Mortal: I'm in Tianxing City, intelligence updates daily.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Shizhou slowly woke up.

He noticed that his clothes were disheveled, as was the woman in the black dress next to him.

He quickly dressed, picked up the ritual implements that had fallen to the ground, and turned to walk towards the outer room of the secret chamber.

He strode towards the pale yellow light screen, only to be bounced back.

He used his divine sense to probe and discovered that there was another white light screen behind the original pale yellow light screen. Only then did he remember that the woman in the black dress had set up an array.

A flash of light appeared in the storage pouch at his waist, and Li Shizhou took out the Golden Hammer and smashed it. Half a cup of tea's time passed, but the white light screen remained completely still.

So he took out a silver gourd and was about to infuse it with magic when he heard footsteps behind him.

Looking back, the woman in the black dress who had been in the inner room was now fully dressed and limping towards them, clutching her lower abdomen.

Li Shizhou quickly stepped aside.

The woman in the black dress glared at him, then stepped out in front of the light screen.

Li Shizhou wanted to go out with them, but he was bounced back by the light barrier. He knew nothing about formations, so he had to use brute force to break the formation.

Half an hour later, the light screen was still there.

Unable to think of a solution for the time being, he had no choice but to give up and return to his bed in the inner room of the secret chamber to refine pills and restore his magical power. Surprisingly, the bed was not affected by the fight just now.

"I've actually used up a good portion of my Yang essence, and my cultivation level has increased quite a bit. It seems I can continue cultivating the Pure Yang Technique now."

I hadn't checked before, but now that I've calmed down, I've noticed the changes in myself.

Fortunately, the woman in the black dress still had her virginity intact.

The Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Technique can eliminate the Yang essence in his spine and also increase the cultivation level of both parties.

However, the prerequisite is that the woman must be a virgin on her first time; otherwise, it will not only be useless but will also cause harm.

Because of the primordial yin, the first time is extremely effective, and it will be cast automatically.

"I hope I won't perish here today!" Li Shizhou thought to himself.

Once he had regained his magical powers, he stood up, ready to probe the walls of the inner chamber to see if he could find a way out.

"Knock knock knock"

Footsteps approached, and the woman in the black dress returned. Li Shizhou quickly prepared his defenses.

Surprisingly, the woman did not make a move after entering, but stared at Li Shizhou expressionlessly without saying a word.

After a brief silence, she parted her red lips and asked, "Boy, what's the name of your dual cultivation technique?"

Li Shizhou was puzzled and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the black aura that had been swirling around the other person's neck had largely dissipated.

Seeing that Li Shizhou did not respond, the woman in the black dress continued, "Do you have a Daoist partner?"

"no."

Li Shizhou felt completely bewildered and said irritably.

Upon hearing this, the woman in the black dress bit her lip lightly, and her gaze towards him became complex, containing both ambiguity and hesitation.

After a dozen or so breaths, she finally said, "Kid, you're lucky. How about we become temporary Daoist partners?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shizhou was taken aback for a moment, and thought to himself, "Could this woman really be a demonic cultivator? She is indeed unconventional and her words and actions cannot be judged by common sense."

To prevent any trickery, he tentatively asked, "What will happen if I don't agree?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a look of surprise flashed in the woman's eyes, and then her small mouth pursed into shame and indignation.

She said, "You're still not happy? I'll lend you my dual cultivation technique to break through your bottleneck. Humph, don't be ungrateful. If you don't agree, you can stay here for the rest of your life. It's obvious you're a rogue cultivator; no one will come to save you."

Li Shizhou was speechless for a moment, unable to think of any rebuttal, since what the other party said was true.

With the formation in place, he could very well be trapped here and die.

"Stop being so indecisive. Whether it's okay or not, if it weren't for the fact that you were considerate of mortals when you set the fire, and that you didn't hurt me when you woke up just now, you probably aren't a truly evil person. Otherwise, I wouldn't even look at you."

"All right."

After a moment's thought, Li Shizhou agreed for the time being, saying they would discuss it further after they were freed.

"That's more like it."

After the woman finished speaking, she took out a pair of blue beads, each only the size of a thumb, and tossed one over.

"What is this?" Li Shizhou dared not take it and used his magic to keep the bead several feet away.

The woman in the black dress rolled her eyes at him and said, "Lianli Pearl, don't you even know this? You and I both refined it. If we have murderous intentions towards our Daoist partners, they will sense it. It can also be used for location tracking and telepathic communication. When I return to my sect in the future, you will have to return it to me."

Li Shizhou had indeed heard of the Lianli Pearl, but this was the first time he had seen the actual object. Its uses were indeed consistent with what the woman in the black dress had said, and its value was no less than that of the Blood Spirit Fruit.

This woman was just casually tossed over like that; her background must be quite extraordinary.

