[Four: The Holy Son has a point, but advancing to Chaofan is more about self-improvement. In cultivation, if you’re not advancing, you’re retreating. Transcending mortal flesh is what we practitioners dream of. Besides, Holy Son, if you reached Chaofan, would you still worry about having too many female companions and lacking strength?]
This… this… Li Ling Su stared blankly at the Earth Book fragment. He was persuaded.
Indeed, if I reached the Chaofan realm, they couldn’t drain me dry. But the Heavenly Sect’s Supreme Forgetting Emotions is too difficult, and once enlightened, it nearly severs all emotional attachments, clearing the mind of desires.
Hmm, perhaps I could focus solely on martial arts!
Reaching fourth-grade in martial arts would similarly help me handle the women at home. Plus, our Earthly Society has vast influence—Number One Huai Qing is the Central Plains Emperor, with plenty of resources to support my advancement to fourth grade.
Master, it’s not that your disciple is unfilial, it’s just that this martial path is too tempting… Li Ling Su quietly made up his mind to temporarily set aside Heavenly Sect cultivation and focus entirely on martial arts.
Fourth-grade martial artists could already achieve “Qi Sou.”
[Two: Why not just switch to Human Sect mental techniques?]
Li “Flying Swallow Heroine” Blue Lotus Daoist Miao Zhen gave her suggestion without much sincerity.
The reason I didn’t practice Daoist mental techniques was specifically to avoid the Human Sect path… Chu Yuan Zhen felt Number Two didn’t take him seriously as a companion, being so perfunctory.
[Nine: Without practicing Human Sect mental techniques, don’t hope for karma fire burning.]
Regarding Daoist matters, the Golden Lotus, Blue Lotus, and the Holy Son were the experts. If they had no solution, there truly was none.
Chu Yuan Zhen was taking an unorthodox path. Unless he pioneered an entirely new cultivation system, advancing to Chaofan would be extremely difficult… The Earthly Society members shook their heads helplessly.
Seeing no response for a long while, Chu Yuan Zhen sighed.
He would have to explore on his own.
But still unwilling to give up, he messaged:
[Four: Ning Yan, do you have any ideas?]
Xu Qi An read the message content, thoughts racing.
The core shouldn’t be karma fire, right? Karma fire just provides the “power.” Nurturing Intent’s core is absorbing “emotions,” so as long as you obtain emotions and transform them through Nurturing Intent, it should work. It doesn’t necessarily require karma fire…
After pondering for a moment, he suddenly had an idea.
[Three: I have a thought!]
His message energized the Earthly Society members. Chu Yuan Zhen stared intently at the mirror surface.
[Three: You just need a channel providing large amounts of “emotion”—it doesn’t have to be karma fire. Am I right?]
[Four: Yes.]
[Three: Do Daoist methods have anything like this?]
[Nine: No.]
Golden Lotus Daoist answered on their behalf.
[Three: But heart parasites can. Heart parasites can communicate and share creatures’ emotions, achieving control. Chaofan-level heart parasites can even force emotional resonance.]
He explained the abilities of heart parasites in detail to the Earthly Society members.
[Three: What do you all think?]
Completely feasible… Nobody understands your mental technique better than yourself. Chu Yuan Zhen became excited immediately.
[Two: You always have the clever ideas!]
Li Miao Zhen commented appreciatively.
This was her indirect way of endorsing the method.
[Seven: Though the amplification might not match karma fire, it’s indeed a path for self-improvement. If I remember correctly, natal parasites are best implanted at birth. At your age, will it work?]
This question needed a professional’s answer.
[Five: It’s possible, just somewhat dangerous. About a 70% chance.]
Not even 98%—Brother Chu is doomed… Xu Qi An silently snarked.
[Four: That’s enough.]
[One: Is that 70% chance of failure or success, Number Five? Please be clear.]
Huai Qing played it safe.
[Five: The chance of success, of course.]
After discussing business, the Flying Swallow Heroine asked:
[Xu Ning Yan, what have you found overseas?]
Xu Qi An messaged back:
[I’m on Merfolk Island.]
Merfolk Island?! Chu Yuan Zhen’s heart stirred as he messaged:
[The merfolk with human upper bodies and fish tails? I’ve read about merfolk in ancient texts but always thought they were legends.]
