Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

"My old friend, please save my master, she's dying."

The newcomer didn't speak, but glanced at Yu Luoning on the bed, his brows furrowing into a deep knot.

"This is utter nonsense! Who told her to cultivate like this? A mortal body daring to forcibly absorb two thousand high-grade spirit stones is practically suicide!"

Even so, his movements were extremely fast. He raised his right hand, joined two fingers together, and a warm spiritual energy enveloped Yu Luoning.

The spiritual energy that had been raging wildly within Yu Luoning's body suddenly became incredibly docile.

It returned to its proper place along the correct spiritual path.

Yu Luoning's pale face recovered at a visible speed, and the cracks on her body slowly healed.

Just as her divine sense was about to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, a majestic voice suddenly rang out from the depths of her sea of ​​consciousness.

"Little girl, don't be greedy. Your foundation is unstable. If you force yourself to advance, I won't be able to save you."

Yu Luoning suddenly focused her consciousness, forcibly suppressing the urge to continue advancing.

With a loud boom, a profound sound exploded in her mind. From the eighth level of Qi Refining to the ninth level, she actually reached the tenth level of Qi Refining.

The Great Perfection of Qi Refining!

Once the barrier was firmly in place and no longer wavered, Yu Luoning finally collapsed and fainted.

A gigantic beast vaguely appeared in her mind.

It's a street cleaner.

It was no longer that slippery, ugly fish monster, but a black dragon that hovered in the void, its breath causing tides to rise and fall.

It gently pressed one of its paws on Yu Luoning's dantian, helping her stabilize her tenth-layered Qi Refining foundation, which was on the verge of collapse.

Inside the room, Cheng Min stared at Yu Luoning with the look of someone looking at a monster.

He arrived just in time and helped her suppress the out-of-control spiritual power. Logically, she should only be able to stay at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

How did your cultivation level suddenly reach the tenth level of Qi Refining?

Even if you pile up spirit stones, most of the spiritual energy absorbed and converted from the spirit stones will dissipate.

She actually achieved 90%?

Stroking her beard, Cheng Min's eyes flashed with surprise. Just as she was about to think about it, she suddenly noticed a golden light flash across Yu Luoning's chest.

The light vanished in an instant, but he saw it clearly: it was a scale, attached to her chest near her heart.

At this moment, the scales were still emitting a faint glow, helping to stabilize her foundation.

Cheng Min was highly skilled in cultivation. He spent a long time calculating with his fingers, but he still couldn't figure out the origin of this heart-protecting scale.

After a long silence, he looked at the unconscious Yu Luoning again, his eyes filled with something indescribable.

This little girl has more treasures hidden on her than he imagined.

Any one of these items could cause quite a stir.

Fortunately, he is an upright person.

Even if I'm tempted, I wouldn't go so far as to steal something from a younger person.

Out of respect for this stinky rat, Cheng Min clasped her hands together and actually set up a formation for Yu Luoning. The formation could just hide the aura of the treasures on Yu Luoning's body, such as the heart-protecting scale on her chest and several magical treasures in her spiritual sea.

After doing all this, he withdrew his hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"That's interesting."

Having said that, he was preparing to depart through the air.

The mouse quickly followed, stood at his feet, crossed its paws, and bowed deeply to Cheng Min: "Old friend, thank you very much."

Cheng Min glanced down at it: "Following her is your good fortune."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "You little mouse have suffered a lot over the years."

The mouse raised its eyes, and its round eyes seemed to glisten with tears. It didn't say anything.

Cheng Min didn't say anything more. Her figure merged into the barrier and disappeared without a sound.

Mouse was left alone in the room again.

It stood still, glanced at the unconscious Yu Luoning, jumped onto the bed, lifted a corner of the blanket, and tucked it in for her.

Then it jumped back onto the table, curled up into a ball again, and continued to guard it.

……

When Yu Luoning woke up, it was already the afternoon of the third day.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed into the room through the window, turning the floor a warm orange hue.

She propped herself up, slowly sat up, rubbed her sore neck, and felt a blank in her mind.

