Marcus pointed his finger at Ye Xian and said through clenched teeth, "I'm letting you go this time. I'm not afraid of you, but I'm not stupid either. If you want me to truly forgive you, then next time make sure to apologize properly for what you did to my brother." Saying this, he began to turn and leave.
But Ye Xian called out from behind with a sly, provocative tone: "Next time your brother shows up before me, I'll beat him up again - and even worse than before."
Hearing this deliberate provocation, Marcus's steps faltered and his entire body tensed with rage, but he forced himself not to turn back. After a moment of internal struggle, he disappeared from the marketplace without another word.
The marketplace had grown noticeably quieter around them during the confrontation, with many vendors and shoppers having noticed the tense exchange and the impressive spatial ring. Some whispered among themselves about the Earth Grade treasure and what it truly meant about Ye Xian's backing and connections.
Ye Xian stood there for a moment, watching Marcus's retreating figure with satisfaction, before continuing on his way through the market with a slight smirk.
Ye Xian started walking towards Ye estate, Ye Xian found himself deep in thought. 'If Marcus quietly accepts this humiliation and doesn't secretly contact someone or use others to carry out his revenge in anger, then perhaps this matter might end here. But it's entirely possible he could reach out to someone more powerful. If that happens, it could become extremely troublesome for me. Though it's also possible he might be too scared to take any action against me because of his fear of the Meng clan.'
Ye Xian passed through the Ye estate's main gates, and the guards recognized him immediately, bowing respectfully. They truly respected him now, especially after hearing the news of his upcoming marriage in a month to the Meng clan patriarch's daughter.
The Ye estate was huge, with many residential buildings spread across beautifully maintained gardens and courtyards. His house was positioned in a quieter section, separated from the main family residences by a good distance.
Once in his private room, he locked the door and then settled comfortably on his bed. The familiar comfort of his personal space helped his mind relax. He had decided to enter his inner world and talk with Aureliana about the recent changes he'd been experiencing since his breakthrough.
Closing his eyes, Ye Xian controlled his breathing and focused his mind inward, sinking into the calm state needed to access his inner world. The transition felt smoother than before, as if the pathway had become wider and stronger.
When his consciousness fully appeared within his inner world, he was amazed by the dramatic change that had happened.
Previously, when he had first entered his inner world, there had only been swirling mist in front of him and two golden eyes watching him from within the haze. The environment had felt unstable and dreamlike.
But now, the space had become something far more solid. What had once been just a compact space where he couldn't see anything except swirling mist - now the space had grown into a vast, otherworldly chamber. The boundaries seemed to stretch beyond what he could see.
Most notably, the swirling mist had become more solid and taken on a clearer form. Unlike before, when it had been just a shapeless cloud, he could now clearly see a graceful silhouette within - the outline of a woman with an otherworldly presence. The two golden eyes that had once been the only visible feature were now brilliantly clear and captivatingly beautiful, watching Ye Xian with intelligence that seemed both ancient and eternally young.
"Aureliana," Ye Xian called out respectfully, offering a formal cultivator's greeting.
"Young master Ye Xian," came her melodious response, her voice carrying the same ethereal quality as before but now with greater clarity and warmth. She returned his greeting with a graceful nod.
As they exchanged greetings, Ye Xian's attention was drawn to a new feature in his inner world - a crystal-clear pond that definitely hadn't existed during his previous visits. The water was so clear it looked like liquid crystal, reflecting the pearl-like glow of the space above. Curious about this addition, he walked over to the pond to examine it more closely.
At the pond's center, floating in the air about a foot above the water's surface, was a perfectly round ball of pure white energy. It spun slowly, pulsing with a gentle rhythm that seemed to match his own heartbeat. The ball cast dancing reflections across the water's surface, creating beautiful patterns of light.
Within the pond itself, he saw two remarkable fish swimming in elegant, synchronized circles around the edges. Each was about ten centimeters long with sleek, almost snake-like bodies that looked like a mix between koi and some more mystical creature. One fish was pure white, its scales seeming to capture and reflect moonlight even in this otherworldly space, while the other was deep black like polished obsidian, its surface seeming to absorb light rather than reflect it. Despite their opposite colors, they moved in perfect harmony, as if they were two halves of a greater whole.
"These manifestations," Aureliana's voice carried a note of approval, "appeared when you successfully broke through to the Ki Warrior realm and then... became intimate with Sheng Qianying. The ball of light floating in the pond is the light element that you obtained from Sheng Qianying, which has caused your inner world to evolve, creating these physical representations of the balanced energies now flowing within you."
Her explanation carried deeper meanings that Ye Xian was only beginning to understand about the profound changes happening within his spiritual and physical being.
Aureliana's voice took on a slightly instructional tone as she continued, "However, young master, you didn't perform the dual cultivation correctly with your partner."
Ye Xian's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? What was wrong about it?" he asked, genuinely puzzled about what mistake he could have made.
But then realization suddenly hit him like a cold splash of water. His eyes widened as the implication of her words sank in. "Wait... how do you know about that? How could you possibly know what happened between me and Sheng Qianying?"
The question hung in the air, and Ye Xian felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation wash over him. It was as if he had been completely exposed, laid bare before Aureliana's all-seeing gaze. The intimate moments he had shared with Sheng Qianying - moments he thought were private and personal - had somehow been witnessed or sensed by the mysterious being in his inner world. The thought that she had essentially 'seen' him in such a vulnerable and intimate state with Sheng Qianying made his face burn with embarrassment.
He felt like a young man who had been caught by an elder in a compromising position, the mortification almost overwhelming. How could he face her knowing that she was aware of his most private moments?
Aureliana seemed to sense his discomfort and spoke gently, her voice carrying a note of understanding. "Young master, you don't need to feel embarrassed about this. What happened between you and your partner is natural and nothing to be ashamed of. I exist within your inner world - I am connected to your spiritual essence. When such significant energy exchanges occur, especially those involving dual cultivation, they naturally affect your inner world and I become aware of them."
Ye Xian let out a long, resigned sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly as he tried to push past his embarrassment. The logical part of his mind understood her explanation, but the emotional part still felt exposed and vulnerable. After a moment to collect himself, he asked, "Alright then... what is the right way? What should I have done differently?"
Aureliana's tone became more instructional, like a patient teacher explaining an important lesson. "During dual cultivation, you must consciously channel and use your blessful energy when you and your partner connect intimately. Instead of just letting the physical act happen naturally, you need to actively circulate your blessful energy and guide it to merge with your partner's energy. Think of it like opening a channel between two rivers, allowing them to flow together and strengthen each other."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "It would be even better if your partner could also respond with her own energy - if she could actively participate in the energy exchange rather than being a passive recipient. When both partners actively contribute their energy's during the intimate connection, the benefits you both receive will be doubled, sometimes even tripled. The light element you gained from her is you have used the blessful energy at the last moment. To truly solidify the light element, you must channel the blessful energy during a dual cultivation session. It's not just about passion—it's about resonance. Harmony of breath, spirit, and intent. Only then can the light element truly take form within you."
Ye Xian listened intently, realizing that what he had considered a successful encounter was, in fact, quite inefficient. His lack of knowledge about dual cultivation techniques had caused him to miss out on far greater gains. More importantly, there was a serious issue: whenever he used the blissful energy, his partner would climax within just a few breaths — sometimes even in the very next one — making it impossible to maintain the flow of cultivation energy for long.