Perseverance

Bai Muxi gave a slight shiver. In her original assumption, the solution to the young master's current predicament was simple. With the young master serving as a dual cultivation cauldron, she could use a dual cultivation method to channel that excess soul power into her own sea of consciousness. While Origin Realm soul power might be a lethal poison to a Soul Condensation cultivator, to a third-rank Grandmaster like her, it was a priceless boon that could rarely be sought, let alone the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion Saintess's Heavenly Yan divine soul. As long as it succeeded, the young master's crisis would be resolved, and she would reap immense benefits. Yet the Saintess's words just now had made it abundantly clear: outsiders could no longer intervene in the young master's body. But if no one could help him, what would happen to him? Force a Soul Condensation cultivator to swallow an Origin Realm intent-soul whole? What a joke! The difference in the quality of soul power between the Origin Realm and Soul Condensation was like night and day. If left alone, given the state he was displaying, it was completely impossible for him to hold on. And if he couldn't hold on... Her hands, resting flat against her thighs, tightened slightly against the fabric of her skirt. "Lady Saintess, is it truly impossible for an outsider to aid the young master in his current condition?" Tianyan cast a glance at Bai Muxi. "Changtian's current state can be compared to a Grandmaster attempting to fuse two Dao Charms to break through to the Origin Realm." "..." Bai Muxi's breath caught in her throat. In just a single sentence, she grasped the gravity of his situation. Comprehending two Dao Charms meant that a cultivator had to maintain a delicate balance at every single moment. Once external force interfered and that critical point of balance was shattered, the result would likely be far worse than mere qi deviation. Yet after a moment of silence, Bai Muxi seemed to think of something and promptly asked in a low voice, "If Muxi were able to drain all the mutated soul power from the young master's sea of consciousness in a single instant, would that resolve his symptoms?" His current condition was simply the fusion of two soul powers causing his own soul power to swell incessantly like a cancerous tumor, straining his sea of consciousness to the brink of collapse. If so, she could simply cut the Gordian knot and excise the entire malignancy at once. Since a gentle method of guidance was no longer viable, she could resort to brute force, draining every drop of soul power from his sea of consciousness. Whether it was his own, or the Heavenly Yan divine soul. At the end of the day, the young master was merely at Soul Condensation. For a Grandmaster like her, draining him completely in an instant would not be difficult. Tianyan pondered briefly and murmured, "If you are truly confident, this method does hold some feasibility." Hearing this, Bai Muxi's eyes lit up slightly. Before she could speak, however, Lou Ji abruptly chimed in from the side, "The dual cultivation technique I taught you just now wouldn't be capable of that." "..." After a brief silence, Bai Muxi answered carefully, "This method is a dual cultivation technique Muxi learned in the past." Lou Ji stared at her for several breaths before murmuring, "Copulatory dual cultivation?" A blush rose across Bai Muxi's snow-white skin. She whispered, "Yes..." "..." Tianyan remained impassive, her eyes devoid of any emotion. Meanwhile, Lou Ji, who held ultimate decision-making authority in the cabin, fell into thought. Bai Muxi's approach was indeed viable. Draining Changtian dry like a cauldron would certainly resolve his immediate mortal peril. But a cauldron... At that thought, Lou Ji's delicate brows furrowed slightly. Over the years, her Black Scale Guards had carried out plenty of dirty work for the Prime Minister's Manor, including assassinations and the slaughter of entire clans. Consequently, when wiping out those prominent clans, she frequently discovered cauldrons hidden within their dungeons or secret chambers. Although the path of dual cultivation had fallen into decline across the Great Yan, using cauldrons for plucking and nourishing had not. Even though the imperial court classified it as the foulest of evil fiend arts, its ability to help cultivators break through realms was still enough to blind people with greed. Many local aristocratic families secretly kept talented youths with fine aptitudes as cauldrons, reserving them for direct descendants to exploit when attempting breakthroughs. And once used, these clans would secretly execute the cauldrons without exception. First, to maintain secrecy. Second, because once a cauldron was drained, they had no remaining value, and keeping them alive brought nothing but trouble. After being plucked and nourished, a cauldron's dantian and the foundation of their sea of consciousness would be utterly ruined. With that in mind, the temperature in Lou Ji's voice dropped slightly. "Most dual cultivation methods from ten thousand years ago were evil arts of plucking and nourishing. Even if it succeeds, falling in cultivation realm is the least of Changtian's worries—what truly matters is that the foundation of his sea of consciousness would be ruined." Bai Muxi's expression didn't waver in the slightest as she quickly explained, "Chief Lou, Muxi is confident she can minimize the damage to the young master's sea of consciousness. Furthermore, he possesses an Innate Dao Body, so his sea of consciousness