C22 Breakthrough!!

Wang Mingzhu inadvertently brushed against a tile while shifting her position.

"Ah, no! I'm going to be found out!" she thought in a panic.

She swiftly rose to her feet, ready to dash back to her courtyard. But before she could muster her spiritual energy...

Wang Feng's voice called out.

"Who's there? Come down!"

"Run!" Wang Mingzhu was about to blend into the night's shadows.

"Come down here!" Wang Feng, shaking off his fatigue, peered up at the rooftop.

He leapt up, reaching out to grab Wang Mingzhu's sleeve.

Wang Mingzhu struggled, knowing she could escape since their powers differed by four stars.

Yet, she was there to confront Wang Feng about the Spiritplum he had given her as a gift.

How did he come by such a valuable item?

After all, at the Obsidian Market, a Spiritplum had fetched an astronomical price of ten million gold coins!

"Where did Wang Feng get this magic fruit? Did he do something wrong? I hope he wasn't swindled," Wang Mingzhu fretted.

Wang Feng seized the sleeve of the figure in purple and deftly pinned it beneath him.

"Who are you? Speak up! Why are you spying on me?" he demanded.

The figure in purple remained silent, not uttering a word, silently enduring Wang Feng's interrogation.

"Fine, then I'll just remove your mask and see for myself who you are," Wang Feng declared.

He pulled off the purple scarf, and upon seeing the face beneath, he was taken aback.

"Wang Feng: "Jiujiu, is that you? Why are you here?"

Wang Mingzhu: "Brother Wang Feng, it's me, Jiujiu!"

Realizing the small gift he had given to Wang Mingzhu might be the cause of her unease, Wang Feng felt a wave of understanding. Perhaps that's why she had come to seek him out in the dead of night.

Holding the Spiritplum Wang Feng had given her, Wang Mingzhu confronted him, "How did you come to have this? Are you keeping something from me?"

Wang Feng gave a rueful smile and said, "What could I possibly hide from you?"

Wang Mingzhu retorted, "What could you hide from me? What do you think?"

Wang Feng readied his previously concocted excuse. "Actually, this Spiritplum was given to me by my master. He's a distinguished alchemist!"

Wang Mingzhu, noticing Wang Feng's shifty demeanor, instantly knew he was lying to her.

So, Wang Mingzhu simply smiled and fixed her gaze on Wang Feng with widened eyes, remaining silent as she waited for his response.

Having grown up together, Wang Feng knew Wang Mingzhu well, despite being three years her senior. Yet, when it came to emotional intelligence, Wang Mingzhu far surpassed him. She understood him better than he could ever understand her. Wang Feng chalked it up to the old saying: "A woman's heart is as unfathomable as the ocean's depths!"

Wang Feng and Wang Mingzhu remained at an impasse on the rooftop until a chilly breeze swept through, snapping them both out of their standoff.

Wang Feng broke the silence, "I'll tell you the truth. The Spiritplum is mine. I won it at the Obsidian Market auction."

"Bought it?" Wang Mingzhu questioned.

"Absolutely," Wang Feng affirmed.

"How could that be? Where would you get that kind of money?" Wang Mingzhu probed.

Wang Feng hinted, "You must remember the buzz around the Obsidian Market about the enigmatic alchemist, right?"

"Of course, I remember!" Wang Mingzhu exclaimed.

With that, she playfully smacked Wang Feng on the head and inquired, "Could it be?" as she looked at him expectantly.

Wang Feng, rubbing his head, protested, "Ouch, don't hit my head, that hurts!"

"Have you forgotten about Lee, who used to work with us?" he reminded her.

"Lee?" Wang Mingzhu echoed, puzzled.

Patting Wang Mingzhu on the head, Wang Feng enlightened her, "Silly girl, Lee is that very alchemist! Don't tell me you've forgotten how he cured Deng Chanyu's peculiar illness?"

Annoyed, Wang Mingzhu's cheeks puffed out as she swatted away Wang Feng's hand from her head, declaring, "You're the fool! And don't you dare call me 'silly girl' ever again!"

"Yes, yes, I won't mention it again," Wang Feng said, waving his hand dismissively and shrugging his shoulders.

"So, it turns out you're the enigmatic alchemist who doesn't even know how to concoct potions!"

Wang Feng nodded affirmatively. "Indeed, you're incredibly perceptive!"

Wang Mingzhu let out a playful giggle and playfully smacked Wang Feng on the head. "Don't think I can't tell when you're being sarcastic."

"Hmph!"

"Alright, I forgive you. Go on with your cultivation. Since you've given me this Spiritplum, I'll gladly accept it without any reservations!"

"Sure, go ahead and leave first," Wang Feng replied. "The sooner you use the Spiritplum, the sooner you can elevate your martial arts realm." Wang Mingzhu said, "Brother Feng, you need to hasten your own progress in the martial arts realm too! I'm still waiting for you to marry me! If you remain behind me in realm for a lifetime, how will I ever get married? You made a promise to me, remember?"

Wang Feng held his forehead in embarrassment. "How can she remember that so vividly?"

Hearing Wang Feng's words, Wang Mingzhu obediently turned and walked away into the quiet of the night, her purple dress immaculate.

Wang Feng, too, returned to his abode to continue his cultivation.

He was curious to see if he could break through to the Blademaster with three stars without relying on the Spiritplum. His foundation had been enhanced by the medicinal concoctions Lee had administered, giving him a naturally stronger constitution than most martial cultivators. Not every martial artist had access to the Celestial Nine Revolution Technique, which Wang Feng practiced to fortify his body.

Wang Feng laid out the Diagram of Cosmic Union beneath him, and the Yin and Yang fish began to weave into his bones and meridians as he cultivated.

Countless streams of Yin and Yang Qi swirled around him, spinning faster and faster.

Wang Feng channeled the spiritual energy throughout his body, drawing in the ambient Qi from the surroundings into a stream as thick as a rope, flowing as naturally and smoothly as a river into the sea.

As the spiritual energy river grew, its currents surged through his bloodstream, and before him, he could see the gateway at the wind's apex.

Every breakthrough for a martial artist was akin to opening a door, and within each realm, there were nine such thresholds to cross.

Over time, Wang Feng increasingly absorbed the Yin and Yang energies within his body.

This influx of energy surged, acting as a battering ram against the door he sought to break through.

With each impact, Wang Feng's expression grew numb, his sweat drying upon his face.

Yet, despite the relentless onslaught, he had not achieved a breakthrough. Nevertheless, the impacts were not without effect.

For instance, a tiny crack had appeared on the door, which continued to widen with every strike.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Feng redoubled his efforts to widen the breach.

Then, with a sharp snap, the door flung open!

"Wang Feng has advanced! And crucially, he did it without the aid of the Spiritplum!"