Late at night.
Master bedroom.
“Ahhhh! Lao Su, our son really turned into a girl! Ahhhh, what do we do?!” Yu Xiaowen gripped her husband’s arm and shook it frantically.
“You seemed pretty calm earlier,” Su Wenjun remarked coolly.
“That was an act! I couldn’t let the kids worry, especially since they’re already together. I just…”
Su Wenjun patted her hand reassuringly. “It’s not a big deal. No matter what, they’re still the same two people. It’s not that absurd, right?”
“But have you thought about it? In the future, Xiao Mo might get pregnant… Just thinking about it is terrifying!”
“Ah, let the kids handle their own business. Us meddling will only make things harder for them.” Su Wenjun seemed remarkably unfazed, though he was clearly holding back his own concerns.
Then, abruptly, he changed the subject. “Xiaowen, let’s have another child.”
Yu Xiaowen: “???”
“Look, Xiao Mo’s all grown up, and we’re barely forty. Plus, you’ve been eating those fruits he gave you—we’re practically as good as people in their twenties. What do you think?”
Yu Xiaowen didn’t respond, but two faint blushes had already crept onto her cheeks.
“Tsk tsk, still shy after all these years of marriage?” Su Wenjun teased. Ignoring his wife’s flustered punches, he reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”
Bed: Creak creak…
(Content nobody wants to see has been omitted for your convenience.)
…..
Meanwhile, the Special Operations Group chat was buzzing with activity.
A-Kun: “@Yixi Happy New Year, boss! Here’s to a prosperous year!”
Marshal: “@Yixi Wishing you wealth and fortune, boss!”
Veteran Driver: “@Yixi Happy New Year, boss!”
Yi-E-Ye: “@Yixi Just here to wish you a happy New Year—nothing else intended. [Smirk]”
Si-Wu-Su: “I second that!”
Week Eight: “Same here!”
Yi-Ge: “Same here!”
…
After this pack of “weasels” finished their New Year’s greetings, the “chicken” of the group, Commander Yang, finally made an appearance.
Yixi: “Same to you.”
Yixi: [Red envelope: “Congratulations and prosperity—claim if you dare.”]
Five seconds later, the screen displayed: “Red envelopes have all been claimed.”
A-Kun: “@Prince Hehehe…”
Marshal: “@Prince Hehehe…”
Yi-Ge: “@Prince Hehehe…”
No Cultivation Today: “@Prince Hehehe…”
…
Prince: [Happy New Year]
Prince: “The luckiest one sends the next one.”
…
Yixi: [Happy New Year]
Yixi: “The luckiest one sends the next one.”
…
Yixi: [Happy New Year]
Yixi: “The luckiest one sends the next one.”
…
Su Mo lay on his bed, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. He never expected Yang Jie to keep ending up as the luckiest one every single time.
You could say he’s lucky—but then again, he’s always the one sending the red envelopes. But if you say he’s unlucky… he still keeps winning the top spot.
…..
A little past 2 a.m., Su Mo set his phone aside and began his cultivation.
His Qi Sea had expanded significantly since its initial formation, with nearly a quarter of it now liquefied—a sign that he had reached the mid-stage of the Qi Sea realm.
The official classification in Xia divided the Qi Sea realm into three phases: early, mid, and late-stage.
-
Early-stage spanned from the initial opening of the Qi Sea to the formation of the first drop of liquefied spiritual energy—a transitional period that could take mere days for those with exceptional talent and comprehension.
-
Mid-stage was the most time-consuming and labor-intensive, as advancing to the late-stage required complete liquefaction of the Qi Sea.
“Complete liquefaction” didn’t mean every wisp of spiritual energy had to be liquid—after all, newly absorbed energy from the environment was always gaseous and required time to condense. The key was maintaining a delicate balance between intake and liquefaction speed.
This equilibrium, known as dynamic balance, ensured that the rate of energy absorption roughly matched the rate of liquefaction. Any imbalance—too fast or too slow—would hinder progress.
Su Mo was currently in the full-speed liquefaction phase, where he could focus solely on condensing energy without worrying about equilibrium.
Honestly, his current speed was already impressive. If he maintained this pace, he could achieve full liquefaction in less than six months.
After his battle in Xingcheng—where he killed Aude and captured a hundred members of the Black Dragon Gang—he had inadvertently triggered the Water of the Internal Organs, causing the jade seed of the water attribute to show signs of formation. If not for the complexity of seeding both kidneys, he might have already succeeded.
Once that happened, his cultivation speed would only accelerate.
As for the late-stage, it involved forming “ice chunks” within the Qi Sea after establishing dynamic balance—a process that demanded extreme finesse. Some spent their entire lives failing to achieve it, while others succeeded in mere months.
Su Mo sat cross-legged on the bed, his body drawing in spiritual energy like a whale inhaling the ocean. A faint glow shimmered beneath his fair skin, making him look almost ethereal.
He didn’t notice the doorknob turning.
He didn’t notice Ye Qingyi entering and sitting beside him, silently watching his face with admiration.
“As expected of the person I love… so impressive.” She grinned like a lovestruck fool.
In her eyes, an A-grade aptitude was strong—but not this strong.
Even with a D-grade body, Su Mo’s combat prowess could intimidate most C-grades. It wasn’t just raw talent but his insight, courage, and sheer willpower that set him apart.
Of course, opportunities played a role too—things like the Tetanus Blade and Rage Mantra weren’t things one could obtain through comprehension alone.
“Obviously.” Su Mo’s lips curled as his cultivation abruptly halted.
“Hey! Weren’t you meditating? How can you just stop like that?” Ye Qingyi pouted, feigning annoyance.
“Can’t help it. My spiritual senses are naturally strong—even while cultivating, I can still perceive everything around me, including what you say.”
“Wow, you’re amazing!” She clapped excitedly.
Su Mo accepted her praise—whether sincere or teasing—with a sweetness bubbling in his chest. “Speaking of which, how’s your cultivation coming along?”
“Not bad. About a tenth of my Qi Sea has liquefied.”
“That fast?”
“Of course.” She nodded, then tilted her head. “Honestly, I’m starting to doubt whether your so-called F-grade body is real. How are you progressing so quickly?”
“See? The test must’ve been wrong. There’s no way I’m that weak.”
Though he said it jokingly, Ye Qingyi couldn’t help but agree.
Who had ever heard of an F-grade cultivator reaching D-grade in just half a year? That kind of progress rivaled—no, surpassed—even B-grade prodigies.
“Do you think… maybe your constitution is just special? Something ordinary tests can’t detect?” She narrowed her eyes playfully. “Heh, protagonist-tier cheat, huh? Too bad it’s mine now.”
Su Mo remained unfazed. “I’m just lending you my precious body for now. I’ll take it back eventually.”
“Lending?” Ye Qingyi huffed indignantly. “I haven’t even used it properly yet!”
Suddenly, a faint creak… creak… sound drifted in from outside, accompanied by… unusual noises. A quick listen confirmed it was coming from the master bedroom.
They exchanged glances, both faces flushing red with embarrassment before hurriedly looking away.
(•ω• ٥)