A low hum escaped Wang Feng's throat as he stirred awake. His bright golden eyes slowly opened, their pupils bearing a subtle, draconic curve that caught the morning light.
His hand swept over the silken bedding, finding only cool emptiness where warmth should have been. With unhurried grace, he sat up, resting his back against the carved headboard.
A dozen paces away, framed in the soft glow of morning, Su Yan sat before an ice mirror. Her hands worked deftly at her hair, gathering it into a bun, while a faint smile curved her lips. Her pinkish-white skin glowed with a healthy radiance, as if the night's rest had left her more luminous than ever.
Wang Feng's gaze lingered, his smile deepening. Rising soundlessly, he moved towards her, each step measured, his breath carefully restrained.
A soft, melodic hum reached his ears—Su Yan, lost in her morning ritual. Just as he drew within an arm's reach, his reflection appeared in the mirror. Her smile brightened, and she spoke in a gentle tone, warm and intimate, so different from her usual icy composure.
"You're up, Feng'er."
The words alone melted something in him. An adoring smile touched his lips as he stepped behind her, his hands lightly securing her hair in place. Taking the crystal-blue hairpin from her slender fingers, he slid it into her hair with deliberate care.
Su Yan's eyes softened as she watched his reflection, allowing him to finish her hairstyle.
When the final touch was done, his hands drifted down to circle her waist, pulling her back into his warmth. He lowered his face to her neck, his breath ghosting over her skin as he murmured, "Mhm… and you? Did you sleep well~?"
Her eyes shimmered. She turned her head just enough to kiss his cheek. "I had the best sleep in a long time."
A quiet chuckle rumbled from his chest. Without warning, he bent and lifted her effortlessly into his arms, taking the seat she had occupied moments ago. He placed her sideways on his lap, his embrace both tender and possessive.
"That's good," he murmured, pressing a light kiss to the crown of her head.
Su Yan let out a soft hum, curling into his chest like a contented cat seeking the perfect spot. His arms tightened around her, as though unwilling to ever let go.
The two simply sat there for several minutes, content in the warm, unspoken closeness of their embrace.
Wang Feng's fingers idly combed through Su Yan's silky hair, and a faint chuckle escaped his lips. She tilted her head up, a questioning glimmer in her eyes.
He grinned and leaned down to tap her nose with a light kiss, "I was just imagining the others' expressions when we walk out of this secret realm," he said.
A delicate blush bloomed across Su Yan's cheeks. She patted his chest in mock reproach, but her heart knew that one of the 'reactions' he awaited was the stir their newfound relationship would cause.
The other…
She bit her lower lip, hesitating for a heartbeat before her voice slipped out, soft and low, "What are your plans for later?"
Wang Feng's golden eyes met hers. Within her gaze, he saw a whirlpool of emotions — love and trust tangled with worry, doubt, and a quiet resolve. His smile softened. He brushed his fingers gently across the back of her head, lingering there.
After a pause, he spoke, "I'll be leaving the sect for a while."
Her breath caught, but she stayed silent as he continued, "There are things I need to find. Important things."
His gaze shifted briefly toward the two rings still floating in the void, his eyes deep and contemplative.
He wasn't lying — there truly were matters of great weight waiting for him. One was to locate the treasure island that held the Soul Warming Lotus. Others were just as vital.
But the most important… was to uncover the strange gaps in his own mind.
These were not missing memories. They were more like sealed fragments — things he should not know, yet they would surface unbidden at critical moments, leaving him unsure of when or how they appeared.
A few days ago, while watching Su Yan transition her cultivation path — before his encounter with the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress — he had wrestled with a sudden, unreasonably strong intuition. Pressing against the edges of his consciousness, forcing his spiritual energy to strain, something had clicked… and knowledge emerged.
It was new knowledge, yet it felt as though it had been hidden all along — the awareness of the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress's remnant wills.
And that was not the first time.
