For the past three days, while Shen Hanyi was in seclusion consolidating her cultivation, Zhou Kai went completely all out.

A ball of pent-up frustration burned in his chest, fueled by the deep sting Shen Hanyi’s progress had given him.

When they first met at Crouching Tiger Mountain, Shen Hanyi was merely at the Sword Control Seventh Layer. Now? She was already at Spirit Shaping Fifth Layer!

He was a dignified transmigrator with a System, yet his cultivation speed was being left in the dust by a native prodigy. Where was he supposed to put his face? His motivation surged like never before!

Thus, Zhou Kai transformed into the most diligent “gardener.”

By day, he delved into the profound mysteries of Spirit Qi circulation with the fifteen “human-shaped Spirit Gathering Arrays” on Yantian Peak. By night, he returned to his cave abode on Taiji Peak, sleeping foot-to-foot with Chen Ziyi and the other three women, meticulously comprehending the subtle gains found within the great harmony of life.

It was painful, yet joyful! He gave, and he received!

Even if he had to pill-pop his way up, he would force his cultivation to rise!

Today, Zhou Kai finally managed to push his cultivation to the Second Layer of Foundation Establishment. However, the cost was immense.

He lay sprawled on the summit of Taiji Peak, limbs wide, letting the mountain wind batter him. His face was devoid of color, presenting the utterly drained, life-is-meaningless appearance of a dried salted fish.

His kidneys… they were truly going on strike.

“Ah, I’m suffering… especially from those Cultivation Vessels. They want it, then want it again, and then want it some more,” Zhou Kai lamented inwardly. He felt like he would inevitably die young on this path of cultivation.

A faint, elegant fragrance drifted over, accompanied by light footsteps.

Shen Hanyi appeared behind him. She was still dressed in white, peerlessly elegant. The usual chill between her brows had softened, replaced by a touch of gentleness.

“You’ve already consolidated your cultivation this quickly?” Zhou Kai shot her a weak glance, his tone dripping with sour grapes.

Shen Hanyi walked to his side and sat down cross-legged, her voice clear as a mountain spring. “Consolidating my realm only took one day. The remaining two days, I spent comprehending the mysteries of my newly born Sword Embryo.”

Zhou Kai rolled his eyes, nearly spitting out a mouthful of old blood. “One day?!”

“Why can you advance to the Fifth Layer of Spirit Shaping so quickly?” he couldn’t help but ask. This isn’t scientific!

Shen Hanyi’s clear eyes gazed toward the sea of clouds on the horizon. “It is not fast.”

“Not fast?” Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched. Is this woman flexing? Absolutely!

Shen Hanyi seemed to sense his mood and explained, “I am a natural-born Sword Embryo. Since birth, I have been able to spontaneously absorb the world’s Spirit Qi. To this day, I have cultivated for twenty years.”

Twenty years… Hearing this, Zhou Kai felt slightly relieved. That’s not so bad. Otherwise, I would really start to doubt the meaning of life.

“However,” Shen Hanyi’s tone shifted, a strange glint flashing in her cool eyes, “now, it will be fast.”

She was referring to the benefits brought by the Suppress Demon Return to Ruins Sword Embryo.

“I promised you I wouldn’t die, so I have come.”

Zhou Kai’s heart stirred, recalling her previous near-fatal state. “Who was it that gravely injured you?”

A cold glint flashed in Shen Hanyi’s eyes, murderous intent chilling the air. “I only know his surname is Yun. He is the youngest grandson of the Heavenly Demon Ridge’s Sect Master. Now… killing him would require but a single sword stroke.”

Before her words faded, her fair hand lifted lightly, pointing her longsword.

A dazzling dark-golden sword light erupted from the tip, faint black demonic patterns swirling upon it. It was majestic and overbearing, as if it could pierce a hole through the very heavens!

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out. Shen Hanyi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. The longsword clearly couldn’t withstand the might of her Spirit Shaping Fifth Layer cultivation. Overburdened, the blade shattered inch by inch.

“The fifth one,” she said softly, a note of helplessness in her tone. Ordinary magical artifacts could no longer keep up with her pace.

Zhou Kai pointed toward the distant horizon, where hundreds of massive warships hovered, banners fluttering. It was the assembled cultivator army of Calamity Abyss Valley, a murderous aura permeating the air.

“With the great battle imminent, forging a suitable magical treasure or divine weapon for you now is probably too late.” Zhou Kai took out a heavy bag and a token. “These are Spirit Stones. Go buy a fine sword first. This token represents the status of a personal guard of the Li Family. The Li Family’s Grand Miss said you are to serve under her command.”

Shen Hanyi took the Spirit Stones and the token, replying with just one crisp word: “Good.”

Time flowed by, and in the blink of an eye, another month and a half had passed.

The Grand Miss remained in seclusion. All affairs were relayed by Xia Min on her behalf.

Zhou Kai was somewhat frustrated. Had he known the expedition hadn’t started yet, he should have just asked Fish Baibai to take action back then. With her skills as a Third Grade Artifact Forger, she definitely could have crafted a peerless sword tailored for Shen Hanyi. Why bother buying a lesser one?

