Three thousand points of Comprehension!

On Shen Hanyi’s status panel, the Comprehension stat—originally a staggering 5,360—had cratered to 2,360. It was a massacre; more than half her potential had evaporated in an instant.

Could it be… because of our intimacy?

Did taking her virginity while she was merely at the Sword Control stage cause this collapse?

Zhou Kai reacted immediately. His Divine Sense swept out, performing a meticulous scan of Shen Hanyi’s body.

Her breathing was steady. The Innate Stainless Sword Embryo showed zero signs of fracture or damage. Her sword essence remained abundant and potent.

Zhou Kai glanced at the system panel again; his own accumulated points hadn’t decreased by even a fraction.

It seemed the problem wasn’t physical. It was mental.

Comprehension is ethereal. It dictates one’s perception of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and one’s grasp of universal laws.

Shen Hanyi was a sword cultivator with a crystalline Sword Heart. Perhaps her subconscious had long warned her: losing her chastity during the Sword Control stage would tarnish her Sword Heart and obstruct her Dao.

That was likely the source of her previous icy demeanor—her single-minded devotion to the blade and her total indifference to romance.

For a genius like Shen Hanyi, who bore the Innate Stainless Sword Embryo, her state of mind was the foundation of her power.

This tremor in her heart likely impacted her Sword Dao far more severely than any physical injury could.

Hanyi… Zhou Kai thought inwardly. I’ve wronged you.

But don’t worry, he promised silently. This lost Comprehension… in the future, I will definitely make it up to you!

As if sensing his thoughts, Shen Hanyi’s long eyelashes fluttered against his chest. A faint trace of confusion flashed across her brows.

Subconsciously, she felt a void. A hollow sense of loss and melancholy washed over her spirit.

But the feeling was fleeting.

Her identity now was “Qing Shuang,” Su Moran’s woman.

More profoundly, that innate, lifelong coldness seemed to have been displaced by an unprecedented, intense, and unfamiliar emotion.

The tenderness he offered her made that frozen heart tremble. It felt right to abandon something precious just to embrace this warmth.

Joy and satisfaction rose like a spring tide, instantly drowning out that insignificant sliver of loss.

She nuzzled deeper into his embrace, finding a more comfortable position.

Compared to this immense delight, what did a little inexplicable emptiness matter?

Just as Shen Hanyi settled into contentment, immersed in bliss, Zhou Kai keenly sensed a subtle shift in her mysterious aura.

He focused his gaze on her panel.

[Comprehension: 2365]

It went up!

Though a negligible five points, it was undeniably rising.

It appeared that Shen Hanyi’s joy, satisfaction—perhaps even this first taste of love—was compensating for the cracks in her state of mind.

This was an unexpected surprise.

It meant her Comprehension wasn’t permanently broken. It wasn’t just about adding points; with the right guidance, she might even surpass her former limits through the power of emotion.

This ‘Secret Realm’ is wonderful. I don’t even want to leave, Zhou Kai mused.

He was becoming increasingly curious about the master of this realm.

“I’ll investigate on my own for three more days. When the Town Head strikes that bronze mirror again, I will tear the secrets of this place wide open!”

Calculating the time, he had been inside this “Secret Realm” for quite a while. The Chen sisters and Wang Qiaoqiao were still waiting for him in Gazing River City.

The Chen sisters could likely keep their composure.

But Wang Qiaoqiao…

Zhou Kai frowned slightly.

He knew Wang Qiaoqiao’s nature too well. She was shrewd and utilitarian, but that very shrewdness made her prone to overthinking.

With no news from him for so long, she was probably sitting on pins and needles.

If she assumed he had met with misfortune and started making “alternative plans,” it would be troublesome. That was a tangible investment in Spirit Roots walking around.

He had to get them to Calamity Abyss Valley as soon as possible.

Gazing River City.

Chen Ziyi sat quietly by the table, an ordinary travelogue in her hands. She turned the pages mechanically, her eyes unfocused.

She glanced at the door frequently, a faint sorrow etched on her face.

“Husband and the others have been gone for over ten days. I wonder if things are going smoothly,” she murmured.

“Sister, put your heart at ease!”

