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

Chapter 192: Cards on the Table, You Are the People Zhou Kai Trusts the Most!

Zhou Kai blinked, snapping out of his daze. Seeing the worry etched across the faces of the four women, the irritation he felt over Lin Zhiwei’s lackluster aptitude results began to fade.

“It’s nothing,” he reassured them. “I was just thinking.”

He glanced at the system panel again. That solitary “1” was still glaring at him.

Did this numerical value represent some kind of tier for her physique? Or was it just a binary switch—0 meaning no special physique, and 1 meaning she had achieved some kind of entry-level constitution?

But if that was the case, why didn’t Shen Hanyi’s [Suppress Demon Return to Ruins Sword Embryo] have a numerical value?

Zhou Kai couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he racked his brain. He decided to stop dwelling on it. This system had always been notoriously temperamental and stubborn. Perhaps the answer would reveal itself in the future.

He looked at Lin Zhiwei, his voice softening. “Zhiwei, focus on your body. Do you feel any other special sensations?”

Lin Zhiwei closed her eyes, probing her internal state for a moment before shaking her head uncertainly. “No, I don’t.”

Zhou Kai nodded. It seemed the improvement in her physique value was beyond normal perception.

He turned to the rest of the women. “It’s nothing major. I probably just set my expectations too high. Our Zhiwei already had an excellent foundation. Now that she has been broken and successfully reforged, she is bound to soar to the heavens. She is a true genius!”

Hearing this, the women finally relaxed, warm smiles returning to their faces.

Wang Qiaoqiao let out a sigh of relief. The Chen sisters immediately swarmed Lin Zhiwei, chattering excitedly as they showered her with congratulations.

Zhou Kai decided to stay at this peak for the time being.

First, he needed to closely observe the changes in Lin Zhiwei and the other three women to see what other mysteries this new physique might hold.

Second—and most importantly—he needed to fully devote himself to cultivating the third layer of the Lawless No Word Heavenly Scripture!

The first two layers of the Lawless No Word Heavenly Scripture focused purely on Qi conversion and physical enhancement. But starting from the third layer, the true, terrifying might of the Heavenly Scripture would finally be revealed.

According to the technique’s description, once he mastered the third layer, he could imprint any other cultivation technique or secret art he practiced directly onto his Dao Foundation.

When fighting, he would only need to circulate the Heavenly Scripture to effortlessly unleash those moves. Even better, all imprinted techniques and secret arts would receive a massive power amplification from the Heavenly Scripture!

Another heaven-defying effect was that while cultivating the Heavenly Scripture, the imprinted techniques would also progress simultaneously!

This meant he would save a monstrous amount of time, no longer distracted by the burden of juggling multiple cultivation arts.

…

Time flew by. Five months passed in the blink of an eye.

Following Lin Zhiwei, the Chen sisters and Wang Qiaoqiao successively emerged from the dormant state induced by the Spirit Platform Fuel Fire Talisman. Their cultivation bases were successfully restored, and their aptitudes had all experienced a significant boost.

As for Zhou Kai, he had finally perfected the Lawless No Word Heavenly Scripture to the third layer!

[Zhou Kai] [Cultivation: Foundation Establishment 8th Layer (3396/)] [Vitality: Bone Forging 8th Layer (1963/)]

It was time for a proper heart-to-heart with his women.

He called Shen Hanyi over, then gathered Chen Ziyi, Chen Ziqing, Wang Qiaoqiao, and Lin Zhiwei around the stone table in the courtyard.

“I called you all here today because there are some private, intimate words I want to share behind closed doors,” Zhou Kai said, his tone serious.

The five women exchanged varied expressions, but they all sat quietly, their eyes fixed on Zhou Kai as they waited for him to continue.

Zhou Kai’s gaze first fell on Wang Qiaoqiao. A teasing smile tugged at his lips. “Qiaoqiao, back in the Crouching Tiger Mountain market, I had to put in a lot of effort to chase you. For your sake, I swatted away quite a few annoying flies and mosquitoes.”

