Mi Xue collapsed onto the bed like a starfish the moment she entered the room. Her departure had been rushed and fraught with worry, but her return was marked by profound contentment; as long as Zhang Yang was safe, everything else was secondary.

Seeing Mi Xue’s languid, expansive posture, Zhang Yang was instantly reminded of the night he’d taken her away.

That night, they had gone straight into the depths of Wildman Mountain, entering the cave of the Fifth-Level Elder.

They had spent that night there as well.

Inside the cave of this Fifth-Level Elder was an Ice Bed. While it would freeze an ordinary person solid, practitioners of Neijin (Inner Strength) found it doubled their cultivation speed, allowing them to train even in their sleep.

The value of this bed was immeasurable.

That night, Zhang Yang had been rather unscrupulous, chasing off the Parrot Couple and claiming the cavern for themselves.

These parrots could speak, and who knew what gossip they might spread if they witnessed things they shouldn't? As a result, Ah Hua and Ah Cai cursed Zhang Yang all night from outside, accusing him of prioritizing lust over friendship.

No matter how vicious their scolding, Zhang Yang couldn't hear a thing.

Eventually, the parrots flew out and gossiped with the other spirit beasts of Wildman Mountain, chiding them for their lack of diligent cultivation. They lamented that Wildman Mountain still lacked any Fourth-Level spirit beasts, making it inferior to other primeval mountain ranges.

At least the Kunlun Range, Mount Shu Range, and the Tianshan Range—those famous great mountains—all housed Fourth-Level spirit beasts.

The poor spirit beasts had no idea why these usually good-tempered parrots were so furious, only resigning themselves to bad luck and becoming even more diligent in their practice.

That night, Zhang Yang administered a Marrow Cleansing Pill to Mi Xue.

Following that, he personally guided her through a dual cultivation technique, clearing her meridians and opening up some of her finer channels, allowing her to possess Neijin right at the onset of her cultivation journey.

Though the Neijin was minimal, it was far superior to that of an ordinary person. Current Mi Xue had achieved the initial stage of the First Level, comparable to where Qu Meilan had been at the start.

With this level of cultivation, even a few common hoodlums wouldn't be her match.

"What are you thinking about, dummy!"

Mi Xue shot Zhang Yang a playful glare, though the look was laced with such alluring charm that Zhang Yang’s heart lurched violently.

Since starting cultivation, Mi Xue’s skin had improved, and her entire demeanor carried a strange, alluring vibrancy. Zhang Yang wondered if it was due to the Peilan Pill she’d taken or the fact that she started cultivating halfway through; he felt she possessed superior natural assets compared to many other female cultivators.

Generally speaking, cultivators were stronger than ordinary people.

If it weren't so, Qu Meilan wouldn't have been accepted by the Wu family; even now, if Qu Meilan went out on her own, she would still attract unwelcome attention.

"I was thinking about whether our dual cultivation technique is due for another session!" Zhang Yang chuckled, and before the words had even faded, he lunged forward.

"No!" Mi Xue cried out, but even as she protested, her body naturally entwined itself around Zhang Yang.

Soon, low, guttural breaths and soft, tender moans began to echo from the room.

This time, Zhang Yang utilized the same dual cultivation technique from before. This method had been obtained from the Hu Yan family; the Zhang family had never possessed it.

In truth, this technique was something of a double-edged sword even for the Hu Yan family. It was a method designed to rapidly advance female cultivators, but it imposed extremely high requirements. First, the female must be a complete novice, possessing no prior Neijin. Second, the male partner needed to be significantly stronger and willing to dedicate himself, continuously feeding his own Neijin to aid the female's progress, enduring great depletion himself to grant her minute advancements.

Because of these prerequisites, very few in the Hu Yan family ever practiced this technique.

Most Neijin practitioners were hard-hearted; it was difficult for them to commit wholeheartedly to another person. Even if they had wives, it was usually just for the sake of continuing the lineage.

Furthermore, whether in established Neijin families or sects, female cultivators were scarce and generally held low status.

One only needed to look at Zhang Yang’s own family to understand this: even their relatively unconstrained Neijin lineage practiced the tradition of passing knowledge only to sons, let alone other families or sects.

Typically, female cultivators concentrated in separate groups, much like Qu Meilan’s former sect.

Because of this segregation, the dual cultivation technique naturally fell into disuse. If it weren't for the fact that this technique could dramatically accelerate a female cultivator's progress, potentially granting her cultivation aptitude even stronger than the Five Great Constitutions, the Hu Yan family would have discarded it long ago.

Useless to others, it was perfectly suited for Zhang Yang. The moment he saw this technique, he secretly kept it, eventually using it with Mi Xue.

Now, Zhang Yang was leveraging the technique’s principle of merging male and female, like sea dissolving into the ocean, becoming indistinguishable, using his Neijin to aid Mi Xue’s cultivation.

During their sessions, Mi Xue’s training speed far surpassed her personal ability, achieving nearly a terrifying hundredfold efficiency boost.

The night passed without further incident. As dawn approached, Zhang Yang finally released himself fully, resting beside Mi Xue for a short nap.

Dual cultivation was intensely pleasurable, but it was also exhausting. Even as a Fourth-Level Mid-Stage cultivator, Zhang Yang felt the fatigue.

