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

Chapter 226: Subordinate Zhou Kai, Greetings, Big Brother!

Wang Qiaoqiao felt a spike of panic in her chest.

“Husband…”

Zhou Kai waved his hand, silencing her.

Hide?

The word never even crossed his mind.

The man descending from the sky was Li Youci’s biological brother—his future brother-in-law. What would hiding accomplish?

It would be an admission of cowardice, of guilt. It would only make Li Qiwen despise him more and leave Li Youci unable to lift her head within the Li Family.

This was a tribulation he had to pass. And he had to pass it standing up.

A flash of steel resolve hardened Zhou Kai’s eyes. Not only would he not hide, he would meet the storm at the door.

He turned to Gao Feiyang, his tone calm. “Your injuries… they still haven’t healed?”

“Ah? They… they are mostly fine.” Gao Feiyang shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Youci rarely vents her anger on subordinates without cause. You merely spoke a few loose words. Would she truly beat you into this state?”

Without waiting for an answer, Zhou Kai pointed two fingers like a sword and tapped the air.

Whoosh!

A sharp gust of wind sliced forward. The thick bandages swathing Gao Feiyang disintegrated, fluttering to the ground like dead butterflies.

Beneath the wrappings, his skin was smooth, his muscles firm. There wasn’t a scratch on him.

Gao Feiyang’s pained expression froze. He forced an awkward, lopsided smile.

“Brother Zhou… let me explain! I really didn’t want to get involved in your family drama!”

His face crumpled. “It was the Eldest Miss! She made me do it! She ordered me to leak the intel to the Young Master!”

Zhou Kai blinked.

He thought he had subdued Li Youci. But it seemed that, given her personality, this was just… foreplay?

She wanted the relationship public, but she also wanted to see him sweat?

Zhou Kai shook his head and launched himself into the air. He flew to the peak of the Spirit Mountain, landing directly in front of the cave where Li Youci was in Secluded Cultivation.

Here, the Spirit Qi was dense, and defensive Restrictions shimmered, sealing the interior from the world.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and waited. He would stand guard for his woman.

Li Qiwen would come here. There was no doubt.

For ten days, Zhou Kai sat as still as a statue, but his mind raced at overclocked speeds.

In his Consciousness Sea, he simulated the encounter thousands of times.

This battle was inevitable. But it wasn’t a deathmatch; it was an audit.

The Golden Core in his Dantian spun rhythmically. With every cycle, his Qi and Vitality condensed, preparing for impact.

During this time, Chen Ziyi, Lin Zhiwei, and the others visited, wanting to stand with him. He sent them all away.

This was between him and the Li Family.

On the afternoon of the tenth day, a cyan rainbow tore through the clouds like a god’s sword. It arrived instantly, hovering silently before the cave.

The light dispersed, revealing a young man in cyan robes embroidered with cloud patterns. His face was carved from jade, his eyes cold as distant stars.

Li Qiwen.

His gaze was a physical weight, stabbing directly into Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai opened his eyes slowly. He stood up, dusted off his robes, and bowed calmly.

“Subordinate Zhou Kai, greetings, Big Brother!”

The word “Subordinate” respected the hierarchy. The word “Big Brother” was a deliberate provocation.

The corner of Li Qiwen’s eye twitched violently. Those icy eyes ignited with twin flames of rage.

He had spent ten days traveling, suppressing his murderous intent, only to have it reignited by this audacious greeting.

He wanted to strike immediately. But his gaze swept past Zhou Kai to the sealed stone door. His Divine Sense detected the subtle, powerful soul fluctuations within—his sister was at a critical juncture.

He held back.

CLANG!

A metallic ring echoed as he slammed a blue, dragon-coiled spear into the stone slab at his feet. The weapon hummed with lethal potential.

Li Qiwen didn’t speak. He stood with hands clasped behind his back, staring at Zhou Kai with eyes that could freeze magma.

Pressure—heavy, suffocating, oceanic—crashed down on Zhou Kai.

The standoff began.

From the high sun to the star-filled night, and back to the pale dawn.

An invisible battlefield formed between them. It wasn’t a contest of Qi, but of Will.

For Zhou Kai, every breath felt like inhaling under the crushing pressure of the deep sea. Yet his spine remained straight as a spear, his gaze unwavering.

The silent torture was worse than a beating. Li Qiwen’s stare flayed him, but Zhou Kai refused to look away.

It wasn’t until noon the next day that the suffocation broke.

Two streaks of light arrived on the horizon—Su Xuan and Gao Feihuang, breathless from their desperate flight.

“Young Master!”

They landed, saw the tension, and didn’t dare breathe too loud.

Li Qiwen didn’t even look at them. “You two. Guard this perimeter. No one is to disturb the cave, inside or out.”

He emphasized “no one” with heavy significance.

Su Xuan and Gao Feihuang exchanged a knowing look. They were guarding the Eldest Miss… and preventing her from interfering.

They took their positions.

With the stage cleared, Li Qiwen focused entirely on Zhou Kai. He sneered.

“You aren’t running?”

