One must persist in practicing the 115 cultivation techniques.

For some time afterward, Qin Yue entered seclusion to refine Blazing Moon, while Luo Yu and Luo Li discussed how to forge the Reincarnation Magnetic Silver. In the end, they decided to make it into a luminous mirror.

During Qin Yue’s retreat, Sun Wuming, whom they had not seen for quite some time, came by for a visit.

When Luo Yu arrived at the Tyrant Armory, he saw a hunched, stooped fellow drooling over a row of exquisite magical artifacts on the shelves.

He crept up behind Sun Wuming and suddenly shouted, “Senior Sun!”

The monkey spirit nearly stumbled in fright.

When Sun Wuming turned and saw Luo Yu, he hurriedly said, “Ah, it’s Fellow Daoist Luo! And please, don’t call me Senior. I absolutely cannot accept such an honor!”

Luo Yu grinned. “A senior is a senior. Do you think I could possibly be older than you?”

Sun Wuming said awkwardly, “That may be true, but according to the rules of the cultivation world, I’m the one who ought to call you senior. If word gets out, people will mock me behind my back. Hehe, just call me Old Sun.”

“Very well,” Luo Yu said. “From now on, I’ll call you Brother Sun.”

He then invited Sun Wuming into the sitting room and had a servant bring them some spirit tea.

“Brother Sun, are you here to buy a magical artifact? I’ll have them give you half off.”

Sun Wuming hurriedly swallowed the tea in his mouth. “No, no.”

He set down his cup and pulled a large bundle from his Cosmic Pouch.

“I recently found some spirit fruits with an excellent flavor. I remembered that you enjoy them, so I saved a portion for you.”

Luo Yu felt somewhat moved. Although his own household had spirit fruits in abundance and such things were no longer rare to him, Sun Wuming had remembered this after so long. That alone was truly difficult to come by.

Luo Yu hesitated. “That’s quite a lot. I know you’re a wandering cultivator without a cave dwelling of your own, so you can’t grow them yourself. You went through all that trouble to find them, only to give them to me. Are you really willing to part with them?”

His words struck Sun Wuming where it hurt.

Why had he come bearing gifts? Naturally, he wanted something.

The last time he had visited, it had also been with spirit fruits, because he had needed help obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill. At that time, he had only recently established his foundation and had failed to see through Luo Yu and Qin Yue’s cultivation. He had assumed that the two were merely a little stronger than himself.

Later, however, rumors had spread through the cultivation world that the owner of the Tyrant Armory was a Core Formation cultivator with a mysterious great sect supporting him. Qin Yue in particular was said to have destroyed the ancestor of the Scarlet Emperor Palace with a casual gesture, leaving the palace too frightened to utter a word.

The story had spread like wildfire. Some busybodies had even given Qin Yue the title “Flame Dragon Demon Lord,” claiming that he was ruthless, merciless, and unfathomably powerful. The rumors had been told with such vivid detail that no one could simply dismiss them as a joke.

Sun Wuming had been left utterly stunned. No one knew better than he did that only a few years earlier, the two of them had been nothing more than insignificant Qi Refinement cultivators. Their cultivation had advanced so rapidly that they must possess some unknown secret.

Yet they had dared to openly seek revenge at the Scarlet Emperor Palace, which clearly meant that they had already grown powerful enough to be certain no one could do anything to them.

The two were not yet fifty years old, yet their lifespans extended to five hundred years. With so much time ahead of them, entering the Nascent Soul Realm would probably not be difficult.

If anyone harbored ill intentions toward them and even one of the two escaped, that person would surely suffer disastrous consequences hundreds of years later.

By comparison, Sun Wuming was still in the early Foundation Establishment stage. Though he was not far from the middle stage and had advanced somewhat faster than ordinary cultivators, he would probably need at least another decade of arduous cultivation before breaking through.

Although Luo Yu and Qin Yue were now lofty Core Formation cultivators, Sun Wuming felt that they were loyal and trustworthy. They would never share their secrets with him, but if he could build a good relationship with them, perhaps he might still gain some benefit.

There was an old saying that when one person attained the Dao, even his pets and poultry would rise with him. If they eventually took this monkey along, perhaps his own prospects would improve as well.

With such hopeful thoughts, he had come to try his luck.

Sun Wuming hesitated for a while before saying, “To be honest, I am reluctant to give away so many. The truth is, I’ve come to ask you for a favor.”

“Oh? What is it?” Luo Yu asked.

Sun Wuming stammered for a long moment before saying, “You know my circumstances. Thanks to you two, I managed to establish my foundation. My strength is at least respectable now, so I was wondering whether I might find some work at your shop. Do you still need anyone?”

Luo Yu was stunned.

So he had come looking for a job.

The shop’s attendants were all beautiful young women from the demon race. Putting an old man like this among them would be rather incongruous.

After thinking it over, Luo Yu decided that although Sun Wuming was somewhat slippery, he was still discreet. At least regarding the Foundation Establishment Pill, he had never caused them any trouble.

