"The Flower Fairy's request is very simple: she wants to make a move against the Jiang Family!"

Tan Chang, having reached this conclusion, couldn't help but silently praise his own intelligence and wit.

The Flower Fairy is in the Divine Gate Realm, with terrifying strength and a name renowned both at home and abroad, so why go to such great lengths? Could it be that she has reservations about the Jiang Family? No, about the power *behind* the Jiang Family.

Tan Chang clasped his hands behind his back and murmured, "No wonder she's cultivating me. She needs me to become a sword, one that can openly and righteously pierce the heart of the Jiang Family. Because I am a shadow, one the Jiang Family forcibly captured and branded with a slave's mark, I have a legitimate reason for revenge."

"Venerable Flower Fairy, I know you must be watching me from the shadows. Although we have never met, I am grateful for your help."

"If you truly wish to act against the Jiang Family, I will give my all to assist you!"

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a violent wind swept up waves several meters high, shattering the calm surface of the sea.

Tan Chang burst into laughter. "Venerable Flower Fairy, I understand your anger, but the Jiang Family is not as simple as it appears. Once I reach the Eighth Grade Boundary, I will join you in storming Yanjing!"

"We must destroy the Jiang Family!"

As Tan Chang finished speaking, the fierce wind suddenly dissipated, and the sea returned to its calm state.

Tan Chang was secretly delighted. After my conversation with Venerable Flower Fairy today, I never expected that we would share a common enemy. And just like that, everything made sense.

***

「Haitang Court.」

Xu Lai stood by the window, his expression hesitant.

There's no one for miles around Tan Chang. Who is he talking to? Besides, this isn't the first time. Could Tan Chang have a split personality?

Amidst his hesitation, Xu Lai swept his Divine Sense over the area, his expression growing even more puzzled.

Apart from a shorter lifespan, there's nothing wrong with Tan Chang's body or mind. How strange.

"Why did you stop telling the story?"

Lying in bed, Ruan Tang gave Xu Lai a puzzled look. It was time for her nightly bedtime story.

"Daddy," Yiyi called out sweetly, "Yiyi wants to hear a story."

"Ah, coming."

Xu Lai continued with the story of Venerable Qingfeng, and it wasn't long before Xu Yiyi fell asleep.

"She's asleep. Do you still want to listen?" Xu Lai asked.

Only the bedside lamp was on in the room. Under the dim yellow light, Ruan Tang, sitting up in bed, said with a strange expression, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Actually, we could use the cover of night to do something more meaningful," Xu Lai said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Something more meaningful?

Although Ruan Tang had never been in a relationship, she was an adult and naturally understood the implication in Xu Lai's words.

Her heart began to race, and she asked nervously, "What... what are you going to do?"

Xu Lai didn't speak, slowly leaning closer.

The distance between their eyes was a mere twenty centimeters. This meant that all it would take was for Xu Lai to lower his head, and their lips would touch.

This sudden attack caught Ruan Tang completely off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Then, Xu Lai's face moved closer!

Watching Xu Lai draw nearer, only one thought filled Ruan Tang's mind—

I'm about to be kissed!

But Ruan Tang had no time to react; she could only watch as Xu Lai leaned in for a kiss.

A wave of shyness washed over her.

She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, betraying the anxiety in her heart.

But...

After what felt like an eternity, Ruan Tang still hadn't felt the kiss, so she couldn't help but open her eyes. She saw Xu Lai's face close to hers, and he said seriously, "Let me teach you cultivation."

"..."

Xu Lai's eyes seemed to hold the sun, moon, and stars, filled with a captivating allure, yet Ruan Tang wished she could slap him across the face—and then slap herself!

What on earth was I just anticipating?

Ruan Tang pinched the flesh of her stomach hard and said coldly, "Get out!"

"The moon is bright and the stars are few. The Spiritual Energy is easiest to absorb, making it very suitable for cultivation."

"Get out!"

Ruan Tang grew even more annoyed. "Cultivate? My foot!" she snapped, grabbing the pillow from behind her and throwing it at him.

"If you don't want to cultivate, you don't have to. Why resort to violence?"

Xu Lai dodged backward, then suddenly froze and asked, "You didn't just think I was going to kiss you, did you?"

"No! Now get lost!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you wanted me to kiss you," Xu Lai said quickly. "Let's start over. You close your eyes first."

"..."

Ruan Tang was so embarrassed she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She threw back the covers and pushed Xu Lai out of the room.

She could still hear Xu Lai on the other side of the door. "Why don't we just cultivate? I know a dual cultivation method that's especially suitable for you."

Dual cultivation... Doesn't that mean...

Ruan Tang leaned against the wooden door, feeling the tips of her ears burn. "Shut up!"

Xu Lai sighed.

In the Southern Immortal Domain, there was a Spirit Tribe. With a population of merely ten thousand, they were unranked among the great races.

Yet their tribe's name was famous across the Four Immortal Domains!

This was all because their Cultivation Technique was incredibly special—

Spirit!

The name of the Cultivation Technique was just a single word. The conditions for its practice were not harsh, requiring only close blood relatives to cultivate together.

But the Spiritual Power they obtained was the product of their individual amounts multiplied together!

This meant that if Ruan Tang cultivated this technique with her sister Ruan Lan or her daughter Xu Yiyi, with equal talent, a normal person might only cultivate ten units of Spiritual Power. But under the effect of the 'Spirit' technique, both Ruan Tang and her partner would each gain twenty units.

If a normal person could cultivate one hundred units of Spiritual Power, then Ruan Tang and her partner would each gain two hundred.

The higher their realm, the greater the benefit!

In other words, as long as one of them cultivated, the other could simply eat, drink, play, and sleep all day and would still advance in their realm.

Moreover, each of them could also summon a guardian spirit of an equivalent realm!

The Spirit Tribe had originally lived a peaceful life in a secluded corner of the Southern Immortal Domain, but after they were discovered...

They became a prize coveted by all. Their people were hunted and killed, all for the sake of obtaining the Spirit Tribe's Cultivation Technique.

This was especially true for the heirs of the Four Immortal Domains' great powers—the Tao Lineages, the forbidden grounds, and the Immortal Gates with legacies stretching back tens of thousands of years.

Their eyes burned with envy. Many of them simply wanted to live as wastrels, but they were burdened with the fate of their clan, sect, or school. They were forced to become the most outstanding of their generation.

They were even expected to be invincible among their contemporaries!

They were to walk a path of invincibility, just like all the Great Emperors of past eras, including Xu Lai, and dominate the age!

Heaven knows how enormous that pressure was.

No matter how strong the Spirit Tribe was, their population was a mere ten thousand. How could a fierce tiger withstand the siege of countless races from across the universe?

The Spirit Tribe fled for a thousand years. Just as they were on the brink of eradication, their chief came to the Heavenly Court. He offered their tribe's Saintess to Xu Lai, asking only that he ensure their people's survival.

But the Spirit Tribe's standards of beauty were... somewhat unique.

Xu Lai accepted the Cultivation Technique, 'Spirit', but sent the Saintess back to her homeland. He had her take with her an Emperor's Statue infused with a wisp of the Emperor's majesty.

Only then was the Spirit Tribe spared from the disaster of annihilation.

And yet, Ruan Tang had refused such a mystical Cultivation Technique...

It seems I was too impatient.

Xu Lai sighed and turned to go back to his room to continue meditating.

But just as he sat down, the door opened, and a sneaky figure slipped inside.

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