Further Advancement

"Gu Ziyi!"

Bai Lu immediately glared at Gu Ziyi.

"Fine, I won't say anything. I've already forgotten what Tang Yuehua just did!"

"Since you're from the Clear Sky Sect, you must have the Advanced Meditation Technique. I won't teach you the set I created myself—you probably don't need it anyway!"

Gu Ziyi laughed heartily, then quickly changed the subject.

"It's good that you know!"

Bai Lu replied irritably. She simply couldn't stand seeing Gu Ziyi tease her cousin.

As for the Advanced Meditation Technique Gu Ziyi had created himself, neither she nor Tang Yuehua needed it.

"Mm-hm, then I'll be going first. Tang Yuehua, just cultivate as I told you to. If you have any more questions, come find me!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was not very good, Gu Ziyi hurriedly took his leave.

"Look how smug he is. Cousin, you were too impulsive just now. No matter how excited you were, you couldn't act like that..."

Bai Lu pursed her lips at Gu Ziyi's departing back, then began lecturing Tang Yuehua.

"Mm-hm, I know, Cousin..."

"I was just too excited..."

Tang Yuehua admitted her mistake with a flushed face.

The moment she thought about how she had actually kissed Gu Ziyi just now, Tang Yuehua's heart began racing uncontrollably.

"Cousin, don't tell me you've fallen for him?"

Seeing Tang Yuehua's expression, Bai Lu's face immediately turned serious.

"I... I don't know!"

As if her thoughts had been exposed, Tang Yuehua's face reddened even more.

But looking at Tang Yuehua's appearance, Bai Lu knew very clearly that her cousin had probably really fallen for Gu Ziyi.

It made sense. Gu Ziyi was fairly good-looking, and he was also the only male friend her cousin had had all these years. On top of that, he had helped her cousin solve the problem of being unable to cultivate. It was only natural that her cousin would fall for him.

"Cousin, don't forget that you're the Young Miss of the Clear Sky Sect. The sect will never approve of him!"

After realizing this, Bai Lu hurriedly reminded Tang Yuehua.

"I... I know..." Tang Yuehua's face immediately paled slightly upon hearing Bai Lu's words.

She understood that clearly as well, but she simply could not control her heart!

She had already had a favorable impression of Gu Ziyi before! If Gu Ziyi had not helped her solve her cultivation problem, she might have been able to restrain herself. But after Gu Ziyi had helped her resolve the issue of being unable to cultivate, Tang Yuehua realized that she truly could no longer suppress her feelings for him.

Yet she also knew very well that the sect would find it difficult to approve of Gu Ziyi.

Thinking of this made Tang Yuehua feel stifled inside.

Seeing Tang Yuehua like this, Bai Lu felt somewhat distressed and did not say anything more. It was enough as long as her cousin understood it herself.

She believed her cousin would be able to restrain herself.

"Cousin, now that you can cultivate, shouldn't we return to the sect?"

"We should tell Uncle and the others this good news. I'm sure Uncle and the others will be very excited too!"

Afterward, Bai Lu brought up returning.

"...No!"

Tang Yuehua's first reaction upon hearing Bai Lu's words was to refuse.

She also wanted to go back right away and tell her father, elder brother, second brother, and the others the good news.

But the moment she heard Bai Lu's words, her first thought was that she would have to part with Gu Ziyi, so she instinctively did not want to return.

"...Cousin, we still don't know for sure whether my cultivation problem has truly been resolved. What if some other problem appears?"

"Then Father and the others would only be happy for nothing. I don't want to disappoint them again!"

"So, Cousin, let's not go back yet. Once I... once I break through to Level 10 and confirm that there's truly no problem with my cultivation, then we can return..."

Tang Yuehua quickly found an excuse, and it was perfectly reasonable.

"...All right. Then we'll wait until you break through to Level 10 before returning!"

Looking at Tang Yuehua, Bai Lu ultimately could not bear to refuse.

Moreover, what her cousin said made sense. It was still unclear whether another problem might arise in her cousin's cultivation, and if they stayed here, they could find Gu Ziyi at any time.

Without realizing it, she had also become full of confidence in Gu Ziyi's wisdom—at least more than she trusted the sect elders.

Of course, only in certain matters, especially Tang Yuehua's cultivation problem.

"Mm! Thank you, Cousin!"

Hearing Bai Lu agree, Tang Yuehua immediately revealed a happy smile.

Over the next while, Gu Ziyi could clearly sense the change in Tang Yuehua's attitude toward him.

Tang Yuehua's gaze was always fixed on him.

Gu Ziyi naturally knew what that meant.

But just as Gu Ziyi was preparing to strike while the iron was hot and win Tang Yuehua over directly, Bai Lu seemed to have anticipated something and kept a strict watch, leaving Gu Ziyi and Tang Yuehua no chance to be alone together.

After seeking out several opportunities, only to find that Tang Yuehua was also cooperating with Bai Lu and deliberately avoiding being alone with him, giving him no chance to take things further, Gu Ziyi temporarily gave up.

Gu Ziyi shifted his focus back to cultivation.

After learning that his Advanced Meditation Technique could improve the quality of soul rings, Gu Ziyi began trying, alongside his cultivation, to see whether he could actively control this change.

He wanted to turn the passive enhancement brought by cultivating the Advanced Meditation Technique into an active one.

Unfortunately, there had been no progress, so Gu Ziyi could only continue improving the quality of his soul rings while cultivating the Advanced Meditation Technique.

Throughout this time, Tang Yuehua's cultivation had not run into any problems. Following the method Gu Ziyi had taught her, although she had to exhaust all her soul power before every cultivation session and it was extremely taxing, Tang Yuehua steadily raised her soul power step by step.

Four months later, Gu Ziyi's Soul Power Level broke through to level 14.

After mastering the Advanced Meditation Technique, Gu Ziyi's cultivation speed had increased a little further.

And Tang Yuehua, whom Gu Ziyi had always been concerned about, finally successfully broke through to level 10 on the day after Gu Ziyi reached level 14.

"Gu Ziyi, I... I broke through to level 10..."

"Thank you, Gu Ziyi. If it weren't for you, I might never have been able to become a soul master in my entire life..."

After her breakthrough, Tang Yuehua found Gu Ziyi in the library and threw herself straight into his arms, excitedly sharing the good news with him.

The achievement she had attained today belonged to Gu Ziyi as well.

"You broke through?"

"That's wonderful!"

Gu Ziyi wrapped his arms around Tang Yuehua in return and smiled gently upon hearing her words.

As he held Tang Yuehua, Gu Ziyi realized that Bai Lu did not seem to have followed her.

He immediately realized this was an opportunity.

"Gu Ziyi!"

But before Gu Ziyi could make a move, Tang Yuehua raised her head from his embrace and looked at him with tenderness in her eyes.

When Gu Ziyi lowered his head and saw the look on Tang Yuehua's face, how could he possibly let the chance slip away? He lowered his head and kissed her.

"Mmm~"

Tang Yuehua let out a soft moan, and in the next moment, the arms she had wrapped around Gu Ziyi tightened even more.