Wang Qiaoqiao’s pretty face flushed a lovely shade of pink. She rolled her eyes at him and huffed coquettishly, “Husband finally grew a conscience and remembers how he tricked this concubine. But in this lifetime, I’m afraid I’m stuck on your big ship. I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to.”

Her tone was playful, but the genuine devotion swimming in her eyes was impossible to fake.

Zhou Kai then looked at Chen Ziqing, his voice growing gentle. “Ziqing, to help me refine pills, you didn’t hesitate to burn your own lifespan. I have always remembered that kindness.”

Chen Ziqing’s eyes immediately reddened, tears welling up. Her voice choked with emotion. “Brother Zhou… as long as I can help you, Ziqing is willing to do anything. My life has belonged to you for a long time.”

She leaned forward, wanting to throw herself into his arms, but Zhou Kai stopped her with a subtle look.

Next, his gaze shifted to Lin Zhiwei and Shen Hanyi. “Zhiwei, Hanyi. Before either of you became my Dao Companions, you disregarded your own safety and stood by my side through life-and-death crises. That kind of trust and affection is incredibly precious.”

Lin Zhiwei bit her lip and nodded vigorously, her eyes overflowing with love. “Wherever Husband goes, Zhiwei will follow.”

Shen Hanyi was far more direct. Her voice remained cool, carrying an unquestionable firmness. “That time with Fu Weilun was merely repaying a life debt.”

Zhou Kai’s mouth twitched. Does she have to be so blunt? Way to ruin the mood. “Hanyi, could you try saying something romantic for once?” he sighed.

Shen Hanyi tilted her head, thinking for a moment. Then, she drew her sword, Tianque. Shing! She flicked the blade with her finger, causing it to emit a mournful, high-pitched wail. Instantly, she spat out a mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale.

“I won’t use a sword given to me by others anymore,” she stated coldly, wiping the blood from her chin. “I will only use the one my husband forges for me.”

Zhou Kai felt a sharp headache coming on. Sword cultivators were truly clinically insane. That Tianque sword was only a decade away from becoming a life-bound divine weapon. Was it really necessary to violently sever the connection and severely injure herself just to make a point?

“Fine, I’ll forge you one…” he muttered, rubbing his temples.

“I want a silver one,” Shen Hanyi added.

Finally, Zhou Kai’s gaze landed on Chen Ziyi.

He took her hand, his voice incredibly tender. “Ziyi, you were my first woman. I’ve said it before: you are my lucky star. Without you, your husband wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Chen Ziyi’s eyes grew wet. “Just being able to stay by Husband’s side is Ziyi’s greatest happiness,” she whispered.

Looking at the raw, unfiltered emotions of these five women, a warm current surged through Zhou Kai’s chest.

His expression turned solemn.

“Your devotion is etched into my heart. As long as I, Zhou Kai, have breath in my lungs, I will spare no effort and pay any price to nurture you. The Creation Qi will be supplied to you continuously and without end.”

He scanned their faces, his voice ringing with authority. “You are the people I trust the most. You are my core team! None of you have tangled family backgrounds. Like me, you have no attachments in this world other than each other. Therefore, no matter what decisions I make in the future, or what treacherous path I walk, I need you all to stand firmly by my side!”

Hearing this, a dark red vortex flashed in Shen Hanyi’s eyes. Her tone turned bone-chillingly sinister. “Whoever Husband wants dead, I will slaughter them for you!”

Wang Qiaoqiao’s eyes sparkled with cunning. She grinned. “Husband, rest assured. We will naturally follow your lead. You eat the meat, and we’ll happily drink the soup. This deal is pure profit!”

“Whatever orders Husband gives, Ziyi will obey without question,” Chen Ziyi said gently.

Chen Ziqing leaned against her older sister, nodding furiously. “Brother Zhou, me too!”

