Some indefinite time later, night had claimed the valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains, bringing with it a deep and icy silence that enveloped everything like an invisible mantle.
The wind howled in the distance, but inside the cabin the air remained warm, thick with the residue of recent passion. The crackling of the fireplace had dwindled to a low and steady sound, akin to a heart at rest after intense exertion.
On the luxurious bed that Ren Zu had conjured earlier, he sat cross-legged. He was shirtless, wearing only black sweatpants, leaving the upper part of his body completely exposed. His eyes remained closed as he delved into deep meditation, examining the "small world" that now existed within him—a true gift resulting from the dual cultivation he had shared with Xia Qingyue.
This small world, known as the "Exquisite World," was a unique feature of the [Nine Profound Exquisite Body] that Xia Qingyue possessed. It was an extremely rare constitution, capable of containing and manipulating far more power than the physical body or even the cultivation level would normally allow. No matter what Profound Art was practiced by someone with this body, it could be cultivated to any level without limitations imposed by progress on the profound path.
Almost miraculously, this ability could be transmitted to others through the Vital Yin—the feminine essence released during intimate union—exactly as had occurred between them.
Ren Zu could feel this energy flowing within him: a vast internal space expanding like a "miniature universe." It was both fascinating and profoundly strange. He still needed to study its capabilities more thoroughly, but it was impossible to deny that he had gained extraordinary benefits from it.
In addition, he had inherited from Xia Qingyue the [Frozen Cloud Art], cultivated to its maximum level. Even so, he could not avoid a slight disappointment upon examining it closely. In his eyes, that profound art was surprisingly inferior, riddled with conceptual flaws and structural gaps to the point of bordering on the ridiculous.
Unfortunately, he had not inherited the [Frozen End Divine Arts], which meant he would have to ask his new wife to instruct him in them later.
Setting those points aside, the gains were undeniable. Thanks to his own "special physique," his already incomparable talent had been elevated even further, albeit subtly. Even his mental faculties had been slightly enhanced, while his profound strength had undergone a true transformation, advancing explosively. At that moment, he was infinitely close to the Divine Origin Realm, the first step on the Divine Path, where mortals finally transcended into the divine.
In truth, he could have broken through that barrier right then and there, had it not been for his domineering cultivation method, which forcibly suppressed the advancement. It was not a lack of capability, but of will. Ren Zu simply did not wish to cross that step yet; doing so before the ideal moment would waste potential. He had not yet opened four "inner gates" and fully mastered the Law of Earth...
Behind him, with her back pressed against his in a shared cultivation posture, sat Xia Qingyue, also cross-legged. She wore a simple white pajama set; the light and slightly translucent fabric could not fully conceal her perfect body, molding to the soft curves of her breasts, her slender waist, and rounded hips, accentuating rather than hiding her ethereal beauty.
Her body still trembled faintly, carrying the remnants of recent pleasure. Every muscle seemed to hold a vivid memory of what they had shared—the heat of his enormous member inside her, the relentless waves of ecstasy that had made her lose control, scream, moan, beg. She could never have imagined that something like this could exist...
The pleasure had been so intense, so absolute, that it erased any trace of shame or hesitation. She simply no longer cared. She did not mind him seeing her in those simple pajamas, nor even that he had seen her naked before. Her shyness had vanished completely. Now, sitting there pressed against him, she felt whole, as if something that had always been missing from her had finally been filled.
And the most terrifying part of all was the truth emerging in her heart: she wanted more...
Not just for the power. But for him.
Honestly, she was addicted. The sensation was like liquid fire coursing through her veins, burning away every rational thought, dissolving all the coldness she had cultivated throughout her life. Her heart raced, not from the effort of cultivation, but from his mere presence. From Ren Zu. From his touch, his scent, his voice, from that existence that seemed to naturally occupy every corner of her soul, as if it had always belonged there...
It took her several moments to push those memories aside and, little by little, calm the desire boiling in her heart, along with that intoxicating feeling that seemed to soften her very soul. She had never had an addiction in her entire life. Discipline, self-control, and coldness were what her master had always taught her to follow. If she had to point to something closest to it, it would be cultivation. Yet even cultivation did not awaken emotional attachment in her; it was merely a path she wished to follow to find her mother. There had never been dependency—only constancy...
