He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Zhang Bufan chatted with his parents in the courtyard for nearly an hour, from the bustling streets of Anhe City to the peaceful days in the Huashan Secret Realm. Looking at his parents' temples, now streaked with gray, and their increasingly serene expressions, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. The path of cultivation was long and arduous, constantly fraught with danger and conflict; only the well-being of his family allowed him to forge ahead without hesitation. Before leaving, he took out a live silver fish weighing over eighty pounds from the Xuanqing Secret Realm in his storage ring. Its scales gleamed with a cold, silvery light, and it was still gently swaying its tail. He also took out four plump, large immortal peaches, their skins tinged with red, and imbued with spiritual energy. He handed the items to his mother, carefully instructing her, "Mother, you should share these silver fish and immortal peaches every day. Steamed silver fish is the best way to nourish the body, and immortal peaches can replenish qi and blood and strengthen the body. Remember not to tell anyone, lest it attract covetousness and cause unnecessary trouble."

Mother Zhang carefully accepted the spiritual item, nodding repeatedly, "I know what's important and won't say anything carelessly. You should cultivate diligently in the sect and take good care of yourself. Don't worry about us all the time." Father Zhang patted his shoulder, his eyes full of expectation and concern. Zhang Bufan smiled and agreed, giving his parents a deep look. With a thought, a faint golden light emanated from his body, and his figure instantly transformed into a blur, soaring into the sky. The distance of over three hundred kilometers was covered in just over ten seconds at his speed of fifty times the speed of sound, landing steadily in front of Liu Yan'er's cave on Yanbo Peak.

Inside the cave, Liu Yan'er sat cross-legged on a jade cushion, cultivating. A faint pink spiritual energy surrounded her, and the golden core within her dantian slowly rotated, stabilizing her early-stage Core Formation realm. When Zhang Bufan's powerful and refined Core Formation aura approached, her spiritual energy momentarily faltered, and a charming yet excited smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. Half a year ago, shortly after advancing to Core Formation, she impulsively suppressed Zhang Bufan. Since then, the boy had become like a frightened rabbit, constantly avoiding her. At the banquet on Qinglan Peak, he would make excuses to slip away whenever he saw her; even when they occasionally met, he would never dare to be alone with her. Liu Yan'er, having tasted the sweetness of their encounter, felt a void in her heart after six months without that intense, passionate entanglement. She longed day and night for Zhang Bufan to break through to Core Formation and come to challenge her.

She slowly finished her cultivation, and with a flick of her fingertips, the stone door of the cave slowly opened. A cool mountain breeze, carrying the scent of grass and trees, rushed in, bringing Zhang Bufan's tall figure into view. In the instant their eyes met, no words were needed; the emotions and intentions in their eyes were clear—Liu Yan'er's eyes held provocation and expectation, while Zhang Bufan's eyes burned with a determined edge. At this moment, any formalities were superfluous. Zhang Bufan flashed forward, his arms firmly encircling Liu Yan'er's slender waist. His fingertips touched her warm, jade-like skin, and the power of his golden core burst forth, carrying her instantly deeper into the cave. The stone door slammed shut behind them, isolating them from all outside sounds, leaving only the increasingly intense heat within the cave, quietly spreading in the air.

Although Zhang Bufan had only just entered the Core Formation stage, his foundation was far more profound than that of ordinary cultivators of the same level. For many years, the silver fish, immortal peaches, and spiritual spring water of the Xuanqing Secret Realm had continuously nourished him, making his physical strength comparable to that of a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator. The vast space within his dantian, spanning thirty meters, allowed for an extremely abundant reserve of golden core power. Coupled with the surge in divine soul power after Core Formation, his overall combat strength had already reached the peak of the early Core Formation stage. In contrast, although Liu Yan'er had advanced to Core Formation half a year earlier than him, her realm was slightly more stable, and her use of techniques was more skillful. However, in terms of foundational depth and purity of spiritual power, she was ultimately slightly inferior—her supply of spiritual materials was far less luxurious than Zhang Bufan's, and her physical body had never undergone the extreme transformation of the spiritual objects of the Xuanqing Secret Realm.

