[{"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-116":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},2361087,4616,"Chapter 116: Deeply Regretful","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-116",116,"\u003Cp>Cultivation has never been an easy thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is dull, arduous, repetitive... and dangerous!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo had asked Uesugi Emiko during the day how long it took to refine and absorb a second-rank beast core; she said at least three nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo was pleased, deeply satisfied with the Earthling body’s constitution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he needed only two hours to refine and absorb a second-rank beast core; later, each additional core took about an hour longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was due to resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When cultivators refine the same type of cultivation resource in a short time, their bodies develop inertia and resistance—the speed of absorbing primordial energy slows progressively, requiring them to alternate resources and diversify their cultivation materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elixirs, primordial stones, spirit herbs, beast cores—rotate them; among these, elixirs are easiest to absorb but also the most expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it’s not absolute—some cultivators possess special constitutions, such as the Leakless Body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivators with the Leakless Body absorb primordial energy at several times, even dozens of times, the speed of ordinary cultivators—faster even than Cang Luo’s Earthling constitution—and they never develop resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, cultivators with such a constitution are one in ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the Earthling constitution is a weakened version of the Leakless Body; it’s called weakened not only because resistance develops, but also due to a more critical reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Earthlings can rapidly refine and absorb primordial energy, they have a cultivation ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Cang Luo’s assessment, Xuan Qiankun judged that if all Earthlings had Cang Luo’s talent, their cultivation would peak at Wu Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Zang Feng’s Wu Sheng master had once judged that Cang Luo’s maximum cultivation ceiling could only reach Wu Ling Ninth Layer...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo himself didn’t know this—he was still refining a beast core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it took him over seven hours to fully refine and absorb one second-rank beast core; the effect was excellent—the third primordial wheel was faintly beginning to form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo estimated that absorbing another seven or eight second-rank beast cores should push him to Wu Jiang Third Layer, but he didn’t know how long it would take—resistance would keep slowing absorption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his phone—it was already 1 a.m. Cang Luo muttered: “I’ll return to Xuantian Sect once I break through to Wu Jiang Third Layer. In the meantime, I’ll stockpile more beast cores and refine them later when resistance fades.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I must subdue a beast I’m truly satisfied with...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Cang Luo contemplated his next plan, he suddenly frowned—he noticed the osmanthus scent growing denser, making him drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because the tent was too small?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo quickly bit his tongue, instantly becoming more alert, then recalled that he hadn’t felt extreme hunger during the beast core refinement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant the Hunger Compensation ability was almost certainly caused by “Conquer and Subjugate,” not the osmanthus scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo felt it necessary to confirm this further...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Uesugi Emiko, still cultivating, and frowned: “Is this osmanthus scent your body odor? After smelling it long enough, it makes one drowsy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko startled, hesitated, then stammered: “It is my body odor... prolonged exposure does indeed cause drowsiness. I didn’t mean to—it’s beyond my control...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please believe me, Lord Cang—I would never harm you. I am yours in life, and in death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew Cang Luo suspected her, so she confessed—but didn’t mention the scent was Dream-Drifting Incense, nor that she had once possessed a jar of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had secretly thrown it away; if she hadn’t, and Cang Luo found it, she couldn’t explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo feigned surprise: “Body odor? Smell it long enough and you fall asleep? How miraculous?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Cang Luo shifted closer to Uesugi Emiko; the tent was already small, now they were nearly pressed together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Cang Luo stretched his neck and inhaled deeply along her body—from head to toe—then smiled contentedly: “Emiko... you’re so fragrant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko blushed, with nowhere to hide—she couldn’t hide. Her strength was already weaker than Cang Luo’s, and now even her cultivation base had been surpassed—she had no power to resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lowered her head: “Lord Cang... please don’t...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo smiled but said nothing—then the next moment, he pounced...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the extreme hunger state returned—Cang Luo confirmed: the Hunger Compensation ability was indeed caused by “Conquer and Subjugate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he knew the cause, he intended to stop “Conquer and Subjugate”—but how could one simply stop such a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Cang Luo swallowed another second-rank beast core and continued “Conquer and Subjugate...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within five minutes, the beast core was refined—just like last night, waste occurred; he absorbed only about five percent of the primordial energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo couldn’t understand—where did the other ninety-five percent go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Uesugi Emiko absorbed it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang extraction, yin replenishment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all my hard work, she gets to enjoy the benefits?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo carefully sensed—yet found no sign of primordial energy being absorbed by Uesugi Emiko. He was baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then hunger returned—he ate another second-rank beast core and continued “Conquer and Subjugate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, something shocking happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo realized—he had no beast cores left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All six second-rank beast cores he’d stored during the day had been refined. Had he refined them normally, he might have reached Wu Jiang Third Layer already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he remained at Wu Jiang Second Layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waste! Such a waste!