From the way he had just insisted on calling Luo Yu “senior,” he had probably already realized that Luo Yu had reached the Core Formation stage. This secret could not be hidden from him, and they could hardly kill him merely to silence him.

It would indeed be better to keep him close and assign him some suitable work.

“Most of the shop positions are already filled,” Luo Yu said. “Do you have any other special skills?”

Sun Wuming thought for a moment before replying hesitantly, “I don’t care much for fighting. Usually, I enjoy searching for spirit fruits. But I do have some unique expertise in brewing spirit wine.”

Luo Yu’s eyes brightened. “You’re skilled at brewing spirit wine?”

Seeing that there was hope, Sun Wuming hurriedly said, “Indeed. I’ve traveled all over these past few decades, and wherever I went, I always sought out the local famous wines to taste and study. Naturally, my brewing skills are extraordinary. Have you ever noticed that my cultivation is just a little faster than that of others at the same level? Hehe! To tell you the truth, it’s all because of the wonders of the spirit wine I brew. Of course, compared with you and Fellow Daoist Qin, my abilities are still far inferior.”

“Excellent!” Luo Yu said happily. “Then I’ll hire you to brew wine. It will mainly be for my grandfather and family, though I’ll also use it as a reward for my subordinates and employees.”

The weight on Sun Wuming’s heart immediately lifted.

“In that case, we’ll need to find a place to establish an orchard.”

“We already have one,” Luo Yu said. “It happened to produce a crop of early-ripening spirit fruits these past few years, and there are more than we can eat. I’ve been too busy to learn how to process them, while my grandfather is an ordinary mortal and cannot do it. I was just worrying that they would go to waste.”

Sun Wuming was overjoyed. “Where is the orchard? Take me there and let me have a look!”

“No problem. I’ll leave the orchard in your care!”

Luo Yu took Sun Wuming to the rear courtyard. A teleportation array had been established there as well, allowing the demon-race girls to return conveniently to the Heaven-Defying Palace. The location of their home remained a secret and had never been revealed to the cultivation world.

Sun Wuming could not recognize the teleportation array at all. Only after Luo Yu urged him to step inside did he discover its purpose, and he immediately found Luo Yu and Qin Yue even more mysterious than before.

The array led to the mountain gate of the Heaven-Defying Palace. Luo Yu brought Sun Wuming inside, assigned him a room, registered him, and issued him a waist token. He then led him to the Orchard of a Hundred Fragrances.

Sun Wuming was first stunned by the scenery within the array. Then he saw one exquisite Xi Rang orchard after another, along with the vast variety of spirit fruits growing inside.

He was even more excited than when he had received the Foundation Establishment Pill—by a hundredfold. Bursts of cackling laughter poured from him, and he danced about so wildly that he could rival the famous scholar Fan Jin upon passing the imperial examination.

No sooner had Sun Wuming been settled than one of Luo Yu’s subordinates arrived with a report: the Transcendent Research Institute was requesting more little ghosts for study.

Luo Yu thought it over. Although the immortal herbs they had brought back numbered several hundred, it was still utterly unrealistic to hope that such a small quantity could improve the entire living environment.

The immortal herbs had been sealed away in the Heavenly Court for thousands of years, yet their spiritual energy content was still inferior to that of the Heaven-Defying Palace and Nine Yin Mountain. It was impossible not to feel disappointed.

Still, something was better than nothing. Perhaps they could send the institute some low-grade spirit-herb seedlings to study first and see whether the researchers could discover a method of increasing their reproduction. If they succeeded, the immortal herbs could be tested afterward.

The True Immortal Flying Feather once again hurried to the Transcendent Research Institute.

Zhuang Feitao, who had been in his late twenties several years before, was now in his thirties and appeared much more mature.

After speaking with him for a while, Luo Yu learned that the little ghost was on the verge of exhausting its yin energy and showed signs of disappearing. He therefore exchanged it for several other little ghosts and brought it back.

He also took the opportunity to ask about the research progress. The Other Shore Group had made substantial advances and could now use instruments to scan the souls within ordinary human bodies.

Although Luo Yu did not find the achievement especially impressive, he still praised them generously. He then produced more than a dozen prepared low-grade spiritual medicines and asked them to try cultivating new varieties.

He promised that for every new seedling successfully propagated, he would provide one Clear Spirit Pill as payment.

Once everything had been settled, the True Immortal Flying Feather departed upon a cloud, wearing a benevolent smile.

Qin Yue remained in seclusion for three months before finally emerging during the season when the fragrance of golden osmanthus filled the air.

The moment he saw Luo Yu, he pulled him into his arms and kissed him passionately, leaving Father Chu so jealous that sourness rose in his throat.

At Luo Li’s insistent urging, Qin Yue brought out Blazing Moon to show it off.

After being completely refined, it had shrunk to barely an inch in length. Within the dantian, it was no larger than a fingernail.

This was a strange property shared by all magical treasures and artifacts: like balloons, they could expand and contract at will. Spiritual or yin energy filled them, compressed them, and served as their source of power.

