19: The new method has a unique flavor

Early the next morning.

With a "click," the door opened.

Mu Wanqing and Lu Yan walked out one after the other.

Lu Yan woke up naturally after a good night's sleep, feeling refreshed and vibrant.

Mu Wanqing lazily stretched her waist, raising her arms high above her head, the curves of her figure outlining a breathtaking S-shape in the morning light.

Her ample areas were full and perky, while her slender waist was small enough to be encircled by a single hand.

Lu Yan's gaze fell upon her slender, delicate waist, his heart heating up slightly, and he couldn't help but reach out his arm to wrap it around her.

It felt warm and soft to the touch, and surprisingly, it was the perfect size for him to encircle with one hand!

"What is it, Junior Brother?" Mu Wanqing's eyes darted around with a teasing smile, "Are you trying to... make up for last night's 'regret'?"

Upon hearing the word "regret," Lu Yan jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, retracting his hand as if electrocuted, and waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no! Senior Sister, another day, another day!"

Just as he retracted his hand, he keenly sensed that the aura emanating from Mu Wanqing had changed—Eighth Layer of Qi Refining!

"Senior Sister! You've reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining?" Lu Yan said with surprise.

Mu Wanqing smiled sweetly, with a hint of self-satisfaction:

"With the help of the flawless azure spirit pill that you personally refined, Junior Brother, if I didn't have a Breakthrough, wouldn't I be wasting your hard work? Besides..."

Her eyes darted, glancing meaningfully at Lu Yan's lower body, "The new method you suggested, Junior Brother, has been verified, and the effect is indeed... quite unique!"

Lu Yan couldn't care about her teasing at this moment and hurriedly looked inward at his own cultivation level.

However, he discovered it was still at the Peak of the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!

It must have been that he fell asleep last night and missed the golden opportunity to improve simultaneously using the Dragon Phoenix Yin-Yang Art!

Regret surged into his heart instantly! He immediately changed his demeanor, grabbed Mu Wanqing's slender waist again, and put on a bright smile:

"Congratulations on your Breakthrough, Senior Sister! Failing to personally experience the wonder of Dual Cultivation with a Senior Sister at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining last night is truly a great regret! Why not... take this opportunity right now for me to make it up to you?"

As he spoke, he pulled her into the room without further ado.

"Hey? Junior Brother! I still need to go to the Small World to look after the spirit plants!" Mu Wanqing struggled symbolically.

...

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The door opened again, and the two walked out once more.

Mu Wanqing adjusted her slightly disheveled collar while covering her mouth with a laugh, her eyes full of teasing:

"Oh my, I thought it would take a while, but it turns out... I overestimated you, Junior Brother. Hehe, finished in thirty breaths? Not bad, not bad, you've improved since last time!"

Lu Yan's face turned red, and he stiffened his neck to argue: "Senior Sister! It's all because the morning humidity is too heavy, which affected my state, so that's why..."

"Alright, alright, Junior Brother, no need to say more~"

Mu Wanqing interrupted him, smiling brightly, with an "I understand" expression, "Here, this is the virility herb I specifically sought out for you yesterday, eat it quickly to replenish yourself. Senior Sister really must go check on the spirit plants now, see you later!"

She stuffed a Spiritual Plant with the fresh scent of soil into Lu Yan's hand, then leaped up lightly, her figure like a swallow, quickly disappearing beyond the courtyard wall.

After Mu Wanqing left, the forced smile on Lu Yan's face instantly vanished.

He slumped onto the cold stone bench in the courtyard and immediately began to circulate his Cultivation Technique to regulate his breathing.

An extreme sense of weakness, originating from the deepest part of his Soul and feeling as if it were draining his very last bit of vitality, struck him suddenly!

This was not the emptiness of exhausted spiritual power, nor the mental fatigue after drawing a Talisman, but the pain of the exhaustion of his life's Origin, like a candle in the wind or the precursor to running out of oil and lamp-wicks!

He gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead throbbing, silently resisting this feeling of powerlessness that was consuming his vitality.

After a few breaths, that suffocating sense of weakness slowly receded like a tide.

Lu Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the rising sun, his eyes burning with an almost insane desire and a trace of deeply hidden fear, a low and resolute roar emerging from his throat:

"Foundation Establishment... I must achieve Foundation Establishment as soon as possible!!"

After Mu Wanqing left, Lu Yan immediately checked his attribute panel.

He discovered that his proficiency points, which had only 20 left, had actually increased by 10 points.

Previously, 20 points had been spent on Alchemy, and 10 points had been added to Spirit Plant Technique.

At this time, there should have been 20 points left.

But now, it had unexpectedly increased to 30 points.

After asking the System, Lu Yan learned that for every time he engaged in Dual Cultivation, his proficiency points increased by +1.

These past few days, he had cultivated ten times with Chi Rong, Mu Wanqing, and Liu Yan.

"These proficiency points are not easy to come by!" Lu Yan sighed, then looked at the "Spirit Plant Technique" column and shook his head slightly:

"These 10 points... were a bit of a waste." The Small World had been repeatedly scoured by countless Disciples, and precious spirit plants had long since become extinct; relying on gathering herbs for Alchemy was extremely inefficient.

In comparison, the investment return on Alchemy was remarkably rich!

Not only did it trade for massive resources and a High Grade Pill Furnace, but it also helped him win over Chi Rong, a Foundation Establishment Elder, and his cultivation had soared all the way to the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, truly taking the first step on the path to Foundation Establishment!

"This trip to the Liu family is a long and dangerous journey with unpredictable perils! The more life-saving methods, the better!"

Lu Yan's gaze was sharp, "These 30 proficiency points must be used where they count most: Talismans and Formation!"

His mind instantly locked onto the Talisman column, and he poured 20 proficiency points into it without hesitation!

Hum!

In an instant, a vast ocean of Talisman knowledge, twenty years of hard-earned drawing experience, and understanding and insights into various rune combinations poured into Lu Yan's mind like a bursting flood!

He closed his eyes tightly, his brows furrowed, doing his utmost to sort through and digest this massive influx of information.