Chapter 48: A Tremendous Benefit

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: A Tremendous Benefit

From inside the residence, Li Jian watched her leave with a calm expression.

Only when her awkward figure disappeared down the outer sect path did he close the door again, sit back on the messy bed, and quietly circulate the dense qi gained from the night of dual cultivation.

A moment later, his eyes opened with a sharp light.

"...Oh. I really gained a lot."

The change inside his body was far greater than he had expected.

Before the dual cultivation, he had only been at the 3rd Stage of Qi Refinement.

Now, after a full night of exchanging qi through the Heaven-grade technique and especially after refining Su Qin’s primordial yin, his cultivation had broken through continuously.

The barrier to the 4th Stage had shattered first.

Not long after, the denser, cleaner qi forced open the next threshold as well.

Right now, his cultivation had reached the 5th Stage of Qi Refinement.

For an outer disciple with average talent, such progress would normally take a long time and a large amount of resources.

Yet it had happened in a single night.

Li Jian clenched his fist, feeling the stronger flow of qi moving through his meridians, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

But what made him happiest was not only the breakthrough.

He glanced at the system panel.

[Ding!]

[Detected: Host has given a clear benefit to Su Qin through dual cultivation.]

[The target’s foundation and qi quality have improved significantly.]

[Favor Debt from Su Qin: 5,190 → 5,490]

Li Jian’s smile deepened.

’Another 300 points...’

Even while he was the one enjoying her body and refining her primordial yin, the dual cultivation had still counted as a benefit to her.

Her cultivation had improved, her path to Foundation Establishment had grown clearer, and the system recorded all of it as debt owed to him.

In other words, the more he dual cultivated with her... the more she would owe him.

Li Jian leaned back against the wall, eyes dark with quiet calculation.

’A Heaven-grade dual cultivation technique.’

’A partner who has to come every night for a month.’

’And every session increases both my strength and her Favor Debt.’

This arrangement was even more profitable than he had first imagined.

Even though he had spent some thousand Favor Debt points to get Su Qin under the one-month arrangement, at this rate... he would earn even more.

Last night alone had already returned 300 points.

If each dual cultivation session continued to improve her foundation and qi quality, then the system would keep recording those benefits as new debt.

Over a full month, the points he spent might not only be recovered... they could turn into pure profit.

And that was without counting his own gains.

From 3rd Stage to 5th Stage in one night.

A denser foundation.

Cleaner qi.

Direct refinement of primordial yin.

Compared to absorbing spirit stones or slowly meditating in the thin spiritual energy of the outer sect, dual cultivation was simply on another level.

Li Jian closed the system panel and exhaled slowly.

"No wonder so many cultivators risk everything for dual cultivation methods. With the system in my hands, this path is even more broken."

He sat in silence for a while longer, stabilizing his newly advanced 5th Stage Qi Refinement cultivation.

Only when the qi flowing through his meridians had fully settled did he finally open his eyes and stand up.

As soon as he looked around, however, he couldn’t help but fall silent.

His small residence was a complete mess.

The table had been knocked out of place, the chair lay overturned nearby, and the bedsheets and pillows were scattered everywhere.

Even the blanket had ended up half on the floor, looking as though a storm had swept through the room.

Li Jian stared at the chaos for a moment before letting out a wry smile.

"Good grief... you’d think someone had torn the place apart."

He shook his head, walked over to the overturned chair, and set it upright before straightening the table.

After that, he gathered the scattered pillows and sheets, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles before returning everything to its proper place.

It took him a while, but the room gradually returned to its usual neat appearance.

Outside, the afternoon life of the Purple Shade Sect continued as usual.

No one knew that the weak outer disciple who had once been treated as a cash cow and alchemy test subject had already taken a clear step ahead... or that one of the outer sect’s top beauties was now bound to him for an entire month by both debt and dual cultivation.

Li Jian was busy straightening his bedsheets when his gaze drifted toward the distant Alchemy Peak.

Zheng Qingyao.

Zhao Ming.

There were still accounts he had yet to settle with both of them.

However, there was no need to rush.

He had plenty of time, and as long as he continued growing stronger, those debts would eventually be repaid.

For now, he would focus on his cultivation and keep building his strength, one night at a time.

_

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Meanwhile, on Alchemy Peak, Zhao Ming received the report shortly before noon.

The inner halls of the peak were quiet at this hour.

A faint fragrance of medicinal herbs lingered in the air, mixing with the cool scent of the spiritual mist that drifted in from outside.

Zhao Ming sat behind a wooden table, casually examining a jade slip in his hand.

Standing several steps before him was an outer disciple wearing the black robes of the Discipline Hall.

His head was lowered, and he spoke carefully, knowing that the person sitting before him was not someone he could afford to offend.

"...Senior Brother Zhao, the mission report has arrived."

Zhao Ming did not look up.

"Go on."

"Li Jian returned alive. The Ironback Demon Wolf was confirmed dead, and the mission has been recorded as complete."

His fingers stopped moving.

The outer disciple continued.

"There was also an unexpected wolf pack near Qinghe Village. According to the report, the pack was led by a peak 9th Stage Ironback Demon Wolf. The village was destroyed afterward, and the survivors..."

He hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"There were no confirmed survivors."

The room fell silent.

Zhao Ming slowly lowered the jade slip in his hand and look up.

"Li Jian returned?"