He lowered his head and brushed a soft kiss against the tip of Chao Chen’s nose. “Calling it good would not even begin to describe it.”
It was a kind of pleasure that words could never hope to capture.
Chao Chen gently pressed his forehead against his, his voice low and warm. “You really know how to talk.”
Before he and Wu Bufan truly confirmed their relationship, he would always feel a bit uneasy. He could never quite understand what they were to each other at that time, and the confusion in his heart often held him back.
Every time he wanted to get close to Wu Bufan, a sense of guilt and uncertainty would surge up, reminding him he had no rightful name or place, that he should restrain himself.
But now Wu Bufan was his Dao companion, his person. Whatever he wanted to do to Wu Bufan, he could do it openly and confidently. Wu Bufan would accept him, protect him, and cherish him.
And he, too, could finally face his own desires honestly, daring to express every emotion that rose from the depths of his heart.
This was trust. Pure, wholehearted trust.
Wu Bufan gathered him in his arms and sat down on the stone bed, unwilling to loosen his hold. A part of him wished time would simply stop so he could remain like this forever.
Yet Chao Chen pried his arms apart. “Hurry and cultivate. One day here costs fifty spirit pearls.”
Wu Bufan stared at him in silence for a moment.
“…”
He finally let out a helpless breath. “All right. Cultivation it is.”
They really were too poor. If not, his little Dao companion would never be so painfully mindful of fifty spirit pearls.
The moment Chao Chen entered cultivation, he slipped instantly into a deep state. The spiritual energy in the entire cultivation room surged wildly toward him as though competing to reach him first.
Wu Bufan could barely absorb anything next to him. With no other choice, he took out the manual Beginning Balance.
The first stage of the Waste Talent chapter included only one offensive technique, the Heaven Shaking Finger. However, all offensive techniques required the Foundation Establishment realm before they could be practiced, and his current level was only the early stages of Qi Refining.
He had not even stepped through the true threshold of immortality.
To enter Dragon Fish Sect through the recruitment competition, one had to first place within the top one hundred. But that was only the first part. Those one hundred would still have to compete with several dozen disciples recruited from the small regions.
Only the top twenty from that final round would be allowed into the inner sect.
He believed Chao Chen had a real chance of becoming an inner sect disciple, and he himself desperately wanted to stand beside him as one. But with his present strength, that goal was impossibly far away.
The only attacking method he knew was to gather spiritual power into a single part of his body and strike. And every time he did, the chaotic colors of his spiritual energy exposed his mixed spiritual roots to anyone watching.
He sought help from the glowing point of light within his consciousness. “Is there any technique I can learn right now?”
None.
The glowing point responded bluntly, “You are only two minor stages away. If you enter the space now, I can help you break through Foundation Establishment within a day.”
Wu Bufan frowned. “That would leave my foundation unstable.”
The glowing point was silent for a moment, then said, “Go inside the space and open that superior stone. There may be something inside that could help you.”
Earlier, among the spirit stones he bought from the Celestial Treasures Pavilion, only the most expensive superior grade stone could not be broken down by the space.
Wu Bufan glanced toward Chao Chen. The glowing point spoke again. “Do not worry. I will watch over him. I will not let anything disturb your little Dao companion’s cultivation.”
It knew Wu Bufan was not concerned about the space being exposed. He simply could not rest easy leaving Chao Chen alone.
The glowing point found itself speechless. Was Chao Chen some fragile gem that would shatter at the slightest touch? The way Wu Bufan protected him was truly astonishing.
Wu Bufan entered the space with a tight breath.
He cracked open the superior spirit stone, and when he saw the liquid flowing inside, he fell silent.
Stone Tempering Essence.
It possessed the power to temper the body, a rare treasure almost impossible to find.
Even the glowing point could not help sounding envious. “Use it quickly. After absorbing it, even a mid stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would no longer frighten you.”
