Breakthrough to the Marrow Washing Peak Stage

Wan Qingluan stared at you in astonishment, forgetting even to pull back her hand.

"Y-you, how did you know about my cultivation technique?!" Her face was full of shock.

Only she and Yan Zhixue knew this secret.

You grinned. "Take a guess!"

Wan Qingluan's already frightened expression became even more panicked.

She stood rooted to the spot, not daring to move.

But after several decades of knowing her, you were already incomparably familiar with her fearful personality.

You immediately shouted sternly, "I'll protect you for one day. After today, I'll let you leave. Don't fail to appreciate kindness!"

What you said really did not sound like you were trying to protect Wan Qingluan.

Wan Qingluan trembled all over, her little face scrunched up as though she were about to cry.

You ignored her and simply dragged Wan Qingluan away.

Although you were only at the late Marrow Washing Realm, your combat strength was roughly at the Essence Refining Peak.

Wan Qingluan was only at the Divine Organs Peak Stage right now. She was no match for you at all.

Unlike during the third simulation, when Wan Qingluan had always surpassed you by several cultivation levels.

"The tide of offense and defense has changed!"

You led Wan Qingluan out of the Yajiang Pass camp.

When Bai Chen saw you returning while leading a beautiful woman by the hand, he hurried over.

He looked at Wan Qingluan.

Then he turned to look at you and said in surprise, "Senior Brother, is your way of picking up girls this violent? You just forcibly snatched one off the street and brought her back?"

You could not be bothered to explain much to Bai Chen. Your face darkened immediately. "Shut your old mouth!"

Bai Chen, having been bullied, hastily shut his mouth.

The three of you headed southeast, toward the Danxia Sect.

Yajiang Pass was roughly ten days' journey from the Danxia Sect.

You dragged Wan Qingluan along for half a day before remembering to ask where she had originally been going.

She said she was going to the Dragon Gate Inn northwest of the Azure Mesa Desert.

You froze awkwardly, because you had dragged Wan Qingluan in almost the exact opposite direction.

"You don't have anything urgent to do at the Dragon Gate Inn, right?" you asked.

Wan Qingluan looked at you. "It's not urgent..."

"Then fine." You took Wan Qingluan's hand again and continued onward.

Wan Qingluan glanced at the hand you were holding, and the resistance in her eyes lessened considerably.

The Heavenly Desire Formless Skill you cultivated made Wan Qingluan vaguely feel close to you.

Bai Chen walked at the very back and glanced at your retreating figure.

He muttered, "No wonder he doesn't visit brothels. Turns out he just takes whichever girl he wants himself. No class!"

Bai Chen secretly swore that from now on, he too would cultivate diligently, until he reached the point where he could snatch someone off the street and nobody would dare say a word.

By evening,

the three of you saw the sky gradually darkening and checked into an inn.

You and Wan Qingluan stayed in one room, while Bai Chen had a room to himself.

You were doing it to protect Wan Qingluan. You absolutely had no other thoughts.

If you had even the slightest improper thought, Zhao Tiezhu would walk out the door and strike it rich.

That night, you led Wan Qingluan out of the room.

You planned to invite Bai Chen to browse the night market together.

You knocked on his door for a long time before realizing Bai Chen was not there.

You figured that old fellow had slipped off to visit a brothel again.

So you and Wan Qingluan went to the night market alone.

The night market streets blazed with lights, and the crowd roared like a boiling cauldron.

Cries of vendors, children crying and fussing, and bursts of laughter rang endlessly in your ears.

You bought a great deal of snacks.

Wan Qingluan was surprised to discover that they were all things she liked to eat.

You had long been familiar with every one of her preferences.

Wan Qingluan took a bite from every snack. She was so busy she could barely keep up, and her little mouth gleamed with oil.

"Is it good?" you asked with a smile.

"It's good~" For the first time that day, she showed a relaxed smile.

You spotted another stall selling sugar-fried dough balls, something both you and Wan Qingluan loved.

You released Wan Qingluan's hand and went over to buy some sugar-fried dough balls.

After paying, you sensed Wan Qingluan skipping over after you.

You did not turn around, merely extending your hand behind you.

