C9 Heavenly Queen, Kuan Feifei!

The phrase "suitable for cultivation" instantly invigorated Ke Dong. Immortal cultivation ultimately boiled down to the act of cultivating itself. He hadn't embarked on this path before because he couldn't detect the presence of spiritual energy, rendering any attempt at cultivation fruitless. But now, things were different. With the cultivation interface's official endorsement, how could there be any doubt?

Ke Dong had his own ideas about how to cultivate. Essentially, it involved circulating the Immortal Ascension Formula and drawing in the free-floating spiritual Qi around him. Without a second thought, he sat down cross-legged and began to stimulate the wisp of spiritual Qi within him.

With the cultivation interface guiding him, Ke Dong didn't need to understand the intricacies of the Immortal Ascension Formula. It would all happen automatically; his only job was to focus single-mindedly.

Soon, with the interface's assistance, he could feel the spiritual Qi around him. This Qi began to trickle into his body, transforming into a refreshing coolness that merged with the strand of spiritual Qi within him.

To put it more tangibly, the experience points section of the cultivation interface was steadily climbing. From an initial 100/200, the number began to swell as Ke Dong diligently practiced. In just a matter of minutes, it reached 110.

If he maintained this pace, in about two hours, his experience points would hit 200, signifying a breakthrough to the Second Layer of the Qi Refining Stage.

Ke Dong eagerly anticipated this milestone, demonstrating remarkable patience as he sat for over two hours. Remarkably, he experienced no discomfort during this time; on the contrary, he felt a sense of well-being that surpassed anything he'd felt in his twenty-plus years of life.

After this intensive session, he finally amassed 200 experience points, and a "Level Up" button appeared. Clicking it, the spiritual Qi within him surged, sending waves of coolness throughout his body, fortifying it. Moments later, the coolness coalesced into a significantly stronger strand of spiritual Qi that settled in his dantian, seemingly continuing to circulate.

Checking the cultivation interface once more, he saw the realm column now read "Qi Refining Stage Second Layer," and his experience points reset to 0/400.

Before Ke Dong could fully register the changes from his recent breakthrough, the sound of a door opening caught his attention. To his left, a door had swung open!

Ke Dong was startled. Could he really have stumbled upon someone else in the labyrinth? Recalling Yu Xuan's ordeal, she had encountered Chen Qiang here, which led to her being coerced to follow him. Meeting another person in the maze suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched.

With surprise still etched on his face, Ke Dong leapt to his feet, the Coldsteel Sword ready in his right hand and a sharp stone shard in his left, poised and wary. Only then did he take a good look at the intruder.

A woman stood before him, her figure strikingly curvaceous. Despite the clear panic on her face, her beauty shone through, surpassing Yu Xuan's by far. What's more, she looked vaguely familiar to Ke Dong.

As Ke Dong scrutinized her, she was doing the same to him, gripping a wooden stick, not aimed at him but clearly signaling her anxiety. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, a sign she had just been through a strenuous ordeal.

There's a certain disarming effect that women, especially beautiful ones, can have.

Though still cautious, Ke Dong began to relax his grip on the Coldsteel Sword. "Who are you?" he asked.

The woman looked surprised, "I'm Kuan Feifei. Don't you recognize me?"

Kuan Feifei?

Recognition dawned on Ke Dong. That explained the exceptional beauty and figure; she was the youngest Heavenly Queen. His focus was usually on his work, not the entertainment world, which is why he hadn't recognized her immediately. But he had certainly heard the name Kuan Feifei many times.

Seeing the recognition in Ke Dong's eyes, Kuan Feifei also eased up. "I just ran into a room full of enormous bugs that terrified me. I barely made it out, and now here you are. By the way, what's your name?"

"Ke Dong."

While talking, Ke Dong tucked away the sharp stone in his left hand and glanced at the cultivation interface. The prompts for suitable cultivation had vanished, indicating he had absorbed all the Spiritual Qi in the room.

Kuan Feifei smoothed her hair and offered a smile that put everyone at ease, even inspiring daydreams. "So, Mr. Ke, may I join you in exploring the maze? As a frail girl who couldn't even truss a chicken, I'm afraid I'd have a hard time surviving here. In exchange, I could share some of my food with you."

She produced several bags of snacks from her windbreaker pockets, including soda crackers, chocolate, and dried bayberries.

"I usually pack some snacks when I'm on set. Who knew they'd come in handy here?"

Ke Dong hadn't expected Kuan Feifei, the youngest diva, to be so down-to-earth in his presence, even offering up her precious snacks.

Their journey through the maze was just beginning, and the critical nature of food and water hadn't yet become apparent. But as time ticked by, within a couple of hours at most, everyone would understand the vital importance of these survival necessities. The sight of the snacks certainly piqued Ke Dong's interest.

"Alright, I'll take one of each snack and guide you through the maze. But once we reach the next rest area, you should find another group to join. With your credentials, it shouldn't be difficult to find companions."

Though he wasn't certain if the clearing where he'd encountered Chen Qiang qualified as a rest area, he needed to set clear boundaries with Kuan Feifei to ensure she wouldn't stick with him indefinitely.

It wasn't that Ke Dong disdained Kuan Feifei; he simply wasn't in the headspace for such distractions at the moment.

Kuan Feifei was taken aback by Ke Dong's refusal. Could someone actually resist her allure? Wasn't her status as the youngest diva enough? Was her beauty not compelling enough to sway Ke Dong?

Surprised as she was, Kuan Feifei kept her composure, maintaining her smile. "Very well, I appreciate your willingness to look out for me. These three bags of snacks are yours. I hope we can support each other and tackle any challenges that come our way during our exploration."

Accepting the snacks, Ke Dong's demeanor toward Kuan Feifei softened slightly. It seemed that the diva, adorned with innumerable accolades, was indeed quite approachable.

Certainly, Kuan Feifei was easy to get along with, but she never let go of the wooden stick she was holding, not even when passing snacks to Ke Dong. She used her left hand, a clear sign she maintained a deep caution towards him.

Ke Dong was well aware of Kuan Feifei's subtle defenses, but he wasn't bothered by them. All that mattered to him was that she didn't become a liability when it really counted.

"We've dealt with a vine monster in this room; it's dead. Time to head to the next room. There are two doors left, one ahead and one to the right. Which do you think we should choose?"

"The right," Kuan Feifei suggested after a brief pause, adding, "I feel it's somewhat safer."

"Alright, we'll take the one in front," Ke Dong decided with a nod.

"Why?" Kuan Feifei asked, puzzled. If Ke Dong had already decided, why bother asking her opinion?

"No particular reason. It's just what I'm used to," he replied.