Chapter 69: What Child Cries Every Day, What Gambler Loses Every Time
Just as Cao Xuan had entered seclusion not long before, Li Yao was also waking leisurely in her cave abode at that very moment. The blue robe and simple white dress symbolizing her status as a three-marked personal disciple lay discarded by the bedside, while she herself reclined languidly, her eyes brimming with allure.
Compared to before, Li Yao’s legs had grown even longer, her figure fuller and more voluptuous. If Li Yao had previously resembled the gentle elder sister next door, she now carried an enchanting air, exuding the seductive confidence of a mature woman.
Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm and above could reshape their physiques at will, making rejuvenation as easy as a thought. Yet most were more concerned with advancing their cultivation than their appearance; once age left its marks, few wished to waste precious vital essence maintaining a youthful facade. Only some female cultivators, perhaps, would preserve their youthful beauty even to their dying breath.
Li Yao was no exception. Her current form was not something she had purposefully altered; rather, the changes had come gradually, shaped by the half-month of dual cultivation with her junior brother Cao Xuan—like a peacock displaying its tail, unconsciously making her all the more captivating to the opposite sex.
With a turn of her vital essence, the garments by her bedside instantly draped over her flawless body. Li Yao stroked her abdomen, a trace of satisfaction curving her lips.
“My junior brother’s vital essence is far purer than mine; it seems the ‘Rune Cloud Sutra’ he cultivates is indeed more profound than my own method.”
“These vital essences of his—I must take time to truly comprehend them!”
Having reached the Foundation Establishment realm, Li Yao could fully control her body. Should she wish to bear a child, she would simply need to nurture a seed, selecting one from the myriad vital essences within her. Yet it was not so simple—the higher one’s cultivation, the harder it became to conceive. Besides, such thoughts had not crossed Li Yao’s mind for now.
In time, she would refine all these vital essences, and presently, both her own and Cao Xuan’s energies mingled within her, carrying the other’s aura—making it unwise to continue absorbing any more.
Having dressed, Li Yao left her cave abode. Like Cao Xuan, after long stillness, she felt a restless urge to wander.
“Greetings, Senior Sister Li!”
“Greetings, Senior Sister!”
“Respect to the Eldest Sister!”
Along her way, every disciple from the Rune Peak greeted her proactively. Yet their expressions were tinged with bewilderment—“Senior Sister Li, how is it that you…”
None could quite find the words to describe her.
One senior brother whispered to his companion, “Senior Sister Li was always beautiful, but she never seemed so unattainably distant.”
“Exactly! Before, we just thought she was pretty.”
“But now, Senior Brother, I think I’m in love. I’ve even thought of our child’s name!”
“Nonsense! Being able to greet her as Senior Sister is already an honor for us. We’re just a bunch of Qi Refining disciples. Let’s break through to Foundation Establishment first—otherwise, in ten years’ time, we’ll be calling her Elder Protector!”
Those who could reside on Rune Peak were at least inner disciples at the seventh level of Qi Refining, with hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. Yet, as their senior said, the gulf between them and Eldest Sister Li Yao was simply too vast.
Previously, they wouldn’t have dared harbor such thoughts. But now, seeing Senior Sister Li’s languid, alluring grace as she passed, their hearts trembled with the stirrings of love.
Of course, they knew that without reaching Foundation Establishment, they could not even dream of confessing their feelings—let alone having a chance.
Thus, without even Peak Master Yu Wan or the other elders realizing it, Li Yao’s presence alone drove the disciples of Rune Peak to cultivate with twice their former diligence.
…
Cao Xuan returned to his cave abode and once again entered seclusion for another half month.
Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, one’s lifespan doubled that of a mortal, reaching two centuries, and the sense of time slowed accordingly. Half a month of seclusion, while certainly enabled by his robust vital essence, felt to Cao Xuan no more than a few days’ retreat at the Qi Refining stage.
“As expected, the further one goes, the more resources a cultivator requires!”
During this half month, Cao Xuan had been refining the foreign vital essence gained from his dual cultivation with Li Yao. Yet cultivation was cultivation; though the main task was to purify his own essence, the ‘Heavenly Rune Codex’ continued its operation.
Even so, though he drew in spiritual energy as voraciously as a whale, it felt to him like a drop in the ocean.
“The ‘Heavenly Rune Codex’ is without equal in nurturing the Dao Foundation and purifying vital essence during Foundation Establishment.”
“But the spiritual energy it needs far exceeds that required by ordinary methods.”
“With a Nine-Refinement Spiritual Root, it should be enough to reach the Golden Core stage, but even now, it feels barely sufficient!”
Cao Xuan shook his head, realizing that while innate aptitude was critical, cultivation resources were equally indispensable.
His current mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation was only possible thanks to the system’s guidance through two lifetimes of simulations.
As for his breakthrough to late Foundation Establishment, it was essentially as if he had consumed Senior Sister Li Yao herself as a “human-shaped supreme pill”!
Li Yao herself had lingered at the peak of mid-Foundation Establishment for several years, and as he pierced that barrier for her, her vital essence spilled forth, entering him and forming a grand circulation.
Of course, Li Yao had also benefited greatly. To be precise, it was as though Li Yao supplied vital essence, Cao Xuan purified it, and in the end, both shared the results—a powerful synergy.
That was only the main dynamic; Cao Xuan also contributed vital essence, which, once within Li Yao, was refined through the ‘Rune Cloud Sutra’ just as effectively—it was merely a question of speed.
“After Master’s guidance, I’ve realized that breaking through to late Foundation Establishment is no simple feat!”
Cao Xuan sighed, knowing that to reach this level, aside from the system’s modest assistance, it was thanks to his own talent and effort, plus a stroke of fortune—namely, Senior Sister Li Yao.
“It seems I must gather resources without delay. Wait—didn’t I just earn another lottery draw?”
Suddenly, Cao Xuan remembered that when Li Yao’s favorability surpassed 90, he gained another chance at the system lottery and opened the draw interface.
The familiar wheel appeared, with tempting prizes like the Sunfire Soul Pill, the Enlightenment Tea Tree, and the Supreme Bone—his mouth nearly watered.
“Ding~ As host has successfully won over a third female cultivator, the lottery system has unlocked Ten-Draw Mode!”
“If the host accumulates ten chances, there will be a much higher probability of winning a grand prize!”
Upon seeing this, Cao Xuan’s lip twitched.
He cursed aloud, “Damn those developers, four thousand plus…”
Anyone who had played games knew that when a new mode was introduced, promising better odds if you met certain conditions, it meant that without doing so, your chances were even slimmer.
He finally understood why, aside from the first draw that gave him Plant Affinity, every subsequent prize had been so paltry.
“With Lin Miaoxuan’s favorability at 90, I drew Plant Affinity; with Chen Qianru’s at 92, I got a pill recipe, and there are still two unused draws.”
“Now, with Senior Sister Li Yao at 90, that’s three chances in total.”
Which meant, unless he could win over another female cultivator to 90 favorability, or further raise the favorability of the current three, he would have to amass ten draws to unlock the big prizes.
“No child cries every day, and no gambler loses forever!”
Cao Xuan steeled his resolve.