Lin Zhiwei chimed in with fierce loyalty. “Whatever you say, Husband, Zhiwei will do it!”

These five were the embryonic core of Zhou Kai’s most trusted inner circle. There was also Wu Hongxiao. If he could extract her from the Jade Flower Palace in the future, she would be included as well.

As for Li Yunmian, Li Youci, Li Lanyin, and Fish Baibai—who was deeply entwined with the Li Family—they couldn’t be fully considered ‘his’ people yet. There were too many political webs behind them. Everything depended on him growing strong enough to cut those strings.

After comforting the five women, Zhou Kai stood up and left the courtyard.

It was time to check on those “maidservants.”

He navigated through several winding corridors until he reached a secluded courtyard. This was where the 15 Cultivation Vessels gifted to him by Li Qiwen resided.

The courtyard gate was slightly ajar. Zhou Kai pushed it open and stepped inside.

The 15 women were either sitting or standing around the yard, an aura of desolation clinging to them. They were only in their early twenties—the absolute prime of their lives—yet many of them already had streaks of white hair. An undeniable scent of decay hung over them.

Zhou Kai sighed inwardly.

Back then, the reason he had rocketed from Foundation Establishment 3rd Layer to the 6th Layer in just over a year wasn’t just standard Dual Cultivation. It was largely due to these 15 Cultivation Vessels.

The women Li Qiwen had given him were indeed top-tier.

During Dual Cultivation, Plucking and Replenishing their Primordial Yin was just the basic benefit. The truly vicious part was that the technique actively burned away their lifespans, forcibly ripping away their Dao Foundations and converting them into pure fuel for his own advancement!

The moment Zhou Kai discovered this cruel truth, he had stopped touching them entirely.

By his calculations, he had burned through at least seventy years of lifespan from each of these 15 women, and their Dao Foundations had suffered varying degrees of catastrophic damage.

If he continued to harvest them, these jade beauties would wither away, their fragrances fading as they turned to dust.

Seeing Zhou Kai enter, the 15 women scrambled to their feet and bowed.

Suyi stepped forward, her head lowered respectfully. “This servant pays her respects to Master.”

Zhou Kai grunted in acknowledgment. His gaze swept over them as he asked coolly, “Did any of you have a pre-existing grudge with the Li Family or Calamity Abyss Valley before you came to me?”

Suyi quickly bowed lower. “Replying to Master, the 15 of us had no karma with the Li Family or Calamity Abyss Valley. Most of us come from minor clans or insignificant sects. Our elders traded us to the Li Family Senior in exchange for a few scraps of resources. We… we already knew what our fate would be before we even arrived.”

Zhou Kai nodded. “I told you before that once you reached the Novice stage in the Hundred Arts, I would release you from your status as Cultivation Vessels.”

Hope flared in the eyes of the five women who had already mastered the Novice stage.

“However,” Zhou Kai said, his voice dropping, “I’ve changed my mind.”

The color instantly drained from the women’s faces. They trembled, terror gripping their hearts.

Had their worst nightmare finally arrived? Was this man going to break his promise and drain them dry until they were nothing but withered husks?

Zhou Kai watched their terrified expressions and smirked internally. “I will release all of you from your Cultivation Vessel status. Immediately.”

“Ah?” The women stood frozen, thunderstruck. They thought they had misheard him.

“As for your placements,” Zhou Kai continued smoothly, “those of you who have reached the Novice stage in the Hundred Arts will go to Ziqing, Zhiwei, and Fish Baibai to serve as their personal maidservants. The rest of you will stay by my side and handle my miscellaneous chores. In ten years, I will grant you complete freedom. Whether you stay or leave will be entirely up to you.”

The women stared blankly at him. Going from the depths of hell to the gates of heaven in a single breath felt exactly like this.

Zhou Kai possessed the Universe Qi Unification Return to Truth Mysterious Canon. This supreme technique naturally cleansed impurities and returned things to their origin. Combined with high-grade pills and Spirit Rhyme to nourish their bodies, repairing their shattered foundations wasn’t impossible.

