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

Bam!

A fist smashed into a Qi Condensation cultivator’s chest. The sickening sound of cracking bone was audible to everyone present. The man let out a miserable shriek, flying backward like a kite with a cut string. He slammed into the array’s light barrier and bounced back onto the dirt.

Crack!

Zhou Kai pivoted, delivering a whip-like kick to another cultivator’s shin. The opponent collapsed instantly, clutching his leg and howling in agony.

Seeing this, the scar-faced cultivator’s eyes bulged with fury. He swung a heavy palm at Zhou Kai’s head.

Zhou Kai merely sidestepped. He stepped in and drove a reverse elbow hard into the man’s back, right over the heart.

Pfft!

The scar-faced man sprayed a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his internal organs had been rearranged.

As for the weasel-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was already spinning in circles within the Lost Path Array. Unable to exert even seventy percent of his power, his attacks missed wildly. Zhou Kai seized the opening and slammed a heavy haymaker squarely into his face.

Stars exploded in the man’s vision, and blood gushed from his nose.

“Ouch! Spare me, Grandfather!”

“Stop hitting! We were wrong! We failed to recognize Mount Tai!”

Inside the array, screams of pain and pleas for mercy intertwined to form a unique “dirge.” Outside, Chen Ziyi and the other women listened with hearts pounding, yet they felt an immense sense of relief and vindication.

Ren Zhengze stood by, stroking his chin and watching with the interest of a spectator at a gladiator match. He even offered commentary.

“Hmm, good force behind that punch. That’s definitely going to bruise.”

“Oh? He knows how to use leverage too. Not bad, not bad at all.”

Moments later, Zhou Kai walked out of the array, looking refreshed and invigorated. Lin Zhiwei timed it perfectly, deactivating the formation.

The five Outer Sect disciples lay on the ground, bruised, swollen, and dressed in tatters. They groaned pitifully, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at Zhou Kai. The arrogance from before had completely evaporated.

Especially the scar-faced man and the weasel-faced man—they didn’t dare breathe too loudly.

Zhou Kai retrieved another small bag of Spirit Stones and handed it to Ren Zhengze.

“Senior Brother Ren, a little something for tea. Just a token of respect.”

Ren Zhengze accepted the Spirit Stones without hesitation. A quick sweep of his Divine Sense confirmed the amount, and his smile blossomed like a flower.

“Junior Brother Zhou, you are too polite! It was merely a lifting of a hand, truly! Haha! Maintaining order is the duty of the Enforcement Hall.”

He patted Zhou Kai heavily on the shoulder.

“Junior Brother Zhou, since you are a personal guard of the Li Family, there aren’t many in the Outer Sect who can afford to provoke you. Besides, the Li Family’s Young Master is famously protective of his own.”

He leaned in slightly. “If you ever run into a tough situation in the future that even I can’t smooth over, I’ll be sure to give you a heads-up so you can prepare.”

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow. Is this Senior Brother Ren mistaking me for one of the Li Family Young Master’s direct subordinates?

He didn’t correct the misunderstanding. instead, he nodded knowingly. “Naturally. Thank you for the guidance, Senior Brother Ren.”

The five unlucky fools helped each other up and scrambled away in a panic. Only then did Zhou Kai turn to the four women, his eyes softening with tenderness.

The imposing aura of a conqueror melted away, replaced by gentle affection.

Chen Ziyi led Zhou Kai into the cave dwelling.

The abode was several times larger than a standard disciple’s residence. The moment he stepped inside, he felt the density of the Spirit Qi increase significantly. Clearly, Lin Zhiwei had already set up a Spirit Gathering Array.

The interior was carved into several stone chambers. The main hall was spacious enough to accommodate seven or eight people comfortably. Outside, the sect’s basic Restrictions ensured privacy and safety, while inside, Lin Zhiwei’s personal arrays added a second layer of security.

Zhou Kai looked around, nodding in satisfaction. “This place is quite good.”

He found a seat and sat down casually. Immediately, a familiar fragrance wafted toward him.

“Big Brother Zhou~”

Chen Ziqing threw herself into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest. She sat directly on his lap, her jade-like arms wrapping around his neck. Her large, watery eyes brimmed with grievance.

“You haven’t come to find Ziqing in almost two months… I missed you so much.”

However, Zhou Kai did not melt. He didn’t offer his usual doting comfort. Instead, his gaze sharpened.

“Missed me? Then how is the deduction of the Foundation Establishment Pill formula coming along?”

His Alchemy proficiency points were overflowing; he needed to light a fire under Ziqing.

Chen Ziqing’s delicate body trembled. She keenly sensed the chill in his tone. Her heart sank, but she maintained her obedient, pitiable facade.

“Reporting to Big Brother Zhou… the pill formula has been deduced. It’s just that the ratios of a few auxiliary herbs… Ziqing still wants to refine them further…”

“Still want to?”

Zhou Kai cut her off. He reached out and lifted her off his lap. His movements were gentle, but they carried an undeniable sense of detachment.

Then, to her shock, Zhou Kai reached out and pulled Lin Zhiwei—who was standing nearby—into his embrace.

The intimacy, the gentle look in his eyes—it was the exact treatment she had been enjoying just moments ago.

