As time passed, a faint blue glow spread around Lu Chen.
The glow rose and fell with his breathing, like shimmering water beneath the moonlight.
After a long while, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes.
A flash of excitement crossed his gaze.
What entered his sight was an exquisitely beautiful face.
Paired with a set of large black eyes that blinked as they stared right at him.
The two of them were less than a palm's width apart.
"Uh..."
Lu Chen jumped in fright and instinctively leaned back. Surprised, he asked, "Sister Xiao Ya, what are you doing?"
Tang Ya stood with her hands on her hips, her delicate brows tightly furrowed as she snapped:
"You still have the nerve to ask me? Look what time it is! I've reheated your porridge four times already!"
Lu Chen immediately looked around. It was already pitch-black outside the window. A candle burned on the table, beside a bowl of rice porridge.
"I actually cultivated through the entire afternoon without noticing?!"
Lu Chen was stunned. He had not sensed the passage of time at all.
He had only felt the Soul Power within him slowly rising at a visibly rapid pace.
That sensation was like leveling up in a game.
Hmm...
To be honest, it was a little addictive.
"Little Chen, what cultivation method are you using? The commotion it causes is even more intense than the Mysterious Heaven Skill?!"
Tang Ya leaned close to him, her face full of curiosity.
After making lunch, she had seen Lu Chen cultivating and had not disturbed him. She had simply sat cross-legged nearby to cultivate as well.
Yet she had discovered that nearly all the surrounding Soul Power had been absorbed by Lu Chen.
Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill's support, she could absorb less than one-fifth of it.
Although Soul Masters differed in physique and Martial Souls, resulting in different rates of Soul Power absorption.
Lu Chen was still far too outrageous!
No common Soul Power absorption method found everywhere on the continent could possibly achieve this.
Seeing Tang Ya's curiosity, Lu Chen did not hide it.
"I cultivate the Flowing Water Meditation Method. It suddenly appeared in my mind after I fell unconscious, but I don't know where it came from."
"Something that strange exists?"
Tang Ya found it hard to believe and pressed on, "How many times can this meditation method increase cultivation speed?"
"It starts at six times. Once you become proficient, it can reach seven times."
"What! Seven... seven times?!" Tang Ya shrieked.
One had to know that even the Mysterious Heaven Skill only tripled cultivation speed.
This Flowing Water Meditation Method was practically a rocket!
Looking at Tang Ya's astonished expression, Lu Chen chuckled.
"You don't need to be so surprised. If you want it, I can teach it to you anytime.
"And this meditation method also comes with a fist-based combat technique. Learning it can improve your close-combat skills as well."
As for the Mysterious Heaven Skill, what kind of trash was that? It was a castrated thing—nothing worth keeping!
"R-Really? You're just giving something as precious as this secret manual to me?"
Tang Ya could hardly believe it.
Having come from the Tang Sect, she naturally understood the value of a cultivation method.
Even something like the Mysterious Heaven Skill, with its threefold efficiency, could stir up a bloody storm across the continent.
Not to mention the Flowing Water Meditation Method, which increased cultivation speed six or seven times over.
A smile curled across Lu Chen's lips. "It's just a cultivation method.
"Given our relationship, even if you wanted the stars in the sky, I'd find a way to pick them down for you."
"Hmph, you pervert. All you know is how to sweet-talk me."
Tang Ya huffed and rolled her eyes, her tone coquettish.
"Let me tell you, I've grown up. I'm not that little girl from back then who could be fooled by you whenever you pleased."
Even so, a small thrill still rose in her heart.
Lu Chen was still the same Lu Chen as before. Although he liked teasing little girls and sometimes said ridiculous things.
He was also the person who doted on her most.
"Oh? Is that so..."
Lu Chen smiled and shrugged, not pursuing the subject further.
Instead, he called Tang Ya onto the bed. "Come up. I'll teach you how to regulate your breathing."
The Flowing Water Meditation Method corresponded to the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, emphasizing yielding softness to overcome hardness.
Although this cultivation method was rare, he did not care much about it.