is naturally resilient. Even if it suffers slight injury, medicinal herbs and elixirs should be able to make up for the deficit afterward." Lou Ji stared at Bai Muxi, her phoenix eyes betraying no emotion. Bai Muxi clutched her skirt tightly, growing anxious. "Chief Lou, Muxi harbors no disloyalty toward the young master! If my words are false, you may execute me afterward. But if you don't make a decision soon, the young master—" "Enough." Lou Ji lifted a slender index finger, cutting Bai Muxi off, and made her decision in a low voice: "I will use medicines to force Changtian into a breakthrough to the Flesh Integration Realm. Once he steps into Flesh Integration, his sea of consciousness will expand, naturally resolving the current crisis." Everything she had experienced, every person she had met, and the position she occupied made it impossible for her to trust Changtian's newly acquired concubine. At least, not right now. Since both options would damage his foundation, it was better for her to handle it personally. At least she could guarantee the damage was kept to an absolute minimum. Bai Muxi pursed her lips, lowered her gaze, and argued no further. "Understood..." "..." As the Chief of the Black Scale Guards, Lou Ji had always acted with swift and decisive efficiency. The moment she reached her decision, more than a dozen jade vials materialized out of thin air before her. The medicinal substances within the jade vials varied in form—pills, powders, medicinal fluids, and even spirit pastes for external application. Buzz— Her cultivation method circulating, Lou Ji's amethyst pupils radiated an enchanting glow, her long hair fluttering. Her gaze swept across the vials, and six of them disintegrated into fine powder without warning. The medicinal fluids and pill powders inside were instantly enveloped in a plume of purple flames that appeared out of thin air, and wisps of medicinal fragrance began to permeate the cabin. These were all top-grade medicines that aided breakthroughs, but they still required some tuning and compounding based on Changtian's current condition... "Chief Lou." A sudden voice interrupted Lou Ji's thoughts. Tianyan, who had remained silent all this while, spoke up. Her clear, emotionless voice resonated through the quiet cabin: "In this matter, I believe you should ask Changtian for his own opinion. If he successfully assimilates the Heavenly Yan divine soul, his future ceiling will be much higher." Lou Ji narrowed her eyes, her purple pupils darting toward Tianyan as her voice turned chilly: "Saintess, Changtian's foundation is in jeopardy because of you. Anything you say now, I will treat as the words of a spy." Their eyes met for an instant. Supporting Xu Yuan with one hand, Tianyan replied impassively, "I am merely offering a suggestion." "Is that so?" Lou Ji showed Tianyan no warmth whatsoever. "I have heard your suggestion. You may shut your mouth now." "Sister..." Xu Yuan spoke up at this moment. "I..." "Changtian!" Lou Ji cut him off, her tone stern for the first time. "Sister." Xu Yuan did not back down, his weak voice tinged with resolve. "Hear me out!" "..." Lou Ji's brows drew tight, her usually charming and regal eyes turning somewhat menacing. Xu Yuan took note of her expression. He understood what Lou Ji was thinking. His status and standing within the Prime Minister's Manor forced her to consider many things deeply. Not to mention that if one looked at the gravity of this situation, it could even be construed as the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion declaring war on the Prime Minister's Manor. After all, from Lou Ji's perspective, the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion had used the Heaven-Deducing Art as bait right under her nose, trapping the Prime Minister's heir in dire peril. At best, his foundation would be damaged; at worst, he would become a vegetative invalid. That Lou Ji hadn't directly attacked Tianyan was already an immense show of restraint on her part. Under Xu Yuan's gaze, the hostility in Lou Ji's eyes gradually faded. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly, before halting her hands. "Fine. Speak. "However, Changtian, if you make the wrong judgment, I will report it faithfully to your father." The implication was clear: as the heir to the Prime Minister's Manor, he needed to be cold-blooded and wholly rational. A person swayed by sentiment could never control a domain as vast as the Prime Minister's Manor. She would report to Prime Minister Xu that Xu Yuan's caliber might not be up to the task. "Heh..." Xu Yuan chuckled knowingly. Enduring the dizziness that surged and receded in waves through his mind, three choices flashed through his thoughts. First: dual cultivate with Xiao Bai, falling in realm and damaging his foundation. Second: force a breakthrough, damaging his foundation. Third: withstand the circulation of the intent-soul secret art, risking becoming a vegetative husk in exchange for acquiring the traits of the Heavenly Yan divine soul. If this were in Cangyuan, he probably would have chosen the first. A damaged foundation could be slowly nursed back, but an opportunity for dual cultivation, once lost, might never come again. In reality, however... Thinking to this point, Xu Yuan rubbed his brow. "Sister, I'm not trying to defend Tianyan. I know my own condition best, and I think it's worth a try." "A try?" Lou Ji's brows knitted even tighter. Licking his parched lips, Xu Yuan chuckled softly. "Fortune favors the bold, after all. This is a chance to gain the traits of the Heavenly Yan divine