Chapter 82

Dual cultivation is truly a wonderful thing!

Zhong Wen gently glanced at Leng Wushuang, who was sleeping soundly on his left arm, feeling the third thick half-ring in his dantian, his mood was incredibly pleasant.

After last night's intense "cultivation," both Zhong Wen and Leng Wushuang advanced. Now, he had reached the third level of the Earth Wheel, while the assassin girl had broken through to the sixth level of the Earth Wheel, making her one of the top experts in the entire Qingyun Mountain Range.

Zhong Wen turned his body, quietly pulled his arm out from under Leng Wushuang, pulled the slightly slipped blanket up to cover her chest, leaned down to give her a light kiss on the forehead, and then got up to dress and head to the kitchen…

At the dining table, Lin Zhiyun looked awkward, her gaze darting away from Zhong Wen as soon as it met his, a faint blush appearing on her face, clearly indicating that she had been a "listener" the previous night.

"Palace Master Sister!" After breakfast, Lin Zhiyun was about to leave in a hurry when she was called back by Zhong Wen.

"What is it?" She tried to keep her tone calm, but the unnaturalness in her voice was hard to hide.

Zhong Wen leaned in and whispered softly in her ear.

Seeing him get close, Lin Zhiyun involuntarily recalled the scenes from the night, her blush deepening and spreading to her delicate neck. Just as she was about to step back to create some distance, she was deeply attracted by the three words "Spirit Gathering Pattern" from Zhong Wen's mouth.

"Really?" Her voice trembled, seemingly unable to believe it.

"Sister, there are six of them. Where do you think they should be placed…" Zhong Wen successfully piqued her interest, allowing him to continue interacting with the goddess at close range.

"Let me think about it." Lin Zhiyun's cherry lips slightly parted, and she unconsciously bit her slender, white index finger, her brows furrowed. The adorable and charming look of the goddess as she thought seriously made Zhong Wen's heart flutter, almost losing control.

"Follow me."

After a long while, she finally made up her mind, her lotus steps lightly moving as she walked out of the hall, gesturing for Zhong Wen to follow.

"Sure thing!"

…

"Tingting, don't you feel that the courtyard seems different today?" Liu Qiqi took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

"It seems to be foggy." Zheng Yueying, who was more carefree, said, "For some reason, the flow of spiritual energy seems much faster than usual."

You two silly girls!

Seeing the dense spiritual energy that was almost tangible, and hearing the two junior sisters discussing it belatedly, Nangong Ling couldn't help but laugh and cry. Her beautiful eyes looked at Zhong Wen: "Did you do this too?"

"Just a small trick, Nangong Sister, please don't laugh at me." Zhong Wen chuckled, not denying it.

Nangong Ling was shocked inside but remained calm on the surface. After a moment of thought, she said slowly, "I've heard that in the Holy Land, there is a technique to use spirit patterns to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, increasing the concentration of spiritual energy around. Could this be…?"

"Nothing can escape your sharp mind, Sister." Zhong Wen secretly praised her intelligence, "This is indeed a 'Spirit Gathering Pattern'."

"Zhong Wen, when you asked me to purchase high-level spirit pattern discs earlier, was it to draw this 'Spirit Gathering Pattern'?" came the clear and pleasant voice of Shangguan Mingyue from behind. These days, she had started calling him by his name, no longer addressing him as "Doctor Zhong."

"Exactly. This spirit pattern is of a high grade, and the ordinary spirit pattern discs in Fufeng City cannot contain the energy it contains." Zhong Wen glanced back at her, seeing the radiant and spirited young lady, who seemed to be in a good mood and showed no hostility towards Nangong Ling.

"I once visited the Wenda Academy, and from what I saw, the concentration of spiritual energy in this courtyard seems to be even higher than in the Holy Land." Nangong Ling said, somewhat puzzled.

It turned out that the spirit gathering pattern used by the prestigious Wenda Academy was a fake.

Zhong Wen's heart tightened, and he chuckled dryly, "Perhaps the Holy Land is too large, and the effect of the spirit gathering pattern is spread out."

Nangong Ling nodded slightly, finding this explanation more reasonable.

"Zhong Wen, can you help me draw a 'Spirit Gathering Pattern' too?" Shangguan Mingyue's eyes showed hope, "I am willing to pay the fee."

This pearl of the Shangguan family was not only as beautiful as a celestial being but also extremely clever and talented in business. Her only drawback was her difficulty in cultivation.

Shangguan Tong often lamented that if his daughter were to focus her mind on cultivation, her future achievements would not be inferior to Shangguan Junyi's.

