Lin Xuan stood beside the window for a few moments after deciding his next course of action.
Qing'er remained asleep, her breathing steady, her expression calm. The events of the past night had exhausted her, and though she was strong, rest was still necessary. Especially now, when fate itself lingered dormant within her.
He glanced at her once more.
Until she wakes… I have time.
His thoughts shifted toward Shen Yao.
She was still a mortal.
If Qing'er's path was one of hidden destiny, Shen Yao's was one of loyalty forged through hardship. And loyalty, when cultivated properly, was far more valuable than blind talent.
Lin Xuan stepped away from the bed.
His movements were quiet, deliberate. He exited the room without disturbing Qing'er, closing the door with the same careful precision he had entered with earlier.
The estate corridors were silent at this hour.
Moonlight filtered through the carved windows, casting pale patterns along the polished floors. Servants had long since retired, and the air carried a calm stillness.
Lin Xuan walked unhurriedly toward Shen Yao's quarters.
When he reached her door, he paused briefly before knocking—three measured taps, neither soft nor loud.
There was a short rustle from inside.
Then her voice.
"Young Master… please come in."
He pushed the door open.
Shen Yao stood near the small wooden table inside her room. She wore simple clothing—nothing extravagant—but far removed from the tattered garments she had once known.
Life within his estate had changed her.
Proper meals. Clean clothing. Safety.
Her previously scrawny frame had filled out. Not excessively, not unnaturally—but in a way that accentuated her figure. The subtle curves at her waist and hips, the fuller softness of her form, the healthy glow in her skin… they all spoke of recovery.
Of care.
Lin Xuan's gaze lingered for a few seconds.
Not crude.
Not overt.
But observant.
Shen Yao noticed.
A faint blush crept up her neck.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her sleeves, though she did not look away.
At the same time, her eyes unconsciously traced over him as well.
The changes in him were far more dramatic.
His shoulders broader.
His posture straighter.
His presence heavier.
The once fragile young master now carried himself with quiet strength. His frame had grown more muscular, refined beneath his robes. Even his facial features seemed sharper—more defined, more composed.
He no longer looked like someone broken.
He looked like someone dangerous.
Her heart skipped slightly.
Lin Xuan finally lifted his gaze to meet her eyes.
"It is time," he said calmly.
She blinked.
"Time…?"
"To begin cultivation."
The words settled over her like thunder hidden beneath silk.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Cultivation.
The word alone was something distant—almost mythical. Mortals did not cultivate. Not without extraordinary luck. Not without backing. Not without opportunity carved from blood or fate.
And yet…
"Young Master… I… I can?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly—not with fear, but anticipation.
"You can," Lin Xuan replied evenly. "And you will."
Happiness blossomed across her face so quickly she could not suppress it.
Her eyes brightened.
Her lips parted slightly as though she wished to say something more, but no words came.
Lin Xuan stepped forward and gestured toward the mat at the center of the room.
"Sit."
She obeyed immediately.
He seated himself opposite her.
"For now, forget everything you think you know about cultivation," he began. "The first step is sensing Qi. Not controlling it. Not absorbing it. Sensing it."
She nodded, trying to calm her breathing.
"Close your eyes," he instructed.
She did.
"Empty your thoughts. Slow your breathing. Feel the air against your skin. The space around you. The flow between breaths."
His voice was low. Steady.
Guiding.
At first, nothing happened.
Her breathing was uneven.
Her thoughts restless.
Excitement kept disrupting her focus.
Lin Xuan did not interrupt.
He simply watched.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Nearly half an hour later, her breathing gradually stabilized.
Her shoulders relaxed.
The tension in her brows smoothed.
Good, he thought.
Most mortals never even reach this state without frustration.
Time continued to pass.
An hour.
The room remained silent except for the faint sound of breath.
Then—
A faint ripple.
Subtle.
But distinct.
Lin Xuan's eyes sharpened slightly.
Shen Yao's fingers twitched.
A strand of Qi—thin as silk, fragile as mist—brushed against her meridians.
She gasped softly.
"I… I felt something…"
"Do not speak," Lin Xuan said calmly. "Follow it."
She swallowed and refocused.
Carefully, slowly, she drew that strand inward.
It entered her body.
Unsteady.
But real.
Lin Xuan's gaze deepened.
Within one hour.
Even for geniuses, sensing Qi often required two to three hours. Sometimes more.
To succeed within an hour placed her above the majority of cultivators.
Ninety percent.
Perhaps more.
Interesting.
After allowing her to stabilize the strand, he raised his hand slightly.
"That is enough for now."
She opened her eyes.
