Another method that occurred to Chen Xi was Body Fusion Dual Cultivation.
To be precise, after the two of them connected through a secret technique, Yu Shizun would take the lead. She would directly draw upon the Great Crimson Heaven Flame within Yan Zhen’s body to aid her own cultivation.
Yan Zhen wouldn’t need to do anything at all. He just had to hold out until Yu Shizun finished her cultivation session, serving as a hardcore power bank to “charge” her up.
Yet Chen Xi felt some resistance toward this idea in her heart.
Of course, she was very fond of Yu Shizun.
Chen Xi had helped both the strong and the weak over the years, befriending many so-called friends in the process. But during the years of her disappearance, only Yu Shizun had remembered her kindness, tirelessly searching for news of her.
In her previous life, after Yu Shizun recognized Chen Xi, she extended that affection to Yan Zhen out of love for his master. She doted on him endlessly, treating him no differently than her own disciple.
Once Chen Xi successfully broke free from the restraints of the Fire Refining Starry Sky, Yu Shizun generously offered up the heavenly treasures she had accumulated over many years, helping her restore her cultivation at the first possible moment.
Truth be told, Chen Xi was deeply moved. In return, she passed on her experiences in advancing to Half-Saint, aiding Yu Shizun in taking another step forward.
Even so, no matter how much she liked or felt close to her, Chen Xi had never imagined Yu Shizun—Yu Shishi—becoming her disciple’s daughter-in-law.
Moreover, Yan Zhen already had a relationship with Mentor Yu Xuan. If he were to dual cultivate with Yu Shizun as well, how would the two women get along? Yan Zhen probably wouldn’t want that either.
But she couldn’t just stand by and watch Yu Shizun suffer from her stagnant cultivation. The agony of striving every day without any progress was a surefire way to breed a Heart Demon. One misstep, and she could veer onto the path of a fiend or a deviant.
That was exactly what had happened to Chen Xi’s junior sister in her previous life. Stuck at Ninth-Rank Supreme without being able to advance to Half-Saint, she had set her sights on Yan Zhen. She tried to forcibly dual cultivate with him, drain him dry, and use him to achieve her own breakthrough. Fortunately, Chen Xi had noticed in time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Her thoughts tangled into a mess, and for once, Chen Xi found herself hesitating.
Yu Shizun noticed the conflicted expression on Chen Xi’s face and spoke earnestly.
“Lady Chen Xi, is there some difficulty you can’t voice? If it’s truly not feasible, Shishi will simply seek out other Supreme Yang Items on her own. Please don’t feel burdened on my account, or Shishi will feel terribly guilty.”
Hearing this made Chen Xi feel even more ashamed.
“Finding a Supreme Yang Item comparable to the Great Crimson Heaven Flame won’t be easy. Ordinary Sun Essence won’t suffice for a Supreme’s needs.”
Chen Xi paused, glancing once more at her Precious Disciple on the Dao Platform. Then, through a mental transmission, she continued.
“There is a method, but you might not be able to accept it.”
Yu Shizun was momentarily taken aback, then transmitted back in the same manner.
“Lady Chen Xi, speak freely.”
In a flat tone, Chen Xi explained the Body Fusion Dual Cultivation method to her. Yu Shizun fell silent afterward.
Yu Shizun was a foster daughter of the Yu Family and hadn’t inherited their troublesome constitution. Even so, the idea of dual cultivating with a boy several generations younger than herself was something she simply couldn’t bring herself to do—not to mention that this boy was the heartthrob of the younger generation in her clan.
Yu Shizun looked up at Yan Zhen. She had never been interested in prodigies or geniuses before. The only reason she remembered Yan Zhen’s name was because he had refined the Three Extreme Flames, a feat even more impressive than what she admired in Lady Chen Xi. But ever since learning that he was Lady Chen Xi’s disciple, she found herself liking him more and more.
Handsome features, gentle temperament, extraordinary talent, kind heart—the list of his virtues went on.
These were all the appreciations one might have for an outstanding junior, nothing more.
Yet Yu Shizun was truly reluctant to give up.
Third-Rank Supreme was not her limit. There should be a longer road ahead for her.
