Huo Ling’er’s words echoed continuously in Chen Xuan’s mind, along with the frenzied expression she had worn while muttering them.

He couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat upon recalling the sense of danger he had felt in that moment.

However, Chen Xuan forced himself to calm down.

’It must have been an illusion. Huo Ling’er has always been obedient and sweet, never once overstepping her boundaries.’

’At most, she was enamored by my extraordinary demeanor and stunning appearance. It’s not her fault; it’s all because of my damn charisma!’

Turning his head, he glanced at the sleeping Huo Ling’er curled up beside him, only to see an innocent, sweet smile playing upon her lips.

This further reinforced Chen Xuan’s rationalization.

’Indeed! The danger I sensed must have been an illusion!’ he tried to convince himself.

Suppressing these thoughts for now, Chen Xuan turned his attention back to reality and inspected his current condition.

’The effects of the Flame Qi are extraordinary. Although Huo Ling’er absorbed a portion, half of its essence has been transferred into my body.’

Without even needing to summon the System Panel, he knew that his Physique must have undergone another transformation, elevating it to a Medium-Grade Spirit Body.

Granted, the Flame Qi only played a minor role in this.

The primary catalyst was not this rare resource, but Huo Ling’er’s Primordial Yin!

That’s right! Since this was Huo Ling’er’s first time and the two engaged in dual cultivation, Chen Xuan had managed to harvest her Primordial Yin.

Turning his focus inward, toward his Dantian, he observed the stream of pure white energy floating above his Core.

This was far from his first encounter with Primordial Yin.

He had been the first partner of Su Ying and every other woman he had ever been involved with.

Yet, staring at Huo Ling’er’s Primordial Yin within his Dantian, Chen Xuan’s pupils couldn’t help but dilate in shock.

’Too big!’

No! Chen Xuan shook his head in embarrassment.

’Too much!’

Huo Ling’er’s Primordial Yin was higher in quality and greater in volume than what he had obtained from every other woman in the past, combined.

’Is this the influence of the Holy Body?’ he couldn’t help but wonder.

’And this is while she is still at the Qi Refining realm. If it had remained intact until she broke through to the Core Formation, or even the Nascent Soul realm, wouldn’t it have been enough to support my breakthrough to the Soul Formation realm?’

Chen Xuan had to consciously suppress that thought.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter even if that were the case.

There was no way he could have waited until Huo Ling’er reached that point, right?

Even if he possessed the patience, Huo Ling’er would never have let him!

Shaking his head, Chen Xuan softly exhaled.

He glanced at the sleeping Huo Ling’er beside him. She was gripping his arm tightly, as if terrified he might abandon her.

Seeing that she was not showing any signs of waking up anytime soon, he rose, donned the Evergreen Robe, and quietly exited the room.

Before leaving, he made sure to cover his disciple’s naked body with a blanket, gently brushing aside her disheveled hair.

Chen Xuan would never know that a few moments after the door clicked shut, Huo Ling’er’s eyelids fluttered open.

A faint, victorious smile crossed her lips as she pressed her face into his pillow and took a deep, sharp inhale.

--

Chen Xuan remained oblivious to Huo Ling’er’s actions.

Had he known, worry would once again have plagued his mind.

Arriving at the practice room, he took a seat and activated the formation before closing his eyes.

His divine sense delved into his Dantian and controlled Huo Ling’er’s Primordial Yin, circulating the Yin Yang Technique to slowly absorb it.

As if it were pure Spiritual Energy, the Primordial Yin fused seamlessly with his Core, making its golden luster even more radiant.

The efficiency was several times greater than when he cultivated on his own.

By the time he had absorbed half of the Primordial Yin, a faint crack had appeared at the Core’s center.

Chen Xuan did not panic. He maintained a solemn expression, diligently working to absorb the rest.

More and more fractures formed across the Core’s surface as chunks of solidified Spiritual Energy began to crumble away.

By the time the Primordial Yin was fully absorbed, Chen Xuan’s Core looked like fractured porcelain, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

"Now!" Chen Xuan gave a low shout, pouring his divine sense into the fragile sphere.

With a thunderous crack, the Core shattered completely.

The backlash caused his face to turn pale, though it quickly regained its healthy color.

This was because, a mere split second after the Core shattered, an illusory phantom floated up from its remains.

It took the form of a newborn infant.

Yet, upon closer inspection, one would discover that the phantom bore a striking resemblance to Chen Xuan himself.

Staring at it was like looking into a mirror.

The phantom opened its eyes, revealing a trace of profound clarity within its semi-translucent pupils.

Chen Xuan’s aura immediately began to surge.

As he pointed his finger toward the sky, the phantom in his Dantian mirrored the movement, causing the surrounding Spiritual Energy to surge violently.

Chen Xuan sensed that he had become one with the surrounding world.

With a single thought, he could channel the power of the heavens to strike.

He felt invincible, capable of wielding the very power of the world against his enemies!

A fleeting sense of omnipotence arose within his heart.

However, just as he was about to lose himself in that intoxicating sensation, a sudden jolt ran through his mind, snapping him back to reality.

His divine sense instantly swept outward, suppressing the disturbances. Simultaneously, he consciously regulated the turbulent Spiritual Energy within his body.

Looking inward, Chen Xuan noticed that the phantom in his Dantian had grown faint, and a trace of exhaustion flashed across its immature face.

It was only after it inhaled and absorbed a wave of Spiritual Energy that it managed to recover slightly.

Chen Xuan wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

’Fortunately, I snapped out of it in time,’ he thought.

’Otherwise, I would have overstrained my Nascent Soul and risked dropping in realm.’

His thoughts betrayed the identity of the baby-like phantom.

It was his Nascent Soul!

Taking advantage of Huo Ling’er’s incredibly rich Primordial Yin, Chen Xuan had succeeded in going from the Late Stage of Core Formation to the Peak, and then breaking through even further!

This was the reason behind the sudden sensation of omnipotence; his strength had soared so rapidly that his state of mind was struggling to keep up.

It took quite some time for Chen Xuan to fully stabilize himself, both in terms of his cultivation base and mental state.

After all, the breakthrough was a monumental event. It meant that he had evolved from a mere Elder-like figure into a true expert of the Tianxuan Domain.

Moreover, as the saying goes, good things come in pairs.

Not long after Chen Xuan stabilized his breakthrough, a series of prompts shimmered into existence before his eyes.

...

[Congratulations! It has been detected that the Host’s disciple, Huo Ling’er, has achieved a breakthrough!]

[Do you wish to accept the rewards?]

...

Clearly, even while Huo Ling’er was asleep, her body was still instinctively utilizing the remaining essence of the Flame Qi.

Combined with the effects of their dual cultivation, it was only natural that she would also experience a breakthrough.

However, Chen Xuan was in no mood to pay attention to that just yet.

Following the prompt congratulating him on her advancement, another message materialized.

...

[Congratulations! It has been detected that the relationship between the Host and his disciple has been brought to the next level! Please claim the following special rewards!]