With their breakthrough complete, and my energy almost entirely depleted, I withdraw my sword energy and force, and even a vast amount of my consciousness which was dedicated to assisting them. This time, I focus on further stabilizing my own cultivation and replenishing my energy.

They do not regain consciousness immediately. It takes them several more hours to stabilize their own foundations and to stabilize the internal injuries they have sustained.

A day ago, Wu Yulan’s speed at recovering would’ve been greatly inferior to Lan Xiaohui’s, but today, they are evenly matched. I find this surprising in particular, because, to my understanding, Wu Yulan’s should be faster because her Physique should be a grade higher.

Perhaps, I realize, this is my own misunderstanding. Tyrant-class may not be superior to Empress-class, but perhaps a different variant of the same grade. After all, they should possess the same amount of my blood essence in their Physique.

By the time their eyes open, dazed and confused, some thirty hours have passed, and the sky has become dark once again. It is obvious by their confusion that not only are they surprised to find it dark outside, they may not even realize that more than a day has passed.

Normally, breaking through into the Core Formation realm takes at most an entire day to produce perfect Ninefold Cores — implying nine circulations of the “gold elixir”, and nine imprints of the fundamental natural laws.

However, in the case of Wu Yulan and Lan Xiaohui, this absolute limit of nine circulations has been surpassed almost twice, and to stabilize their cores, it took a total of sixteen circulations. Even so, I do not feel that this is exceeding the limit of nine circulations. To begin with, the amount of energy — by volume — was much smaller, circulating less of the gold elixir and producing a smaller core.

In terms of how many times the total amount of gold elixir circulated — it may very well be nine times.

In other words, they were feeling their perfect Ninefold Cores, and wondering why it was so small — half the size, in fact.

“Congratulations,” I tell them. “Wu Yulan, your Physique has achieved a breakthrough. You are very talented and fortunate.”

I would, of course, not willingly admit that this result is because of an experiment that got slightly out of hand, nor can I, for this reason, take credit either.

Wu Yulan blinks, staring at her reflection in the frozen mirror that is her half of the pond. Her hair, now, is much brighter and whiter than it was before. Her skin now is also exceptionally pale, yet despite being so sickly pale, there was a sense of elegance, health, and winter. Her gold eyes are also much brighter than before, and there is a glimmer in them that was not produced by the light, yet by something like a snowflake of energy melting within the pure gold.

“A… breakthrough…?” Wu Yulan repeats my words, uncertain as to the meaning. From her perspective, it must seem rather unusual that her appearance changed suddenly when she was trying to reach a higher cultivation realm, and the pain she felt not so long ago cannot so easily be forgotten, even if she were completely oblivious of what was happening to her during the breakthrough.

But the look in Lan Xiaohui’s eyes reveals that she knows the truth. Even if my words were not a lie, but a fact of history, how could she not recognize the presence of my life force in her companion?

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Congratulations…” Lan Xiaohui whispers, half pleased, half guilty, as she rubs her cheek on the top of her companion’s head affectionately.

Wu Yulan chuckles with some difficulty, almost groaning just at the memory of the pain that remains imprinted in her body.

“Thank… you…” she says, looking directly at my vessel.

I am not certain if she is thanking me for congratulating her, or because she is aware that I saved her life, after almost killing her.

“How do you feel?” I ask them.

“Light…” Wu Yulan whispers.

“Hot…” Lan Xiaohui follows with her own whisper.

Light? Hot? How am I supposed to diagnose any potential problems based on that?

I rephrase my question: “In terms of your breakthrough, how do you feel? Are there any abnormalities?”

Wu Yulan lifts her hand out of the frozen pond, the thin layer of ice easily caving under her simple motion. “I really… feel incredibly light,” she says, staring at her own porcelain-white hand. “I cannot… describe it.”

Light does not sound like strong.

Perhaps the smaller gold core is truly indicative of its inferiority. Have I made a mistake?

“Show me your sword energy,” I tell them.

At the same time, both Lan Xiaohui and Wu Yulan point a finger into the empty air, and a mote of sword energy flickers into existence above their fingertip. Lan Xiaohui’s black glimmer of energy sparkles like a diamond, and Wu Yulan’s white glimmer of energy has a trace of dark light pulsing within.

However, both the two motes of sword energy vibrate in the air in a way that I can only describe as forceful, and it takes me a moment to realize that it is not the mote itself vibrating, but the air itself that is trembling.

The moment these two motes of energy appear, it feels as though there is a gigantic sword shadow behind them, invisible, yet emanating an unbridled, violent force.

This amount of suppression from only a tiny mote of sword energy is impressive.

Lan Xiaohui can feel it too and her expression immediately becomes thoughtful.

Wu Yulan, on the other hand, stares reverently at Lan Xiaohui’s mote, a mix of excitement and apprehension in her expression.

“Is it within expectations?” I ask them.

“Better!” Wu Yulan immediately exclaims. Lan Xiaohui nods in agreement.

It seems I won’t have to break their cultivation after all.

“If that is the case, then you can keep those gold cores. Focus on stabilizing your foundations for now,” I tell them.

Even though they had suspected it already, my words confirm that the reason why their gold cores seem small is something to do with my assistance, or at the very least, their cultivation method being abnormal.

“Th… thank you, Yaoyue,” Wu Yulan says with heartfelt sincerity.

Lan Xiaohui nods, her eyelids sinking lower as her lips quirk into a smile, even though it looks like she might break into tears. “Thank you, Yaoyue,” she says, keeping her tone steady.

I didn’t expect them to find it to be such a big deal. If anything, if I was them, I would be disappointed that my core is so small, yet they are showing such genuine gratitude.

Although, even if I were to break their cultivation now, I would not be able to produce a better gold core at the moment. As long as it is not inferior to anyone else’s, I don’t see the need to immediately correct the issue.

“Congratulations on achieving a new realm,” I tell them. “You are very talented and fortunate.”

The both of them chuckle at my words, all signs of unease disappearing from their features. They both look at me — the source of their talent and fortune — and reach out with their hands, dragging me closer as their own bodies press tighter together.

Once more, I am physically stuck between them, trapped in their flesh, as they begin to circulate their energy, driving the source of their Yin energy into the space between us.

“Yaoyue,” Lan Xiaohui whispers with a tone of guilt and shyness. “Can you help us stabilize our energy?”

“Just a bit?” Wu Yulan adds with an equally guilty and shy tone.

It’s not as if I can escape or even refuse, but does this really have to do with helping them stabilize their energy? They should be more than capable of doing so on their own.

I deliver a short burst of pure Yang energy, and they both release a dull exhale, smiling in a peculiar manner. Wu Yulan even curls up against Lan Xiaohui even more, her breathing slightly quicker than before. Even her heart rate is affected.

Great.

They are hedonists too.

As I contribute my Yang energy and ignore their reactions, I wonder if this is going to become a flaw in their cultivation. Sword cultivators are supposed to be ascetics, after all.