Chapter 573 : A Tangled Awakening in the Ruins

Lyra Jiang [the female protagonist, a powerful cultivator] let out a cold laugh. The three months of desperate, clinging intimacy had, without her realizing it, eroded much of her resistance. So, she simply let go and surrendered to it as well.

Not only her true self, but even her Second Primordial Embryo [a powerful spiritual avatar or clone] pounced forward to join the fray.

When Lila [a young woman close to Eldrin] was startled awake by a chorus of ragged breaths, she discovered the three entwined bodies before her. A deep blush of embarrassment instantly colored her cheeks.

Unconsciously, she felt her body grow feverish once more, as if the lingering poison within her had not been fully purged. Giving in to the tide of passion, she too threw herself into the tangle.

After that whirlwind of exertion, the three finally donned their robes once more.

Eldrin Chen [the male protagonist, a rising star cultivator] gazed at the two women before him, their beauty radiant and dewy. Suppressing the floating thoughts in his heart, he spoke, "When we entered the ruins this time, to avoid delay, we paid no heed to the Demonic Tribe [a faction of demonic cultivators] lurking outside."

"Looking at it now, I fear those Demonic Tribe are likely waiting in ambush, hoping to catch us as we emerge."

Lyra Jiang steadied her mind and, after a moment's contemplation, said, "Do not worry. With our combined strength, and the Yin-Yang Void Realm [a powerful spatial artifact] in hand, not even a Nascent Soul Late Stage [a very high level of cultivation] Demon Emperor [a ruler among powerful demons] could hope to detain us."

"True enough," Eldrin Chen nodded. He then looked at Lila and asked, "How have you fared these years in the Extreme Northern Ice Plains [a vast, frozen wilderness]?"

Lila's face flushed slightly. By all rights, sharing their experiences over the years should have been their first act upon meeting. Who could have imagined they would become entangled for over three months before finding a moment to speak of such matters. Read, share, and discuss at site: audio-novel.com.

With this thought, a flicker of secret delight arose within her, which she struggled to suppress before speaking: "These years have passed relatively smoothly. I have already managed to obtain a strand of Heavenly Dao Qi [a primordial strand of pure, elemental energy that embodies a fragment of the Heavenly Dao, essential for major breakthroughs]."

As Lila recounted her tale, Eldrin Chen gradually came to understand the broad strokes of her experiences over these years.

Arriving in the Extreme Northern Ice Plains with no ties to bind her, she journeyed all the way to Celestial Mountain. There, she discovered her supply of Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] for cultivation was insufficient. Thus, she decisively seized Frost Soul Mountain directly from the clutches of the Demonic Beast [powerful, malevolent creatures born of demonic energy] and settled there permanently.

Cultivators with an Ice Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for the ice element, determining one's cultivation aptitude] find their practice in the Northern Wastes to be twice as effective with half the effort. They also have easier access to Ice Attribute cultivation resources. Leveraging this advantage, she swiftly advanced to the False Nascent Soul Realm [a pseudo-realm just below the true Nascent Soul stage, where the cultivator's core has partially transformed but lacks full stability].

After her breakthrough into False Nascent Soul, she then turned her mind to securing resources for herself, setting out to find treasures that would aid her in breaking through to the true Nascent Soul [the stage where a cultivator forms a miniature spiritual infant within their dantian, marking a massive leap in power and longevity].

Knowing she would not linger in the Extreme Northern Ice Plains for long and thus need not fear long-term targeting or vengeance from the Demonic Tribe [a powerful faction of demonic cultivators and beasts], she decisively tore off all pretenses with them. She slew a great number of their members, amassing a vast trove of precious resources in the process.

Yet this alone was not enough. Later, hearing rumors of the ruins of the Frost Pavilion, she stealthily infiltrated them. By a twist of fate, she gained the recognition of the sect's legacy-defining treasure, the Frost Soul Jade Condensing Pagoda.

That Frost Soul Jade Condensing Pagoda was a top-tier Defensive Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact primarily designed for protection]. Moreover, it was a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a treasure that has formed a deep, symbiotic bond with its owner, growing in power alongside them] possessing a Treasure Spirit [a sentient consciousness within a high-grade magical treasure], enabling it to unleash formidable might.

With the Frost Soul Jade Condensing Pagoda in hand, Lila ascended Celestial Mountain and successfully seized a strand of Heavenly Dao Qi. This feat, however, earned her the enmity of Tengyun the Cloudrider.

"After I obtained the Heavenly Dao Qi, my Mana [the refined spiritual energy wielded by cultivators] was not condensed enough to fuse with it. So, I came here seeking Ice Vein Treasure Jade [a rare jade formed within glacial veins, rich in pure ice-attribute spiritual energy], also to further acquire the legacy of the Frost Pavilion."

"Speaking of which, this is my second time coming to the Frost Pavilion [a legendary sect known for its ice-based cultivation arts] ruins. I just never imagined I would be betrayed..."

Lila spoke with an icy gaze, a flicker of killing intent flashing in her eyes.

The subsequent events became clear. That Tengyun the Cloudrider had secretly seduced her disciple, obtaining information about her deep foray into the ruins.