The first incident was when he had encountered a treasure flame. In that moment, his mind had calmly listed every type of flame — Beast Flame, Earth Flame, Divine Flame, Heavenly Flame — as if he had studied them for years. His familiarity with similar concepts from other novels had masked how unnatural that knowledge truly was.
The second was with the Nether Ghost Disaster Bat. At first, he believed it was something from his Alchemy and Blacksmith inheritance. Yet the inherited records only detailed a few of its body parts useful for forging or pill-making.
The warning of its deadly nature had come from somewhere else entirely — a sudden surge of awareness in the middle of crisis, blending seamlessly with his other knowledge so it would go unquestioned.
Three times this had happened. Three times knowledge had surfaced from nowhere.
And now, more than ever, Wang Feng wanted to uncover the truth… and unlock whatever lay hidden in that mysterious source.
Wang Feng shook his head lightly, waving his hand. The two rings floating in the void glided toward him.
Su Yan, though slightly disappointed at his earlier answer, still wore an understanding expression. Her gaze, however, was inevitably drawn to the rings. She had noticed them long ago but hadn't asked—not because she was too absorbed in the bliss of dual cultivation, absolutely not… She simply trusted that Wang Feng would tell her in his own time.
Catching her curious look, Wang Feng smiled faintly and extended his palm toward her. The two rings now hovered above it, glimmering faintly under the void's ethereal light.
"These two," he began, "are treasures left behind by the seniors who granted us their sources."
Her eyes widened in a flash of shock and excitement. She didn't even need to speak—her expression urged him to hurry.
"They're called Space Rings," Wang Feng continued. "Each contains an independent space within it, capable of storing inanimate objects. The size of the space depends on the refiner and materials used." His fingers brushed one of the rings, tracing its smooth surface. "These two are the highest grade of space rings. If I had to guess… the combined treasures of our entire world (referring to Warraying Clan Small World), multiplied dozens—no, hundreds—of times over, wouldn't even fill five percent of their space."
Su Yan's lips parted in disbelief.
With a subtle smile, Wang Feng took the blue ring between thumb and forefinger, his other arm still curled around her waist. He lifted her delicate hand and, with a deliberate slowness, slid the ring onto her ring finger.
The blue gem shimmered as it settled into place. A faint blush colored Su Yan's cheeks as she gazed at him.
"Go on," he said gently, "pour your spiritual energy into it."
But instead of obeying, Su Yan reached toward his palm, took the golden ring from it, and, with equal care, placed it on his ring finger. Her expression softened with quiet satisfaction, her eyes reflecting the deep connection they shared.
Wang Feng's gaze warmed. It still amazed him how expressive she had become—so different from the cold, detached woman he'd first known. That earlier façade had been nothing more than the side effect of her ice-elemental cultivation method, which had sealed her emotions away.
Now, with the Ice Phoenix Empress's inheritance, that flaw had melted like frost under spring sun. She could still summon that icy demeanor at will, but these days she basked in the freedom of showing her true self to him.
And perhaps, more than anything, it was because of the second stage of the Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art—where their hearts were bound, their emotions intertwined, each pulse of feeling echoing perfectly between them.
Yes, they were already at the 2nd Stage of Yin-Yang Joyous Unification Art.
The Yin–Yang Joyous Unification Art was a technique as mysterious as it was profound. Its essence was simple to state, yet vast and unfathomable in its depth.
It was divided into three realms of unity — the Union of Bodies, the Union of Hearts, and the Union of Souls.
The first realm, Union of Bodies, was exactly as the name implied. In this stage, man and woman would join in the most intimate of ways, allowing not only their physical forms to intertwine, but also the energies within them — the power of their dantians, along with the Yin and Yang essence of their bodies. These forces would swirl together in a perfect cycle, blending without conflict, nourishing both cultivators. Through this union, their cultivation speed would soar to three times that of a lone practitioner, each breath of shared Qi resonating in harmony.
