Alex walked lightly across the marble floor of the Library Hall, heading towards the far end where the Third Elder’s study was located. For four days, he had tried to find the old man, only to find the room empty each time, the door slightly open, and the desk inside cluttered with books and scrolls. Over the past four days, Alex had been deeply engrossed in comprehending the Water Rune from the *Pure Chaos Sutra*, managing to grasp up to the eighth layer. However, as he progressed, each layer became more difficult, and his progress slowed significantly. What had taken one use of *Enlightenment* to comprehend the first three layers now allowed him to understand only a quarter of the ninth layer. At this rate, it would take him another week to fully comprehend all ten layers. Even with his cheat-like ability, it was this difficult, and Alex could only imagine how much harder it would be for others.

He had also attempted to practice the *Gentle Palm* martial technique, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even perform the first stance. It felt like trying to drive a car without gas—no matter how much effort he put in, the technique refused to manifest. It was like trying to push a massive truck uphill with nothing but his own strength, and the truck wouldn’t budge.

But today was different. As he approached the study, he noticed the door was closed. He stood before it and knocked lightly. “Third Elder, may I come in?”

An aged, tired voice responded from within. “You may come in.”

Alex gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. The Third Elder was seated behind his cluttered wooden desk, looking tired but with a bright, almost rejuvenated gleam in his eyes.

Alex bowed respectfully. “This junior greets the Third Elder. I hope you are in good health.”

The old man’s face broke into a warm smile. “Ah, it’s you, child! Ha… ha… I’m well—better than well, in fact… ha… ha,” the Elder said, his mood clearly uplifted. He motioned for Alex to take a seat.

“This junior is glad to see the Third Elder in such good spirits,” Alex said, taking a seat across from him.

“Well then, child. What brings you here?”

“This junior has some questions about martial techniques. I’ve been trying to practice *Gentle Palm*, but I can’t even manage the first form. When I try to push the spiritual Qi from my meridians to my hands, it just doesn’t move.”

The Elder chuckled softly. “That’s perfectly normal, child. Before you can circulate Qi to your hands, you need to create meridian pathways in your body, just like how blood flows through veins. Once you’ve established pathways in your hands, you’ll be able to start practicing the first form of *Gentle Palm*. The reason the clan provides martial techniques at this stage is so you can familiarize yourself with the forms, not necessarily master them right away.”

*Damn it! Old man, couldn't you have said that during the lecture? *Alex thought, cringing internally as he recalled how he had made a fool of himself in front of Ling'er. I wanted to bury my head in the sand like an ostrich.

“Oh… I see. This junior is enlightened. Does the technique have different stages of mastery?” Alex asked.

“Yes, indeed,” the Elder replied, stroking his beard. “Every technique has five mastery stages: Beginner, Proficient, Master, Grandmaster, and Pinnacle. Most people only manage to reach the Proficient stage, and few ever break through to Master, even if they dedicate their entire lives to it. Of course, unless you’re a genius blessed by the Heavenly Dao… ha… ha,” the Elder finished with a laugh.

“This junior also wanted to ask how long it typically takes for someone with a mundane spirit root to reach the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm.”

“Usually, it would take about four years for someone with a low-grade mundane spirit root. But with the help of resources like pills and spirit stones, the time can be shortened. However, such resources are costly, and the clan’s ability to provide them is limited.”

“Then why did the Elder say that this junior only have a slight chance to break through to the Qi Refinement Realm?”

The Elder’s expression grew more serious. “After you create meridian pathways, maintaining them requires a constant flow of spiritual Qi, just like how your body needs food to function. A low-grade mundane spirit root already struggles to absorb Qi, and its active absorption time is limited. In the Qi Refinement Realm, you move Qi from the prime meridians to the release meridians and back in a cycle, refining it and compressing it into a liquid form. For someone with a low-grade spirit root, gathering the necessary Qi is very challenging. Now that you mention it, how far have you progressed in the past four days?Child!!”

“This junior has only managed to cleanse about two-fourths of the third prime meridian,” Alex said, his voice tinged with disappointment.

“Good… good, child! At this rate, you can break through to the mid-level in this week, just two more days go. And don’t be disheartened; nothing is set in stone. Just keep cultivating diligently,” the Elder advised with a reassuring nod.

