Shuizhuroupian

Diamond Sutra: A Buddhist scripture. Comprehension +1 after use (repeated use has no effect).

Sarira: A relic left behind after an eminent monk passes away. Grants 5,000 Cultivation Points after use.

A scripture that increased comprehension, plus a sarira that increased cultivation—each was an invaluable treasure that money couldn't buy!

"The two items should be worth about the same. The difference is that one is better for long-term development, while the other can immediately boost combat power. Let's split them evenly. Ladies first—you choose."

"How could I do that?" Youyou shook her head firmly. "You found these things yourself. I didn't help at all. I absolutely can't take the sarira!"

Ye Weiming sighed helplessly and silently used both items at once.

In truth, his earlier offer had only been a polite gesture toward the girl, a player's way of testing another person's character.

This sort of thing could not happen twice.

Otherwise, what if the girl was moved by his sincerity?

Wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Ding! You used the Sarira and gained 5,000 Cultivation Points.

Ding! You read the "Diamond Sutra." Comprehension +1.

His Cultivation Points had suddenly reached an unprecedented height. Ye Weiming immediately opened the skill interface, intending to upgrade "Tai Shan's Secret."

Ding! "Tai Shan's Secret" is a special-type mental cultivation technique and cannot be upgraded using Cultivation Points.

What?

Tai Shan's Secret actually couldn't be upgraded with Cultivation Points!

Then he recalled the teeth-grinding activation requirements for this mental cultivation technique. If he had to train it normally, that didn't seem like a task any normal person could complete!

Each successful activation only added 1 point of proficiency, yet the requirement was to answer ten math problems correctly in a row! To reach 1,000 proficiency, he would need to solve ten thousand math problems!

And that was only the proficiency needed to rise from level one to level two. What about continuing upward?

Was this still even a game?

This was basically five years of college entrance exams and three years of mock tests!

More importantly, the calculation of one proficiency point per ten questions assumed the best-case scenario. In actual combat, all kinds of unexpected situations could arise in an instant. Focusing wholeheartedly on math problems was no different from courting death!

Thankfully, he could still raise this mental cultivation technique's proficiency through the effects of Cross-Discipline Comprehension. Otherwise, it would have been far too inhuman!

As they retraced their path, Ye Weiming used his Cultivation Points to raise both "Breathing Technique" and "Moon Maiden Swordplay" by one level. After that, the Cultivation Points he had just accumulated were reduced to single digits.

Ye Weiming

Level: 14

...

Health: 760/760

Internal Energy: 550/550

Physique: 73

Arm Strength: 73

Agility: 138

Reaction: 73

Aptitude: 25

Comprehension: 29

Breathing Technique (Low-grade) Level: 7

Proficiency: 0/6400

The most basic breathing and circulation method in the martial world. It has no special qualities, but there is never any danger of Qi Deviation.

Health +350, Internal Energy +350

Physique +35, Arm Strength +35, Agility +35, Reaction +35

...

Moon Maiden Swordplay (Low-grade)

A sword technique passed down from the Spring and Autumn period. Its power is mediocre.

Level: 8

Proficiency: 0/12800

Power +80%, Accuracy +80%

...

Eight-Step Toad Leap (Beginner)

Level: 3

Proficiency: 912/1000

A widely circulated ground-based lightness skill in the martial world that can greatly increase movement speed.

Agility +60

...

Tai Shan's Secret (Peerless Art)

...

Level: 1

Proficiency: 201/1000

Attack Damage +10%, Hit Rate +10%, Critical Damage +10%.

Can activate an active effect in battle to calculate flaws in the enemy's moves and defeat them in a single strike!

...

Equipment

Omitted

...

With Ye Weiming's current attributes, he could take a shot from the Zhuge Divine Crossbow in Youyou's hands without being instantly killed!

Probably...

When they reached the dungeon entrance, Ye Weiming once again turned the mechanism and opened the secret passage. He then climbed up the chain ladder, every step making the chains clatter loudly.

But just as he reached the halfway point, a volley of crossbow bolts suddenly shot down from above, raining directly onto Ye Weiming's head and body. -42 -39 -95

Among the row of damage numbers was even a critical hit, which directly took away nearly half of Ye Weiming's health.

"Fuck!" Startled, Ye Weiming quickly released the ladder and dropped straight into the dungeon. He immediately sidestepped several paces, moving out of the attack range visible from outside the secret passage entrance. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He hurriedly took out a healing pill from his bag and swallowed it, his expression turning extremely grim.

There was no need to ask. The two of them had been ambushed and trapped in this dungeon with only one Entrance/Exit!

Meanwhile, Youyou took out the Zhuge Divine Crossbow and dashed beneath the open space in the dungeon. She raised the crossbow to aim upward, then waved at Ye Weiming, indicating that she couldn't see the enemy from this angle.

At that moment, a woman's voice came from outside the dungeon. "That girl's reactions were fast enough. The moment I started attacking, she jumped down herself. I actually failed to kill her and let her escape!"

From the sound of it, the other party had mistaken Ye Weiming for Youyou.

"It doesn't matter!" Another voice rang out, also female. After telling the first woman not to worry, the newcomer raised her voice and called down, "Youyou, we didn't come here with any ill intentions today."

They had launched a deadly sneak attack, yet claimed they had no ill intentions?

Ye Weiming glanced at Youyou, as if to say, This woman's hilarious.

But Youyou's expression had turned extremely ugly. She asked in a low voice, "You're Shuizhuroupian!"

"Oh? Youyou, why are you calling me so formally? I remember you used to call me Senior Sister Rou Pian, didn't you?" The woman outside let out a coquettish laugh, then proposed, "But I don't care what you call me. I just want to discuss a deal with you. We're offering fifty gold for the Zhuge Divine Crossbow in your hands. What do you think, Junior Sister Youyou?"

Youyou clenched her teeth. "Fifty gold for the Zhuge Divine Crossbow? Why don't you just rob me?"

Shuizhuroupian laughed sweetly at that, looking quite pleased with herself. "Look at what you're saying. Isn't that exactly what I'm doing?"

"Keep dreaming!"

"Don't get worked up, Junior Sister Youyou. You can take your time thinking it over. I'm in no hurry at all." Shuizhuroupian spoke as though victory was already in her grasp. "But the Zhuge Divine Crossbow in your hands must have a time limit, right? I suggest you think carefully. If the mission fails and you're expelled from your sect, then NPC experts will come hunting you down. By then, you won't get anything at all."

Youyou's face had become incomparably dark, while Ye Weiming asked in the Team Channel, "What's going on?"

"I got played!" Since the two of them were trapped here now, Youyou answered without hiding anything. "I wouldn't have rashly accepted this five-star mission if I hadn't been certain of Chen Ming's exact location. I learned that he was hiding in the Leifeng Pagoda Dungeon through another mission, and it was Shuizhuroupian who 'accidentally' revealed that mission to me during a casual chat!"

After hearing Youyou's explanation, Ye Weiming had roughly sorted out the entire sequence of events in his mind.

"If she really killed you, was she that certain the Zhuge Divine Crossbow would drop?"

"The Zhuge Divine Crossbow has a 100% Drop Rate during the mission, so the most dangerous period is after obtaining it. Before getting it, mission failure only means receiving no reward and losing the qualification to accept the mission again. But after obtaining it, whether it drops or you fail to return to your sect in time to turn in the mission, it will be treated as betraying the sect!"

Thanks to reader Blackwater Hermit for the 500 Qidian Coins donation!

Thanks to reader Piggy Bank Storing Feelings for the 100 Qidian Coins donation!

Thanks to reader Huohahuō for the 100 Qidian Coins donation!