Night. Tower.

The Cloud Dreaming Pill, listed as a safe pill in his Foundation Establishment method, was used to enhance pleasure, and thus the quality of the gathered memory Qi.

Yet, Bubai always remained wary and didn’t take it himself. Trying new drugs must naturally be left to others.

Oh boy was he glad he made this decision.

In the room, Wei Er was unsteadily stumbling around...

“Ehehe~ I’m flying, I’m flying~ Weee, so many clouds~”

Thud. She crashed head first into the wall, clumsily stumbling back and falling to her booty, but she still crawled around with a silly smile.

Observing this scene, a slight twitch played on Bubai’s lips.

Ptui! What Cloud Dreaming Pill? Clearly, this was a hallucination drug!

Fortunately, he didn’t try it himself first or the ensuing scene would truly leave an indelible mark on his personal dark history if his mysterious green Qi doesn’t cleanse him.

Beside Bubai, Wei Yi had a helpless face filled with worry, “Master, my sister…”

Bubai shook his head, “Don’t worry, the effects will pass. There’s no danger as long as you prevent her from bumping into sharp objects.”

Certainly, the effects of the pill was clear by now.

Though this Cloud Dreaming Pill pill might really assist him in enhancing his pleasure and “enlightening” him, he would probably fail to maintain a clear mind - a necessity to maintain his focus on his strand of Qi to prevent its dissipation and to correctly run the dream catching technique.

Those who could do this must either have a strong will or they had practiced the method enough to run it on instinct…

Thankfully, he didn’t succumb to the vendor’s rhetoric and had only purchased one pill.

The other mentioned herbs and pills… probably had similar effects.

Well, it seems he will have to take it nice and slowly, opting for a stable approach.

Anyhow, he was already had an advantage compared to fellow cultivators of the same realm.

So, there is no need to be so greedy and take the awry route, meant for those who truly can’t make progress.

Oh wait... he was already taking the awry route of dual cultivation.

Er... that doesn’t count. The complementing of Yin and Yang is naturally part of the heavenly way. Ahem.

Riding this train of thought, the money spent on his pill naturally can’t be wasted.

“Bring her over.”

Wei Yi pursed her lips slightly before she heeded his command, “Yes, master.”

It wasn’t long before Bubai understood that his money was well-spent. The unique memories derived by the intoxicated Wei Er was really... different.

Alas, he won’t remember these wonderful memories devoured by his seed.

Morning.

Awakening to the soft, cool beauty in his arms, Bubai cast his gaze downward to behold Xiao Lan, clad in her new, relatively more conservative satin gown, its lilac color a perfect complement to her glossy, violet hair cascading over her serene, slumbering face.

The simplicity of a natural night spent sleeping together like this certainly held its own charm.

Though Bubai enjoyed indulgence, he recognized not every night must be devoted to pleasure. A bond solely built on pleasure may not be long-lasting and can’t entail true loyalty.

He wants her to willingly work for him. So, he must be patient. Taste her, but also give her time to digest. Assert his authority, yet still give her special treatment.

Thanks to his extensive study of culture from his previous life, Bubai's mind brimmed with countless tricks, and there would be even more once he could take her out of the tower.

Alas, considering his current strength, a major risk loomed on the horizon if he took this beauty for a walk.

In the entire sect, Bubai truly hadn't encountered many women at Xiao Lan's level. Even the brief tour upon their arrival had drawn unwarranted attention, let alone parading Xiao Lan with him everywhere.

So, he could only keep her well-hidden for now. However, when he acquired the strength to mitigate such risks, it would be a different story.

But these were promises that need not be spoken. Words alone couldn't move a frozen heart - only genuine actions can.

Rising from the bed with utmost care to avoid disturbing the sleeping beauty, Bubai tenderly covered Xiao Lan with the freshly acquired blanket.

As he carefully maneuvered off the bed, a subtle shush was directed at the waiting Wei Yi, conveying the need for silence.

With hushed movements, Bubai made his way out, shutted the jade door and then descended the stairs together with his maid.

In the room, Xiao Lan quietly opened her eyes, her face betraying no emotion as she pulled the blanket closer, concealing herself with its presence.

Book Pavilion.

“Hum, young Bubai is here early. Ready to help with the backlog of old books, yes?” Granny Shu sat in her rocking chair with a friendly smile, the tools for copying already arranged on her desk.

“Yes, Disciple Bubai is ready to heed Shu Po Po’s orders.” With a smile on his face, Bubai offered a brief salute... his thoughts drifting back to the morning memory of the twins assisting him with his backlog of work...

“Good. Fufu... Then, let’s start with another old book in the general section. There’s a lot of books in disrepair and in need of updates there…” Granny Shu closed her eyes, as if delving into the recesses of her memories, “Hum, go and start with Birth of Mortal Martial Artists...”

...

In this world, alongside immortal cultivators, martial artists also thrived. These martial artists weren't referring to the cultivators using Qi-based martial arts.

