30: Chapter 30 Life Hangs by a Thread

In Su Qingxue's bedroom.

Jiang Cheng set the iron box, weighing several hundred pounds, on the floor with a "thud."

He turned around, looked at Su Qingxue who was still dazed at the door with flushed cheeks, and his rogue-like smirk returned to his lips.

"Miss Su, your father is quite sensible; he even knew to leave some private space for the two of us."

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Su Qingxue was both embarrassed and angry; she subconsciously took a step back, her back pressing against the door panel, her heart racing.

How could she not hear her father locking the door? Her parents had asked her about Jiang Cheng before, and though she said it was nothing, her blushing face had long since given her away.

This bastard! How does he dare to say anything!

"I'm not talking nonsense."

Jiang Cheng sauntered over, bracing his hands on either side of her, trapping her in his arms.

He lowered his head, almost touching the tip of her nose, as a faint fragrance wafted over.

"Listen, your father didn't just lock the courtyard gate, he even withdrew all the guards. Tell me—is he expecting me to do something to his daughter?"

His hot breath blew against Su Qingxue's face; her long eyelashes trembled incessantly, and her mind was in a mess.

"Stop fooling around..."

She turned her head away, not daring to look into Jiang Cheng's eyes.

"Do... do you have something to tell me?"

"Yes, and it's serious business."

Jiang Cheng straightened up, the smile on his face fading slightly.

He pointed at the iron box on the floor.

"The Lin family's matter is temporarily resolved, and this is the reward. Haven't you always been curious why I'm so strong? Today, I'll let you experience it too."

He didn't explain much about Lin Chuxia and the Xuanbing Sect; with so many women, explaining was too much trouble and could easily cause unnecessary jealousy.

Jiang Cheng opened the box, and under Su Qingxue's shocked gaze, he pulled out a large pile of ping-pong ball-sized jade spirit stones.

With a "clatter," they were all poured onto the pink princess bed.

There were over a hundred of them, each one radiating Spiritual Qi.

"You're taking these out..."

Su Qingxue's breath hitched as she stared intently at the pile of jade spirit stones on the bed.

"...to do what?!"

She had a faint guess, but she couldn't believe it was true.

This pile of jade spirit stones was enough to make a second-rate Ancient Martial Arts Families risk their lives.

Jiang Cheng, however, acted as if nothing was wrong, plopping down on her bed and crossing his legs.

"Absorbing them will help you achieve a Breakthrough."

Su Qingxue looked at Jiang Cheng, then at the jade spirit stones on the bed.

These things were all taken from the Lin family...

They were the reward he received for saving Lin Chuxia.

And now... he was giving them to her without hesitation?

Was he... this good to Lin Chuxia as well?

Was she just one of the many girls by his side?

"What are you dazing off for?"

Seeing her not moving and just staring blankly, Jiang Cheng quickly urged her.

"Hurry up, time is precious; I still have to go back to sleep."

Su Qingxue bit her lip and finally walked to the bedside.

She couldn't hold him back any longer!

Only by becoming stronger could she truly stand by his side!

As for everything else, she would worry about it later...

She sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and began to circulate her Mind-Cultivation Technique, absorbing the jade spirit stones in front of her.

"Hum!"

Streams of pure energy surged into her body, and her Mid-stage Martial Master Bottleneck was instantly shattered.

Her cultivation climbed all the way: Late Stage Martial Master, Peak Martial Master, Early Stage Grandmaster... all the way to Peak Grandmaster!

Energy surged within her; in just half an hour, she reached a Realm that countless Ancient Martial Artists could never achieve in their entire lives.

But just as she tried to charge into the Great Grandmaster Realm, an accident occurred.

"Pfft!"

Su Qingxue suddenly opened her eyes and spat out a mouthful of blood, her face turning pale instantly.

The True Qi in her body was completely out of control, rampaging through her Meridians and causing her whole body to twitch in pain.

[Kid! Save her quickly! Her Realm is artificially high and her Foundation is unstable. This is the drawback of using jade spirit stones to force a cultivation level when trying to break through a major realm!]

The Old Taoist howled in Jiang Cheng's mind.

"Idiot! Focus your mind!"

Jiang Cheng's voice boomed in her ear.

The next second, his warm palm pressed against the center of her back.

A warm current flowed into her body, instantly calming the rampaging True Qi.

Su Qingxue looked back and saw Jiang Cheng's face slowly turning pale, with beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

He... he was actually using his own Origin power to soothe her Meridians!

So... was he also exhausting himself like this when he saved my father?

It turns out his frivolous and rogue-like behavior was all to hide his own sacrifices, so I wouldn't feel burdened...

Su Qingxue's eyes instantly reddened.

"Boom!"

The Great Grandmaster Bottleneck shattered in response!

Su Qingxue's cultivation continued to advance triumphantly until it reached the Peak Great Grandmaster level, where it was blocked by another barrier.

"Don't get distracted! Give it everything you've got!"

Jiang Cheng growled, increasing his output of Spiritual Qi.

But this time, no matter how he urged his Spiritual Qi, that barrier didn't budge an inch.

His Spiritual Qi consumption grew larger and larger, yet it was useless; his face grew paler, and his body began to sway slightly.

His Dantian... was about to be drained dry!

"Don't!"

Su Qingxue suddenly turned around, grabbed Jiang Cheng's hand, and interrupted him.

"Don't exhaust yourself for me anymore! Enough! It's already enough!"

Looking at Jiang Cheng's pale face, her heart ached so much she could hardly breathe.

"You fool! You idiot! Do you want to die?!"

Her tears could no longer be held back and streamed down.

Su Qingxue cried as she threw herself into Jiang Cheng's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Jiang Cheng... I like you... I love you!"

She lifted her tear-stained face and proactively kissed those lips she both loved and hated.

At this moment, Jiang Cheng's mind was a complete blank.

[Hehehe...]

The Old Taoist's lewd laughter rang out.

[Ding! Detected that the host (Su Qingxue) has an unstable Foundation due to forced enhancement. The Energy of Taiyin is conflicting with the mixed True Qi, and she has reached the limit of her Breakthrough.]

[S-rank Mission Issued: The host must use his Pure Yang Physique to perform Yin and Yang harmony with her to help her cleanse her marrow and tendons, recast her Dao Foundation, and break through to the Heavenly Human Realm.]

[Mission Reward: Movement Technique "Eight Trigrams Wandering Dragon Steps." This is the foundational escape technique of the Immortals, evolving a dragon-shaped step based on the Eight Trigrams Heavenly Cycle, allowing for agile maneuvering and a formless presence.]

[Warning: This mission is currently the only main storyline; failing to complete it will prevent any new missions from being triggered! (If not treated in time, her life may be in danger.)]

Jiang Cheng was completely stunned.

[Kid, what are you still dazing for?]

The Old Taoist's voice was full of schadenfreude.

[Do you understand Yin and Yang harmony? It's exactly what you think it means! For the sake of the Dao Sect, and for the sake of this old man being able to become a Security Captain at the Jade Pool in the Immortal Realm in the future, charge! This is an order!]

Yin and Yang harmony?

Isn't this fucking...

Holy shit?!

[Holy shit my ass! Hurry up! In a moment, she'll explode and die, and that'll be the end of it!]