East District.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the sandstone building's rooftop, marking the beginning of a day filled with possibilities and the warmth that came with it.

Bubai lay sprawled out on the sandstone roof, absorbing the sun's rays with a contented smile.

The sandstone beneath him absorbed the heat, radiating warmth as he basked in the heartwarming light.

He had once found his favor placed in the beauty of the night, but now... he looked forward to the rising sun everyday.

Ever since his promotion, Bubai noticed a mysterious transformation in his physique.

Exposure to sunlight now revitalized his body, providing energy to satiate his hunger, similar to the sustenance derived from wisps of green Qi consumption in the past.

Adding onto this, he also sensed a swifter rejuvenation of his spirit under the sun's rays.

Basically, under the sun, he will never go hungry or feel sleepy ever again.

If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought he had donned a spandex suit and cape from a certain superhero universe…

Ah, too bad he was lacking laser eyes and the ability to fly… at least for now.

Nevertheless, his extraordinary regenerative capabilities for superficial wounds and tissue damage could certainly give some of those superheroes a run for their money, particularly when further enhanced by consuming green Qi droplets.

Ahem. Anyways, he dubbed this newly discovered Eco-friendly passive as “photosynthesis”.

Naturally, his evolved physique didn't solely have these Eco-friendly passives.

Soon enough, Bubai discovered that his eyes had also undergone a transformation.

Similar to his cognitive functions, the special abilities his eyes possessed in the previous buffed state were now seamlessly integrated as an innate ability.

Now, he could activate or deactivate the Qi-visualizing eyes at will, even without entering the buffed state.

Meanwhile, during his new buff state II…

As long as there was an unobstructed line of sight, capturing details thousands of meters away with clarity was no longer a problem!

Alas, for other functions, he was actually still unsure about the specific enhancements because there were no other noticeable signs.

Presumably, he won’t know until he encounters the corresponding events in the future. It was like a plot device waiting for the author to fill in.

Or maybe... it just hadn’t been unlocked yet. After all, his physique was still improving with each green droplet consumed.

Regrettably, the use of Qi drops could no longer be as unrestrained as before. Though he now had a higher capacity for storing Qi, the process of gathering each drop of green dew was definitely more time-consuming.

The green dew not only demanded a greater accumulation of Qi for each drop, but even his spirit was partially drained in the process.

While the impact on his spirit might seem negligible for each individual drop, excessive consumption could still render him sluggish until recovery.

Thus, even if he could activate his mysterious Qi-gathering formation full-time, he was still restricted by the inherent capacity of his spirit, aka his spiritual power, and can only fill his “dantian” about 1% per day.

As a result, his mysterious space’s capacity currently stood at less than 5%.

But don’t underestimate this mere 5%. This seemingly modest percentage equated to approximately 25% of his previous capacity in Qi strands!

This was a lot, and it could be even more had it not been for the bottleneck of his spirit.

Though Bubai could burn green drops to revitalize his spirit to cultivate longer, it wasn’t cost-efficient…

His primary objective was to amass more drops and his gluttonous golden finger was definitely not a perpetual motion machine.

Plus, the expenditures of his green dew wouldn’t be able to keep up because his spirit is also consumed during other activities.

In addition to cultivation, Bubai dedicated considerable time to reviewing his memory orbs from the Shu Fairy Solar System, striving to catch up and avoid any lapses in memory during their future exchanges to prevent dissatisfaction on Shu Fairy's part.

Even after skipping over some of the memories with redundant knowledge, the days of intensive review had only covered a fraction of the orbs, with numerous others still awaiting his attention.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

While most orbs proved incredibly informative, the process was definitely taxing on his spirit, necessitating caution to avoid overclocking his brain.

There were other activities that were also similarly demanding for his spirit.

Since he wanted to conserve his green dew, Bubai scheduled moments of relaxation to allow for recovery, such as…

Bubai’s gaze trailed down. On his chest lay a sleeping beauty with striking violet hair, her soft, willowy body nestled in his arms.

It was Xiao Lan. The outdoor excursions with her has recently been on his daily agenda, serving as his recovery intervals.

Of course, these recovery intervals can’t just be wasted idling like this.

Their two-person world was a perfect time that goes hand-in-hand with prying deeper into this woman’s heart.

So, he used these rest time to lay the foundation for achieving other goals.

Bubai's fingers gently traced patterns through her hair as he asked. "How? Think of anywhere you want to visit?"

Xiao Lan opened her glassy blue eyes, her expression impassive, silently staring at him.

"Now’s the chance. Once the others returns, I might not be able to take you out so leisurely anymore."

Xiao Lan closed her eyes again. The rooftop seemed suspended in time as Bubai patiently awaited her response.

This was the norm. He made it a habit to inquire during their outings every day, intending to cater to her and learn more about her, but she had been mum about her objectives.

After a long silence, placing a hand on his chest as support, Xiao Lan slowly sat up.

Bubai met her gaze with interest. Hmm… Was there finally going to be a change?