A Qi Refining cultivator who successfully completed primary body tempering would possess a physical body comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. And as someone with mixed spiritual roots, Wu Bufan’s spiritual power was already stronger and heavier than those of the same realm. With his physical strength enhanced as well, defeating a Foundation Establishment cultivator would no longer be unthinkable.
Wu Bufan still hesitated. The glowing point urged him impatiently, “Use it at once. This stuff is useless to your Dao companion. His chaotic and mysterious physique does not require any form of body tempering!”
Only then did Wu Bufan sit cross legged and begin to absorb the Stone Tempering Essence.
The essence contained an overwhelming and violent spiritual force. Wu Bufan felt it crash into his meridians and muscles like a brutal tempest. He clenched his teeth hard enough to make his jaw tremble, yet a few muffled groans still escaped despite his best efforts.
The pain was sharp enough to bring his mind into perfect clarity. Splitting a fraction of his attention outward, he noticed someone wandering back and forth just outside their cultivation room.
His brows knit tightly.
Interruption during cultivation was the most dangerous thing of all. It was the only reason he never felt comfortable leaving Chao Chen alone.
Thankfully, the person lingered only briefly before leaving. Wu Bufan’s brows slowly relaxed, but before he could shift his attention again, the overwhelming force dragged his consciousness deeper into the suffering of body tempering.
He did not know how much time passed.
But when he opened his eyes again, it was because someone had splashed something cold onto him.
The glowing point kept splashing spiritual water over him while yelling, “You stink! You truly stink to the heavens!”
Wu Bufan lowered his head to look at the dark grime that the spiritual water washed off his skin. He stayed silent, offering no argument at all.
Once he had rinsed himself clean, he used a burst of spiritual energy to dry his clothes. With a shift of his figure, he stepped out of the space.
His entire body felt stronger than ever before. His limbs held a weighty power that had not been there previously, as if every muscle and bone had been reforged.
At that exact moment, Chao Chen opened his eyes. The very first thing he asked was, “What time is it?”
The glowing point reminded them, “There is still half an hour before registration ends. If you hurry, you might still make it.”
Cultivation had consumed a full day and night in the blink of an eye.
Wu Bufan was startled. The two of them rushed out of the cultivation room and sprinted straight toward the registration area.
When they arrived, the person in charge of the registration desk was just about to stand and leave. Seeing them, he paused and asked, “Here to register?”
Wu Bufan and Chao Chen nodded at once.
The registrar sat back down and said, “Why did you only come at the very last moment?”
He gestured for them to begin.
“Test your cultivation.”
Chao Chen pressed his hand to the measuring stone. White light flooded its surface, then two lines of characters slowly emerged.
A flicker of astonishment passed through the registrar’s eyes. His previously indifferent attitude warmed noticeably. “Bone age twenty. Cultivation at early Foundation Establishment.”
Wu Bufan then placed his hand upon the stone. The registrar cast him a sideways glance, expression cooling again. “Bone age twenty two. Cultivation at Qi Refining level eight.”
Such a result was ordinary. Plain, even.
After recording their names, the registrar handed each of them a numbered token and briefly explained the rules of the competition.
“The first day will be a chaotic battle. Fifty people will enter together, and only ten will be chosen from each group. That alone will eliminate a large portion of the participants.
“The second day will be one on one duels. If you can squeeze into the top one hundred, you will become outer sect disciples of the Dragon Fish Sect. On the third day, the cultivators recruited from smaller regions will join in, competing for the top twenty positions. Only those twenty may enter the inner sect.”
Wu Bufan and Chao Chen stored their tokens away and were preparing to leave when someone suddenly blocked their path.
“Bufan, I knew you would come to register.”
Chao Lingyue stood before him with a gentle smile, her tone tinged with soft reproach. “I have been waiting for you here for a long time.”
Because she was certain he would register, she had come very early and waited the entire day.
