Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

Between the two sources of information, Han Lie naturally placed more weight on Grand Elder Chi Lian’s authority.

“Senior Qin Lan… purely hypothetically,” Han Lie asked, stroking her back. “If Hall Master Su Mei passes the assessment and ascends to the Elder Council, who takes over the Law Enforcement Hall?”

“I haven’t seen a succession like that happen in my time,” Qin Lan replied thoughtfully, her fingers tracing circles on his chest. “But usually, the Elder Council appoints a successor, or a new Hall Master is selected through an internal competition within the Hall.”

“I see…”

The conversation dwindled as Han Lie felt a familiar heat rising in his lower abdomen. His second wind had arrived.

“Enough talk. Let’s continue.”

Sensing the change, Qin Lan let out a soft moan and buried her face in the crook of his neck, her kisses growing frantic and hungry. Han Lie didn’t hold back, launching his own counterattack.

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed in a blur of steam and pleasure.

After a week of intensive dual cultivation with Qin Lan, Han Lie felt a distinct surge in his own power.

He realized now that dual cultivation with the likes of Bai Ling, Qin Lianyi, or Xiao Qingge was mostly recreational. It was for pleasure, not power. To truly advance his cultivation, he needed partners whose strength rivaled his own—like Qin Lan or Zhuo Hongyi.

With the terrifying potency of his Pure Yang Sacred Body, his Yang energy was like a raging sun. If his partner’s cultivation was too low, their Yin energy was simply too weak to create a balanced cycle. The benefits for him were negligible.

However, the benefits for his partners were astronomical.

Thanks to his one-in-a-hundred-million physique, Qin Lan’s cultivation had skyrocketed. She could feel it clearly—she was now hovering right at the threshold of the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage. All she needed was two or three years of secluded meditation to consolidate her foundation, and the breakthrough would be guaranteed.

“Senior Qin Lan, are you full yet?”

Han Lie sat by the edge of the hot spring, cradling Qin Lan in his arms.

“Master is becoming more and more formidable…” Qin Lan murmured, her face flushed a deep crimson. “Qin Lan is very satisfied~”

She was still deep in her roleplay, unable to extricate herself from the submissive persona she had adopted during their session.

The next day.

Estimating that the Team Competition was finally drawing to a close, Han Lie and Qin Lan washed up and left the Jade Clear Pool.

Hand in hand, they made their way to the Martial Arts Training Square at the center of the sect. With Qin Lan—a senior deacon—leading the way, they effortlessly bypassed the crowds and squeezed into the VIP seats reserved for the Law Enforcement Hall.

The tournament was in its final throes.

The championship match was a clash of titans: The Law Enforcement Hall versus the Myriad Pill Hall.

The Myriad Pill Hall had produced a genuine dark horse—a disciple who had successfully broken through to the Nascent Soul Stage just before the competition. Although his aura was unstable, betraying his recent advancement, he was still a true Nascent Soul monster. He was leagues above the Golden Core Perfection disciples who usually dominated these events.

Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Zhuo Hongyi.

She had inherited her ancestor’s lifelong cultivation and was already firmly established in the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage.

The result was never in doubt. The “dark horse” was crushed. Zhuo Hongyi defeated him with casual ease, highlighting the insurmountable gap between their realms.

As Zhuo Hongyi secured the victory, a rain of fiery red petals suddenly drifted down from the sky.

A graceful figure in crimson robes materialized in the center of the arena without a sound.

It was the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Void Sect, Chi Lian.

“The competition between the Eight Major Halls has concluded,” her voice rang out, clear and commanding. “I hereby announce that the Law Enforcement Hall has claimed the championship! Congratulations to the Law Enforcement Hall for successfully defending their title!”

“ROAR—!”

The crowd erupted.

In the Heavenly Void Sect, three halls stood head and shoulders above the rest: the Law Enforcement Hall, the Myriad Pill Hall, and the Spirit Treasure Hall.

The championship trophy almost exclusively rotated between these three giants. They were in a league of their own.

The Law Enforcement Hall held the power of discipline and seizure. The Spirit Treasure Hall controlled artifact refining, making its disciples filthy rich. The Myriad Pill Hall controlled alchemy, a trade just as lucrative. For any other hall to break their monopoly was a pipe dream.

As Chi Lian announced the victory, the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall raised their arms and screamed their throats hoarse, celebrating a glory that belonged to them all.

After a long moment, Chi Lian raised a hand, pressing down gently against the air.

Instantly, the noise in the massive square vanished. Silence reigned.

Chi Lian looked out over the hundred thousand Inner Disciples and spoke.

“In seven days, the Individual Competition will begin. All registered disciples, make your preparations.”

“Those who rank in the top ten will receive not only the standard rewards but also permission to enter the Sect’s Forbidden Grounds and receive the baptism of the Spiritual Power Heavenly River.”

She paused, a faint smile touching her lips.

“A word of advice: the higher your rank, the better your position within the Heavenly River. The difference is… significant.”

“Now… I shall see you all in seven days.”

“WOOOAAAAH!”

As her voice faded, the square detonated with noise. The cheers were earth-shaking, far louder than they had been for the team battles.

The Individual Competition was where the real heat lay.

In team battles, weaker squads often surrendered early to save face and strength. But in the individual bracket, unless the gap was absolutely hopeless, everyone fought tooth and nail.

The logic was simple. A team victory brought glory to the Hall, but the resources were split among thousands.

A victory in the Individual Competition? The glory, the rewards, the fame—it all belonged to you.

This was the stage where unknown disciples could rise to stardom overnight.

On the outskirts of the Training Square.

Han Lie, Zhuo Hongyi, Qin Lan, and Xiao Zi gathered in a small circle away from the dispersing crowd.

“So, Captain Zhuo,” Han Lie teased. “Did you spot any worthy opponents for the individual rounds?”

Zhuo Hongyi shook her head, spreading her hands helplessly. “It’s hard to say. You can’t judge individual strength based on team performance.”

“Some dark horses are incredibly cunning,” she continued, her expression turning serious. “They intentionally hold back during the team fights. Their performance there and their true strength in the solo rounds can be like two different people.”

“Take yourself, for example,” she pointed at Han Lie. “Who among the registered contestants would ever guess that there’s a Nascent Soul monster hiding in the Servant Department?”

“I don’t think you two need to worry,” Qin Lan chimed in with a laugh. “No matter how dark these hidden horses are, can they possibly be darker than you two?”

“Haha, fair point,” Han Lie laughed, feeling at ease.

Unless a peerless genius with a Grade Nine Spiritual Vein suddenly appeared, the gap of the Nascent Soul stage was a chasm that 99% of cultivators could never cross.

“Brother Lin~! So you were hiding here~!”

Just then, a voice dripping with saccharine sweetness—so cloying it could make bones turn soft—rang out from behind them.