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

When vision finally returned to Zhou Kai, he had no idea how long the world had been spinning.

“Hiss…”

He sucked a cold breath through his teeth. It felt like a stampede of demon bulls had trampled him, reversed, and trampled him again. Every joint in his body screamed with a deep, aching soreness, but the worst pain came from a certain unspeakable region.

Du Chuyao sat cross-legged beside the Earth Crystal Stone, her dark hair cascading down to obscure her profile.

Her aura was far steadier than before. The shimmering, lustful haze in her golden pupils had receded, though a trace of complex, lingering emotion still flickered in the depths of her gaze.

Zhou Kai grimaced, feeling the utter lifelessness of his “Great Sword.” After a long silence, he squeezed a sentence out through gritted teeth.

“It hurts! I’m dry! There isn’t a single drop left…”

Du Chuyao’s ears turned an unprecedented shade of red. She quickly composed herself, her voice regaining its icy detachment. “After today, my Mana will recover past fifty percent. I will be able to fully suppress and refine the Joyful Union poison on my own.”

The implication was clear: Before the day was over, he would have to contribute a few more drops.

Zhou Kai’s face turned green. She was practically shearing the sheep down to the bone!

The two located the abandoned cave dwelling halfway up the mountain. With a wave of her jade-like hand, Du Chuyao collapsed the rock layer, forcibly connecting the cave to the underground space housing the Earth Crystal Stone.

“This opens up the airflow,” Du Chuyao explained. “The Spirit Qi circulation will improve, and the Earth Crystal Stone will recover its Spirit Rhyme faster.”

As Zhou Kai drove the final Array Nail into the walls, the Spirit Qi density in the underground chamber multiplied instantly. With a thought, he released the Jade Arm Mantises and the massive swarm of Split Back Katydids.

The three fist-sized mantises immediately began inspecting their new territory with curiosity, while the black mass of katydids filled the air with a dense chitter-chatter.

“You’ve raised these Spirit Insects well,” Du Chuyao noted, a flicker of surprise in her beautiful eyes. “Once the Earth Crystal Stone releases a pulse of Spirit Rhyme, they will certainly advance to the early Second Rank.”

Zhou Kai chuckled. Between the secret feeding formulas in the Spirit Feeding Precious Record and the resources he had looted from those two unlucky bastards, Chen Xingze and Fu Weilun, his insects were progressing by leaps and bounds.

Once the insects settled into their hibernation state, Zhou Kai layered several concealment Formations over the entrance. Only then did the trio depart, boarding a Spirit Boat and speeding toward Golden Copper Dock.

On board, Du Chuyao went straight into the cabin for Secluded Cultivation.

To avoid the escalating battle lines between the Righteous and Demonic factions, Zhou Kai charted a wide detour. The journey ended up taking over a month.

Wu Hongxiao, possessing a restless nature, grew bored. After the awkwardness of the “incident” faded, she actually became less reserved around Zhou Kai.

“Come! Take my spear!”

On the deck, Wu Hongxiao let out a sharp cry. The long spear in her hands moved like a coiling dragon, whipping up a fierce gale as it thrust straight for Zhou Kai’s chest.

Zhou Kai didn’t dodge. His Vitality surged, and he met the steel tip with a bare fist.

Clang!

The two separated, sliding back several steps. It was a draw, stopping exactly at the point of sparring.

“Refreshing!” Wu Hongxiao laughed heartily. She stowed her spear and tossed a wine gourd to Zhou Kai. “You’re a freak! How is a dual cultivator of body and magic this strong?”

Zhou Kai took a swig of the fiery liquor and grinned. “Junior Sister, you’re not bad yourself. Your spearmanship is sharp. Very heroic.”

Wu Hongxiao had a straightforward, tomboyish personality without the usual coyness of female cultivators. To Zhou Kai, she felt like a larger version of Fish Baibai—less eccentric, more heroic, and equipped with two significantly larger “bowls.”

Wu Hongxiao wiped her mouth, lowered her voice, and leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, Senior Brother Zhou… aren’t you even a little curious about Senior Sister’s situation?”

Zhou Kai’s heart stirred. “Of course. For example, Fairy Du’s fiancé, Dong Cheng.”

“Saint Son Dong Cheng…” Wu Hongxiao sighed. “He’s a legend among the younger generation of Qionghua Palace. His talent was already monstrous, but then he obtained a massive Fated Chance.”

“Oh? What kind of chance?”

“He explored the ancient ruins at Crouching Tiger Mountain and seized a tremendous treasure. He came out completely reborn, having forged the Postnatal Forged Fire Body.”