Today, when the young lady of the Shangguan family practiced her cultivation technique in the Piaohua Palace, she found that the concentration of spiritual energy around her had increased dramatically, and her cultivation progress was rapid, equivalent to a week of her usual practice. Overjoyed, she was about to go out to ask Shangguan Junyi when she coincidentally overheard Zhong Wen and Nangong Ling's conversation.

Thinking that if she had such a "Spirit Gathering Pattern," she could greatly reduce her cultivation time and devote more energy to her business and culinary pursuits, her heart raced, and her eyes looked at Zhong Wen with more fervor.

"This… Shangguan Miss, if you want it, there's no need to talk about payment." Zhong Wen scratched his head, "However, the 'Spirit Gathering Pattern' requires a lot of energy, and ordinary spirit stones cannot drive it. It needs a 'Spirit Crystal Core' as the energy source…"

Zhong Wen had a good impression of Shangguan Mingyue. Although they often bickered, he still considered her a friend. However, their relationship was not close enough for him to reveal a large number of spirit crystal cores to her.

"What!" Shangguan Mingyue was shocked when she heard "Spirit Crystal Core," her hands trembling slightly.

The Shengyu Trading Company, though seemingly rich, was recently at a disadvantage in its competition with the Yinhuan Trading Association, and its situation was quite precarious. At this time, if she were to consume the energy of an entire mine for her cultivation, it would undoubtedly be a significant burden for Shangguan Tong.

Shangguan Mingyue, of course, understood the gravity of the situation and immediately gave up the idea. Her snow-white, delicate face showed a sulky expression, and with her beautiful brows furrowed and a worried look, she was even more pitiable.

Zhong Wen's heart softened, and he barely restrained himself from saying, "I'll give you one." Instead, he consoled her, "Shangguan Miss, don't worry. Now that you have started producing 'Shenxian,' once this treasure sells well, a single 'Spirit Crystal Core' will be nothing to worry about."

Hearing Zhong Wen's words, Shangguan Mingyue nodded, her mood slightly improving. She was quite confident in the sales of "Shenxian."

"You are quite capable, managing to obtain something as precious as a Spirit Crystal Core." Nangong Ling leaned closer to Zhong Wen and whispered softly.

"Nangong Sister, I have many more skills that I haven't shown yet." Zhong Wen, feeling the fragrant scent from her, couldn't help but take a deep breath and said with a grin, "Sister, have you considered staying? The spiritual energy here is abundant, and it won't take long for you to advance to the Heaven Wheel or even the Spirit Venerable. Then you can do whatever you want, and no one will be able to force you."

Nangong Ling looked at him, her bright eyes twinkling, and smiled charmingly, "I'll think about it."

After joking with the two beautiful women for a while, Zhong Wen picked up his basket and stepped down the mountain to buy ingredients, walking on the Cloud Walking Step.

…

Since leaving the Piaohua Palace, the concentration of spiritual energy had been decreasing. By the time he reached the foot of the mountain, the surrounding spiritual energy environment was no different from that in the village. Zhong Wen did not go to Fufeng City but only replenished some vegetables and fresh meat in the village. Then, with a basket in his left hand and a large pig leg in his right, he hummed a tune and started his pleasant return journey.

"Let's meow together, meow, meow, meow… Ouch!"

While singing happily, he suddenly felt someone grab his neck, and the sharp nails pierced his skin, causing intense pain, making him cry out.

A powerful and strange spiritual energy entered his body through the wound, instantly sealing his meridians and spiritual energy, rendering him immobile.

Then, the person lifted him by the neck and started moving quickly.

Zhong Wen felt the wind rushing past his ears, the scenery rapidly receding, and he was helplessly carried in the air, feeling as if he were flying through the clouds.

Realizing that the other person's cultivation was far higher than his, he gave up the idea of resistance. The vegetables in the basket scattered along the way, leaving only a few, but he still held onto the large pig leg tightly, unwilling to let it go.

After a while, the person suddenly stopped, and the hand on Zhong Wen's neck loosened. With his spiritual energy not yet restored, he fell to the ground with a "thud," landing in a standard "butt-first" position.

"Could you be a bit gentler? What if you damage my handsome face?" As his spiritual energy gradually recovered, Zhong Wen moved his limbs, rubbed his nearly flattened nose, and complained while turning to look at the person who had captured him.

Wearing a green robe, with long hair reaching her waist, her black eyes shining like gems, her slender waist bound by a white silk ribbon, accentuating her graceful and full figure, and her face covered by a green veil.

"It's you!"

Zhong Wen recognized the person, who was the green-robed woman who had always been by Nangong Ling's side.