Chapter 60 Part 3

What was that cultivation method?

The original version was dual cultivation, of course. But due to Sheng Xu’s one-way-only constitution before, it had been revised repeatedly into one-sided taking and giving.

Yet after waking from sleep, another change occurred. The spiritual power she couldn’t control was actually being absorbed by the strand Lu Wuqi had sent her—slowly, very slowly, but for Sheng Xu, it was a qualitative shift.

Though Sheng Xu couldn’t use that portion of spiritual power in her body, it didn’t stop her from increasing her total spiritual power through meditation and seated cultivation.

In other words, Sheng Xu could now use spiritual power too. It was just that when recovering spiritual power, she had an extra step compared to others: first converting external spiritual energy into the uncontrollable kind, then into the kind she could use.

Through Sheng Xu’s slightly chaotic explanation, Lu Wuqi understood her meaning and felt her joyful mood.

“So in that case, Xuxu, you won’t need to go through with the arranged marriage anymore? You can choose your other half based on your heart?” Lu Wuqi asked. As she hugged Sheng Xu, she nervously licked her lips.

Hearing Lu Wuqi’s words, Sheng Xu instantly calmed down.

“Probably. I’ll discuss it with Father.” Sheng Xu’s tone was still full of delight and joy, without letting Lu Wuqi notice anything amiss.

But her heart sank as she began pondering the matter.

Sheng Xu knew very well that the change in her constitution had persisted for nearly twenty years. Not just the Sheng Family—in the eyes of everyone in the Mystic Gate, she was a prized catch, like a ten-tonic great supplement pill.

If word got out that she could cultivate, her parents would surely be happy for her. But others? That was another story.

Especially since her constitution hadn’t fully changed—it just had a variable, allowing her to cultivate. Would those who already saw her as theirs let go just because she could cultivate now?

No, they wouldn’t. They wouldn’t let the duck already in hand fly away. They’d pretend not to know and push forward with their original plans step by step.

“Wuqi, I want to keep this news under wraps for now, until I get stronger.” Sheng Xu said, “I want to cultivate the path of talismans like you. What do you think?”

“Sure, then I can teach you.” Lu Wuqi agreed immediately. “Talismans aren’t hard to learn, though. I’m also planning to study some sword techniques as a side pursuit. Want to do it together, Xuxu?”

“Sword techniques?” Sheng Xu paused. “But when it comes to sword techniques, the Heavenly Profound Sect is the leader. Among the Mystic Gate sects that focus on sword techniques, they all follow the Heavenly Profound Sect’s lead. We might not be able to access many sword technique manuals.”

“The Heavenly Profound Sect? Playing clique games, huh?” Lu Wuqi couldn’t help tutting, then reassured her. “But times have changed. The National Special Action Bureau has plenty of sword techniques. In our internal app, you can exchange points for the e-versions.”

“Sword techniques collected by the officials?” Sheng Xu blinked.

The Sheng Family claimed absolute neutrality, but in truth leaned slightly toward the Mystic Gate. So none of the Sheng Family disciples had joined the officials, let alone used their internal app.

“Yeah, no high-tier ones, but plenty of mid-rank. For us main talisman cultivators, it’s more than enough.” Lu Wuqi picked up her phone from the side and opened the internal app.

“It’s not just sword techniques. Pill recipes, complete talisman guides, formation arrays, Maoshan techniques—the official app has cultivation methods and manuals for all of it.”

Lu Wuqi said, “As long as you’re interested, you can exchange points for them. Whether you can actually learn them smoothly is another matter. After all, the text doesn’t explain itself—it’s pretty dry and hard to understand.”

Sheng Xu nodded slowly, feeling like her worldview had been slightly reshaped.

Compared to the officials’ incredibly generous sharing model, the Mystic Gate’s internal cultivation method inheritance seemed too backward. Graded manuals were only for core disciples; mid-rank and above only for direct disciples.

Simply put: lock in with me, and I’ll teach you a bit. No lock-in? You’ll forever only touch the surface.

The Mystic Gate’s inheritance method wasn’t really problematic—it just looked stingy in comparison.

No wonder more and more small sects had been defecting to the officials in recent years. For them, why bow and scrape to big sects begging for cultivation methods? Better to turn around, join the officials, get that sweet official position, and exchange for whatever methods they wanted through their own efforts.

“Then, shall we learn sword techniques together?” Sheng Xu said thoughtfully. “I have a small villa in Haishi. How about we move there to live?”

That was a house her mother had secretly given her. Most people in the Sheng Family didn’t know about it. If she and Lu Wuqi moved there, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?

Lu Wuqi pondered for a moment. “Speaking of which, after the Action Bureau heard that I’ll be staying for several months, they plan to assign me a fixed dormitory. How about you live there with me, Xuxu?”

“That neighborhood is basically full of official personnel. We can openly use some non-scientific powers, and the security is pretty good too.”