The family tested the blade and discovered that it was impervious to both water and fire, while its sharpness was terrifying. It cut through puppets as easily as slicing tofu. A single stroke not only split them in two but left the severed surfaces shattered and mangled.

And this was without even activating its supernatural ability.

As for the blade’s true divine power, Qin Yue’s current cultivation was still insufficient to awaken it. He could only attach his Sunfire of Ultimate Yang to the weapon, combining its properties with the power of the true flame to create a technique of his own: the Ultimate Yang Sunfire Slash.

Because true flame could directly transmit spiritual power through physical contact with the body, its power was incomparable to that of remote use.

After admiring it for only a short while, Qin Yue hurriedly returned the blade to his body.

The artifact spirit, Shen Ma, had not yet been nurtured. Not a moment could be wasted.

Luo Li immediately grew envious and began pestering the two men to forge a new magical treasure for her.

The two elder brothers once again transformed into tireless laborers, throwing themselves into the task of crafting a treasure for their beloved younger sister.

Time flew by amid their ceaseless activity. Only after Luo Li’s treasure had been completed did Luo Yu and Qin Yue finally have time to concentrate on cultivating and increasing their levels.

Speaking of leveling up, one indispensable activity was dual cultivation.

Luo Yu curled up in the corner of the bed and gazed plaintively at Qin Yue, feeling deeply aggrieved.

He had to admit that being the passive partner was indeed enjoyable, but everyone possessed a certain amount of curiosity, did they not? He had been blessed with such an endowment, yet had never been allowed to make use of it. How unfair was that?

He placed a hand over himself and stroked it affectionately, imagining Qin Yue’s shy expression while being cherished by him. As he continued imagining, his body responded of its own accord.

Qin Yue changed into his nightclothes and turned around. His gaze immediately fell upon Luo Yu’s obvious excitement.

The corner of his mouth lifted. Narrowing his long, elegant eyes, he bent down and enclosed Luo Yu in the corner by the wall.

In a low voice, he asked, “You want it too?”

Luo Yu pushed lightly against his chest and said pitifully, “It’s… it’s so pitiful. It’s grown this large, yet it’s never experienced anything…”

Qin Yue lowered his head and studied Luo Yu’s flushed expression. The younger man looked so aggrieved that Qin Yue could not help laughing softly.

“I understand,” he said gently. “It has certainly been neglected these past few years. This time, I’ll let it have a taste.”

Luo Yu’s face immediately flushed crimson. “You… you agree?”

“If I didn’t let you experience it, how could you possibly rest easy?”

Luo Yu instantly brightened and sat upright, intending to turn the tables, but Qin Yue pressed him back down.

“Lie still. Let me take care of you.”

Wanting a better view of his lover’s expression, Luo Yu hurriedly propped a pillow behind his back. His heart was practically dancing with joy.

Their intimacy soon became heated, and Qin Yue took the initiative with leisurely tenderness. Luo Yu tried to restrain his excitement, repeatedly reminding himself to remain patient. Since it was their first time reversing their usual roles, he felt that Qin Yue should be allowed to lead.

Yet the more Qin Yue teased and tormented him, the more difficult it became for Luo Yu to endure. At last, overwhelmed by sensation, he could only cling to Qin Yue and plead weakly for mercy.

Qin Yue remained utterly unmoved, watching Luo Yu’s every expression with the fierce amusement of a lion toying with its prey.

When Luo Yu finally reached his limit, he collapsed against the bed, breathing hard.

Afterward, he glared at Qin Yue with a flushed face. “You’re shameless. Aren’t you disgusted?”

Qin Yue calmly wiped his lips with a tissue. “Nonsense. If I were disgusted, would I have done it?”

Luo Yu was immediately rendered speechless.

Qin Yue finished wiping his mouth, flicked the tissue neatly into the wastebasket, and smiled faintly.

“Now it’s my turn.”

Luo Yu’s face lit up. “Wait just a little longer. Just a little. Let me recover!”

“It’s fine,” Qin Yue replied. “This time, we won’t need your little companion.”

Luo Yu stared at him in shock. “What? Didn’t you promise to let me take the lead this time?”

Qin Yue looked utterly innocent. “Didn’t it just have its turn?”

Luo Yu nearly burst into tears. “How can that possibly count?”

“Why shouldn’t it?” Qin Yue said with a blank expression. “As far as it’s concerned, there’s no difference.”

Only then did Luo Yu realize that he had been tricked. He turned and tried to escape, but Qin Yue caught him by the ankle and dragged him back into his arms.

Biting gently at his ear, Qin Yue asked, “Where do you think you’re going? It’s time to cultivate.”

“You liar!” Luo Yu cried.

Qin Yue smiled faintly and rolled over, pinning him beneath him.

“Are you angry? Then let me make it up to you properly. Be good.”

Before long, the warm bedroom filled with soft, intimate sounds. They passed through the thick gauze curtains and dissolved into the breeze.

Outside, the night shimmered beneath a lovely moon.

Author’s note: Did anyone else get caught in the crossfire like I did?

The Chronicle of Cultivating Immortality with My Best Friend, Chapter 115: The Cultivation Method Must Be Updated to Completion!