“Lu Li, I’ve been thinking about something.” Qing Luo watched Lu Li as he read a book in the study. “Are you really a man?”
“Of course, the real deal.” Lu Li lifted his eyes. “But Qing Luo, why would you ask that?”
“Because since you started practicing Enchanting Sound, your voice has become… too crisp and pleasant to listen to. It sounds really comfortable.” Qing Luo glanced at Lu Li’s prominent chest, then at her own modest curves.
“It makes me forget that fact.”
“This is a special situation lately.” Lu Li closed the book and walked to the window. The courtyard had now become a paradise of wondrous flowers and herbs.
The abundant spiritual energy also brought them a generous supply of spirit stones.
“But Lu Li, this transformation of yours will revert in twelve days, right? Then how…” Qing Luo glanced at Lu Li’s waist again and compared it simply.
Her face fell. “Don’t tell me you actually want to stay a woman forever?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Qing Luo?” Lu Li lightly tapped Qing Luo’s forehead with the book.
“It’s just that cultivating in female form is faster. I estimate in about twenty more days, I’ll be able to reach Foundation Establishment.”
“That’s way too fast… It’s only your third month in the sect, and you’re almost catching up to Master.” Qing Luo mumbled as she leaned on the window, looking at the wildly growing grass blades.
“It is indeed a bit too fast, but I couldn’t do it without your help, Qing Luo.” Lu Li avoided the hairpin on Qing Luo’s head and gently stroked her hair.
“I’ve only been in the sect for a short time. I still have to rely on you for many things.”
“Mm…” Qing Luo closed her eyes, feeling the slender fingers gently comforting her head.
“Thank you.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. You’ve really helped me a lot, Qing Luo.” Lu Li looked at the mature grass blades.
“Once this batch is harvested, I’ll go down to the market square at the foot of the mountain. By the way, Qing Luo, do you need me to bring anything?”
“No need. There are already plenty of things in the sect, and I still haven’t finished the Fragrance Condensing Pills you gave me before.” Qing Luo waved her hand.
“Cultivation—I’ll strive to reach the Qi Refining 13th Layer as soon as possible!”
“Okay.” Watching Qing Luo, Lu Li also pondered whether, once he reached Foundation Establishment, he could go down the mountain to find some cultivation techniques or pills to help Qing Luo’s cultivation grow steadily.
It was the third month since arriving at the Yin Yang Sect, and naturally, no one had dueled Lu Li.
First, he himself was at the Qi Refining 13th Layer, and his Yin and Yang Qi were gradually perfecting.
Second, at the Enthronement Ceremony, he fought Liu Qingyun of the Imperial Sword Sect and won.
Third, during the Trial Battle, he defeated over three hundred people.
This led to the sect being filled with junior sisters who admired Lu Li.
“The Qi Refining Stage is only the entry to Immortal Cultivation.” Lu Li gazed at the wondrous flowers and herbs.
“Before going down the mountain, I still need to accumulate more spirit stones. Even though I have the Charm Technique… I still feel it’s not quite right.”
“And compared to those who took thirty to forty years to break through, my savings are far too meager.”
Over the past half month, Lu Li had also inventoried all the property he obtained during the previous trial: about three hundred low-grade spirit stones, over a dozen important talismans, and some weapons.
As for cultivation techniques, he had turned them over to the Library Pavilion.
In exchange, he got the book he most wanted—the Toxic Scripture.
“My assets are merely what an ordinary disciple would accumulate over ten years or so.” Lost in thought, Lu Li stepped onto the Light Gauze and descended the mountain to head to the market square, seeking the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.
He walked through the main entrance, passed the guards who bowed to him, and entered the room. When Shen Zhaoxue came in, he placed the freshly harvested herbs and Flower and Grass Dew on the table.
“The quality of the spiritual medicine has been excellent lately.” Shen Zhaoxue counted the vibrant veins.
“The fragrance of the Flower and Grass Dew has also become much richer. I heard that you and Qing Luo turned your small courtyard into a garden?”
“Yes, I made some slight modifications.” Lu Li nodded.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said that, Shen Zhaoxue’s face flushed red, her lips parted slightly, and her expression became dazed.
Her body trembled involuntarily.
This change made Shen Zhaoxue immediately close her eyes, calm her mind, and regulate her condition.
When she opened her eyes again, she frowned and looked Lu Li up and down.
After a few seconds, she nodded as if she had realized something.
“What’s wrong, Shen Zhaoxue?”
