But the Marrow Cleansing Pill was useless to him now. Why had the system still rewarded him with it?
"Never mind. I'll keep it for now. More treasures never hurt." Fei Luo smiled faintly, then turned his attention to the other techniques.
He had killed ten zombies that day and dealt with the Feng Shui Master, who was burdened with grave sins. Fei Luo wasn't surprised to receive so many rewards.
The Mountain-Overturning Curse was a targeted spell. Trained to its utmost, it could move mountains and overturn seas, its power peerless.
The Earth-Shaking Curse was a targeted spell. Trained to its utmost, it could shake the earth for thousands of miles. It was an area-of-effect skill.
The Star-Plucking Steps were a movement technique. Of all the techniques, this was the one that pleased Fei Luo the most.
"Now I'm skilled in both attack and defense. With this movement technique, I'll be like a tiger with wings—and my combat strength will soar severalfold." Fei Luo skimmed the descriptions in his system storage space and murmured to himself.
With a thought, the three techniques transformed into golden characters and shot into Fei Luo's brow.
"Ding! With the ten-thousandfold amplification of your human-grade, ninth-rank spiritual root, your Mountain-Overturning Curse has reached 20% mastery!"
"Ding! With the ten-thousandfold amplification of your human-grade, ninth-rank spiritual root, your Earth-Shaking Curse has reached 20% mastery!"
"Ding! With the ten-thousandfold amplification of your human-grade, ninth-rank spiritual root, your Star-Plucking Steps have reached 20% mastery!"
A sudden inspiration struck, and several system notifications rang in Fei Luo's mind.
"Gulp!" Fei Luo paid no heed to the visions around him. He tipped back his head and swallowed a green pill.
The Youth-Preserving Pill could keep one young forever and prevent one's appearance from aging.
Fei Luo knew that the sooner he took this pill, the better. Even cultivators who reached the Spirit Refinement, Return to Emptiness stage could keep their youthful appearance.
But he had no idea how many years it would take him to reach that stage.
If he reached it at thirty, wouldn't he stay looking thirty forever?
The pill dissolved as soon as it entered his mouth. Fei Luo felt a strange force spread throughout his body; somehow, he sensed that every cell in him had been frozen in place.
From that moment on, Fei Luo knew he would never grow old. His appearance would remain unchanged.
"I'll find a chance to give Uncle Nine and the others one in a while." Fei Luo studied the pill in his hand and murmured.
"I wonder if I can break through to the Solid Core Realm by taking the Heaven-Cloud Soul-Gathering Pills now." A gleam flashed in Fei Luo's eyes as he tipped back his head and swallowed three pills.
Boom!
The False Core inside him began to tremble and steadily solidify, growing just a little larger as well.
Devour! Devour it all!
Fei Luo swallowed seven more pills in succession, bringing the total to ten.
By the time he had taken ten pills, his False Core Realm had already reached its peak as the eighth pill was refined.
But he couldn't absorb the medicinal power of the next two pills. They only seemed to reinforce his False Core a little.
Looking at the pale golden False Core, Fei Luo furrowed his brow.
"What's going on? Why haven't I broken through?" Fei Luo was puzzled. This was the first time he'd encountered such a situation.
Wasn't taking pills supposed to make him stronger?
Why couldn't he break through, even after taking so many spiritual pills?
"Could it be that my cultivation level isn't high enough? That my foundation isn't solid?" Fei Luo considered the question and came to a conclusion.
Cultivation required alternating tension with relaxation. Once one's cultivation reached the right point, years of accumulated strength would naturally bring a breakthrough to a new level. Forcefully attempting one, however, could lead to failure.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Just as Fei Luo was pondering this, someone knocked on the gate to his courtyard.
"Hm?" Fei Luo glanced at the view outside the window. It was already the dead of night. Who could it be?
Was his master looking for him?
Or were Qiusheng and Wencai playing a prank?
After a moment's thought, Fei Luo put the matter out of his mind, stood up, and headed for the courtyard gate.
"Who is it?" Fei Luo called out tentatively, but there was no answer from outside.
Getting no response, Fei Luo reached out and opened the gate.
He was already at the peak of the False Core Realm, with unparalleled mastery of his Taoist arts. He feared no bandit, even if one had come knocking.
In this troubled era, thieves often roamed about, and bandits were everywhere.
Creak.
The moment the gate opened, a sweet fragrance wafted over, mingled with the faint smell of wine. Fei Luo's pupils contracted.
"Mmm..."
A pair of fair arms looped around Fei Luo's neck. Before he could react, red lips pressed against his.
Fei Luo stumbled, instinctively wrapping an arm around the slender waist in his arms.
It was Ren Tingting.
Ren Tingting was drunk. All night, she had gone over her father's words again and again, Fei Luo's image lingering in her heart.
After a long while, their lips parted.
"Fei Luo..." Ren Tingting's eyes were hazy. "I like you. I like you so much. Do you know that?"
Looking at Ren Tingting in his arms and feeling the fullness pressed against his chest, Fei Luo was at a complete loss.
He might have possessed powerful magic, but if he'd dodged just then, Ren Tingting would have fallen face-first to the ground.
And then...
"Miss Ren, you..." Fei Luo was utterly bewildered. He'd meant to say that she'd had too much to drink and should stop fooling around.
But a slender finger, as delicate as a scallion, came to rest on his lips.
"Fei Luo, listen to me. I..."
Fei Luo was now certain that Ren Tingting was completely drunk.
The alcohol had given the shy courage, and she'd come to confess to him in the dead of night.
Their position was far too intimate. Ren Tingting was curled against Fei Luo like a fawn, pouring out her innermost thoughts.
"When A-Wei fired, I was so scared. I was terrified, and I regretted everything. A-Wei only got jealous because of me. If anything had happened to you, I couldn't have gone on living."
"Fei Luo, will you teach me to cultivate? I want to see all the different lives in this world with you. I want to help you protect the righteous path you want to protect. I just want to stay by your side."
Listening to Ren Tingting's confession through her drunken haze, Fei Luo sighed softly.
How could he not know how she felt about him?
Perhaps, at first, Ren Tingting had only been attracted to him. This passionate, bold, and open-minded woman had felt no more than that.
But after everything he'd done—saving the Ren family, dealing with A-Wei, and eliminating the mastermind behind it all—she had come to see him as a hero.
"All right. I'll teach you to cultivate. Come inside and let's talk. It's windy out here." Fei Luo looked at the woman in his arms, his voice softening without him realizing it.
People weren't made of grass or wood; how could they be without feelings? The anguished cries and desperate movements Ren Tingting had made when A-Wei fired hadn't been an act. His senses hadn't missed a thing.
If he hadn't grown so much stronger by then, she truly would have taken A-Wei's bullet for him.
How could Fei Luo dislike her after she'd done that?
"Really? Fei Luo, you really accept my confession?" Ren Tingting's eyes reddened, and her voice caught in her throat. Even in her dreams, she'd never imagined Fei Luo would accept her feelings.
"Come on. Let's go inside and talk."
Fei Luo nodded, closing the gate with one hand and supporting the unsteady Ren Tingting with the other as he led her inside.
Before you continue