Ghost Spider — Gwen Stacy — was the kind of hero who always leaned toward the side of justice. Kind-hearted, brave, and stubbornly idealistic.
And when you're dating a girl like that, you can't exactly hand her a gift made from skulls and bones.
As the most low-key Demonic Path cultivator in Hell's Kitchen, Ryan understood this better than anyone.
Sure, Gwen might one day accept that he walked the Demonic Path — maybe even accept that Hell was real, and that he occasionally visited for "business."
But she'd never accept Hell's slaughter. And Ryan? He'd never use living beings from the mortal world as sacrifices for his craft.
That Bone Abyss sealed beneath the underground Forbidden Land — even a Hell Lord would be impressed by it.
But for ordinary humans? Just looking at it would shatter their worldview into pieces.
Not that it mattered — the so-called "immortals" of Luofu World and their Demonic Path secrets were beyond mortal comprehension anyway.
Besides, the sub-body of the Taiyin Jade Ring looked perfectly normal — beautiful, even. No one would ever guess its true nature.
After preparing the gift, Ryan swapped his usual black coat for something sharp and elegant.
By five o'clock, he'd casually picked a luxury car from the Presbyterian Hospital's underground garage — a silver-white Bentley Mulsanne — and parked outside Osborn Tower.
Moments later, Gwen appeared. Dressed up, radiant, she looked like a Muse descending from the heavens.
"My dear," Ryan said with a charming grin, "you look absolutely stunning tonight."
"Oh?" Gwen smirked. "So I wasn't beautiful before?"
"Uh—on such a wonderful evening, does Miss Gwen really have to bully her poor boyfriend like this?"
"Hmph. Boyfriend? You haven't even confessed yet."
"I haven't?" Ryan teased. "Then if I confess right now, would it be too late?"
"That depends on your performance next," she said with mock sternness. "And for the record, no spicy food tonight."
"Then how about something cold?"
"Ah, caught you red-handed!"
Their playful banter continued as the Bentley disappeared into the city traffic, heading toward a Michelin three-star restaurant downtown.
Dinner was a perfect blend of romance and extravagance — candlelight, soft jazz, and a private mini-concert that Ryan had arranged just for her.
And when the sky lit up with fireworks outside, Ryan — looking every bit the mysterious half-Asian prince — finally confessed.
Naturally, the night ended in a Presidential Suite, where the next "phase" of their relationship unfolded as smoothly as fate intended.
Who would've thought that within that suite was a hidden Peach Blossom Spring — a realm of its own?
At that moment, Ryan became the fisherman of the tale — following the river of passion, uncertain how far he'd gone, until he found himself lost in a sea of peach blossoms.
When the waves of that journey finally calmed, Gwen lay completely exhausted — cheeks flushed, skin glistening with sweat, her body trembling slightly from the transformation coursing through her veins.
The merging of her soul and the radioactive spider's power had begun to deepen — pushing her body into a new evolutionary phase.
Ryan, meanwhile, looked perfectly composed — even refreshed.
One could only say this: Ghost Spider truly lived up to her reputation.
Unfortunately for her, she was facing someone who had mastered the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path — a method perfected over tens of thousands of years by the cultivators of the Harmonious Union Sect in Luofu World.
It wasn't perfect — but it was deeply fulfilling.
Ryan smiled faintly. "She'll need time to grow," he murmured.
He gathered a wisp of Creative Pure Yin Qi from Gwen's body and sealed it within the Taiyin Jade Ring, then gently pulled the silk quilt over her, covering her two most "precious treasures."
The Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path could benefit both sides — either self-cultivation or mutual ascension.
From this dual cultivation, Ryan had gained what he needed. He could now proceed with Foundation Establishment at any time.
But Gwen hadn't lost out either — the billions of strands of Pure Yang Qi that Ryan infused into her would refine her body from within, enhancing her potential and pushing her physical evolution far beyond that of a normal Spider-Person.
Ryan glanced at the pink-and-white ring on Gwen's right pinky finger.
Bending down, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then drew a Calming Talisman in the air — a shimmering charm that settled gently over her, deepening her sleep.
After that, Ryan quietly dressed and left for the underground palace once more.
The Taiyin Jade Ring could store Yin Qi, yes — but not creative essence.
The transformative power flowing through Gwen's body was a fleeting miracle — a rare spark of creation that could never be bottled.
He had to integrate it into his Dao Foundation immediately before it dissipated.
Luckily, Presbyterian Hospital wasn't far from downtown.
Back in the underground Forbidden Land, Ryan landed on the peak of Bagua Mountain.
He lifted the lid of the Red Dust Heart Refining Furnace with one hand and leapt in without hesitation.
Flames of karmic fire surged like lotus petals, engulfing him completely.
"Boundless Star River, Yin-Yang Foundation Establishment — refine!"
As Ryan's hand seals changed rapidly, the Bagua Star-Drawing Array activated in full force.
Endless starlight gathered from the void, filtered through the mountain, and poured into the furnace.
Within Ryan's body, the Pure Yang Golden Bell opened its seals, releasing vast streams of Pure Yang Qi.
The Yang collided with the Yin stored in the Taiyin Jade Ring — clashing, merging, and spinning within his dantian.
The Heaven River True Method's Foundation Establishment incantations echoed through his mind, shaping and guiding the flow of stellar spiritual energy.
Yin and Yang intertwined, separating, forming the shadow of a Taiji Diagram.
At the diagram's core, the creative essence he'd absorbed from Gwen transformed into the Taiji Line, pulsing with the rhythm of creation itself.
With each pulse, the Yin and Yang rotated faster, drawing in more starlight and condensing it into droplets of radiant liquid energy.
Through the resonance between the Golden Bell and the Jade Ring, Yin and Yang Qi flowed endlessly, stabilizing into a perfect equilibrium.
The Taiji Diagram solidified — glowing brighter, sharper, and more profound with every cycle.
Finally, Pure Yang and Pure Yin differentiated completely, forming the two poles of Sun and Taiyin — the twin pillars of creation.
To Ryan's surprise, his newly formed Dao Foundation was already of the highest grade.
With that, his entire being entered a state of extreme sublimation.
Body, True Qi, and Divine Soul — all rising to a new realm.
It was similar to Gwen's evolution, but far more controlled, orderly, and divine.
This wasn't mere mutation or enhancement — it was a complete transformation of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
The Red Dust Heart Refining Furnace trembled, resonating with the Pure Yang Golden Bell and the Taiyin Jade Ring.
Each artifact began to hum softly, almost like breathing — faintly alive.
Ryan's decision to use Gwen's Creative Yin Qi had been correct.
The profound spark of creation didn't just strengthen him — it awakened the sentience within his three greatest treasures.
Given enough time and spiritual nourishment, all three would transcend their current state...
and evolve into true Spirit Treasures.