The long-legged girl next door was, as expected, cultivating.
Han Shuangjiang, having just completed one cycle of her technique, once again heard the heart-wrenching screams from Chu Huaixu's hut next door.
Breaking through three apertures in a row, the pain stacked up.
If the pain of the first breakthrough was like a motorcycle running over his whole body, and the second was a motorcycle with a passenger running over his whole body... then this time, leveling up three times at once, it was practically a taxi.
Han Shuangjiang was instantly startled. Although she knew it was because of his cultivation technique, she still involuntarily walked to the outside of his bamboo hut, wanting to show some concern.
When she reached the door, however, she hesitated.
A few seconds later, perhaps hearing her footsteps outside, Chu Huaixu's hoarse and weak voice came from inside the room.
"I'm, I'm fine... huu—, it's just a breakthrough with my technique..."
He wasn't even wearing his outer robe, his whole body was covered in cold sweat, practically practicing naked on the meditation cushion. Chu Huaixu had a lean muscle build, the type that looked slim in clothes but had substance without them, without any overly large muscle blocks. Now, covered in sweat under the light, the lines of his muscles became even more distinct.
He found that after cultivating the 'Sword Tempering Art', the strength of his body was continuously increasing. It really was like body tempering. But it didn't seem to be going down the path of a bulky muscle-head; no overly scary, non-functional muscles had appeared on his body.
"Good, as long as you're alright," the young woman's voice came from outside, her tone still ice-cold, not sounding like she was concerned at all. But for someone so young to already have a bit of a mature, "older sister" voice was also a marvel.
Han Shuangjiang returned to her own room and began to continue her cultivation. She hadn't expected Chu Huaixu to break through again so quickly.
"Has he already opened his third aperture?"
"I have to work harder too. I don't want to be left behind by him," she thought.
After hearing Han Shuangjiang's departing footsteps, Chu Huaixu finally began to lie on the floor, gasping loudly, "Hiss—huu—hiss—huu—!" He had been putting on a brave face just now, thinking she probably couldn't hear him anymore.
Although he had been mentally prepared before leveling up, he had still seen black and nearly fainted again just now.
"Rather than leveling up one by one and feeling the pain three times, it's better to get it all over with in one go. A short, sharp pain is better than a long, dull one," Chu Huaixu had already started to throw caution to the wind. The result was that his whole body was still twitching subconsciously.
He just lay there, twitching for a while, before he gradually got used to it.
Chu Huaixu stood up and performed the first form of the "Gibberish Eight Trigrams Palm". A gust of palm wind filled the room, much fiercer and more domineering than before!
"Strong!" he clicked his tongue in wonder.
Although the 'Sword Tempering Art' was like a Demonic Art, and the entire cultivation process was life-threatening, the path of training both internally and externally was quite powerful, making him somewhat invincible during the aperture-opening stage.
"This situation is actually a perfect match for my hacked body control," Chu Huaixu thought.
At this moment, he suddenly felt a deep, deep regret.
"If only I had been this strong back in the dungeon."
"The sound of Liu Chengqi's ribs cracking was so beautiful." He was even savoring the memory.
At this thought, Chu Huaixu suddenly realized, "It seems Han Shuangjiang hasn't completely mastered [Eight Desolates Roaming Dragon] yet?"
"When I have time, I'll have to teach her myself."
He opened his [Character Panel] and checked his remaining experience points. He had 136 freely assignable experience points left, far from enough for him to continue and open the sixth aperture.
...
...
As night fell, Chu Huaixu finally ate a meal personally cooked by Han Shuangjiang.
"It tastes very good," he praised. Perhaps to seem less like he was just being polite, he even praised each dish in detail.
"This way, her motivation to cook should be even higher, right?" The man with amazing culinary skills planned to remain in hiding forever, and insisted on not even washing the dishes.
On the surface, Han Shuangjiang just nodded slightly, but after receiving recognition, she still felt a bit of joy in her heart.
After the meal, Chu Huaixu just patted his butt and left. The cold-faced housekeeper showed no emotion either, silently clearing away his bowl and chopsticks as well.
At this moment, you couldn't say they were living a cohabiting life, but it was a bit like they were roommates.
Chu Huaixu watched her back as she cleared the table. When Han Shuangjiang bent over, her pert and full buttocks would make her skirt bulge, making the characteristics of her wide hips even more obvious, plump and round. Coupled with her pair of straight and slender jade-like legs, if she were to wear a qipao or a "stepmother dress," it would surely be a beautiful sight.
