Why did these male and female leads have to chase romance? Wasn't cultivation far more appealing?

The instant Su Ying broke through, Feng Moyuan broke through as well.

Bai Mang and Black Shadow had been standing outside the Slaughter Hall the whole time. At the sudden manifestation, they instinctively looked up.

"Who just advanced?" Black Shadow asked.

Realizing something, Bai Mang immediately ran into the Slaughter Hall.

Feng Moyuan still sat cross-legged on the roof, but a manifested dragon circled his body, while a manifested phoenix wheeled above his head.

Bai Mang cried out excitedly, "He broke through! The Demon Venerable broke through!"

Black Shadow was just as excited and tugged at Bai Mang's sleeve. "Heavens, the Demon Venerable has reached the Soul-Severing Realm!"

Bai Mang pulled his sleeve free and gazed thoughtfully at the lotus in the sky. "Then whose lotus is that?"

Black Shadow froze.

Right, whose was it?

Feng Moyuan slowly opened his eyes.

He looked at Su Ying inside the hall.

She had broken through too.

If he remembered correctly, the two of them had broken through at the same time.

Feng Moyuan had never expected that his thousand-year slumber, undertaken solely to break through to the Soul-Severing Realm, would be ruined by Su Ying.

Yet now, his breakthrough had something to do with her.

As Su Ying approached her breakthrough, the energy she circulated had actually benefited his cultivation.

Feng Moyuan suddenly realized he had picked up a treasure. Not only could she make delicious food and let him tease her, but now she could even help him cultivate.

He was about to put the roof tile back when he heard the system speak.

[Congratulations, host, on advancing to the Spirit Tranquility Stage. The Main System has determined that you have been focused on cultivation and diligently following the plot, so it has awarded you one thousand points.]

Su Ying slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Before she could even take in how it felt to have advanced, her eyes widened.

"One thousand points? The Main System awarded me one thousand points?"

[Yes, host. The one thousand points have been credited.]

The system spoke.

"Heavens, that's so generous!" Su Ying excitedly jumped off the bed. After advancing, all her internal injuries had healed.

She felt that her body had expelled quite a bit of filth. Although she had never experienced it before, she had read plenty of similar novels. This was the impure energy expelled after advancing. She took a bathtub out of her Spatial Ring, then used magic to quickly fill it with water and heat it.

"Ah, advancing really is wonderful. Even my spells are so much stronger." Su Ying sighed in admiration. "Cultivation has so many benefits. Why do these male and female leads have to chase romance? Isn't cultivation far more appealing?"

The system ruthlessly reminded her:

[Host, the male lead is a genius. He can advance whenever he likes. Once his cheat kicks in, he advances automatically without even needing to cultivate. What else is he supposed to do with all that spare time if not pursue romance?]

As Su Ying stripped off her inner robe, she grumbled indignantly, "The protagonist's halo really makes you green with envy. If only I were as powerful as Xiao Muchen."

As she spoke, she removed her last piece of clothing and sank into the tub.

Watching from the roof, Feng Moyuan's eyes reddened. Her skin, fairer than snow, seared his eyes red.

A wave of heat rose within him again.

It felt different from his impending breakthrough earlier. Realizing something, Feng Moyuan replaced the roof tile and flew straight to the Ice Spring in the rear mountains.

Feng Moyuan submerged his entire body in the icy spring water. It took a full two hours before his physical discomfort subsided.

Meanwhile, after washing herself clean, Su Ying tried circulating her energy again. Discovering that her magical power had grown stronger, she happily shared her discovery with the system. "I don't know why, but I keep feeling that my magic has flowed much more smoothly since I came to the Demon Realm. Look, I broke through just like that. Is there something in the Demon Realm that helps me cultivate?"

[Host, I'm not sure. The novel didn't really go into your background.]

The system did not know how to explain it either.

Su Ying rubbed her chin and stopped dwelling on the matter. Instead, she discussed something more important with the system. "Now that I have over a thousand points, can I buy items to escape? I still have to save Young Hunk, and I need to get back to the main storyline as soon as possible. Only then can I return to the normal world."

[Yes, host.]

The system answered.

Su Ying began planning her escape with the system. After learning about the items in the Shop, she purchased several tools that would help her escape and used a Wish-Granting Wish Talisman.

Her wish was to escape successfully.

After laying out her escape plan, Su Ying lay down on the bed and slept.

By the time the system woke her, it was already around midnight.

"Is everyone asleep?" Su Ying asked.

The system was exasperated.

[Host, how would I have that kind of ability...?]

"You..." Su Ying was speechless. "You really are useless!"

She raised her hand, and a streak of flame shot from her fingertips, instantly lighting up the room.

Su Ying glanced around the side hall and suddenly realized that, although it did not have as many treasures as the other halls, it still held quite a few.

"Since that great demon king abducted me and even injured me, it's perfectly reasonable for me to take some treasures back as compensation for my medical expenses and emotional distress, right?" she murmured.

[Host, you've turned into a little money-grubber again.]

"I'm compensating myself for my losses." Su Ying swept every decoration in the hall into her Spatial Ring. Whether they were valuable or not, she would take them all first.

She pushed open the side hall's door.

She had the system bring up the Demon Realm Map she had purchased and followed its directions outside.

With the system's help, she smoothly evaded every defensive post.

What Su Ying did not know was that Feng Moyuan had been following invisibly behind her the whole time.

Seeing that she was heading out of the Demon Palace, a chilling murderous intent rose in his violet eyes.

Su Ying...

Was she that desperate to escape?

That heartless woman!

The system suddenly spoke.

[Host, I can sense a barrier.]

Su Ying communicated with it in her mind. [Why are you afraid of a barrier? Didn't I buy that item that lets me pass freely through barriers?]

[But this barrier seems rather powerful. You might not be able to pass through it.]

What the system sensed was a barrier of the highest level.

The barrier-related items sold in the system's Shop did not seem to be of a high enough level.

Su Ying thought for a moment, unwilling to give up. [Let's try first. Besides, I made a wish with that Wish-Granting Talisman. Surely the two combined can get me out? Sigh, I still have to go back and follow Xiao Muchen.]

[Host, are you worried about the male lead?]

[How did you know?] Su Ying deliberately teased the system. [Honestly, this is already my fifth run through the mission. If I go even a day without seeing the male lead, I feel something's wrong. Could this be love?]

Feng Moyuan, following behind her, grew even more furious. Flames seemed to burn in his eyes.

She loved Xiao Muchen?

Then what was he to her?

Su Ying...

Su Ying suddenly felt a little cold and rubbed her arms, puzzled by the sudden drop in temperature.

She quickened her steps toward the exit.

When she finally reached the barrier, Su Ying frowned at the row of Demon Realm soldiers guarding the gate outside. [Why are there guards here too?]

The system reminded her:

[Host, what about the transparent cloak you exchanged for?]

[Oh, right.] Su Ying immediately took the Invisibility Cloak out of her Spatial Ring.

What she failed to notice was that, before she put on the Invisibility Cloak, Feng Moyuan scattered a handful of powder over her.