Chapter 186 186. The outbreak of World War I
The sunlight was bright and cheery, and three Spiritual Sparrowhawks chased each other through the sky, full of life.
Two girls, graceful and quiet, one on each side, supported Lu Yao as they rushed toward the bedroom, eager to give him a massage.
After achieving Spirit Refinement Firmness, the sisters were finally able to control the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual,' and had diligently ensured its safety after a long period of careful study.
Having always reaped the benefits but only able to offer foot massages in return, which were far less effective, the two women always felt indebted.
After all, the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual' consumed a great deal of energy and Inner Breath, and Lu Yao was particularly attentive to them, always giving his all.
After every massage, he would be drenched in sweat, completely exhausted, as if he had battled a formidable enemy.
Today, all of their efforts finally paid off.
Lu Yao was placed by the two girls onto the bed, prone and ready; they enthusiastically stripped off his shirt and began to massage him on the spot.
"Oww~~~ Bliss~~~"
Their minds in harmony, the sisters' moist and delicate hands worked with perfect unison, sending tremors through every Aperture Point along his spine and back, making Lu Yao hum with comfort.
At this moment, he finally enjoyed the "Uber Dragon Massage." Under the guidance of the two women, his blood and energy surged through his organs and marrow, far more efficiently than his own arduous cultivation.
If this were a game, Lu Yao felt that +10s would be popping up above his head nonstop, his experience points skyrocketing.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so comfortable and greatly promotes cultivation, no wonder everyone is in such hot pursuit."
~~~~~~~
Happy times are always fleeting, and before he knew it, the massage was over.
The two women massaged for a full 20 minutes, drenched in fragrant sweat.
When Lu Yao came to his senses, he realized his face was buried in his senior sister's thigh.
Turns out, Liao Ya had propped his head on her leg for convenience.
After getting up and moving around, his whole spine was warm and toasty, and a pleasant, comfortable sensation spread throughout his body.
Lu Yao couldn't help but praise, "Amazing, 20 minutes is worth half a month of my hard cultivation!"
Wiping the sweat from her face with a handkerchief, Liao Ya laughed, "That's nothing compared to your Full Body Tremor Technique. One session from you is equivalent to a month of hard work for us."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
The two women had only achieved Spirit Refinement Firmness and couldn't control their Inner Breath as flexibly as Lu Yao, nor did they have his keen sensitivity and quick reflexes to adjust their techniques on the fly.
But Lu Yao felt that the effect was far beyond his expectations!
Because aside from technique, there was a crucial element to things like this—doing it with heart!
Massage in essence is an activity that requires focus on details. Only if you truly care about the person in your hands will you tirelessly attend to every detail to achieve the best effect.
At that moment, Liao Qe was undoing her neckline, fanning herself with a handkerchief. "I'm so hot~ I'm drowning~"
Lu Yao hugged the girl and kissed her, saying sincerely, "Thank you~"
Liao Qe's face bloomed with joy, her mouth flashing a set of small white teeth, extremely proud.
After days of hard work researching just to let their beloved enjoy the benefits of the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual,' they felt triumphantly happy upon achieving their goal.
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Lu Yao put on his clothes and asked, "How's the progress with the 'Bitter Cultivation and Enlightenment Sutra' you were deciphering?"
The two girls looked at each other and shook their heads, "We didn't dare touch it without you here; that book is really sinister. It's safer to work on it together."
Although there were many odd and eerie legends in the Otherworld, such a sinister item was the first the sisters had ever encountered.
Without a Tri-Protective Suit, anyone affected by this book was likely to turn into a monster like Hong Renkun.
Thus, the sisters had always left the book in a hefty lead box, untouched.
Lu Yao said, "Let's go, let's continue to temper our minds and broaden our horizons."
~~~~~~~~
In the following days, the three of them led a simple yet happy life, spending their days reading, practicing their punches, and giving each other massages.
Plain though it was, the strength of the whole family was growing rapidly.
Particularly Lu Yao, with the massages from the two women, not only advanced quickly in the Martial Dao Realm but also made significant gains in Spirit Refinement.
Recently, he constantly felt exceptionally "acute of hearing and sight, strong of mind," as if he had consumed some miraculous medicines.
Originally somewhat puzzled, it wasn't until he deciphered another passage from the "Bitter Cultivation and Enlightenment Sutra" that he understood the reason.
Writing down the decoded content on paper, Lu Yao realized:
"According to the scripture—the brain is the sea of marrow, and the spinal cord and brain marrow ascend and descend in unison and communicate with each other.
Therefore, using the 'Art of the Dragon Slayer Manual' to cleanse the spinal cord, aside from greatly benefiting martial cultivation,
can also lead to a replenished brain marrow, a vigorous brainpower, and a thriving mental force, which are also immensely beneficial for Spirit Refinement!"
Lu Yao now had a much deeper understanding of the notion that the Marrow-Cleansing Realm "nurtures the soul with the flesh."
"Bitter Cultivation and Enlightenment Sutra" seemed more like an autobiography akin to "My Struggle," interwoven with many of Hong Renkun's insights on Spirit Refinement, often thought-provoking and profound.
Recently contemplating the concept of "Fetal Breath," this "autobiography of a Spirit Refining Expert" was incredibly helpful.
The problems everyone encountered were more or less the same, and many perplexing issues were clarified with just a few words in the scripture.
Now, Lu Yao's Mind Force had been tempered enough, and he was only a paper-thin barrier away from attaining "Fetal Breath"—only needing to poke through it to progress.
But he could not yet grasp the state of "as if a baby within the mother's womb"... This paper barrier was not so easily breached.
~~~~~~~~
Refinement of spirit could not be rushed, Lu Yao shook his head and decided to read the newspaper to change his mood.
He sauntered over to the pavilion, sat down, and waited for the newspaper to be delivered.
The newspaper delivery boy would leave the papers at the entrance, and since their yard was too large, Lu Yao, too lazy to fetch them himself, had the Spiritual Sparrowhawks bring them over.
At that moment, all three Spiritual Sparrowhawks noticed their master wanted to read the paper and immediately swooped down to fight over it!
After all, delivering the newspaper to their master would earn them a Wisdom Spirit Pill as a reward! It often took a battle among the three to secure the opportunity.
The scene quickly turned into a chaotic skirmish, with feathers flying everywhere.
In the end, to everyone's surprise, Ji Xiang took advantage of the chaos, snatched the newspaper, and delivered it to his master.
As he patted the triumphantly proud Ji Xiang, Lu Yao smiled and said, "You've grown up quite a lot too."
After Organ Refining, all three Spiritual Sparrowhawks were growing larger each day and even more clever.
Lu Yao rewarded Ji Xiang with a Wisdom Spirit Pill, which Ji Xiang gulped down before hurriedly flying off, with the two disgruntled companions in pursuit.
~~~~~~~~
Picking up the newspaper, Lu Yao exclaimed gleefully, "The fight has begun!"
The First World War had finally erupted!
The irreconcilable contradictions among the great powers had long brewed animosity; their mutual antagonism over the redivision of the world and struggle for global hegemony was bound to lead to a major fray!
There was no room for probing or tenderness; from the onset, it was an all-out fight! The newspaper reported:
[Jiade launched a large-scale offensive on the western front, meeting resistance from the British-French Allied Forces. Both sides commenced a fierce battle near the Maen River!]
"The Battle of the Maen River..."
Actually, the origin of this war was somewhat related to Lu Yao.
The trio had slaughtered a group of foreign dignitaries in Jinling, igniting an already tense situation to a boiling point.