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

Chapter 207: Cards on the Table, I Am the Master of Heavenly Craft Tower!

The ten-day auction finally commenced.

Above the main entrance of the Heavenly Craft Tower, in the most luxurious private box on the top floor, a gilded censer breathed out plumes of calming incense, focusing the mind and soothing the spirit.

Zhou Kai sat alone at the head of the room. His eyes were half-closed, yet his Divine Sense rippled outward like an invisible tide, silently and instantly blanketing the entire auction hall.

With Cicada Chirp Steals Heaven, any attempt at concealment was utterly meaningless.

The hushed whispers of the Cultivators in the main hall, the suppressed breathing in the second-floor VIP boxes, and even the secret sound transmissions between two figures huddled in a corner—every single detail registered in his mind with crystalline clarity.

The sights, sounds, and ambient spiritual energy of the entire Heavenly Craft Tower were under his absolute control, as clear to him as the lines on his own palm.

Once the Delusional Dao Cicada Scripture advances a bit further, Cicada Chirp Steals Heaven will even allow me to tamper with sound transmissions directly, Zhou Kai thought.

The integrated Formation below—a perfect trinity of entrapment, killing, and defense that he had personally laid down—could easily block the Divine Sense of a Golden Core Cultivator. It was as solid as an impenetrable fortress.

But for him, the Formation’s true master, the barrier was nothing more than a layer of transparent gauze. Rather than hindering him, it acted as a living extension of his own perception.

Hmm? Zhou Kai’s brow twitched imperceptibly. He Xinrou is here too.

In a quiet corner of the ground floor, the pragmatic female Headmaster of the Asking Star Sect sat upright, her expression solemn.

Her reputation seemed to be quietly spreading. Several Foundation Establishment Cultivators actively approached her to make conversation, their tones laced with considerable respect.

This was a pleasant surprise.

Ever since the Asking Star Sect relocated to the Zhao family’s ancestral land, things hadn’t exactly been smooth sailing. There was a never-ending stream of blind fools trying to test the waters and probe the limits of that mysterious “Senior Han.”

The result was always the same: those who went never returned. The only thing they left behind was a chilling rumor that swept through the market—“That guy surnamed Han is an insect Cultivator. He commands a massive swarm of mid-second-stage Split Back Katydids, and he kills without leaving a single trace.”

Over time, Zhou Kai’s alias, Han Cheng, earned an infamous moniker throughout the underworld: Old Devil Han.

“Senior Brother, do you really intend to nurture that small sect?” Gao Feiyang’s voice echoed beside him, his face etched with confusion. “Why go through all this trouble?”

“Wasn’t it you who reminded me last time that I should consider establishing a family?” Zhou Kai opened his eyes and reached out, lacing his fingers with Wang Qiaoqiao’s hand. “I haven’t married the Li family’s young lady yet. If I rashly establish a family now, it will inevitably displease them. Rather than step on toes, it’s better to cultivate a loyal subordinate force first.”

Gao Feiyang’s eyes lit up in sudden realization, and he dropped the subject.

When Wang Qiaoqiao heard Zhou Kai say he wasn’t considering offspring just yet, her hand froze on her Storage Bag. A heartbeat later, she smoothly tucked it away, acting as if nothing had happened.

Inside that bag lay children’s clothes, shoes, and socks. She had stitched them all with meticulous care, crafting a full wardrobe ranging from swaddling clothes to one-year-old sizes. Every piece was tailored from the softest cloud silk she could find.

Zhou Kai noticed her subtle hesitation. He sighed inwardly and tightened his grip on her hand.

Wang Qiaoqiao swallowed the bitter pang of sorrow in her chest, a flawless smile blooming on her face. As his woman, she knew exactly when to show tenderness and when to be sensible.

On the other side of the room, Mo Qianyuan remained as still as a statue. Her eyes were empty, gazing out the window as if the bustling world around her simply didn’t exist.

Since her failed “Correction” a month ago, Zhou Kai hadn’t seen her at all.

Only now, as the auction began and she was needed to patrol the tower with Gao Feiyang to maintain order, did she finally stand up and look at him.

“Junior Brother.”

Her voice was as flat as a tightly strung zither, completely devoid of emotion.

“Do not neglect your Talisman Cultivation. Once the auction concludes, I will teach you how to draw third-grade Talismans.”

With that, she turned and left with Gao Feiyang, her back ramrod straight.

Zhou Kai glanced at his System Panel; his third-grade Talisman Master proficiency had been maxed out long ago. Still, his voice was gentle as he replied, “When I have some free time, I will seek Senior Sister’s guidance.”

The moment the door clicked shut behind the duo, the atmosphere in the private box shifted.

Wang Qiaoqiao turned her delicate body and practically melted into Zhou Kai’s lap, her breath fragrant like orchids.

“Husband, it’s so rare for you to stay at the Heavenly Craft Tower for a full 10 days. It’s a pity I’m tied up with affairs right now and can’t be at your side every second. But…”

She snapped her fingers.

Outside the door, Wang Daishan and Wang Xu’er glided into the room, both bowing gracefully toward Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai chuckled at her maneuver, reaching out to pinch her pert nose. “Since when has my Qiaoqiao become so generous? Aren’t you afraid I’ll be seduced by someone else?”

