Chapter 573 : A Tangled Reunion in the Ruins

Exquisite Jiang let out a cold laugh. The three months of desperate, clinging intimacy had, without her realizing it, lessened her resistance. So she simply let go as well.

Not only her true self, but even her Second Primordial Embryo [a second, independently cultivatable spiritual avatar] pounced forward.

Only when Lila was startled awake by a chorus of ragged breaths did she discover the three figures before her entangled in passion, causing a deep blush of embarrassment to spread across her face.

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

"..."

After that tumultuous entanglement, the three finally donned their garments once more.

Eldrin Chen gazed at the two women before him, their beauty radiant and dewy. Suppressing the distracting thoughts that rose in his heart, he spoke, "When we entered the ruins this time, we avoided the Demon Race forces outside to save time."

"Looking at it now, I fear those Demon Race are likely waiting in ambush for us."

Exquisite Jiang steadied her mind and, after a moment's contemplation, said, "Do not worry. With our strength and the Polarity Void Mirror [a powerful enchanted artifact] in hand, not even an Infant Soul Late Stage [a high level of spiritual cultivation] Demon Emperor [a sovereign ruler among demons] could hope to detain us."

"True enough," Eldrin Chen nodded. Then, looking at Lila, he asked, "How have you fared these years in the Far North Icy Plains?" Continue reading this story at @udio-novel.com.

Lila's cheeks flushed slightly. By all accounts, the first thing they should have done upon meeting was to share the stories of their years apart. Yet, she never imagined their reunion would involve three months of intimate entanglement before they finally found the time to broach the subject.

The thought brought a secret thrill, which she struggled to suppress before speaking. "These years have passed relatively smoothly," she said. "I have already managed to obtain a strand of Heavenly Path Energy [a primordial energy of heaven and earth, crucial for major breakthroughs in cultivation]."

As Lila recounted her tale, Eldrin Chen gained a clear understanding of her experiences over the past years.

After arriving in the Far North Icy Plains, unburdened by attachments, she journeyed all the way to Heavenly Mountain. There, she realized her supply of cultivation Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] was nearly depleted. With no other option, she directly seized Frost Soul Mountain from the clutches of Demon Beasts [powerful, often malevolent beasts that have absorbed demonic energy] and made it her home.

A cultivator with an Ice Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for ice-element spiritual energy] finds cultivation in the Northern Plains to be twice as effective, with easier access to ice-attribute resources. Thus, she rapidly advanced to the False Infant Soul Realm [a pseudo-realm just below the true Infant Soul stage, where the cultivator's nascent soul is partially formed but not fully stable].

After breaking through to the False Infant Soul Realm, she turned her focus to securing resources for herself, beginning her search for treasures that would aid her breakthrough into the true Infant Soul realm [the stage where a cultivator's spiritual essence condenses into a nascent soul, marking a monumental leap in power and longevity].

Knowing she wouldn't remain in the Far North Icy Plains indefinitely and therefore need not fear long-term retaliation from the Demon Race [a collective term for intelligent, cultivator-level demonic beings], she decisively severed all pretense with them. She slew a great number of their kind, amassing a vast trove of precious resources in the process.

Even this was not enough. Later, hearing rumors of the ruins of the Frost Snow Pavilion, she infiltrated them in secret. By a twist of fate, she gained the recognition of the pavilion's Sect-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a legendary artifact of immense power, used to protect and symbolize a major sect], the Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda.

That Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda was a top-grade Defensive Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact specializing in protection]. Moreover, it was a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a treasure bound to its owner's life force, growing in power with them and housing an artifact spirit], possessing an artifact spirit, allowing it to unleash formidable might.

With the Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda in hand, Lila ascended Heavenly Mountain and successfully seized a strand of Heavenly Path Energy. This feat, however, earned her the enmity of Soaring Cloud True Lord.

"After I seized the Heavenly Path Energy [a supreme spiritual essence that can elevate one's cultivation foundation], I came here seeking the Ice Vein Precious Jade [a rare jade formed within glacial veins, known for its ability to purify and condense spiritual energy] because my magical power was not refined enough to fuse with the Heavenly Path Energy. It was also to further obtain the legacy of the Frost Snow Pavilion [an ancient sect renowned for its ice and snow cultivation arts]."

"This is my second time coming to the ruins of the Frost Snow Pavilion, though I never imagined I would be betrayed..."

