Chapter 86: Xuan’er, do you mean to challenge your master?

Cao Xuan hurriedly put on a flattering smile. “Three hours for a break in the middle... two hours works too!”

Yu Wan said nothing and simply sat down.

“Master, business is business. You ought to give me a price!”

Yu Wan shot him a look. “You’re haggling over cultivation? I really don’t know how you ever reached the peak of Foundation Establishment!”

Cao Xuan chuckled. “What can I say? I was born talented!”

Yu Wan paid no mind to his digressions. Her heart was set on the Dao; if Cao Xuan wanted to slack off, he would have to ask whether her thigh agreed first.

For a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, ordinary mortal exercises such as sit-ups and squats were child's play.

“Hiss—”

Cao Xuan drew in a sharp breath. “Master, I’m not ready yet.”

“Enough. Stop pretending. Your vital energy is already linked up. Hurry and circulate the Cloud Pattern Sutra!”

As she spoke, a faint smile curved Yu Wan’s lips. “What, your body doesn’t want to move, so you need your master to help you circulate the technique inside you as well?”

Seeing that Yu Wan was dead set on cultivating, Cao Xuan grinned. “How could that be, Master? I’ll do it myself!”

If Yu Wan, an imperfect peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, dared to go to battle, how could he, a fully perfected peak Foundation Establishment cultivator on the verge of False Core, possibly be afraid?

Cao Xuan had merely developed a wicked little whim; since he was not taking the initiative, he wanted his master to do so.

And truth be told, his spirits were instantly lifted.

This world was one where cultivation reigned supreme. For the sake of power and lifespan, one could abandon everything.

Like that great-love immortal sovereign from his previous life, who founded the Heaven and Earth, One Family, Great Love Alliance: for the sake of cultivation, everything could be used as a means, whether righteous or demonic.

Now that he had this rebate system, was he not another kind of great-love immortal sovereign?

Cao Xuan felt that he wanted cultivation and immortality, and he wanted the delights of love and desire just as much.

To others, such things were a waste of time. As years passed, even celestial beauties would wither into nothing more than painted skeletons.

But for him, it was the opposite. Cao Xuan believed in seizing happiness while he could, and as for the future, he would speak of it later.

Besides, was he not, in his own way, helping these fairies and beauties break through their own shackles?

That was the meaning of his cultivation. He was savoring that truth.

As for immortality and the vistas along the Great Dao, he would come to feel them as his cultivation deepened.

These thoughts flashed through Cao Xuan’s mind in an instant, only serving to strengthen his resolve.

Cao Xuan gave a wicked smile. “Master, this was your idea. You were the one who told me to take you— I didn’t force you!”

The moment those two words came out of Cao Xuan’s mouth, Yu Wan had never even heard the term before, yet she instantly understood its meaning.

Once one had cultivated to Foundation Establishment, comprehending the Dao was no issue. Those two words themselves already bore the meaning of man and woman.

Sensing the subtle power of language, Yu Wan’s face reddened. “I really don’t know how your brain is wired, or why your mouth is so filthy!”

Cao Xuan did not care in the least, and only laughed. “Master, how is it? Pretty intense, isn’t it? Don’t you feel your heart racing?”

Yu Wan shot him a glare and said sulkily, “No!”

[Beep~ Yu Wan’s affection has increased by 1]

[Beep~ Yu Wan’s affection has increased by 2]

...

[Beep~ Yu Wan’s current affection is 90]

[Beep~ Yu Wan’s affection has reached 90]

[As the system-bound one’s lackey, you have obtained one lottery chance. Draw now?]

Seeing that another lottery chance had been added, and that after the ten-pull there were now six chances left, Cao Xuan did not rush to draw. Instead, he looked at his master with a hint of amusement.

No, the steadily climbing affection score said it all.

Still, he did not spoil the mood and said, “Master, are you sure you won’t let me rest? Don’t regret it later.”

Yu Wan simply turned around, facing away from Cao Xuan, and licked the corner of her lips. Once one had tasted the marrow, one knew its flavor; she was not afraid of Cao Xuan.

Then she turned her head and shot him a provocative look.

“You want to challenge your master?”

Cao Xuan raised a brow. “Oh? Fair lady, you asked for this!”

...

Four days passed in the blink of an eye, and there was less than one day left before they reached the Azure Cloud Sect in the Central Continent.

Li Yao stamped her foot outside her master’s cabin. “Master is really something else—why did she keep Junior Brother Cao in there for so long?”

Then she thought of something, and her expression changed in shock. “Could it be... Master, surely not...”

At that thought, she could not sit still any longer and immediately prepared to knock.

Although the restrictions on the cabin aboard the Whale-Dragon Ark could muffle the sounds inside and out to prevent disturbances during cultivation, if someone knocked, those inside would still sense it, unless they were in deep meditation.

But before Li Yao could make a move, Ye Caixuan and Xing Mengfan had already come out.

They stretched lazily, loosening their beautiful bodies; it seemed they had only just finished cultivating.

“Aahh~”

After a yawn, Ye Caixuan saw Li Yao’s posture and said with a sly smile, “Senior Sister Li Yao, you really are glued to your junior brother. What, at your age, you still need your junior brother to keep you company while you cultivate?”

Before Li Yao could flare up, Ye Caixuan continued, “Come on, Senior Brother Cao has clearly broken through to the peak of Foundation Establishment. Your master is teaching him properly.”

Li Yao automatically ignored the teasing at the start and subconsciously retorted, “Junior Brother Cao is very talented. By rights, Master should have finished teaching him in half a day!”

No one in the past year understood Cao Xuan’s talent better than Li Yao.

With memories of two simulated lifetimes of cultivation, many things became readily apparent to him. At the very least, in the stages from Qi Refinement through Foundation Establishment, Cao Xuan could be said to know more than any Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Of course, these two simulated lifetimes had not taken him to the peak of Foundation Establishment; that was only a matter of realm. After all, the main purpose of those two simulations had been to achieve mastery in the Heavenly Talisman Secret Tome.

Yet the process of cultivating that tome was itself the process of learning all manner of techniques.

Thus, whenever Li Yao had questions she did not understand, Cao Xuan could often answer them immediately, almost as soon as he glanced at them.

Otherwise, did they think that in this past year, Li Yao and Cao Xuan had only been “dueling” at night?

The effortless learning, the sense of reliability, and many other qualities Cao Xuan possessed were important too.

Ye Caixuan did not know all this. She had only known Cao Xuan for a little over a year, and their bond was more one of casual friendship than anything else; she did not know what Li Yao was thinking.

So she said directly, “There are many things to pay attention to at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Uncle-Master Yu probably has a great many details to teach. How do you know Senior Brother Cao doesn’t have anything left to learn? Mengfan, what do you think?”

Xing Mengfan remained the same silent girl as ever. Seeing Ye Caixuan suddenly turn to seek her agreement, she tilted her head and thought carefully for a moment.

Her own master, Li Zhiyun, could go on lecturing for days at a time.

At that thought, Xing Mengfan gave a little shiver and hurriedly nodded.

Seeing that both Ye Caixuan and Xing Mengfan said the same, Li Yao remained suspicious in her heart, but thinking it over carefully, Master was, after all, Master.

Her cheeks reddened slightly. Her junior brother’s method of cultivation, though rapid, seemed only a hair less improper than intimate relations between man and woman.

A person as serious as her master should not accept such a method of cultivation.

At that very moment, in the room separated from Li Yao by only a single cabin door, Yu Wan was crawling forward on all fours, her voice trembling.

“Xuan... Xuan’er... your master... admits defeat!”