Wan Qingluan naturally placed her hand in yours.

She did not feel that there was anything wrong with it.

She had become somewhat dependent on you.

After returning to the inn, you had Wan Qingluan sleep on the bed.

You did not sleep. Instead, you sat cross-legged on a chair and began cultivating.

Your realm had remained at the late Marrow Washing Realm for a long time.

You could already sense that thin layer of window paper separating you from the Marrow Washing Peak Stage.

You felt that you would break through very soon.

As a qualified fourth-grade alchemist, you no longer lacked Inner Divinity Pills.

You regained the same boldness you had once shown when swallowing Qi and Blood Pills.

You opened wide and swallowed Inner Divinity Pills by the handful.

You ate Inner Divinity Pills as though they were meals.

Your desperate pill-guzzling method left Wan Qingluan staring blankly.

Wan Qingluan lay on her side on the bed, blinking her large eyes as she watched you in astonishment.

As she watched, she gradually fell asleep.

The room filled with Wan Qingluan's steady, kitten-like breathing.

But you did not sleep. You continued swallowing pills and cultivating.

Until the latter half of the night.

Boom—

A thunderous roar erupted within your body.

Even Wan Qingluan was startled awake.

She abruptly sat up and stared at you in surprise.

A vast quantity of liquid True Qi roared and boiled within your body.

Like raging waves battering a dam.

You directly broke through to the Marrow Washing Peak Stage.

Together with the Nine True Qi Condensations you had completed earlier,

you were now frighteningly powerful.

Even if you faced someone at the early Dragon Transformation Realm, three realms above you, you would dare to test blades with him in person.

Whether you could defeat him was another matter, but at least you now had that confidence.

I wonder if I can beat that expert beside Duan Qian now... you thought silently.

Based on your previous deductions, that expert was at least in the Dragon Transformation Realm.

Looks like it still isn't safe enough. I can't become arrogant and complacent! you warned yourself.

At that moment, you noticed Wan Qingluan staring at you with her rosy little mouth agape, her face filled with shock.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a devastatingly handsome man break through a realm?"

"Y-you're only at the Marrow Washing Peak Stage?" Wan Qingluan asked haltingly.

Your breakthrough just now had exposed the aura of your cultivation.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

In Wan Qingluan's beautiful eyes was utter disbelief.

She was at the Divine Organs Peak Stage, an entire major realm above you.

Yet when she faced you during the day, she had been completely unable to fight back.

She had not been able to sense your cultivation either.

She had thought you were at least in the Essence Refinement Realm.

Who would have thought that you were merely a lowly Marrow Washing martial artist?

The shock left her at a loss for words.

In the end, she could only praise you sincerely. "You're really amazing!"

You smiled. "Someone used to tell me that often too, though she usually only said it at night."

Wan Qingluan's eyes were bewildered, and she did not understand what you meant.

"Sleep. I won't wake you up this time."

You pushed chairs together into a makeshift bed and fell deeply asleep.

The next day,

Wan Qingluan had her "loving personality" today.

Her whole being was filled with the radiance of humanity.

In total, she brought back eight stray dogs and nine stray cats.

She also brought back a little girl who had supposedly gotten lost.

Later, you discovered that the little girl had not gotten lost at all.

The girl had merely been playing outside her own home when Wan Qingluan picked her up and took her away.

The little girl's parents had nearly gone mad with worry and were about to report the matter to the authorities.

Fortunately, you returned her in time and even paid ten taels for emotional damages.

"Could you ask first before picking someone up?" You poked Wan Qingluan's fair forehead.

"I saw that there were no adults around her..." Wan Qingluan sat at the edge of the bed, lowering her head and rubbing her hands together.

"There are plenty of people without adults around them. There aren't any adults around me either, so why didn't you pick me up?"

Wan Qingluan gave you a serious once-over. "I can't pick you up."

You were speechless.

But you knew you could not blame her for this. It was all what you deserved.

Like a child who had made a mistake, Wan Qingluan silently curled up in the corner of the bed.

You sighed. "Your fearful personality has passed. Go back to the Dragon Gate Inn on your own. I'm returning to the Danxia Sect."