"Dual cultivation?"
"Yes," Su Qingyue said. "It is a process in which a marriage takes place. A man and a woman unite their energies, share in each other's joy, share in each other's sorrow, and help each other grow in cultivation."
Mu Chen was caught off guard. He had never imagined himself getting married anytime soon, especially not in a situation like this, trapped in a cultivation world where he knew no one.
The only person he knew was Su Qingyue, and she was clearly trying to use him. And now that same woman was proposing to him.
There was no way he could refuse. He still didn't fully understand how this world worked.
He was worried that the dual cultivation Su Qingyue was talking about would only pull him deeper into a trap he would never be able to break free from.
"That said, it cannot happen right now."
Su Qingyue walked gracefully back to her throne. She sat back with her legs crossed, head resting in her hand.
"Your cultivation... is still not at the level required for dual cultivation with me."
Mu Chen drew a long breath and let it out slowly. What Su Qingyue had just said was more than enough to settle his nerves.
He didn't know in what realm he and Su Qingyue would end up getting married. But marriage was something sacred, a lifelong bond between two people as husband and wife.
Mu Chen realized that marrying a woman like her, seeing how dominant she already was, would be nothing less than the beginning of endless suffering for him.
"I still don't understand cultivation or the realms."
"There are three stages in cultivation. A single stage can span many realms," Su Qingyue said.
Without dropping the barrier that enclosed her flying palace, Su Qingyue swung her hand.
Sparks of qi energy drifted from between her fingers and projected the image of a cultivator with their realms laid out.
Mu Chen looked at the projection, a cultivator shaped entirely from Su Qingyue's qi manifestation.
Through it, he could see the qi flowing through the projected body, its form transparent enough to make it visible.
Su Qingyue lifted her head, watching the projection alongside him and adjusting it as she explained.
"Most cultivators begin at Body Tempering, a stage where the body and mind are forged through intense physical training."
"That only applies to those with weak spiritual roots that are difficult to awaken on their own or with outside help."
Mu Chen watched as the bones and muscles of the projected body lit up in gold, a simple visual cue from Su Qingyue to mark each realm as she described it.
"After Body Tempering, the spiritual root activates and qi absorption begins. The cultivator enters the qi cultivation realm known as Qi Condensation."
"Then Foundation Establishment, followed by Core Formation, leading up to the birth of a true immortal soul at Nascent Soul."
Su Qingyue kept shifting the projection to match each realm she explained. Mu Chen grew more and more drawn into it, something entirely new and challenging for him.
"For many cultivators, Nascent Soul is the peak of power they set their sights on. Reaching Nascent Soul means you can at least establish your own sect or become the leader of a mid-tier one."
"At this stage, a person's strength and cultivation are considered recognized by the cultivation world," Su Qingyue added.
"Is Nascent Soul really the peak of cultivation?" Mu Chen asked.
The woman in front of him, still seated gracefully on her throne, shook her head with the same easy elegance. She formed another qi energy orb and projected a new image.
"Those who seek an understanding of life, fate, and the law of cause and effect must walk the steep path toward Soul Formation," Su Qingyue answered.
As she adjusted the projection, she continued in careful detail. "To reach Soul Formation, one must come to understand the laws of nature and heaven. We call this the Dao."
"Dao is born from a cultivator's understanding built through hundreds of years of cultivation experience, then confirmed through a dao resonance formed by their connection to the laws of nature."
"By the time a cultivator reaches Soul Formation, they should have formed their own understanding of the dao, one that is bound to their mind and soul."
"A person's dao power can become unmatched if that cultivator truly grasps the laws of nature down to their absolute root."
"Soul strength increases. Ordinary birth transforms into primordial awakening. Standard soul attacks have no effect on a primordial soul."
Mu Chen was genuinely struck by it. He had assumed a xianxia world was just a place where people chased power through levels and abilities. But listening to Su Qingyue, that idea fell apart entirely.
True power didn't come from physical ability or cultivation alone. It was born from a person's understanding of the dao itself and the laws of nature.
