Gou can devour and become a saint in the cultivation world.

Chapter 453 Ten Years Later, the Bitter Summoning

"alright."

Chen Yi's expression turned serious as he raised his hand to quell the undercurrents between the women.

The atmosphere, which had been somewhat harmonious just moments before, immediately became somewhat awkward as he formally introduced everyone.

Ning Bu'er tightened her grip on his arm, her eyes sweeping over Qin Chengcheng with a hint of asserting dominance.

Chen Yi ignored these little actions and turned to Qin Chengcheng first, his voice softening and conveying a solemn explanation.

"Chengcheng, you know Fuji too. But so many years have passed, and some things have happened. She has become one of my Daoist partners, just like you."

He paused for a moment to let Qin Chengcheng process the information before continuing to recount his harrowing experience of surviving a near-death experience.

"When I was forming my nascent soul, I faced an unprecedented life-or-death crisis. If it weren't for Bu Er stepping forward and sacrificing her life and cultivation to protect me, I would have perished long ago, and I wouldn't be where I am today."

Chen Yi's narration was concise, but the heaviness and lingering fear in his words made everyone present feel the thrill.

"After that incident, Fuji was also seriously injured, and his path was almost cut off."

As Qin Chengcheng listened, the emotions in her eyes gradually shifted from initial complexity to shock, and finally to pure emotion and respect.

She was not an unreasonable woman; on the contrary, she understood better than anyone what kind of affection it took to be willing to give one's life for a man on the path of cultivation.

She took the initiative to let go of Chen Yi, walked up to Ning Bu'er, and naturally took Ning Bu'er's hand.

"Fairy Ning, thank you so much." Qin Chengcheng's voice trembled slightly, but it was utterly sincere. "Without you, Chen Lang might not be where he is today. I, Qin Chengcheng, will remember this kindness."

Ning Bu'er was caught off guard by her sudden and solemn thanks. Her little jealousy vanished instantly, and a blush of embarrassment rose on her face.

Qin Chengcheng held her hand tightly and continued, "All these years, with you by Chen Lang's side taking care of him, I've been at ease. You're a mid-stage Nascent Soul senior, while I—I'm just a weak woman who hasn't even reached the Nascent Soul stage."

As she said this, a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of relief.

"The road ahead is long, and Chen Lang's path is limitless. In the future, there will likely be a lot of time that you will need to accompany Chen Lang on this journey. How far I can accompany him is still an unknown."

These words were both heartfelt and a gesture. She humbled herself, which in turn won Ning Bu'er's favor and respect.

Ning Bu'er said somewhat awkwardly, "Sister Qin, please don't say that. I did this willingly."

Seeing the atmosphere between the two ease, Chen Yi felt a slight sense of relief. He knew that only with peace and tranquility in the inner quarters could he face the storms of the outside world without any worries.

So he continued speaking, this time addressing Ning Bu'er, and also speaking to everyone present.

"Fuji, you must also remember this. Chengcheng is the one who guided me on my path of cultivation in this life, and also my most important and irreplaceable protector in the early stages."

His gaze turned to Qin Chengcheng, his eyes filled with tenderness and longing.

"She was also the first woman to connect with me in spirit. Long ago, she had already given me her spirit without reservation. From that moment on, she was my first Daoist companion."

"Therefore, in my heart, you two are equal. There is no order of precedence, no hierarchy."

Chen Yi made the final decision, setting the tone for their relationship.

These words were both a reassurance to Ning Bu'er and a promise to Qin Chengcheng.

This time, Ning Bu'er completely lost her desire to cause trouble. She understood the meaning behind Chen Yi's words: Qin Chengcheng was Chen Yi's beginning, his foundation, and his irreplaceable past. And she was his present and future, someone he would share life and death with.

She solemnly released Chen Yi's arm, turned to Qin Chengcheng, suppressed all her spoiled manners, and slightly squatted down to give a bow.

"Sister Qin."