Her goal was Half-Saint, or even Mystic Saint!
Was she really going to waste ten or even decades stuck here?
If there had been no leads at all, so be it. But the path to advancement was right in front of her. Even a Supreme powerhouse would find it hard to resist such temptation.
“. . .”
“Think it over carefully, Little Yu’er. If you don’t make adjustments soon, every cultivation session will become torture from here on out. That’s the drawback of Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin constitutions.”
Just like Yi Xian’er with her even more extreme Innate Fiend Body.
“There’s no need to worry about Zhen’er. If you can accept that method, This Seat will convince him.”
Yu Shizun nodded slightly. She stopped the mental transmission and spoke aloud.
“Thank you, Lady Chen Xi. It’s all Shishi’s fault. Not only have I failed to repay your kindness, I’ve only added to your troubles. Shishi apologizes to you here and now.”
Chen Xi felt a touch of helplessness. She knew Yu Shizun’s one-track personality all too well and didn’t bother persuading her.
“Master.” Yan Zhen raised his hand timidly. “What do we do now?”
“We’ll hold off for the time being, Zhen’er. Disperse the power of the Fire Refining Starry Sky quickly.”
“Ah? Oh.”
Yan Zhen had no choice but to obey his Beautiful Female Master’s command. He released the surging Mystic King power from his body, then jumped down from the high Dao Platform. He scratched his head awkwardly.
“Sorry, Yu Shizun. My cultivation isn’t high enough to help—Master, isn’t there any other way?”
If he couldn’t help Yu Shizun now, would he lose favor when they entered the Jialan Holy Land later?
Never mind the future—for the moment, he still had a System task to complete.
He could only rely on his all-powerful Beautiful Female Master.
But his Beautiful Female Master shook her head.
“We won’t consider this for now. If there’s any new progress, your master will let you know, Zhen’er.”
—It was over. Even his all-powerful Beautiful Female Master was out of ideas. The task was going to stall.
A chill settled in Yan Zhen’s heart.
“Alright then. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do—I’ll do my best to help.” Yan Zhen suddenly pulled out a Small Jade Bottle. He sliced open his finger and channeled his power while dripping his blood into it. He added ten full drops before stopping. Crimson flames flickered continuously from the bottle’s mouth.
Seeing this, Chen Xi felt a pang of heartache.
“Zhen’er, what are you…”
Yan Zhen’s face had paled, and his hand trembled slightly as he corked the bottle. He handed the Small Jade Bottle to Yu Shizun.
“Yu Shizun, this is for you. I’ve sealed the power of the Great Crimson Heaven Flame into my blood. It should be of some use to you, at least a little.”
In the script, Yan Zhen always left a drop of his Supreme Yang Gang Body blood for Yu Shizun after each dual cultivation session with her.
Though he hadn’t cultivated the Supreme Yang Gang Body yet, it should still have some effect.
Yu Shizun hesitated for a moment. She glanced at Chen Xi, who nodded, before extending her small hand to accept the still-hot Small Jade Bottle. She said softly,
“Thank you.”
Yan Zhen chuckled sheepishly to himself. This time, he was truly going all in with his “investment.”
Surely Yu Shizun would dote on him just like in the script, given how earnest he’d been?
Failing the task was one thing, but he couldn’t let the main storyline derail. A complete collapse would be disastrous.
Yu Shizun clutched the hot Small Jade Bottle, feeling waves of warmth spreading from her palm. Gazing at the pale smile on the young man’s face before her, a long-forgotten emotion stirred in her heart.
It was just like that cold winter many years ago, when her foster mother had led the young, homeless girl onto this small island and told her that from then on, this would be her home.
The warmth of her foster mother’s hand back then was something she would never forget.
“. . .”
The corners of Yu Shizun’s mouth curved into an almost imperceptible arc. Then, to Yan Zhen’s surprise, she lifted her hand and placed it on his head, gently stroking it.
Yan Zhen froze for a second before inwardly rejoicing. He hadn’t expected this gesture to work so well!
Beside them, Chen Xi inexplicably felt a twinge of jealousy, as if her little darling had been snatched away.
