Five years of separation had turned their longing into dry tinder; their reunion was the spark. Han Lie and Zhuo Hongyi burned with the intensity of a wildfire, their passion fueled not just by emotion, but by the volatile clash of their cultivation bases.

Zhuo Hongyi was no longer the woman he had left behind. Having broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, her very essence had shifted. Her Yin energy was a deep, oceanic tide that washed over Han Lie’s scorching Pure Yang physique.

As they engaged in dual cultivation, the Yin Yang Demonic Art roared to life. Han Lie poured his Pure Yang energy into her, stabilizing her newly formed and somewhat volatile foundation. In return, he siphoned her potent Yin essence, refining it into pure spiritual power that flooded his Dantian.

For five days and nights, the cycle continued without pause.

When the storm finally settled, Han Lie inspected his internal state. His breath was long and steady, his power vastly increased, yet he frowned. He remained at the Late Golden Core stage. He was standing on the precipice of Perfection, just one thin layer of paper away from breaking through, but that final step felt like a chasm.

He realized that even a month with Zhuo Hongyi wouldn’t be enough to force the breakthrough. He needed a source of Yin energy that was not just powerful, but overwhelming.

There was only one woman who fit that description: Ye Qingxuan.

“Little Old Man, you seem frustrated,” Zhuo Hongyi murmured, tracing a finger across his chest. “You’ve improved so much, yet you aren’t satisfied?”

“That final step is harder than I anticipated,” Han Lie admitted, his voice calm. “But it is of no consequence. A bottleneck is just a delay.”

Zhuo Hongyi rested her head on his shoulder. “Time flies. I remember when we first met, you were merely a Qi Condensation junior. Now, you are hunting the peak of the Golden Core.”

“It’s not enough,” Han Lie said, a flash of cold ambition in his eyes. ” The Sect Leader once told me the truth of this world. Beneath the Nascent Soul stage, all living things are ants. Only by birthing the Soul does one truly begin the path of immortality.”

“Pfft…” Zhuo Hongyi laughed, the sound light and teasing. “Don’t listen to her. Her standards are too high for mortals like us. For most, becoming a Nascent Soul ‘Old Monster’ is the pinnacle of a lifetime.”

She saw the realm as a destination. Han Lie, however, smiled without replying. He knew the truth. With the Pure Yang Sacred Body and the Yin Yang Demonic Art, the Nascent Soul was not the peak. It was merely the starting line.

Days later, news came from the main hall. Han Zhentian had awakened.

The City Lord was weak, his complexion pale as wax. Without a special constitution, his recovery from such severe internal injuries would take months, perhaps years.

Han Lie chose not to see him. The emotional baggage of the original host was heavy enough without adding a tearful reunion. Instead, he handed the Azure Sky Sword—the prize from the tournament years ago—to his mother, Li Susu.

“Give this to Father,” Han Lie instructed. “It will protect him.”

He turned to Han Feng. “Han Feng, you stay here. Until the City Lord recovers, Qingzhou needs a guardian. Let no one covet this seat.”

“Understood, Brother Lie,” Han Feng replied, his expression solemn.

Having secured his family’s safety, Han Lie wasted no more time. He took Zhuo Hongyi’s hand, and together they soared into the sky, returning to the Heavenly Void Sect.

Upon their return, Zhuo Hongyi went to report to her direct superior, Su Mei. Han Lie made his way straight to the Violet Heaven Palace.

Ye Qingxuan was waiting.

“Is it settled?” she asked, her voice echoing in the vast hall. She knew the answer before she asked.

“There was a small accident,” Han Lie said, bowing slightly. “But it has been resolved.”

“A small accident… you mean the Sun Moon Sect’s Nascent Soul?” Ye Qingxuan’s eyes flashed with a dangerous, icy light. “Since they broke the unwritten rules first, they cannot blame me for what comes next.”

