Tang San and Yu Xiaogang's Choice

Qian Renxue disguised herself as Xue Qinghe once more. After having dinner with Xue Ke, she returned to the study and continued reviewing memorials. As usual, Xue Ke remained at her side, serving tea and water and grinding ink for Xue Qinghe.

"Phew—finally finished!" Xue Qinghe set down her brush and stretched.

"Xiao Ke, it's getting late. You should head back and sleep early too."

Xue Ke shook her head slightly. She glanced around, and after making sure no one was nearby, she whispered, "Sister Xue, do you still remember the Sunflower Scripture and the Dao Heart Seed Demon Method I told you about?"

"I remember. What is it?" Xue Qinghe asked.

"I want to teach you the Dao Heart Seed Demon Method from the Sunflower Scripture," Xue Ke said earnestly.

"Xiao Ke, I won't practice it. This cultivation method is your opportunity, after all." Xue Qinghe refused without hesitation.

"Sister Xue, you don't understand. Cultivating the Dao Heart Seed Demon Method has many benefits. First, it can speed up Soul Power cultivation. Second, it can connect to the Dao Demon Space, giving you another means of saving your life."

"Sister Xue, you have so many government affairs every day that you have very little time left for cultivation. The Dao Heart Seed Demon Method can let you achieve twice the result with half the effort. Besides, without you as my Spirit Medium, my Dao Heart Seed Demon Method will never make further progress in the future. So, whether for yourself or for me, you should cultivate it."

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you, Xiao Ke!" Xue Qinghe said gratefully.

"Sister Xue, do we really need to thank each other?"

The two smiled at one another. Then they left the study hand in hand and entered Xue Qinghe's bedchamber, where Xue Qinghe removed her disguise and returned to Qian Renxue's appearance.

Xue Ke taught the Dao Heart Seed Demon Method to Qian Renxue without holding anything back, then had Qian Renxue follow the method and try cultivating for a while.

"By my estimate, in another half a month, I'll be able to condense a Dao Seed in my dantian," Qian Renxue said joyfully.

"Sister Xue, it won't actually take that long. Just now, you were cultivating alone. If my Dao Seed assists you from the side, I believe it can greatly shorten the time needed for you to condense a Dao Seed."

"Alright, then let's cultivate together tonight."

The two women sat cross-legged facing each other, their palms pressed together. Xue Ke activated the Dao Seed within her body and slowly transferred spiritual energy into Qian Renxue through their palms. Qian Renxue merged Xue Ke's spiritual energy with the spiritual energy she had cultivated herself, then followed the method to slowly condense a Dao Seed in her dantian.

A faint jade-green glow shone from Xue Ke's lower abdomen, while golden light also faintly flowed through Qian Renxue's lower abdomen. The jade-green light merged with the weak but gradually strengthening golden radiance, becoming inseparable.

Thus, the two women cultivated through the entire night, completely absorbed and without feeling the slightest fatigue. The night passed quickly.

Heaven Dou City, Blue Tyrant Academy.

Tang San finished cultivating his Purple Demon Eye that morning and returned to his dormitory, where he began cultivating the Sunflower Scripture he had stolen from Xue Ke.

"Sigh, it looks like this still won't work."

Tang San had cultivated according to the methods described in the Sunflower Scripture for over a month. Although his Soul Power cultivation had been rising rapidly, he felt that he was becoming increasingly strange.

For instance, his beard no longer grew as quickly as it once had. His voice had also become somewhat shrill, and he had started liking colorful, gaudy clothes.

What Tang San found most unacceptable was that his vague affection between a man and a woman for his younger sister, Xiao Wu, had gradually changed. It had turned into... into sisterly affection!

Tang San finally noticed the series of physical and psychological changes he had undergone recently and understood that they had been caused by cultivating the Sunflower Manual.

"I can't keep cultivating this! I, Tang San, am a dignified man—how can I turn into some neither-male-nor-female monster? Besides, I already have the Mysterious Heaven Skill. I truly shouldn't be so greedy."

Tang San resolutely tore the Sunflower Scripture in his hands to pieces. Even if he could not cultivate it himself, he would never allow anyone else to cultivate it either.

At the same time, Yu Xiaogang was experiencing the same situation as Tang San.

"Although many abnormalities have appeared in my body, I can feel that the bottleneck at level 30 seems to be loosening faintly. Just a tiny bit more, just a tiny bit more, and I'll be able to break through level 30. Where exactly did the problem arise?"

Yu Xiaogang frowned as he repeatedly flipped through the Sunflower Scripture in his hands. When he saw the four large characters in the general outline, he could not help falling into deep thought.

"Could it be... could it really require this?"

Yu Xiaogang stared at those four characters, torn and hesitant. The expression on his face shifted constantly. In the end, he gritted his teeth, his face turning resolute as he clenched both hands into fists and made his final decision.

"Just wait. One day, I, Yu Xiaogang, will become one of the strong in this world and prove myself!"

Over the next several days, Xue Ke frequently visited Xue Qinghe's Prince's Mansion. She dined with Xue Qinghe, helped review memorials, and afterward, the two cultivated in the same room from night until dawn, tirelessly. Only after Xue Qinghe left for morning court did Xue Ke return to her own residence.

The intimate behavior between the brother and sister stirred up a wave of gossip throughout both the Prince's Mansion and the Princess's Mansion. Rumors such as "Secrets of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family" and "The Story the Prince and Princess Had to Tell" eventually reached the palace and Emperor Xue Ye's ears.

"Even if they are close siblings, this is going too far. It damages the dignity of my Heaven Dou Imperial Family!"

Xue Ye paced back and forth in the study, plagued by a splitting headache.

"Pass down the order: no one in Heaven Dou City is permitted to discuss this matter again. Those who defy it will be executed!"

Xue Ye sat down and took a sip of hot tea. Then another thought occurred to him. It's time to find Qinghe a crown princess. Qinghe is already in his twenties. When I was his age, I already had wives and concubines aplenty. Sigh, why is Qinghe so slow to catch on? Once Qinghe marries, that girl Xue Ke will surely be too embarrassed to cling to her brother all day.

Xue Ye immediately took out the records of the various princes and nobles and began examining them carefully. Whenever he found a noblewoman he favored, he circled her name with his brush.

Xue Ke and Qian Renxue slowly withdrew their pressed palms, ending that night's cultivation. Both felt refreshed and invigorated.

"I never expected that I would successfully condense a Dao Seed in just seven short days." Qian Renxue was overjoyed.

"Sister Xue, congratulations!" Xue Ke smiled brightly, sincerely happy for Qian Renxue.

After seven days of diligent cultivation, Xue Ke's Soul Power Level had also successfully broken through to level 37.

Xue Ke glanced out the window and said, "Sister Xue, it's not light yet. We still have time to rest for a while."

Qian Renxue slowly lay down on the spacious bed and gently patted the inner side, signaling for Xue Ke to lie down.

Xue Ke pulled over the Gold-Threaded Silk Quilt nearby and gently tucked it around Qian Renxue. Then she lay down as well and covered herself with the quilt. The two women closed their beautiful eyes and soon fell asleep together.

------Author's Note------

In the next chapter, Xue Ke and Qian Renxue's new martial souls will appear, and from then on, they will rise to the pinnacle of life.