Chapter 12: One Night of Dual Cultivation, Zhu Zhuqing's Affection Skyrockets

Like soul rings and soul bones, that's how it is.

Absorbing soul rings and soul bones also takes in the ready-made soul power inside them, so one's cultivation increases greatly.

But there is a precondition: the person being absorbed must sacrifice their own cultivation.

When pure soul power is sucked away, not only is one's own time wasted, but it may also cause a drop in soul power level.

That's why, for so long, few people have done this.

Soul masters are proud; they believe their future is promising—why should they sacrifice themselves to benefit others?

Dai Xiyu smiled and said, "So I came up with a method—dual cultivation!"

"Dual cultivation?"

Hearing this term, Zhu Zhuqing felt some doubt.

She felt the word didn't sound like anything good.

Dai Xiyu nodded: "Exactly, dual cultivation—two people cultivating together."

Actually, this dual cultivation method was conceived by Dai Xiyu based on novels he read in his previous life.

In truth, he didn't know if it would work; he was just looking for an excuse to have zero-distance contact with Zhu Zhuqing.

But Zhu Zhuqing took it seriously and began to think.

Seeing this, Dai Xiyu said directly, "Whether it works or not, let's just try—after all, we'll be spending the night cultivating."

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated a moment, then nodded seriously and said, "All right then."

Saying it, doing it—Dai Xiyu took the cushion beside him, placed it on the ground, and sat cross-legged.

Coming to someone's bedroom late at night is already pushing it; we certainly can't get on their bed—our relationship isn't that intimate yet.

Dai Xiyu's action also made Zhu Zhuqing rarely show a faint smile.

She likewise took out a cushion and sat opposite Dai Xiyu.

Dai Xiyu explained to Zhu Zhuqing, "Just like this, we place our palms opposite each other and simultaneously circulate soul power to cultivate."

Zhu Zhuqing did as told, raising her delicate palms flat and pressing them against Dai Xiyu's.

Zhu Zhuqing's hands were cold, with some hard calluses at the bases of her fingers—traces of her arduous cultivation.

Dai Xiyu felt carefully for a moment, then began circulating his internal soul power.

Zhu Zhuqing sensed the soul power transmitted from the palms, and likewise began circulating her own soul power, awkwardly matching Dai Xiyu.

Thus the two gradually sought that imagined dual cultivation state, slowly immersing themselves in cultivation.

Meanwhile, Dai Xiyu was also paying attention to the system's response.

Silently counting about a minute in his mind, a prompt indeed appeared in the upper left of his vision.

【Harvest from Zhu Zhuqing's fortune +100】

Just as in previous training tests, as long as skin contact is maintained, fortune can be plundered at a rate of 100 points per minute.

At that moment, Dai Xiyu suddenly noticed a prompt also appearing above Zhu Zhuqing's head.

【Fortune change, Zhu Zhuqing harvests fortune +500】

"What's going on?"

Dai Xiyu stared for a moment, then carefully examined Zhu Zhuqing's head.

【19269398】

Indeed, compared to when he first entered the room, it had increased by four hundred fortune points.

Originally it would have increased by five hundred, but after he plundered one hundred, it net added four hundred.

After a moment's silent contemplation, Dai Xiyu roughly understood.

His own "hunter," not bound by fortune rules, came to help Zhu Zhuqing cultivate, granting her an unexpected benefit.

This dual cultivation method, though stumbled upon, actually produced an effect.

Accordingly, Zhu Zhuqing, through dual cultivation, raised the ceiling of her future achievements, and her fortune rose accordingly.

Of course, the fortune Zhu Zhuqing obtained was not taken from Dai Xiyu; his fortune did not decrease.

However, he only gained a hundred points while she directly received five hundred—indeed somewhat exaggerated.

Dai Xiyu remained expressionless, continuing earnest dual cultivation with Zhu Zhuqing, increasing the force of soul power transmitted to her.

After one minute, the prompt refreshed again.

Dai Xiyu himself still gained 100 fortune points, while Zhu Zhuqing gained 600 points.

This phenomenon confirmed Dai Xiyu's earlier guess.

Dai Xiyu's mouth curled up as he began outputting at full strength toward Zhu Zhuqing.

This time, Zhu Zhuqing's fortune increased directly to over nine hundred points per minute.

The higher Zhu Zhuqing's fortune, the greater the benefit to Dai Xiyu.

In the end, all that fortune still belongs to Dai Xiyu—of course, the more the better.

Anyway, Dai Xiyu doesn't need to cultivate himself, so he might as well go all out helping Zhu Zhuqing.

Opposite Dai Xiyu, Zhu Zhuqing felt his ever more intense infusion, her delicate brows slightly furrowing.

After persisting another minute, Zhu Zhuqing finally couldn't help but open her eyes.

However, just as she was about to speak, Dai Xiyu preemptively said, "Your soul power is too weak—don't get distracted."

Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips, then obediently closed her eyes.

Immediately after, the prompt in the upper left of Dai Xiyu's view refreshed again.

【Harvest from Zhu Zhuqing's fortune +200000】

The refresh of the prompt signified that Zhu Zhuqing's favor toward him had increased again.

Dai Xiyu laughed; he hadn't expected this to also raise affection—it was practically a windfall.

The entire night was spent in cultivation.

As the sky gradually brightened, Dai Xiyu had already lost count of how many times the prompt in the upper left of his vision had refreshed.

The prompt refreshed once more, and Dai Xiyu reduced his output, preparing to stop.

And Zhu Zhuqing also gradually awoke from her cultivation state in due time.

She concentrated her senses and was shocked to discover that her soul power had risen by a large amount compared to before training.

If it were the past, her cultivation speed would likely not even reach one-tenth of last night's.

However, Zhu Zhuqing could also feel that Dai Xiyu last night had been entirely a 'devotion-style dual cultivation'.

While they claimed to be cultivating together, in fact it was Dai Xiyu alone assisting her in raising her soul power.

She opened her eyes and saw Dai Xiyu, who had likewise finished cultivating, in front of her.

Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but lower her head and softly say, 'Thank you...'

Meanwhile, the prompt in the upper left of Dai Xiyu's vision refreshed once more.

【Harvest: +500,000 fortune from Zhu Zhuqing】

Dai Xiyu gave no explanation; let the misunderstanding stand. The affair of fortune must not be revealed to anyone.

He stood up, stretched his body, and said, 'We're all family; what's there to thank for.'

Speaking, he gave an easy wave, walking and saying, 'Let's go, go wash up, we still have to go to the training platform to cultivate later.'

Hearing Dai Xiyu say 'family,' Zhu Zhuqing's lovely face flushed slightly, yet she had no rebuttal.

In a certain sense, they are indeed family, merely a family of the future.

Looking at Dai Xiyu's sturdy back, for some unknown reason Zhu Zhuqing felt her heart rate increase.

She had never experienced this feeling before, but those words 'family' really caused Zhu Zhuqing's little mind to conjure the fantasy of the two stepping into the wedding hall.

The door opened and then closed again.

Only when Dai Xiyu's figure had completely disappeared did Zhu Zhuqing raise her left hand and lightly touch the ring on her right index finger.

While thinking, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

(End of chapter)