Master, I've Understood!

Li Shouyi nearly coughed up blood from sheer anger!

What kind of monster was this?

She had merely taken a nap, yet she had already completed Qi Refining and even showed faint signs of advancing toward Foundation Establishment.

After all, he could already see the vortex of qi in Lin Shuishui's Dantian gradually stabilizing.

Foundation Establishment overnight!

If word of this got out, even some of the old monsters in the Cloud Cliff Sect would probably be left speechless!

"System, what's going on?"

Li Shouyi was dumbfounded and hurriedly asked.

Reporting to the host: Lin Shuishui has gained insight into Dreamscape True Understanding. Within her dreams, she cultivates a thousand times faster than an ordinary person!

A thousand times?

Li Shouyi was completely stunned. Wasn't this just too fucking ridiculous?

At this rate, wouldn't this disciple of mine be able to undergo Tribulation Transcendence and become a true immortal in less than ten years?

Soon, however, Li Shouyi noticed that the growth of Lin Shuishui's cultivation was gradually slowing.

Because of her Void Spiritual Root constitution, although she had condensed a great deal of spiritual qi, even more of it leaked away.

But this also came with an advantage: whatever spiritual qi Lin Shuishui ultimately managed to retain would necessarily be the purest of the pure, even purer than Li Shouyi's own!

Pure spiritual qi was the capital that allowed someone to fight above their realm!

Watching spiritual qi continually gather around Lin Shuishui, only to dissipate even faster a moment later, Li Shouyi finally let his heart settle back into his chest.

He had genuinely feared that, if she continued progressing at that earlier pace, Lin Shuishui might achieve Core Formation in a single night!

If she really achieved Core Formation overnight, where would all those so-called geniuses of the Cultivation World hide their faces?

After all, as far as Li Shouyi knew, even Great Zhou's Fourth Prince, who had begun cultivating in his mother's womb, had only just barely entered Foundation Establishment.

Yet Lin Shuishui had accomplished all of that in a single night.

Seeing this, Li Shouyi understood that his defeat this time was hardly unjust.

He had thought he had found a supremely useless disciple, only to pick up a powerhouse who had awakened Dreamscape True Understanding!

Just as he was fretting and turning it all over in his mind, Lin Shuishui seemed to sense the changes in her body. She slowly opened her eyes and woke up.

"Master?"

"Why are you here?"

Seeing Li Shouyi, Lin Shuishui rubbed her bleary eyes and asked groggily.

"Hmph!"

"You wretched disciple! You still have the nerve to call me Master?"

The sight of Lin Shuishui sent anger surging through Li Shouyi. He had clearly wanted a useless disciple. What on earth was this girl doing?

"Huh?"

"Master, what did I do to upset you?"

She had never expected to be reprimanded by Li Shouyi the moment she woke. Lin Shuishui's eyes reddened as she asked, feeling terribly wronged.

"You still have the nerve to ask?"

"Everything about you upsets me!"

"Go on dreaming your grand dreams! Ah, you wretched disciple!"

Li Shouyi sighed helplessly. He had never imagined that the reward he had longed for would go up in smoke just like that.

How was he supposed to face that Nascent Soul Realm—or even Spirit Transformation—expert's challenge in a month?!

"Oh..."

Lin Shuishui felt terribly wronged. She truly had no idea what she had done to upset Li Shouyi.

Having finally won Li Shouyi's favor, Lin Shuishui had genuinely mustered all her determination this time.

Even in her dreams, she thought about how to cultivate and raise her realm so she could restore Li Shouyi's prestige.

This was the first time in her life that she had worked so hard, yet she had still ended up displeasing Li Shouyi.

I must not be working hard enough. Starting today, I'll cultivate even harder. I absolutely cannot let Master down!

She silently swore this to herself, but Lin Shuishui had still overestimated herself. She held out for less than half a minute before her eyelids began fighting each other uncontrollably, and she fell asleep again.

This time, however, she dreamed that she had become a great emperor guarding an entire cosmos—a thousand years in a single dream, standing athwart the ages!

Having dealt with Lin Shuishui, Li Shouyi thought of Shen Wan'er. Surely this other wretched disciple wouldn't spring any surprises on him?

"System, assess Shen Wan'er's aptitude again. There shouldn't be any problems with this absolute good-for-nothing!"

Li Shouyi asked tentatively. His heart could no longer withstand any greater devastation.

The system's assessment confirms that Shen Wan'er has no talent for cultivation and possesses mediocre aptitude. She is indeed a one-in-ten-thousand worthless disciple.

Hearing this, Li Shouyi finally let his heart settle. Thank goodness. At least he hadn't come away completely empty-handed.

"Master, Master!"

Before Li Shouyi could rejoice, however, a clear, pleasant cry suddenly came from the doorway.

He turned to look and saw Shen Wan'er rushing in from outside. Panting heavily, she said, "Master, I've understood! I finally understand!"

Understood?

Just hearing that word now made Li Shouyi's chest tighten. He couldn't help asking through gritted teeth.

"Understood! Understood! Understood!"

"You wretched disciple, what have you understood this time?"

Li Shouyi was truly afraid now. Lin Shuishui alone had left him drawing water with a bamboo basket—all his efforts for nothing.

Now Shen Wan'er had come running back with excitement written all over her face. He genuinely feared another unexpected disaster!

Not one of these wretched disciples would give him a moment's peace. Wasn't it nice to just be a carefree slacker?

Every last one of them refused to behave and insisted on stirring things up. They were making his job as their master far too difficult!

"Master, I understand now."

"You went to such painstaking lengths to design this mahjong artifact set for me, and you kept having me go down the mountain to pit my tile-playing skills against those disciples."

"What you actually wanted to tell me was that the path of gambling lies in cause and effect, rather than merely in money. Am I right?"

???

Li Shouyi's face was a picture of bewilderment. What was Shen Wan'er talking about now?

He certainly didn't remember teaching her anything like that.

"Master, when I was playing mahjong with the other disciples today..."

"I vaguely sensed that, whenever those disciples lost to me, a thread of cause and effect became attached to us."

"It was like an invisible connecting thread. As the saying goes, repaying a debt is as right and proper as heaven and earth."

"As long as they owe me enough, more cause and effect will bind us together. No matter what realm these fellow disciples reach in the future, once they establish this causal bond with me, it's equivalent to incurring a debt."

"Nothing is apparent while their cultivation is low, but the higher their cultivation becomes, the more they'll need to settle these causal bonds with me. Otherwise, they'll become a grave threat when they undergo Tribulation Transcendence!"

Although Shen Wan'er had no idea why Li Shouyi was treating her so harshly today, that did not stop her from excitedly sharing this good news.

Cause and effect seemed commonplace, yet few people knew that the higher one's cultivation, the greater its influence became.

Throughout the ages, how many mighty cultivators had found that the final straw that broke them during their ultimate Tribulation Transcendence was merely three copper coins borrowed long ago from Pockmarked Wang next door at the village entrance and never repaid—a forgotten debt that ultimately became their greatest inner demon?

Yet Shen Wan'er, who had only just stepped through the doors of cultivation, had already grasped such a principle. It was simply terrifying!

Even Li Shouyi had yet to comprehend the connections involved when the system's notification slowly sounded.

Shen Wan'er, daughter of the immensely wealthy Shen family: poor talent, addicted to gambling, willingly embracing degeneration.

However, she has today gained insight into the Way of Cause and Effect. In the future, she will possess the ability to fish for the cause and effect of all heavens and myriad worlds.

Excellent!