Both were Core Formation cultivators with extraordinary physiques, having long since transcended the shackles of the mortal realm. Now, they unleashed their innermost emotions and power without restraint. Zhang Bufan's strength was steady and domineering, while Liu Yan'er's was supple yet capable of counterattacks. Their Golden Core powers collided and intertwined around them, pink and golden spiritual halos swirling and occasionally bursting forth, causing the cave walls to tremble slightly. The stone table and chairs inside the cave were the first to be affected, shattering under the impact of the spiritual energy, turning into stone fragments scattered everywhere. The potted spiritual herbs placed in the corners were also affected; the porcelain pots shattered, and the herbs withered. Even the luminous stone lamp hanging from the cave ceiling shattered with a loud crash, scattering fine stone fragments all over the ground.

For the first five days, the two were evenly matched. Liu Yan'er, relying on her six months of cultivation experience, mastered the techniques of the Core Formation stage; Zhang Bufan, on the other hand, relied on his abundant spiritual power and powerful physique to withstand the attacks head-on. With the Xuanqing Daodao Technique in operation, his spiritual power circulated endlessly, allowing him to switch between offense and defense with ease. Every day, the sounds of clashing spiritual power and shattering objects echoed throughout the cave. The two fought from the beginning to the end of the cave, and from the ground to mid-air. Their extraordinary endurance allowed them to maintain their peak condition without rest, relying solely on the power of their Golden Cores.

However, as time went on, the gap gradually became apparent. Liu Yan'er's spiritual energy reserves were ultimately limited, and even with daily cultivation and meditation, she could hardly keep up with such high-intensity consumption; while Zhang Bufan's dantian was vast, with a continuous flow of golden core power, coupled with the efficient spiritual energy circulation of the Xuanqing Daodao Technique, resulting in far lower consumption than Liu Yan'er's. From the sixth day onwards, Liu Yan'er's offensive gradually slowed down, and her spiritual energy aura dimmed somewhat, gradually falling from a balanced position to a disadvantage, being firmly suppressed by Zhang Bufan.

This entanglement continued until the tenth day. Liu Yan'er's golden core power was almost completely exhausted, her spiritual aura dissipated, and she collapsed weakly into Zhang Bufan's arms, too weak even to lift a hand. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks flushed, her breathing slightly rapid, and her voice languidly hoarse as she softly pleaded, "I admit defeat... Junior brother, please spare your senior sister." Zhang Bufan looked down at Liu Yan'er in his arms. There was no resentment in her eyes, only a tenderness and dependence. Her usual strength and allure had faded, replaced by a delicate and moving vulnerability.

At this moment, the embarrassment and resentment that had been building up in Zhang Bufan's heart for half a year vanished, replaced by a surge of confidence and relief. He finally understood that Liu Yan'er had truly held back then. If she hadn't deliberately restrained her power, using the absolute suppression of a Core Formation cultivator against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he wouldn't have lasted even a moment. Now that he had also entered the Core Formation stage, suppressing Liu Yan'er with his profound foundation, this victory allowed him to completely regain his footing. He raised his hand and gently stroked Liu Yan'er's hair, his tone carrying a hint of smugness, yet also a touch of tenderness: "Senior Sister, if you had admitted defeat earlier, you wouldn't have had to suffer these ten days."

The cave dwelling was now completely unrecognizable. Apart from the solid mountain walls and floor, everything else had been reduced to rubble; not even a single intact piece of porcelain could be found. The air was thick with the lingering scent of colliding spiritual energy and a faint smell of dust. Zhang Bufan took out a mattress from his storage ring and gently laid it on the relatively clean floor—this mattress was one he had kept from his room when he left Pengcheng, originally as a souvenir, but unexpectedly, it would come in handy today. He lay down, holding Liu Yan'er, and circulated the Profound Clarity Dao Inquiry Technique. A wisp of pure Golden Core energy slowly flowed into her body, helping to untangle her disordered meridians and nourish her depleted spiritual energy. Liu Yan'er nestled in his arms, feeling the warmth of his palms and the gentle spiritual energy, her eyes filled with satisfaction and affection, completely conquered by this combination of strength and tenderness.

