Chapter 138: That Is Precisely the Time for Cultivation

"Huff~ wheeze~ huff~ wheeze~"

One two-hour period later, Ye Qingshi's face flushed red, like a rose in full bloom, her body sprawled out in a star shape on the warm bedding.

Recalling the cultivation process from just now, Ye Qingshi only felt it was utterly wild.

She had thought cultivation would be an extremely painful, extremely uncomfortable affair, but facts proved otherwise.

How should she describe the cultivation process from just now? It was just like playing a Souls-like game.

Stepping out the door she ran into the Tree Sentinel, knowing nothing, with no techniques at all, and was directly wiped clean of her health bar by the Tree Sentinel.

Then she regrouped, and after respawning threw herself back into battle, fighting the Tree Sentinel to the death.

How many times the Tree Sentinel had stabbed her to death in between, Ye Qingshi could no longer remember, but every single process of being beaten to death was still vivid in her memory.

When, two hours later, the Tree Sentinel's progress bar was finally cleared and defeated—

The immense sense of achievement made her mood impossible to suppress; her mind went completely blank and she collapsed onto the ground.

Of course, this was only Ye Qingshi's personal perspective.

In Fang Can's view, apart from the very beginning, afterwards it was entirely Ye Qingshi alone over there fighting herself into a frenzy.

Finding it boring midway, he watched the unhinged Ye Qingshi, reached out and called a maid nearby to bring a book over, reading and helping with cultivation at the same time without missing either.

Looking at the dazed Ye Qingshi, Fang Can was even a little puzzled—did it really have to be that exaggerated?

In the future, if she ran into a female enemy, could she cosplay the Piano Emperor's ultimate skill?

"I've already pulled through." Ye Qingshi gently drew a breath, sat sideways and stared straight at Fang Can, her eyes brimming with anticipation as she said: "Let's begin the second round."

"Pulled through?" Fang Can looked at Ye Qingshi and said: "Since that's the case, let's begin the second stage."

"Mm-mm!" Ye Qingshi had already expectantly held her breath.

"I have to warn you, the second stage is extremely painful; you'd best brace yourself with the resolve to die." Fang Can's tone was stern.

'I get it, I get it—being beaten to death by the Tree Sentinel over and over, right? I've already gone through it countless times just now.' Ye Qingshi nodded expectantly again and again, waving her hand to signal him to hurry and bring it on.

"Very well, then let's begin."

Fang Can stood up and aimed the Tree Sentinel directly at Ye Qingshi's pretty face.

The masculine aura that rushed toward her made Ye Qingshi's breath catch, her face already flushed.

Next, surely they weren't going to have her eat a bowl of wonton noodles to replenish herself?

"Next, we enter the second stage—that is, stare straight at it! And then endure!" Fang Can said sternly.

"End… endure?" Ye Qingshi looked up at Fang Can in astonishment.

"Correct. The first stage only strengthened your body, while the second stage is to arm your spirit."

Fang Can placed his hand on top of Ye Qingshi's head, where her black hair hung loose, and said: "You must suppress your ever-growing appetite and control your thoughts."

"Why… also, it's not that I want to eat, I just want to say why won't you let me eat—actually, I don't want to eat at all."

A delicacy right before her eyes yet unable to taste it—this was far too painful for Ye Qingshi, who had just gotten a taste of the marrow; her mouth kept secreting moisture, dry and parched.

"I feel that after the cultivation just now, my strength has increased seven or eight times. I should strike while the iron is hot and increase my strength further—of course it's not that I want to eat, I just want to get stronger!" Ye Qingshi said, her breathing growing heavier and heavier.

"Mindlessly increasing strength only makes you trash ruled by power." Fang Can held the Tree Sentinel toward Ye Qingshi and said slowly: "For us martial artists, the most important thing is to follow the heart!"

"When the time comes that you can control your wayward heart and mind, and suppress the temptation right before your eyes, then you will have formally entered the door."

"If it were anyone else, I wouldn't waste time saying this much, so just endure. As long as you hold out for an hour, the second stage will be considered over."

"What's so hard about that? I don't want to eat at all." Ye Qingshi snorted coldly, but her tone was soft and limp, without a shred of force.

"Then prove it. Just hold out for an hour."

Fang Can leaned back on the sofa, legs spread apart, and said: "I'm starting the timer now."

'Damn it…' In just the very first second, Ye Qingshi felt the bedding seemed to have gotten a little wet again.

Looking at Fang Can, who was right before her eyes, Ye Qingshi hadn't expected she couldn't hold out even for her first breath.

Thinking of that bone-deep feeling from just now, at this moment it was like placing a future-era optical computer right in front of an internet-addicted fiend.

'Can't endure it at all, my bones feel like they're on fire, so hungry, I want to eat so badly.' Ye Qingshi grumbled inwardly, her body beginning to twist slightly.

"Hold on, don't let desire crush your will." Fang Can held a book in his hand and read, speaking slowly.

Unlike Ye Qingshi's ecstatic pleasure during this process, Fang Can only found it ordinarily pleasant during his cultivation.

This ordinary level of comfort, Fang Can could absolutely control very easily.

After all, even the agony of having his body smashed to pieces could be ignored—what did this ordinary comfort amount to? Naturally, it was taken hold of very easily.

And on this side, having held out for less than a minute, Fang Can felt his ankle seized by a soft hand.

"I can't hold on much longer." Ye Qingshi's voice carried a coquettish charm; her palm had already begun climbing upward little by little, but was quickly caught by Fang Can.

"Hold on, this is a trial!" Fang Can said in a leisurely tone: "Since you've chosen this path, even if you dehydrate you must endure it. How could practicing martial arts ever be that easy?"

"If you want to succeed on the martial path, you either need great talent or great will. If you don't go to the extreme, how can you succeed?"

Pushing the girl away without mercy, Fang Can said in a leisurely tone: "Endure until tomorrow, then I'll let you satisfy your craving."

"Then tonight…" Ye Qingshi only felt she was like a little greedy cat starved for days, wanting to taste the delicacy.

"Then go hungry. The moment you can't stand it anymore—that is precisely the time for cultivation." Fang Can said evenly.

"You must give yourself a goal, a greater desire sufficient to surpass the desire right before your eyes."

"You must keep in mind that every bit of forbearance and pain right now is for that greater desire in the future—for example, power!"

'Damn it!' Ye Qingshi bit down on the tip of her tongue, letting her consciousness clear a little, then slammed a fist hard against the floor.

At this moment, a greater desire rose within her heart: to obtain even greater power.

'I must obtain greater power, and then lock that lewd scoundrel Ah Can down in the basement!'

'Showing his face out in public every day, not keeping a man's virtue—he deserves to be locked in the basement by this Miss and given a thorough beating once my divine art is complete!'

Ye Qingshi's eyes carried a fierce, resolute determination, and for the sake of a greater desire she thoroughly endured the appetite before her.

Just as Fang Can had said, what could let her endure the pain before her eyes was only a greater desire in the future.

(End of this chapter.)