Cultivation: Starting with a Dual Cultivation Technique at the Immortal Rank

1: Chapter 1 The Beginning of Dual CultivationPure wish-fulfillment! Leave your brain at the door!

Reference images for all female leads!

The aroma of tea curled and lingered within the cramped Immortal Cave.

For Lin Qingxue, an Outer Sect Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, this night was destined to be sleepless.

She sat kneeling on a prayer mat, her hands tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white from the strain. Those eyes, usually so lively, were now darting uneasily between the cup of spiritual tea and the man before her.

Sitting across from her was the master of Yifei Peak and the recently famous ”Alchemy Genius” of the outer Sect, Li Yifei.

Li Yifei wore a cyan robe; his face was handsome, and a gentle smile hung between his brows, completely lacking the overbearing arrogance typical of scions from immortal cultivation clans.

He picked up the teacup and gently blew away the foam, his movements as elegant as if he were appreciating a rare treasure rather than waiting for an answer that could change the fates of two originally unrelated people.

”Junior Sister Qingxue, the tea is getting cold.”

Li Yifei’s voice was soft, yet it struck like a heavy hammer against Lin Qingxue’s tense heartstrings.

Her body trembled slightly as she finally mustered the courage to look up and meet that gaze, as warm and gentle as jade.

However, deep within that gaze seemed to lie a bottomless pool, making it impossible for her to see through him or escape.

”Senior Brother Li,” Lin Qingxue’s voice was a bit dry, ”is what you just said... true?”

Li Yifei set down the teacup with a crisp clink. He didn’t answer directly but instead took an exquisite jade bottle from his sleeve and gently pushed it toward Lin Qingxue.

”Inside are three qi gathering pills, all of Medium Grade quality.”

Lin Qingxue’s breath hitched.

Medium Grade qi gathering pills!

For a Qi Refining level three Disciple like her, with no background and mediocre Aptitude, the monthly allowance she received from the Sect was merely a single Low Grade qi gathering pill. Moreover, it contained many Impurities, requiring a significant amount of time to neutralize the Pill Toxins after consumption.

Yet these three Medium Grade Medicinal Pills before her were pure in medicinal power, enough to equal half a year of her hard Cultivation!

”Junior Sister has been in the Sect for a year, so you must have a deep understanding of how cruel the competition in the outer Sect is.” Li Yifei’s tone was calm, as if stating a most ordinary fact.

”The high-paying tasks in the Mission Hall are often accompanied by life-threatening risks. As for doing hard labor in the spiritual fields, the Spirit Stones earned are barely enough to maintain daily Cultivation. With Junior Sister’s Four-element Spiritual Root Aptitude, without external help, wanting to reach Foundation Establishment would likely be as difficult as ascending to heaven.”

Lin Qingxue bit her lip, the small line of defense known as ”self-esteem” in her heart wavering before the cruel reality.

Although Li Yifei’s words were harsh, every sentence was true. The world of immortal cultivation was a place where the strong preyed on the weak; if a female cultivator had no one to rely on, her end was often even more tragic.

A few days ago, a Senior Sister who lived with her had attached herself to an inner Sect Senior Brother for a few Spirit Stones. In the end, she was discarded like a worn-out shoe after being toyed with, and she didn’t even survive a single outside mission.

The scene of that Senior Sister’s cold corpse being carried back remained a lingering nightmare for her.

”I don’t ask for Junior Sister to promise to stay together forever right now.” Li Yifei observed the struggle on her face and, at the right moment, threw out the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

”I, Li Yifei, may not be some peerless Genius, but I have some small reputation in the path of Alchemy. If you are willing to be my Dao Companion, I will naturally provide the Medicinal Pills you need for your future Cultivation. Furthermore, if the two of us engage in Dual Cultivation to harmonize Yin and Yang, it will also be of great benefit to your cultivation progress.”

At the mention of ”Dual Cultivation,” Li Yifei remained unfazed, but Lin Qingxue’s cheeks suddenly burned, the flush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

She stole a glance at Li Yifei.

