A cool breeze blew gently through the wilderness.

Zhou Kai maintained his rapid movement, diverting a sliver of his attention to check the system panels for himself and Chen Ziyi.

[Zhou Kai] [Cultivation: Qi Condensation Fourth Layer (62/400)] [Vitality: Meridian Opening Second Layer (100/200)] [Spirit Root: Metal (Low Grade 12/100), Wood (High Grade 0/900), Water (Low Grade 17/100), Fire (Low Grade 23/100)] [Cultivation Arts: Alchemy (Second Grade 262/300)] [Omni-Points: 130] [Alchemy Exchange Points: 0] [Vitality Exchange Points: 0]

[Red Beauty: Chen Ziyi] [Vitality: Meridian Opening Second Layer (30/200)] [Spirit Root: Fire (Low Grade 20/100)] [Affection: 100 (Unwavering)] [Point Type: Vitality] [Points Provided: 10]

According to Zhao Tieshan, the trip to Broken Wood Bay would take about ten days for someone at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

Bringing Chen Ziyi along would inevitably slow them down. With the necessary stops and starts, the round trip might take a full month. Adding the time required for their business at Broken Wood Bay, it could be over forty days before they returned to the Crouching Tiger Mountain market.

With 10 Vitality points gained each time, even if they only communicated once a day—excluding Chen Ziyi’s seven inconvenient days—by the time they returned, it would be enough for both of them to advance to the third layer of Meridian Opening. And that was a conservative estimate assuming only one session per day.

“Mmm… Husband?”

Chen Ziyi stirred in his arms, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked around dazedly at the scenery rapidly receding past them, only then realizing she was being carried by Zhou Kai as he traveled at speed.

“Where are we going?”

“Awake?” Zhou Kai looked down, his expression gentle. “I’m taking you out for some experience. You’re now a body cultivator at the second layer of Meridian Opening. How can you always stay at home? You need to see blood to truly grow.”

“What about Little Sister?”

“Ziqing is staying home, focusing on breaking through to the second layer of Qi Condensation. Her path is different from yours,” Zhou Kai explained. “Your realm has already surpassed hers. Naturally, your husband must bring you out first, so your strength can be put to practical use and you can broaden your horizons.”

Over the next few days, the two continued their journey day and night, resting only when fatigue demanded it.

Occasionally encountering low-level demonic beasts, Zhou Kai would slow down and let Chen Ziyi try her hand at combat.

At first, Chen Ziyi was nervous and flustered.

After all, not long ago she had been a mere Mortal woman. Even with the power of the Meridian Opening realm coursing through her, it was difficult for her to adapt immediately to the bloody reality of combat.

The first time she faced a Horned Swine with its bristling mane and foul stench, her face turned pale with fright. Clenching her fists, her hands trembled uncontrollably.

But with Zhou Kai’s encouragement and support from the sidelines, she finally mustered her courage and beat the Horned Swine to death with her bare hands.

Only when she saw the beast fall to the ground motionless did she collapse, gasping for breath, feeling a mix of lingering fear and adrenaline-fueled excitement.

With the experience of that first success, her courage grew noticeably, and her movements gradually became more proficient.

From initially dodging in panic, she later became able to actively seek out the weaknesses of demonic beasts to attack.

Of course, if they encountered slightly higher-level beasts or packs, Zhou Kai would not let her risk moving forward.

Whoosh!

Flames shot from the mouth of the Flame Heart Gourd, instantly turning a lunging Wind Wolf into charcoal.

Night fell, and a campfire crackled merrily.

Zhou Kai had already set up a simple tent nearby.

Chen Ziyi nestled in the crook of his arm, helping him process the demonic beast meat hunted during the day to prepare dinner.

“Husband,” Chen Ziyi finally couldn’t help but ask, “why do you always use magical tools instead of spells when killing powerful demonic beasts? I’ve heard people say that cultivators all know many powerful spells—that they can summon wind and rain, or control thunder and lightning.”

Zhou Kai paused in turning the roasting meat for a moment, then gave a carefree smile and handed a sizzling piece of roasted beast leg to Chen Ziyi.

“Eat. It’s just roasted. Be careful; it’s hot.”

He looked into the dancing flames, his gaze becoming somewhat distant, as if lost in old memories.

“Do you want to hear my story from before?”

Chen Ziyi took a small bite of the roasted meat and nodded vigorously, her bright eyes sparkling as she looked at him. “I want to hear!”

