Chapter 87: As If I’d Believe You—This Kid Is Up to No Good!

Cao Xuan followed closely behind. “Master, we’re circulating the cultivation technique, we mustn’t stop at random!”

Yu Wan stuck out her tongue and managed a strained smile as she looked back. “Let’s finish this cycle, then rest, shall we?”

Cao Xuan was noncommittal. “Fine. If the cycle ends, I’ll stop.”

Yu Wan’s face brightened with hope, but suddenly her body trembled. “Disciple… how come another cycle has already passed!”

Cao Xuan laughed. “Master, you know I have to run the cultivation technique and temper my body at the same time. It’s inevitable that the cycle isn’t perfectly controlled when multitasking.”

Yu Wan simply sprawled forward, no longer crawling, resigned to her fate.

In these four days of cultivation, the two had completed countless major cycles. She understood now that Cao Xuan had long since reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, truly a false Core expert.

Though she didn’t know exactly how her disciple cultivated, the facts spoke for themselves.

Cao Xuan’s expression turned solemn. “Master, your essence and spirit must be at a critical moment in their cultivation.”

Just as Yu Wan could sense his realm, Cao Xuan could sense hers. And having used Foundation Establishment Pills, his understanding of the interplay between essence, qi, and spirit was deeper than Yu Wan’s.

By combining the circulation of two major cycles, Cao Xuan could clearly see Yu Wan’s cultivation: essence 7, qi 10, spirit 8.

After these days of fierce struggle, Yu Wan’s essence had broken through 9 early on, and her spirit was now just a step away from 9.

Don’t think it slow—remember, Yu Wan also broke through to Foundation Establishment in her early thirties, and only after a hundred years of cultivation reached essence 7, qi 10, spirit 8 at the peak.

Hearing Cao Xuan’s words, Yu Wan understood his meaning. Her voice trembled. “I… I understand… but… but… this impact on the spirit is overwhelming!”

With her peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, she could withstand the lingering aftereffects of cultivation, but not this relentless wave after wave.

Yu Wan felt her spirit being constantly assailed and elevated in a special way. She bit her lip to endure, yet sensed herself at the limit.

She couldn’t tell if it was pain or pleasure; it was irresistible and left her feeling as if she floated, unable to descend, her heart fluttering in panic.

Yu Wan truly feared sinking into it, her mind breaking as a result.

Cao Xuan, of course, was unaware of her state. He concentrated on the circulation of the cycle, sensing the rise in Yu Wan’s realm within.

He could ignore essence and qi, but spirit was just a hair’s breadth from 9.

As Yu Wan had said before, she wanted to use the Azure Cloud Mist Cave to break through to Core Formation. Cao Xuan thought she’d need at least essence 9, qi 10, spirit 9.

With that in mind, Cao Xuan accelerated: speeding up in all aspects, increasing the pace of the cultivation technique and everything else.

“Ah… Xuan… my boy…”

Yu Wan cried out in alarm. If not for the restrictions on the cabin, her plaintive cry would have resonated throughout the entire Whale Dragon Boat!

Her body arched like a crescent bow, tightly embraced by Cao Xuan.

“Master, it’s done! Your spiritual power has broken through!”

Cao Xuan extended his divine sense through their connection, sensing at that moment Yu Wan’s spirit breaking through to 9, truly able to attempt Core Formation.

And his own essence, qi, and spirit, by this numerical reckoning, had reached essence 11, qi 11, spirit 11.

He expected to hear the sound of his master’s delighted surprise, but after waiting, there was no reply.

Only then did Cao Xuan notice his master’s expression: completely dazed.

“Oh no, master’s broken! What should I do? I need answers, and fast!”

Of course, Cao Xuan was only joking. He knew Yu Wan had momentarily lost consciousness as a form of self-protection after her spiritual power surpassed the threshold.

…

Creak.

Cao Xuan pushed open the cabin door, stretching lazily, only to find the three fairy sisters waiting just outside.

Bang!

He immediately slammed the door shut.

“Ha… haha… Senior and junior sisters, you’re all here!”

Ye Caixian smiled gently. Xing Mengfan, though her face was expressionless, allowed a faint smile to curl at her lips. For the strongest peer among them, they all felt a natural affinity.

And perhaps because he had won the hearts of countless women, Cao Xuan exuded a subtle aura that made female cultivators feel close to him—a deeper phenomenon, imperceptible to most.

Li Yao looked suspiciously at Cao Xuan; her sixth sense told her that her junior brother seemed to have just returned from a fierce battle.

“Where’s master?” Li Yao, acting on impulse, immediately tried to enter the cabin, but Cao Xuan blocked her way.

He calmly replied, “Master is inspired and is in seclusion, cultivating.”

Li Yao was about to protest, when Cao Xuan suddenly grinned mischievously. “I happen to have a bit of insight myself. Senior sister, do you want to try?”

Li Yao’s face flushed in an instant. Seeing Ye Caixian and Xing Mengfan puzzled, she hurriedly exclaimed, “Junior brother!”

Then, in a low voice, she whispered, “…What are you saying, there are others here!”

Without further ado, she pulled Cao Xuan away from the scene.

She didn’t notice that, when Cao Xuan used his body to block the cabin, Yu Wan was not sitting cross-legged inside.

On the contrary, she was lying on the bed in a very “relaxed” manner.

If anyone saw her rolled-back eyes and tongue, they would be utterly baffled, yet deeply shocked.

…

Night fell. A moon, countless times larger than in Cao Xuan’s previous life, climbed into the sky.

Yu Wan shook her head and awoke. She immediately sat up, glanced around, and felt a pang of disappointment at not seeing Cao Xuan.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she merely closed her eyes to sense and knew exactly how much time had passed.

“I never expected to have been unconscious for so long!”

Yet as Yu Wan felt her heightened spiritual sense, she realized she now had the same sensation Cao Xuan once described: she could break through to Core Formation at any moment.

Yu Wan’s lips curled in a smile. She wasn’t in a rush to break through. Instead, she licked her lips, savoring the memory of their days of intense cultivation.

“The Azure Cloud Mist Cave should allow me to improve even more. If Xuan doesn’t get a spot this time, I’ll give him the little uncle’s place!”

Yu Wan herself could break through to Core Formation now, and Cao Xuan, much stronger than she, naturally could as well.

At this moment, she wore the demeanor of a young girl, hoping her last disciple would become ever stronger.

Since both could break through to Core Formation at any time, they wanted to further increase the number of rings in their Core.

Yu Wan never considered that after these days of dual cultivation, she might have a chance to break through to Nascent Soul.

She sighed softly, “That little rascal, I said I couldn’t take any more, but he just wouldn’t stop!”

Yu Wan stroked the talisman engraved on her belly from the “Heavenly Talisman Secret Tome.” “Still, he forcibly strengthened my foundation quite a bit.”

After an afternoon of rest, the lingering excitement faded, her spirit no longer trembled, and she felt ready to fight again.

Sometimes, people are just like that: terrified when they’re up, but once they come down, they want to climb again.

Yu Wan swept her spiritual sense and found that Cao Xuan’s cabin had no restriction and was empty. She snorted coldly.

“Hmph, that boy—he must have gone to Yao!”

“You said you wanted to rest, and I actually believed you!”