During this month and a half, Zhou Kai’s “in-depth exchanges” with the various women also yielded substantial gains.

The Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talismans on Chen Ziyi, Chen Ziqing, Wang Qiaoqiao, and Lin Zhiwei had completely exhausted their spiritual nature through continuous “exchanges.” Those scattered sparks of fuel fire had entirely transformed into quenching fire, entering a dormant period, awaiting metamorphosis.

And Zhou Kai’s Comprehension, under the massive infusion of Exchange Points from Shen Hanyi, had broken through the 5,000-point mark!

The benefits were obvious. Heavenly Scriptures that were once obscure and difficult to understand could now be thoroughly grasped with just a bit of contemplation. His cultivation speed was advancing by leaps and bounds!

The Lawless No Word Heavenly Scripture and the Starfall Myriad Manifestation Hammer—bolstered by this terrifying Comprehension—had both reached the Second Layer!

What delighted Zhou Kai even more was discovering that after these two top-tier cultivation methods reached the Second Layer, combined with his high Comprehension bonus, the required Exchange Points for breaking through subsequent realms had been drastically reduced!

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 ( / )] → [Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 ( / )] [Vitality: Bone Forging Layer 2 ( / )] → [Vitality: Bone Forging Layer 2 ( / )]

A full reduction of 18,000 Cultivation Exchange Points and 10,000 Vitality Exchange Points!

“Just as I thought!” Zhou Kai was overjoyed. This completely aligned with his previous speculation! The higher the Comprehension, the deeper the understanding of cultivation methods, naturally making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort. Even the breakthrough difficulty judged by the System had decreased!

This was the true virtuous cycle!

Without hesitation, Zhou Kai focused his mind and poured all his accumulated Exchange Points in!

Boom! Boom!

Spiritual power and Vitality simultaneously surged and roared within his body. Two distinctly different forces filled his limbs and bones.

His Cultivation broke through to Foundation Establishment Layer 3! His Vitality broke through to Bone Forging Layer 3!

Now, Zhou Kai’s body and magic had both stepped into the third minor realm of the second major realm! He could clearly feel the surging power within his body. His bones were tougher, his meridians broader, his Mana and Vitality immensely robust.

“If I face that bastard Fu Weilun again, I won’t need any fancy tricks. One hammer strike will smash him into paste!” Zhou Kai clenched his fists, his confidence swelling unprecedentedly.

During this period, aside from Zhou Kai and his beauties frantically “grinding,” the atmosphere within the sect had also grown increasingly tense.

Gao Feiyang had been leaving Taiji Peak almost daily lately, frequently coming to share intelligence with Zhou Kai.

“Junior Brother Zhou, what time is it now? The front lines are already a bloody mess! Our Gao Family’s elites have all been deployed, fighting bloody battles. Me, the esteemed Young Master of the Gao Family, a Foundation Establishment Grand Cultivator of Calamity Abyss Valley, suppressing all enemies of this generation… cough… yet I’m still holed up in the sect. Does this seem right?”

Gao Feiyang, sporting his signature flamboyant cloak, paced anxiously back and forth.

“And the Li Family and Yang Family also dispatched their disciples and clan elites to the battlefield long ago. Only the Song Family remains motionless, not even a shadow seen! Could it be that the Sect Master is deliberately showing favoritism?”

Hearing this, Zhou Kai’s eyes flickered. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked leisurely, “Senior Brother Gao, what’s the specific situation over at Wangchuan City right now?”

“Wangchuan City?” Gao Feiyang was taken aback by the question, then said, “Wangchuan City is a smaller city relatively close by, just outside our Calamity Abyss Valley’s sphere of influence. It’s practically on our doorstep. The strange thing is right here. The leaders of the Yin Ruins Sect occupying the city are only at the mid-Golden Core stage. After taking the city, they haven’t continued to advance, just engaging in minor skirmishes. And on our side, we aren’t taking the initiative to attack either. Isn’t that odd?”

Zhou Kai set down his teacup, saying solemnly, “Senior Brother Gao, our Calamity Abyss Valley’s modus operandi has always been unconventional, full of surprises. Tell me, is there a possibility that we might have reached some kind of undisclosed agreement with the Yin Ruins Sect side? For example… turning around and stabbing the other four Righteous Sects in the back?”

Gao Feiyang, this usually boisterous, flamboyantly eccentric cultivator, now fell into rare contemplation.

Hummm—!

A luxurious sedan chair, entirely pitch-black and wreathed in sinister netherfire—the Dark Cloud Soul Chasing Sedan—shot through the air, coming to a hovering stop above Taiji Peak.

Immediately after, a graceful figure shot up from the base of the peak. It was Xia Min.

She was still dressed in her efficient maid attire, but her expression was solemn now, her voice clear and cold, spreading across the entire Taiji Peak:

“By the Grand Miss’s command!”

“Shen Hanyi, Fish Baibai, Zhou Kai, Gao Feiyang—depart immediately to accompany the expedition!”

“All others are temporarily reassigned to Yantian Peak for deployment. Await further orders, diligently cultivate, and do not neglect your duties!”