The second realm, Union of Hearts, was far more elusive. It demanded more than mere intimacy — it required the laying bare of one's truest self. Both cultivators had to strip away the veils over their hearts, revealing every emotion, every virtue, and every flaw to the other. Acceptance had to be absolute; love had to be unconditional. Only then could the two reach a bond where they could perceive one another's emotions across distance, and even sense each other's presence as naturally as they sensed their own heartbeat. In this stage, cultivation speed rose beyond fourfold — Wang Feng estimated it to be precisely 4.3 times that of a solitary path.
For Wang Feng and Su Yan, this step had come naturally. Their feelings for each other had long been genuine, requiring only the right spark to ignite the bond fully. That moment arrived two days ago — amidst the mounting waves of dual cultivation, Wang Feng's emotions poured forth without restraint, and Su Yan's long-sealed heart bloomed anew under his touch. At the very peak of their shared bliss, they had stepped into the Union of Hearts as though they were destined for it.
The final realm, Union of Souls, was shrouded in the deepest mystery. It was the complete surrender of trust — the opening of one's Sea of Consciousness to the other, baring one's very soul. In that moment, the two would share each other's memories, thoughts, and life experiences, until their understanding of one another became so profound it was as if they could hear each other's unspoken words. This union did not merely blend Qi, but merged spiritual power as well, allowing the strength of body and soul to advance hand in hand. As for how fast cultivation would become in this ultimate state… even Wang Feng could only speculate. That was a mystery to be unveiled when — not if — they reached it.
Wang Feng shook his head with a faint smirk and tapped a finger against her forehead, "Now, try checking the space ring with your spiritual sense. I guarantee you'll be shocked to your core~," he teased, his tone carrying that unmistakable cheekiness.
Without waiting, he extended a thread of his own spiritual energy into the ring.
For a simple tool like a space ring, there was no need for a great flood of spiritual force — just a single strand was enough, so long as there was no restrictive seal in place. And this one, thankfully, offered no resistance.
The moment his sense slipped inside… Wang Feng froze. His eyes widened, his breath hitched — even his steady heart skipped a beat.
What in the heavens…?
Then, the shock gave way to sheer disbelief, and finally… to unrestrained laughter, "Holy—! You really were my dragon godfather… Dragon Emperor! Hahahaha!"
....
Twenty-five days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
In that time, Su Yan had pushed herself into an unrelenting cultivation regimen.
Her Path Transition burst forward like a comet tearing across the heavens, surging straight into the True Body Realm and catching up to her actual cultivation. With this breakthrough, her transition technique could no longer function — her path had been successfully altered, and from here on, she could only cultivate according to her newly chosen road.
Not only that, she had tempered every realm she possessed to its absolute limits, achieving even the elusive hidden realms along the way.
Such astonishing progress was only possible through a perfect storm of factors — countless dual cultivation sessions with Wang Feng, the lingering medicinal power of the Ice Water Essence, her meticulously built solid foundation, and the aid of two treasures from the Ice Phoenix Empress's space ring.
Now, she sat cross-legged outside the main hall of the Golden Palace. The Golden Palace itself was far more than a single hall — it housed additional chambers and an open sky garden perched among the clouds, behind the main building. Here, chaotic winds howled endlessly, carrying with them surges of swirling Qi from the high-altitude skies.
Su Yan's figure rested upon a cultivation mat, her teeth clenched, her skin glimmering faintly as streams of violent Qi — her own, mingled with the boundless world Qi — wrapped around her form. Whirling gales tangled in her long hair as her body endured wave after wave of tempering.
She was cultivating a body-forging technique personally given to her by Wang Feng — a method specifically tailored for the True Body Realm.
The True Body Realm was nothing like the True Element Realm, where one focused solely on Qi refinement, nor like the earlier stages — Qi Sea, Foundation, Initial Element, or Qi Transformation.
It was, in essence, a continuation and ultimate evolution of the Body Forging Realm.
