[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds":3,"chapter-high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-112":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","High Martial Arts Across Two Worlds",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2361083,4616,"Chapter 112: The Battle of Wits in the Tent","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-112",112,"\u003Cp>Cang Luo’s tent was meant for one person, and now it housed two; lying flat to sleep would be cramped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now it was fine—he and Uesugi Emiko were both cultivating their heart methods and refining demon cores, sitting upright, not so crowded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down! Calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t act impulsively—impulse is the devil!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beauty is a calamity!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Japanese woman is no good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cultivation is paramount!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo frantically warned himself, reminding himself not to be tempted by Uesugi Emiko—cultivation came first in all things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The self-warning had some effect; Cang Luo gradually calmed, his breath smoothing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was the quantity of primal energy—the second-rank core contained at least five times that of a first-rank core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, by the same pricing logic, a third-rank demon core should contain twenty-five times the primal energy of a first-rank core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his energy wheel remained nine rings—no sign of convergence—meaning Cang Luo had not broken through to the Martial General realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo frowned, feeling disappointed—had he not reached his limit yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this speed fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he’d done it in two hours—surely that was fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it took him three hours to fully refine the core, yet he still hadn’t broken through to the Martial General realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo was disappointed again, but kept eating, kept refining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he advanced from Martial Warrior Eighth Layer to Ninth Layer, he’d only needed six first-rank cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t normal—absolutely not normal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was his limit truly just Martial Warrior Ninth Layer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitation, he dared not eat it, and put the core away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo cursed inwardly, deeply disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo gave no response. Uesugi Emiko called again several times—still no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Cang Luo showed no reaction—he slept like a pig.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Uesugi Emiko was certain: Cang Luo was not just asleep—he was comatose. He wouldn’t wake for at least three hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it was her body odor—she applied this powder daily, and her skin had long absorbed its scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was called woman-specific because its potency was low; low-rank cultivators needed to inhale it for hours before succumbing to unconsciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So under what circumstances would a low-rank cultivator inhale it for hours?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only one: in bed—while sleeping... or while engaging in intimate acts. Hence, Dream-Drifting Incense was a woman-specific mind-altering drug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko herself was immune because she’d taken antidotes since childhood and undergone extensive training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Dream-Drifting Incense was weak, precisely because of that, it went unnoticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Cang Luo had noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo was startled—he’d never felt this drowsy since becoming a cultivator; even when sleeping, he always remained half-awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was cultivating a heart method, his sleepiness was reduced to only five percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Cang Luo bit his tongue hard—hard enough to draw blood—and instantly, the drowsiness vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awake, he told Erha he was fine and ordered them to stay silent; then he lay still, pretending to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo suspected Uesugi Emiko was behind this—he sneered inwardly, waiting to see what she intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Catch the thief red-handed—leave her with no excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, she was ecstatic—she could finally retrieve the communication artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a deep, excited breath, Uesugi Emiko slowly extended her right hand into Cang Luo’s chest, searching for the artifact...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, she found it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko was overjoyed; she pinched the artifact between two fingers and slowly withdrew her hand...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, her arm went numb; Cang Luo pressed hard, and her light attempts to pull free failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she tried again to withdraw her arm—this time, smoothly; she gripped the artifact and slowly pulled her hand out, inch by inch...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo, pretending to sleep, sneered inwardly—this Japanese woman truly wanted to steal his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph! Whether she was curious or malicious, she’d get punished—perfectly compensating for the emotional wound caused by his failed breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo thought for a moment, and just as the phone was about to be stolen, he deliberately rolled over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rolled over fully, pinning Uesugi Emiko completely beneath him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Cang Luo couldn’t help but shudder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he longed to mount her—but he held back; he’d savor tormenting Uesugi Emiko.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, he twisted his body, savoring the pleasure until he nearly fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath him, Uesugi Emiko trembled, her face flushed red, yet she dared not move—she feared waking Cang Luo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The communication artifact had been taken—the moment he rolled over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now what? She couldn’t escape!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill Cang Jun?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko hesitated, searching for a way out, while Cang Luo occasionally twisted his body...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo was nearly ascending to paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>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.\u003C\u002Fp>",1733,"2026-06-21T06:04:04.528Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","b2dff33992e9db433bace2550cd7f35103c2d45e627e8c88cbdd43c975f32df6","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-113","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-111",157,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhigh-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-cover.jpg"]