I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Is it you?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes. "How did you find this place?"

"If it weren't for Master Zhou's generous gift of Foundation Establishment Pills and cultivation elixirs to my sister and me, how could we have achieved Foundation Establishment today?"

Yanli raised her head, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Zhou Yuan, her tone sincere:

"Today, my sister and I have successfully completed our Foundation Establishment stage, and we have come to express our deepest gratitude to the Alchemist for his great kindness!"

Yuan Yao also parted her lips slightly, her voice soft and sweet: "My sister and I will always remember Master Zhou's kindness, and we have no way to repay it."

"Hehe, it was just something I did casually that day. The fact that you two fellow Daoists were able to successfully establish your foundation through your own efforts can be considered as not having disappointed my intention of giving you the pills back then."

Zhou Yuan smiled slightly, his attitude gentle.

At this moment, Yanli's face suddenly flushed slightly, as if she were a little shy, but she mustered up her courage and said:

"Master Zhou, my sister and I... have some matters we'd like to discuss with you. Would you... allow us to enter your cave for a detailed conversation?"

After speaking, she glanced at Gong Yan beside her, her eyes showing a hint of barely perceptible wariness and rejection.

Gong Yan, who was standing nearby, had witnessed everything. Upon hearing Yanli's words, alarm bells immediately went off in her mind:

"Those two vixens! So incredibly beautiful, and they come knocking at this time, even demanding to come into my cave for a 'detailed discussion'... Clearly, they see Brother Zhou has a bright future and want to curry favor with him!"

"Hmph, Brother Zhou is an upright man with high standards; why would he let you in so easily?"

She pondered to herself, feeling a little annoyed that she hadn't taken the initiative to chat a bit more and build rapport.

However, Zhou Yuan's next words made Gong Yan's eyes widen, and she felt both shocked and regretful.

"Alright."

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yuan nodded in agreement, "Please come in, both of you."

Then, he turned to Gong Yan, who was standing there dumbfounded, and said in a calm tone, "Fellow Daoist Gong, now that the materials have been delivered, you may go back now. I won't see you off any further."

"Ah? Oh... okay, Brother Zhou, I'll take my leave now."

Gong Yan forced a smile, but her heart was filled with mixed feelings. She was surprised that Zhou Yuan had actually let the two sisters, who clearly had "ulterior motives," into the cave, and she regretted that she hadn't been proactive enough and had missed a possible opportunity.

She could only watch as Zhou Yuan led Yanli and Yuan Yao into the cave, the heavy stone door slowly closing, isolating the inside from the outside.

Upon entering Zhou Yuan's cave, a rich and pure spiritual energy rushed towards them, instantly invigorating Yanli and Yuanyao!

Jade Peak is one of the thirty-six spiritual peaks of Qingyun Mountain, and it is rich in spiritual energy.

Zhou Yuan has been equipped with the "Miniature Spiritual Eye Spring" for a long time. Under the influence of the spirit energy, the concentration of spiritual energy in his cave is far greater than that of his peers, and is almost comparable to the cave of the Heavenly Pillar Peak where the island master, Mu Long Zhenren, lives!

"Wow...such rich spiritual energy!"

Yanli couldn't help but take a deep breath, her face showing shock.

Yuan Yao's beautiful eyes also sparkled. As rogue cultivators, they had never seen such a top-notch cultivation environment before.

If one could cultivate here, their speed could probably more than double!

Her breathing quickened involuntarily, and her gaze towards Zhou Yuan's back became even more fervent and determined.

The three of them arrived at the main hall of the cave and took their seats.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Suddenly, Yanli raised her head, looked directly at Zhou Yuan, her cheeks flushed, but her tone was unusually firm: "Master Zhou, actually... actually, from the day you gave us sisters the pills, I had already made up my mind that if I could successfully establish my foundation, I would definitely... definitely come to find you and follow you!"

She paused, her ears turning bright red: "Back then, my cultivation was low, merely a Qi Refining cultivator, and I felt unworthy to speak with a master alchemist. Now, by chance, I've reached Foundation Establishment, so I immediately came here with Yao-mei… Today, I wish to convey these feelings to the master alchemist!"

These words were bold and direct, but Zhou Yuan didn't show much surprise. From the moment the two women asked to enter the cave, he had already had a vague guess in his mind. At this moment, his gaze was no longer concealed, and with scrutiny and amusement, it swept unabashedly over Yanli and Yuanyao's figures and beautiful faces.

He is no longer the Foundation Establishment cultivator who was single-mindedly devoted to cultivation and extremely cautious.

Having achieved the Golden Core and attained a long lifespan, he entered the ranks of high-level cultivators, and his mindset underwent subtle changes as a result.

The pursuit of immortality remains the core goal, but in his view, it is not impossible to enjoy some of the carefree pleasures and enjoyment that immortals should have on this long journey.

These two stunningly beautiful sisters who came to me of their own accord are truly captivating.