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, hunger returned again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hungry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starving!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo frantically gnawed on a tough strip of dried meat—nearly choked to death—but it did no good; digested in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still hungry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo was nearly broken—nothing left to eat; he even considered slaughtering Erha to eat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment this thought arose, Erha, faithfully guarding outside the tent, suddenly startled and immediately sent a mental message: “Boss... what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo froze, quickly sent a vague mental reply, then resumed starving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes later, Cang Luo could no longer endure—the troops couldn’t be replenished; defeat came like a collapsing mountain—he had to end “Conquer and Subjugate...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abandoned halfway!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko stared at Cang Luo, hollow-eyed: “Lord Cang? What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo’s pleasure had been stripped away by the Hunger Compensation ability—he couldn’t explain, only said he felt unwell, then pulled the blanket over his head and slept...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Cang Luo slept with an empty stomach, unable to rest or cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Uesugi Emiko spent the night hollow and lonely...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo... deeply regretted it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The night passed silently; dawn came quickly. The two stepped out of the tent, both with dark circles under their eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo’s condition was worse—Uesugi Emiko immediately saw he had lost weight, nearly a full circle, and panicked: “Lord Cang! What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo, miserable: “Nothing... just hungry. Let’s keep searching for beasts...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko nodded, puzzled, but said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the two continued hunting beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reasons unknown—bad luck or otherwise—they found no beast they wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until ten days later, finally, one beast caught Uesugi Emiko’s eye—though not a mutated beast, it was incredibly cute!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengli, a second-rank wind-element beast, a type of raccoon-cat, with brown-and-white fur, small body, total length under one meter including tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiny. Adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though small, it was fierce—after all, a second-rank beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengli moved swiftly and cunningly, able to condense gang qi into claws for attack—claws as sharp as second-rank weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some Fengli could even transform their gang qi claws into wind blades for ranged attacks, with even greater power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Fengli excelled at running and climbing—its combat power surged dramatically in forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A true tree-climbing expert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, ordinary Wu Jiang cultivators without bows had no way to catch it—they couldn’t even reach it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this Fengli had met Cang Luo—not an ordinary Wu Jiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these ten days, Cang Luo refined one second-rank beast core per day, his cultivation smoothly reached Wu Jiang Third Layer; his technique grew more proficient, his strength greatly enhanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had Cang Luo’s strength improved—his beast companion Erha’s power had risen with his master’s cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, though Erha possessed second-rank beast combat power, it was still fundamentally a first-rank beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, as Cang Luo’s cultivation broke into the second-rank Wu Jiang realm, over these ten days, Erha’s single beast core’s primordial energy content, soul strength, and body size all reached second-rank beast standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a power granted to beasts after becoming human cultivators—their strength rises with their master’s cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Erha’s body had grown larger, speed and strength enhanced, and most crucially, its flame and white smoke abilities were strengthened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, Erha’s flame reached only about four meters; now it neared eight meters—nearly doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its white smoke ability was also enhanced—faster, denser, and now with an added effect: the smoke choked those inside, making breathing difficult after prolonged exposure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Cang Luo estimated Erha could fight third-rank beasts and third-rank cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was precisely because of Erha’s strengthened power that Cang Luo forced the Fengli down from the trees and captured it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, neither he nor Uesugi Emiko—two second-rank cultivators who couldn’t fly and carried no bows—could have caught the Fengli.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo tied up the Fengli and whispered to Uesugi Emiko: “Emiko, prepare to subdue it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko nodded happily—but suddenly remembered something, her face paled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no! Lord Cang, I don’t have my Beast Subjugation Scroll on me—it’s with my senior brother! What do we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko stomped her foot in frustration—she’d finally found the beast she wanted, yet had no Beast Subjugation Scroll!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of anger, she sighed: “Lord Cang, we’ll have to tie the Fengli and take it back to camp—hope someone there sells Beast Subjugation Scrolls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo smiled: “No problem—I have a solution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Cang Luo opened his backpack and rummaged through it, soon pulling out a piece of beast hide, a second-rank beast core, and a water skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Emiko blinked in surprise; she had thought the beast hide Cang Luo pulled out was a beast companion contract scroll, but when she saw him spread it open, she realized it was the hide of a beast he had slain just a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked in confusion, “Master Cang, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cang Luo replied casually, “I’m going to draw you a beast companion contract scroll.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1700,"2026-06-21T06:04:04.528Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9fec944b05725d1ddaea58faacfe21d6a6ba9bf1a439543538a17e7f03fe99c9","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-117","high-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-chapter-115",157,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhigh-martial-arts-across-two-worlds-cover.jpg"]