"Bing'er, Little Sister, I was just joking. We've traveled the same road for half a year. In this sect, you two are my only acquaintances—why shouldn't we meet?"
Zhang Fan spoke with an easy smile.
Murong Bing slowly shook her head.
"I know Junior Brother Zhang harbors admiration for my sister," she said evenly.
"But we are not walking the same path. Our ways are different, and thus we cannot walk together. My sister is already in the late stage of Qi Refining, while you… have no cultivation base at all. I will continue advancing along the road of cultivation, going further and further, while you will remain where you are—unable to take even a single step forward. Junior Brother Zhang, we should not meet again in the future."
Her eyes held a firm resolve.
"Sister…" Murong Xue began.
"Silence!" Murong Bing cut her off sharply. "Xue'er, I am a cultivator. My heart must be devoted to the Dao. How can I speak of love at every turn?"
Zhang Fan laughed softly to himself.He understood her reasoning—after all, how could a cultivator admire a man with no cultivation? Even if that man was handsome, Not all women were of immortal beauty or sacred heritage.
But… that was only if he truly was an ordinary man.
And Zhang Fan was anything but ordinary.
A smile curved at his lips. Husband abuse for a moment's pleasure… then a husband-chasing nightmare later. This could be fun.
Murong Xue's voice hardened. "Junior Brother Zhang! Stop deceiving yourself and others. Leave now, or do not blame me for turning my face against you!"
Though Murong Bing's words were cold, a faint trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes. Half a year of traveling with Zhang Fan—an exceptionally handsome man—had left its mark. No feelings at all would be a lie, even for her.
"No," Zhang Fan said quietly. "You're mistaken."
Murong Bing frowned. "Mistaken? About what?"
"I'm not in love with you two," Zhang Fan replied calmly. "I only like Xue'er, Little Sister. Even if you are twins, she's much prettier than you. As for you… you're not worthy."
With that, he turned away without another glance.
For a domineering woman, weakness was useless—you had to be stronger than her to truly stand above. Otherwise, you'd spend your life as nothing more than her plaything.
"You!" Murong Bing's chest tightened with anger. "Stop! Explain yourself!"
But Zhang Fan ignored her and walked straight out.
Murong Bing stared at his retreating back, her mind boiling. Not worthy? Only likes Little Sister? How could she be inferior to Murong Xue?
Her teeth clenched. "Zhang Fan!" she shouted, her voice shaking with fury.
Murong Xue only covered her mouth with a smile. "Sister, don't be angry. Tomorrow is the Sect Grand Competition. We're still behind the senior disciples—it would be best to focus on improving our realms today and tomorrow."
"Hmph!" Murong Bing snorted. "It's only a small competition. But it's a pity—if Zhang Fan could take the top three and represent the sect in the Eastern Martial Meet, I'd show him just how strong I am."
What Zhang Fan didn't know was that his words had already planted the seed of hatred in Murong Bing's heart.
Outside, he felt the stares of nearby disciples.
"He's out!"
"He stayed inside for nearly ten minutes!"
"Ten minutes… you could do it twice in that time!"
"Damn it, check my head—is it green?"
"That trash Zhang Fan has five-element spiritual roots. How could the Murong sisters fall for him? Heaven is blind!"
Zhang Fan had no interest in their gossip. He hurried back to his immortal cave and shut the door.
Now, all that was left was to wait for Murong Bing and Murong Xue's breakthroughs. Then, he could see whether the system's "Hundredfold Return" was as powerful as it claimed.
Time passed swiftly. On the third day—the day of the Sect Grand Competition—he was still waiting. But that was no surprise. Cultivation was not something that happened overnight.
Just as impatience began to rise in, a chime sounded in his mind.
[Ding! Contract target Murong Bing has absorbed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, breaking through to the 11th layer of the Qi Refining Stage!]
[Hundredfold Return activated!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host—gained 1 layer of Qi Refining Cultivation Base, available for extraction at any time!]
[Ding! Gained 2 layers… available for extraction!]
[Ding! Gained 3 layers… available for extraction!]
[…]
[Ding! Gained 10 layers of Qi Refining Cultivation Base, available for extraction at any time!]
Zhang Fan's heart leapt. "It's here! A hundredfold return! Let me break straight through to the 10th layer of Qi Refining!"
The best part was that these cultivation gains didn't merge into his body automatically—they could be stored and withdrawn at will. No one would suspect a thing.
"Extract one layer first," he commanded.
In the next instant, a vast, majestic energy surged in his dantian, spreading like a warm tide through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. His entire body felt as if it had gone from standing naked on ice to sinking into a steaming hot spring—one shared with elegant, snow-skinned maidens.
"Hiss…" He exhaled in bliss, feeling raw power fill every muscle.
This was the true joy of cultivation—the wonder of spiritual qi flowing within.
Running the sect-imparted cultivation technique, he summoned his spiritual roots: golden light, a green sprout, rippling water, a dancing flame, and drifting dust appeared over his five fingers.
Metal. Wood. Water. Fire. Earth.
The Five Elements.
They say five-element spiritual roots are useless because of the slow cultivation speed… but the truth is, our bodies hold five times the spiritual qi of others. And when fighting at equal realm, the Five Elements are unmatched.
Before he could enjoy it further—
[Ding! Contract target Murong Xue has absorbed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth—Body Refinement physique has reached the 9th stage of Continuous Training!]
[Hundredfold Return activated!]
[Ding! Physique advanced to 1st stage Skin Refinement—available for extraction!]
[Ding! Physique advanced to 2nd stage Skin Refinement—available for extraction!]
[…]
[Ding! Physique advanced to 5th stage Flesh Refinement—available for extraction!]
Zhang Fan's eyes flashed. Another hundredfold return…