Chapter 50: Caught up

"Hey, I did give you a heads up that it might sting a bit," Jun said, a hint of apology threading through his voice.

Jun did his best to try and control his strength when punching Yinling in her stomach. Although he had to use a bit more force than Yinling did, it wasn't that much... right?

As Yinling gradually drew deep, labored breaths, the sharp, unyielding pain radiating throughout her body remained relentless. Every meridian and her dantian had been fragmented, yet, under the nurturing influence of this novel energy, they began the painstaking process of knitting themselves back together, piece by piece.

"Breathe in and breathe out" Jun tried to comfort Yinling whose face was contorted in pain but slowly easing with every passing second.

A few quiet moments later, Yinling's breathing evened out, her body's sharp protests fading to a manageable ache. "I'm alright now," she said, her voice gaining strength but still laced with the effort of recovery.

Jun reached out, gently assisting her to stand, but didn't step away, his closeness an unspoken promise of support.

"Jun I'm fine... don't you remember this energy helps in healing me" Yinling tried to reassure him, a flicker of her spirited self peeking through..

"Yeah, I know," Jun murmured, his voice laced with concern and something more tender. "Still, I'd rather be by your side through this."

A rush of warmth spread across Yinling's face at his words, compelling her to turn away to hide the bloom of color on her cheeks.

"I see," Yinling whispered, her gaze dropping briefly in a silent admission of her earlier outburst. "Let's not waste any more time shall we?"

Jun hid his fleeting disappointment well, opting for patience over pride. "Alright... just sit dow--"

He was cut off as Yinling's lips met his in a quick, sweet apology of a kiss. As she stepped back, her smile was shy, her eyes dancing with a mix of sorry and something deeper.

Yinling's gaze lifted to meet Jun's, a soft warmth spreading across her face as a bashful smile played at her lips. "Does that make things right between us?" she murmured, her cheeks blooming with a delicate flush of red.

"Your apology is on probation," Jun quipped, his smirk a silent challenge, as he settled himself comfortably. "Now, let's get started"

Yinling, with a nod, took her place beside Jun, her posture open and attentive, ready for what was to come.

"This system I've devised," Jun began, his tone blending seriousness with a hint of excitement, "borrows from the traditional methods we know, yet it diverges significantly in some aspects."

Yinling leaned in, curiosity piqued. "In what ways?" she probed, eager to uncover the nuances of Jun's innovation.

"In the lower stages like the body tempering realm, there really isn't much of a difference except on the energy we use to cultivate, but that being said, this allowed me to reach the 60th level in the body refining realm"

Jun seeing Yinling nod continued.

"Now the technique I created for my system was tailored for me, but I can guide you to create your own technique that suits you alone"

"For me specifically?" Yinling's voice rose in a mix of surprise and excitement.

"Exactly," Jun affirmed, his nod solidifying his intent. "This means your technique will be profoundly aligned with your body, enhancing not just the speed but the efficacy of your cultivation. It's tailored just for you, making it uniquely powerful in your hands."

Yinling couldn't believe the words coming out of Jun's mouth, a tailor-made technique? Only the big bosses of the continent could enjoy such a luxury, but even then, wouldn't they be too far in with another technique to use their own?

Of course, Yinling would never forget the sight of Jun mastering those Heaven-level techniques in less than a minute. So in remembering this, Yinling steeled her determination.

"Alright, so I just start practicing like normal?" Yinling inquired, seeking clarity.

Jun nodded eagerly "Exactly, just practice your normal cultivation technique and I will use my divine sense to check out the situation in your body"

Jun could be said to be excited for two reasons, one of them being able to help out Yinling. Secondly, Moreover, he had been eagerly awaiting the moment to harness his divine sense alongside his epiphany phase, a combination he believed held untold potential.

Although it may not sound like much, when Jun gained his divine sense, he gained the ability to look at multiple things at the same time unlike previously with his vision. Just this fact alone could increase his efficiency by thousands of times.

Honestly speaking, Jun had forgotten to use his divine sense on himself to speed up his progress. But it didn't hurt to take things slow on his first attempt.

Closing her eyes, Yinling crossed her legs as instructed, and started running her Azure Soul Cultivation technique. Quickly all the new energy around them in the array flowed towards Yinling, tempering her trillions of cells who were greedily absorbing as much energy.

Unlike Jun, she doesn't have emperor-level talent but something even greater, immortal emperor-level talent. Each second in affinity for spiritual energy means a huge difference in talent and the limit of what you can reach.

This is one of the main reasons why Yinling has managed to stay at almost the same cultivation level as Jun who has a 100x multiplier in talent. 

Feeling the rush of the energy into her body was an experience like no other but Yinling quickly concentrated and started guiding her energy according to the Azure Soul cultivation technique to temper her cells.

Jun meanwhile was behind her, spreading his divine sense, Jun oversaw the situation in her entire body all at the same time which was a weird feeling. Observing the energy enter her body, Jun already with his epiphany phase on quickly saw thousands upon thousands of different methods to improve 

"Instead of heading right, veer left; it'll shave a minute off the journey," Jun advised with a calm certainty.

Yinling gave a swift nod, her trust in his guidance implicit. In those fleeting moments, a flurry of silent exchanges passed between them. Within 3 seconds, Jun managed to have dozens of conversations with Yinling using the other ability they unlocked, the telepathy-like ability.

This allowed Jun to give his suggestions instantaneously without having the need to explain verbally, which would have slowed Yinling down.

BOOM

One second later, Just like Jun, Yinling finally broke through her barrier and joined the ranks of cultivators once again.

Body tempering realm 1 layer...

Feeling a surge of pride, Yinling continued, absorbing Jun's suggestions like a sponge.

Body tempering realm 2nd layer...

Body tempering realm 3rd layer...

Body tempering realm 4th layer...

...

As time dissolved into just a few hours, a dark veil of sludge enveloped Yinling, mirroring Jun's earlier transformation. Yet, the journey to this point took merely a fraction of the time it had for Jun, only possible because Jun was there to guide her.

"Yinling, congratulations. You've officially caught up to your favorite person—me," Jun said, his smirk softening into a sincere smile of admiration.

As Yinling opened her eyes, a newfound strength pulsed through her behind the sludge covering her body. After Jun ascended to the 60th level, she could feel it pressuring her entire form, now... she doesn't even feel it.