Zhou Kai picked up a branch and poked at the campfire as he slowly began speaking. “Actually… I come from a very distant Mortal kingdom…”

Naturally omitting the fact of being a transmigrator, he simply said he was an orphan who was forced by circumstances to survive, eventually becoming an outlaw bandit hiding in the mountain forests.

“…Later on, the government hired an immortal master to suppress the bandits. That was my first time knowing that this world truly had immortals who could ride clouds and mist or control thunder and fire.”

“That immortal master—thinking back now—was probably only at the first layer of Qi Condensation. He seemed to have just stepped onto the immortal path not long ago and completely lacked practical combat experience.”

“Although he killed some mountain bandits, there were many fierce men in the stronghold; their leader even knew some military formation combat techniques. Under their fearless siege, that immortal master quickly ran out of Spirit Qi and was eventually hacked to death by random blades. A generation’s immortal master… actually perished at the hands of Mortal ruffians.”

“My luck was relatively good; I managed to survive that chaotic battle by chance. And on that dead immortal master’s body… I found a small booklet called the ‘Qi Induction Art.'”

“‘Qi Induction Art’?” Chen Ziyi repeated softly.

“Mhm. It’s just the most common Qi induction method out there—utterly worthless. If you threw it on the ground in the Crouching Tiger Mountain market, no one would even pick it up.” Zhou Kai gave a self-deprecating smile. “But for me back then… it was no less than a heavenly scripture.”

“I relied on that tattered booklet… groping my way into guiding Qi into my body… stepping onto the immortal path.”

“It’s just a pity my Spirit Root aptitude was too poor… plus the Spirit Qi in Mortal kingdoms is so thin it can be ignored… A full ten years… and I barely managed to cultivate to the second layer of Qi Condensation… And this was me sparing no effort… scrimping and saving… using all my time for meditation and breathing exercises.”

Ten years… Qi Condensation Second Layer… Chen Ziyi’s heart tightened as she silently calculated the hardship.

“I kept inquiring everywhere… and finally learned about where the cultivation world existed… I also found the road leading there.” Zhou Kai’s voice lowered slightly. “But who knew… that necessary road was occupied by a group of Bandit Cultivators specializing in robbing passing travelers.”

“Bandit Cultivators?” Chen Ziyi’s heart rose in her throat.

“Yes. Think about it—those who run from the cultivation world down to Mortal realms to mess around are mostly failures with little hope on the immortal path, wanting to lord over Mortals. And people like me—groping from the Mortal realm into the cultivation world—how much wealth could we possibly have?”

“So those Bandit Cultivators there—although their cultivation wasn’t high either—had sharp eyes and black hearts, specifically targeting soft targets like us who looked easy to bully.”

“The few belongings I’d painstakingly saved up weren’t even warmed in my hands before being looted clean.” A fierce glint flashed in Zhou Kai’s eyes. “Right then I understood—in this dog-eat-dog cultivation world, without strength, even living like a human being is a luxury. Kindness and retreat will only make you die faster.”

“Then what? Husband, what happened later?” Chen Ziyi pressed anxiously.

“Then?” Zhou Kai grinned, showing his teeth. “Then I learned from them. I became a Bandit Cultivator myself.”

“Ah?” Chen Ziyi covered her small mouth, somewhat unable to believe it.

She wanted to ask something, but the words reached her lips and were swallowed back. She only whispered, “Husband, those are all in the past now.”

Zhou Kai said calmly, “If a person isn’t ruthless, they cannot stand firm. Soon, I relied on the resources I plundered to break through to the third layer of Qi Condensation. But after reaching that stage, a bottleneck came. No matter how I cultivated, my progress stagnated.”

“Those cultivators coming from Mortal realms… couldn’t scrape a few ounces of oil off them. Those returning from the cultivation world were also poor, their pockets empty. It was no help for me breaking through realms.”

“Until one day, I again encountered that Bandit Cultivator leader who had robbed me back then.” Zhou Kai’s face turned cold. “A life-and-death struggle ensued. I killed him, but I also paid a price.”

“That time, my Dantian was damaged. Although it wasn’t fatal, it severed my Dao path.”

“Later on, I drifted all the way here, arriving at the Crouching Tiger Mountain market. By chance coincidence, I entered your Chen family, becoming a Guest Elder.”

Chen Ziyi listened silently. She put down the roasted meat in her hand, shifted her body, leaned closer, and gently held Zhou Kai’s hand.

His hand was very warm and very steady, without the slightest visible trace of having experienced such storms.

After quite a while, Chen Ziyi finally raised her head and softly asked, “But Husband, what does this have to do with you not using spells?”