After all, besides this, he also possessed the meditation methods for the Whirlwind Iron-Cleaving Fist and the Heartburst Liberation Fist.
Since the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist could be used through Soul Power circulation, the other two techniques naturally could as well.
The next day, sunlight streamed through the window into the room.
Using the sunlight, Tang Ya looked around the house she had lived in for half a year once more, her heart filled with emotion.
Although the memories of those six months were full of pain, this tiny home had become the motivation that kept her going.
"Let's go!"
Outside the door, Lu Chen waved to Tang Ya.
Tang Ya took a deep breath and answered with a smile, "Mm." Then she turned and followed him.
She hurried after him. "Wait for me, Little Chen!"
Sunlight spilled down, gradually swallowing the two of them as they walked side by side toward Heavenly Spirit City.
On the ancient forest road, the breeze swept up several dead leaves.
"Little Chen, that Flowing Water Meditation Method is incredible!
"Even though last night was my first time circulating it, I could clearly feel the Soul Power in my body increase by a great deal.
"I think I won't need another month. Just half a month will be enough for me to reach Rank 22!"
Along the way, Tang Ya chattered excitedly, gesturing animatedly as she spoke of her experience from the previous night.
It was the first time she had felt the improvement of her Soul Power so directly.
As for the Mysterious Heaven Skill? What kind of garbage was that?
Get lost!
"Only Rank 22..."
Lu Chen frowned slightly. "As expected, the unawakened Blue Silver Emperor is still trash."
In the original story, Tang Ya had only reached Soul Elder around the age of fourteen, completely unable to keep up with Shrek's first echelon.
Unable to do anything else afterward, she had gone to the Holy Spirit Cult for "further studies" before finally catching up.
But she had still wasted far too much time in the early stages.
How can I raise Xiao Ya's strength faster...? Lu Chen pondered to himself.
For the time being, there was no hope of evolving her Blue Silver Grass into the Blue Silver Emperor.
That place was on the Sun Moon Continent, far too distant.
It seemed he would have to awaken Xiao Ya's Dark Blue Silver Grass attribute.
That was Tang Ya's true cheat.
Having a cheat and not using it—wouldn't that make him an idiot?
As for the side effects...
Lu Chen possessed Ultimate Light himself and could completely purify the evil energy.
There was no need to worry about Tang Ya falling into corruption and becoming an Evil Soul Master.
"Huh, Lu Chen, what's wrong with you? Why are you spacing out for no reason?"
Seeing that Lu Chen had remained silent for a long time, Tang Ya tilted her head and curiously leaned in front of him, the tip of her nose nearly touching his cheek.
"Nothing. I was thinking about how to attract the Body Sect's attention."
This place was too close to Shrek City. Lu Chen did not intend to let Tang Ya awaken her Dark Blue Silver Grass yet.
Hearing that, Tang Ya curiously asked, "Why do we need to attract their attention? Can't we just go straight to the Body Sect's headquarters?"
In her mind, the Body Sect's headquarters should be like the Tang Sect's, located within some major city.
For example, the Heavenly Spirit City before them.
Lu Chen smiled helplessly. "You're thinking too simply. The Body Sect's headquarters isn't in a city.
"And... when has anything good ever delivered itself to your door?"
Since he wanted to gain their attention, he naturally had to make the Body Sect come looking for him.
Ideally, Du Busi would come personally!
Only then could he bypass all the sect's rules and directly obtain core resources.
"Since they aren't in the city, how can we attract their attention?" Tang Ya grew even more confused.
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "As one of the continent's foremost sects, aside from its core disciples with Body Martial Souls, the Body Sect also has a group of outer disciples without Body Martial Souls.
"These disciples are generally responsible for the sect's operations and for seeking out fresh talent with Body Martial Souls.
"We only need to catch their attention."
As the Protect-the-Country Sect of the Heaven Dou Empire in the future, the Body Sect's reach might not extend throughout the entire Heaven Dou Empire.
But major cities like Heaven Dou City and Heavenly Spirit City definitely had branches.
Before you continue