Under normal circumstances, dual cultivation alone could not induce a breakthrough. At best, it offered mutual reflection and inspiration through the cyclical exchange of energy between partners. In other words, it could aid future breakthroughs, but it was not meant to be something that led to an immediate breakthrough. No matter how vast the accumulation of energy, energy alone was no longer sufficient to breach through the thresholds of the layers of the Profound Control Realm. Attaining Profound Control was not something one could fake. If one did not comprehend their own domain to the required extent, then they would simply be unable to break through to a higher realm of cultivation. However, what Ye Jiuyou had provided Zhao Changhe through this session of dual cultivation was simply far too much. The dual cultivation between them did not just provide him with energy sufficient to support a breakthrough, but also provided him with a share of her insight into the natural order, the laws that governed the world. Zhao Changhe’s advancement to the first layer had relied on the concept of allowing for the wandering of a soul fragment and omnipresence. With his breakthrough to the second layer, he gained the ability to turn any object, be it a blade of grass or a stone slab, into an extension of the self. After achieving that state, he could traverse between realms by latching onto traces of his own essence; this was what allowed him to shift freely between Chang’an and the Abyss of Jiuyou. Superficially, it appeared that Zhao Changhe had reached the same realm as Ye Jiuyou, Ye Wuming, or even Piaomiao. However, he knew the truth: He was still far from the omnipresence he sought. When standing in Kunlun, he could not even glimpse the distant seas. This showcased that there was a clear gap between him and someone like the blind woman, who could overlook the world with a single glance. The blind woman’s ability to traverse dimensions, even bringing others across with her, was a qualitative leap in power. It signified that she was no longer merely in the Profound Control Realm, but rather at the threshold of a level that would put her on par with the Heavenly Dao. The clearest distinction had already emerged when Zhao Changhe broke into the second layer. With him unable to process multiple streams of information at once, how could he truly be considered omnipresent? The sheer flood of sights and sounds across tens of thousands of li overwhelmed him. Even processing the visuals alone was daunting, so what more the sounds layered atop it? Meanwhile, the blind woman could. Wherever something happened beneath the sky, she would know, while he could not do the same. Even now, he could only receive what he focused on; anything else passed him by, unnoticed. And it was not just the blind woman; even Piaomiao was far beyond him. Even when Piaomiao was observing what was going on over at his side, she remained fully aware of Xia Chichi’s prayers in the capital. When Tang Wanzhuang quietly held her own ritual, Piaomiao knew at once. It was not some deliberate act of spying; it was simply that the qi veins of the mountains and rivers were one with her. Such was the hallmark of the third layer of Profound Control. Only after crossing that threshold could one truly attain omnipresence, like the night sky stretching across the heavens. The blind woman never needed to follow his every move. No matter where he was or what he was doing, she naturally just came to know it. In the midst of his union with Ye Jiuyou, Zhao Changhe was pulled fully into her spiritual sea—an endlessly dark sea, stretching into eternity. As her awareness extended outward, it swept through all of existence. To the far east, Skyrim Island’s flowering trees were as clear as if seen up close; even the rustle of tiny insects crawling across petals whispered directly into his ear. To the far north, a frozen ocean spread for ten thousand li, waves howling as icy beasts tore each other apart in the deep. To the far south, the Southern Li Fire blazed and crackled within a fiery abyss. Ye Jiuyou had already sent the Vermillion Bird’s shadow back into the abyss, turning it into a sea of flames. In the imperial capital, Tang Wanzhuang presided over court, discussing state affairs. Jiuyou had once praised her, not because of empty reputation, but because she had always watched her closely. She watched everyone, at least whenever she chose to. The clamor of markets rang sharp and bright; every stall and shop echoed distinctly. He heard chants from the Four Idols Cult’s altar, where devotees prayed to the Night Emperor, the faith and qi veins birthed from their prayers being sent toward him. Zhao Changhe sensed an increase in demons throughout the realm... as well as unfamiliar beasts. They had likely escaped during the collapse of the Heavenly Demon Illusion Realm, neglected at the time. Now, one of the court’s top priorities was addressing this surge. The Demon