Ch. 702Hou Ming's Frankness! First Joint Cultivation!
Chapter Summary: “Hou Ming’s Frankness! First Joint Cultivation!”
Key Plot Points and Events
- Hou Ming openly explains her reasons for trusting Jiang Yun. After the Black Bird disappeared and was presumed dead, she regretted not speaking frankly sooner. The dangerous and unpredictable situation in Heaven also convinces her that Jiang Yun must be warned against repeating the Xuan Emperor’s mistakes.
- She reveals that their two flames—the Reincarnation Dao Flame and Hell Netherfire—are strangely connected. Though one is hot and the other cold, they resonate, influence each other, and create a balancing effect.
- Hou Ming promises to help Jiang Yun with his cultivation and declares that she has no intention of harming him. Jiang Yun realizes that strengthening their relationship could also increase his influence within the Weird Clan.
- Jiang Yun proposes that they cultivate together. Hou Ming agrees, though she emphasizes that the Ancestral Land and the upcoming Sacrificial Era Grand Sacrifice must take priority over any secluded cultivation.
- They immediately test their cooperation. They discover that the erosive forces of their flames neutralize one another, allowing both to use their dangerous powers more safely and efficiently.
- Jiang Yun learns that the Reincarnation Dao Flame is slowly reshaping and damaging his Dao Ancestor body, while Hell Netherfire is gradually consuming Hou Ming and threatening to turn her into its puppet. Joint cultivation helps both resist these dangers.
- After experimenting with their proximity, they find that the closer they are, the faster the opposing Dao marks are neutralized. They eventually sit back-to-back, enabling their flames to circulate through and complement each other.
- Jiang Yun uses the “Nine Revolutions Source-Returning Scripture” to refine his body and fuse countless Dao laws into his Dao Origin Physique. The Reincarnation Dao Flame becomes a powerful tempering force rather than merely a threat.
- Their cultivation causes dramatic changes in Hou Ming’s Dao Field and the surrounding Abyss. Sacred radiance, Dao runes, heavenly sounds, and immense fluctuations of power appear, while decayed worlds collapse further. Their combined flames also begin erasing strands of weird and ominous energy, though neither notices this final effect.
Character Developments
- Hou Ming becomes more honest and emotionally open with Jiang Yun. Her earlier hesitation, intensified by the Black Bird’s disappearance, gives way to direct cooperation and trust.
- She is shown to be deeply loyal to the Weird Clan’s Ancestral Land, placing its survival above personal advancement. At the same time, her reliance on Hell Netherfire exposes a serious personal crisis: without help, the flame may eventually consume her.
- Jiang Yun recognizes the strategic value of his relationship with Hou Ming and sees joint cultivation as both a means of improving his strength and a way to gain influence within the Weird Clan.
- He also develops genuine excitement and anticipation toward Hou Ming, though both frame their closeness as a matter of cultivation rather than romance.
- Jiang Yun’s understanding of the Weird Dao Ancestors deepens. He realizes that their loyalty to the Ancestral Land is absolute and forms one of the foundations of their long-term dominance.
- Both characters gain greater control over their respective flames, and their cultivation paths become increasingly interdependent.
Significant Themes
- Trust through shared power: Their mutual connection begins with their flames and gradually develops into personal and strategic trust.
- Cooperation between opposites: The cold Hell Netherfire and the blazing Reincarnation Dao Flame appear contradictory, yet their opposition allows them to neutralize each other and produce greater strength.
- Cultivation as mutual salvation: Joint cultivation is not merely beneficial; it may be essential to both characters’ survival, especially for Hou Ming, whose Dao is being consumed by Hell Netherfire.
- Personal interests versus collective duty: Both acknowledge that the Ancestral Land and the Grand Sacrifice take precedence over their individual cultivation.
- Dangerous power and control: The chapter emphasizes that supreme flames can either elevate their wielders or consume them. Mastery depends on balance, discipline, and cooperation.
- Hidden transformation: Their cultivation affects not only their bodies but also the surrounding Dao Field, Abyss, and weird energy, suggesting that their partnership may have consequences far beyond themselves.
Character Interactions
- Hou Ming confesses her suspicions and offers Jiang Yun unconditional cultivation assistance.
- Jiang Yun responds by proposing direct joint cultivation, mixing strategic calculation with sincere anticipation.
- They openly discuss the Grand Sacrifice and affirm that the Ancestral Land must come first.
- Through repeated experimentation, they determine that physical closeness strengthens the neutralization of their Dao marks.
- Sitting back-to-back, they form a nearly unified cultivation cycle, with each person’s flame tempering and stabilizing the other.
- Their interaction remains formally centered on cultivation, but the powerful instinctive attraction between their Daos introduces an undercurrent of intimacy and emotional possibility.