In terms of looks, Senior Brother Li had sharp brows and starry eyes, with an extraordinary temperament that made him stand out like a crane among chickens among the male Disciples of the outer Sect.

In terms of prospects, his Alchemy skills were highly regarded by the deacons of the Pill Fire Hall; it was said that his promotion to the inner Sect was already a certainty.

In terms of character, at least he was being open and honest about negotiating terms with her right now, without relying on his position to bully her.

More importantly, that bottle of Medium Grade qi gathering pills within reach exuded a fatal temptation.

”If I miss out on Senior Brother Li, will I ever find anyone better?”

Lin Qingxue asked herself in her heart.

The answer was no. Those Senior Brothers with high Cultivation wouldn’t look twice at a female cultivator with mediocre Aptitude like her. Most of those who did take an interest were people with ill intentions.

Seeing that the time was right, Li Yifei said no more and simply waited quietly. Deep within his calculating eyes, a flash of certainty flickered.

This was a transaction and a gamble. What he needed was a ”tool” with a clean background, whose primordial yin was still intact and who was easy to control, to begin his secret and grand plan.

And what Lin Qingxue needed was a great tree that could provide shelter from the wind and rain and supply her with nutrients.

Each getting what they needed—it was very fair.

After a long while, Lin Qingxue tremblingly reached out and grasped the cold jade bottle.

”Senior Brother,” she lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, yet carrying a sense of resolve, ”Qingxue... is willing.”

The smile at the corners of Li Yifei’s mouth finally spread. He stood up, walked to Lin Qingxue’s side, and naturally took her small, soft hands to pull her up from the prayer mat.

”Since we are now family, there’s no need to be so formal.” Li Yifei’s voice was so gentle it seemed as if it could drip water. He took the opportunity to put his arm around her slender waist. ”It’s late. My lady, let us rest.”

The word ”my lady” made Lin Qingxue’s body go soft, and her last bit of resistance vanished along with that warm embrace.

The red candles flickered, and the bed curtains hung low.

Lin Qingxue sat on the edge of the bed, her head bowed, simply not daring to meet his eyes.

Her gaze wandered over the patterns of the cyan jade floor tiles, then drifted to an unknown spiritual plant in the corner, finally settling on her own fingertips which were constantly twisting her sash.

Those plain white hands were now somewhat uncooperative, revealing all of their owner’s emotions.

”I...” She had just started to speak, her voice so small it was almost inaudible, but her cheeks flushed crimson first.

That blush spread from her cheeks to her small earlobes, and even her fair neck took on a faint pink hue.

Li Yifei took two steps closer. The room was so quiet that only the sound of each other’s breathing remained.

He reached out and gently held her cool fingertips.

Lin Qingxue trembled all over, like a startled fawn, instinctively wanting to pull her hand away.

Li Yifei didn’t use force; he simply wrapped her hand in his warm palm, conveying a sense of reassurance.

”Don’t be afraid.” He lowered his voice. ”This is a win-win, do you understand?”

When the two streams of spiritual power first converged, Lin Qingxue couldn’t help but let out a short moan.

It wasn’t pain, but the most instinctive shiver and wonder of the body when the Meridians were pierced by an unprecedentedly pure energy.

Her tightly closed eyes finally opened slowly. In her mist-filled eyes, his focused face was reflected.

The shyness remained, but it was joined by a hint of exploration and an unspeakable dependence.

Within the Immortal Cave, the two breaths—one yin and one yang, one soft and one firm—were like two brocade carp chasing each other, slowly intertwining and spiraling until they finally formed a perfect Taiji diagram.

The clouds gathered and the rain ceased; the night grew deeper.

Because it was her first time and her spiritual power was surging, Lin Qingxue had already fallen into a deep sleep. A lingering flush still remained on her face, and there was even a faint, peaceful smile at the corner of her mouth.

Li Yifei, who should have been equally exhausted, suddenly snapped his eyes open. A sharp light shot from his eyes, showing no sign of sleepiness.

A pale blue light screen, visible only to him, abruptly floated in his field of vision.

【Ding! Activation progress 10%. many children, many blessings system officially activated!】