Chapter 56: Desiring Progress

The morning Breakthrough was just the beginning.

Since they had not only broken through the Bottleneck last night, but their Divine Soul and blood energy had also been greatly nourished during the Fusion of Yin and Yang, this deep practice had unconsciously continued until noon the next day.

When Chu Chang finally slowly withdrew his energy and opened his eyes, a ray of blinding sunlight was slanting right onto the bed.

He moved his shoulders, feeling refreshed, and the spiritual power in his body had not depleted from the all-night practice; instead, it had become more condensed and pure.

Even his Divine Soul had grown a circle larger.

The effect of his Physique combined with the Extreme Yin Jade Marrow Physique was simply beyond his expectations.

Zhou Linzi, sitting opposite him, now looked like a lotus rising from the water; her already charming face, after being nourished by the rain and dew, appeared even more alluring.

Her skin was whiter than snow, flushed with a hint of red, and in those beautiful eyes looking at Chu Chang, the usual coldness and scheming were long gone, replaced by a pool of spring water, filled with deep affection.

Seeing Chu Chang make a move to get up, Zhou Linzi leaned in, her two soft, boneless little hands gently climbing onto Chu Chang's shoulders, her whole body clinging to his chest as if she had no bones at all.

"Senior Brother, are you… are you leaving already?" Zhou Linzi's voice was delicate and tender, alluring to the bone.

Having tasted such a huge benefit, how could she bear to let go?

One night's time was equivalent to several years of hard practice for her, not to mention that wonderful sensation of the Soul trembling and the Physical Body sublimating, which had completely left her craving for more.

Chu Chang patted her rounded, fragrant shoulder and laughed: "If I don't leave, should I stay here for lunch?"

"How could that not be possible?" Zhou Linzi twisted her body in a spoiled manner, raised her pretty face, and looked at him pleadingly, "Senior Brother, why don't you move in here later? Or, I can move to your place… I want to practice with you every day from now on, I don't want to be separated for even a moment."

Her clingy appearance left Chu Chang speechless.

He had previously only known that Zhou Linzi was a high-level green tea, but he hadn't expected that once this woman was completely conquered and tasted the benefits, she would become so clingy, almost like a piece of taffy.

"Nonsense." Chu Chang straightened his face, deliberately feigning some dignity, "The Dao of practice requires a balance of tension and relaxation; if we do this every day, it will damage our Foundation. Moreover, as a Disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, I still have many Sect matters to handle; how can I indulge in this every day?"

After much persuasion, coaxing, and scaring, Zhou Linzi finally let go reluctantly. She blushed as she helped Chu Chang put on his clothes, and after lingering for a while longer, she personally saw him out the back door.

Chu Chang followed the quiet path all the way back to his residence.

Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he smelled a rich aroma of food, mixed with the faint fragrance of Spirit Medicine.

"Hmm? This fragrance…" Chu Chang was a bit surprised.

He pushed the door open and walked into the small courtyard, only to see that the stone table in the courtyard was already filled with sumptuous dishes.

There was not only precious Spirit Grain grown in the Spirit Field, but also soup stewed with first-grade Spirit Beast meat, and several plates of exquisite medicinal cuisine, all steaming hot.

And Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang, wearing a simple apron, walked out of the small kitchen, holding the last plate of vegetables.

Seeing Chu Chang enter, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's figure stiffened slightly, and a trace of extremely complex expression flashed in her eyes.

Looking at Chu Chang, who appeared faintly radiant, with even a hint of a strange, cold fragrance on his clothes, as a meticulous woman, how could she not guess where Chu Chang had gone and what he had done last night?

That wave of sourness and grievance instantly surged into Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's heart.

She bit her somewhat pale lips, and spoke in a sour voice: "Chu Chang… you, you didn't return all night last night. I, I thought something had happened to you."

Chu Chang looked at the Spirit Food on the table that was obviously carefully prepared, and then at Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's somewhat resentful, jealous little eyes, and immediately understood in his heart.

"I was handling some matters outside last night and got delayed." Chu Chang walked to the stone table and sat down, rubbing his nose, explaining vaguely.

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the jealousy in her heart.

After learning that Chu Chang had become a Disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall and had displayed such terrifying strength at the Life-and-Death Arena, the sense of superiority she originally had in her heart had long since vanished.

She knew that the current Chu Chang was no longer the humble Disciple who could be ordered around by her as before.

If she continued to put on airs or even make unreasonable scenes like before, she would probably only push him further and further away, completely benefiting that vixen Zhou Linzi.

Thinking of this, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang forced a gentle smile, untied her apron, sat beside Chu Chang, and took the initiative to ladle a bowl of steaming Spirit meat soup with a jade spoon, handing it to Chu Chang, and said softly:

"You have worked hard in your practice these days, and you had a big battle at the Life-and-Death Arena, so your body must be greatly depleted. I went to the Outer Sect market before dawn today and exchanged all my savings for this Spirit Beast meat and nourishing Spirit Medicine, and simmered it for three full hours. You… you should taste it and see if it suits your taste?"