The mouse jumped in from behind the screen with delight, its face full of surprise:

"Young master, you're finally awake."

Yu Luoning pressed her throbbing temples, her voice hoarse: "How much time has passed?"

"Three days."

Upon hearing this, Yu Luoning frowned.

Strange! My memories of cultivation are hazy and confused.

She only remembered taking out two thousand high-grade spirit stones, originally intending to break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining, and then she knew nothing more.

She lowered her head and sensed the spiritual energy within her body.

She was stunned to find that she had actually reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

Yu Luoning clutched her chest; the protective scales were still there, pressed tightly against her heart.

She vaguely remembered having a dream while she was unconscious, in which a huge black dragon was hovering in the void.

Its scales are jet black, and its breath can cause tidal surges.

Could these scales not be fish scales, but dragon scales?

Yu Luoning's expression was inscrutable.

The cleaner's identity is probably not simple.

What incredible luck she has! A simple teleportation technique led her to accidentally meet such a terrifying being.

Yu Luoning snapped out of her reverie and looked at the treasure-hunting rat: "Rat, what happened these past three days? Do you know how I managed to break through to the Great Perfection realm?"

The mouse looked at Yu Luoning, then lowered its head, rubbed its pink paws, and looked like it wanted to say something but couldn't.

What should we do? Should we tell our master?

In fact, the sect leader was its close friend despite their age difference.

To be honest, it never really wanted to come to Dongbao Shangzong because it didn't want to run into certain people.

In short, he had been struggling for years without achieving anything significant, his cultivation level hadn't improved much, and he had even ended up as an accomplice to ghost cultivators, making him too ashamed to face anyone.

Yu Luoning: "Can't I even tell you?"

The mouse sighed deeply, its face showing signs of weariness.

"Master, your body simply cannot withstand the spiritual power of two thousand spirit stones that you risked absorbing. At this critical moment, I have no choice but to ask my old friend from the Dongbao Sect for help."

Yu Luoning became alert. "An old friend of the Dongbao Upper Sect? You know people here?"

"I told you before that I spent thirty years in the library of a sect, and this is what it is."

Yu Luoning: "So your background is that impressive too. Then how did you end up in such a miserable state? An accomplice of ghost cultivators?"

The treasure-hunting rat covered its face with its two paws and let out a heavy sigh.

"It's a long story." It lowered its paw, its expression carrying a hint of melancholy that it was unwilling to recall. "I was doing just fine in the library, enjoying the scent of ink and carving spiritual characters. Life was quite comfortable. But then that year, the elder of the library was replaced. The new one didn't like me and kicked me out."

Yu Luoning remained silent for a moment.

"Who is that person?"

The treasure-hunting rat clearly didn't want to mention that name, and began rubbing its paws together again. "That person holds a high position in the Eastern Treasure Sect, I can't afford to offend him, and besides..."

It paused, lowered its voice, and said, "If he finds out I'm back, who knows what will happen."

Yu Luoning glanced at it and nodded. "He is your enemy, so he is my enemy. Don't worry, I'll remember this."

She paused for a moment, then said, "I know exactly how much favor you did to save me this time."

The treasure-hunting rat waved its hands repeatedly, its claws moving rapidly. "Master, please don't say that. Master treats me well, so naturally I will protect you with my life. It's only right, not a favor."

It kept babbling on and on, and Yu Luoning didn't interrupt it. She just leaned against the headboard and listened, the corners of her mouth slowly curving up.

This little mouse is timid and opportunistic, but when it comes to a critical moment, it goes to get help without hesitation.

Yu Luoning reached into her Qiankun bag, took out a few pills, and handed them to Shushu.

"Eat!"

The mouse stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"What...what should we do?"

"Don't want it? If you don't want it, I'll take it back..."

"want!"

The mouse jumped up, quickly pried open Yu Luoning's fingers, and hurriedly stuffed the pill into its mouth, its cheeks bulging instantly, afraid that Yu Luoning would change its mind.

Yu Luoning looked at it and couldn't help but smile.