The morning mist rolled gently over Liang Village, where the distant chirping of birds mingled with the soft rustle of bamboo. The courtyard of Li Chen's humble home had transformed over the year into a sanctuary of life and warmth.
Within the courtyard, two figures danced in harmonious rhythm.
Sword against sword, palm against palm.
Su Lingxue, dressed in a flowing cyan robe, moved with breathtaking speed. Her footwork was precise, each strike refined by countless hours of training.
Li Chen, slightly behind in cultivation but fast catching up, parried with smooth efficiency. His stance had matured, no longer that of a hesitant boy but a man honed by love, battle, and discipline.
Their sparring ended with a sudden flash of movement—Su Lingxue's palm extended toward his chest, but Li Chen twisted just in time, grabbing her wrist and flipping her into the air.
She landed with grace but smiled, panting. "You've gotten faster."
Li Chen chuckled, "So have you. But I still held back."
She raised a brow. "You'll pay for that… tonight."
---
After their morning spar, Li Chen often disappeared into his small alchemy room, a former storage shed now filled with herbal scents and pill furnaces.
Su Lingxue would sit nearby, observing him with fascination. She had watched him progress from a complete novice to a First-Tier Alchemy Master in less than half a year.
What astonished her the most wasn't just the speed—it was the perfection.
"Another womb-nourishing pill?" she asked, eyes wide, as Li Chen retrieved a golden pill glowing with warm energy.
He nodded. "You'll need it more now, for both you and the baby."
She took it delicately and swallowed it. A comforting warmth surged through her body—pure and nourishing, without the slightest impurity.
"How do you make these?" she asked in awe. "Even our sect's master alchemists couldn't craft this grade of pill with such purity…"
Li Chen smiled but didn't answer.
The system's assistance was invisible to her, but the refinement guidance, flame control assistance, and success rate boosts were what allowed him to create supreme-grade Qi Gathering, Detoxification, and Womb Nourishing Pills with frightening consistency.
> System Notification:
Host's Pill Grade Raised: Supreme
New Passive Unlocked: Residue Cleanse - All pills refined by host are free of harmful toxins.
Host's body constitution has subtly improved.
Current Alchemy Rank: First Tier (95% Completion)
---
Cultivation and Passion
Each night, their bond deepened—not just in love, but in dual cultivation.
Though gentle in their daily life, their nighttime intimacy was fierce, almost feral. They had long moved beyond awkwardness.
Lingxue's breathing would grow ragged as their energies entwined.
"Harder, Li Chen… don't stop now," she'd cry, clinging to his shoulders.
Li Chen's Qi surged as they reached harmony, the Yin-Yang Cycle forming a whirlpool of energy that bathed their dantians in radiant warmth.
"Ahh—don't squeeze… too fast—wait…" she'd moan, trembling in his lap, then pulling him deeper with no mercy.
Sometimes she'd whisper with sultry breath, "Tonight, you're not getting away… put it in my mouth if you have to, just don't waste a drop."
He never did.
Every session honed their combat sense, Qi control, and body synergy.
---
> System Notification:
Dual Cultivation Completed
Host's cultivation +1 Minor Stage!
Partner Lingxue's cultivation +1 Minor Stage!
Bonus Reward: Increased Sensory Perception (Combat & Affectional use)
New Passive: Battle Intuition – minor predictive reflex
---
Nearly A Year Later
Li Chen sat cross-legged in the lotus position in morning.
Lightning-like arcs of Qi danced across his skin, crackling with power.
His aura pulsed violently before settling into deep calm.
> Breakthrough Achieved!
Host has reached Spirit Sea Realm – 5th Level
Nearby, Su Lingxue's body trembled as her Qi whirled like a tornado. Her golden core shined brilliantly within, and with a sharp breath—she surged past a bottleneck.
> Su Lingxue has reached Golden Core Realm – 9th Level!
The two opened their eyes together.
They didn't speak—words weren't needed. Their souls resonated with joy and satisfaction.
----
The seasons passed like flowing water. Su Lingxue's belly swelled gently, her movements graceful yet cautious.
The village watched from afar with reverence. Rumors of the pair's strength—and Li Chen's alchemy—had begun to spread, but none dared approach them without invitation.
Li Chen prepared daily elixirs for both of them, ensuring mother and child would remain safe.
He fortified the house with simple formations, blessed the cradle with Qi-infused wood, and carved the child's name onto a jade talisman: Li Xuan—meaning mysterious one born from destiny. Before using the name for baby, system had already revealed the gender of child.
------
On a quiet night, Su Lingxue lay in bed, her head on his chest.
"Do you think…" she whispered, "our child will be like you?"
Li Chen chuckled. "You mean talented, handsome, and overpowered?"
She rolled her eyes. "what I meant… kind."
His hand gently stroked her hair. "I think he'll be better than both of us."
Her voice softened. "I never thought I'd be this happy… ever."
Neither did he.
---
To Be Continued...
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