Suppression Bureau had resumed high-intensity operations, living up to its literal name at last. A newly recruited middle-ranked officer—a round-faced girl, formerly tasked with sweeping the stone slabs in front of the main gate—was now leading demon-hunting missions, moving with unexpected grace and vigor. This was the same rascal who always pretended to be helpless when her Big Brother Zhao was around. Over at Miaojiang to the southwest, Sisi sat atop her throne, overseeing the final migration of the Spirit Tribe. The secret realm of the Spirit Tribe was now empty. Vicious qi and sword intent loomed deep within Shiwan Mountain. Are these the Sword Emperor and Lie? This was what it meant to be a god. It was when one became able to receive and process all the world’s information at once that one could truly be regarded as a god. Then, Zhao Changhe recoiled. No, what in the world am I doing right now? I’m enjoying the nuptial pleasires, so why the hell am I seeing all this? His consciousness snapped back. Beneath him, a woman’s face came into focus. Ye Jiuyou’s gaze was clouded, her cheeks flushed, and her unconscious moans more melodious than the song of any bird under the heavens. Qi of darkness and oblivion flowed from her into him, crashing against the barrier of his cultivation, then cycling back as per the dual cultivation technique they were using. The tidal force surged again and again, overwhelming their senses, body and spirit entwined in a communion of mutual understanding. Zhao Changhe bent down to kiss her parted lips. With that kiss, the world detonated and stars exploded behind his eyes. Zhao Changhe felt his strength grow exponentially—clear evidence of a breakthrough. At last, the third layer of the Profound Control Realm. It had actually only been about two months since Zhao Changhe broke into the second layer. His advancement through the Profound Control Realm had been faster than most others’ advancement through the Profound Gate Realm. Yet no one could have imagined that in such a short span of time, he would consecutively obtain the crimson elixirs of not one but two top-tier third-layer Profound Control Realm demon gods. This fortune was nothing short of unprecedented, an awe-inspiring anomaly throughout the ages. Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyou very nearly rolled her eyes. Zhao Changhe rested atop her for a brief moment, then kissed her gently on the forehead. “Were you... comprehending the universe just now?” It was the lingering echoes of the final shared vision. He had clearly felt the sensation of the Milky Way erupting like a starburst. Ye Jiuyou, still panting, let out a weak groan. “Can you not kill the mood...” Of all things that could be said post-dual cultivation, philosophical musings were the equivalent of boiling a crane for soup. A woman like Ye Jiuyou would never, at such a moment, casually ask something like “So... you reached the third layer?” Still, she thoroughly enjoyed Zhao Changhe’s gentle kisses afterward, and soon murmured softly, “I didn’t expect it to feel this good. Isn’t cultivation supposed to be far beyond mere physical pleasure? Why does this feel even more intense...” Zhao Changhe chuckled, “Have you ever experienced a breakthrough before?” Ye Jiuyou blinked, then laughed at herself, “Nope.” So much for being a primordial demon god, she’s utterly unqualified. Zhao Changhe added, “Besides, we’ve got the Pure Bliss Art aiding us. You know what pure bliss means, don’t you? It was specifically made for this.” Ye Jiuyou bit her lip, then suddenly rolled over and straddled him, voice husky with allure. “So this is the joy of the mortal realm... I want more.” I’m screwed. She’s tasted the forbidden fruit, and now the floodgates have burst open. “This time, no dual cultivation. I just want bliss... I want to purely indulge in bliss...” “What’s wrong? You can’t keep up? You’ve got so many women. How do you satisfy them all, hmm? Don’t tell me you’re some kind of eunuch! Wait, ah—” The palace maids and eunuchs standing guard outside had just sighed in relief after an hour of enduring the sounds from within the bedchamber when the grunts and moans resumed. This time, they were accompanied by a man’s low growl. “Still think I can’t keep up?” And then came the woman’s soft pleas, laced with charm and breathy helplessness, “It’s not fair... I’m so much stronger than you, so why am I so limp and sore...” “No strength, huh? Then just stay down.” “...What if Ye Wuming attacks us right now...” “If she dares show up at this moment, I’ll finish right on her face. Let her try me.” Somewhere far away, Ye Wuming bit down hard enough to nearly crack a tooth. Do you... think you’re fucking me? Ugh, forget it. I’m shutting you out. She could not bear to watch any longer. Whether Zhao Changhe thought about her or not was unclear, but from her end, it damn well felt like she was the one being defiled. Li Boping was fuming. The ancestor had openly brought a