A brisk, cheerful voice rang out from the hallway. Chen Ziqing breezed in, carrying a plate of fresh pastries, a playful grin on her face.

“Big Brother Zhou is so formidable. Do you really think a mere Blood Blade Stronghold can stump him? If you ask me, he probably thinks our cultivation is too low and we’d just get in the way.”

She set the plate down with a clatter.

“He’s likely enjoying the peace and quiet—and checking if there’s any eye-catching ‘scenery’ along the road!”

She bit down slightly on the word “scenery,” blinking her large eyes with a mix of mischief and meaningful implication as she glanced out the window.

Chen Ziyi rolled her eyes helplessly. “You and your tongue.”

“Hehe, I’m just analyzing the situation for you!” Chen Ziqing offered a piece of cake to her sister. “Taste this. The osmanthus cake from this shop is quite good. Let’s just wait. The moment Big Brother Zhou finishes his business, he’ll come back for us.”

Despite her lighthearted words, a trace of anxiety lingered in Chen Ziqing’s eyes.

In her spare moments, she had been holed up in the inn, obsessively studying the Foundation Establishment Pill formula. After days of deduction and trials, she had restored eighty to ninety percent of it. Only the ratios of the final few auxiliary herbs and the specific refining gestures remained blurry.

Unlike the relative calm of the Chen sisters, Wang Qiaoqiao was a nervous wreck.

For the first few days, she managed to suppress her nerves, forcing herself to meditate in her room.

But as seven or eight days passed with zero news, dark thoughts began to sprout like weeds in her mind.

Is the Blood Blade Stronghold a harder bone to gnaw than expected? Is Zhou Lang… struggling?

Or did he encounter a bigger problem he can’t escape from?

Or even…

She didn’t dare think it, but the thought drilled into her brain uncontrollably: Has Zhou Lang… abandoned us?

After all, look at them.

One Low-grade Fire Spirit Root.

One Low-grade Water Spirit Root.

And herself, merely a Mid-grade.

In the cultivation world, such aptitude was trash.

Of course, Wang Qiaoqiao had no idea Zhou Kai had already secretly upgraded the Chen sisters to Mid-grade.

Zhou Lang is a genius with a boundless future. Does he see us as dead weight? Did he take the Formation Master and the Sword Fairy and fly far away?

Once the seed of doubt was planted, it grew wildly.

She began going out frequently. She didn’t just gather gossip; she analyzed the political situation inside and outside Gazing River City, calculating the probability of Zhou Kai’s disappearance.

She even secretly assessed whether she needed to secure a new escape route.

When she finally spent a fortune to confirm that the Blood Blade Stronghold had been annihilated—the Chief beheaded and displayed, no survivors left—she let out a massive sigh of relief. The stone in her heart dropped.

But the relief was short-lived.

New intelligence arrived.

Someone had found traces of a massive battle in the mountains outside Gazing River City. Shattered boulders, pulverized forests—the destructive power of the Foundation Establishment realm!

A great battle? With whom?

Wang Qiaoqiao’s heart jumped into her throat. Instinct told her that battle was related to Zhou Lang.

Even worse, she noticed a change in the city itself. Cultivators with strange, eerie auras were appearing in Gazing River City. Their vibe was identical to the group that had ambushed Shen Hanyi before—Yin Ruins Sect demonic cultivators!

Why are they here?

Is the battle outside related to the Yin Ruins Sect? Is Zhou Lang…

Wang Qiaoqiao’s fingernails tapped rhythmically against the table, her mind racing.

Fear was there, certainly. But dominant was the shrewd instinct of a merchant sniffing out risk.

She didn’t hesitate to dig deeper, but she was already calculating: If Zhou Lang is truly dead, how do I get to Calamity Abyss Valley without a token…

Chen Ziyi remained the picture of gentleness, comforting her softly.

“Sister Qiaoqiao, don’t worry. Husband has the heavens on his side. If he can wipe out the Blood Blade Stronghold, he can handle other troubles. We just need to wait.”

Chen Ziqing blinked, speaking half in jest and half in earnest:

“I’m telling you, Big Brother Zhou definitely thinks the three of us are in the way. He’s out there living it up! Who knows, when he finally comes back, we might have two more sisters to greet!”