The Morning of the First Day

These clear yet foolish words make it hard not to suspect that the dual Cultivation Method that Big Ice Block was reading was actually SpongeBob SquarePants.

However, Xu Yuan quickly reconsidered and felt relieved.

More advanced dual Cultivation Method are described entirely in text, such as "dragon yang enters yin," "yang travels through the eight meridians," and "yin has nine acupoints," to connect yin and yang.

These types of Cultivation Method are never accompanied by illustrations.

After all, if you can obtain such a profound Cultivation Method, you must have no shortage of power and influence. The chances of such a person being completely ignorant of human affairs are negligible. Naturally, someone like Big Ice Block, who slipped through the net of early education, is not within their consideration.

Sunlight streamed onto the bed, and the sheen of the silk reflected onto the ceiling.

After carefully considering how to answer the question for half an hour while snuggled up in bed against the Big Ice Block, Xu Yuan released Ran Qingmo with a sense of guilt.

Feeling the blinking of the girl's beautiful eyes in his arms, and the clear, pure gaze within them, Xu Yuan inexplicably felt like a beast.

"Rustle."

The silk quilt was pulled back, Ran Qingmo sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Xu Yuan, silently tidying her clothes.

After a night, her dark robes appeared somewhat disheveled, and a few strands of her long, straight black hair stood up. Bathed in sunlight, the girl's slender figure looked exceptionally beautiful.

Both of them slept fully clothed.

After getting up, Ran Qingmo tidied her clothes and long hair slightly. Finding that she couldn't get the ahoge (cowlick) down, she gave up, turned her gaze to Xu Yuan, who was still lying on his side on the bed, and softly asked:

"Xu Yuan, aren't you getting up?"

The silk quilt remained draped over her, and the morning breeze still carried the lingering fragrance of the young woman's delicate body through the long forest. Xu Yuan felt that he shouldn't tarnish the blank canvas of the Big Ice Block for the time being, and gently shook his head.

"I'll wait a little longer."

"Oh"

Ran Qingmo nodded, stood up, and softly reminded him:

"Master said that staying in bed too long is bad; you should seize the time to cultivate."

Speaking of this,

Ran Qingmo paused, then said in a low voice:

"I will cultivate and wait for you."

"."

After watching Ran Qingmo walk to the square table in the room and sit down, and then grasp a piece of Source Crystal and begin to meditate, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, and then slowly sat up from the bed.

After circulating the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique for a Lesser Celestial Circuit to suppress his body's instinctive reaction, Xu Yuan calmly got out of bed. He glanced at the young girl in the room, smiled slightly, and then pushed open the door to go outside to fetch water for washing.

After entering the Fusion Realm, the cultivator's main source of energy changed from eating to absorbing Qi, which directly avoided a lot of meaningless metabolism. In the long run, this allowed the cultivator's lifespan to be extended significantly for the first time in a truly meaningful way. In the short term, without meaningless metabolism, washing up became just a formality.

However, Xu Yuan was an exception. He maintained his previous lifestyle, not giving up his appetite for three meals a day, and his metabolism was naturally no different from when he was in the Soul Condensation Realm. However, the benefits of his improved cultivation were still obvious. Even when washing his face naked on a snowy winter day, he still did not feel cold.

Stepping onto the snow, Xu Yuan drew a bucket of specially supplied spring water from the deep well in the courtyard. After taking off his shirt, he took out a length-long brocade handkerchief and began to wipe the water and clean himself.

My uncle's Hundred-Year Phantom Sword Brew was indeed a fine wine, but it was still ultimately a type of alcohol. After the hangover, my Fusion Realm physique directly eliminated a lot of impurities, which were very uncomfortable to have on my body.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sound of dripping water could be heard in the courtyard.

As Xu Yuan bent over to rinse his hair with icy spring water, his keen hearing suddenly detected a series of hurried footsteps treading through the snow coming from the alleyway outside the courtyard.

Judging from the voice, it should be Xu Xinyao.

The judgment was made in an instant, not because Xu Yuan could recognize people by their voices, but because the way the other people in the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion appeared was more and more eerie than the last. The only people in the entire inner courtyard who made footsteps were him and Xu Xinyao.

Accompanied by the pattering sound of water, footsteps approached from afar, and Xu Xinyao's gentle, flowing voice rang out at the courtyard entrance:

"Hey? Why isn't Third Brother's courtyard gate closed? Third Brother, Third Brother! Father just told me to tell you that you mustn't stay in the inner courtyard today! Ah!"

"."

Hearing the sound, Xu Yuan ignored the water dripping from his hair and looked up towards the courtyard gate, only to meet Xu Xinyao's slightly dazed gaze.

Today, Little Four changed into a blue and white brocade fur coat, with a khaki fur-lined overcoat, exuding a gentle and graceful temperament.