That "sister" was spoken from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Chengcheng quickly reached out to help her, waving his hands repeatedly and saying, "Fairy Ning, please don't do this, you mustn't."

Chen Yi watched them discuss their relationship in private, figuring out who was the first wife and who was the second wife, but he didn't pry further. He trusted Qin Chengcheng's intelligence and Ning Bu'er's sincerity; he believed they would find the most suitable way to get along.

Afterwards, Chen Yi briefly introduced Yue Qingqiu to Qin Chengcheng.

He mentioned Yue Qingqiu's kindness in taking him in when he was in the Core Formation stage, and the help she provided him through dual cultivation.

After listening, Qin Chengcheng nodded his thanks to Yue Qingqiu, but his gratitude was polite and distant.

They did not show the same closeness or equal treatment to Ning Bu'er.

Yue Qingqiu knew perfectly well what was going on in her mind. She stood quietly to the side, her expression slightly forlorn.

She knew very well that her position in Chen Yi's heart was far inferior to that of Qin Chengcheng and Ning Bu'er.

One was her childhood sweetheart and mentor, the other was her life-and-death partner who risked her life to save her. When Chen Yi was facing a life-and-death crisis during his Nascent Soul Tribulation, it was Ning Bu'er who stood in front of him without hesitation. She, however, did not have that selfless courage, which is why she is now unable to become Chen Yi's official wife.

According to the standards of the mundane world, she could at most be considered a concubine.

Finally, there were Hu Mingyue and Fairy Xuanyin.

Chen Yi's introduction of the two women was even more vague, only saying that they were his important fellow Daoists and cultivation partners.

Qin Chengcheng was incredibly intelligent; she simply rolled her eyes playfully, and she already had a guess in her mind.

These two women, one with an unfathomable aura and the other with a clever and cunning look in her eyes, are definitely not simple characters.

Judging from the distance between them and Chen Lang, their relationship is probably still in its infancy, and they haven't even reached the point of dual cultivation and losing their virginity yet.

At this point, a thought suddenly popped into Qin Chengcheng's mind.

My cultivation level is low, and it is unknown whether I can break through to the Nascent Soul stage in this lifetime. How far I can accompany Chen Lang in the future depends entirely on fate.

Since Chen Lang is no longer the boy who only had her in his heart, and is willing to accept multiple Daoist partners, then why not have more of them?

Moreover, if he were to seek someone, he would choose someone with an extraordinary background or exceptional abilities. The assistance they could provide to Chen Lang would far outweigh that of himself.

Perhaps—I could secretly give it a push?

The thought flashed through Qin Chengcheng's mind, but he remained expressionless and simply greeted everyone.

The small "family dinner" thus came to an end.

Chen Yi then gave Qin Chengcheng the best cave dwelling that he had carved out next to the main spiritual vein with the most abundant spiritual energy within the cave.

This cave dwelling was located to the right of his main cave dwelling.

To the left of his main cave dwelling was Ning Bu'er's cave dwelling.

One on the left and one on the right, like arms, their closeness or distance is self-evident.

Xuan Yin Fairy, as the only apparent master of Qingyun Cave Heaven and a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, did not express any opinion on this series of arrangements from beginning to end.

She just watched quietly, as if she were an outsider.

She understood that she was only the nominal owner. The true owner of this grotto-heaven had long since become Chen Yi.

Because even her own future path depends on Chen Yi.

The brief adjustment period passed quickly. After a month or two of getting to know each other and exchanging ideas, everyone in the cave entered a long period of seclusion.

The gains from the Black Mountain Secret Realm were so abundant that everyone needs time to digest and absorb them.

Chen Yi poured even more effort into Qin Chengcheng's side.

Whether it was cultivating the Soul Thunder Qin Sound or improving the Soul Thunder Technique, Chen Yi was like the most patient teacher, breaking it down and guiding her step by step.

Of course, in order to strengthen her soul, it is also an essential step to conduct dual cultivation of soul and spirit every once in a while.

