[Ding!]
[Host. You can unseal the dragon bloodline by taking a bath in blood. It is recommended to bathe in the blood of beasts related to dragon roots. It can also be unsealed by fighting. Dragons are proud and arrogant races that refuse to bow, fighting stronger opponents will help awaken the bloodline quickly.]
[Immortal Dao physique can be unsealed when you reach the foundation realm.]
[Your 8 Zodiac meridians— Vermillion Star Meridian, Azure Dragon Meridian, White Tiger Meridian, Black Tortoise Meridian, Ice Palace Meridian, Vermilion Moon Star Meridian, Void Star Meridian, Celestial Phoenix Meridian— can be unsealed when you cultivate when the stars align. ]
[Immortal Dantian is unsealed. It allows you to store Qi 1000x more than a normal cultivator. It also allows you to refine Qi 100x faster.]
[Host can unseal Supreme Dao bones after reaching the foundation stage.]
[Host can buy dragon bloodline from the system but Host won't be able to absorb the bloodline of a pure dragon without backlash.]
"Interesting..." Tianmo uttered.
He could feel his body absorbing the energy of heaven and earth. Once he awakens the Immortal Dao Physique, he will also unlock the "Auto-cultivate function."
After that, he will be unstoppable. Immortal-grade spirit root and immortal Dao physique were the ultimate cheat codes.
But for now, he needed to focus on the immediate problem: the unconscious girl in the bath and his own unsatisfied desire.
Geez... No matter what, you can't masturbate even after coming here.
He walked back to the edge of the pool. Ruyan was still floating limply, her head resting on the stone ledge.
He reached down and lifted her effortlessly. She was light as a feather, her wet skin slick against his. He carried her out of the bathing chamber and into the main bedroom, water dripping from their bodies onto the expensive sandalwood floor.
He laid her down gently on the massive silk bed. She looked like a broken doll, pale and fragile, her breathing shallow but steady.
Tianmo stood over her, his eyes roaming over her naked form. Despite his annoyance at not finishing, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
He had taken her innocence, claimed her future, and used her to boost his own cultivation. It was a transaction, pure and simple.
He pulled the fur cover over her, hiding her body from view.
He walked to the window, looking out at the bamboo forest. The spiritual energy here was indeed dense, forming a faint mist that swirled around the pavilion.
He closed his eyes and began to circulate his Qi.
The energy in his Dantian was vast, a swirling vortex of golden light. With the help of the 'Immortal Dantian', the Qi was compressed and refined at a terrifying speed.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, ignoring the bed. He preferred the hard ground; it kept him sharp.
Time passed. The moon moved across the sky.
***
The next morning, the sunlight streaming through the translucent walls woke Ruyan.
She groaned, her entire body aching. There was a soreness between her legs that made her wince as she tried to move.
Memories of the previous day flooded back. The bath, the pain, the pleasure, the explosion of energy... She can't help but blush a deep shade of pink.
It would be a lie to say she hates it.
She sat up, clutching the silk sheets to her chest. She was alone in the room.
Panic flared in her chest. Where was Master?
She looked around the room. It was empty. The bathroom door was open, steam no longer rising from it.
She slid out of bed, her legs trembling so badly she nearly fell. She caught herself on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
She needed to find him. She needed to serve him.
She found a simple set of a maid's clothes laid out on a table. White silk robes that were far higher quality than anything she had ever worn.
She put them on, wincing as the fabric brushed against her sensitive skin.
She walked out of the bedroom and into the main hall.
Tianmo was sitting at the table, sipping tea, looking fresh and energized. He was dressed in a clean set of black robes embroidered with silver dragons.
He looked up as she entered, his expression unreadable.
"You're up," he said, his voice cool. "I was about to throw you into the lake to wake you up."
Ruyan's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly knelt on the floor, bowing her head low. "This servant deserves punishment for oversleeping, Master. Please forgive me."
Tianmo took a sip of his tea, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Get up. I don't like groveling before breakfast. It ruins my appetite."
Ruyan scrambled to her feet, keeping her head bowed.
"Breakfast is on the table," Tianmo said, gesturing to the spread of food. Spirit fruits, porridge made with spirit rice, and steamed buns that glowed with faint spiritual light. "Eat. You need to recover your strength. A weak maid is useless to me."
Ruyan hesitated. "Master... shouldn't this servant serve you first?"
"You will serve me later," Tianmo said, a dark glint in his eyes. "For now, eat. If you faint from hunger while scrubbing the floor, I'll be very annoyed."
Ruyan sat down at the table, her movements stiff. She picked up a bun and took a small bite. The flavor exploded in her mouth, and a rush of warmth spread through her limbs.
She was starving. She hadn't eaten properly in days.
She ate quickly, trying to maintain some decorum, but her hunger was too great. Tianmo watched her with a faint smirk, enjoying her struggle.
Just then, the sound of the front door sliding open broke the silence.
Ling'er walked in, looking radiant. She was wearing a new set of robes, pale blue with silver accents, and her hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin.
"Brother! Good morning!" she chirped, her voice full of energy. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Ruyan sitting at the table.
Her eyes widened, and a look of disgust crossed her face.
"Why is she eating with you?" Ling'er asked, her voice dropping in temperature. "Brother, she is a slave. Slaves don't eat at the same table as their masters. It's against the rules of etiquette."
