Chapter Seventeen: Dual Cultivation

Early the next morning, before the sun had fully risen, Jiang Yao arrived at Cloud Soaring Island, pulling Qin Yi out of his slumber before he was even fully awake. Zhu Chunfu, seeing that Qin Yi had only visited Snow Drift Peak the night before and that Jiang Yao was now coming to see him so early, couldn’t help but marvel at Qin Yi’s prowess—he had managed, within a single night, to win over the pride of Taiyi Mountain.

Jiang Yao was dressed in her usual red attire, her long hair loose, twin swords at her waist—one named Flying Snow, the other Winter Plum.

Seeing Jiang Yao arrive so early, Qin Yi lazily crawled out of bed and said, “You’re here so soon.”

“Do you have a way to deal with my Full Moon Frost Tribulation? Or does your master?” Jiang Yao replied, sidestepping the question. She didn’t speak of resolving the tribulation, only of dealing with it.

Qin Yi shook his head and pulled a sheet of paper from his robe, densely covered with thousands of characters.

“This is a copy of the ‘Great Luo True Scripture.’ On the fifteenth day of each lunar month, it can greatly ease your suffering.”

“Did you get this from the Ninth Elder of the Wang Clan of East Ridge?” Jiang Yao asked as she took the paper. In her previous life, she and Qin Yi had wandered together for years, so she knew the Ninth Elder had met his end at Qin Yi’s hand. She hadn’t expected that, a year after Qin Yi’s demise, he would still remember the ‘Great Luo True Scripture.’

“You called me over, so there must be something else you want, right?” Jiang Yao clearly understood Qin Yi well, knowing he wasn’t one for making a fuss over nothing. If it were only for the scripture, he wouldn’t have summoned her.

“You know me best. Come, let’s talk inside.” Qin Yi smiled, pointing to the room behind him. Yet, to Jiang Yao, his expression seemed particularly meaningful.

Jiang Yao stepped back, a hint of shyness in her voice: “Why? Can’t we talk here?”

Qin Yi, seeing her reaction, was amused. Clearly, Jiang Yao was worried he might try something improper. With a mix of exasperation and uprightness, he said, “It’s proper business. Besides, your strength now far surpasses mine—you have nothing to fear.”

Hearing this, Jiang Yao suddenly realized—he wasn’t the Qin Yi of her past life. What was there to fear? If he tried anything, she could simply give him a taste of her sword. In her previous life, he’d bullied her from childhood, and not once had she bested him. Perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to teach this outwardly modest, yet insufferably arrogant, Qin Yi a lesson.

With that thought, Jiang Yao’s courage soared, and she strode confidently inside. Now it was Qin Yi’s turn to be puzzled. It seemed she no longer regarded him with much seriousness. Qin Yi muttered resentfully, “You’re so cocky—watch, I’ll spank you later.”

“Do you know why I was reborn?” Qin Yi asked with a smile.

“You know the answer yourself?” Jiang Yao retorted.

“I don’t, but I suspect it’s connected to the Foundation Establishment technique I obtained when a heavenly phenomenon descended in the Wild Marsh.” Qin Yi shook his head, voicing his speculation.

“Foundation Establishment technique?” Jiang Yao echoed softly, catching the crucial detail.

“Yes. I don’t fully understand it, but I believe it could be useful against the Full Moon Frost Tribulation.” Qin Yi spoke gravely.

Yet his seriousness lasted barely three seconds, for his next words left Jiang Yao blushing in embarrassment. Qin Yi stared at her without blinking, his gaze sweeping over her graceful figure, and he said with a wicked smile, “But since I’m unfamiliar with the technique, we’ll need to cultivate together—dual cultivation.”

“Qin Yi, if you dare try anything, I’ll stab you with my sword.” Jiang Yao’s face flushed as she gripped the Winter Plum sword, stammering with little conviction.

Seeing her reaction, Qin Yi couldn’t help but laugh, teasing, “My, Jiang Yao, your cultivation hasn’t progressed, but your wild imagination certainly has.”

Jiang Yao snapped to attention, glaring at Qin Yi. “What do you mean?”

“I mean since I don’t know the technique well, we need to study and practice it together.” Qin Yi explained with a smile.

“Hmph!” Jiang Yao snorted, clearly annoyed by his earlier mischief. Seeing her mood, Qin Yi teased again, “If you want to dual cultivate, that’s fine! In that case, I might catch up to you in just ten years.”

“Hmph! Keep dreaming.” Thinking of Qin Yi’s current cultivation, Jiang Yao felt much better and replied smugly.

“If I ever catch up to your level, I’ll spank you.” Qin Yi said heatedly.

Hearing this, Jiang Yao blushed again, but Qin Yi dropped the matter and turned to the main topic. He began cultivating the Foundation Establishment technique in his mind. At first, Jiang Yao was quite reserved, still affected by his earlier teasing, but her mindset was strong and she was confident in her abilities. Qin Yi was no longer improper, focusing earnestly on comprehending the technique. Thus, the two persisted in cultivating together.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye.

In those four years, Qin Yi’s life was unusually carefree. Each day, he and Jiang Yao cultivated together, living worry-free on Cloud Soaring Island.

Within Jiang Yao’s body, the Full Moon Frost Tribulation, under the nurturing of the ‘Great Luo True Scripture’ and the Foundation Establishment technique, still occurred at the same intervals, but its intensity had clearly diminished. Moreover, after cultivating the technique, Jiang Yao’s abilities improved noticeably—a remarkable feat given her level, as advancing further was nearly impossible; she was already walking the path of enlightenment.

Qin Yi had overestimated the ‘Great Luo True Scripture,’ for he found the Foundation Establishment technique far surpassed it in effectiveness.

During this time, Zhang Chen often visited Qin Yi and would consult with Master Zi Xuan, one of Taiyi Mountain’s top cultivators, about difficulties on the Taiyi Azure Mystic Path. Sometimes, Qin Yi wondered if his close friend came to Cloud Soaring Island more for his master than for him.

Qin Yi also visited Sky Profound Peak from time to time. Born as a supreme Dao embryo, he naturally resonated with the Great Dao and was determined not to waste this advantage. Qing Fuzi, who treated Qin Yi warmly, felt honored to guide such an exceptional disciple.

All their efforts were rewarded. Zhang Chen not only made extraordinary progress in the art of talismans but also achieved remarkable mastery in the Taiyi Azure Mystic Path. Qing Fuzi, his uncle-master, almost wished to keep Zhang Chen at his side daily to study the ancient fragments of the ‘Heavenly Communication Talisman’ together.

As for Qin Yi, although he gained some insights in the arts of talisman and alchemy, after four years his cultivation remained stalled at the second stage of the Foundation Establishment Four Realms—the Organ Refinement Stage. In his previous life, he had completed all four stages in just one year.

Fortunately, with Jiang Yao’s illustrious example, Qin Yi was in no hurry. He was content to take his time, confident that diligent effort would eventually yield results. Given his talents and understanding of the Taiyi Azure Mystic Path, he saw no reason to worry about his advancement.