The vital energy condensed by a cultivator was deeply tied to their individual physique. Just as no two leaves were exactly alike, no two cultivators possessed identical vital energy.
That was why John Lopez's eyes narrowed in disbelief.
The vital energy Alice Moon had just condensed—it was exactly the same as his.
Impossible.
Vital energy was as unique as a fingerprint.
So… was this some kind of fluke?
Or something destined?
John didn't have an answer yet—but through his spiritual sense, he discovered something even more astonishing.
A strange, sand-like crystal had formed inside his dantian—his energy core.
It wasn't stone. It was translucent, glimmering faintly, and resembled the golden core formed by cultivators in the advanced Golden Core Stage.
But this one… wasn't real.
It wasn't formed by John himself.
It was a fake crystal—or at least, it hadn't come from his cultivation.
So, what was its purpose?
John decided to experiment.
He focused and gently turned the crystal.
Suddenly, Alice let out a surprised cry.
"Eh?! Where's my vital energy? It was just here!"
She stared at her finger in confusion, the faint cyan energy from before completely gone.
John's heart raced.
Suppressing his excitement, he said calmly, "Try condensing it again."
With a grumble, Alice sat back down cross-legged, crossing her long white legs clad in only short denim shorts.
Despite her frustration, she still obeyed—and began refining her energy once more.
Her talent was, without doubt, extraordinary.
In just ten minutes, she had once again conjured a stream of cyan energy and proudly showed it off to John.
"Ha! Look, you little brat. I did it again! This time, you can't—wait, what?!"
Poof.
Gone again.
The energy vanished from her fingertips like smoke in the wind.
Alice let out another distressed shriek.
John, meanwhile, was ecstatic.
It confirmed his theory.
The fake crystal in his belly was linked to Alice's own cultivation. Each time she condensed energy, he could draw it into himself just by activating the crystal.
No—borrow it. Not steal. Borrow.
Haha… incredible!
If this worked for Alice, then what if he had more disciples?
Would he have limitless vital energy?
It suddenly clicked.
He remembered what the old Taoist priest once told him in the temple: that this nameless divine technique was "tailor-made" for him.
Back then, John had assumed it was due to his unusual constitution.
But now he understood—this was what tailor-made really meant.
A cultivation technique that allowed him to absorb energy from those he taught.
A truly divine gift.
Meanwhile, Alice was pouting beside him.
"All that effort… and my energy just disappears. So frustrating!"
John kept a straight face.
"This is actually normal. When I was just starting out, I lost my energy a few times too. It happens when you don't have proper control yet."
"Really?"
"Of course."
He nodded with total sincerity.
Alice finally relaxed and nodded back, muttering, "Fine. I'll try again. This time, I'll make sure you don't escape, little rascal…"
She sat down again to begin another round of cultivation.
John left her alone—he had another idea to test.
He went looking for his seventh sister.
"Sister Bertha," he said, blinking innocently, "have you ever thought about becoming a cultivator? I could teach you."
Bertha Carter narrowed her eyes instantly.
"You're being awfully nice, brat. What are you up to?"
"I just want to help!" he said, putting on his most innocent expression.
Bertha scoffed. "Hah! I'm not as gullible as third sister. You're definitely trying to scam me. No way!"
"Come on… am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?"
"You lost my trust the day you threw me into the lake. Remember that? Stay away from me!"
She punctuated her refusal by flicking him hard on the forehead.
John winced and backed off.
She really is a tigress…
Seeing no success there, he turned to his second sister.
"Sister Tracy," he said with a grin. "Do you want to—"
"No."
Tracy Linch shut him down immediately.
"Wait, I haven't even finished my—"
"I don't need to hear the rest. We all know how you operate."
To prove her point, she shoved her phone in his face.
On the screen was the sister group chat.
A message from Bertha was front and center:
"Warning to all sisters: Little John is up to something!"
John's face darkened.
Bertha… you really love ruining my reputation, huh?
It got worse as he scrolled through the replies.
Tracy Linch: "Yep, I knew he was a bad egg. It was only a matter of time."
Kate Williams: "Wait, what? What are you talking about?"
Bertha: "John's alive and scheming again!"
Kate: "Oh my god! Is he really? I'm coming back immediately! I need to check if his birthmark is still there!"
Anita Moore: "Ugh, I wish I could come! My schedule's full for the next year. I can't get away!"
Alice Moon: "Be careful. He's totally a perv now. He's always trying to get handsy!"
John's eyes bulged.
Alice! You liar! You're the one who barged into my room and hugged me!
How did she even have time to chat in the group? Wasn't she supposed to be training?
It was outrageous.
Suddenly, a group video call notification popped up.
Without hesitation, John hit Decline.
Seconds later, a message arrived.
Kate Williams: "Why did you decline the call? I just wanted to see Little John!"
Tracy Linch: "It wasn't me—he refused it."