Chapter 1094: Invitation

Mi Li's delicate eyebrows shot up, and her gaze turned dangerous. "What kind of request do you have in mind?"

Zu An gave an embarrassed laugh. "I haven't thought of anything yet... *cough cough*. Isn't it only natural for me to heal my master? Given our relationship, talking about such things feels too formal."

Mi Li's expression softened slightly. "You certainly have some filial devotion, boy. However, I never owe anyone favors. When I say I'll grant you a request, I mean one request. If you haven't thought of it now, tell me when you do. As long as it's within my power, I will surely grant it."

Zu An's expression turned odd. He wondered, *Can she really agree to any request so casually? Isn't she afraid that this 'filial piety' might turn into something else?*

Mi Li opened the jade vial and brought it to her lips. Her delicate tongue flicked out to lick it, then she closed her eyes and began to circulate her energy to recuperate.

Zu An was puzzled. "Why don't you just drink the Purple Frost Divine Milk directly?" There was only such a tiny drop in total. Licking it bit by bit each time felt like a miser who couldn't bear to eat meat.

Mi Li snorted softly. "What do you know? The Purple Frost Divine Milk is a divine substance from heaven and earth, containing the essence of the cosmos. If I were to consume this drop directly in my current state, a large amount of its essence would be wasted. That's why I need to refine and use it little by little to repair my spirit."

"Wouldn't that take a long time?" Zu An frowned.

"Are you implying I'm too much trouble?" Mi Li's expression was calm.

Zu An laughed heartily. "What are you saying, Master? How could I possibly find you troublesome? I just want you to recover quickly."

"That's more like it," Mi Li said, nodding in satisfaction. "However, I was almost completely annihilated before, and it's not something that can be fully recovered in a short time. Next, I will enter seclusion to heal my injuries. In as little as three months, or as long as half a year, I should be able to recover completely."

"It'll take that long?" Although Mi Li had already given him a heads-up, he hadn't expected it to take quite so long.

Mi Li said seriously, "Injuries to the spirit are no trivial matter. Moreover, for someone like me, who was almost completely annihilated, being able to recover within a few months is all thanks to the extraordinary Purple Frost Divine Milk you found."

"Alright then, focus on healing. I've pretty much stabilized the situation here in Cloud-Mid Commandery on my own." Zu An suddenly remembered that Yun Jianyue's spirit had also been damaged by the Emperor's attack back then. Although she had received spiritual medicine from the Imperial Hospital, according to Mi Li's explanation, she probably hadn't fully recovered yet.

Mi Li observed him for a moment. Finally, a hint of approval appeared in her eyes. "Though you seem like a frivolous, womanizing scoundrel, you are surprisingly reliable when it comes to getting things done. You truly are a disciple trained by me."

Zu An: "..." This woman had just insulted him, yet she didn't forget to praise herself. It was truly her nature.

Mi Li reached out and checked his pulse, then nodded slightly. "Not bad. It seems you haven't forgotten to cultivate just because you were indulging in women these past days. Following the method I taught you, your spirit has been tempered quite well. It's not far from completely taking shape. Tsk tsk, your cultivation speed is truly impressive, worthy of being my disciple."

Zu An sighed. "Cultivation has been quite tough these past days."

"Oh? How do you cultivate daily?" Mi Li immediately grew interested. These days, she had been entirely focused on healing her injuries and preventing her spirit from collapsing, so she naturally wasn't aware of his affairs.

"Every morning after waking up, I meditate for half an hour. Before going to bed, no matter how tired I am from the day, I also meditate for half an hour." Zu An thought about the several times he'd been intimate with Da Manman; even when completely exhausted, he still had to force himself to meditate. Of course, he dared not tell Mi Li the specifics of this hardship, otherwise, he would surely be met with a barrage of eye-rolls.

"And then?" Mi Li frowned.

"Then?" Zu An paused. He thought for a moment and said, "Oh, sometimes when I have free time, I also take the opportunity to meditate. So many things have happened in Cloud-Mid Commandery recently. I've been busy as a dog, but I still seize every moment to cultivate. Isn't that quite tough?"

"That's it?" Mi Li's expression was strange.

"What else?" Zu An looked puzzled. "Master, when you tempered your spirit back then, was it even tougher than this for me?"

"When I was..." Mi Li felt as if she was about to spit out a mouthful of old blood. However, she straightened her face and said somewhat unnaturally, "Of course, I didn't work that hard back then. A genius like your master doesn't need to specifically spend time meditating; simply sleeping is enough."

"Ah, Master, please quickly teach me how you did that!" Zu An looked eager. He truly wanted this. After all, no man would want to be intimate with a woman to the deepest extent, at what should be the most relaxed and comfortable moment, yet still have to force himself to meditate and cultivate.