Sheng Xu felt a bit tempted, but she was also somewhat worried. She feared that if someone with ulterior motives saw her doing this, it would be interpreted as the Sheng Family defecting to the officials.

After a brief hesitation, Sheng Xu couldn’t help recalling what Lu Wuqi had once said to Sheng Gan. She nodded in agreement.

Wuqi was right. She was just an ordinary, non-cultivating member of the Sheng Family, not the family head. There was no need for her to worry about this or that.

Unless she publicly announced that she wouldn’t marry into another family, those people eyeing her probably wouldn’t openly break ties with the Sheng Family.

As for what came later, they could deal with it when the time came.

–

And so, Lu Wuqi and Sheng Xu’s schedule for the next three months was roughly set.

It mainly consisted of cultivation, more cultivation, and transferring spiritual power.

Sword techniques in the morning, drawing talismans in the afternoon, occasional tasks in the evening, followed by Lu Wuqi transferring spiritual power to Sheng Xu.

The two streams of spiritual power currently in Sheng Xu’s body didn’t seem very intimate yet, so the mutual conversion between them was a bit slow.

Fortunately, with Sheng Xu’s continuous practice, the speed was steadily increasing. In the best case, it would match the spiritual power output of an ordinary level 4 celestial master within half a year.

These very fulfilling days passed just like that—ten days gone.

After more than ten consecutive nights of not returning home, the Sheng Family finally couldn’t sit still. Sheng Tuo, her father, couldn’t withstand the pressure from the family and reluctantly called.

“Got it, Dad. Don’t worry, everything’s fine on my end,” Sheng Xu said. After hanging up, she frowned slightly.

“Do you have to go home? Can I come with you?” Lu Wuqi asked.

Sheng Xu hesitated. “The grand elder of the Mystic Gate is coming to visit tomorrow and discuss some important matters with the Sheng Family. Unless they’re in secluded cultivation, all Sheng Family disciples have to return home to welcome the grand elder.”

“Understood. Should I drive you there tomorrow morning, or leave tonight?” Lu Wuqi smoothly changed her question.

“Tonight, otherwise we might not get a good night’s sleep.” Sheng Xu let out a soft breath. “The grand elder’s visit won’t take too long. I can come back tomorrow evening.”

Lu Wuqi nodded slowly. “Alright, I’ll come pick you up on time tomorrow evening.”

The grand elder of the Mystic Gate, huh. His precious little son seemed to be the one eyeing her Xuxu.

A level 4 celestial master at twenty-eight years old—his talent seemed pretty average too. She wouldn’t even need any tricks to beat him.

Lu Wuqi secretly schemed a few things in her mind, but her expression showed no issues at all. She continued discussing with Sheng Xu what to eat that evening.

Like whether to try the nearby crayfish and take a stroll afterward.

–

At nine in the evening, Lu Wuqi’s car was stopped by the guards at the Lu Family Old Mansion.

“It’s me. My friend is dropping me off home,” Sheng Xu said, lowering the car window so the guards could see her face clearly.

After being smoothly allowed through, Lu Wuqi parked the car as directed by Sheng Xu. The two of them got out together.

“Wuqi, they won’t do anything to me. You don’t need to worry too much.” Noticing that Lu Wuqi was gripping her hand with more force than usual, Sheng Xu softly reassured her.

“I know, but since I’m already at the door, it would be too rude not to go in and pay a visit,” Lu Wuqi said. With that, she held Sheng Xu’s hand and walked step by step toward the main gate.

For some reason, Sheng Xu allowed Lu Wuqi to intertwine their fingers just like that. They entered the living room openly.

“Yow, you finally…” Before Sheng Gan could finish his mocking words, he spotted Lu Wuqi beside Sheng Xu, and his words caught in his throat.

“Yow, is that Fellow Daoist Sheng Gan? Long time no see. You wouldn’t have forgotten me already, right?” Lu Wuqi mimicked Sheng Gan’s tone. It didn’t sound mocking, but it wasn’t exactly normal either. “It’s only been a little over ten days since we last met, hasn’t it?”

Sheng Gan twitched the corner of his mouth. Remembering that he was at his own home now, his confidence surged. “Oh, it’s Fellow Daoist Lu. Are you dropping Xuxu off? Thanks for the trouble.”

“You’re welcome. I just brought Xuxu back to handle some things.” Lu Wuqi said, her gaze subtly sweeping the surroundings.

Aside from Sheng Gan, there didn’t seem to be anyone else in the first-floor living room. But there were two gazes secretly watching her.

“Once Xuxu’s business is done, I’ll be picking her up again. Maybe we can catch up then, Fellow Daoist Sheng Gan.” Lu Wuqi added with a beaming smile at Sheng Gan. “You can thank me again at that time.”

If she wasn’t mistaken, one of those two scrutinizing gazes belonged to the current head of the Sheng Family, Sheng Xu’s great uncle Sheng Yuan.

The other should be Sheng Xu’s father, Sheng Tuo.