However, at this moment she was blinking and staring at him, her fair cheeks still slightly flushed.

After a brief exchange of glances, Xu Yuan asked with a hint of confusion:

"What's wrong?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yuan realized that the girl's gaze was fixed on his bare upper body.

The icy spring water washed over my skin, and the occasional cold wind made it feel quite chilly. Water droplets traced the angular lines of my muscles and fell onto the snow, where they froze into ice crystals.

After all, she was no longer a child, and the sight of a shirtless man was still quite a shock to Little Four, a young virgin.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan rolled his eyes, flipped his hand, picked up a clump of snow from the ground, and flicked it lightly. A snowball exploded with a "plop" right in front of Xu Xinyao's rosy cheeks.

"Hmm"

The coldness of the snowflakes brought Xu Xinyao back to her senses. She wiped the snow off her face with her sleeve, pursed her lips, and looked slightly aggrieved.

"Third Brother, why did you hit me?"

"Snort."

Xu Yuan snorted softly, too lazy to pay attention to her, and continued to bend over to wash his long hair while scooping water, asking softly:

"What did Father just say?"

The warm sun shone on the snow, reflecting a dazzling light.

Pouting slightly, Xu Xinyao shifted her gaze from her Third Brother's bare upper body, slowly stepped forward, and whispered:

"Father told you not to leave the inner courtyard today, as the Emperor may come to pay his respects."

Xu Yuan paused slightly as he scooped up a spoonful of water. Head bowed, he watched the water drip from his long hair onto the snow-covered surface. After a moment of silence, he chuckled softly.

"Has the Emperor given in?"

Xu Xinyao wasn't particularly politically astute, but she could still grasp such obvious things. She approached Xu Yuan and said softly:

"After all, we can't really let Father retire, can we? Third Brother, shall Xin Yao help you wash?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan casually handed the ladle he was using to scoop water directly to his Fourth Sister.

Washing long hair is a very troublesome thing. Ordinary wealthy families would keep maids and servants to serve them, but they are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion. In the past, Xu Yuan often asked Xu Xinyao to help him.

Xu Xinyao reached out and took the bottle from her Sumeru Ring. She poured out some Yin-Yang Flower Essence and, while expertly massaging her Third Brother's hair, whispered:

"Father also asked Xin Yao to temporarily stop her research on the body of the Xien Emperor today, probably because he was afraid that the Emperor would discover something during his visit."

The study of Emperor Xien's body was probably one of the most important secrets of the Prime Minister's Mansion residence in the past decade. The battle that broke out in the sky above Di'an that night attracted too much attention. In order to keep it secret and avoid the limelight, the study of Emperor Xien's body was not transferred to the Institute of Investigation in the suburbs of Di'an, but was carried out on the spot in the Prime Minister's Estate.

Xu Yuan lowered his head, half-bent over, and chuckled softly:

"Is it possible that your father just wants you to rest, after all, today is the first day of the Lunar New Year?"

Xu Xinyao's eyes flickered, and a smile appeared on her lips:

"That's true... But we've finally made some progress, and Xin Yao doesn't want to stop, plus time is running out."

Xu Yuan let out a soft breath:

"Besides Father, you're probably the busiest person in the manor right now. The matter of the Soul Ring has only just begun, and now you've been summoned to study the corpse of Emperor Xien."

Xu Xinyao chuckled and said leisurely:

"Who told Xin Yao to be more capable than you, Third Brother, a good-for-nothing?"

"Hmph, brat."

Xu Yuan gave a soft hum, paused for a moment, and then asked with slight interest:

"What progress did you just mention? Was it the Soul-Avoiding Robe, or the heart of the Emperor of Xien?"

Xu Xinyao crumpled her Third Brother's long hair into a ball, applied fragrance, and kneaded it gently like dough for a few moments. Then, she picked up a spoon, poured water over it, and whispered:

"There's not much to study about that soul-repelling robe. My master has already copied the array patterns on it. It would take a long time to reverse engineer this new array, and the material of the robe also needs to be analyzed by the Weapon Forging Workshop of the Institute of Investigation before any conclusions can be drawn."

Feeling the chill of the icy spring water, Xu Yuan replied softly:

"So that means this kind of Soul-Warding Robe can't be made anytime soon?"

Xu Xinyao gave a soft hum, her delicate voice tinged with laughter:

"Third Brother, do you think forming formations is as simple as cooking? It's not that easy!"

Well, this girl is still holding a grudge about being thrown out of the kitchen last night.

Xu Yuan coughed lightly:

"And what about Emperor Xien's heart?"

Before she finished speaking, Xu Xinyao had finished cleaning Xu Yuan's hair. She curled his long hair with her slender, soft hands, wrung it out slightly, and then took out a cotton handkerchief and placed it directly on Xu Yuan's head.

