Chapter 3351 — Think It Over

"Still, the first step is always the hardest. If you mean to set foot on the path of inner-family cultivation without stumbling, this mnemonic of the heart method must be practiced inside the home. That is the ancestral rule. So, Xiaoke, you may begin your practice in a little while!" Yu Dake instructed.

"All right." Yu Xiaoke nodded and began to flip through the mnemonic. As the minutes passed, however, her brows drew into a frown. "Brother, this mnemonic... it doesn't seem to be a heart method for fighting at all. Why does it read like a defensive one?"

"Defensive? What do you mean? Xiaoke, you know as well as I do that I'm a man and could never practice this heart method, and I left home too young to have heard the elders speak of it. So I don't really understand either. What do you mean, defensive?" Yu Dake asked.

"It says here that the Goddess Nuwa's Art of Mending Heaven is in fact a heart method for warding off attacks. For instance, while I am at the Yellow rank, I can withstand the attacks of Yellow-rank experts—though naturally, how long I can hold out depends greatly on my own level of strength." Yu Xiaoke explained. "Say I'm at the early Yellow rank: I could withstand a full-force blow from a peak late Yellow-rank expert, but only a few times and for a short while. If I were at peak late Yellow rank, on the other hand, I could remain immune to my opponent's attacks for a very long stretch!"

"Oh? What sort of heart method is this? It sounds rather useless, doesn't it? Standing there defending—you'd be better off running!" Yu Dake was taken aback. If the mnemonic really was as she described, then for all that it sounded formidable, it was in truth no more than a method for taking a beating: no attacking, just standing there and absorbing blows. What was the point of that?

"It's not quite like that. If the three of us were together, for example, I could shield us all at once." Yu Xiaoke shook her head. "This heart method is probably a support type."

"Oh? It can shield others?" Wei Zhao was startled. If that were true, it was a heart method that defied the heavens—no wonder it was a family heirloom! It might not sound like much, but Wei Zhao knew full well just how extraordinary such a heart method was.

For example, Wei Zhao could now kill a peak late Heaven-rank expert in a single blow—but only by catching them off guard, when they were unprepared. If the two truly fought face to face, the one left dead on the ground would likely be Wei Zhao himself. After all, his level of strength was plain for all to see.

But with Yu Xiaoke and her heart method, everything changed. Yu Xiaoke could simply raise a defense, leaving others unable to touch Wei Zhao, while Wei Zhao struck back at them—and then whoever he hit would surely die.

"Yes, in team combat it should be very useful." Yu Xiaoke had clearly seen the heart method's merits as well—though if one traveled the world alone, it was of little use.

"Xiaoke, go and cultivate! Advance to Heaven rank as quickly as you can, and then you can become my right hand!" Wei Zhao grew excited at the very thought. His own strength had always been his weak spot, and with Yu Xiaoke's help that weakness could be made up for.

"Who wants to be your right hand?" Yu Xiaoke snorted, ignored Wei Zhao, and took the mnemonic off to find a place to cultivate.

Yu Dake gave Wei Zhao an apologetic look, shrugged, and said, "Mr. Lin, I'll talk to Xiaoke and have her help you from now on."

"We'll talk about that later." Wei Zhao smiled indifferently. If Yu Xiaoke wanted to help him, she would first have to become a Heaven-rank expert—and for now, that was still impossible.

Yu Xiaoke was a clever girl. Though she had only just come into contact with inner-family cultivation, with the help of the methods Yu Dake had described, she easily cultivated her true qi. She was still a long way from being a Yellow-rank expert, but at least she had set foot on the path of inner-family cultivation!

"Brother, I've cultivated my true qi. Can we go now?" Though Yu Xiaoke scowled at Wei Zhao on the surface, in truth she knew he had come here on serious business, and she did not want to waste his time.

"Yes, we can." Yu Dake was rather surprised. He had not expected Yu Xiaoke to be so gifted at cultivation. When he himself had first cultivated, it had taken him a full half month to produce true qi—and even that was considered fast. Yu Xiaoke had been quicker still!

Wei Zhao, too, was somewhat surprised by Yu Xiaoke's speed. Though outsiders regarded him as a cultivation prodigy who could fight above his level, Wei Zhao knew very well that without the jade pendant's space, his progress would never have been so swift.

"Xiaoke, there's something I want to tell you," Wei Zhao said suddenly in the car.

"What is it?" Yu Xiaoke asked.

"You probably know about the old director's situation, don't you? If you agree, I can raise your strength directly to peak late Earth rank, the same as your brother's," Wei Zhao said. "That way, you'd be spared the hardship of cultivating."

"Hm?" Yu Xiaoke was genuinely tempted by Wei Zhao's words, but she was suspicious of his motives. Wary, she said, "When someone fawns on you for no reason, he's either a traitor or a thief. What are you up to?"

"A traitor or a thief? You're the thief here, aren't you—Heroine Yan of the Flying Swallow Sect?" Wei Zhao could not help but smile wryly at her words.

"Heroine Yan?" Yu Xiaoke froze, staring at Wei Zhao with an odd look. "How do you know I'm called Heroine Yan?"

To be honest, Yu Xiaoke was utterly baffled. Heroine Yan was merely an alias she had used when carrying out missions for the Thief Sect. She had never told Wei Zhao, nor even her brother Yu Dake. How did Wei Zhao know? Had the old director told him?

If anyone knew, it could only be the old director—but why would the old director tell Wei Zhao such a thing?

"Don't change the subject. I'm only asking what you think. If you don't want to, then forget it," Wei Zhao said mildly. On the surface he was perfectly calm, but inwardly he was smiling bitterly—careless again, he had said the wrong thing!

"I..." Yu Xiaoke wanted to say she didn't want to, but did she truly not? She did want to rise to the top in a single step—what cultivator would not want greater strength at once? Yet she could not bring herself to say yes outright.

"How about this—think it over." Wei Zhao paused there. (To be continued)