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

Chapter 224: The Struggle for the Divine Artifact, The Guardian

The afterglow of the setting sun scattered like crushed gold, dyeing the sea of clouds a magnificent, bruising orange-red.

Zhou Kai carried Li Youci out of the sedan chair, setting her down on the edge of the cliff. The mountain wind whipped at their robes, carrying the scent of pine and ozone.

Li Youci leaned against his chest, recovering her strength. After a moment, she punched him lightly—a blow so soft it was more coquetry than condemnation.

“With the commotion you caused in Shangqing City today, I suspect it won’t be long before our… affair… reaches my brother’s ears,” Zhou Kai said, pinching her chin with a grin.

“Gao Feiyang has a mouth like a sieve. He likely broadcast it the moment we left.” Li Youci snorted, arching her white neck to look down at him. “Why? Are you scared?”

Zhou Kai smirked. “It saves me the trouble of introductions. Aren’t you the one afraid the Young Master will break my legs?”

“He wouldn’t dare!” Li Youci retorted instinctively. Then she blushed, adding, “Actually, I hope he beats you to death, you scoundrel! It would save me a lifetime of worry!”

“Your mouth says one thing, your heart another.” Zhou Kai laughed, pulling her tighter. “Relax. At most, he’ll beat me to vent his anger. Would he really murder his own brother-in-law?”

Hearing “brother-in-law,” Li Youci’s ears burned red. “Dream on! Who is your brother-in-law?”

She shifted, finding a more comfortable position against him. Her tone sobered, turning serious.

“But you… you should consider the future. My Aunt was right. My father will very likely force me to compete for the position of Holy Maiden.”

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow. “I recall the rules. If a Holy Son or Maiden succeeds as Sect Leader, they must swear a Heavenly Dao Oath to sever all personal attachments during their tenure.”

Li Youci’s eyes flashed with cunning. She had clearly gamed this out.

“My brother is obsessed with becoming the Holy Son and ascending to the throne. He won’t let go. If I participate, Father will use it as a stress test to see which of us has the sharper claws.”

She looked up, meeting Zhou Kai’s gaze with unprecedented seriousness.

“I’m telling you now: If Father makes me compete, I will play to win.”

She paused, her voice turning distant.

“Husband… why the rush? If I become the Holy Maiden, you just have to wait a few centuries. Once I step down as Sect Leader, I will be free of the Li Family’s shackles. My marriage will be mine to decide.”

She blinked playfully. “Besides… you should be worrying about how to refuse the women my family will try to shove into your bed during those centuries!”

Zhou Kai blinked, then chuckled. Her logic was certainly… unique.

“It sounds like you have a plan,” he said. “What do you need me to do?”

“Simple.” Li Youci sat up straight, enunciating clearly. “You will be my Guardian.”

“Guardian?”

“Yes,” she explained. “The struggle for the throne is a proxy war of vision and foundation. Each candidate recruits three Guardians. They cannot be blood relatives. They share glory and ruin. If we win, the Guardians become the core of the Sect Leader’s cabinet, entering Tongtian Peak directly.”

Zhou Kai nodded. “A position that critical must come with restrictions. No Dao Companions, I assume?”

“Correct.” Li Youci nodded approvingly. “During the Guardianship, marriage alliances are forbidden to prevent the candidates from forming complex ties with the Li, Song, and Yang families.”

She smirked. “But the rule only forbids formal status. Private affairs? Who has the authority to check?”

Zhou Kai understood instantly. He smiled.

“My brother will likely try to recruit you and Shen Hanyi,” she continued. “Your strength and Potential are undeniable. But don’t worry. If Father forces me into the game, he will assign you to my team as compensation.”

“Who are your brother’s Guardians?”

“Gao Feihuang is a lock.”

“Gao Feihuang?” Zhou Kai frowned. “That peacock? He’s even flashier than his brother. Last I saw him in Wohu City, he was barely Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer.”

“You are wrong,” Li Youci said gravely. “That is his mask. I once caught a glimpse of him sparring with my brother. My Divine Sense is sharp—the aura he leaked was not Foundation Establishment. I suspect he is at least Golden Core, possibly even on my brother’s level. I haven’t told anyone, not even Aunt.”

Hiss.

Zhou Kai felt a chill.

“Besides him, there is Su Xuan. The third slot is likely between Qin Jué and Xie Zhifei,” she added. “But they are the known variables. The real threat is Yang Ling of the Yang Family. His strength rivals my brother’s, and his three Guardians are a complete mystery.”

“When does the war for the Divine Artifact begin?”

“The shadow war has been raging for years,” Li Youci said, gazing at the clouds. “The Sect hasn’t announced the candidates, but the core circles know. Song Tiancheng of the Song Family is too young; his foundation is shallow. It’s a two-horse race.”

“Thirty years. That is when the official enthronement ceremony begins.”

Thirty years.

Zhou Kai etched the deadline into his mind.

They lay back on the grass, watching the star river wheel overhead.

Outwardly calm, Zhou Kai’s mind was racing.

Becoming a Guardian was inevitable. Facing Li Qiwen’s team was manageable—they were “family,” so the fights would be sparring matches, not deathmatches.

The real danger was Yang Ling and his hidden claws.

But even that paled in comparison to the sword hanging over his head.

Jade Flower Palace Holy Son, Dong Cheng.

If Du Chuyao’s calculations were correct, Dong Cheng would break through to Nascent Soul in thirty-five years.

He had to be eliminated before that happened. If Dong Cheng succeeded, Zhou Kai would have to flee Calamity Abyss Valley like a rat.

He didn’t care about Du Chuyao. But Wu Hongxiao…

Thirty years. Minus his own breakthrough time… maybe twenty.

“What are you thinking?” Li Youci asked.

Zhou Kai turned his head. “Besides Hanyi and me, who is your third Guardian? Mo Qianyuan is a solid choice.”

“Fang Lizhe.”

“Fang Lizhe?” Zhou Kai blinked, picturing his overly enthusiastic, muscle-brained little brother. “His aptitude is decent, but… Golden Core in thirty years?”

“You underestimate him. I confirmed it—his Demon Bloodline has fully Awakened. Plus, his ancestor’s Delusional Dao Cicada Scripture is perfectly compatible. I’ve given him the full text.”

She poked Zhou Kai’s chest. “Don’t forget, Awakened Demons cultivate violently fast in the lower realms. He is already Foundation Establishment Third Layer. His Body Cultivation is slower—Bone Forging Second Layer—but thirty years is enough.”

Zhou Kai realized she was right. Fang Lizhe was simple-minded, which meant he was focused. No distractions. No doubts.

“Besides,” Li Youci added dryly, “if I picked another man, you’d probably smash him with a hammer. If I picked a woman, I’d probably gain another sister…”

Zhou Kai laughed dryly.

He imagined Fang Lizhe training while screaming about “Big Brother’s Eternal Hegemony.”

It was… fitting.

“Fine. Good choice.”

Li Youci smiled, unable to hide her satisfaction.

She lay back down, shoulder to shoulder with him.

“So,” she whispered, “don’t worry about my team. Worry about your own strength. In thirty years, where will you stand? In the Guardian battles… anything goes.”