Song Shuhang discovered that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture was mutating!

　　The process was the same as for that Virtuous Golden Lotus beneath the scholarly faction… after absorbing a sufficient amount of energy of the Netherworld, it would mature and bear fruits, spraying out those lotus seeds that could prolong one’s life and grant extraordinary skills.

　　At this time, Song Shuhang was undergoing something similar. Although his body wasn’t that of a lotus flower, the nucleus in his Heart Aperture was identical to the nucleus inside the Virtuous Golden Lotus, and their effects were also identical. Now that he had absorbed a sufficient amount of energy of the Netherworld Realm, there was something that wanted to come out of the nucleus in his body!

　　What bad luck!

　　In the end, the Virtuous Golden Lotus of the scholarly faction was still a ‘lotus flower’, and it could produce lotus seeds.

　　However, Song Shuhang was a human being!

　　And as if that wasn’t enough, he was a man. He was unable to give birth to lotus seeds like a lotus flower or children like a woman…

　　As such, how was his body going to produce this lotus seed-like object?

　　Song Shuhang panicked.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　At this time, that ferocious beast made of evil energy in the sky was again engaged in battle with the teapot spirit—Demon Venerable Lushan Street. Demon Venerable Lushan Street used several magical techniques in rapid succession, forcing the ferocious beast back and bringing the fight far from Song Shuhang and the golden lotus.

　　After becoming the teapot spirit, Demon Venerable Lushan Street turned out to be extremely reliable.

　　At this moment, that half-snake half-stickman made of solidified light of virtue was still tightly wrapped around Song Shuhang, protecting him and preventing the evil energy from harming him.

　　Demon Venerable Lushan Street and the ferocious beast were engaged in a major battle, the type that would last for 300 rounds!

　　In the meantime, the small brain of the ferocious beast stopped working again. While facing Demon Venerable Lushan Street, who was a worthy opponent, the ferocious beast promptly forgot about the projection of the golden lotus and Song Shuhang—the main culprits behind its demise—and happily joined Demon Venerable Lushan Street in this dog fight.

　　These brainless enemies were truly the best, and they allowed one to feel good both in mind and body.

　　“Shuhang, are you alright? You weren’t injured, right?” Su Clan’s Sixteen asked, somewhat worried, while holding the small teapot in her hand. She saw that Song Shuhang’s complexion was somewhat pale. As such, was it possible that the beam of evil energy the ferocious beast shot out of its mouth earlier injured him?

　　“I’m fine, I’m not injured,” Song Shuhang replied.

　　Then, he stretched out his hand and placed it on his chest. He could feel that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture was getting more and more restless.

　　He got the feeling that his body was going to produce something akin to a ‘lotus seed’. However, he didn’t know for sure what would come out in his case.

　　Song Shuhang had a sudden idea, and asked, “Sixteen, I have a question. Since men can’t give birth to children like women… what can they give birth to instead?”

　　After hearing these words, Su Clan’s Sixteen was dumbfounded. After a short moment, her face became slightly red as he said, “Shuhang, you’re an idiot!”

　　“…” Song Shuhang.

　　What did I ask that I shouldn’t have asked?

　　Just as he was in deep thought, Song Shuhang discovered that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture was shaking.

　　That’s bad… that thing is about to give birth to something.

　　But what is it exactly going to give birth to? Perhaps a bunch lotus seeds?

　　Lotus seeds, lotus seeds…

　　Right! Don’t I have that ‘Lotus Blossoming Tongue’ skill? Perhaps I can just use the lotus flowers of the skill to produce those seeds?

　　Should I try using the Lotus Blossoming Tongue skill?

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Unfortunately, Song Shuhang didn’t even have the time to get into action that the nucleus in his Heart Aperture had already completed its evolution.

　　His heartbeat sped up.

　　In the next moment, his consciousness sank downward and got inside a black space.

　　The jet-black world was full of chaos.

　　Amidst this world of chaos was a small dot of light, which was slightly trembling alongside Song Shuhang’s heartbeat.

　　“Is this… my Heart Aperture?” Song Shuhang immediately understood where he was.

　　This chaotic space was the starting point of each cultivator, their very first step on the path of cultivation—the Heart Aperture!

　　And that small dot of light was obviously the nucleus giving Song Shuhang so much trouble.

　　At this time, the nucleus seemed to have sensed Song Shuhang’s arrival. Therefore, it quickly dashed toward him and circled around his body twice.

　　Was it… trying to curry favor with him?

　　Song Shuhang wasn’t totally sure. After all, the first impression the nucleus gave him was that it was cold and reserved. It didn’t follow his orders or listen to what he was saying.

　　It was precisely for this reason that Song Shuhang wanted to get it out of his Heart Aperture. But now, the nucleus had quickly dashed over, just as if it was trying to curry favor with him…

　　Was it just his imagination? Or had the nucleus become obedient after Venerable White sealed the lotus flower it projected out the last time?

　　After circling around Song Shuhang a few times, the dot of light returned at the center of the Heart Aperture, apparently very satisfied.

　　In the next moment, the nucleus bloomed.

　　That tiny dot of light spread out like running water.

　　At this moment, it felt as if the nucleus had transformed into the mouth of a spring, with water continuously flowing out of it.

　　Very soon, a living spring had appeared in Song Shuhang’s Heart Aperture.

　　And the nucleus was the mouth of this living spring!

　　Along with the living spring taking shape, Song Shuhang’s Heart Aperture underwent great changes.

　　The Heart Aperture was the foundation of a cultivator during their early stages.

　　Generally speaking, after a cultivator reached the Second Stage Realm and opened their original dantian, the original dantian would take the place of the Heart Aperture, becoming the new foundation of the cultivator.

