Dual Cultivation System: My Cultivation Was Crippled, So I Rely on Intimacy to Level Up

Hearing Fish Baibai’s heroic declaration, Zhou Kai laughed aloud. “Good! Then I ask for Senior Sister’s guidance today!”

Before his voice had even faded, he leaped out of the cave abode.

Fish Baibai followed closely. Without any visible exertion, her figure landed lightly in the clearing. She slammed the giant hammer onto the ground with a dull thud, then raised a hand and swiped her thumb across her nose in a delinquent fashion.

“Junior Brother Zhou, these two strikes are my proudest moves derived from the Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer. Watch closely!”

Zhou Kai didn’t dare be negligent. The Hundred Beast Banner was already in his grip, his Vitality surging through his veins.

“First move!” Fish Baibai let out a clear shout, her voice crisp. “Flame-Breathing Bunny Hammer!”

“Pfft…” Zhou Kai almost choked on his own surging Vitality.

Flame-Breathing… Bunny Hammer?

The name was just too ‘Senior Sister Fish.’

But the moment the thought flashed through his mind, raging flames erupted from Fish Baibai’s pitch-black warhammer!

The flames were crimson, manifested purely from her Vitality. The moment they appeared, the surrounding air twisted and distorted from the heat. The fire coalesced on the hammerhead, faintly forming the phantom of a snarling, glaring… rabbit head?

Immediately, Fish Baibai exerted force. She swung the giant hammer with one hand, smashing it down toward Zhou Kai’s skull!

The hammer hadn’t even arrived, but the scorching gale slapped his face, making his robes snap wildly.

What chilled him even more was that as the hammer swung, several fist-sized fireballs shot out from behind it, sealing off his retreat and forming a pincer attack with the main strike.

Zhou Kai didn’t hesitate. With a fierce shake of the banner pole, he met the attack head-on.

Boom!

The giant hammer and the banner pole collided, erupting in a dull, thunderous roar.

A wave of fire swept out in all directions, pulverizing the bluestone slabs beneath their feet into dust. Zhou Kai used the impact to drift back several zhang, barely stabilizing his stance. His entire arm felt numb.

Fish Baibai pouted, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. “Junior Brother Zhou, you’re cheating! I kindly suppressed my strength and used only a magic tool to spar with you. That banner is clearly a magic treasure! You’re taking advantage of me!”

Zhou Kai couldn’t help but laugh. “Senior Sister Fish, are you addicted to hammering me? What about the second move?”

Fish Baibai puffed out her small chest. “Watch my second move! Armored Bunny Hammer!”

As the words fell, her warhammer transformed again.

A heavy, yellowish-brown light flared on the hammer’s body. As her Vitality circulated, a thick layer of rock armor rapidly condensed over the weapon.

In the blink of an eye, the already heavy warhammer swelled to nearly five zhang in length. The hammerhead became a small hill, manifesting an even larger, more ferocious rabbit head—only this one was clad entirely in heavy rock plate mail.

Fish Baibai gripped the handle with both hands. With a sharp cry, the five-zhang colossus, carrying the weight of a mountain, smashed down toward Zhou Kai!

This time, Zhou Kai wanted to test what it felt like to take the blow head-on.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes. The Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer cultivation method operated frantically within him, his Vitality surging like molten mercury through his meridians.

“Good timing!”

Zhou Kai roared, advancing instead of retreating. He held the Hundred Beast Banner’s pole horizontally across his chest, pouring all his strength into the block as he met the armored warhammer.

Clang——!

An overwhelming, irresistible force traveled down the banner pole.

The skin between his thumb and forefinger split instantly, blood spraying into the air. He grunted, his feet plowing two deep furrows in the earth as he was forced back over a dozen zhang before finally stopping.

His chest churned with chaotic Vitality. A sweet taste rose in his throat; he nearly spat out blood.

Fish Baibai stood her ground, watching Zhou Kai with eyes full of excitement.

Zhou Kai shook his numb arm and grinned. “Thank you for the guidance, Senior Sister.”

Fish Baibai slung the hammer over her shoulder, tilting her head. “Aiya, hurry up and cultivate! Once your Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer improves a bit more, I can go all out. It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper fight!”

After saying this, she burst into a giggle, her eyes curving into crescents. It was undeniably cute.

Zhou Kai smiled as well.

For the next seven or eight days, Zhou Kai’s life followed an exceptionally regular pattern.

At night, he returned to his Outer Sect cave abode to attend to the “Four Great Cultivations.” During the day, he stayed at Taiji Peak, cultivating the Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer and sparring with Fish Baibai.

The efficiency of a Heaven-grade Wood Spirit Root in absorbing Spirit Qi, combined with the bonus from his increased Comprehension stat, allowed him to advance by leaps and bounds.

In just a few short days, he broke through to the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation.

At this rate, Zhou Kai estimated that within twenty days at most, he could attempt Foundation Establishment. And this was without devoting all his energy to the Azure Spirit Qi Gathering Art, as the body cultivation of the hammer technique couldn’t be neglected either.

As for the situation in the Outer Sect, Zhou Kai kept up to date through Wang Qiaoqiao.

The entire Outer Sect of Calamity Abyss Valley was less like a sect territory and more like a massive Cultivation City attached to the Inner Sect. Not all disciples had the talent or perseverance to cultivate the No Word Scripture. Many, especially those who reached the Second Realm and had no hope of entering the Inner Sect, chose to branch out, establishing Cultivation Families in the Outer Sect to propagate their bloodlines.

