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

Li Youci stood at the base of Taiji Peak.

To her, the incident with the Profound Abyss Mirror was nothing more than a minor interlude. The mirror was a rare treasure she used to gather Divine Sense to aid her cultivation; it wasn’t a tool of slaughter, nor did it harm innocents without cause.

Although Zhou Kai had destroyed the sub-mirror, the message from Gao Feiyang changed things. Zhou Kai possessed a top-grade Spirit Root. Six months ago, he was merely at the fifth layer of Meridian Opening, yet he had already reached Bone Forging.

This rapid progress made Li Youci’s mind whir with calculation.

At the foot of Taiji Peak lay a hollow cave that periodically spewed extreme Yin ghost energy. Sometimes it happened once a month, other times every few days. The cold was bone-chilling and damaged the soul, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to train there. Naturally, few people were willing to follow her.

Worse, she had a biological older brother—a Golden Core prodigy of the Li family.

While the family and sect technically distributed resources fairly, everyone knew the reality. A Golden Core heir who might lead the family or even become the Sect Master carried far more weight than a female cultivator destined to be married off for a political alliance.

Currently, aside from herself—a “Peak Lord” at the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment—and her maid Fish Baibai at the third layer of Bone Forging, the rest of her Taiji Peak followers were weak. Not a single one had broken through to the Second Realm; they were all stuck in Qi Condensation.

“Gao Feiyang handled this adequately,” Li Youci whispered, her voice cool and crisp. “After I speak with Zhou Kai, I’ll have him return to report.”

Meanwhile, Zhou Kai bade farewell to Fish Baibai and steered his Spirit Boat southeast.

A hundred miles was nothing; he covered the distance in moments. Standing atop the boat, Zhou Kai spread his Divine Sense wide.

His brow lifted slightly. “Oh? There are actually quite a few Second Realm auras in the Outer Sect. Fish Baibai wasn’t lying; mastering the No Word Scripture to perfection is no small feat.”

Thoughts of Chen Ziyi, Chen Ziqing, Wang Qiaoqiao, and Lin Zhiwei filled his mind with worry.

If they couldn’t master the scripture quickly, they would be stuck in the Outer Sect indefinitely. He couldn’t exactly sneak down from Taiji Peak every single night to meet them, could he?

Soon, Zhou Kai located a cave dwelling in a valley where the Spirit Qi was relatively dense.

Outside the cave, he sensed several familiar auras, warming his heart. But as he drew closer, the warmth turned to ice. Lin Zhiwei and the other three women were surrounded by five male cultivators. The atmosphere was explosive.

Leading the group were two Foundation Establishment cultivators, flanked by three late-stage Qi Condensation lackeys. Their expressions were anything but friendly.

A cultivator with a jagged scar across his face barked, “We brothers had our eyes on this cave ages ago! We gathered the Spirit Stones and were on our way to the Hall of Affairs to lease it. Who knew you lot would cut in line? If you know what’s good for you, get lost!”

Beside him, a man with a pointy mouth and monkey-like cheeks chuckled, his eyes roving lecherously over Chen Ziyi and Wang Qiaoqiao.

“Junior Sisters, why ruin the vibe over a hole in the ground? Why not yield the cave to us? This Senior Brother will personally ‘take care’ of you. I guarantee your life in the Outer Sect will be… very comfortable.”

Lin Zhiwei, currently at the first layer of Foundation Establishment, wore a face of frost. She pinched a spell seal, shielding the other three women behind her.

“We rented this cave first. Why should we give it to you? First come, first served. Do you not understand the rules?”

“Rules?” The Scar-faced cultivator sneered.

“Big fists make the rules! A little girl who just entered Foundation Establishment, dragging three Qi Condensation burdens, dares to fight us for territory? You must be tired of living!”

Before his words even settled, his spiritual power surged. He raised his hand to strike.

“I’d like to see who is tired of living!”

A cold snort dropped from the sky.

Zhou Kai descended from his Spirit Boat, landing heavily in front of the four women. His gaze swept over the five aggressors like a blade.

“Husband!” “Brother Zhou!” “Zhou Lang!”

The women cried out in a mix of surprise and joy. Lin Zhiwei’s tense shoulders instantly relaxed. Her pillar of support had arrived.

The five men were momentarily stunned by the intruder. But when they sensed the fluctuations of the fifth layer of Qi Condensation rolling off Zhou Kai, the Scar-faced cultivator’s expression twisted into disdain.

“Another Qi Condensation trash here to play hero? Kid, if you want to save the beauties, check if you have the balls first!”