Tianmo set down his teacup. He looked at his sister, then at Ruyan, who had frozen with the bun halfway to her mouth.
"She is not just a slave, Ling'er," Tianmo said calmly. "She is my cauldron. My cultivation partner. Her body is special. If she starves, my cultivation suffers. Do you want my cultivation to suffer?"
Ling'er's face turned a bright shade of red. She looked at Ruyan with a mix of shock and jealousy.
"C-Cauldron? Cultivation partner?" she stammered. "But... she's a cripple! How can a cripple be a cultivation partner? And she's... she's dirty!"
"Dirty?" Tianmo raised an eyebrow. "I washed her very thoroughly last night. She is quite clean now."
Ling'er's jaw dropped. She stared at her brother, unable to believe what she was hearing. He was admitting it? Just like that?
"You... you slept with her?" she whispered, her voice trembling with embarrassment.
"I didn't sleep," Tianmo corrected, taking another sip of tea. "I cultivated. And I broke through to the 5th stage of Qi Refining because of it. Would you rather I remain weak?"
Ling'er was speechless. The logic was sound, yet the morality of it was completely alien to her. In the cultivation world, using cauldrons was common, but usually among older, eccentric cultivators.
Her brother was her age!
"I... I don't care," Ling'er huffed, turning her nose up. "I just don't want to see her face while I'm eating. It ruins my appetite."
She walked over to the table and grabbed a spirit fruit, biting into it angrily.
"Fine," Tianmo said, waving his hand dismissively. "Ruyan, finish your meal in the kitchen. Then clean the bathing chamber. The floor is a mess."
"Yes, Master," Ruyan replied, her voice barely audible.
She quickly stood up, clutching the half-eaten bun, and hurried toward the side entrance, her head lowered. She could feel Ling'er's burning gaze on her back, but she didn't dare look up.
As soon as the door slid shut, Ling'er slammed her hand on the table. "Brother! Are you insane? You broke through to the 5th stage? In one night?"
She looked at him as if he were a monster. "Ordinary geniuses take months to reach the 3rd stage, and years to reach the 5th. You... you just started cultivating yesterday!"
Tianmo leaned back, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. "I told you, sister. I am heaven's favorite. And Ruyan... she has her uses. Her body contains the Nine Yin Absolute Body. Dual cultivating with her is like drinking pure spiritual liquid. It is a waste to let her talent rot just because her meridians are blocked."
Ling'er's eyes widened. Nine Yin Absolute Body? Wasn't that a legendary physique?
She took a step back, as if the information physically pushed her away. "N-No wonder you bought her," she mumbled, more to herself than to him.
"She's a treasure cauldron. But Brother, you need to be careful. If the sect finds out she has such a physique, they will take her away from you. You know how sects hoard resources."
"I know," Tianmo said. "Which is why I need you to keep this secret. I trust you, sister."
He took a sip of his tea. The conversation turned to other matters. Ling'er chatted excitedly about her plans for cultivation, how she wanted to buy spirit herbs and practice with the sword.
Tianmo listened half-heartedly, his mind already thinking of ways to advance his cultivation even further. After one night of cultivation, he has reached the peak seventh stage of Qi refining, soon to be promoted to the eighth stage.
However, for the outer world, he will only reveal the mid Fifth stage of the Qi refining realm.
"Brother... Did you receive the cultivation manual?"
Tianmo paused, his teacup halfway to his lips. He set it down with a deliberate clink, the sound sharp in the morning air.
"No, my master went to closed-door cultivation. I will visit the sect hall and request the manual for direct disciple."
However, the system shop has better cultivation manuals.
For people below the golden core 'Heavenly Way-I' is the best manual.
"Brother, how about doing a sect mission together? We need to collect merits to purchase the sect's technique. I plan to buy the water sword technique," Ling'er suggested, her eyes sparkling with ambition. "I heard the mission hall is giving out 10 contribution points for hunting Iron-Hide Boars in the Beast Mountain."
"Sister. Just focus on closed-door cultivation. I will look after basic Qi condensing pills, spirit stones, and other stuff. Only once you reach the foundation stage, you can go out for missions." Tianmo said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Ling'er pouted, crossing her arms. "But Brother, I want to experience the world! I can't just stay cooped up in this pavilion forever. I need to test my skills."
"You will test your skills when you don't risk getting eaten by a stray wolf," Tianmo retorted dryly. He stood up, smoothing his black robes. "I am heading to the Scripture Pavilion. You. Stay here. Cultivate. If I come back and you haven't made a full circle of Qi, I'll take back the spirit stones."
Ling'er's face paled. She clutched her chest protectively. "You wouldn't!"
"Try me."
With a swirl of his sleeves, Tianmo turned and walked out, leaving a fuming Ling'er in his wake.
***
The Azure Cloud Sect was massive.
Floating bridges connected mountain peaks, waterfalls cascaded into the clouds, and disciples in white and green robes flew on swords or magical tools, looking like celestial beings.
Tianmo walked with his hands behind his back, his expression cold and aloof. He ignored the whispers that followed him.
"Look, that's him! The Violet light Spirit Root! That's Earth-grade spirit roots or higher"
"So handsome... I heard he's the personal disciple of Elder Xuan Ji."
"He looks so cold. I wonder if he has a lover."
Ignoring them, he went to the main disciple hall.