The exhaustion stemmed mainly from the need to meticulously open each minute channel one by one, ensuring no damage occurred—a task requiring absolute mental focus.

However, the rewards for the labor were significant. Mi Xue’s Neijin had advanced further, and her physique had been permanently altered, making her exceptionally suited for cultivation. At this pace, it wouldn't take long for her to catch up to Qu Meilan.

If they could acquire spirit medicines, her progress would be even faster…

In the study, Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yuna were seated, observing Zhang Yang with a degree of confusion.

Besides the two of them, two other people stood in the room: Yan Yifei and Li Juan stood stiffly, stealing glances at Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yuna every few moments.

They had all been summoned by Zhang Yang. Once everyone was present, Zhang Yang cut to the chase. "Grandfather, Uncle, please examine their constitutions first!"

Constitutions?

The two men felt a flicker of doubt, but since Zhang Yang had made the request, there must be a reason.

They both gestured forward, and Yan Yifei and Li Juan immediately stepped up before them.

Yan Yifei and Li Juan appeared very uneasy. They clearly understood that their acceptance into apprenticeship and their potential to become powerful Neijin cultivators hinged entirely on this day.

"Aduo Constitution!"

"Phantom Constitution!"

Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yuna exclaimed simultaneously, then turned to look at each other.

They had both heard the other's exclamation. Quickly, they both reached out again, examining the physical condition of the person the other had just checked.

This time, neither spoke. After withdrawing their hands, they simply stared intently at Yan Yifei and Li Juan, their thoughts unreadable.

This only increased Yan Yifei’s anxiety. Just as he was about to speak up, Zhang Yang interrupted him.

"Grandfather, Uncle, they are a married couple. I only discovered by chance that they possess this matched set of constitutions. Now, the Phantom Constitution has manifested its negative consequence; if they do not cultivate, they won't have much time together. Within three years, Li Juan will perish from the backlash," Zhang Yang stated calmly. Yan Yifei froze, his face instantly etched with distress.

The previous Zhang Yang had never told him that Li Juan was in mortal danger. They were deeply devoted to each other; even if cultivation weren't involved, he couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her.

"Mr. Zhang…" Yan Yifei couldn't help but call out, but Zhang Yang immediately cut him off. "Don't speak yet!"

Zhang Yang then turned back to Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yuna. Teaching these two to cultivate was akin to bringing them into the fold. His involvement with Mi Xue’s cultivation was already a breach of rules, but she was his wife, a member of the Zhang family, so Zhang Daofeng and the others could turn a blind eye.

Yan Yifei and Li Juan were different; they were complete outsiders, holding no blood ties to the Zhang family.

"Yangyang, are you saying we should instruct them and give them Marrow Cleansing Pills?"

After a moment, Zhang Yuna looked up and asked Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang simply nodded in response.

Zhang Yang himself was willing for them to cultivate. It would be a waste to ignore such a perfect pair of constitutions. If there had been only one, Zhang Yang might have hesitated, but faced with the pair, he didn't want to let the opportunity pass. He was curious to see the ultimate outcome of cultivating such supreme constitutions that were initiated halfway through life.

"You two should step out for now. We understand your situation, but we need to discuss it privately," Zhang Daofeng instructed Yan Yifei. His voice was soft but carried an unyielding finality.

Yan Yifei paused, glancing at Zhang Yang, before taking Li Juan's hand and walking out. He had wanted to plead their case, but Zhang Daofeng had given him no such opportunity. The subtle infusion of Neijin in Zhang Daofeng's words left no room for argument.

"Yangyang, they are outsiders!"

As soon as they left, Zhang Yuna voiced his concern. A single sentence conveyed his opposition clearly. Outsider versus family—though separated by just a word, the gulf between them was immense. If Zhang Yang hadn't carried the Zhang family bloodline, they wouldn't have treated him so well. Neijin heritage placed the utmost importance on blood ties; even those distantly related were treated with suspicion, let alone those with no connection at all.

"Yuna, actually, I think what Yangyang suggested might not be a bad idea!"

Before Zhang Yang could speak, Zhang Daofeng interjected. He kept his head lowered, seemingly deep in thought and contemplation.

"Father?"

Zhang Yuna turned back, staring blankly at his father. He never expected his most conservative father not to object immediately. This wasn't just about teaching cultivation to outsiders; it also required consuming two precious Marrow Cleansing Pills. No family or sect ever had too many of these pills; their own descendants would need them. Especially for a family like the Zhangs, with few heirs, the Marrow Cleansing Pill was critically important if a child suffered from poor constitution.

"Yuna, listen to me. The Old Master once expressed an idea: cultivate a group of outsiders loyal only to the Zhang family. Our family is powerful now, but our numbers are too few. Having to personally manage every single affair is inefficient," Zhang Daofeng continued. Hearing that even the Old Master had held this view, Zhang Yuna nodded, his opposition softening considerably.

However, he quickly remembered the difficulty of cultivating loyal outsiders. Nurturing a Neijin practitioner wasn't simple; which sect or family hadn't required at least a century of accumulated foundation? Renowned powers like the Long family or Shaolin Temple had taken over a thousand years to solidify their roots.

Rest a while, there is more below!