man into her bedchamber, and the implication could not have been clearer. That alone would have been enough to give him a headache, but what truly twisted the knife into his heart was the utter lack of decorum. According to the palace maids and eunuchs, intimate sounds had drifted from within, and the young lady’s cries were positively sultry. Worse still, it had been hours. They went in early in the morning, and now it was well past lunch. Yet still, there was no sign of them stopping anytime soon. There was probably no need to even wait for the act to finish—word of such things always traveled fast. By now, the news had likely already spread through all of Chang’an. They were not even formally married yet. If they had been cohabiting discreetly in the shadows, perhaps it could be brushed off; even strolling hand-in-hand through the streets was within the realm of acceptability. But for the bride-to-be to be carried openly into the bedchamber in broad daylight before the eyes of the entire city? That was no mere affair. It reeked of conquest and humiliation. There had not been a massive invading army that no nation could have hoped to defend against; Zhao Changhe had entered alone. It was a bare-faced insult, one that treated Guanlong as if it were already his. Li Boping very much wanted to pull a Zhang Xiu move[1] and launch a sneak attack, but alas, he did not dare. The reputation of the top expert on the Ranking of Heaven was not built on empty air. In fact, Li Boping half-suspected that the ancestor herself had been subdued by Zhao Changhe in battle. He had grown to a point where, even alone, he might be able to contend with the entire world. So what other choice was there for him besides accepting the humiliation? Zhao Changhe, for his part, felt that he had indeed brought a sizeable army—one that was billions strong, with reinforcements likely even being on the way. At this moment, he was enjoying the famous post-coital haze, idly cleaning his wizard staff with a page of the Heavenly Tome. Even Ye Jiuyou was stunned by this display. She had never imagined anyone would dare use the Heavenly Tome like that, let alone do it so casually... As he wiped his power pole, Zhao Changhe calmly sifted through incoming information from the outside world. Initially intrigued, he soon found most of it to be worthless noise and filtered it out. There were only a few worthwhile snippets. Honestly, he felt that watching his wives bathe in the Heavenly River was a much better use of his time. Now this is a sight worth savoring. As for humiliating Li Boping, neither Ye Jiuyou nor Zhao Changhe even bothered considering it. It was far below their dignity. The Li Clan had already been in league with the northern barbarians before aligning with Ye Jiuyou. Once the dust settled, a reckoning would come. If anything, they were lucky: Due to Ye Jiuyou having decided not to abandon her outward identity as the young lady of the Li Clan, the reckoning that the Li Clan would be subject to would not be too overt. At least, their reputation might survive. Truth be told, when it came to the northern barbarians, Ye Jiuyou had not truly been an enemy. She had merely acted according to her own chaotic principles. In retrospect, she had even ambushed Tngri, which helped narrow the rift between her and the women of the Great Han. So long as Guanlong was in the right place, her slate could be wiped clean. Unfortunately, her actions toward the Spirit Tribe were not so easily forgiven. When she saw Sisi again, things would be complicated. “What are you thinking about?” Ye Jiuyou, basking in the afterglow, draped herself lazily across his shoulder, her skin still flushed with warmth. “Don’t tell me you’re already tired of doting on me just because you’ve gotten what you wanted.” Of all his women, she was somehow the least confident in this regard. Zhao Changhe’s heart ached a little. He tightened his embrace and said softly, “What nonsense... I was just thinking about how you’d get along with the others.” Ye Jiuyou’s expression softened slightly, but she responded, “I don’t need to get along with them. Don’t waste time worrying about that.” “At the very least, no open hostility, hmm?” “Hmph... I said it before—if your household is chaotic, then it’s chaotic. You should’ve considered the consequences before setting your sights on me.” Zhao Changhe could only shake his head with a smile. Ye Jiuyou thought for a moment and added, “If you’re talking about shared interests, Piaomiao and I probably have the most in common. Back in the previous era, she was an enemy, but in this life, there’s been no conflict between us. As for the Four Idols Cult, I’ve got nothing to say to any of them.” The fact that she was willing to say this already reflected a favorable attitude. Zhao Changhe replied, “That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? Don’t forget, when White Tiger ambushed you, they all stepped in to help.” Ye Jiuyou still found that