In the days that followed, with no sense of day or night, the heavy sound of Lin Tianya’s hammer on the anvil echoed without end.
Gu Ze and Li Xunmiao carved out a secluded chamber in the rock wall, set up a soundproofing array, and hid inside to cultivate.
“Junior Sister, are you sure you don’t want to open up a second chamber?” Gu Ze glanced at Li Xunmiao, who sat quietly by his side, and felt somewhat uneasy.
“There’s no time to waste on such things. Squeezing in with Senior Brother will be fine.” Li Xunmiao’s expression didn’t change as she silently scooted a few centimeters closer to Gu Ze.
So close they could almost touch.
Looking around the spacious chamber, Gu Ze let out a barely perceptible sigh.
With so much space, is there really a need for you to squeeze so close that our elbows are nearly touching?
Well, it’s understandable for a young girl to be afraid of loneliness. Gu Ze consoled himself with this excuse.
Li Xunmiao was exceptionally quiet when cultivating. If one stared at her too long, a sense of distance would emerge—as if she stood apart from the mundane world. Clearly so near, yet so unreachable.
Gu Ze was keenly aware of the gap between himself and Li Xunmiao.
If he slackened even a little, she would overtake him in an instant.
For years, all he wanted was to slack off and take it easy; after clinging to Feng Aotian’s thigh, he thought he could enjoy a life of ease.
Yet reality was nothing like he imagined.
Li Xunmiao was catching up, and Gu Ze was forced to put away his carefree attitude and throw himself into cultivation.
Though perhaps, it was all pointless, and his cultivation would soon be surpassed by Li Xunmiao anyway—she might even reach Foundation Establishment before him.
Even if Li Xunmiao’s cultivation wasn’t higher, her strength alone was enough to let her challenge those above her level.
Still, as her senior brother, he couldn’t allow Li Xunmiao to overtake him so quickly.
Perhaps it was being with Li Xunmiao that had let him experience things he never could before, broadening his horizons.
The old Gu Ze would never have thought this way, but people change.
Each extra day of effort was another day fulfilling his duty as a senior brother.
Maybe no one else cared, but Gu Ze did.
He didn’t know how many cycles of cultivation he completed when, suddenly, spiritual energy surged like a bursting dam, breaking through the bottleneck and expanding his meridians.
The spiritual energy accumulated over years completely absorbed a vast amount of Dragon Qi and surged through his body.
Qi Refining Sixth Level.
The next layer would be the realm of late-stage Qi Refining. The gap to cross for that breakthrough was nothing like between the fifth and sixth levels.
He opened his eyes—and immediately met a pair of starlit brown eyes. Li Xunmiao rested her chin in her hands, crouching before Gu Ze, who had no idea how long she’d been watching him.
She made no sound, quiet as a statue, yet the moment Gu Ze opened his eyes, she responded instantly.
“Senior Brother, you finally broke through!” Li Xunmiao beamed excitedly as she saw him awaken.
With that, she revealed her own cultivation: Qi Refining Third Level.
Gu Ze hurriedly glanced at his system panel.
[Qi Refining Fourth Level]
Li Xunmiao seemed to encounter no bottlenecks at all; cultivation for her was as natural as breathing. This little girl is hiding her true level again. Gu Ze didn’t expose her, simply nodded with relief.
When the three met up again, Lin Tianya was holding two more flying swords.
“Time is short, so I could only seal as much power as possible into these treasures, forging these one-use flying swords. As long as they hit the Dragon-shaped spirit vein, it will surely be severely wounded.”
With that, he handed a sword to Gu Ze, his expression grave.
Li Xunmiao flicked her wrist, and the Zangtian Sword, sharp and imposing, appeared in her hand, radiating a murderous aura that matched its master.
“These past days, after dual cultivation with Senior Brother Gu, both my sword and I have recovered to peak condition.” She said this calmly, without the slightest blush.
Lin Tianya, his face tense as he handed over the sword, suddenly jerked, nearly dropping the weapon.
Dual—dual cultivation?
What did he just hear? While he was sweating over the forge, was Gu Ze pounding away at… No, that can’t be right!
Gu Ze’s face changed as he hurriedly explained Li Xunmiao’s innocence to Lin Tianya.
Lin’s expression turned odd, and he coughed lightly without saying anything further.
Li Xunmiao blinked innocently, curiosity written all over her pure face: “Isn’t it dual cultivation when male and female cultivators train together?”
“I heard dual cultivation speeds up progress. I do feel my cultivation has improved a bit while meditating near Senior Brother Gu.”
As she spoke, her cheeks reddened ever so slightly, and she whispered, “I only want to dual cultivate with Senior Brother Gu.”
Gu Ze didn’t know whether to explain or not.
In the end, he managed a tactful reply: “You’re probably just imagining things. Besides, dual cultivation is something only Dao Companions can do.”