Wang Qiaoqiao’s shop had opened smoothly in a bustling location, thanks to a word from Ren Zhengze, the Enforcement Hall disciple Zhou Kai had met previously. Business was reportedly quite good.

As for Chen Ziqing, the aftereffects of her forced breakthrough had been stabilized. Under Zhou Kai’s stern reprimands and a diet of expensive foundation-stabilizing pills, her cultivation settled at the Fifth Layer of Qi Condensation.

Most of her depleted potential and lifespan had been recovered. However, a complete recovery without hidden dangers would likely require another year or two of careful recuperation.

Zhou Kai had spared no effort for this, which made the girl much more obedient. He also dumped all his Alchemy Exchange Points into her stats, allowing her to break through to become a Second-Grade Alchemist. She felt a stroke of inspiration, believing she would soon be able to refine Foundation Establishment Pills independently.

According to the System’s strict adherence to the “rules” of the Cultivation World, becoming a Third-Grade Alchemist required at least the mid-stage of the Second Realm. No wonder the Cultivation Arts breakthroughs required so few Exchange Points—if your realm wasn’t high enough, you couldn’t break through anyway.

Right, you dog System!

First-Grade pills covered Qi Induction to mid-Qi Condensation. Second-Grade covered late Qi Condensation to mid-Foundation Establishment, and so on.

Yantian Peak.

Li Qiwen held a Jade Slip, his brow slightly furrowed. It contained the intelligence report on Zhou Kai submitted by his subordinates.

“Bandit Cultivator background… that’s not really significant,” Li Qiwen muttered, lowering the Jade Slip. “The Cultivation World is a place where the strong prey on the weak. Who hasn’t had blood on their hands while trying to rise? Nine out of ten who climb high have dabbled in killing for treasure.”

What truly surprised him was Zhou Kai’s aptitude and cultivation progress.

“Heaven-grade Spirit Root… Cultivating for twenty years. Even with a damaged Dantian delaying him for a decade, he shouldn’t still be at the Third Layer of Qi Condensation upon arrival, should he?”

The report also detailed the Chen sisters, Wang Qiaoqiao, the mysterious disappearance of the Chen family Patriarch, and Lin Zhiwei’s entanglement with the Fu family of Golden Copper Dock.

“This person’s actions all seem to be connected to women. And the women he associates with are all quite beautiful. The Chen sisters, Wang Qiaoqiao, Lin Zhiwei… Could it be that this Zhou Kai is a romantic fool who risks his life for women?”

Li Qiwen muttered to himself, disdain filling his eyes.

He stood up, preparing to return to his family archives to consult some ancient texts and determine what kind of constitution this Zhou Kai actually had.

Suddenly, his steps halted. A thought struck him like lightning. His face drained of color.

“Oh no!”

Li Qiwen slapped his forehead hard.

“That bastard… he couldn’t be… targeting Youci?!”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Panic set in. He could no longer sit still.

He urgently sent a message to Li Youci, detailing Zhou Kai’s background as a serial womanizer, warning her to stay away from him and avoid excessive contact at all costs!

Early morning. Sunlight filtered through the thin mist, sprinkling over Taiji Peak.

As usual, Zhou Kai arrived in front of Fish Baibai’s cave abode, carrying an exquisite food box.

Fish Baibai had been waiting. The moment she saw Zhou Kai, she rushed forward happily, unceremoniously snatched the food box, and popped a peach blossom pastry into her mouth.

“Mmm… delicious!” Fish Baibai mumbled, crumbs falling from her lips. “Junior Brother Zhou, let me tell you, even if you bring me delicious food every day, the cost of the auxiliary materials for your hammer… at most… at most I can give you a thirty percent discount! Not a single Spirit Stone less!”

Zhou Kai chuckled. “Got it, got it, Fish the Skinner.”

“Humph! Who is Fish the Skinner?!” Fish Baibai puffed out her cheeks, only to be conquered by the food again a second later.

After she had eaten her fill, she wiped her hands.

“Junior Brother Zhou, the weapon blank for your precious hammer has been forged into shape. Next, I’ll carefully temper it further, striving to refine it into something between a magic tool and a magic treasure.

“After that, you can store it in your Dantian, nourishing it day and night with your own Vitality and Mana. Slowly, it will transform into a true Lifebound Treasure!”

“I’ll trouble you then, Senior Sister,” Zhou Kai said sincerely.

Just then, the small rabbit Storage Bag at Fish Baibai’s waist flashed. She took out a communication Jade Token and probed it with her Divine Sense.

Her expression changed slightly.

“It’s a message from the Young Miss!” Fish Baibai put away the Jade Token, her face flushing with excitement.

She produced an Array Flag and stabbed it into the ground.

Hum——

An invisible ripple emanated from the Array Flag, spreading rapidly until it enveloped the entirety of Taiji Peak in a shimmering curtain of light, sealing it off from the outside world.

Task complete, Fish Baibai turned to Zhou Kai, her eyes gleaming with a mysterious, mischievous light.

“Junior Brother Zhou, the Young Miss… she’s about to engage in a duel! Are you interested in seeing what she can do at fifty percent strength?”