14: Chapter 14 Ninth Rank, Middle Level

Watching Zhuge Yue holding the wooden box, her face blooming with a radiant smile mixed with surprise, emotion, and shyness, Li Guidai felt a sense of unprecedented satisfaction and solemnity fill his heart.

He stepped forward, gently took hold of Zhuge Yue's cool little hand, and looked at her with gentle and earnest eyes:

"Yueer," his voice was not loud, but carried an unquestionable sincerity, "Let us get married."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yue's delicate body trembled slightly, and she raised her tear-blurred eyes to look at him.

Under the candlelight, Li Guidai's gaze was clear and firm, without a shred of mockery.

From this humble cave dwelling and this sudden proposal, she could feel the ceremony and respect that the man before her wanted to give her, to the best of his ability.

The unease and hesitation in her heart seemed to find a home at this moment.

She nodded vigorously, and with a heavy nasal tone, let out an "En," the sound small, yet incomparably clear.

There were no guests filling the hall, no thousands of red candles; there was only this Cave Dwelling No. 250, a pair of newlyweds, and two hearts pledged to each other.

Li Guidai took Zhuge Yue's hand and walked to the center of the cave, facing the vast night sky outside.

"First bow to heaven and earth—" he announced loudly, bowing together with Zhuge Yue.

He was grateful for this opportunity that allowed them to meet.

Next, he turned toward the empty stone stool.

"Second bow to the high hall—" the two bowed again.

Although their parents were not by their side, their thoughts had already reached them.

Finally, they stood facing each other.

"Husband and wife bow to each other—" Li Guidai looked at the young girl before him, infinitely shy yet bravely meeting his gaze, and bowed deeply.

Zhuge Yue also bowed gracefully, the roots of her ears turning completely red.

The process was simple, even a bit comical, but in each other's hearts, it was incomparably solemn, perfectly freezing the beginning of their relationship.

...

The night deepened, and in the cave, only the newly bought candlestick remained, emitting a dim, warm halo of light.

On the stone bed, covered with brand-new bedding, Zhuge Yue had already changed into comfortable sleeping clothes.

She curled up on the inner side of the bed, her back to Li Guidai, her small shoulders slightly tense, and she even deliberately softened her breathing, looking like a startled quail.

Li Guidai watched her extreme nervousness and couldn't help but chuckle in his heart.

After all, he was someone who had experienced this once before, so his mindset was much calmer.

He blew out the candle, climbed onto the bed in the dark, and lay down beside Zhuge Yue.

In the darkness, his senses became exceptionally sharp.

He could clearly hear the suddenly accelerated heartbeat of the person beside him, feel the subtle trembling of her body, and even smell the elegant fragrance wafting from her, a mixture of a young girl's natural scent and the faint radiance of that Moon-Flowing Firefly Dress.

"Yueer?" he called out softly, his voice appearing exceptionally deep in the silence.

Zhuge Yue did not respond, only curling her body tighter, as if she could gain some sense of security this way.

Li Guidai knew she was shy and did not press further.

In the darkness, his courage actually grew.

He tentatively reached out and gently wrapped his arm around Zhuge Yue's slender waist.

The body under his palm instantly stiffened like iron.

Li Guidai paused for a moment, then pulled her even more gently into his embrace, feeling the softness and warmth of that petite body.

He lowered his head, kissed her fragrant hair lightly, and whispered: "Don't be afraid..."

His reassurance seemed to have some effect, or perhaps it was because their status as husband and wife was already set, but Zhuge Yue's tense body gradually relaxed a little.

Although the red candle was extinguished, this wedding night had already begun.

...

At first, Li Guidai was extremely gentle, afraid of disturbing this delicate flower bud.

However, just at the moment when their lives merged and their spirits and bodies were most deeply connected, a sudden change occurred!

The Ancient Kidney Physique deep within Li Guidai's dantian seemed to be instantly ignited, and the "Ancient Kidney Physique Art" began to circulate crazily on its own at an unprecedented speed!

Two scorching and pure streams of energy surged out from his two kidney sources.

One, like a warm current, washed over and nourished his limbs, bones, meridians, and acupoints; the other was even more mysterious, carrying vigorous vitality and some indescribable power of creation, merging with his own origin energy and a wisp of pure Yin energy fed back from Zhuge Yue's body, circulating back and forth.

[Ding! Detected that the host and Dao companion have achieved Yin-Yang union, triggering the original power of the Ancient Kidney Physique, breaking through the life barrier!]

[Host's spiritual root quality upgraded: Ninth Grade Lower → Ninth Grade Intermediate!]

[Host's cultivation level breakthrough: Qi Refining Layer 1 → Qi Refining Layer 2!]

[Dao companion Zhuge Yue (Eighth Grade Intermediate Water Spiritual Root) received origin feedback; spiritual root potential has been slightly nourished, and cultivation speed has slightly increased!]

[Note: Great life harmony, small cultivation speed boost! Please keep up the good work, Host!]

A series of system prompts exploded in Li Guidai's mind, but he had no time to look at them in detail right now.

He only felt his whole body filled with strength; the spiritual energy that was previously stagnant due to his low aptitude was now surging like a stream, smooth and unobstructed!

The refreshing feeling brought by the breakthrough even covered up, to some extent, the aftertaste of another kind of extreme pleasure.

Zhuge Yue, who was tightly held in his arms, also clearly felt a gentle yet powerful warm current pouring into her body from where they were joined.

The cultivation barrier of her original Qi Refining Layer 3 was faintly loosening, and her spiritual energy became more lively and condensed.

Although she did not directly break through, she was already a big step closer to the threshold of Qi Refining Layer 4!

Her body and mind, which were originally somewhat exhausted from first experiencing intimacy, quickly recovered under the nourishment of this energy, and even became lighter and more clear.

She opened her watery eyes in surprise, looking at Li Guidai's blurred outline in the darkness, her heart filled with disbelief.

Li Guidai felt the subtle changes in the person in his arms, as well as the significant improvement in his own strength.

After a brief shock, a surge of wild joy welled up in his heart!

This Ancient Kidney Physique and the "Ancient Kidney Physique Art"... actually had such a wonderful use?!

Dual cultivation could make him stronger?!

This discovery made his originally somewhat restrained thoughts instantly grow wildly like weeds!

The long night was endless, but the spring night was short.

(N words omitted again...)

The next morning, sunlight shone into the cave through the cracks in the stone.

Li Guidai woke up full of vigor.

With a slight sensing, a look of wild joy immediately appeared on his face!

His cultivation had actually broken through again in a single night, reaching the third layer of Qi Refining!

Beside him, Zhuge Yue was still fast asleep, her cheeks still carrying the blush from last night that had not yet completely faded.

Her breathing was even, and there seemed to be a bit more of the languor and charm of a newlywed wife between her brows.

The spiritual energy fluctuations on her body had also significantly strengthened.

Although she had not yet broken through, she was not far from the threshold of Qi Refining Layer 5.

This night of "deep cultivation" had been of great benefit to her.

Li Guidai looked at his sleeping wife in his arms, feeling the surging power within his body, and his heart was filled with heroic spirit.