But this... this was different.
Surrendering to Ren Zu surpassed any frame of reference she possessed. There was no denying it: she wanted a second time. Then a third. And if she were honest with herself, she wanted to spend her entire life that way, by his side. The feeling was too good, too profound, to be ignored or rationalized as mere fleeting desire.
Perhaps this was what they called "addiction."
And the strangest part of all was that this realization did not frighten her.
On the contrary... she felt no worry at all. Only a silent, almost serene acceptance, as if, for the first time, she had found something she did not wish to control, deny, or suppress—something her reason did not want to push away.
After finally clearing those memories from her mind, the expression laden with emotions, accompanied by a slight blush, slowly returned to serenity. With her breathing stabilized, Xia Qingyue entered deep meditation, turning her attention inward to analyze her "gains." The moment she did so, however, her heart was thrown into complete chaos. The changes in her body, her profound energy, and even her very perception were too great to ignore. A whirlwind of emotions erupted within her, blending shock, disbelief, gratitude, and an excitement that was hard to contain.
As Ren Zu had promised, her cultivation had advanced to the Sovereign Profound Realm. But not only that—she had leaped directly from the Tyrant Profound Realm to the Sixth Level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, crossing an entire realm and several levels in one go, a breakthrough that, by her own calculations, would require years, tens of years, or even hundreds of years of arduous effort through conventional means. Yet all that profound strength had been gained in a single night, through sexual relations with the young man leaning behind her...
Lord Ren Zu was truly an extraordinary person!
Profound energy flowed through her veins like a mighty river, so pure and refined that she clearly perceived her very foundation had been drastically improved, becoming as stable as an eternal mountain of ice. Her body overflowed with vitality, as if it had been rebuilt from the ground up, elevated to a clearly superior state of existence.
The loss of her Vital Yin had not weakened her. On the contrary, Ren Zu's Vital Yang, infused by the [Immortal Jade Dragon Physique], strengthened her in ways she was only beginning to understand. Her talent seemed amplified, her perception of the world sharpened, and with a mix of shock and reverence, she realized that her cultivation speed was now at least a hundred times greater than before.
If her memory served her correctly, this aligned with what Ren Zu had said: she would come to share part of his talent.
This realization made her heart tremble.
It could only mean one thing—Ren Zu was not merely powerful. He was overwhelmingly, incomparably more talented than she was!
But all of that was ultimately set aside, overwhelmed by the emotion of deep and overwhelming gratitude. Ren Zu had not only saved her life; he had granted her far more than that. He had helped her take a gigantic step toward her goal, sparing her years—perhaps centuries—of arduous effort. More than a benefactor, he had become the very path that would lead her to the Realm of the Gods.
Faced with this, an inevitable question arose in her heart: how could she ever repay something so immense?
After long reflection, she made a simple yet emotionally weighty decision. To give herself to him. To become his "woman."
Still, insecurity gnawed at her. She did not feel worthy. Ren Zu was extremely handsome, powerful, infinitely superior to any man she had ever known. Moreover, her past weighed on her thoughts: she had already been married once. Though the marriage had never been consummated and her husband was dead, she feared that might be enough to make her undesirable in his eyes. This silent fear tightened her chest, even as her gratitude and devotion spoke louder...
Xia Qingyue slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the dim light of the fireplace. Her body still carried a slight discomfort, a remnant of the excesses of the so-called "dual cultivation," but it was not an unpleasant pain. On the contrary: there was something strangely captivating about it, almost addictive, like a constant reminder of the hours they had spent entwined, trapped in a cycle of surrender and connection that seemed to have erased the notion of time.
She felt the warmth of Ren Zu's back against hers, a firm and reassuring presence that kept her anchored to reality. That sensation—both physical and "spiritual"—conveyed a security she had rarely experienced in her life.
"Ren Zu… My cultivation… is it real? Did I… advance that much?"
He opened his eyes and turned slightly to face her, a smile returning to his well-defined lips. His gaze was calm, confident.
"Yes, Qingyue. My special physique never fails. Besides, we both put in a lot of effort. I believe if we continue like this over the next few days, it would be enough for you to reach the peak of the Sovereign Profound Realm. Keep in mind that part of the enormous leap in your cultivation was due to our difference in strength and because it was your first time. Now, the speed will slow down a bit, but it is still infinitely faster than any chance encounter or level of talent in this world could provide you..."
