Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

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The issue I mentioned before with dual cultivation is that once you choose a partner, you must cultivate together from then on and can't change your method midway.

However, cultivators from the Demon Cult are mostly selfish individuals with no moral bottom line. Unless bound by life-saving friendships, who would dare entrust their trust lightly to another?

If your partner suddenly harbors malicious thoughts and seeks to harm you for wealth or life, backstabbing you at a critical moment of dual cultivation, the situation is almost certainly fatal.

Given Zhao Yuanzhen's nature, she would naturally never trust Yan Yu.

But the problem is that she's already caught in the midst of the situation. If she's unwilling, would Yan Yu's backing master let her go?

Refusing dual cultivation, she's highly likely not to survive the night.

Even without any schemes, they would just need to drive her out, let her be found by Mei Yingxue, then a flying sword could strike, and what strength does Zhao Yuanzhen have to defend herself at this time?

Yet, if she agrees to dual cultivate, first of all, to the powerful being behind Yan Yu, Zhao Yuanzhen, as a disciple's partner, would hold "sufficient value" and there would be no immediate fear of being discarded.

As for the possibility of betrayal by her partner, that's a problem for the future. Deal with it later.

If she can't even survive today, what future is there to speak of?

Zhao Yuanzhen, even though cunning and full of doubt, valuing her own life and cautious, was not one to dither or be indecisive. She quickly assessed the situation and gritted her teeth:

"Fine, I'll cultivate with you!"

"Generous!" Yan Yu gestured toward the bed, "Please."

"Hold on," Zhao Yuanzhen asked seriously, "The Silken Bond Technique is a secret method of the Qiansi Sect and should not be disclosed. Since your master has designated this technique, how should the lineage be explained?"

"My master has already clarified this matter," Yan Yu said calmly. "Once you have developed your Golden Core, we will start our own sect. You hold the lineage of Qiansi Sect, and I have the lineage bestowed by my master. Combine the two, and it forms the lineage of our sect!"

"Is that even possible?" Zhao Yuanzhen was struck dumb.

In the Cultivation World, as long as one forms a Golden Core, they are qualified to start their own sect. Whether the original sect agrees, and which methods can be passed on, all depends on negotiations and understanding between the two sides.

But this is a different world! No matter what happens here, how could the Qiansi Sect of the Cultivation World know a thing about it? It doesn't matter at all!

"In that case," Zhao Yuanzhen had an epiphany and nodded, "if one day I'm able to form a Golden Core, I'll rebuild the Qiansi Sect here and fulfill the grace of my sect's teachings!"

True to being a Demonic Sect Enchantress, her ideological awareness is so adaptable.

Both climbed onto the bed, sat facing each other, and adopted the position with palms facing upwards towards the sky. Zhao Yuanzhen began to explain:

"If the Silken Bond Technique is practiced solo, it's between a cultivator and a puppet performing circulations; but in dual cultivation, it's between partners. Each Grand Circulation of True Qi can increase it by one tenth; each minor circulation can merge it by one-tenth."

"If there's any disruption in the circulation, no matter who causes it, both parties will be greatly harmed. So you must follow my instructions and move your True Qi according to my guidance. You must not act recklessly, heedless of the law. Even if you feel pain, itching, warmth, or cold, you cannot stop the operation of the technique on your own. Do you understand?"

"Of course," said Yan Yu.

Seeing that Yan Yu was unusually serious without his usual smile, Zhao Yuanzhen felt somewhat reassured.

"Next, I'll recite the mental technique to you."

"This technique is a secret of my sect's lineage and should not be put down on paper. It will leave my mouth and enter only your ears, not to be known by a third person. Understand?"

"Don't worry!"

"Good, listen carefully: 'The way of heaven takes from what has excess to supplement what lacks, ensuring balance and equitability, and not just thus...'"

Zhao Yuanzhen recited the Silken Bond Technique's mental mantra outline— about twenty-thousand characters long—several times, until she confirmed Yan Yu had committed it to memory, before finally extending her hands and placing her palms together with his.

They began dual cultivation.

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Traditional Taoist dual cultivation doesn't necessarily involve bedroom practices.

However, the Silken Bond Technique was created by the founder for her husband, and so at higher levels, it indeed involves that aspect.

Luckily, at this moment, they were both novices and hadn't cultivated to that extent, thus they only touched palms and circulated their True Qi, sitting in silence throughout the entire night.