　　But even so, the Heart Aperture, as well as the other four apertures, would keep producing ‘qi and blood energy’. Later, this qi and blood energy would converge in the Heart Aperture, getting sent to the original dantian where it would be later transformed into very pure ‘true qi’.

　　Although the quantity of this true qi wasn’t much, its quality was top-notch.

　　Usually, whenever cultivators absorbed the spiritual qi inside spirit stones and medicinal pills during their practice, they used this true qi as a supplement to increase their efficiency while refining this external spiritual qi.

　　At this time, just as the living spring in Song Shuhang’s Heart Aperture took shape, spring water gushed out of it. A little bit of it followed the qi and blood energy in his Heart Aperture and headed toward his Sea of Qi Dantian.

　　Earlier, when Senior Sister Ye Si had regained consciousness, spiritual energy of the Fifth Stage Spiritual Emperor rank was transmitted back to his body from hers, causing his true qi to impact his second mysterious meridian of the Third Stage—the Overcast Moon Meridian.

　　According to Song Shuhang’s guess, the second mysterious meridian in his body, the Overcast Moon Meridian, would get breached by this evening in the worst case.

　　Now, a little bit of that living spring had mixed in the ‘qi and blood energy’ and headed toward his Sea of Qi Dantian, starting to coordinate with the spiritual energy of the Fifth Stage that Senior Sister Ye Si had transmitted over earlier.

　　The pitiful Overcast Moon Meridian was once again thrown to the ground and beaten to a pulp.

　　Earlier, it was engaged in women’s singles with Ye Si’s spiritual energy of the Fifth Stage. But now, with the addition of the living spring, the battle had turned into a set of mixed doubles.

　　The Overcast Moon Meridian couldn’t bear it anymore, and decided to throw in the towel.

　　Thanks to this sudden stroke of luck, Song Shuhang had advanced a small realm, becoming a cultivator of the Third Stage ‘Overcast Moon Meridian’ Realm. The liquefied true qi in his body was now shrouded in a faint layer of moonlight.

　　At the same time, his constitution also became stronger, releasing an elusive aura. His constitution had reached the same intensity as that of a cultivator of the Third Stage ‘Immaterial King Meridian’ Realm.

　　After defeating the Overcast Moon Meridian in that set of mixed doubles, that stream of true qi in Song Shuhang’s body that had the spiritual energy of the Fifth Stage—as well as the power of the living spring—mixed in it finally came to a stop.

　　After breaking through a small realm, the true qi started to temper Song Shuhang’s body, as well as the newly breached Overcast Moon Meridian.

　　During the tempering process, his body started to accumulate energy anew.

　　The next objective was obviously the third meridian, the Blazing Sun Meridian!

　　In light of this, Song Shuhang’s constitution would reach the same intensity as that of a cultivator of the Fourth Stage, or perhaps even higher, once he had opened his Blazing Sun Meridian!

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Song Shuhang slowly opened his eyes.

　　He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he had already broken through.

　　What a marvelous feeling.

　　“You broke through again?” Su Clan’s Sixteen asked.

　　“Hmm, I just topped up my level increasing cheat, and the effects were truly excellent.” Song Shuhang sighed with emotion, and said, “Beyond that, the nucleus in my Heart Aperture underwent a small mutation just now. Therefore, I got a few benefits and advanced a small realm.”

　　“…” Su Clan’s Sixteen. From the way Song Shuhang was speaking, she felt as if breaking through and advancing in realm was something rather common for him.

　　“Right. Sixteen, are you thirsty?” Song Shuhang suddenly asked.

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen replied, “No, I’m not thirsty.”

　　Sigh, Sixteen really doesn’t want to cooperate, and here I thought I could show off a bit! Song Shuhang sighed inwardly, and then asked, “Still, do you want to drink something?”

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen blinked her eyes, and then stared at Song Shuhang for a moment. She smiled, and said, “Sure, why not.”

　　Thereupon, Song Shuhang started to happily rummage through his size-reducing purse.

　　But after rummaging through his purse for a while, he raised his head and, somewhat embarrassed, said, “Sixteen, do you have a cup?”

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen held back her laughter and stretched out her hand into the bag behind her, taking out two glasses.

　　Song Shuhang took one of the glasses and coughed, somewhat embarrassed.

　　He was planning to show off in front of his companion since he had gotten something good, but little did he expect that he would fail again and again during his attempts.

　　Song Shuhang used one hand to grab the glass and the other one to gently rub it.

　　In the next moment, half a cup of limpid spring water appeared in the glass out of nowhere. Although it was only spring water, it still emitted an inviting smell of fruits.

　　This spring water came from the ‘living spring’ that the nucleus in Song Shuhang’s Heart Aperture had evolved into.

　　Just like the Virtuous Golden Lotus, after the nucleus had absorbed enough energy of the Netherworld, it gave birth to an auxiliary product that was similar to the seeds of the golden lotus.

　　Since he was the host, Song Shuhang could clearly tell the effects of the living spring after it had formed.

　　Just like the seeds of the Virtuous Golden Lotus, it possessed the capacity to prolong one’s life. That half a cup of ‘living spring’ in Sixteen’s hand was comparable to one seed of the golden lotus.

　　It, too, could increase one’s lifespan by 50 years, and its effects didn’t overlap with that of the seeds of the Virtuous Golden Lotus.

　　In other words, if one ate one lotus seed and then drank half a cup of living spring like the one Sixteen was holding in her hand, their lifespan would be increased by a hundred years.

　　The living spring was unable to bestow ‘extraordinary skills’.

　　However, it had other properties of its own.

　　For example… it was very tasty?