15: Chapter 15 Become my disciple, and you'll achieve the Golden Core in ten years.

Jiang Yuwei emerged from the inner room, rubbing her eyes and leaning against the wall, her steps still a bit unsteady.

She looked at Mo Zixing leaning against the table, walked over huffily, clenched her small fist, and gave him a light punch, her voice filled with both shame and annoyance:

"Senior Brother!"

"You were too sudden last night, you didn't take any precautions! What if... what if we have a baby!"

Mo Zixing reached out and caught her small fist steadily, taking the opportunity to squeeze her soft hand, and coaxed her in a low voice:

"Don't worry, this was genuine cultivation."

"I, your Senior Brother, wouldn't mess around blindly. That kind of thing definitely won't happen."

As he spoke, he reached out and ruffled her hair:

"After my persistent instruction, I've calculated that you are now at least at Qi Refining Level 3."

Qi Refining Level 3?

How could there be such an effect?

Although Jiang Yuwei had just entered the path of cultivation, she knew how difficult it was.

Advancing two minor Realms in a single night?

One wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing.

Senior Brother Mo must be joking.

That being said, Jiang Yuwei still closed her eyes, calmed her mind, and felt the flow of spiritual energy within her Dantian.

Wait, something's wrong.

This is...?

Her original cultivation at Qi Refining Level 1 had actually increased significantly at this moment.

Spiritual energy flowed freely through her Meridians without the slightest discomfort.

It seemed she really was at Qi Refining Level 3!

"Senior Brother, this..."

Jiang Yuwei reopened her eyes, her expression full of shock, but after the shock passed, she immediately began to worry, asking further:

"They say the greater the gain, the greater the risk..."

"Will this be bad for your body, Senior Brother?"

Was her first reaction actually to worry about his body?

Mo Zixing smiled, pinched her cheek, and casually reassured her:

"Don't worry, besides my body being a bit tired, there are no other side effects."

He wasn't lying to her, but that specifically referred to Jiang Yuwei.

As for himself...

With the Heaven-Defying recovery power of the Candle Dragon Bloodline, let alone circulating for a dozen cycles through the night, even another night would be no problem at all.

As he spoke, he pulled out a smooth qi gathering pill and pressed it into Jiang Yuwei's palm:

"Take this."

"Your cultivation just increased; use this pill to stabilize it."

Jiang Yuwei swallowed hard, her legs subconsciously tightening and rubbing against each other:

"R-right now? But I..."

Mo Zixing irritably raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead:

"No, I'm telling you to take this pill and go meditate to refine it yourself, to consolidate your cultivation."

"Ah, ouch..."

Jiang Yuwei took the hit and only then realized she had misunderstood. Her face became hot enough to fry an egg. Clutching the qi gathering pill, she turned and retreated into the inner room, nearly catching her skirt in the door as she closed it.

The inner room door closed.

The house became quiet again.

The smile on Mo Zixing's face slowly faded as he turned to look at the table nearby.

That lustrous white Jade Pendant lay there quietly, warm and translucent, showing nothing unusual.

He reached out and picked up the string attached to the pendant's hole, suspending the entire jade piece in mid-air.

This was undoubtedly the item corresponding to the [Remnant Soul Guidance] in Lin Fan's Acquired Luck trait.

The System panel had explained that if he touched this thing, his cultivation and Physique would be drained.

But after all, there was a Nascent Soul Stage fellow inside; it would be a bit of a waste to just throw it in the trash.

At the Nascent Soul level, their head must be filled with things like Cultivation Techniques or secret lore, right?

How could he avoid being drained while still getting some good stuff out of it?

While he was pondering a way to have the best of both worlds, an aged and weak voice suddenly came from the suspended Jade Pendant:

"Hey... young man, can you hear me?"

Mo Zixing showed a hint of surprise and caution, taking half a step back and asking in a deep voice:

"Who... who's speaking?"

Even though he knew with his toes that it was the voice of the Nascent Soul Stage remnant soul.

But since he wanted to fish for some benefits, he had to put on an act first.

The voice in the Jade Pendant coughed twice more, its breath even weaker, its tone full of exhaustion:

"Don't panic, young man... this old man has no ill intentions."

"This old man was once a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator."

Saying this, he let out another heavy sigh, his voice completely conveying the desolation of someone who had survived many trials:

"It is just a pity that I was ambushed by enemies, my Physical Body destroyed, leaving only a wisp of a remnant soul sealed within this Jade Pendant..."

"If it weren't for being barely awakened today by the dense aura of spiritual energy on your person, I'm afraid I would have slept for another few hundred years."

Mo Zixing still maintained a skeptical look, even holding the Jade Pendant a bit further away:

"A Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator?"

"Do you think I'm ignorant? What kind of figures are Nascent Soul Stage powerhouses? How could one be left with only a wisp of a remnant soul, sealed in such an unremarkable Jade Pendant?"

The remnant soul in the Jade Pendant seemed to notice his wariness, but it didn't rush. Instead, it began to entice him:

"Don't worry, young man. This old man only has a wisp of a remnant soul left, unable even to condense a form. I cannot harm you in the slightest."

"This old man has simply slept for too long. Having finally woken up and met a Cultivator I can communicate with normally, I naturally want to chat a bit more."

"And since you were actually able to wake me, this old man feels you are definitely extraordinary. Your bone structure and Luck are both top-notch; your future is certainly promising."

the voice paused for a second, then began to paint a grand picture for Mo Zixing:

"What kind of geniuses has this old man not seen? What kind of Cultivation Techniques have I not practiced?"

"Right now, you are merely at the Qi Refining stage. In the eyes of Mortals, that's decent, but in this vast cultivation world, you haven't even stepped over the threshold."

"You and I can be considered fated. Since you are the first Cultivator I met upon waking, I can make an exception and take you as my Disciple."

"This old man sees that you are exceptionally gifted, a good piece of material for cultivation."

"As long as you are willing to take me as your master, this old man guarantees that a Golden Core will be within your reach within ten years. In the future, there might even be a chance for Nascent Soul or even Soul Transformation!"

This old fellow really had a knack for making empty promises.

Golden Core in ten years?

Did he really think a Golden Core was like a wild fruit on the roadside that would grow whenever you wanted?

"You must be joking. Why should I believe you?"

Mo Zixing paused, then raised an eyebrow and added:

"Besides, if you really had that kind of ability, you wouldn't be reduced to a wisp of a remnant soul sealed in this Jade Pendant."

The remnant soul in the Jade Pendant instantly went silent, as if choked by his words. After a long while, it let out a heavy sigh, its tone carrying a hint of loneliness:

"Young man, you are still too young."

"The cultivation world is full of deception. It's easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. Back then, this old man was at the Half-step Soul Transformation stage. If I hadn't been ambushed by my most trusted Disciple in league with my enemies, how would I have ended up like this?"

He coughed twice more, his breath becoming even weaker, yet he still carried the arrogance of a Nascent Soul Cultivator:

"Even if this old man only has a wisp of a remnant soul left, my experience and accumulation are beyond your imagination."

"Let alone the Golden Core, as long as you do as this old man says, I can pave a path for you even to the Soul Transformation stage."

The corner of Mo Zixing's mouth twitched.

It would be a waste of talent if this guy didn't become a storyteller.

He still maintained that stubborn, uninterested look:

"Enough. You say you have the ability, then show me something real."

"Just talking with your mouth... forget about taking you as my master, I could throw this Jade Pendant into a pit on the back mountain right now and let you sleep for another few thousand years."