“This junior thanks the Elder for his guidance,” Alex replied with a polite smile.

The Elder leaned back, his gaze thoughtful. “Cultivation is difficult, child, but with the right resources, it can become much smoother. However, the clan’s resources are limited, so it’s important for every cultivator to find a profession to support themselves. That way, your journey can be a little easier. You should find a good profession, Xiao Hao. Your journey will be long, but don’t give up. The technique you’ve chosen will take a long time to engrave on every release meridian, but first, you must comprehend it fully. So, how far have you managed to comprehend it?” the Elder asked, his tone suddenly lighter, as if teasing.

“This junior has disappointed the Elder. With my poor comprehension ability, I’ve only managed to comprehend half of the first layer of the Water Rune,” Alex said, sounding respectful but inwardly smug. *Let’s see how you react to this, old man,* he thought, deliberately downplaying his progress.

The Elder’s reaction was immediate. His eyes widened in surprise, and before Alex knew it, the Elder had moved from his seat to stand beside him in a blink. “You’ve comprehended half of it?! Show me!” the Elder demanded, thrusting a scroll towards Alex.

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Alex swiftly drew out half of the first layer on the scroll. The Elder snatched the scroll and studied it closely.

“Only five days, and you’ve already comprehended half of it? Impressive… very impressive. Your innate comprehension ability is exceptional, though it’s unfortunate that your spiritual roots are lacking. What was your name again, child?”

“Elder flatters me. This junior’s name is Lin Hao,” Alex replied, grateful that he had chosen to understate his progress.*Half a layer is nothing; if the old man knew I’d already mastered most of it, he’d lose his mind. But I’d rather not be seen as some kind of prodigy *

“Xiao Hao, you may keep that cultivation technique for six months, but return it after you’ve comprehended the entire Water Rune. Engraving even one rune will take a long time, so don’t waste time on the others.”

“And, it would be a waste if you didn’t have a good profession with your comprehension ability. Take this token,” the Elder said, handing Alex a small, intricately engraved token. “Go to the Alchemist Hall and show it to the Second Elder. Tell him I sent you.”

“This junior thanks the Elder and will always remember your kindness,” Alex said, accepting the token with gratitude. But he hesitated, a final question on his mind. “This junior still has one more question.”

“Go ahead, Xiao Hao,” the Elder said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“Elder, will I also be eligible to receive resources from the clan?” Lin Hao asked in a hopeful voice.

The Elder nodded. “Yes, all cultivators in the clan receive a monthly quota. At your current level in the low-stage Meridian Opening Realm, you cann receive one hundred low-grade spirit stones and a Qi Burst Pill each month. You can collect them from the Resource Hall. But be careful—don’t take the pill until you’ve formed the absorption meridians, or its Qi will be wasted. Save them until you break through to the third layer.”

“This junior thanks the Elder for his advice. That’s all the questions I had. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.”

The Elder gestured for him to go. Once outside the study room, Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead. *It’s so stressful talking to someone like the Third Elder. You have to be polite all the time, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the way he talks,* Alex thought, relieved to have finished the conversation.

After chatting briefly with Xiao Mei, Alex returned to his courtyard. At the gate, his maid Ling'er sat on a stone step, her elbow resting on her knee and her head propped on her hand as she waited for him. Seeing him return, her face bloomed into a smile.

"Young Master, you're back. Are you hungry? Shall I prepare some food for you?" she asked warmly.

"Yes, Ling'er, I’m starving. Please, make me something to eat," Alex replied.

After finishing his meal, Alex requested a herbal bath. He sank into the warm water, leaning back as the soothing heat relaxed his muscles. A gentle touch brushed against his back—Ling'er was washing him with a soft sponge, her hands moving in gentle, deliberate strokes. *She didn’t even ask this time. She’s certainly getting bolder,* he thought. In recent days, she had become more comfortable around him, no longer flinching or pulling away when he kissed her.

After washing his back, Ling'er moved to his side to clean his hands. Alex pulled her closer by the waist, pressing her against him. He captured her lips in a deep kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth as she playfully resisted. His other hand traveled to the back of her neck, his fingers threading through her long, silky silver hair. He released her wrist and pulled her into the tub by her hips, their bodies pressing against each other in the warm water.

