Cultivation
Years passed.
Han Chen, never stopped cultivating. Golden Core was no small plateau—it had four layered realms, each more difficult than the entirety of the Foundation Stage. Yet in these years of half-spiritual, half-corporate war, he climbed to Early Golden Core.
His spirit sense expanded few dozen more miles, he is now at least five times stronger than when he just crossed the realm. Core is more stable. unless someone of same realm attacked when defenseless, core wouldn't even weaken or destabilize.
His mountain estate, once wild, had changed. The soil grew thick with essence.The trees had luminous veins.Animals quietly mutated—graceful, clever, reverent to the entity in the villa.
Some wandering cultivators felt the shift and wandered close. Han Chen being low profile, deployed a spiritual containment array, absorbing leaked qi harmlessly.
The Business Side
On the business side of things, after Han Chen left, Yue Lan stepped into the public spotlight more often. Taking interviews, attending international panels, the whole deal. But those close to her could feel it—the work didn't feel so enthusiastic to her anymore. Like her heart wasn't really in it.
Hye Won took on more roles until she also left after four more years, under Yue Lan's conflicted gaze. Every year, Yue Lan shed more authority, redirecting decisions to AI systems and administrators, trusted successors, regulated branches under SBA control. What she couldn't directly manage, she quietly untangled herself from. A few more years down the line, and the architect of this biotech empire was planning to step down entirely.
The Silent Guardian
Now, as the seasons turned slower; Hye Won, once buried in urban bureaucracy, had left her job willingly and moved in—her spirit lighter, her sword sharper. Her cultivation advanced quietly too, reaching Foundation Building third level through, um, steady practice. Though Han Chen had stopped sharing spiritual essence since he primarily trained under by whatever heavenly aura was floating around, within the array.
Yue Lan, she was still juggling all those responsibilities, but came by on weekends trailing the scent of airports and those leather-bound contracts she was always carrying. She advanced too—reached Foundation Building realm just like Hye Won. Had her own conviction when her soul, well, when it sought that power. Her heart was firm, not just with ambition for gaining strength, but with this deep conviction to protect people. But that is not going well for her.
With her newfound spirit sense, she gained easier control of Han Chen's spirit will—the one shared across their soul corridor—and could see across hundreds of miles. And what she saw... she couldn't ignore it. Street violence, gang brutality, police brutality, murder, assassination orders, random outbursts. Extortion, discrimination, helpless suffering everywhere, no matter humans, enhanced ones or martial artists.
Unlike Han Chen, who'd learned the harsh necessity of self-preservation and sticking to one's own matters, Yue Lan's conscience just... it compelled her to act.
Just like that first night when she'd attempted to silently help others ~ the night she initially soul bonded with her now-husband; She resumed her silent heroism. Projecting her spirit will to help victims discreetly between those boring company meetings and schedules. Her control was subtle, but Han Chen subconsciously lent his strength and precision, amplifying her impact without even realizing it sometimes. It went on to two full months until coincidences doesn't just adds up and people noticing something else at play.
Miracles began to surface. Unseen rescues, thwarted crimes, sudden interventions that made no logical sense. Authorities couldn't pinpoint the source—they only knew that some unknown force was operating over this vast range, sometimes appearing to act in multiple locations simultaneously. Which, you know, should've been impossible unless something related city wide phenomena which happened few years back. When government agents staged incidents to bait her, she was never traced—as if the force had deliberately vanished, knowing their intent.
...
With her strength alone, controlling a sword she could have enforced justice herself. But she was never the type to use violence to solve problem moreover she is lacking in training and couldn't cast an invisible spell to herself with her skill. Her vigilantism is ensuring both parties in an attack are unharmed. Mentally taxing? Yes.
The bond hummed with her turmoil. A year back, after realizing her strength far surpassed the average person on planet dimmed her initial enthusiasm for keep on going. Though part of her cultivates to keep pace with Han Chen and Yue Lan, she burdens herself with constant awareness of city and guilt over missed signs, the urgency didn't sit still with her. What began as chance interventions turned into active involvement, even medical aid. Han Chen knew he had to stop her before it became a hero complex.
Han Chen noticed the turmoil. He didn't want to escalate things. He ceased her control. Silent denial. One night as she was about to transfer a person who was bleeding heavily under a gunshot, under the darkness of night the moment she tap into his reserve she felt profound stillness along with loss of that vision returning her to reality.< Han Chen let me .. do it>
***
There wasn't any reply.
Han Chen. He felt it all: the gnawing mental exhaustion coming from her side, the corrosive guilt when a cry wasn't heard, and the restless stagnation in her cultivation. Her Foundation Building realm, once a triumph, now felt like a cage. Her gradual progression crawled. She craved the validation of salvation, an addiction fed by his unwilling strength and her immaturity.
Han Chen exhaled slowly, sensing Yue Lan's spiritual presence brush against his consciousness—tentative, restless, calling for attention. She was upset, clearly. He sighed, I can't punish her like before. She is my wife. But discipline was necessary.
Well luckily one person who is perfect for the job is with him now. Together they appeared in his soul-space again. Unlike before, the place is now vast and luminous, a reflection of his growing power. The three manifested around an ornate table, seated as if mid-conversation.
Yue Lan slammed her palm down, the sound echoing unnaturally in the psychic realm. "Why?" Her voice trembled with frustration.
Han Chen met her gaze, unflinching. "You know why."
She did. The memory he had transferred—basic cultivation principles and common sense—flashed in her mind. Effective cultivation requires detachment from mortal affairs. And yet, she had entangled herself so deeply in the mundane world that her progress had stagnated for over a year.
Before she could protest further, Hye Won cut in, her voice sharp as a blade. "Enough."
"You're stalling." Hye Won interrupted, her tone flat. "You've been off track for over a year, Yue Lan. You keep saying you'll refocus, but it's always later. Meanwhile, you feed of my cultivation as you resonate with it..."
Yue Lan stiffened. "I've been doing everything I can. The outside world—"
"Is always noisy," Hye Won cut in. "There will always be distractions. And you didn't do everything you can. You've forgotten why we cultivate. There is a natural order for the living. Once detached its not good to interfere with that again in such effort, not until or unless it deeply hurt your conscious.
At-least, if you were capable by yourself I can't complain, but using borrowed power to gain heroic validation. Humph...And you—" she turned briefly to Han Chen "—you've been enabling her. Look at her. She's restless. " As if finding another concerning topic, she turned back to Yue, " I told you to to retire yourself with me and you keep on saying...." She continued.
Yue Lan didn't respond. Her gaze dropped slightly. Han Chen also felt a little guilty, hearing her sharp rebuke silencing Yue Lan instantly. Even though if he explained, it would need a considerable effort to get her to listen from her current state and he is also partly responsible.
"This isn't about punishment," Han Chen said, more gently now. "But you can't keep stretching yourself for others. I can't protect you if your mind is scattered in further stages. This complex of taking on excessive responsibility will cloud your judgement. With all my power I could have done a better job at this, but I remained within a circle, why? because my memories taught me ... being a shepherd without knowing what it takes is not wise. You clearly are not taking yourself seriously."
A long pause.
Then, softly, Yue Lan said, "I know." Her voice was quieter now. "I've been full of hatred for injustice learning my past from you..It ended with Yue Ming's death. But I took it as a sense of responsibility to help others too...I will not be doing that..again".
The words weren't grand, but they were honest.
Silence settled again—but it wasn't heavy this time. Gradually light conversation went on, and since they came together obviously it ended in an intimate union of souls in the soul-space.