Instead, these were true martial arts practitioners who wielded mortal combat skills and relied on a different energy system - the internal energy generated from their bodies.

Unlike immortal cultivators, who preferred gathering at locations abundant with Qi, these martial practitioners were the most prominent force in the mortal kingdoms, serving in the armies and traversing the Jianghu.

Although their lifespans were comparatively shorter than cultivators, the intensity of their strength could burn brightly like a shining star, occasionally even posing a threat to powerful cultivators.

However, such instances were rare, as cultivators always vigilantly managed martial artists to prevent unchecked growth.

As for the book's account of the history and birth of martial artists, it lacked validity and wasn’t appealing to Bubai. It echoed the familiar propaganda found in many tales of genesis.

In this case, it claimed immortal cultivators preceded martial artists, with the latter emerging as a branch nurtured by benevolent cultivators who pitied mortals.

Yet, the true story likely lay buried in the extensive annals of history, perhaps extending far beyond the existence of the sect itself.

Honestly, the martial artists in this world held little significance for Bubai.

Perhaps their only relevance was the cheap, affordable opportunity the sect provided to peruse rooms filled with books detailing their techniques and manuals. This could serve as an alternative path for him, if all else failed.

Of course, even if he chose to fully embrace the cultivation path, these martial arts manuals still offered valuable supplements to his knowledge bank, laying the groundwork for him to develop his own skills.

However, such considerations were firmly reserved for the distant future…

Focus on the present. Wisely and diligently spending everyday was his current goal.

Unsurprisingly, a considerable part of his days will now be invested into the book copying task.

Of course, Bubai chose to adopt a more measured approach after the entrance test.

So, this time, he did not manage to complete the task all at once.

Instead, he proceeded at his own pace, strategically taking breaks to peruse other books and strike a balance between work and rest.

Furthermore, throughout the session, Bubai maintained a consistent consumption of his green Qi, ensuring a clear mind and peak condition to engage with the content and commit it to memory.

Under normal circumstances, when not essential, there was no need to excessively deplete his green Qi. Despite its seemingly abundant nature, Bubai understood that his mysterious green Qi was finite and required time for recovery.

Yet, despite the apparent expenditure, Bubai still relentlessly invested green Qi during his study and copying process. This might seem like a waste, but it was anything but wasteful.

Breaking through to level six of Qi-refinement was not just a simple task of gathering enough Qi to fill the dantian to its brim. If it were this straightforward, the affluent could merely achieve maximum Qi by popping expensive pills or partaking in exotic treasures that nurtured Qi.

To truly complete the fifth level and ascend to the sixth, a cultivator had to not only fill their dantian to its maximum capacity but also stably maintain this fullness without any leakage!

For most cultivators, the dantian served as the reservoir for storing Qi. Prolonged storage naturally nourished the dantian, enhancing it as their strength grew. Thus, reaching the peak of level five usually posed no hindrance to entering level six.

Conversely, those with weaker dantians faced the so-called “bottleneck”, resorting to pills and time to fortify their dantians, compensating for inherent deficiencies so they could amass more Qi.

The integrity of the dantian had to keep pace with the Qi's growth; otherwise, excess Qi could be lost or, worse, the cultivator's dantian might sustain damage due to stress.

Cultivators were well-aware of this problem since the early stages of Qi-refining, and this problem became even more pronounced in the mid-stage - when a cultivator strives to reach maximum capacity and attempting to even exceed it!

In theory, a cultivator's dantian could continue expanding endlessly. The greater the capacity and the more Qi gathered, the stronger the foundation of cultivation.

However, the road of dantian expansion was fraught with risks. The farther the expansion from a dantian's initial default size, the higher the risk of damaging the dantian.

Therefore, most Qi-refiners were satisfied after reaching their limits and transitioning to nourishing their meridians. Only the most exceptional geniuses dared to tread the precarious path of dantian expansion, striving to establish a more robust foundation.

These were the shared consensus among cultivators, yet Bubai's circumstances defied these norms!

With his golden finger, concerns about his dantian leaking or sustaining damage due to stress were nonexistent. This meant that, with sufficient focus on gathering Qi, he could effortlessly progress to the sixth level.

Moreover, he didn't have to tread the risky path of expanding his dantian since his original capacity already far surpassed that of other cultivators!

However, these advantages came with the inherent limitations of his golden finger.

The most apparent limitation was that his mysterious space's capacity could not expand. The unchanging "dantian" walls were stable, but this hinted at the lack of prospects for growth.

Though not a major issue, it deprived him of the aptitude of dantian expansion that other geniuses had.

Of course, his situation was still undeniably advantageous and posed no immediate harm or danger.

And perhaps there may even be changes manifesting later on down the line. So, Bubai was not too concerned about his capacity being restricted.

However, there was another drawback that demanded his immediate attention - an issue that, if left unresolved, could prove detrimental to his foundation!