Biting her lips in hesitation, her fingers slowly tightened around his robe, yet she looked at him with a determined gaze.

"Take me to a place.”

Public Commons District.

Bubai stopped before the traditional large tent that stood proudly against the backdrop of the sandstone stalls.

Bubai hesitated for a moment, turning to the Xiao Lan beside him, "Are you sure this is the place?"

Xiao Lan responded with a silent nod, her eyes holding a certain assurance.

“…” Well, if she says so.

When Bubai reached for the flap, ready to step inside, his path was abruptly halted by a middle-aged man with a pale-powdered face.

The man, dressed in the distinctive brocade attire of the male servants quarters, extended his hand towards the Bubai, “One spirit stone.”

"Your female companion doesn't need to be charged," the man stated matter-of-factly.

Bubai felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he still handed over a low-grade spirit stone, and with a nod of acknowledgment, the servant motioned for them to follow.

Together, they entered the tent, passing through layers of fabric until they entered a fair-sized room.

Bubai's gaze swept across the room, and was immediately captivated by the presence of a stunning figure – Draped in a flowing white cloth that clung delicately to her snow-white form, a beautiful goddess sat upon an ornate, golden throne.

Long, wavy light purple hair cascaded down her bare shoulders like a cascade of amethyst waves, and nestling on her forehead was a metal band, engraved with an unknown rune, adding an air of mystique to her appearance.

Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of deep purple, looked divine… like he wasn’t even worthy to look upon them.

Bubai held hopes of those eyes gracing his presence. Alas, it seems he wasn’t worthy. Those eyes only dully stared forward, not reacting to their entry.

“You have a quarter of an hour.” The middle-aged servant’s words awakened Bubai from his stupor.

Bubai peeked toward Xiao Lan. Sensing her intense focus on the goddess, he reached out to gently rub her hand, attempting to draw her attention away.

When she looked over, he whispered, "Done?"

Xiao Lan remained silent for a moment, her gaze fixed upon the goddess, before turning to the male servant behind them.

With a knowing smile, the servant spoke, "It's rude to scan someone with spiritual sense, young lady."

Xiao Lan bit her lips, a hint of hesitation in her expression, before turning and nodding toward Bubai.

Taking the cue, Bubai held her hand and turned around, intending to leave the tent.

However, their path was abruptly blocked by the male servant. Confused, Bubai questioned, "What is the meaning of this?"

The servant, wearing a sly smile, replied, "You can't go."

Bubai raised an eyebrow, "We are done here. Why can't we go?"

The servant's smile persisted as he explained the rules.

"It is but the past, yet it is an undeniable fact. She is indeed the Saintess of the Cloud Sword Sect. We're unsure how many spies actually come here intending to save her. So, everyone who comes in here must do the deed.”

Merlin’s beard! Are you serious? Which ducking donut came up with this dumb rule?!

Bubai took a defiant step forward, "What if I insist on going?"

The male servant's demeanor shifted, his lips twisting into a sly smile as he revealed his cultivation. "I insist."

A crushing spiritual pressure descended upon both Bubai and Xiao Lan, pressing down on them like a compactor does with trash. Bubai gritted his teeth, feeling the air squeezed out of him.

Drawing upon insights and knowledge from the Shu Fairy memory orbs, he identified the cause: spiritual oppression – an application of spiritual power to remotely paralyze the opponent’s Qi and even their spiritual sense!

The extent of suppression served as an indicator of the power dynamic between individuals - a minimal suppression indicating at least a stage higher, and complete suppression suggesting a gap of at least two stages in spiritual power!

As for the level where the target was oppressed into submission...

It was a realm of difference. Bubai was left with a stark realization – Golden Core!

Soon, the spiritual pressure alleviated, allowing Bubai to gasp for breath, his eyes fixed on the male servant before him.

It seems he can’t leave even if he wants to.

Glancing toward Xiao Lan, who had buckled to her knees, he hurriedly extended a hand to help her up.

The servant, noting Bubai's attention, remarked with a sly smile, "It’s rare to meet a lady with purple hair. You, young man, certainly have fine tastes. But fine tastes can't prevent you from being arrested for suspicious activities."

Bubai, still grappling with the aftermath of the spiritual pressure, mustered the strength to ask, "What do I need to do?"

The servant casually explained, “As long as you perform the deed once and allowed me to record the evidence, it is enough.”

Bubai realized the insidious nature of the situation – Basically, turning everyone into a criminal.

Even if there was a spy among them, would they be willing to rescue the prisoner if doing so meant sealing their own doom?

Bubai surveyed the surroundings, searching for the recording device, but the servant, with a knowing smile, informed him, "There's no need to look. You won't be able to find it. Young man, I suggest you hurry up. If you go overtime, I am mandated to charge extra. If you can’t pay… keke, the young lady will be used as collateral."

Bubai's gaze returned to Xiao Lan beside him, who averted her eyes, biting her lips with her hands clenched so tight they’ve turned pale.

Merlin’s beard. What is a man supposed to do in such a situation?