Inside his consciousness, Yue Lan released a tired sigh,
[At least you safely managed to do that. But now your body really needs time to adapt. Otherwise, who knows? Your meridians might really rupture.]
He slowly nodded his head. “I know, the only reason I can break through continuously is due to the Chaos Body Refinement Technique, which fortified my foundational body beyond compare.”
Shen Yuan closed his eyes once more, this time letting his entire body rest. The swirling currents within his dantians slowed from a boiling tide to a smooth current, solidifying his foundation while letting his body rest.
…
Time flowed differently within the Dual Cultivation Chambers—months passed for Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu, while only days went by in the real world. Yet eventually, both felt satisfied with their respective achievements.
Qingyu had pushed her alchemy from top-tier Mortal-grade well into the initial stages of Earth-grade.
Though still a novice there, she could craft basic Earth-grade pills without catastrophic failure.
Shen Yuan, meanwhile, had moved from the First to the Fourth Level of the Extreme Origin Core Realm, forging additional cores in record time.
At last, they stood side by side before the shimmering portal that led out of the time-dilated sanctuary.
Qingyu clutched a small pouch of fresh pills—some were test batches, others marked her proud successes.
Her eyes shone with quiet excitement; she glanced at Shen Yuan, her lips curling up in excitement. “I can’t believe how much I’ve improved.”
He gently smiled in return before extending his hand. “Of course, my wife is talented.” Hand in hand, they stepped through the portal.
…
They reappeared in Shen Yuan’s courtyard—after around a week.
Han Qingyu glanced around the courtyard, blinking at how everything looked exactly as they’d left it—down to the faint char marks on the nearby cherry tree.
A gentle breeze carried the crisp scent of early morning. She took a deep breath and shook her head in wonder.
“It’s almost eerie,” she murmured, stepping away from the portal. “Everything is the same… but we were inside for over half a year!”
Shen Yuan chuckled, closing the portal’s shimmering gate with a wave of his hand. “Time dilation is like that. Seven months for us, barely a week out here. It takes some getting used to.”
Qingyu set her small pouch of newly refined pills on a nearby stone table. “A week,” she whispered, more to herself.
“We trained and cultivated for months—my alchemy advanced from Mortal-grade to Earth-grade basics. I can’t believe it’s only been a single week in the outside world.”
She turned to Shen Yuan, her gaze dancing with excitement. “Just think… how would the other disciples react if they realized how much progress can be crammed into a short span in there?”
He smirked, dropping a playful hand onto her shoulder. “They might fall over in shock. But maybe we won’t tell them everything. Some of that progress might have come from our… ‘extra activities.'” He winked suggestively.
Her cheeks warmed at once. “B-Brother Yuan!” she exclaimed, darting a glance toward the courtyard entrance in case someone entered. “You don’t have to bring that up so casually…”
His grin only widened. “Why not? It’s good for the body and soul. We were cultivating in every sense of the word, hmm?” He threw her a wink.
“Don’t remind me,” she said, face now thoroughly flushed. Despite her embarrassment, a soft, fond smile surfaced. “I… I guess it did help relieve stress in between all those tedious hours of forging pills… and dual cultivation.”
“And my breakthroughs in the Extreme Origin Core Realm.” Shen Yuan folded his arms playfully. “I’ll credit some of that to your… assistance.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.” Then, sobering a bit, she glanced at the small pouch of pills again. “I should really check on some other tasks and maybe deliver these test pills to the alchemy hall. I promised the Elders I’d eventually share my breakthroughs with them.”
Shen Yuan nodded, reaching out to gently brush a stray lock of hair from her cheek. “Go ahead. Just remember to pace yourself; you’ve been working non-stop inside those chambers.”
“I will, Teacher Shen Yuan.” She teased him with the formal address, then gave him a grateful bow—one that belied the warmth in her gaze. “You take it easy too, okay? You can’t afford to burn out, either.”
He chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
With that, Han Qingyu gathered her pouch of pills and made her way out of the courtyard with her light footsteps.
Shen Yuan watched her depart, lips quirking into a soft smile before he exhaled and turned toward the pavilion.
A pitcher of wine sat waiting on the low table—likely placed by one of his wives while they were gone. He settled onto a cushion, pouring himself a cup. The fragrant aroma rose to meet him, calm and comforting.
He lifted the cup, swirling the liquid for a moment.
Memories of the past half-year inside that chamber flickered through his mind: guiding Qingyu’s flame control, refining his own cultivation, and, yes, the moments of intimacy and laughter. It felt surreal that so much had transpired, yet the world around him had barely changed.
Taking a sip, he let the crisp wine burn its pleasant path down his throat. A faint grin formed at his lips.
“Half a year,” he mused quietly, setting the cup down. “And only a week in reality… so many things we can accomplish like this.”
He leaned back, eyes drifting over to the cherry tree’s charred branches. The breeze rustled its leaves gently.
“Time,” he murmured, raising the cup again. “I have all the time in the world I need, yet I don’t have much time left.” Discover hidden stories at empire
He drank leisurely. Just then, Yue Lan spoke up.
[You really pushed your body to break through to the Fourth level, huh. But at least you gave yourself proper rest this time.]
“Oh, come on, all I have been doing for the past few months was resting.” Shen Yuan groaned as she reminded him again of his cultivation.
[Hmph, at least now you have entered the mid-levels of Extreme Origin Core Realm. You should be able to rank pretty far among those ancient freaks in the Aurora competition.]
Shen Yuan swirled the wine in his cup before softly saying, “I will win.”
[Oh? Are you sure? Your strength is still nowhere near the peak disciples of Divine Rank Sects.]
“I should have the battle strength of mid-rank Mortal Tribulation Realm now, and with a few tricks, I can exert the battle strength of high-rank Mortal Tribulation Realm.” He drank the wine before continuing.
“I also learned the Heart-Severing Blade Technique. I can kill a peak Mortal Tribulation Realm powerhouse if I did a sneak attack and used both my Heaven and Earth Severance and Heart Severing.”
[Hmm… you do have chances of emerging victorious since you can also use Space. But are you willing to expose all your cards during the Aurora Competition?]
He rubbed his chin. “That’s what I’m wondering about as well. Is it worth it for me to show my entire strength there?”
[I’m sure whatever rewards they have there won’t compare to your treasury.]