Despite her cultivation, Li Xunmiao was still a fourteen-year-old girl. Gu Ze wasn’t so depraved as to lay hands on an innocent, naive Li Xunmiao.
Though, she truly was extraordinarily beautiful.
“I see…” A hint of disappointment flickered in Li Xunmiao’s eyes.
But then she thought: If she could make Senior Brother Gu her Dao Companion, wouldn’t it be perfectly proper to dual cultivate with him?
No, no, why am I thinking only of dual cultivation! She’d only heard about it in mortal storybooks, and didn’t know any details. Maybe… she should ask Master someday?
Li Xunmiao quietly made a mental note.
With preparations complete, the group set out in search of the hidden Dragon Vein beneath the earth.
The deeper they ventured, the colder and damper the air became. Gu Ze could feel the moisture soaking into his Dao robe.
The Dragon Vein absorbed water, drawing all the water element from Songhuo Peak to this place.
Sensing the Dragon Aura from the Yulong Jade in Li Xunmiao’s arms, the earth vein began to tremble, and dragon roars echoed from all directions.
The three slowed their steps, Lin Tianya nervously gripping his flying sword, ready for any sudden attack from the Dragon Vein.
Li Xunmiao actively channeled Dragon Qi from the Yulong Jade, forcing the Dragon Vein to reveal itself.
It had already been severely wounded by Gu Ze, and the part it had lost had been forged by Lin Tianya into a treasure, making it unrecoverable.
Now, to restore itself, it needed to absorb vast amounts of spiritual energy.
The Dragon Qi from the Yulong Jade was clearly the best nourishment.
Though it knew it was a trap, the Dragon Vein couldn’t resist, circling the group but not yet showing itself.
“It’s coming.” The tremors underfoot grew stronger. Gu Ze gathered his spiritual energy, gripping his flying sword tightly.
Just as the terrifying True Dragon Aura rushed toward them, an unexpected change occurred.
A dragon roar pierced the entire underworld, echoing through the Yunhai Immortal Pavilion.
***
The three of them were instantly paralyzed, bodies swaying, struggling just to keep their balance under the overwhelming pressure.
The aura belonging to Songhuo Peak’s Dragon Vein shattered, as if torn apart, and all of it sank deeper into the earth.
Gu Ze felt a surge of unease—the changes in Yunhai Immortal Pavilion had already surpassed anything he’d imagined.
The grand spirit-gathering array of Yunhai Immortal Pavilion hadn’t only catalyzed a single earth vein’s transformation.
The massive Dragon Vein running through the entire pavilion had also gained intelligence.
The already damaged Dragon Vein of Songhuo Peak became its food.
With a piercing roar, it shattered the lesser dragon veins about to take form all around, absorbing their Dragon Qi and spiritual energy into its main body.
Of these, the one at Songhuo Peak was the most mature, its Dragon Qi the richest, strengthening the main Dragon Vein to its peak.
Now was the time to soar to the heavens.
In an instant, the entire earth vein trembled. The Dragon of the Earth Vein, its cultivation nearly at Golden Core level, let out a furious roar, and the ground beneath the three began to crack inch by inch.
A wave of force surged up from below.
Lin Tianya, holding nothing back, flung his flying sword instantly, neutralizing the incoming shockwave.
Gu Ze also acted at once, sending out two streaks of sword light into the blast.
Thankfully, the treasures Lin Tianya had crafted were specially imbued with Wood Element Spiritual Energy, countering the Dragon Vein and reducing much of the force.
Even so, the three could barely withstand the onslaught.
With the Frost Dust Mirror offering maximum protection, they were still sent flying dozens of meters like tattered rags.
Around them, countless huge black fissures yawned open—one misstep, and the earth spiritual energy would drag them deep underground.
“Xunmiao!” Gu Ze saw that Li Xunmiao, with the lowest cultivation, had been thrown the farthest.
Maybe it was because she was so light.
As Li Xunmiao’s balance faltered and she tumbled toward the endless chasm, Gu Ze whipped out the Dragon Binding Rope, flicking it over a dozen meters to snag her slender waist and haul her up.
Catching Li Xunmiao in a princess carry as she flew through the air, Gu Ze dodged the falling stones overhead and landed them safely in a relatively secure spot.
Everything happening before them had clearly exceeded what Qi Refining cultivators could handle.
Even a Foundation Establishment expert wouldn’t be a match for the Dragon Vein of the entire Yunhai Immortal Pavilion.
Right now, survival was all that mattered.
Lin Tianya staggered over, eyes filled with despair.
The surrounding darkness threatened to swallow them whole.
In the story, when Li Xunmiao faced a life-and-death crisis, what solution was there?
That’s right—she was Feng Aotian, protected by destiny, destined to overcome all calamities.
Junior Sister’s fate wasn’t to end here; there must be another way!
A flash of inspiration struck Gu Ze. He took out his treasured Peak Master Token and cried anxiously, “Sect Master, save us!”
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