She had assumed that Wu Bufan and Chao Chen would first look for lodging, which meant they would not have time to register yesterday and would have to come today instead.
At first, Wu Yutian had waited beside her, but after some time he grew impatient and left under the excuse of another matter.
But she refused to give up. She insisted on waiting until the final moment, and fortunately, her patience had been rewarded.
Wu Bufan stepped back, deliberately widening the distance between himself and Chao Lingyue. “Why were you waiting for me?”
Chao Lingyue’s cheeks flushed, her eyes shimmering faintly. “Bufan, I missed you.”
Wu Bufan frowned. Before he could speak, Chao Chen’s eyes snapped open wide with indignation. “Miss him? You were the one who was so eager to cancel the engagement back then. Now what exactly do you think you are trying to do?”
Chao Lingyue ignored Chao Chen entirely, her gaze fixed solely on Wu Bufan. “Bufan, may I speak to you alone?”
Becoming his Dao companion was the fastest way for her to regain the earring.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Breaking news: translator still enjoys coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Dream to RealityChapter 2 · Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortuneChapter 3 · Retrieve the tokenChapter 4 · Top-tier alchemistChapter 5 · A cooperative treasure hunt?Chapter 6 · Thousand mile Thundercloud LeopardChapter 7 · Chaotic Strange EntityChapter 8 · Back to Xichuan TownChapter 9 · How could Wu Bufan be stronger than him!Chapter 10 · Wu Bufan possess so many top-grade pills?Chapter 11 · This time, she will not let anyone take what is hers away againChapter 12 · Seize the luckChapter 13 · Mutant Purple Thunder BeastChapter 14 · I’m afraid he’ll get angryChapter 15 · PumiceChapter 16 · Enemies meet on a narrow roadChapter 17 · Becoming Daoist CouplesChapter 18 · Top-grade Calamity-Breaking PillChapter 19 · The amazing effects of top-grade pillsChapter 20 · Basic Body ForgingChapter 21 · One world cannot contain two chosen ones.Chapter 22 · PuppetChapter 23 · AuctionChapter 24 · Space FoundationChapter 25 · Top-grade Foundation Building PillChapter 26 · Increased space areaChapter 27 · The competition BeginChapter 28 · RobbedChapter 29 · Turn Defeat into Victory!Chapter 30 · The Death of Wu KeyuanChapter 31 · BetChapter 32 · Even the way Chao Chen talks is so cuteChapter 33 · Avenge Wu KeyuanChapter 34 · Finding Bodhi Wood at a BargainChapter 35 · Little PuppetChapter 36 · Explosive PillsChapter 37 · I’ll concedeChapter 38 · You are a genius, so your Daoist partner must also be a genius.Chapter 39 · The Third Elder was refused a disciple.Chapter 40 · Has the floating marrow stone secret been exposed?Chapter 41 · How Could There Be Such a Sinister Human!Chapter 42 · The Mutated Mugwort FoxChapter 43 · Wandering the JianghuChapter 44 · Ancient ElixirChapter 45 · I feel like I’m about to be struck by lightning!Chapter 46 · Earth-level Secret RealmChapter 47 · The spot is practically yours.Chapter 48 · His Daoist partner is truly amazing!Chapter 49 · The legacy in the libraryChapter 50 · Dual cultivation techniquesChapter 51 · First genius Ji Pu RanChapter 52 · Shifting the blame eastwardChapter 53 · The little puppet went to run errandsChapter 54 · The Explosive Pill once again demonstrated its power.Chapter 55 · Chao Lingyue’s cultivation levelChapter 56 · Little Money-GrubberChapter 57 · What a venomous mouth!Chapter 58 · Enter the secret realmChapter 59 · A huge windfall fell from the sky.Chapter 60 · The birth of a rare treasureChapter 61 · This alchemy furnace is quite uniqueChapter 62 · The alchemy furnace that walked right into the trapChapter 63 · Xiao Zi’s Self-Rescue GuideChapter 64 · Spirit Field Micro RealmChapter 65 · Someone Planning to Reap the Benefits?Chapter 66 · Are You Lost?Chapter 67 · Chao Chen, Corrupted by the Big Handsome PotChapter 68 · Is Your phoenix Fish Sect Collecting Trash?Chapter 69 · The Death of Hui SipingChapter 70 · No, Junior Brother Chao, Where’s Your Backbone…Chapter 71 · Has His Identity Been Exposed?Chapter 72 · This Child Is Far Too ShrewdChapter 73 · Young people are wonderful. They fall asleep the moment they