And if that failed? He could just dump points into them, forcibly dragging their realms up and extending their lifespans.

Zhou Kai knew that after bestowing such a life-saving grace, the Affection of these women would skyrocket. Even if it didn’t hit the absolute maximum, it would easily break the 90-point mark.

Instead of wasting time hunting for new “resources” in the wild, it was far more efficient to cultivate these women who were already in the palm of his hand.

“Thank you, Master, for your mercy! Thank you, Master!” Suyi was the first to snap out of her daze. Tears streamed down her face as she dropped to her knees, kowtowing repeatedly until her forehead hit the stone floor.

The others followed suit, weeping tears of pure gratitude. “This servant thanks Master for the grace of a second life!”

The women who hadn’t even mastered the Hundred Arts sobbed uncontrollably. “Master’s great kindness is something this servant can never repay! We are willing to serve Master life after life, with absolutely no thoughts of betrayal!”

Music to my ears. Zhou Kai smiled. He had no intention of letting these stunning beauties slip away. “Since that’s settled, follow me.”

He led the entourage of 15 women straight out of the courtyard and headed directly for Li Yunmian’s residence.

…

Inside the main hall, Mo Qianyuan was standing before Li Yunmian, reporting on the administrative affairs of Shangqing City.

“…Last month, two major families clashed in the western market. Does Master wish to intervene? Also, a second-tier, late-stage Demon Beast was spotted on the outskirts of the Sky Demon Mountain Range…”

Her voice trailed off. Mo Qianyuan’s delicate brows furrowed deeply as she watched Zhou Kai swagger into the hall, leisurely leading a massive train of women behind him. Her temper flared.

“Ever since you arrived in Shangqing City, you’ve hid in Secluded Cultivation without showing your face once!” Mo Qianyuan snapped. “You haven’t helped share Master’s burdens, you haven’t greeted a single family ancestor, and you haven’t met any of the Stewards! And now, you dare to parade these… these 15 women in here! What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Zhou Kai chuckled, completely unfazed by her outburst. “Senior Sister, calm your anger. Didn’t I bring Gao Feiyang along specifically to handle the busywork and solve your problems?”

The mention of Gao Feiyang only poured oil on the fire. Mo Qianyuan glared at him, her eyes practically shooting daggers.

“Junior Brother Gao did help for the first month! He handled things quite well! But do you know what he’s doing now? He’s currently squatting in the Qian Family estate in the south of the city, throwing his weight around like he owns the place!”

“Oh?” Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow, genuinely amused. “What do you mean?”

Mo Qianyuan gritted her teeth. “The Qian Family is one of the strongest local Cultivator clans, and they are vassals to the Gao Family! That Gao Feiyang is lording over them! All day long, he’s either partying with cronies or parading Qian Family disciples around the city to show off! He hasn’t lifted a finger to help us in weeks!”

Mo Qianyuan opened her mouth to complain further, but Li Yunmian raised a hand. “Enough, Qianyuan. Zhou Kai clearly has business here. You may withdraw.”

“Master!” Mo Qianyuan protested, but under Li Yunmian’s gaze, she had no choice but to bow. She shot Zhou Kai one last, venomous glare before stomping out of the hall.

With Mo Qianyuan gone, Zhou Kai dropped all pretense of manners.

His figure flickered. In a flash, he was beside Li Yunmian. He casually plucked the cup of spirit tea right out of her hand, took a sip, and then, under her wide-eyed, reproachful gaze, shamelessly pulled her into his embrace.

“Master,” he murmured, his tone thick with playful arrogance. “This disciple has come to ask for a favor.”

He pressed a Jade Slip into Li Yunmian’s palm. It contained the exact method used to refine Cultivation Vessels.

“I need Master to join forces with me. Together, we will use our vast Qi to shatter the Restrictions placed on these women.”