"Forgive me, Your Highness, I woke up late."
Yang Hong had just placed millet porridge, stir-fried greens, pickled cabbage, and a small dish of lotus seed soup on the table when You Daxiang hurried downstairs to apologize. Her appearance suggested she had woken up suddenly upon smelling the food and realizing Yang Hong was cooking, prompting her hasty descent.
"Rise. You're just in time. Go wash up, then come down to eat."
Yang Hong waved his hand gently, helping the two women to their feet. They were more than two Zhang apart at this moment. Such distance, covered with such effortless grace, was beyond the capabilities of ordinary martial arts. This display truly startled You Daxiang; they had never heard of martial arts being used in such a manner.
"Th-thank you, Your Highness."
You Daxiang recovered her senses, bowed slightly, and said with a tremor in her voice, "Your Highness, do you know martial arts?" She looked at Yang Hong with a hint of fear. Before entering the Zhiruo Wangwen Pavilion, she had met the Supreme Emperor Yang Zhong. Yang Zhong had repeatedly emphasized that Yang Hong knew no martial arts, nor was he allowed to practice them. Her purpose, along with others, was to protect Yang Hong, and therefore they needed to cultivate diligently. She had never expected Yang Hong to possess such powerful martial arts.
"Since you are my person, you are privy to my secrets." Yang Hong, still smiling, led You Daxiang to the dining table. "I do not cultivate martial arts, but a higher, more powerful path: immortal cultivation. This is a cultivation technique that may one day allow me to become an immortal, living as long as heaven and earth."
"Immortal..." You Daxiang gasped. Not long ago, she had encountered celestial beings, been examined by one, and even seen celestial maidens flying in the sky, their flying vessels piercing the azure heavens. Learning that her man was also an immortal brought her not only astonishment but also immense joy.
"Heh heh... I am not yet an immortal; I have only just begun to cultivate." Yang Hong scooped porridge into two bowls before continuing his explanation. "Not only am I not an immortal, but those celestial maidens and celestial beings you saw before are also not true immortals. Immortal cultivation is divided into nine realms: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Integration, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Body Integration, Tribulation Crossing, and Mahayana. After Mahayana, one can ascend to the Immortal Realm, and those are the true immortals. All below that are merely cultivators."
"Those three celestial maidens you saw that day were only at the Integration realm. I am currently at the Integration realm as well, yet I could kill all three of them with a single hand. As for the celestial beings who came later to test us, they were cultivators beyond Integration. I cannot discern their exact cultivation levels. However, that withered old man could likely kill me with one hand."
"Immortal cultivation cultivates spiritual energy, true qi..." Yang Hong explained the basic principles of immortal cultivation in simple terms as he sipped his millet porridge. "If you have further questions, you can ask Jia Yuanchun. She is from your Jia family, so you won't feel embarrassed asking her." Yang Hong provided only a brief introduction, intending to delegate more detailed explanations to Jia Yuanchun. Although Jia Yuanchun and the others knew less about immortal cultivation and the cultivation world, Yang Hong was too lazy to explain extensively.
"Your Highness, can I also cultivate... immortal cultivation?"
"Of course. Since you are now mine, and I have shared this secret with you, I naturally intend for you to cultivate alongside me. However, our immortal cultivation matters must remain a secret. Even the young ladies of your Jia family are not privy to this knowledge."
"Your Highness, rest assured. Even if my mother were to ask, I would not speak a word." You Daxiang quickly pledged, her voice still trembling. This was indeed the greatest fortune, the greatest providence!
"Remember that. If this secret is leaked, I will surely not survive, and you all might wish for death." Yang Hong watched the vows sworn by You Daxiang with a smile. Only after she had finished her pledge did he speak calmly. This was not mere hyperbole. If cultivators discovered the constitutions of You Daxiang and Wang Xifeng, their first thought would be to capture them as cauldrons. This applied to both male and female cultivators. Do not assume female cultivators lack surplus yang energy. All cultivation is a struggle against fate, producing yang energy. Especially for cultivators who have consumed too many elixirs, they accumulate not only yang energy but also elixir toxins and fire toxins. At such a time, a Profound Yin Body or Nine Yin Body would be an ideal tool, even if not for dual cultivation, but for refining those fire and elixir toxins.
"I, solemnly swear, will keep this secret, revealing not a single iota. If I break this vow..."
"Enough. Do not swear. Just do it diligently." Yang Hong interrupted her vow. Oaths are recorded by the laws of heaven and can easily be traced by cultivators who practice destiny manipulation, which is why Yang Hong stopped her.
"Yes, I will absolutely not reveal it." You Daxiang looked at Yang Hong with deep gratitude, feeling that Yang Hong's trust was worth a lifetime of devotion.
Having gained two top-tier dual cultivation physiques, Yang Hong's daily cultivation yielded even more significant results. Concurrently, Song Yuzhi and the others also practiced with greater diligence. After all, anyone who saw You Daxiang could perceive her transformation. This was tangible proof of the benefits of immortal cultivation. To maintain secrecy, You Daxiang and Wang Xifeng temporarily resided in Yadu Tower. It would be difficult to explain their presence if Lin Daiyu and the others, who were familiar with You Daxiang, were to see them.
The two special constitutions greatly aided Yang Hong's cultivation. After each dual cultivation session, Yang Hong could feel his true qi becoming purer. This was progress that could be seen daily. To maximize the advantages of You and Wang, Yang Hong imparted to them the "Lion Tiger Roar," specifically the system-corrected version. The "Lion Tiger Roar" is, in essence, a body-refining technique, focusing primarily on the physical body while supplementing with spiritual energy. It emphasizes the harmonious resonance of bones and muscles, like the roar of a lion and tiger, making it a superior immortal cultivation technique. In just three days, with Yang Hong's assistance, You Daxiang and Wang Xifeng both entered the Qi Refining realm on the same day. With true qi, they could better cooperate with Yang Hong and absorb spiritual energy more effectively. As the two women's cultivation progressed rapidly, soon catching up to Jia Yuanchun, Yang Hong's true qi was also rapidly purifying and beginning its transformation into primal yuan.
After reviewing over ten cultivation experiences, five of which were from cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above, Yang Hong understood that the method to transform true qi into primal yuan was continuous compression, refining it until a qualitative change occurred. This process was best and fastest using Golden Core cultivation techniques. However, Yang Hong faced numerous restrictions in his own cultivation breakthrough, leaving him with only the most arduous method: constant compression of true qi. One hundredfold... A thousandfold... Ten thousandfold... A millionfold! With such relentless compression, Yang Hong required one million units of true qi to form one unit of primal yuan. A drop of crystal-clear water appeared in Yang Hong's dantian.