soul." Hearing this, Lou Ji suddenly laughed, though her laughter held the frustration of someone despairing over another's foolishness. "In your current state, how do you expect to try?" "..." Xu Yuan sighed softly. The dazed blur in his eyes from the dizziness gradually receded, replaced by a calm as still as a lake. The occasional flicker of golden and bloody light in his eyes looked exceptionally eerie. Motioning for Tianyan to let go of him, Xu Yuan sat upright with his legs crossed, looking directly at Lou Ji. "My condition actually isn't as bad as you think." "..." Seeing the change in his posture and expression, surprise flickered in Lou Ji's eyes. Then she lowered her brow and said in a hushed tone, "Trying to act tough in a situation like this is not a wise choice." "Act tough? Heh..." Hearing this, Xu Yuan suddenly let out a low chuckle. The patter of rain drifted in from outside the pavilion. In the tense, quiet cabin, his sudden laughter seemed completely out of place. After a moment, the laughter subsided. Lou Ji stared at the smile lingering on his lips. "What are you laughing at?" Xu Yuan did not answer directly. His voice was somewhat hoarse as he murmured, "Sister, pain of this degree... really isn't much to me." Lou Ji narrowed her eyes, the corners of her lips curling into a dangerous arc. "Not much? Your sister remembers that you feared pain above all else. Otherwise, back in the manor, why did you always skirt around me?" "..." Xu Yuan was struck dumb. In the past, Lou Ji had strutted through the Prime Minister's Manor day after day in low-cut, lavish gowns, and as a ravenous lecher, he naturally hadn't missed a single glimpse. Later, however, he had grown so terrified that he dared not look at all—because one extra glance would spell disaster. Every peek meant an inexplicable, prickling agony coursing through his entire body for a quarter of an hour. Even rolling on the ground and begging for mercy was futile. Xu Yuan looked at Lou Ji with an earnest gaze and said softly, "Sister, people change." "The brat is right." A gentle, placid voice suddenly cut into their conversation. Without any warning, a slender silhouette appeared at the edge of the ten-foot hole blasted into the cabin wall. Everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Confusion flickered in Tianyan's eyes. She had never seen this woman before, and the fluctuations radiating from her were bizarre. Approaching them, Luo Xiran said softly, "Though this brat behaves dissolutely and disregards hierarchy and propriety, it cannot be denied that his mind is extraordinarily resilient." Lou Ji showed no surprise at Luo Xiran's arrival. Frowning, she asked, "Did you come up here specifically to tell me that?" She was thoroughly displeased with these people from the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion attempting to meddle in internal affairs of the Prime Minister's Manor. Were it not for Changtian being present and staying her hand, after such an incident, every single one of them would have been thrown into the Black Prison to enjoy a private cell. At this point, Xu Yuan suddenly murmured in a low voice, "Sister, even if you don't believe Xiran, you should know how wretched my constitution used to be. "Rebuilding a crippled body with entirely clogged meridians into the Innate Dao Body I have today... I think you can imagine the agony involved in forcing open those meridians." Saying this, Xu Yuan let out a helpless chuckle. "And I endured that kind of agony twice. Both times, I persevered through it." Once for the Innate Dao Body. Once to reverse the aberrant ghost transformation and obtain spiritual vision. Looking into his eyes, Lou Ji rubbed her temples in irritation. Taking risks! Always taking risks! When the slightest misstep would mean his death, where had this boy gotten the nerve to become so reckless?! After a moment of silence, Lou Ji narrowed her eyes and pointed at the bed, asking coldly, "Then why were you putting on that half-dead look earlier?" Xu Yuan spread his hands and blurted out without missing a beat, "Because you're here, Sister! I'm not a masochist. If you could find a way to solve it, why would I needlessly suffer through the pain?" "..." Lou Ji's lush, glossy red lips parted, but no words came out. Xu Yuan smiled faintly. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I need the Heavenly Yan divine soul to make me stronger." His comprehension, his natural talent, and his combat aptitude lagged far behind the true chosen paragons of this world. If he wanted the strength to stand on equal footing with them, he had no choice but to make up the difference through other means. With that in mind, Xu Yuan reached out and took hold of Lou Ji's wrist, looking into her enchanting purple pupils. "Sister, trust me." "..." Seeing the determination in his eyes, the irritation in Lou Ji's gaze grew even stronger. In the end, however, she let out a soft sigh. Slapping his hand away, she flicked his forehead. Looking at him helplessly, she gave a soft huff. "Why does it feel like your sister has become the villain here? Humph, if you want to do it, Changtian, then go ahead." Hearing this, Xu Yuan felt a weight lift from his heart. Yet right at that moment, the surrounding space seemed to freeze. The entire black eagle pavilion was instantly enveloped in a tangible Dao domain. Lou Ji rose slowly from the bed, looked around at the other three women in the room, and said softly: "However, if anything happens to you, Changtian, your sister will send the other three in this room to join you in death."