Cultivation

Early the next morning.

After solving the problem of Dai Yao's cultivation environment, they had to solve Zhu Zhuqing's.

After learning what Zhu Zhuqing needed from a Simulated Environment, Feng Wutong said in delighted surprise:

"The dark environment Little Sister Zhuqing needs happens to be right here."

"Where?"

Dai Yao asked.

"Behind the waterfall. There's a cave hidden behind it, dozens of square meters in size, deep and dark—perfect for Little Sister Zhuqing to cultivate."

Everyone arrived in front of the waterfall, circulated their soul power, passed through the waterfall, and entered the cave.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the cave's environment with delight. She could clearly sense that the surrounding Qi suited her Martial Soul extremely well. Cultivating here would let her achieve twice the result with half the effort.

She nodded to Dai Yao. Today, there was no need to find her another Simulated Environment.

"All right, Zhuqing. Cultivate here. If anything happens, just call me."

After leaving the cave, he came to the edge of the pool. Looking at the waterfall cascading down, he felt a little nervous.

When the sun rose, its light shone over the waterfall, turning it golden.

Dai Yao took off his clothes, leaving only a pair of shorts, and warmed up a little. After all, it was still the depths of winter, and the temperature was very low. If not for soul power protecting his body, he would not have dared cultivate like this.

Feng Wutong sized up Dai Yao's body and sighed inwardly: Why is this prince so thin and scrawny? What a waste of a life of luxury.

Without another word, Dai Yao ran out barefoot and plunged beneath the rushing waterfall. He stood on a large rock below, circulated his soul power, and resisted the endless, heavy pressure.

His center of gravity was washed unsteadily by the current. In the end, with a slip, he slid into the water.

With a splash, Dai Yao sent up a huge spray.

Like a drowned rat, Dai Yao climbed out of the water and waded back to shore.

Feng Wutong asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"Cultivating!"

She shook her head. Using soul power to withstand the endless waterfall was a decent method, but it was far too bitter. Feng Wutong did not think a prince raised in luxury could endure such hardship.

Soaked from head to toe, Dai Yao entered the waterfall again. This time, he chose to sit on the rock. Compared to standing, it was easier to keep his balance.

He knew cultivating beneath the waterfall meant tormenting himself, but if he wanted to survive the struggle for the throne, he had to keep going.

The sun rose and set. Time flew by.

Ten days later, Dai Yao sat beneath the waterfall, drenched all over, using his soul power to withstand the waterfall's endless blows. He had already held on for two hours.

Just as he was about to be unable to endure any longer, a bottleneck he had never been able to break through instantly gave way under the pressure.

With a bang, an invisible force erupted from Dai Yao's body, blasting the spray in all directions.

The waterfall paused for an instant. Then an even stronger impact knocked Dai Yao into the water.

Although he had once again become a drowned rat, he was not dispirited at all. Instead, he was wildly excited.

"I finally broke through. Rank twelve Soul Power Level."

Dai Yao's soul power was liquid, while that of ordinary soul masters was gaseous. In other words, the soul power he needed to go from rank eleven to rank twelve was far greater than that of an ordinary soul master.

Correspondingly, the quality of his soul power was also much higher. Whether in the power of his soul skills or the duration of his casting, he was stronger than ordinary soul masters.

This was also why Dai Yao had absorbed a seven-hundred-year Spirit Ring, yet only had rank eleven soul power.

On the shore, Feng Wutong, dressed in fiery-red clothes, also curved her lips into a gratified smile. She was happy that Dai Yao had advanced.

As Dai Yao exhausted his soul power, fell into the water again and again, then stored up a little soul power before charging into the waterfall without hesitation once more, Feng Wutong went from not believing he could persist, to gradually becoming surprised, and finally to admiring him from the bottom of her heart.

Dai Yao did not seem like a noble's son, but rather an Ascetic Monk.

She did not know why Dai Yao tormented himself like this, but seeing him reap rewards through hard work made her happy for him as well.

At the same time, a ripple also came from the cave behind the waterfall.

A beautiful black figure passed through the waterfall and arrived before Dai Yao.

Zhu Zhuqing's face was like melting ice and snow as a beautiful smile bloomed across it. She said to Dai Yao, "I broke through. I'm rank ten now. As long as I obtain a Spirit Ring, I'll be a true soul master!"

By Dai Yao's side, Zhu Zhuqing had needed only a little over twenty days to break through. Without Dai Yao, she would have needed a month. It had been shortened by more than ten days, enough to show just how terrifying the increase to cultivation speed was when she was by Dai Yao's side! "This really is double happiness. When are you going to hunt a soul beast?" Dai Yao sensed Zhu Zhuqing's joy. After all, Zhu Zhuqing was cold as ice all year round.

"I'll go back to the family tomorrow. I'll come back as soon as possible." Zhu Zhuqing walked to Dai Yao's side, leaned close to his ear, and said softly, "You have to miss me, okay?"

Looking at the somewhat sweet and innocent Zhu Zhuqing, her face flushed red, Dai Yao guessed this action must have taken a great deal of resolve for her. Dai Yao rubbed his eyes. Was this still the Zhu Zhuqing from his impression? Why was she nothing like an icy beauty? Zhu Zhuqing skipped into the forest, waved at Dai Yao, and said in a soft, charming voice, "I'm leaving. Goodbye!"

Dai Yao also smiled and waved. The current Zhu Zhuqing was perhaps the real her. In the oppressive atmosphere of the Zhu Family, she had had no choice but to freeze herself over to protect herself.

Now, although the shadow of the struggle for the throne still hung over her heart, she was no longer alone. On this road, Dai Yao would always stay with her.

Feng Wutong looked at the pair with envy written all over her face. Supporting each other, thinking of each other—love like this sounded beautiful just to hear about.

The sour stench of romance.

In a place Dai Yao did not notice, as his Soul Power Level broke through, the Chaos Cyan Lotus in his spiritual world also unfolded its second petal... Star Luo Royal Academy.

In the center of a stretch of grassland, a tall, mighty man sat cross-legged.

He slowly exhaled, coming back from his cultivation state, and asked casually, "Has anything major happened in the academy lately?"

An afterimage flashed past. Soul Power surged, and the figure of a student appeared. To report information, they all used Soul Power to hurry on their way.

"Boss, nothing major has happened in the academy recently. The First Prince and Second Prince have had occasional disputes, with plenty of small skirmishes. Among us Commoner Soul Masters, though, one student's mimicry Cultivation Ground was taken over."

"Taken over? They really don't take me seriously." A sharp light flashed through the man's eyes, and his calm tone carried boundless pressure.

He was the Third Untouchable of the Academy, a rank twenty-nine Battle Soul Master, Ye Nantian.

His spirit was the Mystic Armor Mad Lion, likewise one of the top Beast Spirits.

"The commoner student whose Cultivation Ground was occupied is called Feng Wutong. After it was taken over, Feng Wutong didn't leave. Given those nobles' usual nature, I'm afraid she..." The student looked at Ye Nantian worriedly.

"I know what you mean. She just defected to the nobles, didn't she? With nothing else to offer, only her body as payment. There's nothing unspeakable about that." Ye Nantian gave a faint snort.

"Dignity is something you fight for yourself. If some people are willing to be dogs, we have no need to stop them."

"Still, Feng Wutong counted as one of ours before, after all. We can't just let her be bullied. After some time passes, come with me to meet the one who stole it."