Chapter 126: The Three-Life Lotus Body

Divine Maple Mountain rose abruptly from the valley forest, reaching nearly a thousand meters in height. Its surroundings were sheer cliffs, sharp as if carved by a blade. This place happened to be a secluded spot where the spiritual energy of Mount Huang converged, causing a perpetual thin mist to linger around the mountain’s midsection. Gazing down from Divine Maple Mountain, the view was a vast expanse of white fog.

It was around three or four in the afternoon, the sun shining brightly, barely piercing through the mist to reveal a sapphire-like Mirror Water Lake below. However, the lake was restless today, waves surging and crashing loudly. A huge python stirred the waters furiously, occasionally emitting sharp hisses that echoed through the valley forest, lingering long before finally fading.

On the rocky cliff of Divine Maple Mountain, two identical women glanced anxiously down below, their faces marked with worry and hesitation.

“Let’s both go call Master!” the woman in the red dress urged anxiously.

“Alright!” the woman in white promptly agreed.

But after only a few steps, they suddenly stopped, exchanging suspicious glances, almost simultaneously asking, “Are you about to advance?”

At any other time, advancement would be a cause for celebration. Yet now, with Liu Yiyi’s whereabouts unknown, their priority was naturally to find her. Still, both sensed an overwhelming aura of impending advancement, so strong it was impossible to suppress.

“Big sister, it’s definitely not me who’s advancing!” the red-dressed woman denied.

“That’s strange. If it’s not you or me, could it be our little sister?” the white-clad woman frowned in confusion.

The three sisters shared an unusually unique constitution, their fates intertwined. Their cultivation levels advanced in unison; when one progressed, the others followed. Now, both sensed the strong advancing aura, indicating one of them was poised to break through.

Yet they could not understand it. Since the sky lantern had broken, their little sister must have run into trouble. If she were about to advance, it made no sense.

Despite their confusion, they concluded it had to be the little sister. Unable to suppress the advancing aura any longer, they quickly sat down, focusing their minds to begin the breakthrough.

Both were at the fifth tier of Condensation stage. Advancing within this phase was much faster than progressing from Foundation Establishment. Still, they sat motionless for nearly half an hour.

After this time, they opened their eyes, both stunned.

“Big sister, how many tiers did you advance?” the woman in red asked, a naïve question given their shared fate.

Since the three sisters were bound so closely, their advancements were always simultaneous, making such a question unnecessary. But her shock compelled her to ask.

“I advanced three tiers at once, straight to the eighth tier of Condensation. How is this possible? How could our little sister suddenly leap forward so greatly?” the woman in white was equally astonished, though she tried to maintain composure. Although advancement was good news, this was overwhelmingly surprising.

Advancing three tiers at once was unprecedented. Their little sister had always been mischievous and careless in cultivation, with the two older sisters leading her progress. But this time, it was the little sister pulling them forward—and by three tiers at once.

“Something must have happened to our little sister. And that damned beast today was very abnormal. This has to be connected. I’m certain she’s still alive. Let’s hurry and find Master!”

……

Boom—Crash—Splash—

Outside the cave dwelling came a series of thunderous noises, shaking the entire place like an earthquake.

Xiao Cheng, after what felt like an eternity, finally gathered his spiritual awareness and slowly regained consciousness. His eyes gradually focused.

Blinking, he felt an intense dryness in his eyes. Closing them briefly to moisten, he then sensed something on his face—an itch. He lifted his hand with effort and felt a delicate, cicada-wing-thin membrane. Holding it up before his eyes, he saw it was an intact facial skin.

Attempting to sit up, he found his body limp and weak. Instinctively, he tried to summon his true energy but found his dantian utterly empty, devoid of any sensation.

Alarmed, Xiao Cheng wondered how he had lost his true energy. Scanning inward with his spiritual awareness, he found his cultivation had not declined—only his true energy was temporarily gone. Relieved, he continued to examine himself and smiled with satisfaction. The Body-Shaping effect of the Heavenly Origin Fruit was indeed remarkable. All his meridians had transformed into large, translucent crystalline veins, and his bones had become denser and tougher.

Running the Nine Profound Immortal Scripture method through his mind, he immediately sensed a difference. Previously, the energy flow between heaven and earth felt murky during cultivation, but now it was crisp and clear. He could even perceive the tiny spiritual energies floating nearby, which gathered toward him with but a thought.

The spiritual body was truly extraordinary.

In this state, combined with the Spirit-Grasping technique, his cultivation speed would increase dramatically. Before, using the Spirit-Grasping method wasted at least 90% of the spiritual energy, but now he could harness at least 50%.

Slowly sitting up, he was too hurried to check for physical changes and froze upon seeing the scene before him.

Lying not far beside him was Liu Yiyi, curled slightly. Her delicate, petite, and fair figure was captivating, yet her fair, plump thighs bore two stark bruises resembling handprints. Near her rounded, perky hips was a dried bloodstain.

Liu Yiyi seemed either asleep or unconscious. Her rosy cheeks, brows faintly furrowed, and the faint smile of contentment at the corners of her mouth painted a curious picture.

Xiao Cheng then looked down at himself and realized his pants were missing.

A seasoned warrior and herbologist like Xiao Cheng instantly understood what had transpired.

Could it be that, while unconscious, he had taken advantage of her? His pale face darkened with thought. But why would he do such a thing without consciousness? Had it become instinctual?

Yet, could a mindless version of himself truly overpower a Condensation stage fifth-tier cultivator like Liu Yiyi?

Shaking his head, he tried to recall the events. After ingesting the Heavenly Origin Fruit, his body had been in chaos. At some point, two surges of energy inside him had found a vent and burst forth uncontrollably.

It must have been at that moment.

Still, Xiao Cheng refused to believe he would act so recklessly without awareness. Surveying the surroundings carefully, he noticed Liu Yiyi’s dress was intact, lying beside the stone bed. Near her hand was the jade talisman he had found; by her head lay a tablet.

This was definitely not caused by his unconscious actions. Feeling somewhat relieved, Xiao Cheng opened the tablet and examined it, recalling the jade talisman and other clues. He knew exactly what had happened.

Apparently, upon waking and seeing his abnormal condition, Liu Yiyi had tried to save him using their sect’s dual-cultivation technique. Driven by natural male instinct, he had responded accordingly.

However, Liu Yiyi clearly misunderstood the true essence of dual cultivation, performing only a one-sided energy extraction. She drained his true energy and excess pure yang energy completely. Fortunately, their sect’s dual-cultivation method was not an evil yang-stealing technique, so, by a stroke of luck, it resolved the internal crisis within him.

Reflecting on this, and seeing the bruises on Liu Yiyi’s tender thigh, Xiao Cheng’s heart softened. Though they had only just met, she had gone to such lengths for him, even entrusting him with the red pill. Without her, he could not imagine how his internal crisis would have unfolded.

“Yiyi!” Xiao Cheng gently shook her.

Finding no response, he cradled Liu Yiyi in his arms and released his spiritual awareness to examine her. Not only was she unharmed, but her cultivation had advanced significantly. She had likely fainted from the overwhelming benefits. Xiao Cheng exhaled deeply, a smile of relief spreading across his face.

If it were anyone else, he would not care whether they lived or died. But now, Liu Yiyi was no longer just anyone—she was his woman.