“Sect Leader,” Han Lie asked, intrigued by her tone. “What do you intend to do?”

“Do not rush. This Senior has plenty of methods to deal with them,” Ye Qingxuan said, dismissing the topic with a wave of her sleeve. She stood up, her gaze locking onto him. “But before that… come. Assist This Senior in cultivation.”

She turned and ascended the stairs to the third floor of her private chambers. Han Lie’s eyes lit up, and he followed close behind.

The third floor was a sanctuary of indulgence. It was filled with items that would make a mortal blushes—swings made of spirit vines, soft velvet couches, and a large steaming pool filled with spiritual water.

Ye Qingxuan sat on the vine swing, her legs crossed elegantly. She kicked off her shoes, her bare, jade-like feet swaying gently in the air.

“Han Lie,” she said, her voice dropping an octave. “It has been some time since you last served me. Six, seven years?”

“Yes, Sect Leader,” Han Lie replied, keeping his head lowered respectfully, though his pulse quickened.

“I can see it in your eyes,” she purred. “You have been suppressing yourself for a long time.”

“You are wise, Sect Leader,” Han Lie agreed quickly.

In truth, Ye Qingxuan was the one who had been suppressing herself. She had missed the explosive progress that came from dual cultivation with him, but her pride as a Void Refining expert had kept her from summoning him. Now that he was here, the pretense evaporated.

“Then today, This Senior will be merciful,” she said, a playful cruelty in her smile. “I will satisfy you.”

She lifted the hem of her skirt with a slender finger, revealing the smooth, pale curve of her leg. The visual impact was instantaneous. Han Lie’s throat went dry.

“What are you waiting for?” Ye Qingxuan commanded, extending her foot towards him. “Such an excellent opportunity… do you not know how to grasp it firmly?”

“Yes, Sect Leader!”

Han Lie stepped forward, kneeling before the swing. He took her jade-like foot in his hands, treating it with the reverence of a holy relic.

Ye Qingxuan leaned back, a sigh escaping her lips. She watched him through half-lidded eyes, finding a strange, intoxicating pleasure in his devotion. His technique had improved.

Minutes later, her composure cracked. She slipped from the swing, allowing Han Lie to sweep her into his arms. He carried her to the steaming bath, the water rippling as they submerged.

“Sect Leader,” Han Lie grinned, water dripping from his chin. “This reminds me of our first time…”

“Shut up,” Ye Qingxuan breathed, her cheeks flushed. “Less talking. More serving.”

The atmosphere in the room ignited.

This was not merely pleasure; it was a collision of high-level energies. Ye Qingxuan was a cultivator at the Void Refining stage. Her Yin energy was a torrential river compared to Zhuo Hongyi’s stream.

Combined with the Yin Yang Demonic Art, the results were terrifying.

On the second day, the barrier to the next stage shattered. As naturally as water flowing into a channel, Han Lie broke through to Golden Core Perfection.

But they did not stop.

The session lasted for half a month. They fought with the intensity of mortal enemies, day and night, the room filled with the haze of spiritual steam.

By the time they emerged, Han Lie had stabilized his new realm. His Golden Core was saturated, glowing with a blinding light. Inside the core, faint cracks were appearing—not of destruction, but of birth. The shadow of a Nascent Soul was beginning to form.

Ye Qingxuan, too, had benefited immensely. Though she was far from the next minor realm of Void Refining, she had saved herself decades of meditation. She looked at Han Lie, her eyes shining with satisfaction.

“It seems you have been reborn,” she said, observing his transformed state. His skin was flawless, his aura terrifyingly dense.

She draped a robe over her shoulders, her expression turning serious.

“You are touching the threshold,” Ye Qingxuan said. “Attaining the Dao of Nascent Soul is the first true trial of immortality. Do you know what is the most critical factor in birthing the Soul?”

Han Lie shook his head, bowing deeply. “Please, Sect Leader, enlighten me.”