Nyx lay against him, her breathing shallow and soft, her hair spilling across his chest like a silken veil. The warmth of her body lingered on his skin, the fragrance of her sweat mixed with her perfume, clinging to him in a way that made him almost want to forget everything else. She had given herself completely, and though her heart was light, her body was drained, her strength pulled from her until she could do nothing but surrender to sleep. Her trembling arms loosened their hold on him, and her lashes fluttered closed. Lucas studied her quietly for a moment, the steady rise and fall of her chest soothing, the faint smile still etched on her lips betraying her happiness.

He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, his fingers gentle, then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. For an instant, he almost allowed himself to remain there, basking in the comfort of her presence, but the thought vanished as quickly as it came. He could not afford to waste time, not now. Nyx was resting, her energy completely spent, and that meant the Yin energy she had unknowingly released was at its purest and most potent.

Lucas shifted carefully, sliding her down until her head rested on the pillow. He tucked the blanket lightly around her bare form so she would not stir in the night, then drew back with quiet restraint. Standing over her, he gazed at her for a heartbeat longer, admiring the rare softness of her expression, before his eyes hardened with resolve. This was not a night to linger in sentiment.

He crossed the chamber in silence, the fire from the wall sconces throwing a golden hue over his bare torso. Then he lowered himself to the floor, folding his legs beneath him into the familiar cross-legged position. His breathing slowed as he steadied his heart and cleared his mind, pulling all stray emotions into calm focus.

Closing his eyes, he reached inward. The thread of Yin energy Nyx had left in him stirred almost instantly, gentle yet untamed, unbound yet brimming with purity unlike any other he had absorbed before. A virgin's Yin...unstained, uncorrupted, was a treasure of heaven and earth, the kind of energy cultivators could search for decades and never find. It was why Lucas valued them so much, why he could never dismiss what Lira meant to him, and why Nyx's gift tonight was something beyond measure.

As the current of Yin began to flow through him, he directed it toward his meridians, letting it wash through the weakest points, cleansing, refining, strengthening. His body shuddered faintly under the surge, but he kept his concentration, tightening his control, weaving it together with his own Qi until it formed a steady rhythm. It was like feeding a raging fire with the purest oil, every breath ignited his cultivation further.

Nyx remained asleep, her breathing soft and rhythmic, unaware of the storm she had unleashed within Lucas. He sat unmoving, his aura gradually thickening, his presence slowly shifting as the Yin fused with his own energy. Tonight was not just a night of intimacy, it was a step forward in his path, a decisive one that would carry him closer to the greatness he sought.

He sat in perfect stillness, his body like a statue, his chest rising and falling in deep, controlled breaths. The Yin energy of Nyx, pure and untouched, coursed endlessly through his veins like a divine river. Each wave of it washed against his dantian, tempering it, refining it, forcing open the channels that had once resisted growth. His meridians pulsed under the flow, stretching, strengthening, and reinforcing themselves with a resilience that no ordinary training could ever achieve.

Hours passed without his notice. The night drifted into silence, broken only by the faint crackle of the torches, and then even those dimmed, leaving only the pale moonlight streaming through the windows. Yet Lucas did not falter. The stream of energy within him grew steadier, more refined with every cycle, as though his very body had been waiting for this moment.

He directed the Yin with unwavering focus. The energy clashed with the impurities lingering deep within him, and each collision burned them away, leaving his cultivation purer, sharper, and far more stable. His muscles tightened and released, the faint tremors of his body betraying the immense pressure running through him, but he welcomed it, endured it, and mastered it. His breathing grew heavier for a time, then slowed once more into a rhythm so calm it seemed unnatural.

By the time the first glow of dawn began to spill across the horizon, the storm within him had reached its peak. The Yin energy merged completely with his own Qi, and his cultivation surged upward like an unstoppable tide. The walls of his chamber seemed to hum faintly, the air itself trembling under the oppressive aura that leaked from his body.

Lucas opened his eyes at last. A sharp light flashed across them, like lightning piercing the darkness, before it faded into the depths of his gaze. He exhaled slowly, and the breath that left him carried a weight so heavy that it seemed to press against the room itself.

He could feel it clearly. His cultivation had climbed, step by step, to the pinnacle of the Master rank. He was now standing firmly at the third and final stage, the peak of a realm that countless cultivators struggled their entire lives to reach. For many, this stage was a mountain too high to ever conquer. Talented geniuses took years to make the climb, and even then, most would falter before they crossed into the next realm. Some cultivators never touched the final stage at all, their lives burning away in futile struggle.

But for him? It had taken a single night. A single night, and he had crushed the barrier that held others for decades. The Yin energy of Nyx had propelled him forward like an arrow, refining his foundation with a speed that would terrify anyone who understood what he had accomplished.

Lucas tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. His heart was calm, but his blood surged with the thrill of power. He was on the verge now, only a single step away from the Grandmaster rank. That was the realm where true strength began, where cultivators carved their names into history and shaped the fate of nations.

He whispered softly to himself, his voice steady and resolute, "The real path begins now."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.