Without hesitation, he slapped a palm forward, sending a surge of spiritual power straight at Zhou Kai’s face.

Zhou Kai didn’t dodge. The Vitality in his body roared like a river as he prepared to smash this idiot into the dirt with a single punch.

Suddenly, a majestic shout exploded from the sky.

“Halt!”

A streak of green sword light tore through the air. A young man with a square face, dressed in the uniform of the Outer Sect Enforcement Hall, hovered above on his flying sword. His eyes were sharp as lightning.

“Private combat is strictly prohibited within Calamity Abyss Valley! Who struck first?”

The Scar-faced man and the Monkey-cheeked man exchanged a glance.

Then, with practiced ease, Scarface spoke up. “Senior Brother Ren, we struck first.”

As he spoke, he and his companion pulled out a pouch containing one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones and handed it over. There was no fear on their faces—only the look of a routine transaction.

The three Qi Condensation lackeys also fished out ten Spirit Stones each.

Zhou Kai stared, dumbfounded. What kind of operation is this?

He stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Senior Brother Ren, these five attempted to seize my Dao Companions’ cave and attacked first. Shouldn’t they be severely punished?”

Ren Zhengze, the enforcement disciple, glanced at Zhou Kai indifferently.

“New here? Sect rules do prohibit private combat. However, if a conflict is unavoidable, the initiator pays a fine. Ten stones for Qi Condensation, one hundred for Foundation Establishment. Once the Spirit Stones are paid, you may continue fighting.”

Ren Zhengze noticed Zhou Kai wasn’t wearing the Outer Sect uniform. He looked him up and down.

“You’re not an Outer Sect disciple? An Inner Sect Senior Brother?”

Zhou Kai silently produced the token Li Youci had given him. “I am Zhou Kai. I act on orders from the Li Family.”

At the mention of the “Li Family” and the sight of the token stamped with the character [Li], the five troublemakers turned pale.

Scarface and Monkey-cheeks exchanged looks of pure terror. Damn it! We kicked an iron plate! They immediately began edging backward.

Ren Zhengze took the token, verified it, and his eyes widened in surprise. He handed it back, and his face underwent a miraculous transformation. The indifference vanished, replaced by a warm, eager smile.

“Aiya! So it’s a personal guard of the Li Family! My apologies for the disrespect. Junior Brother Zhou, if you had just shown your identity earlier, we could have skipped the formalities!”

He chuckled. “I am Ren Zhengze of the Enforcement Hall. Junior Brother Zhou, the rules of Calamity Abyss Valley state that outsiders cannot interfere in sect affairs…”

He paused, his grin widening.

“However! Since you are the Dao Companion of these Junior Sisters, the supplementary regulations allow family members to step in. Hehe… naturally, the intervention fee for a Second Realm cultivator is one thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.”

Zhou Kai almost laughed aloud.

This Calamity Abyss Valley was a goddamn paradise! Other sects tried to ban fighting and failed. This place? They legalized it, regulated it, and monetized it. Absolute business genius.

He immediately asked, “Senior Brother Ren, if I pay this thousand stones, how far can I go?”

Ren Zhengze’s smile blossomed. He held up a finger.

“As long as you don’t kill them, and don’t destroy their Dao Foundation or Dantian… feel free to express yourself, Junior Brother Zhou. The Enforcement Hall sees nothing!”

“Good!”

Zhou Kai was overjoyed. This was essentially a license to beat them within an inch of their lives.

He tossed a bag of one thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones to Ren Zhengze without blinking.

Ren Zhengze caught the bag, weighing it happily. “Junior Brother Zhou is generous!”

Zhou Kai turned to Lin Zhiwei and roared, “Zhiwei, set the array! These blind bastards need a lesson. Let’s show them that Zhou Kai’s women are not to be touched!”

Lin Zhiwei’s eyes lit up with fierce light. She had been holding back a bellyful of rage. As a Grade-2 Array Master, she was not defenseless!

“Yes, my Lord! Watch this!”

With a flick of her wrist, several Array Flags shot out, burying themselves into the ground around the thugs. An invisible curtain of light instantly snapped shut, trapping the five men inside.

“Lost Path Array! Rise!”

The moment the array activated, the five men screamed. The world twisted before their eyes; directions inverted, and their companions vanished into the mist.

“Ah! What’s happening? My spiritual power is sluggish!” “It’s an array! That woman is an Array Master!” “Damn it, we’re trapped!”

Panic ensued.

Zhou Kai grinned savagely and saluted Ren Zhengze. “Thanks for the guidance, Senior Brother Ren!”

With a blur of motion, he charged into the array like a tiger leaping into a pen of sheep.