Li Shizhou examined the bead with his divine sense and, finding nothing amiss, began to refine it with a drop of blood.

Seeing this, the woman in the black dress softened her expression considerably and said, "My name is Yu Mengyou. What's your name?"

Li Shizhou gave his name truthfully, and then cautiously asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

Yu Mengyou seemed to be in a good mood at the moment, and answered softly, "Go ahead and ask."

"Just so you know, you can't get angry if I ask."

"Don't worry, I'm very magnanimous and won't hold it against you."

After Yu Mengyou finished speaking, she moved an unbroken chair to the bedside, lifted her skirt, sat down, and stared at him with brimming eyes.

Li Shizhou cleared his throat and said seriously, "May I ask how old you are, Fairy?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Mengyou's expression changed drastically. She stood up abruptly, her almond-shaped eyes wide and her brows furrowed, clearly indicating that she was angry.

She shouted, "Pah! She's an eighteen-year-old beauty, and you dare to call her old? You've got a silver tongue, you're asking for it!"

"Hey, hey, we agreed not to get angry. You keep calling yourself 'older sister,' and you're also an expert in formations. Formations are said to hinder longevity and take a lot of time. It's understandable that I mistakenly thought you were older, right?"

As Li Shizhou spoke, he moved back a little, thinking to himself, "She changes her mind like the wind; you really shouldn't ask a woman's age."

But when he learned that the other person was not even as old as him, a huge weight was lifted from his heart.

Yu Mengyou replied angrily. "Hmph, what's so strange about that? She's a genius in formations. If you talk nonsense again, I'll pinch you."

After she finished speaking, she waved her right hand, and several black array flags flew in from all directions, hovering in her palm.

After removing the formation, Yu Mengyou turned and jogged out of the secret chamber.

Watching the disappearing black figure, Li Shizhou felt a sense of bewilderment: "I actually picked up a Daoist partner just like that, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse."

......

Time flies like an arrow, and half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

At this moment, Li Shizhou was examining the array jade slip he had obtained from Qi Boyuan.

The art of formations is indeed profound and complex. The contents recorded in this jade slip are relatively simple, but when he first saw it, he felt as if it were a book written in the heavens.

Fortunately, I have Yu Mengyou, a genius in formations, to consult.

With a few words of guidance, the previously obscure and difficult parts suddenly became clear.

Li Shizhou's skill in array formations has now been barely considered to be at the beginner level. He can identify most common types of array formations and can also set up array formations using existing array flags and array plates.

Meanwhile, Yu Mengyou continued to live in the same place.

Six months ago, Li Shizhou changed into an extravagantly wealthy outfit, found the madam of Yixiang Pavilion, and gave her a large sum of money.

It was said to be the ransom for the newly arrived courtesan. Because her wife at home was fierce, Yu Mengyou was forced to stay in the building temporarily, and they would come to pick her up in a while.

This sum of money was enough to renovate the main building twice, so the madam had no reason to refuse and bowed and scraped as she presented the indenture.

After that, Li Shizhou frequently visited Yixiang Pavilion, but he only frequented that detached small building.

After six months of dual cultivation, all the yang energy in his body had dissipated, and his cultivation level had increased significantly. With the help of pills, he was now not far from reaching the thirteenth level of Qi Refining.

Furthermore, since I've come to the secular world of the cultivation realm, I should naturally indulge in the pleasures of mortal life.

Every ten days or so, Li Shizhou would go out to wander the streets and alleys, drink wine and tea, taste the flavors of life, and listen to the gossip of ordinary people.

They even discovered several reclusive cultivators within the city, the highest of whom was only at the eighth level of Qi Refining.

These individuals are considered down-on-their-luck cultivators in the cultivation world, but in the secular world, they are all among the wealthiest people in their respective regions.

Although the path to immortality is severed, a peaceful and wealthy life is not difficult.

Moreover, cultivators' bodies are nourished by spiritual energy, making them immune to all diseases. As long as they don't have any hidden injuries, it's common for them to enjoy a carefree life until they are a hundred years old.

Unlike ordinary people, they don't usually suffer from illnesses when they reach their forties or fifties.

If one becomes old and incapacitated, one will have to live at the mercy of one's children and grandchildren.

Few die peacefully in their sleep; many suffer through the years in agony.

After examining the array jade slip in his hand for a while, Li Shizhou got up and left the secret room. Yu Mengyou found the place oppressive, so the two of them always went to Yixiang Pavilion for their dual cultivation.

Donning a black cloak and channeling his magic into his spirit boots, he silently left the Qi family ancestral hall.

It's early spring now, the days are short and the nights are long, and it's already dark outside.

Yixiang Pavilion was right next door. After climbing over the wall and turning a few corners, we arrived at the foot of a separate two-story building.

Li Shizhou looked up and was momentarily stunned.

The candlelight flickered on the window of the small building, casting two figures on it.