Chapter 112: The Battle of Wits in the Tent

Cang Luo’s tent was meant for one person, and now it housed two; lying flat to sleep would be cramped.

But now it was fine—he and Uesugi Emiko were both cultivating their heart methods and refining demon cores, sitting upright, not so crowded.

Yet at this moment, Cang Luo had little heart for cultivation, for Uesugi Emiko sat right beside him, within arm’s reach, continuously emitting a faint osmanthus fragrance that stirred his desires.

Cang Luo couldn’t bear it; his breath grew chaotic, his mind couldn’t settle, and he began indulging in fantasies, unconsciously recalling Uesugi Emiko’s alluring figure...

“Calm down! Calm down!”

“Don’t act impulsively—impulse is the devil!”

“Beauty is a calamity!”

“This Japanese woman is no good!”

“Cultivation is paramount!”

“......”

Cang Luo frantically warned himself, reminding himself not to be tempted by Uesugi Emiko—cultivation came first in all things.

The self-warning had some effect; Cang Luo gradually calmed, his breath smoothing out.

Soon after, the second-rank demon core he had swallowed began to dissolve inside him; the instant it broke open, the primal energy within scattered and fled—he immediately activated his heart method to refine and absorb it.

During absorption, Cang Luo noticed the second-rank demon core differed little from the first-rank ones he’d consumed before; the quality of primal energy was nearly identical, with the second-rank core slightly higher, but not noticeably so.

The only difference was the quantity of primal energy—the second-rank core contained at least five times that of a first-rank core.

In other words, one second-rank demon core equaled five first-rank ones. No wonder its price was five times higher—it was priced according to primal energy content.

Then, by the same pricing logic, a third-rank demon core should contain twenty-five times the primal energy of a first-rank core.

As for fourth-rank demon cores, fourth-rank demon beasts were mid-tier, their power having undergone a qualitative leap, and their cores had undergone a qualitative transformation as well, offering greater utility.

Their price was not simply five times that of a third-rank core; depending on their attribute, they ranged from three hundred to five hundred low-grade primal stones.

As Cang Luo refined the demon core, he pondered the pricing of demon cores of different ranks, and thought of the fifth-rank core of the Shadow Tiger.

A fifth-rank core—even if the Shadow Tiger was still immature—must be worth a fortune, right? At least as much as a third-rank core?

Thinking this, Cang Luo’s mood improved greatly; he planned to sell the Shadow Tiger’s core after returning, then buy primal stones and elixirs for cultivation.

Unconsciously, Cang Luo successfully refined and absorbed all the primal energy from the second-rank demon core; his internal primal energy increased slightly, and his energy wheel grew slightly denser.

Yet his energy wheel remained nine rings—no sign of convergence—meaning Cang Luo had not broken through to the Martial General realm.

Cang Luo frowned, feeling disappointed—had he not reached his limit yet?

He checked his phone—it was 8:30. He had begun refining at 6:30; he realized it took him two hours to refine one second-rank demon core.

Was this speed fast?

Cang Luo thought: a second-rank core contained five times the primal energy of a first-rank core; when he first refined a first-rank core, it took one and a half hours. If he refined five of them, without accounting for resistance, it would take at least seven and a half hours.

Now he’d done it in two hours—surely that was fast?

Cang Luo didn’t dwell on it; using his phone’s light, he glanced at Uesugi Emiko—she was still cultivating. Since time was still early, he swallowed another second-rank demon core and continued refining.

This time, it took him three hours to fully refine the core, yet he still hadn’t broken through to the Martial General realm.

Cang Luo was disappointed again, but kept eating, kept refining.

More than four hours later, around 4 a.m., he finished refining his third second-rank demon core—still no breakthrough to the Martial General realm.

Cang Luo was furious—three demon cores, three full second-rank cores, equivalent to fifteen first-rank cores—and still no breakthrough to the Martial General realm?

When he advanced from Martial Warrior Eighth Layer to Ninth Layer, he’d only needed six first-rank cores.

This wasn’t normal—absolutely not normal!

Was his limit truly just Martial Warrior Ninth Layer?

Cang Luo refused to accept it; he thought for a moment, then pulled out the Shadow Tiger’s core, staring at it, mouth opening as if to swallow and refine it—but feared he’d explode.

After hesitation, he dared not eat it, and put the core away.

“Damn it!”

Cang Luo cursed inwardly, deeply disappointed.

Beside him, Uesugi Emiko had somehow fallen asleep—her posture was terrible, clothes disheveled, revealing glimpses of flesh, one leg draped over Cang Luo’s thigh.

Cang Luo stared at Uesugi Emiko for a long while, took a deep breath, suppressed the urge to take her right there, gently moved her leg away, and pulled her clothes back up.

At that moment, Cang Luo was suddenly overcome with drowsiness; combined with his prolonged failure to break through, his spirits sank, and he finally lost all will to cultivate—he lay down and slept, and within minutes, loud snores echoed.

Half an hour later, Uesugi Emiko, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened her eyes, glanced at Cang Luo’s back, and whispered: “Cang Jun, are you asleep?”