Wu Hongxiao continued, her expression turning solemn. “His current Secluded Cultivation has two goals: break through to the late Golden Core stage, and fully refine the Three Thousand Brilliant Flames bestowed by the Sect.”

“Three Thousand Brilliant Flames?”

“Yes. It’s a terrifying Strange Fire. Colorless, formless. Once it touches you, it burns from the inside out. It is impossible to guard against and overwhelmingly domineering.”

Zhou Kai narrowed his eyes. So the Five Great Sects have already raided the Crouching Tiger Mountain ruins? And there are treasures inside that can reforge a constitution?

He filed that information away and pressed on. “So, how is the relationship between the Saint Son and Fairy Du?”

“Relationship?” Wu Hongxiao scoffed. “Our Saint Son is a cultivation maniac. His Dao Heart is harder than iron. As for Senior Sister… to be honest, they meet maybe a few times a year. They’re more distant than strangers. The marriage was arranged by the elders; neither opposed it, and that was that. I suspect in Senior Brother Dong’s eyes, nothing exists except the Great Dao.”

Zhou Kai listened, and his heart dropped into his stomach.

Holy shit. I’m doomed.

If an ordinary man gets cuckolded by someone stronger, he might grit his teeth and swallow the humiliation.

But a fanatic like Dong Cheng? A man with a “Firm Dao Heart”?

If he finds out, he won’t react with jealousy. He will react with Daoist Logic.

He will see the affair as a “flaw” in his perfect existence. To maintain the Perfection of his Dao Heart, or to overcome his Heart Demon tribulation before ascending to Nascent Soul, he would need to sever the karma.

And “severing karma” usually meant physically obliterating the cause.

He wouldn’t just kill Zhou Kai; he would tear him to pieces to prove his resolve.

This was called “Resolving Karma, Refining the Dao Heart.”

Based on Wu Hongxiao’s description, the probability of this outcome was ninety-nine percent. To ensure his Dao Heart was flawless, he might not even spare Du Chuyao.

“So,” Zhou Kai muttered, “I am potentially facing the wrath of a late-stage Golden Core lunatic wielding an invisible, unblockable fire?”

He looked sharply at Wu Hongxiao. “Fairy Du… she understands the gravity of this, right?”

Wu Hongxiao flinched under his intense gaze. “S-Senior Sister naturally understands.”

Zhou Kai exhaled, feeling a fraction of the weight lift. As long as Du Chuyao knew the stakes, she was naturally on his side. Survival bound them tighter than any oath.

“Junior Sister Wu.”

Zhou Kai suddenly grinned, draping his arm heavily around her shoulders. He spoke with the gravity of a general addressing his lieutenant.

“From now on, you are the bridge between me and Fairy Du. You are the most trusted of the trusted, the staunchest of the staunch in our little group! We are all in the same boat now, and we must pull together to survive the storm!”

Wu Hongxiao: “…”

Looking at Zhou Kai’s shameless grin, she suddenly felt like the wine had gone sour.

“What are you two discussing?”

Du Chuyao’s cool voice drifted from behind them.

The pair jumped, their mouths snapping shut. They turned to see Du Chuyao standing at the cabin door.

She had emerged from a month of seclusion. Her aura was fully restored, pristine and sharp. Her golden pupils gazed calmly at the distant horizon, as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

But she had. Clearly.

Zhou Kai coughed dryly, retracting his arm from Wu Hongxiao. “How is Fairy Du’s recovery?”

“Thanks to you, I am fully healed.”

Du Chuyao replied indifferently. She withdrew her gaze from the sky and locked eyes with Zhou Kai. There was no ripple of emotion in those golden depths, yet the stare made Zhou Kai’s scalp tingle.

She spoke suddenly, her voice cutting through the wind.

“Saint Son Junior Brother… will not know.”

One sentence. Resolute. Final.

Zhou Kai didn’t want to dwell on the deadly topic. He straightened his expression.

“Fairy Du, I need to visit the ruins of the Lin family’s ancestral land. I need to open a hidden Formation and retrieve an heirloom belonging to my Dao Companion. There may be powerful enemies lurking nearby. I need you to buy me some time.”

Du Chuyao looked at him. “The war between the Righteous and Demonic factions is at its peak. Golden Copper Dock is under strict lockdown; entering or leaving is incredibly difficult. However, every so often, both sides organize large-scale battles. I will personally step forward to coordinate with the Four Sects and expedite the next clash.”

She paused, her gaze unwavering.

“When the chaos begins, you will slip in. Wait for me at the Lin family ancestral land. I will come find you.”

“In that case, I will rely on Fairy Du!” Zhou Kai cupped his fists.

Du Chuyao nodded slightly. She handed them two masks capable of blocking Divine Sense probes, said nothing more, and flew off the deck.