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

Chapter 191: Dao Foundation Reforged, Aptitude Ascended? Zhou Kai Wants a Refund!

The two women jerked their heads up, their eyes wide with disbelief.

“Senior…” Wang Daishan’s voice trembled uncontrollably. “Are… are you speaking the truth?”

Zhou Kai grunted an affirmative, unwilling to waste his breath on further explanation.

Receiving that confirmation, the two sisters nearly wept tears of sheer ecstasy! Go! They absolutely had to follow him!

For the past half-year, they had been living the lives of pampered immortals. Other sisters in their clan who had also successfully latched onto high-ranking figures were stuck serving First or Second Layer Foundation Establishment cultivators whose lives hung by a thread. Those men would eventually be sent to the battlefield to die, forcing the women to scramble for the next master. How could any of them compare to the absolute luxury the Wang sisters enjoyed?

They originally thought being matched with a great cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment was already a mind-bending Fated Chance.

But who could have imagined that the heavens would drop an even bigger surprise into their laps!

Late Foundation Establishment! And a monstrous expert who simultaneously cultivated both body and magic!

Spirit Stones and Pills were provided in endless abundance. This immense wealth had allowed Wang Daishan to shatter a Bottleneck that had plagued her for years, stepping into the Seventh Layer of Qi Condensation, while Wang Xu’er had also broken through to the Sixth Layer.

Now, this living immortal was transferring to a much safer rear-guard area, and he was actually willing to take them along. This was simply a heaven-sent fortune!

“We are willing!” the two babbled incoherently, bowing their heads repeatedly.

Zhou Kai’s heart remained utterly unmoved. These two women were merely playthings for his amusement. Bringing them along required zero effort.

If they were unwilling, it didn’t matter. As for their loyalty? He cared even less. In the face of absolute strength, any petty schemes were nothing but futile jokes.

They were just two caged birds he was casually raising. When he inevitably grew tired of them, he could just toss them over to Qiaoqiao to act as maidservants. It would be making the most out of his investments.

“We depart early the day after tomorrow. Go and pack,” Zhou Kai instructed indifferently.

…

The colossal sky-ship cleaved through the sea of clouds, hurtling toward the northwest.

Inside the luxurious main cabin, Li Yunmian held a cup of spirit tea. She blew gently on the rising steam, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.

“You brought all your various red confidantes along, so why did you specifically leave out Youci? Don’t give me that innocent look; I refuse to believe there is nothing going on between the two of you.”

Zhou Kai put on an expression of utter helplessness. “Youci and I… naturally, we became Dao Companions long ago.”

“But Youci is, after all, the eldest young lady of the Li family, and the Young Master’s biological sister. If the Young Master were to discover that his sister eloped with me… then this disciple would truly be in serious trouble.”

Li Yunmian just blew on the steam in her cup, offering no response.

Her silence made Zhou Kai somewhat unsure of her thoughts, so he proactively shifted the topic. “Disciple has always wanted to ask… why was the Young Master so straightforward? He didn’t say a single word of nonsense and just let us leave.”

“The Sect directly issued the transfer order. Naturally, he must comply,” Li Yunmian said flatly.

“But within Calamity Abyss Valley, aren’t the Li, Song, and Yang families the three most powerful factions? Could it be that even the Young Master cannot influence the Sect’s decision?” Zhou Kai asked, genuinely puzzled.

Li Yunmian finally looked up, shooting him a mocking sidelong glance.

“Do you really think Calamity Abyss Valley is the domain of the three great families?” She sneered. “If that were truly the case, wouldn’t the position of Sect Leader be a mere figurehead? Why would all the peak talents fight so desperately to become Holy Sons and Holy Daughters? What would be the point?”

Zhou Kai’s heart tightened.

“The lineage of the Sect Leader’s Tongtian Peak possesses power sufficient to crush the combined forces of the Li, Song, and Yang families,” Li Yunmian stated.

Zhou Kai had always assumed Calamity Abyss Valley was run by a rotating power-share among the three great families. He never expected the Sect Leader’s lineage to possess such terrifying, absolute depth.

“So that’s how it is! It seems Master truly has extensive connections and influence, to actually be able to request the Sect to issue a direct order, transferring this disciple away from the danger zone!”

This flattery was delivered with perfect precision.

Li Yunmian internally scoffed. It’s only because a certain old fossil surnamed Song knows he’s in the wrong, and he still needs to save face…

“Master, Junior Brother, we will soon arrive at Shangqing City,” Mo Qianyuan’s voice called out from the next cabin.

The three of them stepped out of the cabin together. The expansive deck was already bustling with numerous cultivators.

In the distance, the silhouette of a majestic, sprawling city had appeared on the horizon.

