What kind of magic? This is called cultivating immortality!

The next instant, the girl's head suddenly exploded.

There was no scalding blood splattering everywhere, only cold steel fragments, crisscrossing metal wires, and a dull gemstone scattered on the ground.

"The time isn't right yet." The man's tone was calm, as if he had only done something insignificant. "Do you really think you're the only one who can control this ability?"

The humanoid mechanical creation beside her transformed and reassembled, and a brand new girl with heterochromatic eyes and a blue dress reappeared, but her aura was much weaker than before.

Even after experiencing death and rebirth again, there was still no fear in her eyes: "Suit yourself. If you don't like me, you can just wipe me out completely."

"It seems that he hasn't been properly trained yet."

The man smiled elegantly, then clenched his fist, and a pitch-black sphere appeared out of thin air. With a casual push, the sphere instantly swallowed the girl's figure.

"Are they punishing this idiot again?" A soft female voice suddenly rang out from the side.

The newcomer was a young girl dressed in a nun's robe, with a bright and beautiful face, long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders, and her whole body was surrounded by a layer of holy and gentle radiance.

With her arrival, the previously indifferent man's expression softened, his eyes softened with a gentle smile, and even his tone became gentler.

"You're back. You broke the rules this time; you shouldn't have leaked information to them so casually. My plan isn't ready to be launched yet."

"I think your plan is doomed to fail," the girl said bluntly.

The man didn't seem to care, and smiled faintly: "Perhaps. But in this life, you should always try your best. What if you succeed?"

The two fell into a long silence, standing quietly in this world, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, the mountains and rivers, listening to the gentle breeze, and basking in the warm sunlight.

After a long silence, the nun's voice suddenly lowered, tinged with a hint of melancholy: "So beautiful... It's a pity we can only look at it."

"Wait a little longer, give me some time, it will be done soon."

The girl nodded slightly, her tone indifferent: "Whatever. You've always been stubborn and self-centered, never listening to anyone. Otherwise, you wouldn't have resurrected me when I was supposed to be dead, and you wouldn't have..."

"I just don't want you to leave." The man's voice was filled with loneliness and sorrow.

"I'm tired. Don't wake me up anytime soon. I still really like the feeling of dying completely."

In the blink of an eye, the vast world was left with only the man standing alone.

Chapter 70 Enlightenment

Several days after the storm surrounding the fluorescent light attack subsided, the noisy world returned to calm.

As previously reported by major media outlets, the witch and the calamity beasts have been completely eradicated, the crisis has ended, and the world has returned to peace.

Just yesterday, the headquarters officially released the results of its investigation.

In order to thoroughly investigate whether anyone within the organization was colluding with the witch, the headquarters launched a large-scale investigation, involving countless staff members and turning the entire city of Kyoto upside down. However, after a long period of effort, they still found nothing.

The vast majority of magical girls expressed disbelief at this unconvincing result, and some even petitioned for a reinvestigation.

No wonder they don't believe that if there really wasn't a mole within headquarters, how could their personal information and movements have been leaked for no reason, leading to their attack by the Calamity Beast Witch?

Faced with overwhelming questions and numerous petitions, headquarters was in a state of chaos and could only repeatedly reassure everyone and promise to provide a reasonable explanation.

Perhaps, just as the Floating Light Squad speculated at their previous meeting, it's true.

Either a special witch with bizarre abilities has been born, who can recklessly spy on all magical girls' information; or a top-notch traitor is hidden deep within headquarters, disguised flawlessly, without revealing the slightest flaw from beginning to end.

However, there are currently no clues, and neither of the two speculations can be confirmed.

The truth is shrouded in mystery, and everyone has no other choice but to hope that headquarters will provide an explanation.

At home, Zhong Hui and Cang Xing temporarily entered a period of rest and recuperation.

Cangxing was relaxing on the sofa watching TV; Zhong Hui, on the other hand, sat cross-legged and meditated, focusing on his cultivation. Both of them were content with their own lives and lived comfortably and leisurely.

"The Supreme Response, following the Way, advances..."

Zhong Hui silently recited the Daoist scriptures, quietly absorbing the pure spiritual energy continuously supplied by the artifact spirit. His cultivation at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage began to steadily rise, like climbing stairs, taking one step at a time, making solid progress.

The path of spiritual practice is one of solitude, loneliness, and a long and arduous quest.

Zhong Hui emptied his five senses, cast aside distracting thoughts, and completely calmed his mind, immersing himself entirely in cultivation.

In a daze, white mist swirled before his eyes, and when he could see clearly, he was already in a vast, chaotic void.

The surroundings were dark and empty, except for the clear and bright area in front of him, which was filled with glimmers of spiritual light.

He instinctively took a step and walked towards the light.

The light and shadow shift and change, making the scene before your eyes both real and illusory.

At first glance, it appears as a lush and vigorous seedling; upon closer inspection, it is a newly laid foundation for the Dao, or a desolate path overgrown with weeds and in dire need of development. Its Daoist essence is infinitely mysterious and ever-changing, and cannot be fully described in words.

What is foundation building?

Entering this realm lays the initial foundation for the long road of cultivation.

However, if you want to go further and stand higher in the Foundation Establishment Realm, simply absorbing spiritual energy is far from enough.

The path taken by any ambitious person is one of constantly refining and elevating their foundation, allowing tender seedlings to grow into towering ancient trees that block out the sun, building towering skyscrapers on a small foundation, and transforming barren paths into a grand avenue leading straight to the heavens.