“Your Enchanting Sound has also reached great success.” Shen Zhaoxue activated her own Charm Spiritual Root. “What a terrifying speed.”
“It’s also thanks to the effect of Enchanting Sound that these spiritual herbs have grown faster.” Lu Li said.
“That’s only natural… but I’m a bit puzzled. You actually chose to cultivate Enchanting Sound.” Shen Zhaoxue sniffed the air.
“You haven’t started practicing Fragrance Holds yet, have you?”
“That’s right. To avoid causing any major problems, I plan to proceed step by step.” As Lu Li finished speaking, Shen Zhaoxue let out a sigh.
“As expected, a genius is a genius… Oh, right, I’ll have a miscellaneous service disciple deliver the spirit stones later. The Drunken Fragrance Pavilion has been busy lately. If you keep talking, my Charm Spiritual Root won’t be able to resist.” As Shen Zhaoxue spoke, the redness on her face still hadn’t subsided.
“Of course, if Senior Sister Lu is willing to marry into my Shen family, that would be the best.”
“Sorry, I don’t want to get married.”
“Oh, but looking at Senior Sister Lu now—so graceful and elegant, voice so melodious, and your Charm Technique at great success.” Shen Zhaoxue glanced at Lu Li.
“Even I, your junior sister, am a bit tempted.”
“Alright, no more joking.” Being teased like that by Shen Zhaoxue actually lifted Lu Li’s spirits a little.
“I estimate I’ll be breaking through to Foundation Establishment in about ten more days. Then I’ll have to leave the Yin Yang Sect. Is there anything you need me to help with?”
“Ten days?!” Shen Zhaoxue’s playful expression vanished.
“That fast?”
“Yes.” As Lu Li nodded, Shen Zhaoxue closed her eyes again. When she reopened them, her face was full of relief.
“I wish Senior Sister Lu a smooth journey.”
“Thank you.”
With that matter settled, Lu Li returned to the sect’s small courtyard to begin his final breakthrough.
He sat cross-legged and sealed the door with restrictions.
Taking a Foundation Building Pill from his storage bracelet, Lu Li swept his divine sense over it, feeling the dense energy, and swallowed it directly.
The combination of the two techniques—Charm Technique and Enchanting Sound—made it far easier for Yin and Yang Qi to enter the acupoints. With the help of the Divine Charm Spiritual Root, in just a few days, all four hundred and eight acupoints were completely filled.
“Now, I need to condense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into a single point.” With a slight shift of his mind, the true qi from the four hundred and eight acupoints began to gather into his dantian.
“Then continuously absorb until liquid True Yuan appears.”
With the Charm Spiritual Root on his body, the transformation of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was incredibly easy and effortless.
Especially after the Foundation Building Pill entered his body, it instantly turned into pure medicinal power, merging together into his dantian.
“…Still not enough.” Lu Li turned his wrist and swallowed another Foundation Building Pill.
True qi swirled, forming a massive green dragon’s whirlpool in his dantian.
The originally calm weather also turned extremely gloomy.
“Has it started?” Lin Yin appeared out of nowhere, standing amidst the chaotic flow of spiritual energy. The surrounding gale couldn’t even ruffle her purple dress.
“Lu Li is truly gifted. In just eighteen short days, he’s about to enter the Foundation Establishment Stage?”
“The sect’s revival is hopeful.” Su Wanqiu looked up at the gathering dark clouds.
“But compared to when Lu Li broke through to the Qi Refining 13th Layer, why is this different?”
“After taking the Foundation Building Pill, the pure medicinal power allows him to no longer rely on Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi… But when ordinary people break through to Foundation Establishment, at most they cause spiritual energy disturbances. He, however, makes the spiritual energy so turbulent, yet near the courtyard it’s extremely stable.” Lin Yin turned to Su Wanqiu.
“How old are you, and how many years have you been in Foundation Establishment?”
“Eighty-six years old, twenty-six years in Foundation Establishment.” Su Wanqiu finished speaking and looked helplessly at Lu Li.
“He is eighteen years old, spent two months in Qi Refining… In the future, he might truly be able to ascend to the Upper Realm.”
“That is inevitable.” Lin Yin nodded. Just as she was about to leave, a thunderclap made her freeze.
Her eyes widened, and her face full of shock as she stared at the sky.
“Damn Heaven?!” Lin Yin looked at the gradually expanding millstone of spiritual energy and couldn’t help cursing.
“Breaking through from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and you give him a Lightning Tribulation?!”
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