The city was built directly against a colossal mountain, its aura imposing and magnificent, surrounded by towering, rune-inscribed walls.

This was Shangqing City. The surrounding satellite towns and bustling marketplaces had always been under the direct jurisdiction of Calamity Abyss Valley.

Beyond the city walls lay the vast and boundless Sky Demon Mountain Range, one of the Sect’s most crucial sources for Demon Beast materials.

Located far from the Sect’s core, this region was a chaotic mix of the good and the bad. Cultivators here made a living on the razor’s edge by entering the mountains to hunt beasts. The absolute strongest figures among all the families and smaller sects in Shangqing City and its surroundings were merely at Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection.

Precisely because of this power ceiling, the city was perpetually guarded by a Golden Core Elder and their disciples to deter troublemakers and ensure the Sect’s financial interests were secured.

The previous garrison Elder’s hundred-year term had expired. Now, the mantle had passed to Li Yunmian.

“Good, good!” A flashy, booming voice echoed from nearby as Gao Feiyang strode over with confident, sweeping steps.

“Fortunately, a new large-scale teleportation Formation was built over at Crouching Tiger Mountain, teleporting us straight to the vicinity! Otherwise, if we had to fly the whole way on this ship, wouldn’t we be drifting in the sky for half a year? This expert’s magnificent outfit would have grown moldy!”

For this trip to Shangqing City, Zhou Kai naturally had to bring Gao Feiyang along.

He knew exactly what kind of character Li Yunmian was.

She was a lazy, hands-off boss who held her position with righteous confidence, completely uninterested in doing any actual work.

Wouldn’t the troublesome, day-to-day matters of managing a garrison city ultimately fall onto his and Mo Qianyuan’s shoulders?

Bringing Gao Feiyang meant having one more laborer to exploit. Moreover, this guy was loaded with treasures and cash. He might come in extremely handy at a critical moment.

…

A massive Formation enveloped the spirit mountain on the east side of the city. Here, the spiritual energy was several times denser than anywhere else. On the mountaintop, luxurious pavilions, soaring towers, and private cave dwellings were fully arrayed. This was the secluded cultivation ground reserved exclusively for the garrison Elder.

The women each picked their preferred residences. The Chen sisters chose a large, spacious courtyard, deciding to live together with Lin Zhiwei.

Wang Qiaoqiao also temporarily moved in with them, ostensibly to help look after things. In reality, she was intensely curious about the metamorphosis happening to Lin Zhiwei.

For the next three days, Zhou Kai went nowhere. He didn’t even attend the official welcome banquet hosted by the city lords. He simply sat quietly in the courtyard, keeping watch over Lin Zhiwei.

The dormancy period of her Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman was finally coming to an end.

Sitting cross-legged, Lin Zhiwei trembled slightly. She opened her eyes, a sharp flash of spiritual light igniting in her pupils before quickly fading.

“My Qi… I can feel my Qi!” She opened her palms, and a strand of condensed spiritual light gathered and swirled above her skin.

Zhou Kai breathed a sigh of relief. “How do you feel?” he asked gently. “Are there any abnormalities?”

The moment the question left his lips, the System chimed.

[Ding! Red Confidante Lin Zhiwei’s panel has been updated!]

[Lin Zhiwei] [Cultivation: Foundation Establishment First Layer (1029/5100)] [Divine Sense: 1895] [Constitution: 60] [Spirit Root: Earth (Middle Grade 151/300)]

The moment he read the panel, the warm smile on Zhou Kai’s face instantly froze. His brows locked together in a tight frown.

Her Spirit Root aptitude had indeed improved. Her Divine Sense had increased. Her Cultivation base and its capacity limits had also changed.

But! He had spent 3.5 years of agonizing waiting, only to get this pitiful level of improvement?! He took a massive loss!

Was this the legendary, flawless Dao Foundation? The supreme aptitude refinement? Breaking the old to establish the new, purifying the Dao Heart?

This was garbage! He could have piled these stats onto her by spending a few nights grinding Dual Cultivation!

“Official, what’s wrong?” Seeing his expression darken so drastically, Lin Zhiwei felt her heart leap into her throat.

“Husband, what’s wrong? Is there still a hidden danger lurking inside Sister Zhiwei’s body?” Wang Qiaoqiao asked frantically.

The Chen sisters also looked over, their faces pale with anxiety.

Huh?

Wait a second. Why was there suddenly an extra “Constitution” stat? And why did Constitution have a numerical value?

Zhou Kai hurriedly opened Shen Hanyi’s panel to compare.

[Shen Hanyi] [Constitution: Suppress Demon Return to Ruins Sword Embryo]

What?

“System, add 1 universal point to my Constitution!” Zhou Kai ordered mentally.

[Zhou Kai] [Constitution: 1]