Su Han's eyes widened when he saw the size of his younger brother—it was many times larger than before.
"How the hell did this happen? Is it an effect of the furnace?" He began to ponder, forgetting he wasn't alone in the place.
Cough, cough.
The blind woman coughed and glared at Su Han. "Boy, what do you think you're doing? Aren't you going to get dressed already?"
She spoke angrily, while trying to hide her reddened face.
"I'm sorryyy!" Su Han snapped back to reality and hurriedly put on his clothes. He wasn't ashamed of his current body, but he was afraid of losing his precious part if he angered that blind woman.
After finishing dressing, he looked forward with regret. "Senior, forgive me for polluting your eyes… No, your spiritual sense!"
He blurted out in panic. The blind woman furrowed her brows, her chest rising and falling.
"Boy, now that you've recovered, you can leave." She said coldly, pointing to the gate behind her.
"I'm sorry…" Su Han made a face like an abandoned puppy. "Before I go, can you tell me your name?"
"Zhao Yuxin." The blind woman's expression softened when she saw the boy's downcast face.
"Zhao? What are you to Zhao Yi?" he asked curiously. He had no idea his roommate had such a powerful patron.
"That brat? He's my brother." Yuxin replied with a frown, clearly displeased with that so-called "brother."
Su Han noticed this and blinked in confusion. "They don't get along? Then why was I saved?"
He racked his brain trying to figure it out, but got nowhere. It seemed he would have to ask Zhao Yi himself.
"Senior Yuxin, now that I know your name, thank you for everything… If you ever need something, I'll be at your disposal." Su Han, who understood the cost of giving and receiving, wasn't afraid to offer himself as repayment.
"I didn't lose much saving you. At most, I used a fifth-grade medicine. The rest was all due to your mentality, managing to stand firm in the face of adversity. If you continue like this, you might truly create miracles. Your talent wasn't bad before, but now, with the furnace active, you've become dangerous." Yuxin spoke sincerely.
"Really?" Su Han's eyes lit up. "Senior, could you tell me what has changed in me? And what's the best path for me to follow in cultivation?"
He didn't miss the chance to discuss with a veteran.
"What has changed?" Yuxin began to think, and unconsciously recalled the scene from minutes ago, making her cheeks flush red again.
"Senior?" Su Han's worried voice pulled her back.
"Don't talk, boy, I'm thinking." She feigned impatience to hide her embarrassment.
"Well, the changes are many. From now on, you'll have better fire control and be able to absorb spiritual energy faster. And most importantly: you've also entered body cultivation. Every time you survive combustion, your body will become more conditioned and stronger." Yuxin revealed.
"Incredible!" Su Han felt happiness surge within him. He had always been ordinary, but now he had the chance to become a genius.
"Don't forget about Yin… Without it, you may as well prepare your coffin." Yuxin splashed cold water on his excitement.
Su Han immediately cooled down. "Senior is right, I need to find a way to survive."
"What will you do? Practice Dual Cultivation?"
Yuxin asked, making him stop and stare ahead awkwardly.
"It's difficult. Where would I find someone willing to practice with me? Especially Yin Qi—it's so valuable to female cultivators. Once lost, it can affect their cultivation speed." He muttered, letting out a long sigh.
Su Han was no saint, but harming others was something he didn't want to do.
"That's true. Yin Qi, like Yang Qi, is a symbol of purity. Preserving it sharpens sensitivity to heaven and earth. But there are exceptions to everything, and your body is one. Instead of harming, it actually helps, because you're a Yang Furnace. Through Dual Cultivation, you would become a Yin-Yang Furnace, superior to everything else, as it mirrors creation itself."
Yuxin explained with a smile.
Su Han was stunned by her words. He finally understood the true function of his physique.
"Senior, are you saying all this because you want to cultivate with me?" He raised his eyebrows.
Zhao Yuxin felt time freeze, silence filling the air until she broke it.
"What are you talking about, brat? I told you this so you would realize the gravity of the body you carry!" She warned, her aura suddenly flaring.
Su Han felt as if a shroud of death pressed down upon him. It was a horrible sensation. He forced himself to remain standing. He didn't know why, but in that moment, a powerful pride welled up inside him.
'I will kneel to no one…'
The thought was etched into his mind as he stood like a statue, even as his body cracked under the pressure.
"Senior, forgive my rude words." Su Han, covered in blood, apologized once more.
"I overdid it." Yuxin stopped pressing him, though she couldn't help but feel impressed by his unyielding composure.
"Fine. If you can ascend to the inner courtyard within three months, my Yin Qi will be yours." She made this proposal, and in the next instant a pill appeared in her hand. Tossing it forward, it cut through the air like an arrow, landing directly in Su Han's slightly open mouth.
He was stunned by the proposal, unable to believe that his roommate's sister would offer her body to him. While he tried to form a response, a sharp whistling sound filled the air. He immediately turned toward it.
A streak of green cut through the distance in seconds. Before he could blink, the item struck his mouth and dissolved into green energy, healing all the injuries he had suffered from Yuxin's aura.
"Senior still has a sense of responsibility." Su Han felt grateful, and even more intrigued by her.
"Cultivating with a woman like that wouldn't be a loss… but reaching the inner courtyard in three months? That's basically impossible."
To achieve it and pass the examination, he would need to break through five minor realms and one major realm. To accomplish this in such a short time was sheer madness.
Give up?
"Never!" Su Han began to lose himself to madness. It wasn't just about Zhao Yuxin's challenge, but also the joy of pushing himself to do the impossible.
Just imagining the scene made his blood boil. The beast inside him bared its claws.