"Oh? Follow me?" Zhou Yuan leaned back slightly in his chair, a half-smile playing on his lips. "How do you intend to follow me? And what can you do for me?"

Yanli bit her lower lip, mustered her last bit of courage, and said in a low but clear voice, "I...I want to become your Daoist partner! From now on, we will cultivate together and serve each other!"

"To become Daoist partners?"

Zhou Yuan chuckled and shook his head. "Fellow Daoist Yanli, your cultivation level... is probably not high enough to qualify you to become my Daoist partner."

"Master Zhou, I am now a Foundation Establishment cultivator..."

Yanli hurriedly explained that she thought Zhou Yuan was still in the Foundation Establishment stage (rumored to have failed to form his Core), and it was common for female Foundation Establishment cultivators and male Foundation Establishment cultivators to become Daoist partners.

However, before she could finish speaking, a vast, profound, and overwhelming pressure, far exceeding that of the Foundation Establishment stage, rose from Zhou Yuan without warning and instantly enveloped the entire hall!

The spiritual pressure of a Core Formation stage cultivator!

Although it was only a fleeting moment, Zhou Yuan quickly concealed his aura, but the terrifying power of that instant had already made Yanli and Yuan Yao pale, their delicate bodies trembled violently, and they almost slipped off their chairs!

"This...this aura..." Yanli's face turned deathly pale, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. "You...you're a Core Formation expert?!"

Isn't it widely rumored that Master Zhou failed to break through to the Core Formation stage ten years ago and his cultivation level regressed?

Why is he emanating such a genuine Core Formation Realm aura at this moment?

Yuan Yao's mouth was slightly agape as she stared at Zhou Yuan in shock, her heart filled with turbulent emotions.

"good."

Zhou Yuan calmly admitted, looking at the two women with a composed gaze, "Now, do you still think that your Foundation Establishment cultivation is enough to qualify you to become my Daoist partners?"

The hall was completely silent.

Yanli and Yuanyao exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock, realization, and a hint of... even more resolute fervor in each other's eyes.

It turns out that Master Zhou had already successfully formed his elixir!

His status and potential are far greater than they imagined!

After a moment of silence, Zhou Yuan spoke again, his tone calm yet undeniably authoritative:

"If you two truly wish to follow me, it's not impossible. However, given your current cultivation levels and status, you can only become my concubines. You will serve me in my daily life and assist me with some miscellaneous tasks. In return, I will provide you with cultivation resources and protection. As for whether you can advance further, that will depend on your future performance and opportunities."

His words were very straightforward, clearly defining the relationship between the two parties—master and servant, dependent, rather than equal partners.

Yanli nodded almost without hesitation, "Okay! I'm willing!"

To be able to get involved with such a young and promising Core Formation alchemist, even as a concubine, would be an incredible opportunity for rogue cultivators like them!

But she immediately added, looking at Yuan Yao, "It's just... Yao-mei is simple-minded and may not have thought things through yet, so please don't take offense, senior..."

She still wanted to leave some room for her sister and wanted to test Zhou Yuan's character herself first.

However, Yuan Yao, who had been silent all along, raised her captivating peach blossom eyes and looked at Zhou Yuan, her voice soft yet firm:

"No need, sister. I trust Senior Zhou's character. Let's... the two sisters serve Senior Zhou together."

She could see that Zhou Yuan was not a wicked person, and she understood the preciousness of the opportunity before her.

Now that her sister had made her decision, she didn't want to hesitate any longer.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's gaze lingered for a moment on Yuan Yao's stunningly beautiful face and graceful figure, then he nodded.

"If that's the case, then very well."

Inside the hall, the atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous and subtle.

As Zhou Yuan gazed at the two stunningly beautiful sisters before him, each with their own unique charm, a burning desire stirred within him.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two women with a hint of teasing and inquiry: "So... tonight, who's going first?"

Yanli's pretty face flushed instantly, but her eyes remained unusually firm. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stood in front of Yuan Yao:

"I...I'll go first! Yao-mei...she still needs to prepare."

Zhou Yuan laughed heartily, stood up, and extended his hand to Yanli: "Come with me."

Yanli blushed and placed her delicate hand in Zhou Yuan's palm.

Zhou Yuan took her hand and turned to walk towards a side room inside the cave.

Yuan Yao stood there, watching her sister and Zhou Yuan disappear behind the side room door. Two beautiful blushes rose on her cheeks, and her eyes were complicated, with shyness, expectation, and a hint of hesitation and determination about her future fate.

Inside the side room, a faint scent of sandalwood filled the air.

Her skirt loosened slightly and slipped to the ground.

In the dim light, her slender figure outlined breathtaking curves...

Zhou Yuan's gaze lingered on Shuang You!

It slipped down to her waist again!

A surge of passion rose from the bottom of my heart!

——ps——

This is the first time a scene involving taking in a woman has appeared, and I'm worried that some of you might find it unfamiliar... Please forgive me if there are any shortcomings...

They've all reached the Core Formation stage.

It's normal to enjoy it occasionally!