But his mind did not wander. He just tossed an [Information Probe] in her direction.
"She's already opened her third aperture?" Chu Huaixu gritted his teeth in envy.
He estimated that Han Shuangjiang not only had a maxed-out [Spirit Embryo Attribute], but her [Comprehension] was probably also very high. If it weren't for the fact that a normal person's body needed a short period of time to adapt after opening an aperture, she would probably break through even faster!
A World Protagonist, terrifyingly so.
After several twists and turns, both of them were tired today and went to bed very early.
The next day, the east began to whiten. Han Shuangjiang got up early and began to cook porridge, bustling about.
After the two finished breakfast, Chu Huaixu took the initiative to offer to teach her [Eight Desolates Roaming Dragon]. Of course, he wouldn't be as sleazy as Liu Chengqi and teach her directly hands-on.
"This part really needs to sink down a bit," he said, pointing at Han Shuangjiang's slender waist.
Even though Chu Huaixu's finger was still some distance away, the young woman felt a ticklish and warm sensation on her waist. Perhaps it was because the two of them were standing relatively close.
"Come, I'll demonstrate for you again," Chu Huaixu began to perform the palm art.
There was no need to learn the full set of the "Gibberish Eight Trigrams Palm". After all, it was just to break the formation at the Scripture Pavilion; he wouldn't use it in actual combat that many times. Once he reached the first realm, he would have to learn proper [Arts]. Mundane martial arts were of little value and not worth investing too much time in. In any case, he would reach the first realm soon.
It was obvious that Han Shuangjiang's Comprehension was truly very high. After Chu Huaixu simply taught her a few times and corrected her movements, she completely mastered it. And, a beauty performing a palm art was surprisingly good-looking. He was beginning to understand why some girls on the internet would record self-defense videos, only for netizens to jokingly call it the "Thug-Exciting Fist."
Just then, a group of uninvited guests arrived at the bamboo hut.
The person in the lead was none other than the half-white-haired Liu Tianfeng. Liu Chengqi and Liu Chenggong followed obediently behind him, forcing fawning smiles onto their faces. Behind them was a group of handymen, each holding a gift box. Actually, these things could have just been put in a storage ring, but for giving gifts, this looked better.
Han Shuangjiang couldn't help but glance at Chu Huaixu. She never thought he would actually be right.
Deacon Liu had already thought it through. Since he believed in their background, he had to build a good relationship. An apology gift was an apology gift; a goodwill gift was a goodwill gift.
"Deacon Liu, what brings you here?" Chu Huaixu asked, feigning ignorance, but he didn't even spare Liu Chengqi a second glance.
"Didn't this old man say yesterday that I would prepare a humble gift for my worthy nephew today? I must be true to my word," Liu Tianfeng said with a smile.
But seeing the two of them today, the old man felt that they seemed different somehow. With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, Liu Tianfeng's face drained of all color. This time, the change in his expression was not an act.
"Worthy nephew and this young lady, you've broken through! Congratulations, congratulations!"
It was one thing for Han Shuangjiang to have opened her third aperture. But this Chu Huaixu had actually opened three apertures overnight!
"How is this possible!"
"He's clearly just a low-grade Spirit Embryo!" A tempestuous storm raged in Liu Tianfeng's heart.
All his doubts vanished at this moment.
If you say he's just an ordinary in-name disciple, this old man wouldn't believe it for a million reasons!
"You all, put the things down. Put them down carefully," Liu Tianfeng began to instruct the handymen.
After speaking, he even looked at their two bamboo huts and said, "If there's anything else you need, just let this old man know."
"Oh right, does my worthy nephew require a handyman to serve him?" Deacon Liu began to lick his boots from all angles.
Chu Huaixu certainly had no such thoughts. An extra person would just make him feel uncomfortable. He casually glanced at the handymen who were putting down the gifts, about to refuse.
But soon, his gaze sharpened, fixating on a short handyman with his head bowed. This person was probably not even 170 centimeters tall, with rosy lips and fair teeth, and delicate features. He didn't have much of a masculine air about him; he had a typical androgynous appearance.
"I want him!" Chu Huaixu suddenly raised his hand and pointed. He was more shocked than anyone to see this person.
"How could he be here?"
One of the four World Protagonists of "Borrowing a Sword", Xu Ziqing!