I never expected this. This world has a surprisingly complex structure.
"After Soul Formation comes Soul Transformation. The primordial soul grows closer to its full potential, worldly ties begin to fall away, and the focus shifts from seeking immortality to serving the dao."
"Dao Manifestation is the peak of the cultivation realms, where one fully comprehends the dao and the law of cause and effect, to the point of being able to influence a person's cycle of reincarnation."
"There are two final realms at the top of the first stage: Sovereign Soul and Ascendant."
"Sovereign Soul is the point at which the primordial soul aligns and resonates with the dao, granting transcendent power that can affect all things."
"Ascendant is the cultivation stage where a cultivator leaves behind the physical body and enters a broader, absolute dimension, one that had never been imagined before."
"The primordial soul becomes an immortal soul. They can manifest themselves however they choose, and most no longer involve themselves in worldly matters."
Su Qingyue glanced ahead, swept her hand to the side to clear away the qi projection, and asked Mu Chen whether he had understood the cultivation realms.
"Do you understand?" Su Qingyue asked.
"Yes. But you haven't explained anything about the Second Stage or the Third Stage."
"It is too early for you to know. Even if I told you now, there is no guarantee you would grasp it," Su Qingyue replied.
Mu Chen went quiet, then responded by dipping his head and pressing his hands together in a show of respect.
Su Qingyue's explanation had been clear and easy to follow. He was fortunate in that regard, having spent years reading books and literature connected to Taoism.
But he understood now that the concept of the dao was far older and far more binding than anything he had read or imagined.
"So what realm is required for dual cultivation?" Mu Chen asked.
Su Qingyue smiled wide, looking into Mu Chen's eyes with a teasing expression. "You are getting impatient, Mu Chen."
"That's not what I mean. I need to know so I can plan the fastest way to get there."
"At minimum, Golden Core, so I can help you break through to Nascent Soul. Ideally, Nascent Soul itself, when your soul is strong enough to receive energy from me," Su Qingyue said.
"May I ask what realm you are in?" Mu Chen asked.
The woman gave a slow nod, her smile still in place, her eyes never leaving Mu Chen. "Soul... Transformation."
Does that mean she already has her own comprehension of the dao?
Mu Chen fell silent, his eyes drifting around the space as he thought hard about a real way out from under Su Qingyue.
He had no idea how long it would take before his strength could match hers or surpass it.
What was certain was that Su Qingyue was unlikely to advance her realm anytime soon. She needed the Primordial Origin Qi from his body, and the only way to get it was through dual cultivation.
Simply put, by the time Mu Chen reached Nascent Soul, there was a real chance Su Qingyue would still be stuck at Soul Transformation.
"You don't need to worry about the gap between our strengths. I will help you in your cultivation," Su Qingyue said.
Mu Chen nodded with a blank expression, pressed his hands together in a bow. "Thank you, Master Su."
The woman gave a graceful nod in return, turned, and snapped her fingers. The sound alone was enough to deactivate the barrier sealing her palace.
"Bai Han," Su Qingyue said.
One of the men flew in on his sword, landed on the palace floor, and knelt in a respectful bow to Su Qingyue.
"Your command, Grand Sect Leader?"
"Mu Chen is officially my disciple. Take him to Jiuxiao Mountain and guide him until I return."
Bai Han obeyed without question. He turned and motioned for Mu Chen to come with him. Su Qingyue raised her hand suddenly, stopping Bai Han.
"Wait!"
The woman moved faster than a blink, appearing in front of Mu Chen with golden light particles trailing behind her. Mu Chen was startled by her speed.
Without warning, she kissed him on the cheek, catching Bai Han off guard along with every Tianyin Sect member watching. They were all just as stunned.
Mu Chen stood frozen, his hands and his mind both too slow to react to what Su Qingyue had just done.
"Wait for me to come back, Mu Chen."
With both hands trembling at the sight of Su Qingyue's obsession, Mu Chen pressed them together and bowed his head.
"I... take my leave, Master Su."