“Not at all.” Wang Qiaoqiao leaned against his chest, her eyes drifting toward He Xinrou on the floor below. “My husband can go a year without Cultivation, but not three days without a woman. Rather than letting some outside wildflower sink her claws into you, it’s better to use our own.”

She smiled, pressed a gentle peck to his lips, and then stood up, leaving the space to the three of them.

Zhou Kai looked at the two maids he had taken in on a whim, and a sudden idea struck him.

“You two have been stuck at the Qi Condensation stage for quite a few years now, haven’t you?” he asked lazily. “How would you like to change your status? Say, go to a small sect and become Elders?”

The maids’ eyes widened in sheer panic. Was Senior Zhou planning to give them away? Being called “Elders” was just a polite title; in reality, they would become playthings for some Foundation Establishment brute.

Wang Daishan immediately fell to her knees. “Master, we follow Madam Wang and dare not slack off in the slightest! We have never harbored any disloyal thoughts—”

“Enough,” Zhou Kai interrupted calmly. “You are considered my women, so naturally, no one else is permitted to touch you. If you achieve something in your Cultivation, I will officially take you in as Concubines.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Now, come here.”

…

The auction proceeded with fervent enthusiasm. With the terrifying reputation of Calamity Abyss Valley looming over the venue, and the established Qian Family participating, absolutely no one dared to cause trouble.

The real bloodshed only erupted on the tenth day, when the grand finale was presented.

“Twenty slots for refining Foundation Establishment Pills! After obtaining the main ingredients from the Spirit Medicine Garden, Elder Yunmian personally guarantees the production of at least one High Grade pill per slot!”

This was a temptation no Cultivator could resist. The atmosphere in the auction hall instantly reached a boiling point.

“3,000 Spirit Stones for one slot!” He Xinrou shouted, gritting her silver teeth at the agonizing price.

“4,000!” a rival family patriarch barked without a second of hesitation.

Just as He Xinrou was about to counter-bid, a calm, chilling voice echoed directly in her mind.

“Headmaster He. Come to the top-floor Tianzi No. 1 private box.”

He Xinrou shuddered. She immediately abandoned her bid and, under the astonished gazes of the surrounding crowd, rushed up the stairs.

The moment she pushed open the door to the Tianzi No. 1 box, her entire body froze.

Her mind went completely blank.

Wang Daishan and Wang Xu’er—she recognized them instantly. They were the Heavenly Craft Tower proprietor’s personal maids, deeply trusted by Wang Qiaoqiao.

But right now, the two women were kneeling beside Zhou Kai, their clothes slightly disheveled and their hair buns coming loose. Their cheeks were flushed with a fading rosy hue. One was gently massaging his shoulders, while the other was carefully peeling a spirit fruit and feeding it to his lips.

And the man they were serving had his robe half-open, his expression the picture of decadent satisfaction.

This jarring sight sent a shockwave through He Xinrou. Even as a Headmaster accustomed to facing all manner of storms, she was momentarily stunned.

“Come here,” Zhou Kai commanded.

He Xinrou snapped back to reality. Suppressing the stormy waves crashing in her heart, she walked over.

“From now on, these two will serve as Elders of your Asking Star Sect,” Zhou Kai said, pointing to the two flush-faced women.

Then, his dark eyes locked onto He Xinrou.

“As you can see, the Heavenly Craft Tower is my business. As long as I remain in Shangqing City, your Asking Star Sect will never lack resources. The Quenching Spirit Bees I left for you produce enough spirit honey to cover the sect’s daily expenses. You only need to do one thing.”

He paused, his voice turning cold. “Cultivate well, train your disciples, and become my blade as quickly as possible.”

Every word struck He Xinrou like a thunderbolt. The pieces finally clicked together. She realized just what kind of terrifying existence she had bound herself to.

Sharp-minded as always, she caught the hidden implication. “Senior… are you leaving Shangqing City?”

“Correct. I will stay for a few more years,” Zhou Kai replied, his gaze growing distant. “You must reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before I leave.”

Before He Xinrou could process the impossible demand, Zhou Kai reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and yanked her down.

He Xinrou gasped as she collapsed right into his lap.

“Enough business,” Zhou Kai murmured, his large hands already roaming where they pleased. “It’s been far too long since I’ve tasted your flavor…”

…

The ten-day auction concluded in a roar of success.

Zhou Kai did not seek out Mo Qianyuan to learn Talismans.

As for her Dao Heart…

Zhou Kai frowned slightly. This was a thorny problem. Mo Qianyuan had sealed her inner self with a rigid sense of “order.” Forcing the issue now would only backfire.

He needed to find the perfect opening—whether it was using Cicada Cry Bewildering Heart or simply shattering her delusions with the right words. Once the Spirit Medicine Garden trial was over, he would execute a foolproof strategy.

East of the Spirit Mountain, deep inside his cave dwelling.

Zhou Kai sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet room, sinking his consciousness into his Consciousness Sea.

[Zhou Kai] [Constitution: Creation Spirit Yang Body (Inactive)] [Constitution Points: 5100]

“System, activate my special constitution!”