After doing all this, Xu Xinyao took a half step back, her gentle voice taking on a hint of seriousness:

"That heart was the responsibility of my sister Lou Ji and me. Although the saint's body was already filled with death energy, there was still some vitality in that heart."

"We conducted over a hundred stimulation experiments on it using drugs and various types of energy, and finally discovered that the heart had the strongest response to the cultivator's Essence Blood."

"Ah?"

The cotton handkerchief carried the delicate fragrance of a young girl. Xu Yuan straightened up and used it to wipe the water stains from his hair, asking with slight confusion:

"What's the meaning?"

Xu Xinyao carefully considered her words and explained in a way that Xu Yuan could understand:

"Using the Marrow Refining Vine to create special conduits to transport the cultivator's Essence Blood into the heart, the saint's corpse will move, albeit slightly, but it will move nonetheless."

Speaking of this,

Xu Xinyao pursed her lips, looked into Xu Yuan's eyes, and said softly:

Third Brother,

"That heart seems to be suitable for transplantation into a high-level cultivator."

"Lou Ji is already preparing to conduct human experiments on death row inmates from the Black Prison."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan had a strange sense of déjà vu.

The things the Prime Minister's Mansion is doing now are just like the villains in movies from my past life who researched taboos for profit, but ultimately lost control and were devoured, destroying the world.

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Yuan casually tossed the cotton handkerchief back to Xu Xinyao and said:

"Actually, it seems like I can help with this."

"."

Xu Xinyao caught it somewhat clumsily, but did not reply.

While circulating his Cultivation Method to dry his wet hair, Xu Yuan looked at Xu Xinyao and smiled:

"Have you forgotten? When it comes to stimulating that Emperor Xien's corpse, there's no one more suitable than me. I merely transferred some of my Will Soul, and that headless corpse immediately raised its hand."

Xu Xinyao shook her head and whispered:

"I deliberately didn't mention this to Sister Lou Ji."

Looking at the girl with her eyes lowered, Xu Yuan raised his hand and pressed it on her head:

Are you worried about me?

"Um"

"Hehe, you've improved quite a bit. Back in Wanxiang City, it would have taken you ages to come up with an answer."

Xu Xinyao did not reply.

The recent assassination attempt on her Third Brother, which resulted in him being sent back to Di'an in a near-death state, greatly impacted her. Perhaps it was at that time that her State of Mind underwent some subtle changes.

However, Xu Xinyao kept all these things to herself.

Looking at the silent Little Four, Xu Yuan sighed softly, took out a brocade robe and draped it over himself, then smiled and said:

"Forget it, let's talk about this later. Let's celebrate the New Year and not think about these things."

"Good"

Xu Xinyao obediently responded, raising her eyelids. "Third Brother, are you having breakfast today?"

"What, you want to cook again?"

"."

Xu Xinyao stomped her foot angrily, kicking up a cloud of snow dust.

"No, my brother got up this morning to make dumplings and asked me to come and get you."

"Xu Changge did it? Then it's alright."

Xu Yuan replied with a grin, then glanced back at the room and asked loudly:

"Want to go eat dumplings? My older brother's cooking skills are actually pretty good."

Xu Xinyao's gentle eyes showed a hint of doubt. She tugged at his sleeve and asked softly:

"Third Brother, who are you talking to?"

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then whispered:

"I guess she's one of your sisters."

"."

Xu Xinyao's pupils contracted slightly, and her red lips parted:

"Ah?"

Xu Yuan smiled and gestured towards the side room with his lips:

"Look for yourself."

A young woman dressed in black, with an ethereal and graceful air, slowly emerged from the shadows of the room and stood on the snow. The entire courtyard seemed to grow colder because of her.

Ran Qingmo looked at the brother and sister over there and nodded slightly:

"Xin Yao, good morning."

Xu Xinyao looked at the girl who came out of Xu Yuan's room, her eyes somewhat confused. She looked at Xu Yuan, then at Ran Qingmo, unable to utter a word for a long time. It wasn't until Xu Yuan flicked her forehead that she winced in pain, clutching her forehead, and whispered:

"Sister Qingmo".

After saying that, Xu Xinyao tugged at Xu Yuan's sleeve and whispered:

"Third Brother, didn't you say you couldn't tell Sister Qingmo that you're still alive?"

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes and whispered back:

"How was I supposed to know? I woke up to find him lying next to me."

Xu Xinyao looked slightly worried:

"So how are you going to explain this to Sister Qingmo?"

Xu Yuan didn't care at all and chuckled.

"Don't worry, Ran Qingmo won't ask."

Smoking is prohibited while writing live, as it affects writing inspiration.

So it closed early.