lie downChapter 74 · Sparrow Alchemist Chao Lingyue?Chapter 75 · The Silver Tongued Chao ChenChapter 76 · What’s the rush? I have moreChapter 77 · Leave the sectChapter 78 · Showing Off on a Grand ScaleChapter 79 · The Sparrow Alchemist Returns to the Martial WorldChapter 80 · Does Junior Brother Chao know about this?Chapter 81 · The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole BehindChapter 82 · So FierceChapter 83 · They’ve been targeted by the local bulliesChapter 84 · The Kid Is Missing?Chapter 85 · A Thing from the Void: SilkChapter 86 · Chao Chen became famousChapter 87 · The Devil MentorChapter 88 · The four little ones went out to gain experienceChapter 89 · The Students Who Were Truly ConvincedChapter 90 · What a Bountiful Harvest!Chapter 91 · No Random KissingChapter 92 · Detoxification PillChapter 93 · Master Wu, your Daoist partner has disappearedChapter 94 · The Demonic ThiefChapter 95 · Fellow Daoist, are you selling this sparrow?Chapter 96 · Unexpected disaster, nothing moreChapter 97 · My Daoist partner was born in the Year of the PigChapter 98 · The Undying Devil ChildChapter 99 · Exotic Treasure! Buddha Flame Glazed Light!Chapter 100 · We stole the Beast Taming Sect’s treasure vaultChapter 101 · Waaaaah… Why is this strange fire so gay?Chapter 102 · The Mysterious Pill – Flower in the MirrorChapter 103 Part 1 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 103 Part 2 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 104 Part 1 · Separation and ReunionChapter 104 Part 2 · Separation and ReunionChapter 105 Part 1 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 105 Part 2 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 106 · Chao Chen’s RevengeChapter 107 · The Death of Chao LingyueChapter 108 · A Narcissistic Man or a Great Beauty?Chapter 109 · This Person Has No MannersChapter 110 · The Ancient Spirit Botanical GardenChapter 111 · Thousand-Thread Poison WomanChapter 112 · I am not kindChapter 113 · Are you the most handsome man here?Chapter 114 Part 1 · ReunionChapter 114 Part 2 · ReunionChapter 115 Part 1 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 115 Part 2 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 116 · Central ContinentChapter 116 Part 1 · Central ContinentChapter 117 Part 1 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 117 Part 2 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 118 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 118 Part 1 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 119 · Xiao Chen will also be embarrassedChapter 120 · The moon is so bright tonightChapter 121 Part 1 · Treasure ArrayChapter 121 Part 2 · Treasure ArrayChapter 122 Part 1 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 122 Part 2 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 123 Part 1 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 123 Part 2 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 124 Part 1 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 124 Part 2 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 125 Part 1 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 125 Part 2 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 126 · Ice spirit tower has explodedChapter 127 Part 1 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 2 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 3 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 128 Part 1 · Being Followed?Chapter 128 Part 2 · Being Followed?Chapter 129 · Magical ArtifactChapter 131 · A Declaration of WarChapter 132 · A chaotic war of words: Friend or foe indistinguishable…Chapter 133 Part 1 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 133 Part 2 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 134 Part 1 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 134 Part 2 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 135 Part 1 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 135 Part 2 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 136 Part 1 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 2 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 3 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left Behind