If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

The patterns on the Danbi wall changed from light gold to dark gold, with faint purplish-black thunder patterns moving within them.

Those were traces of the fusion of extraterrestrial divine lightning and ancient golden elixir techniques.

The pool water began to churn violently.

The golden-white mist thickened, activating the array patterns throughout the secret chamber, and the pale golden light on the dome became more than three times brighter.

Yu Jianhuan and Su Qingying were forced back to the wall by the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

The two exchanged a glance and saw the same emotion in each other's eyes—tension, and a certain inexplicable pride.

boom.

A dull thud emanated from Mo Chengyue's body.

The barrier at the peak of the early Golden Core stage shattered under the combined impact of thunder and immortal water.

Spiritual energy surged into a completely new realm like a flood bursting its banks.

Mid-stage Golden Core.

Mo Chengyue's golden elixir slowly stopped rotating in his dantian, and then started rotating again at a more stable and profound frequency.

Among the deep golden patterns on the amber wall, purplish-black lightning patterns are faintly visible, like lightning sealed in amber.

The remnants of the extraterrestrial divine lightning were not rejected, but were completely refined into the core of the golden core, becoming part of it.

A trump card that can be played at any time.

The churning of the pool water gradually subsided.

The golden-white mist slowly dissipated.

Mo Chengyue opened his eyes.

A flash of purplish-black lightning appeared and disappeared deep within his pupils.

He looked down at his palm.

The speed, density, and texture of the flow of true essence in the meridians are completely different from before.

It's like a stream turning into a river.

He clenched his fist.

I felt a sense of fulfillment I had never experienced before.

"Mid-stage Golden Core."

He muttered to himself in a flat tone.

"KPI achieved."

Yu Jianhuan rushed over from the wall, grabbed his wrist, and probed into him with her divine sense.

Upon sensing the revitalized ancient golden elixir, the tension in Danfeng's eyes instantly transformed into brilliance.

"A breakthrough? A real breakthrough?"

Su Qingying stood still.

But the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

It was quickly pushed back down.

After the breakthrough, Mo Chengyue did not rush to go out.

He stood in the pool, looked around at the array on the four walls, and sensed the outside world again—the spiritual energy fluctuations from the direction of the main hall in the distance were still ongoing, and those powerful cultivators at the peak of the Core Formation stage were still fighting.

The locked room remains safe.

Although he had refined a significant amount of the spiritual pool's immortal water, there was still a sufficient amount remaining.

He glanced at Yu Jianhuan, then at Su Qingying.

Yu Jianhuan was in the early stages of Core Formation, and his foundation was unstable as the new core had just been formed.

Su Qingying is at the peak of the mid-stage of Core Formation. Although her inner core has been repaired, the compatibility between the repaired inner core and her body still needs time to adjust.

Both of them need to improve.

And this spiritual pool is the best place for cultivation.

"We're not in a hurry to leave."

Mo Chengyue leaned back against the pool wall, resuming his lazy, office worker-like posture.

"Those powerful figures outside are still fighting amongst themselves; going out would be like delivering yourself to someone else's door."

"Why don't we stay here a little longer?"

"Both of you need to consolidate your cultivation."

"You yourselves have already experienced the nourishing effects of the Spirit Pool's Immortal Water on your inner core."

"Take this opportunity to solidify your foundation."

Yu Jianhuan tilted her head to look at him.

"Junior brother, are you worried about us?"

"I'm conducting a risk assessment."

Mo Chengyue remained expressionless.

"Taking two teammates with unstable foundations is like taking two time bombs with you."

"If we encounter the enemy and you mess things up, I'll have to divide my attention to save you."

"Let's eliminate the hidden dangers now."

Yu Jianhuan smiled.

She could tell that this was Mo Chengyue's way.

To use the harshest words to wrap the softest meaning.

Su Qingying also noticed it.

She didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

In the days that followed, the secret room became a small world for the three of them.

During the day, Mo Chengyue guided Yu Jianhuan in consolidating the foundation of her new elixir and helped Su Qingying readjust to her repaired emerald green inner core.

Evening dual cultivation in turns - Mo Chengyue's "Yin Yang De He Jing" is an ancient dual cultivation method of the Hehuan Sect. The union of Yin and Yang enhances the cultivation of both parties.

It was Yu Jianhuan's turn on the first day.

She took the spot as a matter of course, reasoning that "I knew him first, so I'm number one."

Su Qingying remained silent with a cold face and turned to face the wall to meditate.

The next day it was Su Qingying's turn.

She sat in front of Mo Chengyue for a full thirty breaths before extending her hand.

The moment her fingertips touched his palm, her whole body turned red from her neck to the roots of her ears.

Throughout the entire process, Mo Chengyue was as serious as an old Chinese medicine doctor taking a pulse.

Yu Jianhuan lay prone in the corner, her phoenix eyes narrowed into slits, her smile sweet but her killing intent overwhelming.

Outside of the dual cultivation, the time was even more chaotic.

Yu Jianhuan would suddenly hug Mo Chengyue from behind while he was meditating, saying, "Junior brother, your back is so broad."

When handing over the pills, Su Qingying would "accidentally" touch his palm with her fingertips, then quickly withdraw them, her expression indifferent as if nothing had happened.

Mo Chengyue was caught in the middle, and the mental strain he expended each day was greater than the strain of his cultivation.

He began to miss the days when he was on duty in the library, slacking off.

But he had to admit that living together with the three of them was definitely better than anything else.

I don't know how many days have passed.

There is no distinction between day and night in the secret chamber, only the alternation of light and darkness in the spiritual pool's mist.

Mo Chengyue sat cross-legged by the pool, probing inward with his divine sense.

His mid-stage Golden Core realm has been completely stabilized.

The deep golden patterns on the wall blended perfectly with the purplish-black thunder patterns, and the true essence flowed in a rich and continuous manner.

He could clearly sense the completely refined extraterrestrial divine lightning deep within the core of the Golden Core—it was no longer a rampaging, trapped beast, but a sharp blade locked in its sheath.

It can be pulled out at any time. But you only have one chance.

Once you use it, it's gone.

He opened his eyes and looked at the two women who were practicing together.

Yu Jianhuan's rose-purple spiritual power was several times more concentrated than when she first formed her core, and her inner core rotated stably.

The flow of spiritual energy no longer has the rawness of a new core – peak early stage of Core Formation, it's stable.

Su Qingying's Azure Spirit Sword drew out streaks of condensed, almost tangible sword energy in her hand.

Every sword strike was precise and sharp—peak of the mid-stage Core Formation realm, all set.

The two women were evenly matched during their sparring session.

Yu Jianhuan's spiritual power is unpredictable and ever-changing, while Su Qingying's sword energy is sharp as ice.

As the fighting progressed, they started to use guns and sticks interchangeably.

"Junior Sister Su, your sword strike lacked power. Didn't you get enough rest last night?"

"Senior Sister Yu, your spiritual energy fluctuations are unstable. Are you feeling uneasy?"

Mo Chengyue sat beside them watching their practice, his expression complex.

When they practiced together, they aimed every move at each other's vital points.

But in each move, he held back just the right amount of force.

They played seriously.

They also played with restraint.

Because they all knew that once they left this secret room...

The three of them had to face the carnage outside together, a scene of carnage littered with corpses.

Mo Chengyue leaned against the wall, watching two intersecting figures in the light and mist of the spirit pool.

One streak of rose purple. The other of emerald green.

He suddenly felt that the days spent in this secret room were the most "living" time he had experienced since he came to this world.

It was noisy and disruptive.

Shameless.

But everyone is getting stronger.

Everyone is still alive.