The following morning.

Yan Yu picked up his book bag and cautioned Zhao Yuanzhen, saying:

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"I'm going out; you stay here and don't leave the house, don't open the windows, and keep the curtains drawn. If someone knocks, don't respond. Just pretend no one is home,"

"What if someone forces their way into the cave residence?" Zhao Yuanzhen asked thoughtfully.

"You know the Invisibility Technique," Yan Yu said, "Just become invisible and hide under the bed until they leave."

"And if they see through it?" Zhao Yuanzhen asked for clarification.

Yan Yu replied without hesitation:

"Kill them, search their soul to confirm the situation. You don't need me to teach you that, do you?"

"No, no need," Zhao Yuanzhen quickly waved his hand, thinking that killing was not uncommon, but the fact that he could mention "search their soul" without hesitation showed that my partner was not exactly virtuous, and his master was most likely some hidden giant of the Demonic Path.

Good thing I wasn't foolish enough to anger him last night!

Yan Yu wasn't overly worried either because, in the original timeline, the officials didn't fully believe Mei Yingxue's words at first, until innocent bystanders were killed by Zhao Yuanzhen. Only then did the authorities' attitude turn severe.

Now that Zhao Yuanzhen was under his control in time, with no victims at all, the official attitude towards Mei Yingxue would definitely be "We've noted what you said, and we will further verify it."

Good, let them verify slowly!

Arriving at school, the high school Yan Yu attended was affiliated with Jiangnan University. The academic atmosphere was incredibly strict, and since it was the lower semester of the senior year, the classes were nothing but continuous drills, discussions, and test papers until 9 pm.

To prevent early romance from affecting the college entrance exam, all students had individual desks; there were no classmates to share desks with, no beautiful class monitors or school beauties from the next class over, just a bunch of glasses-wearing students buried in their work... So the campus life can be described in one word: "boring."

After silently completing and submitting the test paper given by the teacher, Yan Yu left the classroom, gazing at the outside scenery from the hallway, and zoned out.

Last night, he and Zhao Yuanzhen cultivated the "Silken Bond Technique" together and had successfully cultivated a sense of Qi.

Next, he had to solidify this faint thread of True Qi to ensure that it would get him through the body check in May for the college entrance exam.

After that, it was off to the Cultivator's College in Jinling Prefecture to meet his "old friends" from this life whom he had yet to know.

Qiu Ze, Sun Ziyi, Lin Ning, Su Yunjin, and of course, the toughest one, Princess Jiang Hai, Chen Lingyun... Ah, how I miss them.

"Hello," a familiar voice came from the side, "Could you tell me how to get to Laboratory Building No. 5?"

Yan Yu turned casually, and at the sight of the person's features, huh?

The individual stood petite, not even reaching 1.6 meters tall (seemingly about 1.56 meters in memory). She had soft shoulder-length hair, a white lace-trimmed dress, shiny black shoes, bright watery eyes, a delicate and fine nose, and a standard smile revealing eight perfect teeth.

Chen Lingyun.

How did this wretch of a woman run from Jiang Hai to Lin'an?

"It's just over there," Yan Yu pointed indifferently to the opposite side, "See that building? That's the one."

"Sorry to bother you," Chen Lingyun maintained her charming smile, "I'm a bit lost, would you mind showing me the way?"

Any other boy of his age would have been dazzled by this woman's smiling assault and would have eagerly led the way for her.

Although Yan Yu was well aware of her true nature, a refusal now would definitely arouse suspicion, so he leaned on the railing and said in a casually detached manner:

"All right then."

Chen Lingyun simply smiled elegantly and followed him:

"Thank you, then."

As they left the academic building, Chen Lingyun suddenly asked:

"By the way, classmate, what's your name?"

Damn it, Yan Yu internally sneered while walking ahead.

At first acquaintance, Chen Lingyun liked to pretend she was approachable, yet she was inherently arrogant, never deigning to remember the names of the unremarkable—her asking his name meant that the unusual aura he inadvertently exuded when he turned attracted her strong interest.

"Sun Ziyi," Yan Yu answered without showing any affect, "What's your name, classmate? I haven't seen you around the school before."

"I'm Chen Lingyun," she answered frankly, "I'm from the math Olympiad class at Jiang Hai Middle School, here as an exchange student at your Jiangnan Affiliated High."