He then secretly followed, intending to subdue Lila with the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner [a demonic banner that ensnares the soul through worldly desires], aiming to seize both a prodigious talent like her and the Heavenly Dao Qi [a supreme, primordial energy embodying the Heavenly Dao].

What he failed to anticipate was that Lila had actually obtained the legacy of the Frost Pavilion, gaining the recognition of their sect-guarding supreme treasure, the Frost Soul Jade Condensing Pagoda [a pagoda that refines and condenses frost-attribute spiritual power], and thus gaining control over this place's defensive Formation [a complex array of energy channels and symbols used for defense, attack, or cultivation].

Empowered by the might of a Superior Grade Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier enchanted artifact] and the local Formation, Tengyun the Cloudrider found himself unable to capture her. His covert deployment of the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner backfired, nearly leading to a mutual demise for both of them.

And the arrival of Eldrin Chen sealed his fate utterly, leaving him no chance for a final, desperate struggle before his life was extinguished.

"I have already dealt with that traitor of yours,"

Eldrin Chen said, his gaze turning cold after hearing the tale. Had he not cultivated the Great Derivation Heaven Art [a profound art of deduction and heavenly insight] and sensed the anomaly, or had he arrived any later, Lila might truly have been forced to perish together with Tengyun the Cloudrider.

Lyra Jiang seemed to be stewing in silent anger, wordlessly inventorying the treasures left behind by Tengyun the Cloudrider.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, she let out a soft exclamation of surprise and retrieved a single Jade Slip [a thin slab of jade used to store information via spiritual imprint] from the pile, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"What is it?"

Eldrin Chen took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Spiritual Sense [a cultivator's extended consciousness used to perceive the world]. He discovered it recorded a specific cultivation method named the 'Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant' [a dual cultivation art that harmonizes the masculine and feminine energies].

This Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant was a dual cultivation art. The jade slip contained its essential principles, but the vast majority of its contents were detailed illusory scenes depicting the intimate union between men and women.

The scenes showed either one man with one woman or one man with multiple women, entangled in a hundred different licentious positions. The imagery was utterly wanton and debauched, which explained why even Lyra Jiang had found it difficult to endure. Support the author by reading on (audio-novel.com).

According to the method's description, the Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant could help a man and woman accelerate their cultivation. Through profound communion, they could even share portions of their cultivation insights. Furthermore, the effect was greater for male and female cultivators with purer Mana [the spiritual energy used to power spells and cultivation] and higher cultivation bases.

After obtaining this art, Tengyun the Cloudrider had used the power of the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner [a demonic banner that amplifies worldly desires] to corrupt numerous female cultivators, including peerless beauties within the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where spiritual energy condenses into a solid golden core].

He had even secretly defiled his own master's wife. For this crime, he was hunted by his Master, only escaping with his life by fleeing to the Extreme Northern Ice Plains.

Over the years, Tengyun the Cloudrider had scoured the lands for concubines precisely because he possessed the Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant. His successful formation of an Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [the fourth major stage of cultivation, where the golden core hatches into an infant soul] was entirely due to the opportunities afforded by this method.

The reason he desired to capture Lila was also to leverage her peerless talent and Deep-Seated Foundation [a cultivator's profound and stable foundational cultivation base] to practice this art, thereby advancing to a higher realm.

For him, having already broken through to the Nascent Soul [the stage where a cultivator forms an infant-like spiritual entity within their dantian] realm, female cultivators with lower talent and Deep-Seated Foundation were of little use. Only high-ranking female cultivators with astonishing natural gifts could significantly accelerate his cultivation speed.

"The Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner [a magical banner that manipulates the six worldly desires to ensnare its victims], the Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant [a dual cultivation art that harmonizes the opposing forces of Yin and Yang]... So, Tengyun the Cloudrider has indeed fallen onto the Unorthodox Path [a cultivation path that employs forbidden, cruel, or demonic methods for rapid advancement]."

Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. This Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant was originally a righteous path dual cultivation technique.

But that Tengyun the Cloudrider had become utterly depraved. Instead of seeking willing female cultivation partners, he relied on the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner to wreak havoc everywhere. This was now a complete and utter Unorthodox Path practice.

Seeing this, Lila took the Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant manual. After perusing it for a moment, a flush of color rose to her cheeks.

She glanced at Eldrin Chen, then said with a bashful blush, "This Yin-Yang Mutual Cultivation Covenant allows one to comprehend the great Dao of Heaven and Earth's Yin and Yang. It can also greatly increase our cultivation speed. It can be considered a superior dual cultivation method."

"Hmph."

Lyra Jiang snorted coldly and pinched his waist. "Do you still wish to practice this art?"

Seeing her jealousy flare up again, Eldrin Chen wrapped an arm around her slender waist and smiled. "With the aid of this method, our cultivation speed is sure to increase dramatically. Perhaps we can cross the threshold to the Nascent Soul, Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Nascent Soul realm] before the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a prophesied, cataclysmic invasion from the demonic abyss]." This novel is serialized on @udio-novel.com. Visit for updates.