Chapter 111 - 102: Qi of Time

Chapter 111: Chapter 102: Qi of Time

In the courtyard, Zhao Zuo finished his Cultivation and noticed Shen Yunjiao watching him.

He hadn’t seen her for some time. Shen Yunjiao still wore her red Taoist Robe, but her figure had grown somewhat leaner. The gauntness of her cheeks was more pronounced, and her legs were more slender than before, losing their initial roundness and plumpness.

If she had been voluptuous before, now she was somewhere between voluptuous and gaunt. Her spirits, however, seemed much higher, and her aura had grown deep and unfathomable.

Clearly, this period of seclusion had not only healed her internal injuries but also brought a significant improvement to her Cultivation. It was just that... now her aura was so ethereal that Zhao Zuo couldn’t determine her exact Cultivation level.

Zhao Zuo stood up, first gulping down several large mouthfuls of cool water to replenish the fluids his body had lost. He wiped the sweat from his skin with a towel and then offered his congratulations to Shen Yunjiao.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on completing your Cultivation Technique conversion and achieving a breakthrough in your Cultivation."

"Thank you. I was fortunate enough to break through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer last night."

Shen Yunjiao forced a smile. The Taotie Demon Manual was truly powerful. Simply completing the switch had allowed her to break through, and after the breakthrough, her foundation had become even more solid. Even her physical strength had improved significantly.

But the price was... she had lost five years of her lifespan.

"It seems you’re not far from Foundation Establishment," Zhao Zuo congratulated her again.

"I have you to thank for this breakthrough, Fellow Daoist. By the way, what did you do with those Middle Grade Spirit Stones?" Shen Yunjiao asked with a smile. The Taotie Demon Manual had an extremely high demand for Spiritual Power, so it was best to cultivate with High Level Spirit Stones.

"I’ve already taken care of them," Zhao Zuo replied.

After wiping the sweat from his body, Zhao Zuo took a few steps forward and sat to Shen Yunjiao’s right. The assessment was imminent, and there were some matters they needed to discuss.

"Alright." Shen Yunjiao sounded slightly disappointed.

"I’ve signed up for this month’s Earth Fire Hall assessment. There shouldn’t be any issues," Zhao Zuo said, pouring himself a cup of Cold Thorn tea.

"So you’re moving out." Shen Yunjiao immediately got to the heart of the matter, her tone becoming a little unnatural. The thought that they would certainly see each other less in the future diminished much of the joy she felt from her breakthrough.

"That’s right. I’ll probably have to terminate my lease. Sorry," Zhao Zuo said.

"There’s no need to apologize, Fellow Daoist. I’ll keep renting a courtyard anyway. My current Cultivation Technique has high demands regarding the concentration of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power," Shen Yunjiao explained, though her smile was somewhat forced.

Although Zhao Zuo saw this, he didn’t think much of it... he just assumed she was pained by the thought of spending the Spirit Stones.

"In that case, I’ll return my Array Token to you before I leave."

"Keep it. I’ll also save the room on the first floor for you. Even if you become a Moyun Sect disciple, you’ll still need a residence outside the sect. It will be more convenient for handling certain things," Shen Yunjiao said.

"Thank you." Zhao Zuo thought for a moment and didn’t refuse. ’There are definitely Foundation Establishment Powerhouses in the Moyun Sect. They have Divine Thought and might detect the fluctuations when I upgrade my Magical Artifacts. Thinking about it, having an extra foothold really is a huge advantage.’

"Even though you won’t come by often, I’ll still have to take care of cleaning your room. Five Spirit Stones a month should be fine, right?" Shen Yunjiao said, extending her slender fingers and waving them twice in front of Zhao Zuo’s face.

"I knew it..." Zhao Zuo chuckled under his breath.

"What did you say?"

"I said... five Spirit Stones a month is perfectly reasonable!" Zhao Zuo said at once.

"That’s more like it," Shen Yunjiao hmphed.

