Back in the familiar little courtyard, Gu Chengming shut the gate behind him with one hand, sealing out every trace of the outside world's noise.
Only now did he finally let out a long, slow breath. He walked to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and with a thought, summoned the system panel that only he could see.
Two lines of pale blue text floated before his eyes:
[Qingxin Formula: 45 / Friendly]
[Hundred Bones Resonance: 50 / Friendly]
Staring at those two numbers, Gu Chengming had to admit — the Hundred Bones Resonance had really come from behind to steal the show.
The Qingxin Formula had been with him longer, and yet thanks to today's back-to-back combo of "snagging a bargain at the disciple market" and "defeating an enemy above his cultivation level," the Resonance's affection had shot up in a single burst, blowing right past the Formula's score.
Am I actually some kind of born genius at this romance game stuff?
Gu Chengming rubbed his chin, entertaining the thought.
Though, on reflection, it was less a matter of his own skill and more a case of the Hundred Bones Resonance romancing itself. When it came to techniques that only cared about raw power, apparently all you had to do was bring the raw power.
Since the Hundred Bones Resonance had already hit 50, he couldn't let the Qingxin Formula fall too far behind.
He pulled out brush, ink, inkstone, and paper from his storage pouch, and spread out a sheet of xuan paper with practiced ease.
The storybook he'd been writing had reached its pivotal third act —
— the part where the sect master accidentally ingests Harmonious Joy Powder and her Dao-heart is thrown into turmoil, and the wayward disciple, in order to help stabilize it, is forced to make certain sacrifices that would make their ancestors weep.
This section demanded extremely delicate psychological description and careful atmosphere-building. The prose required was of the highest order.
Gu Chengming drew a deep breath, dipped his brush in ink, and began.
Some indeterminate stretch of time later, he set down the final stroke, looked at the flowing, unhurried characters on the page, and gave a satisfied nod.
He glanced at the panel.
[The Qingxin Formula is glaring at you with deep resentment. Another cliffhanger. Another chapter-ending cliffhanger.]
[Affection +5]
[Qingxin Formula: 50 / Friendly]
Gu Chengming was thoroughly pleased. He stretched with a lazy yawn.
Both of his core cultivation methods had smoothly reached the threshold between "Friendly" and "Like." It was exactly like pushing a dating sim to the point where both heroines were maxed out on affection — all he needed now were a few key triggered events, and he'd be able to unlock "Intimate" or even "Sworn" status.
Ah, the loneliness of a true master romancer. A burden only I must bear.
Storytime over. Time for actual business.
His gaze drifted to the bundle of "weeds" he'd carelessly tossed into the corner of the table.
That was the "Dragon Blood Grass" he'd bought at the disciple market for two spirit stones.
Now that he'd played the part this far, he had to see it through to the end.
Gu Chengming's expression turned serious. He rose, walked to the window, and shut it firmly. Then he set up a simple alerting ward at the door — putting on a full performance of "entering seclusion to refine a rare treasure." He had the whole production down pat.
Then he sat cross-legged on his bed, and with great ceremony, plucked a single stalk from the bundle of herbs.
The leaves were yellowed, the roots still caked with a bit of dirt, giving off a faint, earthy, bitter smell.
The corner of Gu Chengming's mouth twitched.
Is eating this raw actually going to be fine?
Whatever. For the sake of getting stronger, no sacrifice is too embarrassing.
He took a deep breath, schooled his expression into one of "faced with a peerless treasure — equal parts excitement and trepidation," and then shoved the bloodroot weed into his mouth and chewed with everything he had.
...It was incredibly bitter.
He was cursing up a storm on the inside, but his face flushed scarlet on cue, as though some violent surge of energy had just detonated inside his mouth.
He clenched his jaw, eyes going wide, a strangled growl working its way up his throat — a man apparently enduring tremendous pain and impact.
"What a domineering medicinal force!"
"Worthy of being called Dragon Blood Grass! Even a single seedling contains this much blood and essence energy — truly extraordinary!"
"Hundred Bones Resonance! Help me refine it!"
He bellowed the command in his mind, and immediately activated the Hundred Bones Resonance's cultivation method.
[The Hundred Bones Resonance responds instantly!]
[It senses the host's call, and has "witnessed" the host's heroic feat of swallowing a divine herb!]
[It's here! The legendary body-cleansing and marrow-tempering!]
[It immediately mobilizes every function in the body, preparing to receive the immense medicinal power about to arrive!]
In reality, what had entered Gu Chengming's stomach was a pathetically small amount of plant fiber and a blood-invigorating potency so faint it barely registered.
But!
Gu Chengming had a true trump card — affection.
The chain of events at the disciple market, followed immediately by defeating an enemy above his realm, had sent the Hundred Bones Resonance's affection score surging by 15 points in one go, crashing through the milestone of 50.
A cultivation method's affection score was directly tied to its cultivation efficiency and compatibility. A jump of nearly fifteen points meant that the method's operational fluidity, its control over the body, and the efficiency of spiritual energy conversion had all undergone a qualitative leap compared to before.
And so, when Gu Chengming began circulating the technique, the blood and qi inside him ignited like dry kindling thrown onto a fire, boiling up in an instant.
The meridian pathways that had once been obscure and difficult to navigate now felt effortlessly smooth. The blood and qi that previously demanded enormous concentration to guide now surged on their own, sweeping through every limb and bone without prompting.
This shift also changed the Hundred Bones Resonance's perspective entirely.
[The Hundred Bones Resonance thinks: holy shit, it's actually real?!]
[It had, if it's being honest, harbored just a tiny sliver of doubt — because that herb really did look exactly like a roadside weed.]
[But now, facts speak louder than words!]
[So this is what a Child of Destiny looks like?!]
[You can wander into some run-down little market and stumble upon a treasure that doubles your cultivation speed — with a cheat code like that, how could it, the Hundred Bones Resonance, ever fail to reach sainthood and prove the Dao?!]
[The Hundred Bones Resonance prostrates itself before you in absolute reverence.]
[Affection +5]
..................
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