Cang Luo gave no response. Uesugi Emiko called again several times—still no reply.

Uesugi Emiko judged Cang Luo was sound asleep, but she wasn’t sure; she crept closer, then carefully lifted a pale, slender thigh and laid it across his body.

Yet Cang Luo showed no reaction—he slept like a pig.

Now Uesugi Emiko was certain: Cang Luo was not just asleep—he was comatose. He wouldn’t wake for at least three hours.

Confirmed that Cang Luo was comatose, Uesugi Emiko’s gaze sharpened. She quietly rose, took a small unsealed jar from her bosom, and sprinkled a pinch of powder into the air—it would deepen Cang Luo’s coma.

The powder released a rich osmanthus fragrance—the very scent Cang Luo had noticed on Uesugi Emiko, which he’d assumed was her natural body odor.

In truth, it was her body odor—she applied this powder daily, and her skin had long absorbed its scent.

This powder was a mind-altering drug—a woman-specific one called Dream-Drifting Incense, a specialty of Japan, carried and made by every Japanese woman who came to the Seven Nations of Huaxia to cultivate.

It was called woman-specific because its potency was low; low-rank cultivators needed to inhale it for hours before succumbing to unconsciousness.

So under what circumstances would a low-rank cultivator inhale it for hours?

Only one: in bed—while sleeping... or while engaging in intimate acts. Hence, Dream-Drifting Incense was a woman-specific mind-altering drug.

Uesugi Emiko herself was immune because she’d taken antidotes since childhood and undergone extensive training.

Though Dream-Drifting Incense was weak, precisely because of that, it went unnoticed.

Yet Cang Luo had noticed.

Just now, as drowsiness overwhelmed him and he was about to fall asleep, Erha suddenly transmitted a thought: their connection to him had weakened—he could barely sense Cang Luo’s primal awareness.

Cang Luo was startled—he’d never felt this drowsy since becoming a cultivator; even when sleeping, he always remained half-awake.

If he was cultivating a heart method, his sleepiness was reduced to only five percent.

Realizing this, Cang Luo bit his tongue hard—hard enough to draw blood—and instantly, the drowsiness vanished.

Awake, he told Erha he was fine and ordered them to stay silent; then he lay still, pretending to sleep.

Cang Luo suspected Uesugi Emiko was behind this—he sneered inwardly, waiting to see what she intended.

Catch the thief red-handed—leave her with no excuse.

Cang Luo was pretending to sleep; Uesugi Emiko truly believed he’d been poisoned by Dream-Drifting Incense and was unconscious—and she’d just sprinkled more powder into the air. There was no way he’d wake.

At this moment, she was ecstatic—she could finally retrieve the communication artifact.

Taking a deep, excited breath, Uesugi Emiko slowly extended her right hand into Cang Luo’s chest, searching for the artifact...

Soon, she found it!

Uesugi Emiko was overjoyed; she pinched the artifact between two fingers and slowly withdrew her hand...

But at that moment, the “comatose” Cang Luo suddenly shifted, scratching his face—as if bitten by a mosquito—then scratched his chest, accidentally pressing down on Uesugi Emiko’s right hand.

Uesugi Emiko nearly died of fright—her hand, clutching the artifact, was pinned under Cang Luo, unable to move, afraid to stir and wake him.

Soon, her arm went numb; Cang Luo pressed hard, and her light attempts to pull free failed.

A while later, the numbness worsened; to relieve it, she shifted her body, pressing tightly against Cang Luo’s back, letting her arm hang naturally—this eased the discomfort slightly.

Then she tried again to withdraw her arm—this time, smoothly; she gripped the artifact and slowly pulled her hand out, inch by inch...

Cang Luo, pretending to sleep, sneered inwardly—this Japanese woman truly wanted to steal his phone.

Hmph! Whether she was curious or malicious, she’d get punished—perfectly compensating for the emotional wound caused by his failed breakthrough.

Cang Luo thought for a moment, and just as the phone was about to be stolen, he deliberately rolled over.

He rolled over fully, pinning Uesugi Emiko completely beneath him.

In that instant, Cang Luo couldn’t help but shudder.

“......”

“......”

Cang Luo felt as if he were in heaven—he hadn’t felt this way in a very, very long time, not since his university ex broke up with him.

Now, he longed to mount her—but he held back; he’d savor tormenting Uesugi Emiko.

Thinking of this, he twisted his body, savoring the pleasure until he nearly fainted.

Beneath him, Uesugi Emiko trembled, her face flushed red, yet she dared not move—she feared waking Cang Luo.

The communication artifact had been taken—the moment he rolled over.

But now what? She couldn’t escape!

Kill Cang Jun?

No—Cang Jun’s beast companion, Erha, guarded outside the tent; if Cang Jun died, Erha would sense it immediately, and she was no match for Erha...

Uesugi Emiko hesitated, searching for a way out, while Cang Luo occasionally twisted his body...

Cang Luo was nearly ascending to paradise.

Of course, he’d deliberately let her take the phone—let her play; he’d set a screen lock. As long as she couldn’t run, it was fine.