Though Tantai Bingyun had long anticipated that Lei Dong was severely wounded, hearing even the Nascent Soul expert, King Yaksha, sound utterly helpless was enough to thoroughly disrupt her icy composure. Noticing the King Yaksha seemed hesitant to speak plainly, she cast aside her concerns and urgently stated, "Senior, I implore you to speak plainly about how to save Lei Dong’s life. No matter how difficult the task, Bingyun is willing to try."

King Yaksha looked at Tantai Bingyun with some surprise. His earlier hesitation stemmed from the unusual nature of the required cure. Based on his understanding, Tantai Bingyun and Lei Dong not only held opposing stances but also harbored significant past grievances. Yet, it seemed decades had passed, and the relationship between the two had undergone a fundamental shift.

Being a shrewd individual who had lived for so long, King Yaksha inwardly praised that young scoundrel Lei, recognizing him as truly formidable for managing to placate even the eccentric Tantai Bingyun. He did possess the means of treatment, but at his advanced age, uttering such a proposal before a junior made him somewhat hesitant. He began to beat around the bush, saying, "Well now, Bingyun. You know that we Yaksha clan is a race with an ancient history, existing in this vast cosmos long before the Primordial Era. However, we were coerced by the Demon Race to participate in that terrifying war of the ancient past."

"Senior, I beg you to speak plainly. I have some understanding of the Yaksha clan’s origins and history," Tantai Bingyun replied, unable to entirely conceal her growing anxiety.

"Ahem, what I mean to say is that since our clan has existed for so long, we invariably possess some unknown hidden reserves and collections." King Yaksha’s dark and unsightly face showed a faint blush, though it was barely discernible. "After I became the King of this tribe, I sifted through our clan's treasury, hoping to find something truly unique. There was a cultivation manual; at the time, I thought it was useless, so I just returned it to storage. I don't know where that manual originated—perhaps we possessed it before the Yaksha clan arrived in the Nine Provinces, or perhaps we acquired it afterward. Thinking about it now, that manual would be extremely beneficial for healing Lei Dong’s injuries."

Tantai Bingyun frowned, wondering why the usually frank King Yaksha was acting so evasive today. However, with Lei Dong’s safety paramount in her mind, despite her burning anxiety, she maintained a measured tone. "Senior, if that manual is useful, please allow Lei Dong to cultivate with it. No matter the price, Tantai will uphold my promise."

"That... there's no need for talk of a price. After all, you two are benefactors to our clan, and furthermore, this King greatly enjoys watching you two young ones," King Yaksha quickly clarified, realizing further rambling might lead Tantai to misunderstand. Indeed, he genuinely favored both these juniors. Making an investment seemed appropriate; if either one managed to reach the Divine Transformation stage, the future for the East Sea Yaksha clan would become much easier. He immediately explained, "It’s just that the manual requires two people to cultivate together. Well, hehe, it’s somewhat similar to the cultivation methods of the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Sect."

Hmph. Tantai Bingyun’s delicate face instantly flushed crimson. No wonder King Yaksha was stammering! For him, a senior, to say such a thing bordered on unbecoming conduct. Requiring two people to cultivate together—didn't that imply that, that kind of activity? In that moment, her heart pounded like a trapped deer, filled with overwhelming shyness.

"Well, ahem. This King knows this matter puts my niece in a difficult position. How about this: I and some subordinates are being monitored by Ajiana and cannot leave. Nephew, you must quickly go to the East Sea Star Island and find a capable woman, at least at the Golden Core stage. And hurry—the longer Lei Dong’s injuries remain untreated, the harder it will be for him to recover," King Yaksha "kindly" offered a solution.

Poor Tantai Bingyun was destined to have her composure tested by King Yaksha today. Her shame had barely subsided before anger flared anew. Although she was typically respectful and humble before her seniors, and tried to be approachable among her peers, Tantai Bingyun was, at her core, an exceptionally proud woman. When King Yaksha mentioned that Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation, a natural resistance arose within her. But this didn't mean she would be generous enough to find another woman for Lei Dong.

Seeing Tantai Bingyun's displeased expression, King Yaksha immediately dropped his posture as an unparalleled master. "Well, Bingyun, I'll just gift you the manual. You decide what to do with it." With that, he snatched a manual from the air and thrust it into Tantai Bingyun’s hands, then instantly vanished, leaving only Lei Dong and her behind.

Lei Dong, who had remained silent, hadn't expected things to resolve this way. Fearing Tantai Bingyun’s embarrassment, he said, "Well, Bingyun, could you perhaps make a trip to the Myriad Ghost Cave and fetch Wanyan for me?"

Tantai Bingyun, face flushed, bit her lip, then shook her head. "Never mind how many days a round trip would take—the Kang Province is in turmoil right now. It would be too difficult for a woman from the Heavenly Sound Palace like myself to seek out Wanyan. Even if I found her, I fear your injuries would worsen, and it might be too late to save you then."

