Do you still think your senior brother cheated you now

(This chapter has been revised and contains no inappropriate implications.)

Clearly…

Both of them had overlooked one thing.

Although they were both at the Golden Core stage, the quality of Su Ji’s spiritual energy far surpassed that of Su Jiu.

Upon seeing this, Su Ji’s heart tightened, and he could no longer spare a thought for anything else. He knew full well that Su Jiu was still recovering from her injuries—forcibly absorbing such a massive amount of spiritual energy would be far more than her body could handle. If left unchecked, not only would it fail to heal her wounds, it might even damage her foundation, leading to the risk of spiritual energy going berserk and her meridians shattering.

“Focus your mind and calm your spirit. I’ll help guide and refine the energy for you.”

Su Ji’s voice was steady and deep. In a single stride, he moved behind Su Jiu and placed his palm lightly on the acupoint at her shoulder.

“This might be a bit uncomfortable. You must endure it.”

With that, Su Ji sat firmly behind Su Jiu, his own spiritual energy slowly beginning to rise.

“Senior Brother… you…”

Su Jiu’s body stiffened slightly from tension.

“I told you, I’m helping you refine the spiritual energy.”

“You know what kind of person I am, don’t you?”

“I would never take advantage of someone in a vulnerable position.”

Su Ji gave a low shout and said no more.

Rather than using the conventional approach of gently guiding the energy from the side with a mild spiritual force, a thought flashed through his mind—he recalled that the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox had a yin-aligned constitution, coupled with the foundation of a Pure Body, and that taking a risky yet stable approach might work: using his own natal Golden Core as a guide to forcibly regulate her chaotic energy currents.

“Ah—!”

A short, sharp gasp escaped Su Jiu as her spine snapped taut like a drawn bowstring.

“Hold on! Don’t resist!”

Su Ji’s voice came from beside her ear, as steady as a rock.

“Your spiritual energy is clashing and turbulent, and your meridians are already blocked. I’m using the power of my Golden Core’s origin to forcibly open a path through them, clearing the blockages and correcting the flow!”

The moment he finished speaking, a brilliant light gleamed from his palms as he gently pressed them against Su Jiu’s back.

A surge of immense yet gentle spiritual energy poured into her body, breaking through her disordered meridians like spring tides shattering ice.

At almost the same time, the Hundred-Refined Celestial Silk garment Su Jiu wore seemed to be triggered by the external force, sending a soft, moon-white glow rippling across its surface like water—this was the artifact’s self-activating aura protecting its owner, faintly resonating with the spiritual energy Su Ji was channeling into her.

“My force may be strong, but it is necessary to unblock the obstacles and invigorate the spiritual channels.”

Su Ji focused intently on controlling the flow of energy, explaining in a low voice.

As the protective spirit patterns on the Hundred-Refined Celestial Silk lit up one after another, the rampaging spiritual energy within Su Jiu’s body truly began to be smoothed down by an invisible hand gradually calming.

And Su Jiu’s reaction slowly eased from the initial agony of nearly bursting from the spiritual overload.

…

Neither of them knew how much time had passed.

The spiritual light around Su Jiu’s body receded, and her tense frame relaxed with a soft slump leaning slightly to one side.

Sensing that the spiritual energy within her had finally stabilized, Su Ji withdrew his palms and let out a slow breath of relief.

He leaned closer, whispering into her ear,

“Now… do you still think your Senior Brother was deceiving you?”

Su Jiu didn’t answer right away.

She only turned her head with effort, gazing at him for a long moment through eyes still hazy with mist.

Then she slowly lifted a hand, damp with a faint sheen of sweat, and touched the tips of her fingers lightly against Su Ji’s cheek.

“Senior Brother…”

“Your Golden Core… it seems even denser than before…”

Her voice was soft, but she could clearly sense that the dark-golden Golden Core inside Su Ji’s body—after this whole process of channeling energy—seemed to have been tempered into something more robust and introverted.

As for the wild spiritual energy that had been rampaging inside her, it had now been tamed and settled, transforming into a warm, gentle current that silently nourished every hidden wound.

“I managed a breakthrough to mid Golden Core stage by luck. It’s turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”