“I am not running.” Zhou Kai puffed out his chest, meeting the gaze head-on. “This subordinate wishes to beg Big Brother for his blessing!”

“Beg me?” Li Qiwen laughed, a sound like cracking ice. “Based on what? You?”

“Based on mutual affection. Based on my ability to make her stronger. Based on me… being able to protect her for a lifetime!”

Zhou Kai’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was solid as bedrock.

He knew exactly who he was dealing with. Li Qiwen was a proud, overprotective brother. Any weakness would be met with contempt.

Only strength, audacity, and responsibility would earn respect.

“Protect her for a lifetime?” Li Qiwen took a step forward. His Aura Pressure detonated. “With what? Your pathetic Golden Core First Layer cultivation?”

“With the fact that I dare to stand here and say these words to you!”

Zhou Kai didn’t yield an inch. His internal Qi and Vitality roared to life.

“Matters of the heart are like drinking water—only the drinker knows if it is hot or cold. If Big Brother truly cares for her, you should trust Youci’s judgment.”

The words were a masterstroke. They declared his resolve, cornered Li Qiwen logically, and subtly praised Li Youci’s taste.

Li Qiwen choked on his anger. His face darkened further.

He ripped his spear from the stone, pointing the tip at Zhou Kai’s throat.

“Well said. In that case, let me see if you have the qualifications to back up your mouth!”

A cyan Water Dragon Phantom roared into existence, lunging straight for Zhou Kai’s face!

Zhou Kai’s pupils constricted. The Chaotic Sky Hammer materialized in his hands, red light blazing on the black metal!

BOOM!

Hammer met spear. A shockwave of spiritual power razed the ground, sending Su Xuan and Gao Feihuang stumbling.

Zhou Kai felt an irresistible force travel up the handle. The webbing of his hands split open instantly. He was launched backward, crashing into the ground thirty feet away.

Seeing Zhou Kai block the strike, Li Qiwen frowned. “You cultivated the Heavenly Scripture?”

Zhou Kai grinned, blood staining his teeth. “Big Brother has good eyes. Youci said… this technique suits me perfectly.”

What kind of bewitching potion did this brat feed her?

Anger and helpless frustration twisted in Li Qiwen’s chest, making his spear intent even sharper.

He flashed, appearing directly above Zhou Kai. The spear transformed into a storm of shadows, raining down like a torrential downpour.

Zhou Kai roared. He stood his ground, Five-Colored Light forming a heavy protective barrier around him.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The spear shadows hammered the barrier. Each strike cracked the shell further.

CRACK!

The barrier shattered.

Pfft!

Zhou Kai sprayed a mouthful of blood. The spear shaft swept across his chest. The sickening crunch of ribs breaking was audible to everyone. He was sent flying again.

“One last move.”

Li Qiwen’s voice was devoid of emotion. He walked toward the broken man. Water vapor condensed around him, forming a lifelike Water Dragon that coiled behind him, its eyes cold and judging.

“Take this, and I will allow it.”

Zhou Kai wiped the blood from his mouth. There was no fear in his eyes—only a blazing, maniacal battle intent.

“COME!”

His Cicada Robe manifested. Two instances of Cicada Cry Piercing Brain stabbed directly at Li Qiwen’s Consciousness Sea!

Li Qiwen split his focus to defend his mind, but the Water Dragon’s momentum didn’t slow.

Zhou Kai triggered his Spirit Insects. Three Jade Arm Mantises blurred, attacking Li Qiwen’s vitals from blind angles.

Li Qiwen didn’t even look. He swept his spear back, a curtain of water blasting the insects away effortlessly.

Seizing the micro-second opening, Zhou Kai’s body swelled.

Five Emperors True Body!

The hammer ignited with a sky-full of raging fire, smashing directly into the Water Dragon!

BOOM!

Light exploded. Rocks shattered.

A figure traced a parabolic arc through the air, crashing heavily at the foot of the mountain.

Zhou Kai lay in a crater. His legs were twisted at unnatural angles. He was covered in blood.

But he was conscious. He clung to that final breath with sheer stubbornness.

Li Qiwen retracted his spear, looking down the mountain.

That last move… the kid had risked death to land a hit.

That fierce, fearless tenacity… it commanded a grudging respect.

Although Li Qiwen hadn’t used his true strength, for a Golden Core First Layer to survive three strikes was… acceptable.

He snorted coldly and turned back to the cave entrance. He had beaten the boy, vented his anger, and tested his spine.

Barely… worthy of my sister.

Heavenly Craft Tower.

Zhou Kai lay on a couch, his legs encased in thick casts.

His harem surrounded him, fussing with concern, eyes red with heartache.

He had been retrieved by Su Xuan and Gao Feihuang, who had also delivered a bottle of premium healing medicine left behind by Li Qiwen.

“Alright, alright, I’m fine. A few broken bones in exchange for a brother-in-law? Worth it.”

Zhou Kai winced in pain, but his laugh was genuine.

Li Yunmian smirked from the side. “It is a pity my brother has mellowed with age. Otherwise, you would have needed a new body…”