“Then I will leave that clan to you.” She softly nodded her head and placed it back on his chest as she lay peacefully.
Shen Yuan gently smiled and rubbed her back. “By the way, what is your position in this sect?”
“I’m one of the Core Elders of this sect,” she softly replied while her eyes remained closed in enjoyment.
“Huh? I thought you were stronger. I can somewhat sense the cultivation base of the Sect Leader, but I feel nothing from you,” he asked in confusion.
“Hehe, I’m indeed much stronger than her. I’m a Core Elder for a different reason, and my status is not lower than the Ancestors of this sect. So you don’t need to worry about anything, and you can go wild,” Shen Yuxin mischievously smiled.
“I’m not doing anything weird,” Shen Yuan shook his head with a chuckle.
“Why is your Qi surging so much? Were you on the verge of a breakthrough?” she tilted her head and curiously asked while lying beside him.
“Yes, I just got the next section of my cultivation technique after completing a quest. I was going to break through today, but…” He smiled while looking at her with glazed eyes.
Shen Yuxin playfully chuckled, “Looks like you already have excess Qi gathered in your Dantian, and any more will only increase your problems. Let’s sleep for now; we have been talking since afternoon, and it’s already nearing midnight. I have been missing you too much as well.”
Shen Yuan’s eyes softened as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Good night.”
She smiled gently and closed her eyes, embracing him tightly.
‘I will come to visit him some other day, hehe,’ she smirked evilly with her eyes closed.
…
The sun rose as Shen Yuan’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
He felt a moment of confusion when he didn’t sense Shen Yuxin’s presence beside him.
Turning his head, he noticed a white letter intricately decorated with gold lines floating in front of his bed. Picking it up, he read:
“I have to deal with some matters and meet up with Huo Rong and Bing Rong. I will come to visit you in some time. You should focus on your breakthrough as well.”
He gently shook his head at her considerate words.
Folding the letter carefully, he placed it on the bedside table.
“Always looking after me, huh,” he mused with a soft smile.
Thinking of all he could do in the morning, Shen Yuan dressed in simple robes and stepped outside.
The green grass of the garden welcomed him, the warm rays of the morning sun hitting his face.
The cherry blossom tree stood in the center, its petals drifting gently in the breeze.
He walked over to the tree and sat beneath its canopy on the meditating mat.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, letting the crisp morning air fill his lungs.
The subtle fragrance of cherry blossoms mingled with the fresh scent of dew-covered grass, calming his mind.
“Time to advance to the Origin Core Creation Realm,” he whispered to himself.
He began circulating the Second Section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique, guiding his Qi through his meridians with precision.
The energy within him responded eagerly, flowing smoothly like a river returning to the sea.
As he delved deeper into meditation, the world around him faded, leaving only the rhythmic pulse of his own Qi.
Visualizing the core within his dantian, he focused on condensing his vast inner sea of Qi into a singular, potent core.
This was a critical step—the transition from the Inner Sea Realm to the Origin Core Creation Realm required absolute concentration and control.
Minutes turned into hours as he maintained his focus.
The Qi in his body began to compress, swirling faster and growing denser with each passing moment.
A faint aura enveloped him, shimmering softly with hints of multiple elemental energies.
[You’re progressing well,] Yue Lan’s voice echoed gently in his mind. [Try to compress your Qi as much as you can even after forming a core.]
He nodded inwardly, pushing aside all distracting thoughts.
The image of a perfect, radiant core formed in his mind—a core that would serve as the foundation for his future cultivation.
Suddenly, he felt a slight resistance. A barrier was preventing the complete condensation of his Qi.
‘Huh? A bottleneck? Me? That doesn’t exist for me,’ he thought to himself.
Drawing on the power of the multiple physiques he had, he began to absorb the ambient energies around him and the Qi within his Dantian.
His bloodline slightly stirred as it gave its own devouring capabilities to his Qi absorption.
The petals falling from the cherry blossom tree seemed to slow down, their innate life force subtly drawn towards him.
The surrounding spiritual energy converged, amplifying his own power.
With this additional influx of energy, the nearly nonexistent barrier began to crack.
A surge of pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, knowing that the formation of a core was no laughing matter.
Sweat formed on his brow, but his expression remained steadfast.
[Just a bit more,] Yue Lan encouraged. [You’re almost there.]
Channeling the last of his strength, he directed a final push of Qi towards the core.
The barrier shattered, and a brilliant light emanated from within his dantian.
The swirling Qi condensed into a pristine, luminescent core—the mark of the Origin Core Creation Realm.
A wave of relief and exhilaration washed over him.
He opened his eyes, and for a moment, they shined with newfound profundity.
The world around him seemed more vivid—the colors brighter, the sounds clearer.
He took a deep breath, feeling everything about him elevated to a higher level: his strength, his lifespan.
Clenching and unclenching his fists, he marveled at the increase in his physical and spiritual strength.
[Congratulations,] Yue Lan said warmly. [You’ve successfully broken through to the Origin Core Creation Realm.]
Shen Yuan smiled softly. “Thanks for needlessly disturbing me.”
[The heck?! I was just cheering you on!] she screamed as if someone had stepped on her tail.
He smirked and shook his head before slowly standing up and stretching his limbs.
The gentle breeze felt invigorating against his skin.
Looking around, he noticed that the garden seemed more alive than ever, each leaf and petal resonating with energy. But there seemed to be some dead petals around his sitting area.
He frowned slightly as he remembered his bloodline stirring during his breakthrough. He shook his head before waving his hand and sending the dead petals outside of his mansion.
“Now that I’ve advanced, it’s time to integrate the Thunder God Codex,” he thought aloud.
[Hmph! Indeed. With your new cultivation level, the integration should proceed smoothly. However, you’ll need a lightning elemental resource to awaken your lightning affinity.]
“Huh? I don’t think I needed such a resource to awaken my Fire Affinity, though, right?” he asked, thinking he could start cultivating right away.
[You already had fire affinity; you got that together with your Alchemy Affinity.]
He pondered for a moment. “I see. Perhaps I can find something suitable in the Inner Sect’s treasury, especially with the medallion the Sect Leader gave me. Maybe a special ore or herb that I can absorb for that.”