moment baffling. “I know. I was shocked back then, and honestly, I still haven’t figured out why.” “They believed you and I were fated to be together.” “They... What? Did they ever consider... that perhaps cause and effect ran in reverse, and it was actually their belief in such a future that caused it to come true?” “...Hm? What do you mean?” “It’s precisely because of the way they treated me that I didn’t resist your advances as much,” Ye Jiuyou said quietly. “Have you never thought about it? The biggest hurdle for a woman in returning your feelings is having to deal with your whole flock of lovers. I’d rather not have to slaughter them all.” Come to think of it... I never really thought about that. In this world, it was all too common for a powerful man to have many women. The only thing anyone usually fussed over was who got to be the principal or main wife. He himself had once struggled with this until Chichi tore that dam down with one great flood. Since then, he had not spared it a thought. I didn’t think that Ye Jiuyou would actually think about something . Perhaps it was because she had grown too used to solitude. Or perhaps, because she had always stood atop the peak of command, her decisions meant life or death, gain or loss. What she took was hers alone. It was that one moment—the intervention of the current Four Idols—that had changed her perception. It was only then that she felt these women were not hostile, and only then could his pursuit of her continue. Otherwise, it might have all been over before it even began. “Enough of that,” she said, stretching lazily. Rising to get dressed, she added, “Now that you’ve broken into the third layer, it’d be best to enter closed cultivation for a time to consolidate your cultivation. The agreement with the Sword Emperor isn’t imminent. This is the perfect moment to recuperate.” “Recuperate? You’re seriously treating what we just did like a battlefield?” “Was it not?” Ye Jiuyou turned to look back at him, eyes twinkling. “In the war between men and women... I lost.” Zhao Changhe laughed. “You’re being overly dramatic.” Ye Jiuyou shook her head. “You’ve really had a lot on your plate lately. And you were injured too... Tell me honestly, do you always end up bloodied and battered every time you win a woman’s heart?” Zhao Changhe wanted to retort, but then he thought back and realized that that was indeed the case. In this life, he had practically risked his life for every single one of his women. Perhaps that was simply his fate. If anything, Ye Jiuyou was the one who had demanded the least in terms of physical combat... although she had worn him down mentally just as much. Even so, he had somehow ended up trading blows with Ye Wuming because of her. However, he did not want to dwell on that. So instead, he asked, “So while I go cultivate, what are you planning to do?” Ye Jiuyou replied, “Take me to meet them. We need to discuss coordination for what’s to come... I still have quite a few cards up my sleeve, you know. You’re getting them for free.” Didn’t she just say she had nothing to say to them? Why’d she suddenly change her tune? Is she going there to pick a fight? “As for whether there’ll be a fight...” Ye Jiuyou paused, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Well, I’m rather curious to see how today’s Four Idols Formation compares to the ancient one.” “Can you go a little later?” “...Because they’re bathing right now.” Ye Jiuyou’s eyelid twitched. After a long pause, she finally said, “So you’ve just broken into the third layer of the Profound Control Realm, and this is what you’re using your elevated senses for?” “Well, what else should I be watching? Petty gossip? Who cares. Now this—this is art,” Zhao Changhe said, though a note of concern crept into his voice. “Hey... do you think the Sword Emperor or anyone else has this ability too?” Ye Jiuyou rubbed her forehead. “No. Everyone’s paths are different. Only Ye Wuming and I have pursued this panoramic gaze over the world. Piaomiao doesn’t quite count as she’s rooted in the mortal realm. But now, you’ve joined our ranks.” She paused, her tone growing solemn. “Now that you’ve fused with my essence, that night sky you’ve manifested is even deeper than before. You’re practically a second Ye Wuming. I don’t know what fate awaits you if you continue down this road. As the new Night Emperor, one who inherited the title rather than embodying it, can you really become what you aspire to be? Are you sure of the path ahead?” Zhao Changhe smiled. “Whether I succeed is another matter entirely... but as for my path? That, I know.” Ye Jiuyou smiled faintly. “I look forward to seeing it, especially since it’s the path of the very man who dares use Ye Wuming’s face to polish his blade.” 1. After Cao Cao took Zhang Xiu’s aunt as a concubine, Zhang Xiu plotted to kill him. The plan was leaked, but Zhang Xiu attacked anyway, which eventually resulted in Cao Cao’s eldest son and personal guard dying. ☜