Xia Qingyue nodded silently. A blush returned to her cheeks as the most intimate memories threatened to resurface once more, but this time, there was something different in her gaze: a desire that was hard to explain in her eyes, charged with emotion.
"Then… let's continue..." she said at last.
Ren Zu turned fully toward her, his black eyes gleaming with a mixture of desire and something deeper, more tender. He reached out, touching her face with a gentleness that contrasted with the intensity of the earlier moment.
"I'm eager to continue as well..." he said calmly, his voice carrying a promise that made her heart race again: "But first... I want to confirm something about us."
Xia Qingyue blinked, the blush still on her cheeks, her clear black eyes—like still water—fixed on his with a vulnerability she could no longer hide.
"Dual cultivation partnership is not just a name..." Ren Zu continued, his thumb gently tracing the line of her jaw: "It is something far more complex. It is a commitment that goes beyond the physical. Dual cultivation partners walk the Profound Path together, until the end of time. They are a couple in every sense. Husband and wife..."
He paused briefly before continuing:
"Of course, this only applies if we become official dual cultivation partners. We could remain unofficial and cultivate dual only occasionally. But if we become official, it will be exactly that: you and me. Husband and wife. Is that a problem for you?"
Xia Qingyue's world seemed to spin for a brief moment.
Husband and wife.
The words echoed in her chest, awakening memories she believed were long buried—a marriage that had never been truly real. Back then, the matrimony had been merely a convenience, something imposed by fate and circumstances, never desired by her heart.
But now... now it was different.
And more importantly, it was something she genuinely desired, even if it took her time to admit it to herself. Throughout her life, she had believed that a bond like that could only hinder her greater goal, divert her from her path, and weaken her determination. Yet when she thought of Ren Zu, that conviction simply no longer made sense...
He was not a burden. He was not an obstacle. He was the opposite.
Ren Zu was infinitely superior to the man she had once called husband—in appearance, strength, talent, presence, and above all, in the way he made her feel complete and happy. Just thinking of that man from the past, she strangely felt disgusted to the point of despising him. Was this reaction caused by the disparity between him and the young man now before her eyes? She had no idea. What she knew was that she could not even entertain the possibility of being the wife of her deceased husband again.
Perhaps it was ungrateful to think that way, but she could not ignore the truth.
She simply could no longer imagine her own life without the young man before her eyes. This was what they called "love"; he had completely conquered her heart and devotion, silently, inevitably, and irreversibly.
The blush intensified, spreading across her entire face, hot and uncontrollable. Her eyes filled with emotion—gratitude, desire, a shy happiness she had never known. She lowered her gaze for a brief second, biting her lower lip, before raising it again, meeting his with gentle determination.
"Qingyue was married once before..." she murmured, her voice low, almost hesitant: "But my husband... he died. If... if you have no problem with that... Qingyue would be happy. Very happy... to be your wife."
Ren Zu smiled—a calm, genuine smile that illuminated his perfect face as if the stars, sun, and moon had paled in envy before an immortal banished to the mortal world. It was a beauty that transcended the human, making her heart ache with its intensity.
"I have no problem at all..." he replied, his voice soft as a caress. "Then, from now on... call me husband."
Xia Qingyue felt her chest tighten with emotion. Tears threatened to rise, but she held them back, a shy and genuine smile curving her lips—the first true smile in years.
"Husband..." she murmured, her voice low and sweet, laced with a shyness that made her seem younger, more vulnerable.
Ren Zu's eyes darkened with desire the instant he heard it. Without warning, he pulled her to him, turning her and laying her on the bed with an ease that left her breathless. In the blink of an eye, he was above her, his body pressing hers against the soft sheets, his black eyes fixed on hers with predatory intensity.
"Now," he continued, his lips brushing hers: "We can continue, my wife..."
And before she could respond, he kissed her—deeply, urgently, as if he wanted to etch her name into his soul.
The night stretched on, long and intense, filled with whispers, moans, and a connection that went beyond the physical.
For Xia Qingyue, it was the beginning of something eternal.
And she had never wanted anything to last forever as much as she wanted that moment...
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