As she spoke, her beautiful eyes looked at Chu Chang with some hope and some trepidation; that cautious, desperately ingratiating appearance was like a completely different person from the arrogant Outer Sect Genius girl of the past.

Chu Chang looked at the fragrant Spirit soup in front of him, and then at Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang, who had begun to lower her status and even somewhat humbly tried to please him, and couldn't help but sigh slightly: In this world of cultivation, strength is indeed the passport to everything.

To be honest, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang being like this really made him somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Chu Chang picked up the soup bowl and took a small sip.

The soup was rich, the deliciousness of the Spirit Beast meat and the sweetness of the Spirit Medicine perfectly blended, turning into a warm stream of spiritual power as it went down his throat, slowly flowing into his limbs and bones.

It was clear that Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang had indeed put a lot of thought into this, and the heat was mastered just right.

"Good cooking." Chu Chang praised sincerely.

Hearing Chu Chang's praise, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's tense pretty face finally relaxed, and a trace of undisguisable joy flashed in her eyes.

She hurriedly picked up a piece of stewed, soft Spirit Beast meat and put it into Chu Chang's bowl, her beautiful eyes full of concern: "If you think it tastes good, drink more. You are now a Law Enforcement Disciple at such a young age, and with heavy Sect tasks and diligent practice, you must take care of your body. From now on, whenever you want to eat, just tell me, and I will make it for you every day."

While she spoke, she moved her stool very naturally, sitting closer to Chu Chang.

Her solicitous manner was so gentle it could almost drip water; anyone who saw it would think she was an extremely virtuous Dao Companion.

However, after lingering for a moment, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang still couldn't help it; she gently bit her red lips and tentatively asked: "But… Chu Chang, there is one thing that has been bothering me, I don't know if I should ask."

Chu Chang ate the Spirit Grain while sweeping a glance at her indifferently: "Ask whatever you want, don't stutter."

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang took a deep breath, her voice carrying an unmistakable sourness: "Yesterday before the Life-and-Death Arena… why did you take the initiative to lend Zhou Linzi 150 Spirit Stones in front of so many people? You, you seemed to have no interaction with her before, right?"

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and her voice lowered: "Do you know that Zhou Linzi actually has a very bad reputation among the female Disciples? She is used to using those vixen-like means to maneuver among various male Disciples, making others willing to spend Spirit Stones on her, while she herself doesn't pay any price. In the Outer Sect, they call her… they call her a gold digger! You must not be deceived by her weak and harmless appearance; she is approaching you, definitely just because she fancies your current status and the Spirit Stones in your pocket!"

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang said everything she had been holding back in one breath, and in the end, looked at Chu Chang with an eager face, fearing that he would sink deeper and deeper.

After hearing this, Chu Chang just drank his soup on his own, without any extra expression on his face.

Until the bowl of soup was finished, he slowly put down the bowl and said calmly: "Lingshuang, you cannot judge people only by their appearance. Zhou Linzi is actually a good person, and her intentions are quite simple, not as unbearable as you think."

"She is simple?!"

Hearing Chu Chang actually defending another woman to her face, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang's jar of jealousy was instantly overturned.

That intense sourness and jealousy rushed straight to her brain; she stood up abruptly, her eyes slightly red, and her voice trembled: "If she is simple, then there are no bad women in this world! Chu Chang, have you been fed some kind of love potion by her? Or… did you spend the night at her place last night?!"

Thinking that Chu Chang might have been intimate with Zhou Linzi on the bed last night, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.

It was clearly she who knew Chu Chang first; why did that Zhou Linzi take away all of Chu Chang's attention as soon as she appeared?

Chu Chang frowned slightly, looked up at her, his tone slightly cold: "Watch your boundaries. My private affairs do not need to be reported to you."

Seeing Chu Chang's cold eyes, Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang was suddenly shocked, and her full anger was instantly extinguished by a basin of cold water.

Only then did she realize that the current Chu Chang was no longer the cowardly youth who could be manipulated by her. If she continued to make unreasonable scenes, she would only make him completely disgusted.

She was so aggrieved that tears were swirling in her eyes; she sat back down, biting the corner of her clothes, her tone softening, with a hint of crying and pleading: "I… I was just worried about you. And, I was just jealous…"

Chu Chang sighed, his tone also softened a bit: "I know what I am doing, you don't need to worry too much."

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang looked at Chu Chang, and then thought of the slightly stronger spiritual power fluctuations emanating from Chu Chang just now compared to yesterday, and even… his aura had become more profound.

Eldest Miss Gu Lingshuang grabbed Chu Chang's sleeve, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at him, her eyes flashing with an almost persistent desire: "I want… I want to make progress! Now!"