In designing this new path, Wang Feng had adhered to a core principle — balance. Body, Qi, and Soul were to be advanced in equal measure.
Thus, within the Mortal Realms, there existed exactly two realms for each aspect:
For the Body; there are Body Forging Realm and True Body Realm
For Qi Cultivation; there are QiSea Realm and Foundation Realm
For the Soul; there are Soul Refining Realm and Nascent Soul Realm
The purpose of the Body Forging and True Body Realms was to push the mortal body to its absolute pinnacle.
The Qi Sea and Foundation Realms cultivated the purest Qi possible before transcending mortality.
The Soul Refining and Nascent Soul Realms drew out the hidden, boundless potential of the spirit.
In the True Body Realm, the practitioner had to refine every inch of their physical form to its utmost limit. This realm was divided into Three General Stages and One Hidden Stage:
1st Stage: Refinement of the skin, muscles, and bones. The cultivator must expel at least 50% of the total impurities within these parts. Why only 50%? Because, beyond that point, the remaining impurities are so deeply ingrained that they cannot be removed through ordinary means.
2nd Stage: Refinement of the veins, purification of the blood, and fortification of the Five Great Organs — the Heart, Lungs, Liver, Kidneys, and Spleen.
3rd Stage: Opening of the Nine Hidden Orifices — not the visible physical ones, but the invisible gateways of latent human potential.
Hidden Stage: Unsealing of the Eight Chakras. These ethereal points within the body are naturally sealed from birth. Each chakra, once opened, grants an overwhelming leap in one or more aspects — whether body strength, Qi volume, or soul power.
The technique Su Yan cultivated relied on immense, crushing pressure to temper her skin, muscles, and bones. This pressure was forged from a fusion of the surrounding world energy and her own Qi.
Under its relentless assault, her Qi cracked, pierced, and tore at her skin in targeted areas, driving out deep-rooted impurities through destruction.
The pain was constant—like countless searing ants gnawing and clawing under her flesh. Her breath grew shallow, but she endured, her delicate brows knitting only slightly.
She persisted.
Time slipped by until—
BOOM!
A muffled explosion echoed from the main hall, snapping her concentration. Slowly, her eyes opened, a faint wisp of chaotic Qi dispersing from her skin.
From within came a low, irritated curse—Wang Feng's voice—followed by the clinking of jade bottles. Su Yan chuckled softly, the corner of her lips lifting. Rising gracefully from her mat, she smoothed her robes and began walking toward the sound.
When she stepped into the main hall, the sight that greeted her was almost comical. Wang Feng sat before a golden cauldron, herbs and jade bottles scattered in disarray, a faint scorch mark on his cheek.
Feeling her presence, he glanced up. Su Yan's smile deepened as she approached and, without a word, brushed her sleeve across his face to wipe away the smudge.
"How did you fail?" she asked, her tone light, almost teasing.
"The flames were a bit too strong…" Wang Feng muttered with a reluctant sigh, rising to his feet as he began gathering his things.
In the past twenty-five days, his cultivation had hardly progressed—remaining at the 4th Stage Foundation Realm—but this was by choice. Instead, he had devoted himself to an old ambition he had left on hold: Alchemy.
Day after day, he had refined pills, studied recipes, and pushed himself until his Alchemy reached High Earth Grade and his Weapon Refining advanced to Mid Earth Grade.
Once everything was neatly stored away, he left only three jade bottles on the floor. A ripple of Water Qi and Fire Qi swept over his body, cleansing his robes and hair in a single motion.
He grabbed the Jade bottles and gave them to Su Yan, who wordlessly stored them in her space ring.
He then reached for Su Yan's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"Today's the last day. Shall we go?" he asked, giving her cheek a gentle pinch.
She swatted at his hand but kept her smile, tightening her hold on his fingers.
"Mhm. Let's go."
Side by side, they walked toward the palace gates at an unhurried pace. Neither looked back at the Golden Palace—though both carried its memories with them, warm and unshakable.