Standing in this mysterious and illusory realm, Zhong Hui instantly realized that he had accidentally entered the state of enlightenment that cultivators rarely encounter.

During enlightenment, cultivation speed increases by leaps and bounds, and the efficiency of refining the foundation of one's Dao far surpasses that of ordinary days.

Clearly sensing the subtle Daoist energy flowing through him, Zhong Hui chuckled softly, "This Emperor is indeed blessed with extraordinary fortune! I originally planned to focus on refining my Dao foundation in the late Foundation Establishment stage, but I unexpectedly entered the Enlightenment realm ahead of schedule. Fortune has smiled upon me, and Heaven has shown its favor! Since this opportunity has been presented to me, this Emperor will accept it all!"

In the next second, his hands also changed in countless ways, producing various props that nourished the saplings that his Dao Foundation had transformed into, gradually adding bricks and tiles to his Dao Foundation and meticulously polishing the foundation of his cultivation.

Chaos knows no time, and here there is no spring or autumn.

Zhong Hui was completely immersed in the profound and mysterious realm of enlightenment, and had long since lost track of time.

Day after day, year after year, the spirit tree saplings sprouted branches and leaves, growing vigorously; the barren roadbed was piled up layer by layer, becoming more and more stable and robust.

Meanwhile, Zhong Hui, who was immersed in cultivation, quietly underwent a transformation. His once black hair turned completely white, and his fair skin became covered with wrinkles.

Even though his youth has faded and he has grown old, his spirit and energy have become increasingly clear and abundant.

Looking at the Dao Foundation he had personally polished and gradually improved, Zhong Hui nodded calmly: "The Dao Foundation is complete. It's time to prepare for advancing to the Golden Core stage."

"Crack..."

A crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out, and the mysterious enlightenment illusion, like fragile glass, collapsed and vanished in an instant.

Looking back, Zhong Hui was already back in the familiar living room.

"call……"

He exhaled a long breath, focused his mind on examining his own cultivation level, and his eyes revealed surprise: "Late stage of Foundation Establishment! My Dao foundation has increased by a full seven zhang!"

The concept of "nine as the ultimate number" has always been passed down in the heavens, so a nine-zhang Dao foundation is the limit for the vast majority of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He is now only two zhang away from reaching his limit, at which point he can attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. If he succeeds, he can then advance to the Golden Core Realm.

"After swallowing a golden pill, I realized that my fate was not determined by heaven."

Zhong Hui smiled faintly, his gaze distant, as if he had seen through the ages. He raised his hand and gently patted his clothes, preparing to get up and drink a bottle of Sprite.

Next second

"oops!"

His legs had become numb and he couldn't feel anything. Zhong Hui's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground in a sorry state.

"Pfft!"

Seeing this, Cangxing, who was watching a melodramatic drama, couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You idiot, you've been sitting cross-legged for two hours without moving. Your legs must be numb, right?"

"I was careless!" Zhong Hui's face darkened.

He collapsed to the ground, his lower body completely numb, and it looked like it would take him at least several minutes to recover.

Cangxing put down her phone, raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, smiled, stood up and walked in front of him, reaching out to press her hand on his leg.

"Don't move." Her tone was slightly coquettish, but her hands firmly massaged his numb legs. "Honestly, you're such a grown man, and you don't even know this much common sense."

"It's because this body is too weak, and I was careless for a moment, which is why I ended up in such a sorry state," Zhong Hui said stubbornly.

Cangxing simply smiled gently upon hearing this, without contradicting him.

The warm touch came through his hands, and Zhong Hui's stiff and numb legs gradually regained feeling.

"By the way, your legs feel pretty soft. Has anyone ever complimented you like that?"

"No. I don't want anyone to praise me for having weak legs, especially a woman."

"Honestly, with a temper like yours, you'll have a hard time finding a partner in the future."

"My heart is filled with all living beings in the heavens; I have no desire for love."

"..."

Just as the two were chatting, the door was suddenly pushed open with a "click," and Mu Yue rushed in excitedly. She immediately saw Cang Xing pressing Zhong Hui's leg intimately.

Her pupils constricted sharply, and she immediately shouted:

"You beast, let go of that girl! Let me handle this!"

Chapter 71 Moe King Ranking

The woman who had been so aggressive when she opened the door was now crouching on the ground, covering her head and muttering something under her breath.

Cangxing raised his hand in annoyance and slapped her on the head: "What are you muttering about?"

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! If you keep hitting me, I really won't grow any taller!" Mu Yue raised her head, putting on a pitiful look.

"You're already in your mid-twenties, and you still want to go through a second growth spurt?" Cang Xing rolled her eyes and asked with a headache, "So, what are you doing at my house again?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Yue's bright eyes lit up immediately, and she couldn't wait to get up. However, as soon as she moved, she met Cang Xing's slightly serious gaze and instantly wilted. She pouted and obediently squatted back down in her original spot.

"So what if I cheated on you once before? Is it really necessary for you to target me like this?" she thought to herself.

Suppressing her inner turmoil, Mu Yue said, "The annual 'Century's Cutest King' competition has begun, and I've come here specifically to tell you this good news!"

"A ranking of the cutest characters?"

Cangxing paused for a moment, remembering this pointless competition started by netizens.

The competition is held annually, and two different evaluation models have been developed over the years.

The latest rules are now in use: magical girls upload their transformation photos, and a public vote is held online. The girl with the most votes is the "Moe Queen" of the year.