Two days later.
"Not bad, old servant. You've improved quite a bit since last time."
Shangguan Wuqing slumped against the wall, panting, her face filled with satisfaction.
Over the past two days, she had not merely been satisfied.
She even vaguely sensed signs that she was about to break through to the middle Golden Core stage.
By Shangguan Wuqing's original estimate, she would have needed at least another two or three years of cultivation to break through.
It had not been all that obvious last time.
This time, Shangguan Wuqing had truly experienced the wonders of dual cultivation.
What Shangguan Wuqing had not guessed was that the marked rise in her cultivation was entirely thanks to Lin Mo's pure yang sacred body.
With anyone else, such results would have been impossible.
The main reason was that Lin Mo was a decrepit old man with one foot in the grave, and his cultivation was still stuck in the Qi Refining period.
So the possibility of a pure yang sacred body never even crossed her mind.
"You flatter me, Captain Wuqing. You weren't bad yourself," Lin Mo said with a chuckle.
Perhaps because of her experience last time, Shangguan Wuqing's technique had become noticeably more practiced.
The moment he raised a hand, Shangguan Wuqing knew what he wanted to do.
Of course, none of that was what mattered most.
What mattered most was that, just as he had expected-
He had successfully broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining!
In just half a month, he had advanced from the fourth Qi Refining level to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
Such a terrifying cultivation speed would probably rank among the very best even across the entire Heavenly Abyss Continent!
The pure yang sacred body, the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art, and dual cultivation-every one of them was indispensable!
Without a partner for dual cultivation, it would have taken Lin Mo at least four or five months of ordinary cultivation to advance from the fourth Qi Refining level to the eighth level of Qi Refining.
And he would have needed an ample supply of spirit stones throughout that time.
At this rate, my attempt at Foundation Establishment is just around the corner!
Lin Mo secretly rejoiced.
Once he settled the Maidservant Department's affairs and milked Liu Ziyan for the five thousand spirit stones she had promised, he could enter seclusion and attempt to reach the Foundation Establishment realm.
Five thousand spirit stones would be enough for him to push from the eighth level of Qi Refining into the Foundation Establishment realm!
However...
Come to think of it, dual cultivation with Shangguan Wuqing already produced such obvious results. If I cultivated with Liu Ziyan, the effects would be...
Lin Mo hardly dared to imagine it!
Shangguan Wuqing was merely a squad captain in the Enforcement Hall. There was simply no comparing her to Liu Ziyan.
Lin Mo knew neither Shangguan Wuqing's cultivation level nor Liu Ziyan's.
But he could have guessed with his toes that the gap between their cultivation levels was like a heavenly chasm with no end in sight, impossible to cross.
Yet that demoness Liu Ziyan's moods shifted between sunshine and storm.
Besides, for someone at her cultivation level, thirty or fifty years was no different from three or five months for him.
Who knew in what year of the monkey or month of the horse Liu Ziyan would next summon him for dual cultivation?
I can't just sit around waiting. I need to find a way to remind her of the benefits of dual cultivation.
Lin Mo mainly wanted to see, now that he had practiced the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art,
What kind of results dual cultivation with a mighty expert like Liu Ziyan would produce. He absolutely was not lusting after her body!
It happened to be morning when he left Shangguan Wuqing's residence.
Lin Mo had not forgotten about Su Yu.
So, to keep Su Yu from ambushing him, Lin Mo deliberately chose crowded routes.
By remaining cautious the whole way, Lin Mo returned safely to his little wooden cabin in the Purple Heaven Palace.
Once inside, Lin Mo did not take time to rest.
He immediately sat cross-legged and circulated the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art within his body to stabilize his cultivation level.
Without spirit stones, Lin Mo could only absorb the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.
Although spiritual energy was not as concentrated as that in spirit stones, he had no other choice without any stones.
With the aid of his pure yang sacred body and the Yin-Yang Evil Demon Art,
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth flowed endlessly into Lin Mo's body with each breath.
It passed through his meridians, flesh, and blood before finally gathering in his dantian.
The next day.
A sudden knock at the door pulled Lin Mo out of his cultivation.
Just as Lin Mo had expected, his visitor was Zhou Ze, the newly appointed steward of the Maidservant Department.
Half a month ago, Lin Mo might still have been wary of him.
But now, before him, Zhou Ze was little different from an unarmed child.
Although their cultivation differed by only one level of Qi Refining, that was already enough for him to overwhelm Zhou Ze, or even kill him in an instant.
Thus, facing Zhou Ze again, Lin Mo no longer needed to feel any apprehension.
Much less bow and scrape or speak humbly as he had before.
"I hear you've taken over as steward of the Maidservant Department. What business do you have with this old man?" Lin Mo spoke first, his tone already carrying a measure of disdain and contempt.
"Heh." Zhou Ze chuckled and said quite amicably, "Don't misunderstand, Brother Lin Mo. I really mean you no harm."
"I might have bullied you when you first arrived, but I was young and didn't know any better. I was just fooling around. I hope you'll forgive me."
"?"
Zhou Ze's opening words actually left Lin Mo at a loss.
Still, Lin Mo was not naive enough to believe that Zhou Ze had truly changed his ways.
When things departed from the ordinary, there had to be a demon lurking behind them. Perhaps this fellow was working out some sinister, crafty scheme.
"A visitor is a guest, and we're old acquaintances, after all. Won't you invite me in for a seat?" Zhou Ze continued with a genial smile.
One did not strike a smiling face.
Lin Mo invited Zhou Ze inside.
He wanted to see just what medicine Zhou Ze was selling in his gourd.
After sitting down, Zhou Ze casually draped an arm over Lin Mo's shoulders and said earnestly, "Come to think of it, we're brothers in hardship. After all these years in the Maidservant Department, neither of us has had an easy road."
Lin Mo inwardly rolled his eyes. Who the hell is your brother?
"Brother Lin Mo, you might not believe me, but hear me out."
Zhou Ze seemed to know that Lin Mo would not readily believe him, so he explained sincerely and methodically, "You might think that because Lü Mingtong and I came from the same hometown and had been friends for so many years, I would target you after becoming steward of the Maidservant Department."
"But have you considered that I might actually have to thank you?"
"If you hadn't brought down that old bastard Lü Mingtong, I might never have become steward in my entire life."
"Mm-hmm, right."
Lin Mo nodded perfunctorily, then held out his hand. "Verbal thanks mean nothing. At least offer something useful."
"Aw, there's no need to stand on ceremony between us. That's easily arranged!"
Zhou Ze seemed to have come prepared. He immediately took out a Storage Ring containing five hundred spirit stones and handed it to Lin Mo.
"It might not be many spirit stones, but please accept them, Brother Lin Mo."
Then Zhou Ze lowered his voice slightly and said cautiously, "Don't flaunt them too much. You know these spirit stones aren't exactly clean."
After saying that, Zhou Ze pressed another three hundred spirit stones into Lin Mo's hands and added, "Consider these a little compensation for bullying you in the past. Brother Lin Mo, can you let bygones be bygones?"
"If that's still not enough, shall I go back and find a few newly arrived maidservants to keep you company? Guaranteed untouched originals!"
Before you continue