"Perhaps... perhaps we should try Senior Yaksha King's suggestion?" Lei Dong asked tentatively.

"You seem quite eager for that, don't you?" Tantai Bingyun retorted, her beautiful face clouding with ire. "Who do you take me, Tantai Bingyun, to be? That I should... actually help you forcibly seize a female cultivator?"

"Well, Bingyun," Lei Dong chuckled inwardly at her jealousy, but his face darkened with a sigh. "The truth is, I’ve missed you terribly over these years. But you left so resolutely back then, and I lacked the power to track you down to the Heavenly Sound Palace. I was single-mindedly focused on breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage so I could storm the Heavenly Sound Palace and forcefully bring you back. But I never expected you to be even more exceptional than I imagined, cultivating to the Mid Nascent Soul stage so early. Truly remarkable. Alas—that incident back then was indeed my fault. I, Lei Dong, was simply a toad trying to eat swan meat. Having those few years of marital affection with you was the greatest fortune of my entire life."

Gradually, Tantai Bingyun’s cold facade softened, especially upon hearing the mention of those years of marital affection; her cheeks flushed red again. Although they had devoted most of their energy to cultivation during those years, certain matters were unavoidable. Thinking of this, her cheeks grew rosy once more.

"Forget it, forget it. I am already trapped in his hands for this lifetime anyway; why quibble over such things?" Tantai Bingyun thought to herself, biting her lip fiercely as if making a firm resolution. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate red as she instantly conjured a cloud of white mist to envelop them both.

"Hey, hey! Bingyun, what are you doing? Don't..."

...

Several days passed. The dual cultivation technique procured by the Yaksha clan was indeed wondrously effective. Not only had Lei Dong's injuries greatly improved, but his cultivation realm even seemed to have slightly advanced. He had been stuck at the peak of the late Golden Core stage, hitting a bottleneck. During these days of intimacy, he gained significant benefit from Tantai Bingyun’s exceptionally pure primordial true essence. Vaguely, he sensed signs of breaking through his bottleneck. This made him immensely overjoyed, as he had been stalled at this point for quite some time. If he could achieve this breakthrough, he would be merely one step away from the Nascent Soul stage.

Of course, while the technique's efficacy was considerable, the primary reason for this bottleneck loosening was fundamentally the result of Lei Dong's fierce battle with the Black Winged Demon King. If mere dual cultivation could lead to continuous breakthroughs, there would be no room for any other sect to survive in this world.

During these few days, the relationship between Lei Dong and Tantai Bingyun also warmed rapidly, blossoming into sweetness. Though Lei Dong was not adept at sweet-talking, his past life had exposed him to countless internet jokes, and using those, he gradually managed to smooth over Tantai Bingyun’s past grievances.

If he could continue living in such sweet bliss, Lei Dong would gladly do so. However, now burdened by the safety of the Yin Sha Sect and his family, this haven of tenderness was not a place for him to linger. Once his injuries stabilized slightly, he immediately requested an audience with King Yaksha.

After a round of pleasantries and exchanges of meaningful glances, King Yaksha cut to the chase: "Nephew Lei should be resting and healing, so why come bother this old bone of mine?"

"Senior, your nephew has come to offer wisdom and avert disaster for you," Lei Dong stated seriously, speaking eloquently. "If nothing unexpected occurs, your East Sea Yaksha clan will perish within the next hundred years."

Immediately, the dozen or so Nascent Soul level elders of the Yaksha clan erupted in an uproar, murmuring amongst themselves and glaring at Lei Dong with hostility.

"Lei Dong, don't assume that just because this King owes you a favor, you can stand here and curse my clan." King Yaksha's expression was grim. "If it weren't for the connection between us, and the fact that your injuries aren't fully healed, this King would throw you out of the underwater city right now." He had expected Lei Dong to visit to request military aid for Kang Province; instead, he was immediately resorting to alarmist pronouncements.

Tantai Bingyun, standing nearby, merely frowned without speaking.

"Your nephew has received countless favors from the Yaksha clan, and the Senior’s protection. How could I possibly curse the Yaksha clan? I am merely stating a fact," Lei Dong replied, not batting an eyelid even in the face of the wrath of a Divine Transformation expert.

"Good, good. I’d like to hear just how my East Sea Yaksha clan will meet its end within a century?" King Yaksha laughed instead of raging. "If your explanation today fails to satisfy me, I will expel you from this territory immediately."

Lei Dong knew that persuading King Yaksha was one of the critical junctures in resolving this situation. He took a deep breath, his face grave. "Does Senior truly believe that the Supreme Sect, after paying such a massive price to summon the Winged God Clan to threaten the Yaksha clan, actually intended only to vent their anger on the Yin Sha Sect?"

King Yaksha’s expression shifted. Although he intuitively sensed something was amiss, he instinctively shied away from pursuing that line of thought. The ostrich mentality wasn't unique to humans. Indeed, for the Supreme Sect to have gone to such lengths and created such a massive display—could the purpose really be just to settle a petty score?