As for physical dual cultivation, Chen Yi would occasionally allow Qin Chengcheng to do so, but since Qin Chengcheng had not cultivated with him and dared not break through to the peak of the Golden Core stage, Chen Yi was quite restrained in this regard. He simply helped Qin Chengcheng perform the rites of marriage to put her at ease, without giving or taking anything more.

As for Ning Bu'er, Chen Yi naturally wouldn't show favoritism.

He basically maintained a balance, staying with Qin Chengcheng for a month or two, and after guiding his cultivation for a while, he would go to Ning Bu'er's place for about the same amount of time.

Similarly, he would also allocate a portion of his precious late-stage fourth-order Thunder Essence Liquid to assist Ning Bu'er's cultivation, and use the dual cultivation method to help her consolidate her realm and enhance her understanding of the Great Dao of the fusion of Nine Yin Demon Flame and Thunder Spirit.

Chen Yi visited Yue Qingqiu and Fairy Xuanyin much less frequently.

Yue Qingqiu's cultivation level and physique are not enough to withstand Chen Yi's current masculine and domineering lightning power. She needs to accumulate nearly a year's worth of Moon Source Spirit Liquid before she can barely engage in dual cultivation with Chen Yi, and the benefits will be far less than the previous two.

As for Fairy Xuanyin, the relationship between the two was purely one of discussion and assistance in cultivation, with no intimate behavior between them.

Time slipped away quietly in this regular period of seclusion and practice.

In this way, nearly ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Ten years later.

Within Qin Chengcheng's cave, a powerful surge of soul energy erupted into the sky, accompanied by thunderous sounds.

With Chen Yi's generous investment of resources and meticulous guidance, her Soul Lightning cultivation finally broke through to the peak of the early stage of the fourth rank.

At this moment, she sat cross-legged, and a flash of purple lightning appeared between the opening and closing of her eyes. That was the sign of her achieving minor success in the Soul Thunder Divine Power.

Now, even without Chen Yi's intervention, she alone is capable of completely suppressing and even slowly eroding the stubborn demonic thought within her body through the power of the Soul Thunder Divine Eye.

Seeing this, Chen Yi, who had been standing by the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The biggest weight on his heart finally lifted.

He should now start planning his future path.

He pushed his magical power cultivation to the late Nascent Soul stage and also pondered breaking through several other supernatural abilities to the fifth rank, in order to find the direction leading to the Divine Transformation path.

The one who shared a similar sense of urgency with him was Fairy Xuanyin.

Over the past decade, she has not remained in seclusion. Instead, she has traveled extensively to explore various secrets and ancient relics in the Great Qing cultivation world, attempting to find a glimmer of opportunity to break through to the Nascent Soul stage within the Great Qing realm.

Ten years later, on this day.

After a long absence, Fairy Xuanyin returned to her grotto.

As soon as she appeared, a heavy atmosphere enveloped the entire cave area.

"Xiao Chen, Bu Er, come see me immediately!"

Her voice transmission rang directly in Chen Yi and Ning Bu'er's minds, carrying an undeniable urgency.

Chen Yi and Ning Bu'er exchanged a glance and immediately rushed over.

Inside the cave of the Mysterious Yin Fairy, she looked at the two who had arrived with a serious expression and got straight to the point.

"Xiao Chen, Bu Er, I observed that Ku Du, the fifth-level body-refining monk from the Vajra Temple, seems to have entered the Black Mountain Secret Realm again, and it seems that he obtained a lot of inside information from the ancient battlefield."

"This time, he began to summon some of the top powerful cultivators in Zhongzhou in the name of the Vajra Temple, mainly to discuss how to deal with the upcoming calamity in our Great Green Realm."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow: "Are we in this group too?"

"Yes." Fairy Xuanyin nodded, her expression growing even more solemn. "He specifically summoned our Qingyun Cave Heaven. And—he specifically mentioned you!"

She paused, looked at Chen Yi, and her eyes revealed a deep worry.

"I have a feeling, Xiao Chen, that ascetic monk at this gathering might be a threat to you."