The two made some more small talk, during which Shen Yunjiao shared her experiences breaking through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. For the most part, it wasn’t different from earlier breakthroughs, but she also told Zhao Zuo about another important characteristic.

The human body is like a wooden barrel. The Mana within the Dantian is the water inside it. During the Qi Cultivation Stage, absorbing Spiritual Power and converting it to Mana is like filling that barrel, and each breakthrough is like increasing the barrel’s size.

There are two bottlenecks in the Qi Cultivation Stage: one from the Early Stage to the Middle Period, and another from the Middle Period to the Late Period.

Among them, the bottleneck from the Middle Period to the Late Period involves a massive increase in Mana capacity, which places much higher demands on the body. If your body wasn’t nourished with Demon Beast meat and Spiritual Medicine from a young age, you can only rely on supplementary Pill Medicine to break through safely.

Of course, the best method is to concurrently train in a Body Refining Technique. This strengthens a Cultivator’s otherwise frail body, allowing one to... safely and securely break through to the Late Qi Cultivation Stage.

"When you’re breaking through the Late Qi Cultivation Stage bottleneck, don’t hesitate. You have to push through in one go." Shen Yunjiao emphatically described the moment of her breakthrough. She explained that aside from the pressure of the breakthrough itself, she also felt an inexplicable fear. If she had hesitated at that moment, the outcome would have been completely different.

"Alright, thank you, Fellow Daoist." Zhao Zuo nodded. He had suspected as much during his last breakthrough; he hadn’t felt much pressure when he advanced his Cultivation, and he figured it was probably because of the latent advantage from his powerful physique.

’The Foundation Establishment Three Gates of Spirit, Mana, and Body actually begin to manifest as early as the Qi Cultivation Stage.’

"It’s nothing," Shen Yunjiao said, waving her hand dismissively.

After going through the ordeal in the Fangcun Pavilion’s Land of Inheritance, the two of them had faced life and death together, and their relationship had grown much closer. The awkwardness from the dissolution of their demon-hunting partnership had completely vanished.

Although Shen Yunjiao didn’t seem to mind, Zhao Zuo treated this precious experience as a debt of gratitude. He knew he would have to repay her in some other way in the future; only then would things be fair.

"I’m going to make lunch now. We can eat together in a bit," Shen Yunjiao said, getting up with a smile. Her steps were light, and she seemed to be in a very good mood. The sway of her hips as she walked was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, the Spring and Autumn Cicada resting against his skin began to heat up. A faint, almost imperceptible gray light flickered in the depths of Zhao Zuo’s eyes. Under its influence... the entire world lost its color.

A stream of dark gray gas, mixed with a pale white, was continuously rising from the surface of Shen Yunjiao’s body. It felt devoid of any Vitality or luster, like dead wood or dry grass, without a single trace of life.

This grayish-white gas eventually flowed entirely into the Spring and Autumn Cicada nestled against Zhao Zuo’s chest, causing the artifact to radiate continuous heat, as if it were reviving... Soon, he guessed the true nature of this aura.

’The Qi of Time.’

’Why is Shen Yunjiao carrying ownerless Qi of Time?’

The smile on Zhao Zuo’s face froze, and he sank into deep thought.

’It absolutely can’t be because of her Cultivation breakthrough. When I had my last breakthrough, I didn’t get any materials to upgrade the Spring and Autumn Cicada. So... where could she have picked up the Qi of Time?’

About five minutes passed before all of the dual-colored gray and white aura was absorbed into the Spring and Autumn Cicada in his robes.

The gray light in the depths of Zhao Zuo’s eyes vanished completely, leaving no trace of anything unusual.

[Level: Lower Grade Magical Treasure +3 · Spring and Autumn Cicada] (Damaged)

[EXP: 1671/1000]

[Status: Upgradeable]

His suspicion was confirmed. That Energy was indeed the Qi of Time.

.....

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