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

The subsequent events became clear. That Soaring Cloud True Lord had secretly tempted 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 sinister magical banner that manipulates the six mortal desires], aiming to capture such a heaven-favored genius and seize the Heavenly Path Energy in one fell swoop.

What he never anticipated was that Lila had actually obtained the legacy of the Frost Snow Pavilion, gaining the recognition of the Frost Snow Pavilion's Sect-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [the ultimate treasure used to protect a sect's foundation], the Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda [a pagoda-shaped treasure that condenses frost soul energy], and thus gaining control over this place's defensive Formation [a complex array of energy channels and runes used for defense, attack, or cultivation].

Relying on the might of the Superior Spiritual Treasure [a high-grade enchanted artifact] and the Formation, the Soaring Cloud True Lord could not overpower her. His covert use of the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner backfired, nearly causing both of them to perish together.

And the arrival of Eldrin Chen sealed his fate completely, preventing even that mutual destruction and sending him to his demise.

"I have already dealt with that traitor for you,"

Eldrin Chen said coldly after listening. Had he not cultivated the Great Deduction Heavenly Art [a profound art of divination and foresight] and sensed the anomaly, arriving just in time, Lila might truly have been forced to perish together with the Soaring Cloud True Lord.

Exquisite Jiang seemed to be sulking, silently sorting through the treasures of Soaring Cloud True Lord without a word.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, she let out a soft exclamation of surprise, pulling out a jade slip from the pile. A faint blush colored her cheeks.

"What is it?"

Eldrin Chen took the jade slip and probed it with his spiritual sense. He discovered it contained the records of a cultivation art named the Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant.

This Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant was a method for dual cultivation [a practice where two cultivators harmonize their energies to accelerate progress]. The slip contained its essential principles, but the rest was filled with detailed, illusory scenes depicting the intimate union of men and women. Find this and other novels at audio-novel[dot]com.

The scenes showed either one man and one woman, or one man with multiple women, entangled in a hundred different positions. The imagery was utterly licentious and debauched, which explained why even Exquisite Jiang had found it difficult to endure.

According to the method's description, the Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant could help a man and woman accelerate their cultivation. Through profound communion, they could even share portions of their cultivation insights. The effect was said to be greater the more refined their spiritual energy [the vital energy cultivated by practitioners] and the higher their cultivation realms.

After obtaining this art, Soaring Cloud True Lord had used the power of the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner to defile many female cultivators, including peerless beauties who had reached the Golden Core Realm.

He had even secretly violated his own master's wife. For this crime, he was hunted by his own teacher and only escaped with his life by fleeing to the Far North Icy Plains.

In recent years, the reason Soaring Cloud True Lord had been scouring the lands for concubines was precisely because he possessed the Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant [a dual cultivation technique that harmonizes the energies of male and female cultivators]. His attainment of the Earthly Path Infant Soul [a specific, powerful stage of the Infant Soul realm] was entirely due to the opportunities afforded by this method.

His desire to capture Lila was also driven by his wish to utilize her peerless natural talent and profound foundation to practice this art, thereby cultivating to an even higher realm.

For him, having already broken through to the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed], female cultivators with mediocre talent and foundation were of little use. Only high-level female cultivators with astonishing natural gifts could significantly accelerate his cultivation speed.

"The Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner [a sinister artifact that manipulates the six mortal desires], the Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant... Soaring Cloud has indeed fallen into the heretical path."

Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. The Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant was originally a righteous dual cultivation technique.

But that Soaring Cloud Path Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has comprehended a profound Dao Path] had lost all reason. Instead of seeking willing female cultivators, he relied on the Six Desires Mortal Dust Banner to wreak havoc everywhere. This was undeniably a complete descent into the demonic path.

Seeing this, Lila took the Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant scroll. After perusing it for a moment, a flush of color rose to her cheeks.

She glanced at Eldrin Chen, her face tinged with shyness, and said, "This Polarity Mutual Cultivation Covenant allows one to comprehend the Polarity Great Path [the profound Dao of complementary opposites, like yin and yang], and can also greatly increase our cultivation speed. It can be considered a superior dual cultivation method."

"Hmph."

Exquisite Jiang snorted coldly, reaching out to pinch his waist. "Are you thinking of practicing this method?"

Seeing her jealousy flare up once more, Eldrin Chen wrapped an arm around her slender waist and chuckled, "With the aid of this method, our cultivation speed is sure to increase greatly. Perhaps we can cross the threshold to the Infant Soul Mid Stage before the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm arrives." This chapter appears courtesy of audio - novel . com.