"What...?"

"Shush... Stay quiet!" Shao Qi closed his eyes, intently sensing the fluctuations of the heartstone. It was indeed his stone, and it genuinely chose this young man. How rebellious!

The heartstone initially tried to feign non-responsiveness upon detecting the familiar aura, but Shao Qi wasn't having any of it. With a silent incantation, he forcibly connected with the stone.

Opening his eyes, he examined Zhou You and asked earnestly, "You won't mind if I retrieve it, will you?"

Zhou You nodded. "The stone found its way into my body on its own. Whether it's useful or not, it's a potential threat. If it's valuable to you, it's only right to return it. But... since it's been residing in me for so long, shouldn't it pay some rent?"

A twitch formed at the corner of Shao Qi's mouth. He nodded in agreement. Zhou You then tilted his chin upward, closing his eyes, readying himself for the process.

Shirtless, with fair skin and a captivating appearance, it was hard not to be affected by his allure from such close proximity.

However, Shao Qi remained largely unswayed. He simply found the view aesthetically pleasing and further respected Zhou You. Not everyone would return a valuable item, especially when they had the upper hand.

Without hesitation, Shao Qi continued chanting, forcibly extracting the heartstone from within Zhou You. As it left Zhou You's body, Shao Qi felt the pure energy it contained. Shocked, he didn't think of keeping it for himself but channeled the energy back into Zhou You instead.

Immediately, Zhou You was enveloped by an extremely pure spiritual energy. His meridians eagerly absorbed this power, breaking through his previous barriers. Energy from the universe flowed into him, strengthening his meridians and warming his core. In an instant, he advanced from the fifth to the mid-sixth level of cultivation.

Once he stabilized the surging energy within, he opened his eyes to see Shao Qi meditating across from him. The glowing stone hovered above Shao Qi, pouring a dense spiritual energy into him, even more than Zhou You had received.

"So, that's how the stone works," Zhou You marveled. The world truly was full of wondrous techniques.

Shao Qi meditated until nightfall. Zhou You, after dressing, fetched some food from the car. Even though he didn't feel as hungry after his breakthrough, eating still felt like a necessary part of life.

Zhou You didn't venture far, nibbling on a chocolate bar while observing Shao Qi. He remembered how gravely injured Shao Qi had been, how weak he had appeared. Shao Qi himself had mentioned that his internal injuries would take months to heal.

But now, Shao Qi radiated strength and dignity. From a distance, one could feel his formidable aura. Zhou You estimated that even if Shao Qi wasn't at his prime, he was definitely stronger than anyone at the Jiangnan base.

As the moon reached its zenith, Zhou You practiced some punches out of boredom. This particular martial art was leaked by the Iron Fist Gang. Although basic, Zhou You, with his limited techniques, found it worth practicing.

In the latter part of the night, Zhou You laid atop the car to rest, extending his senses to monitor the surroundings, ensuring Shao Qi's safety.

With the sunrise, Shao Qi opened his eyes. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, not blinding but warm enough to chase away the morning chill. Frost covered him. Checking the day's temperature, he realized it was close to freezing. Snow would be arriving soon.

Stretching, his bones cracked. With a jump, he easily reached the treetops, taking a deep breath of fresh air. The place where the heartstone resided within him began to heat up as it absorbed spiritual energy.

Hearing the movement, Zhou You emerged from the car, looking up to catch a glimpse of Shao Qi's robe. He too jumped up to the treetops, standing side by side with Shao Qi, gazing at the endless mountain range.

"Congratulations on your recovery. How much of your strength have you regained?" Zhou You inquired, feeling that this powerful presence was the real Shao Qi.

Shao Qi turned to Zhou You, "Care for a spar?" It was something he had wanted since realizing Zhou You's capabilities.

"It's just what I wanted."

Pointing to the peak of the mountain across, Shao Qi said, "There's a nest on that cliff. Whoever gets it first wins."

Zhou You didn't expect Shao Qi to have such keen eyesight. Luckily, he could see it too and nodded, "Alright, what's the wager?"

Shao Qi replied with a smile, "If you win, I'll give you that Celestial Silk Net."

"It's a deal!" Zhou You didn't mention what he'd give up if he lost. After all, Shao Qi was well aware of his assets.

The two dashed from the treetop, nimbly leaping across the lush canopy as if they were walking on solid ground. Anyone witnessing this might think they were on the set of an old martial arts film.

Upon reaching the peak, their challenge wasn't about who could descend the cliff first. The nest was built on a rock face a distance below the summit, inhabited by a mature hawk. Approaching it would undoubtedly provoke an attack.

They had to deal with the hawk in the nest before claiming the prize.

Shao Qi made the first move, firing at the hawk. The bird, with incredible reflexes, dodged the laser gun's shot, soared higher, and angrily glared at the two intruders from above.

Shao Qi holstered his gun. His intent wasn’t to kill the hawk but to lure it upwards.

The two exchanged glances, synchronously leaping atop different trees. While the hawk's wings weren't particularly large, its dive was powerful, and the rush of wind stung their faces.

Seeing the two stand apart, the hawk hesitated for a moment before charging at Zhou You, apparently identifying him as the weaker opponent.

"Perfect timing!" Zhou You leaped high, confronting the hawk directly, with a brilliance that made one want to avert their eyes.

Shao Qi tied a rope around a tree trunk and began rappelling down the cliff. Observing this from above, Zhou You exclaimed angrily, "Always with the tricks!"