“Zhiwei, your array skills are truly impressive. You’ve transformed this cave in such a short time.”

Lin Zhiwei, now nestled in his arms, whispered shyly, “My Lord flatters me. This humble woman’s skills are not worth mentioning…”

“Modest.” Zhou Kai stroked Lin Zhiwei’s hair. “On the path of cultivation, strength is the foundation. Beauty without strength is ultimately just a vase.”

The words struck Chen Ziqing like a thunderbolt. She stiffened. How could she not hear it? This was a direct warning to her.

Zhou Kai waved his hand, and a pile of glowing medicinal herbs appeared on the stone table. These were the exact materials needed for the Foundation Establishment Pill.

But he didn’t hand them to Chen Ziqing. He just left them there.

“These spirit herbs will stay here. When you can refine a genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, then come find me.”

His voice was terrifyingly calm—so calm that Chen Ziqing felt a crisis unlike anything she had experienced before.

“Big Brother Zhou, I…”

“Ziqing.” Zhou Kai’s tone brooked no argument. “You are a smart girl. You should understand my meaning. On the path of cultivation, my women must have their own value. Acting cute and coquettish is fine as a spice between lovers, but it cannot be your only weapon.”

Chen Ziqing bit her lip, her heart a mess of complex emotions.

She glanced at Wang Qiaoqiao. The other woman was looking at her with a faint, half-smile that seemed to say: See? This is reality.

Zhou Kai swept his gaze over all the women, his tone turning solemn.

“You are all my women. I want you to walk further with me on this path of immortality. I am reluctant to leave anyone behind, but the prerequisite is that you must strive for yourselves. The weak will only become burdens.”

The women bowed their heads and voiced their agreement. The atmosphere became serious.

Zhou Kai then looked at Chen Ziyi. “Ziyi, keep an eye out for that kid Fang Lizhe. If you find him, offer him some support.”

Chen Ziyi nodded. “Husband, rest assured.”

Having dealt with the business, Zhou Kai asked, “The No Word Scripture issued by the sect—how is your progress?”

Lin Zhiwei adjusted her position in his lap and answered, “My Lord, the No Word Scripture is miraculous. It is compatible with all other techniques and has strong auxiliary effects. However, the sect only provided the first two layers of the mental cultivation method via Jade Slip. One must cultivate the second layer to perfection to qualify for the Inner Sect assessment.”

“Oh? A layered technique?” Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow.

This was unexpected. Since arriving in this world, every technique he found was either a complete volume or a fragment. A technique explicitly divided into layers usually implied a massive background—either a great sect’s inheritance or a supreme secret manual.

“Let me see the script,” Zhou Kai said, interested.

“This…” Lin Zhiwei looked troubled. “The sect issued it via transmission Jade Slips that self-destruct after one use. Dissemination is strictly forbidden, punishable by severe penalties.”

Zhou Kai pondered. It seems if I want the complete scripture or higher layers, I’ll have to go through Li Youci.

“Fine then,” Zhou Kai decided after a moment. “Since the No Word Scripture can bridge different techniques, you should find some fast-progressing methods to raise your cultivation quickly. Once you master the scripture’s higher levels and stabilize your foundation, you can switch to more profound primary cultivation methods later without risk.”

The women’s eyes lit up, and they nodded in agreement.

Business concluded.

A wicked grin curled the corner of Zhou Kai’s mouth. His gaze drifted between Chen Ziyi, Wang Qiaoqiao, and Lin Zhiwei, who was still on his lap.

He reached out and pulled Wang Qiaoqiao into his embrace as well.

Hugging one on the left and one on the right, he shot a meaningful look at Chen Ziyi.

“Tonight, I want you all to serve me well.”

Lin Zhiwei buried her burning face in his chest, whispering, “This humble woman… is entirely at my Lord’s disposal.”

Wang Qiaoqiao, however, looked at him with eyes like silk, boldly wrapping herself around his arm.

“Zhou Lang, you want all of us?” She teased. “Qiaoqiao has long wanted to see just how powerful a Bone Forging body cultivator is when he goes all out.”

Chen Ziyi stood up, casting a reproachful yet alluring glance at him. She walked toward the master bedroom at the back of the cave.

“I reserved this room for you. The bed inside… is big enough.”

Zhou Kai laughed heartily. With Lin Zhiwei in one arm and Wang Qiaoqiao in the other, he strode after Chen Ziyi.

Tonight, he was going to experience the joy of “One vs Three.”

Chen Ziqing was left standing alone in the main hall.

She watched the three figures disappear into the bedroom. Her teeth bit down hard on her lower lip. The coquettishness and grievance vanished from her face, replaced by a complex, dark emotion.

“Foundation Establishment Pill… Grade-2 Alchemist…”

She murmured the words, a fierce light igniting in her eyes.

Elder sister is the main wife; I accept that. She came first.

But why can Wang Qiaoqiao be so brazen? Even Lin Zhiwei, who arrived last, is more favored than me?

Just because their cultivation is higher? Just because they are useful?

Chen Ziqing tightly gripped the box of spirit herbs Zhou Kai had left on the table.

Men, resources, status—ultimately, one had to fight for them. Tears and cuteness were just seasoning. If used too much, they only caused disgust.

She turned around and walked straight toward the stone chamber designated for alchemy.