His hands roamed from her neck to her back, undoing the strings of her robe, while his other hand groped her firm, round ass cheeks, they were so soft he felt like his fingers on clouds. Ling'er moaned softly into his mouth as his hands explored her, but he didn't stop kissing her. When they finally pulled apart, their breaths were heavy, and a thin strand of saliva connected their lips. Alex slowly removed her robe, pulling at the strings of her bra until it slipped off. Her breasts bounced free, round and firm, her pink nipples standing erect.

Unable to resist, Alex kissed her right breast, tracing his lips from its base to the erect nipple, sucking gently before nibbling softly. "Ah… Young Master…" Ling'er gasped as his tongue teased her, circling around her nipple. His left hand squeezed her other breast, kneading it softly as though it were dough. He pinched her nipple, making her moan louder, her back arching against the tub. He pulled her pointy peak gently, swirling it making her go crazy.

Alex's other hand slipped under her skirt and into her panties, his fingers teasing her sensitive pussy lips. He flipped her over, guiding her to lean on the edge of the tub with her hands bracing against the rim. Her ass was lifted in front of him, her knees bent. Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling in anticipation. He pulled down her wet panties, exposing her big ass in full glory. His both hands move on it's own and squeezed those sweet cakes, kneading them into different shapes. His thumb went in her crack while the rest on her sweet cake and spreading those cheeks, revealing her pink, delicate flower and down, her pink puffy pussy lips. He leaned in ,his face just before her wet pink folds, as he inhaled the fragrance of her sex, his already erect dick become more rock solid. His lips kissed her cake and softly nibble on it. His tounge move down from her cheeks to her puffy lips leaving trail of saliva. He licked her labia, savoring the taste of her, sweet and tangy juice. He sucked her deeply ,like every drop of her necter was a drug he couldn’t get enough of, his mouth sucking eagerly against her, drawing out the rich, sweet flavors of her juice.

Ling'er whimpered as Alex sucked her pussy lips, his tongue exploring every inch and his fingers played with her clitoris, pinching it."Ah… Young Master… I feel like… I'm going to…" she moaned, her body trembling as she cummed on his face, her legs shaking uncontrollably. Alex held her long thick thighs firmly, as he drinked every drop of her juice from wet cunt, licking it clean.

Rising to his feet, he moved behind her, giving her soft, round cheeks a playful slap that left them jiggling and tinged with a hint of red, eliciting another moan. He positioned his dick in her pussy entrance and sliding it in-between her wet lips, rubbing it slowly as she leak on his dick, covering it with her hot juices. After feeling that she was ready he pushed his dick in a single thrust. Blood started dripping in the tub as her hyman broke.

“It's painful, Young Master, please… stop,” Ling’er whimpered when he entered her, her voice a mix of pleasure and pain.

“Don’t worry, Ling’er, it will feel good soon,” Alex assured her, pressing gently and kissing her softly. He paused to let her adjust, her tears mixing with the water around them. He then began to pump lightly. Slowly, she began to relax, her hips moving on it's own. Ling’er’s soft moans filled the room as Alex increased his pace, the water rippled around them as he was pounding her hard, her pink pussy folds clung tightly on his dick squeezing it, with every thirst he felt like it was pulling him inside. Her fleshy walls were warm, his dick felt like it was melting.

As he was about to cum ,with one final, powerful thrust, Alex shot his load deep inside her, filling her womb with his thick seed, she also cummed on his dick, her body trembling in his arms. Leting her rest for a moment, he began to pump in her moist cunt again, fucking her till his balls were emptied. But after such a hard exercise he did not feel tired, instead he was energetic, his mind felt clear , a good time to comprehend those rune.*This must be the post nut clarity. Dammm!!!This really hit different in this world.* He looked at the Ling'er sleeping exhausted, resting her head on the edge of the tub, on the last round she cummed so hard that she passed out. He gently lifted her from the tub, wrapped her in a towel, and carried her to his bed. After covering her with a soft silk sheet, he sat beside her, in a meditative stance and take out the Pure Chaos Sutra and continued to study the rest of the 9th layer. Gradually, he slipped into a trance, his comprehension deepening as the ability’s effect took hold.