What does my ancestor's pregnancy have to do with me, a mere servant?

Lin Yuan stood still.

His mind was racing, but his expression, and even the frequency of his blinking, remained unchanged.

There's no point in hiding it.

Trying to deceive a Nascent Soul cultivator with lies is no different from playing dead in front of a tiger. If the tiger is hungry, it will eat you whether you play dead or not.

But revealing everything would also be incredibly foolish.

Revealing all your cards is tantamount to handing your life over to the other side.

The only correct strategy is to reveal part of the truth, retain the core secrets, and at the same time demonstrate irreplaceable value.

"Reporting to Grandmaster," Lin Yuan cupped his hands, his tone as steady as an old dog, "This disciple possesses a special physique, and has also cultivated an ancient technique. Only the combination of the two has yielded this effect."

He directly revealed the external framework of the "Yin Yang Wuji Creation Great Method".

However, he explained the surface effects of the method—the balance of Yin and Yang, the purification of magical power, and the transformation of spiritual roots—clearly and logically.

The focus was on two key pieces of information.

First, he must participate personally. The effectiveness of the method is tied to his physical condition; without him, it's just a piece of waste paper.

Secondly, the effect is real. The transformation of the three female cultivators' spiritual roots into earth-level spiritual roots is irrefutable proof.

Shen Guiyan listened very attentively.

In those usually calm and still eyes, it was as if a dark fire had been ignited at the bottom of a deep pool.

She leaned forward slightly.

The movement was so subtle that she probably didn't even notice it herself. But Lin Yuan saw it.

The fish has taken the bait.

"Is this method equally effective for Nascent Soul stage cultivators?"

Lin Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

It's not because I'm afraid.

It was because of ecstasy.

Although he hadn't actually tested the arduous cultivation gains of a Nascent Soul cultivator, based on previous calculations, the initial Nascent Soul stage should yield 10,000, the middle stage 20,000, and the late stage 30,000.

If he can bring Shen Guiyan into his "partner" list, his attribute points will increase at an unprecedented rate.

Lin Yuan has excellent control over his facial muscles.

His brow furrowed slightly. The corners of his mouth pressed down. His eyes subtly revealed a hint of difficulty, hesitation, and reluctant resistance.

The entire micro-expression management system flows smoothly and naturally.

"In theory, this method has no realm restrictions," Lin Yuan said solemnly, then changed the subject, "but in practice—this disciple cannot do it."

Shen Guiyan's gaze suddenly turned cold.

The oppressive aura that had just subsided emanated from her once more. Not heavy.

"Are you toying with me?"

"This disciple dares not." Lin Yuan straightened his back and spoke in a steady voice, "The core of this method lies in the word 'bearing'."

He pointed to his chest.

"When you are training face-to-face, the higher the opponent's cultivation level, the stronger the spiritual energy that is poured into your body will be. You must rely on your cultivation foundation to withstand this impact. If you cannot withstand it, at best your meridians will be broken, and at worst your internal organs will rupture."

Lin Yuan raised his head and looked directly into Shen Guiyan's eyes.

"This disciple has only just entered the early stage of the Mortal Transformation Realm. Barely withstanding the spiritual power of a female cultivator at the early Golden Core stage is already my limit. If I were to forcibly withstand the spiritual power of a Nascent Soul level cultivator..."

He paused for a moment.

"The disciple's physical body will collapse on the spot. He may even explode and die."

Lin Yuan raised the threshold.

You have needs, and I have services. But my current hardware can't keep up.

Shen Guiyan could tell that she had indeed only recently broken through. Although her qi and blood were incredibly vigorous, her cultivation level was not yet completely stable.

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

"The early stage of the Transcendent Realm is not enough." Her tone returned to its coldness. "Then what realm must you reach before you can bear my spiritual power?"

Lin Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment this question is raised, it means the other party has already tacitly agreed to the prerequisites for cooperation. All that remains is haggling.

"At least at the mid-stage of the Transcendent Realm, this is barely possible, but each time it requires a long period of recuperation before it can be done again."

"If a disciple's cultivation level in magic cultivation needs to break through to the Golden Core stage, both the foundation of immortality cultivation and physical cultivation must be in place simultaneously to ensure that the disciple can bear the burden without any problems."

Lin Yuan's purpose in presenting these two conditions was not to buy time, but rather to—set a price.

Shen Guiyan indeed understood the implied meaning.

She leaned back slightly, her back pressed against the back of the stone bench. Her long, slender legs crossed in a different direction, and the hem of her dark purple skirt rippled slightly with the movement.

"You've reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, so theoretically you can try to condense your core at any time." Shen Guiyan's gaze was sharp as a knife. "Why haven't you made any moves yet? With your foundation and abilities, condensing your core shouldn't be too difficult."

She paused for a moment, then added another sentence.

"The Tribulation-Crossing Pill that Wen Yuci gave me, it must have been made by you too. With such alchemy skills and that kind of foundation, what difficulty would there be in condensing a Golden Core?"

Shen Guiyan grasped the core of the problem in a single sentence.

Lin Yuan sighed inwardly. Dealing with smart people is so convenient. You don't need to beat around the bush and lay the groundwork for ages; they can fill in the logical chain themselves.

Of course, dealing with intelligent people also means that every answer you give must be carefully considered.

"Grandmaster's insight is truly remarkable." Lin Yuan nodded slightly. "This disciple has indeed attempted to form a core once."

"But all efforts were in vain. My foundation was too strong. I cultivated both immortality and physical cultivation simultaneously, and had the Yin-Yang Limitless Creation Great Method paving the way. With such a foundation, the quality of the golden core I formed would surely far surpass the ordinary. Heaven was jealous and placed an invisible shackle when I was forming the core. The medicinal power was in place, the magical power was abundant, and the control was flawless, but I just couldn't take the last step."

He spoke frankly.

Failing to form a core might be shameful for most people, but Lin Yuan knew perfectly well that in front of Shen Guiyan, it was actually a plus.

Because this precisely proves how perverse his foundation is.

As expected, after listening, Shen Guiyan's eyes showed no contempt, but rather a meaningful glint.

The shackles of Heaven's Way.

She knows this stuff all too well.

Four hundred years ago, when she was breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage in the Taixu Secret Realm, she encountered a similar obstacle. It was a kind of suppression from a higher level, from the unseen realm. It wasn't that you weren't strong enough, but that you were too strong, so strong that even the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth had to set up a barrier for you.

A cultivator who can trigger the shackles of the Heavenly Dao will surely achieve far greater success than their peers once they successfully break through.

"This disciple needs to go to the core area of ​​the Taixu Secret Realm and use that ancient spirit-gathering array to forcefully break through the barrier."

"This disciple needs a spot in the core formation of the Taixu Secret Realm."

Shen Guiyan sneered upon hearing this.

"You have a big appetite."

"The five major powers have a total of fifty core spots in the Taixu Secret Realm. I only have two. Moreover, these two spots have already been granted to two exceptionally talented personal disciples. They have been preparing for this opportunity for decades."

There was a hint of sharpness in her voice.

"You think you can take one based on just a few words?"

Lin Yuan remained expressionless: "This disciple dares to ask Grandmaster to settle some accounts."

"After I successfully form my core, I will be able to perform a ritual for my master to refine my spiritual roots."

"How many years has our grandmaster been stuck in the early Nascent Soul stage?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Guiyan's eye twitched almost imperceptibly.