Two hours later, nourished by Zhang Bufan's spiritual energy, Liu Yan'er regained some strength. Although still tired, she was able to move normally. After tidying their clothes, Zhang Bufan helped Liu Yan'er up, and with a burst of spiritual energy beneath his feet, the two transformed into a streak of light, flying out of the cave on Yanbo Peak and heading towards Qinglan Peak. At this moment, in the courtyard of Qinglan Peak, Yue Ling'er and Ye Qingxue had been waiting for a long time. Seeing that Zhang Bufan had not returned for ten days, and sensing the spiritual energy fluctuations between him and Liu Yan'er on Yanbo Peak, they had already guessed the reason. Seeing the two return hand in hand, a sly smile flashed in Yue Ling'er's eyes, and Ye Qingxue also showed a knowing expression, both looking as if they had known.

Yue Ling'er stepped forward first, circling the two of them, her tone teasing, "My husband's been gone for ten days. Judging from your appearances, you must have successfully regained your face and suppressed Senior Sister Liu, right?" Upon hearing this, Liu Yan'er's cheeks instantly flushed red, like ripe apples. She playfully punched Zhang Bufan, quickly hiding behind him, only revealing half her face, her eyes darting away, avoiding eye contact with Yue Ling'er and Ye Qingxue. Zhang Bufan, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows smugly, his chin slightly lifted, his tone confident, "Of course! With your husband on the field, how could we not be victorious?"

Ye Qingxue stepped forward, offering two cups of spiritual tea, and smoothed things over with a smile, "Alright, stop teasing them. Have a cup of tea and rest. You must all be tired after these ten days." The four exchanged smiles, their earlier banter transforming into a warm understanding. Zhang Bufan suggested preparing a grand feast to reward them, and Yue Ling'er and Liu Yan'er readily agreed. Ye Qingxue then took the initiative to prepare the spiritual ingredients. The courtyard immediately became lively. Yue Ling'er helped prepare the silver fish, Liu Yan'er picked the spiritual vegetables grown in the courtyard, and Zhang Bufan set up a fire of spiritual wood, skillfully adjusting the heat. Before long, steamed silver fish, roasted spiritual poultry, cold spiritual vegetable salad, and immortal peach soup were served one after another. The rich aroma filled the entire Qinglan Peak, attracting the spiritual birds in the mountains to circle around and chirp joyfully.

Throughout the meal, the four of them laughed and chatted. Liu Yan'er, still blushing, spoke of her contest with Zhang Bufan, admitting she accepted her defeat wholeheartedly. After the meal, gazing at the moonlight over Qinglan Peak, Liu Yan'er softly said, "From now on, I'll move to Qinglan Peak. Yanbo Peak is too quiet; it's much more lively here." Zhang Bufan and the other two naturally agreed wholeheartedly, and Yue Ling'er even took her hand, smiling as she offered to tidy up a room for her.

From then on, Qinglan Peak became increasingly lively, and Zhang Bufan, Ye Qingxue, Yue Ling'er, and Liu Yan'er began a comfortable and peaceful cohabitation. During the day, the four of them devoted themselves to cultivation. Zhang Bufan would occasionally guide the three women through their cultivation difficulties—he used the inherited memories of Xuanqing Daoist to optimize the circulation path of Liu Yan'er's spells, helped Yue Ling'er resolve the bottleneck in her spiritual energy circulation, and also guided Ye Qingxue in refining her physical body to improve her combat power. In their spare time, the four would spar in pairs, and Zhang Bufan would occasionally refine pills. Apart from keeping some for the three women's cultivation, he would give the rest to Yue Buwei to supplement the sect's resources.

As Liu Yan'er settled on Qinglan Peak, the Immortal Sword Sect's foundation quietly accumulated. Those Foundation Establishment disciples who had received Core Formation Pills went into seclusion to attempt Core Formation, and two had already successfully broken through, becoming newly promoted Core Formation cultivators. Yue Buwei, watching the sect's flourishing progress, felt increasingly gratified. He knew that the Immortal Sword Sect's rise was unstoppable; they only needed to wait quietly for the Huashan Secret Realm to reopen in nine years, and then they could amaze the entire Pangu cultivation world with a brand new look.