"No need, no need."
"Yes, yes, you should take it."
Seeing Lin Xuan and Han Ying'er still politely refusing each other, Qin San grew impatient once again.
"Just take it when it's given to you."
Qin San shoved the treasure into Lin Xuan's hands and, without another word, dragged Han Ying'er into Room 6.
Zhuo Mingyuan and Yuan Jie entered Room 5, curious to see if the so-called cultivation array was truly as miraculous as it was said to be.
Li Siyi, unable to wait any longer, pulled Su Luo into Room 1 before he could even react.
Seeing everyone else make their choices, Lin Xuan casually picked Room 7.
Inside Room 1:
Once inside, Li Siyi looked around. The room was extremely simple, with nothing but the array beneath their feet.
"Nothing special here. Can it really speed up cultivation by twenty times?"
"Try it and you'll know," Su Luo replied, already accustomed to such things.
"Fair enough."
Li Siyi held Su Luo's hand, sat down cross-legged, and began cultivating.
Su Luo followed suit, knowing that dual cultivation required effort from both parties.
In an instant, the surrounding spiritual energy rapidly condensed and flowed into Su Luo and Li Siyi's bodies.
The energy didn't immediately refine itself within them but instead circulated between the two along a specific path.
"I can feel it! This speed is unimaginable!"
For the first time, Li Siyi felt her cultivation progress so clearly, far exceeding her expectations.
What's more, the spiritual energy flowing from Su Luo felt warm and dense, making it easy to lose herself in the process.
Su Luo, however, wasn't as impressed. Since he started keeping a diary, he hadn't cultivated much. Even with the twentyfold increase, the progress felt mediocre to him.
"Su Luo, are you really at the Qi Refining stage? It doesn't feel like it to me."
While cultivating together, Li Siyi could clearly sense that Su Luo's spiritual energy was unusual.
"Yes, I'm at Qi Refining," Su Luo insisted.
"Come on, tell me secretly. I'll keep it to myself."
"Qi Refining is Qi Refining."
Even if you have evidence, I won't admit it—Su Luo was determined to stay stubborn.
"Fine, don't tell me then. Let's focus on cultivating."
Li Siyi stopped talking and concentrated on her cultivation, though her grip on Su Luo's hand tightened slightly.
Meanwhile, in Room 6:
At first, Han Ying'er thought it was amazing. Her cultivation speed had skyrocketed, and the effects were truly noticeable.
But soon, the speed began to drop, and her body started feeling unwell.
Dizziness, nausea, and weakness—no one should experience such symptoms while cultivating.
The same thing was happening to Qin San.
After an hour, Han Ying'er was feeling terrible.
"Qin San, I can't take it anymore. I need to step out for some air."
"Alright."
Even Qin San couldn't endure it any longer.
However, once he let go of Han Ying'er's hand, he felt better. His cultivation speed gradually increased and stabilized at around three to four times the normal rate.
Though it wasn't the initial twentyfold increase, it was still an improvement. This left Qin San puzzled.
When Han Ying'er stepped outside to catch her breath, she noticed that they were the only ones having such issues.
Everyone else was cultivating without any signs of discomfort.
She observed that Su Luo and Li Siyi were in the best condition, while Zhuo Mingyuan and Yuan Jie were also doing fine.
Even Lin Xuan, cultivating alone, was fully immersed in the process.
No one else seemed to experience the problems she and Qin San were facing.
Perplexed, Han Ying'er wondered if she should try cultivating with Lin Xuan instead.
But thinking of Qin San, she hesitated and returned to continue cultivating with him.
"You're back. How are you feeling?" Qin San asked with concern.
"Much better. Let's continue."
The first day of array cultivation came to an end.
Beneath the array, a pair of eyes opened once more, followed by a low murmur.
"The number is correct, and they've started using the array. Perfect. The faster they cultivate, the sooner I can emerge."
On the second day, cultivation continued. With such an opportunity, no one wanted to waste a single moment.
But Su Luo had other thoughts.
While the increased cultivation speed was beneficial, it also made him more prone to fatigue.
"Alright, we've been cultivating for a while now. Let's take a break."
"Are you giving up already?"
"What are you talking about? I said rest, not giving up!"
"Oh."
"Fine, if that's how it is, I'll have to show you my true strength. Let's keep going."
Su Luo and Li Siyi continued their cultivation diligently, their hands never parting since the previous day.
Zhuo Mingyuan and Yuan Jie, on the other hand, weren't as intense. They occasionally took breaks to step outside, especially Yuan Jie, who preferred cultivating in a comfortable state.
Qin San and Han Ying'er, however, were struggling.
They would have been better off cultivating separately.
This was natural—Qin San's foundational cultivation technique was a demonic path method. Despite his efforts to conceal it, its essence remained incompatible with Han Ying'er's orthodox path.
But Qin San refused to admit this incompatibility. Determined to prove himself, he endured the discomfort and insisted on dual cultivation.
Han Ying'er had no choice but to go along with it.
However, after an hour of cultivation, she would step out to catch her breath.
As for Lin Xuan, even though he was alone, he never stopped cultivating. Every time Han Ying'er saw him, she felt inspired not to give up.
So, despite the discomfort, she continued trying to make the most of the array with Qin San.
A twentyfold increase in speed—settling for three to four times felt like a waste.
But after a day, Han Ying'er began to feel lost. The discomfort was overwhelming.
Unconsciously, she found herself outside Lin Xuan's room.
"Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Lin Xuan noticed her presence and asked.
Han Ying'er sighed and confided, "Qin San and I are having some issues with our dual cultivation."
"What kind of issues?"
"It's just... it feels unbearable. But Zhuo Mingyuan and the others don't seem to have this problem."
"I wouldn't know. I've always cultivated alone."
"Exactly."
Han Ying'er took Lin Xuan's hand and began cultivating.
But the next second, she pulled her hand back.
What was this?
The feeling was completely different—not worse, but actually pleasant.
This startled her into retreating.
"What's wrong?" Lin Xuan, having never dual-cultivated before, had no frame of reference and was completely unaware of any issues.
"Let's try again."
Hearing Han Ying'er's words, Lin Xuan suddenly remembered Qin San. Knowing Qin San's temperament, the consequences of him finding out about this were unthinkable.
"Isn't this inappropriate? If Qin San finds out..."
Lin Xuan didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
Han Ying'er thought for a moment and sighed. "You're right. I should go back."
Seeing her slightly dejected expression, Lin Xuan grabbed her hand.
What does Qin San matter? What do I owe him? If anything, he owes me—threatening me once, trying to teach me a lesson another time.
"Let's give it a try."