cultivation matters with you.” Lu Li turned and walked back into his room.
Shen Zhaoxue followed in small steps, lifting her eyebrows slightly as she surveyed the surroundings.
“I usually live as a man, so this place is… probably different from what you’re used to.” Lu Li glanced at the short shirts and trousers hanging on the rack, the books scattered on the table, and the wooden swords resting horizontally or hanging from hooks. He coughed lightly. “What I wanted to discuss with Junior Sister Shen today is… Wait, why are you taking off your clothes?!”
“Didn’t Senior Sister Lu bring me into the room for this?” Shen Zhaoxue had already slipped off her shawl.
“Isn’t it dual cultivation? I’ve brought the items.”
As she spoke, Shen Zhaoxue’s expression remained calm.
She flipped her empty hand and produced an object that Lu Li had only heard of but never seen.
“Then let’s…”
“No need, thank you!” Lu Li immediately waved both hands in refusal.
“It’s not about dual cultivation. I wanted to discuss breaking through to Qi Refining Layer 12.”
“I see. I overstepped my bounds, Junior Sister.” Shen Zhaoxue immediately put away the object, dressed herself properly, and sat primly on the chair.
Her overly composed expression left Lu Li somewhat disconcerted.
“I’m really curious.” Lu Li sat across from Shen Zhaoxue. “How can you stay so calm?”
“Just family training. When facing one’s superior, one must maintain politeness and not show any panic.” Shen Zhaoxue said. “In this Grand Tournament, Senior Sister Lu defeated me. So, in my eyes, you are my superior.”
“I understand.” Lu Li shook his head.
His father had only briefly mentioned these concepts and never taught him in detail. “Let’s talk about breaking through to Qi Refining Layer 12.”
“Forgive my boldness…” Shen Zhaoxue hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Senior Sister Lu, are you already at Qi Refining Layer 12?”
“Yes, I reached it on the sixth day after entering the sect.” As Lu Li nodded, he caught the first hint of a bitter expression on Shen Zhaoxue’s face.
“But when I tried to break through to Layer 13, I ran into a minor problem.”
“You can’t locate the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, right?” Shen Zhaoxue shook her head, dispersing her worry.
“Because everyone’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians are in different positions.”
“Exactly. And I can’t use Divine Sense to detect them. I have to rely on the crudest method—letting Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi fill the body and observing where changes occur.” Lu Li nodded.
“That’s the most common method in the world.”
“The major sects of the world do have some methods, but for a genius like Senior Sister Lu, they would be too slow.” As Shen Zhaoxue spoke, she took out a thin book.
“To reach Qi Refining Layer 13, you need to find your own Ren and Du Meridians and open them.”
“The Ren Meridian has twenty-four points, corresponding to the 24 Solar Terms. The best way is to seek your own Ren Meridian during different solar terms.” Shen Zhaoxue extended her finger, tracing along the dense network of lines.
“The Du Meridian has twenty-eight points, corresponding to the 28 Lunar Mansions. You need to observe the stars at night and feel the resonance between the constellations and yourself.”
“But our sect’s cultivation technique allows us to sense the other’s Ren and Du Meridians during dual cultivation, right?” Lu Li glanced at the dense and entirely different acupoint guides.
“That’s why disciples of the Yin Yang Sect are sought after by the various immortal cultivation sects.”
“Yes.” As Shen Zhaoxue spoke, she pulled at her waistband, and her skirt slipped off onto the bed.
“I understand you mean to cultivate, but please don’t keep taking off your clothes, Junior Sister Shen.” Lu Li looked at Shen Zhaoxue and noticed the hidden rigidity beneath her actions.
“Before we begin, I want to ask: why?”
“Because my ancestor doesn’t have much time left.” When the topic came up, a rare trace of bitterness appeared on Shen Zhaoxue’s face.
“Once my ancestor passes away, if the family has no Golden Core cultivator to hold it together, it will fall to the status of a second-rate family.”
“I see.” Lu Li looked at Shen Zhaoxue, who had lowered her head. “Let’s dual cultivate.”
As soon as she heard this, Shen Zhaoxue lifted her head.
Her originally icy eyes shimmered with brilliance.
Then, she reached for her clothes again.
“But don’t take off your clothes, thanks.”