They were brighter.
Clearer.
"I did it…" she whispered.
"You did."
Her smile trembled between disbelief and pride.
Lin Xuan stood and walked to the table.
He picked up several blank sheets of paper and a brush.
Without hesitation, he began writing.
Each stroke was precise.
Controlled.
The Yin–Yang Sovereign Convergence Scripture flowed from his memory onto the paper, rewritten in a structured manner—step by step, refined into clear stages she could follow independently.
He simplified nothing.
But he organized everything.
Instructions on circulation.
Breathing patterns.
Meridian alignment.
Balance of Yin and Yang.
Foundation stabilization.
When he finished, he handed the sheets to her.
"This is your cultivation method from now on," he said. "Follow it exactly."
She accepted the pages carefully, almost reverently.
"Never share it with anyone," he continued. "Once you have memorized it, destroy it. Burn it. Leave no trace."
She looked up, startled.
"I understand," she said immediately.
She did not question him.
Did not doubt.
Only nodded firmly.
Lin Xuan returned to his seat.
"Begin."
She inhaled slowly and started following the written steps.
At first, progress was steady.
Then—
Unexpected.
Her Qi circulation began accelerating.
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Scripture was high-grade. Far beyond what ordinary cultivators accessed. Combined with her above-average talent and proper guidance…
The energy within her meridians gathered rapidly.
One hour passed.
Then another.
The air in the room thickened.
Qi gathered around her in faint streams, drawn inward with increasing efficiency.
Lin Xuan remained silent.
Observing.
Analyzing.
Then—
A shift.
Her aura surged.
The thin boundary of mortal limitations first cracked and then shattered.
A wave of energy rippled outward.
Early Body Temrping Realm. First step on the path of cultivation that requires cultivating the body, laying a phyiscal foundation.
Within two hours.
Even Lin Xuan felt a slight flicker of surprise.
If news of this spread, it would shock every cultivator in the surrounding regions.
Such speed bordered on absurd.
Yet it had happened.
Shen Yao gasped sharply.
Her body trembled.
And then—
A foul odor filled the room.
Dark impurities began seeping from her pores, coating her skin in a thin layer of grime.
She looked down in horror.
"I… I—"
"Impurity expulsion," Lin Xuan said calmly. "It is normal."
The higher the grade of the cultivation manual, the more thorough the cleansing.
The Yin–Yang Sovereign Convergence Scripture was far beyond common techniques.
Her body was being purified.
Her skin gradually appeared clearer beneath the grime.
Her posture straighter.
Her curves deepend.
Her breathing smoother.
Her senses sharper.
Even the light in her eyes had changed.
She was no longer mortal.
She was a cultivator.
Shen Yao stared at her hands in disbelief.
"I feel… lighter," she whispered. "Stronger. I can hear… everything. Even the wind outside."
Lin Xuan nodded.
"Your memory will improve. Your thinking speed. Your perception. Everything."
She looked at him with something close to awe.
He did not react to it.
Instead, he stood.
"Go wash," he said. "Do not force further cultivation tonight. Your body needs time to adjust. The transformation from mortal to cultivator is profound. Take your time to adjust and rest, we'll have plenty time to cultivate later."
She nodded quickly.
"I will memorize the Scripture and destroy it before morning," she added firmly.
Lin Xuan met her gaze.
"I know you will."
A deeper blush colored her cheeks.
The trust in his voice affected her more than any praise.
For a brief moment, his lips curved slightly.
A small smile.
Not wide.
But genuine.
Then he turned toward the door.
"Rest well," he said before leaving.
As he walked back through the quiet corridor, his thoughts were calm.
The Lin Clan would not remain stagnant for long.
And neither would he.
He had a lot to work on, he thought. Prepare for changes, for a future filled with danger, reclaim his spot in Lin Clan with dominance and get stronger.
When he reached his room, he paused outside the door briefly.
Inside, Qing'er still slept.
Unaware of the changes unfolding around her.
Lin Xuan stepped inside quietly.
The day was not yet over.
But progress had already begun.
And this was only the beginning.
With these thoughts in mind he lies down right next to Qing'er, getting under the blanket with her and preparing to look for items through the store to get for free.
That one unused claim reward.
Something that might help him tip the balance in his favour from his not seen yet cousin and uncle.
(Shen Yao has already stayed for a long tim in the estate now, few days, with 3 meals a day, So now the servants that they have to serve her and whatever she wants she should get as she's the guest of the heir, Therefore I am not adding the parts of Xuan or Qing'er actively getting her food through servants.
Also Red and gold fate are the same, they both will be referred to as gold after now)