Chapter 40: Chapter 40

It should come as no surprise, but she broke into the Late stage of Qi Refining after only four days following the full optimization of her meridians. It still takes this dual cultivation method for me to be able to do this — it is something I intend to change permanently once I am capable of doing so — but it ends up benefiting me as well, as I also break into the Peak stage of Qi Refining.

I now use the same method she does and it is certainly beneficial for me in various ways. Firstly, my Dao of Qi receives Insights as my mastery approaches its limit, and my cultivation speed improves two-fold.

However, every day she spends cultivating with me, in the pond, is like seven or eight days for an ordinary cultivator — at 100% efficiency. Since I doubt that an ordinary cultivator could even come close to 100% efficiency — in other words, reaching the expected speed of the method itself — it is better to assume that for each day Lan Xiaohui cultivates, she makes the same progress an average cultivator makes in ten days or more.

After ten days of this, my supply of medicinal herbs dwindles. The Yin-Yang Grass is nearly entirely consumed, and so are the other materials and resources that were useful to cultivators. Often, she would apply medicinal pastes on her exposed body — which she no longer even hides from me, and I am beginning to suspect is a requirement for this dual cultivation, as silly as that is — only to help her expel the impurities of her body as she reaches for the higher and higher stages in her cultivation. After all, impurities slow her down.

When I compare that to my initial assumption that it would take me two years to make any progress, even I have to admit that I had a shallow opinion of what was possible. Certainly, I knew that higher efficiencies were possible, but not by this much.

In a way, I suppose I also have myself to thank for that. Without my assistance, Lan Xiaohui’s speed would slow down by two or three times. When discussing spiritual roots, or the highly unlikely event of someone being born with a particular affinity for cultivation, this is probably what it would look like: cultivating at least ten times faster than ordinary creatures.

Most creatures would reach the end of their lifespan before they could break into the higher, prestigious realms; but for someone who can cultivate at this speed? The sky is the limit. But so is also an early, unfortunate demise.

I know a few things about jealousy, greed and scorn.

When she finally reaches the bottleneck, on the precipice of breaking into the Foundation Establishment for the second time in her life, her eyes open and she instantly withdraws the Foundation Pill from my storage.

Though she is trying her best to remain calm — any kind of distraction now would be detrimental — I can see the excitement in her eyes. She had gone from a lowly Qi Condensation realm exile to breaking into the Foundation Establishment realm in the span of — what — a month or two.

It was outrageous.

Every thought and dream she had of revenge or regaining her dignity was crushed at the prospect of reaching her previous level in cultivation. It seemed so distant and so impossible. And now she was here.

Unable to contain her excitement, she smiles at me and swallows the pill.

Immediately, I hear a loud sound emanate from her meridians — well, if I can call my perception method hearing. A destructive force flows through her Qi channels, crushing the Qi revolving in her dantian.

At first, I think there is an issue, but I quickly notice the formation of Pillars in her dantian. It is supposed to be a process that takes several days, and is extraordinarily difficult. A Foundation Pill helps with that process — to make it easier and quicker — but it is not a requirement.

However, to no more surprise really, the Pillars forming in her dantian appear effortlessly and so quickly she gives the impression that this is not a bottleneck but more like a speed bump.

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I know my own Foundation Establishment will be far more difficult than this. I understand the process, and these Pillars will eventually form the foundation of the Dao Palace. Frankly, I don’t know what that means or what it looks like, but I know it to be objectively true. I feel it. It is a universal law.

Something, however, strikes me as odd. I know that one must build nine Qi Pillars to support the Dao Palace, but does it have to be nine? I understand the significance of that number, but wouldn’t having more pillars help?

I consider telling Lan Xiaohui to go for twelve, thirteen or maybe even fifteen Pillars, but considering the risk that at this speed any distraction could cause her to go into Qi Deviation, I restrain myself.

If it turns out that there is merit to this, I will just crush her Foundation and rebuild another one.

It’s no problem.

After an hour, the result is very anti-climactic. The Heavens don’t even bat an eye at this complete and utter abuse of its universal laws. Nevermind the pills and the strong Qi of the area, or practicing a — I hate to admit it — worthwhile cultivation method. But surely, using dual cultivation to gain access to one’s internal body, optimize the meridians and regulate Qi flow must be against the rules somehow.

As far as I can tell, not even a lightning flash. Definitely no thunder.

It seems unfair! I got punished for much less. I only killed about a hundred creatures with an array, and used sword Qi to extract a bit more true Essence than I was supposed to. Sure, maybe I consumed some Heavenly Tribulation Lightning too.

We both used shortcuts! Yet only I was punished?

Lan Xiaohui breaking into the Foundation Establishment realm within an hour? Not unexpected. Lan Xiaohui not getting punished for doing so? Very unexpected.

I suppose it is something I won’t learn any time soon. But at the very least, it seems that this method of finding shortcuts around an inefficient system is not against the rules. That is very good. Now that she is in the Foundation Establishment realm, her sword Qi should be much more potent, which means that she is effectively promoted from sentient transport to array engineer.

Still, I am in a good mood and she seems receptive to the sentiment.

“Well done,” I praise her.

She opens her eyes and her lips quirk into a smile. She doesn’t need to say anything. I can tell just by looking at her. She is thinking that our plan is possible.

She will kill the Black Tiger.

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