Mi Li's face flushed. How could she possibly know how to meditate while sleeping? She prided herself on her extraordinary talent, but when she had tempered her spirit back then, with endless resources nourishing her body, it still took her a full year of tireless cultivation. Yet this guy only spent that little bit of time each day, which in her eyes was completely negligible, and he had actually cultivated his spirit to this level in just one or two months. The key was that he still acted as if he had worked very hard and suffered greatly, which truly made her teeth itch with irritation.

How could the always proud Mi Li bring herself to reveal the truth? She could only casually brush him off with a few words: "If you empty your mind and clear it of all distractions, you'll naturally enter meditation while you sleep."

"Okay, I'll try," Zu An said, looking full of anticipation.

Mi Li wondered, *This guy won't actually learn to meditate in his sleep, will he?* But this thought was immediately dismissed as soon as it arose. *How could that be possible!*

She thought for a moment, then pointed her finger at Zu An. Zu An immediately felt a surge of abundant power welling up within his body.

"This is..." Zu An was surprised, sensing a familiar aura.

"These are the cultivation and spirit fragments of Old Man Mi that were sealed before," Mi Li said. "If you thoroughly refine them in a short time, you should be able to completely consolidate your spirit."

Zu An was stunned. "Ah, I thought this cultivation was for breaking through to the Grandmaster realm?"

Mi Li shook her head. "The cultivation method you practice is very unusual. The vital energy within your body, both in quality and quantity, far surpasses others at the same level. That's why you, at the ninth rank, could injure a Grandmaster. Therefore, the vital energy you need to break through the Grandmaster bottleneck is immense. Old Man Mi's cultivation has already been significantly depleted; only about half remains. This remaining cultivation is not enough for you to break through to the Grandmaster realm. However, because some of his spirit fragments still remain, they are perfectly suited to help you shape your spirit."

Zu An knew that with her cultivation and insight, she wouldn't be wrong. "Thank you for your guidance, Master."

Mi Li smiled, pressing her lips together. "I can't let you call me Master for nothing; it's only right that I teach you. Oh, and although Old Man Mi's spirit has dispersed and there's no longer a risk of possession, he was a Grandmaster after all. Some fragmented consciousness remains in his spirit remnants. You must guard your mind and not allow inner demons to invade."

Zu An nodded, his expression very serious. After all, anything concerning the spirit was no small matter, and he dared not be careless in the slightest.

Seeing that he showed no signs of underestimating the danger, Mi Li felt approval in her heart. She reassured him, "You don't need to worry too much. As long as you are careful in your precautions, those fragments will merely serve as nourishment for your spirit."

Next, she taught Zu An the method for spirit shaping. Only then did she return to the sword and began to focus on healing her injuries.

Zu An arranged the room, then quietly slipped out. Before leaving the pavilion, he specifically made a trip to Pei You's room and once again used the "Cute Girl Transformer" to trick him. True brothers are loyal; if not for you, who else could I ask for such a thing?

When Zu An returned to the Duke's mansion, Yu Yanluo, with red-rimmed eyes, let out a sigh of relief. "You're finally back."

"Has something happened?" Zu An was startled.

"No, not really," Yu Yanluo replied, brushing some stray hair behind her ear. "I was just worried something might have happened to you out there. When you're not around, I always feel a little uneasy."

As soon as she said this, she immediately realized it was inappropriate. Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly added, "I was afraid someone from outside would insist on coming in, and if you weren't here, my secret would be exposed."

Zu An smiled slightly. "I've caused you worry, Madam. I'm back now. Madam, you've toiled all day and are gravely injured. You should rest early."

At his reminder, Yu Yanluo also felt an overwhelming sense of fatigue wash over her. She was already gravely injured. She had just exhausted a lot of mental energy dealing with the images in the audio-visual stone, and now, she truly couldn't hold on much longer.

Her body swayed. Zu An, who was beside her, quickly supported her. He lifted her directly and placed her on the bed.

Feeling his touch, Yu Yanluo's body stiffened slightly. However, she didn't say anything. It wasn't until he covered her with the blanket that she finally relaxed. She thought, *I really worried too much. He is a gentleman.*

Seeing her pale face, Zu An asked in a deep voice, "Madam, are you sure you don't need me to heal your injuries?"

Yu Yanluo's heart fluttered. She hastily clutched the blanket to her chest. "No need!"

Seeing her act like a startled bird, Zu An couldn't help but laugh softly. "Madam, please rest well."

"Where are you going?" Yu Yanluo quickly asked as she saw him turn around.

"Don't worry, I won't leave," Zu An replied. "I'll just meditate beside you for the night."

Seeing his weary, dust-covered face, Yu Yanluo bit her lip. Her face showed signs of struggle, and finally, she whispered, "You should sleep in the bed too."