[Five: Are merfolk tasty?]
Li Na messaged eagerly.
Xu Qi An glanced up at the gentle, beautiful Queen beside him, thinking that merfolk were too adorable to eat.
[Three: Merfolk are beautiful, each one a rare beauty. Especially the Merfolk Queen—she’s gentle, delicate, graceful and charming, absolutely stunning…]
[Seven: This Holy Son feels his opportunity for Supreme Forgetting Emotions lies on Merfolk Island. Your Majesty, please grant me a flying ship—I must go to sea.]
Hmph, these merfolk sound just like another Xu Ling Yue… Li Miao Zhen pursed her lips.
[One: Looking forward to Xu Silver Gong bringing back a beautiful merfolk concubine.]
[Three: Your Majesty jests…]
You make it sound like I’m some insatiable lecher.
What a clever move by Her Majesty, advancing by retreating… Chu Yuan Zhen saw through Huai Qing’s technique.
[…]
In the capital city, in a two-courtyard mansion.
Li Ling Su ended the group chat, put down the Earth Book fragment, and gathered his household’s female companions in the hall.
The room was full of beautiful women, each with distinct charms, some slim as swallows, others pleasantly plump.
The Holy Son had good taste—all his chosen companions were outstanding in both appearance and personality.
Among them were the married Chai Xing’er, the mature beauty from Ten Thousand Flowers House, three women from when he organized the volunteer army, Wen Ren Qian Rou who opened a branch in the capital…
After a long adjustment, they had achieved initial peaceful coexistence, at least on the surface.
Li Ling Su coughed and said: “Sisters, from today on, I will abandon Dao cultivation for martial arts, and must spend some time practicing abstinence.”
The Ten Thousand Flowers House mature beauty asked softly: “How long will young master practice abstinence?”
“Until I reach fourth grade,” Li Ling Su said seriously.
Whatever happens, let the little fellow take a break first and replenish the increasingly scarce essence.
The assembled beauties heard this and nodded in agreement.
They… they agreed just like that? Li Ling Su was suddenly delighted, thinking he had trained them well—they had all become so understanding.
Chai Xing’er said softly: “Young master is at the Bronze Skin Iron Bones realm. The next step is Energy Transformation, which emphasizes body control. Combat is the quickest shortcut to mastering Energy Transformation.”
Hearing this, Li Ling Su suddenly felt uneasy.
Chai Xing’er looked around at her sisters, smiling: “If we sisters pool our resources, we should be able to invite seven or eight fourth-grade experts to spar with the young master.”
Wen Ren Qian Rou nodded gently: “Starting today, we begin combat training. When young master reaches fifth grade, it ends.”
Li Ling Su opened his mouth and asked quietly: “What if I can’t advance?”
The assembled beauties stared at him expressionlessly, their silence giving him the answer—they would beat him until he reached Energy Transformation, regardless of life or death.
“Actually… abstinence isn’t necessary, it won’t interfere…” Li Ling Su said with a dry laugh.
[…]
On the endless ocean with its unchanging hues, Xu Qi An stood at the bow. At the stern, the fox spirit dozed on a soft couch, her nine fluffy tails covering her shapely form like a blanket.
But this left those long legs that no man could resist completely exposed to the sunlight.
Between them was the Merfolk Queen Zhenzhu in human form.
After hearing Xu Qi An’s description, the Merfolk Queen transmitted her thoughts: “Following Her Majesty’s route, six hundred li south of Merfolk Island is the Alsu Archipelago. In the divine demon language, Alsu means ‘The Invincible One.'”
“The Invincible One?”
Xu Qi An felt this name suggested something significant.
The Merfolk Queen transmitted her thoughts delicately: “Legend says the Alsu Archipelago formed from the body of an ancient three-headed giant. This three-headed giant chased the Phoenix, their battle moving from land to sea. Finally, the three-headed giant lost to the Phoenix and died of thirst in the endless ocean.”
“His body floated on the sea surface, his corpse becoming the archipelago.”
Is this real? Can gods and demons become “heaven and earth” after death? I’m a first-grade martial artist, and I didn’t know I had this ability. Or is this unique to gods and demons?
Xu Qi An nodded as he listened.