The gates slammed shut with a thunderous echo, leaving Jian and Maria in silence. Almost immediately, a figure in flowing purple -and-black robes stepped forward. His eyes gleamed with faint curiosity as he spoke.
"Welcome to the Yin and Yang Unity Sect. Tell me—what is your name?"
"Lou Jian," Jian replied without hesitation.
The elder's gaze swept over him, weighing and dismissing all at once. "Your cultivation does not meet the standards of the Yin and Yang Unity Sect. Under normal circumstances, you would not be permitted entry.
However…" His eyes narrowed as they fell on the talisman hanging at Jian's side. "…I see you carry Fairy Mei Lian's talisman."
With a simple wave of his hand, spiritual energy surged forth, like an invisible flame. The talisman lifted into the air, wrapped in a shimmering aura, before combusting in a sudden blaze. Ash drifted down, scattering on the stone floor within seconds.
"My name is Elder Hong Wei," he introduced curtly. "Follow me." Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel, his long sleeves brushing the floor as he strode forward.
Jian and Maria exchanged a glance before following in silence.
As they walked deeper into the sect, Elder Hong Wei spoke, his voice calm but heavy with pride as they walked the path leading to the outer court.
"As you are no are to know , this is a dual cultivation sect. The foundation of our strength lies in the balance of Yin and Yang—the art of pleasure refined into the path of power.
Here, every disciple learns to merge passion with cultivation, to turn desire into advancement."
Jian's expression remained composed, his eyes seemingly attentive. Yet in truth, his mind was elsewhere. He had walked these halls before—not as Lou Jian, but as Jian Yu.
His time in the Yin and Yang Unity Sect had been brief compared to his enormous lifespan—barely two centuries. But within those two hundred years, he had ascended the ranks with a swiftness that left countless of his peers in awe and envy, rising from a mere outer court desciple to the ranks of a core disciple.
Now, as the familiar architecture unfolded before him, Jian's gaze lingered on the path ahead. On either side of the road, raised platforms stretched out, carved with the eternal dance of entwined dragons and phoenixes.
The air was laced with incense—sandalwood at its base, but with something sweeter layered atop it, a fragrance both alluring and distracting.
Nostalgia pressed against his chest like a tide threatening to drag him under.
"This will be your quarters," Elder Hong Wei's voice cut sharply through his haze, snapping him back to the present.
The elder gestured toward a modest courtyard residence ahead. His tone carried the weight of restrained formality, but also the faintest hint of disdain.
"Ordinarily, someone of your cultivation would never be placed here. But that recommendation of yours… has its perks. Consider this one of them ."
Jian blinked, realizing only then how lost in thought he had been. His mind had wandered so deep into memories and comparisons that he had failed to notice they had already arrived in the outer court.
But this was no ordinary part of the outer court. They stood within the privileged quarters—a section reserved for those with powerful backgrounds or exceptionally talented individuals.
And now Jian himself could be counted among the few disciples ever granted such privilege as fewer still could claim one of these quarters as their own.
The houses were scattered neatly across the surroundings, yet the outer court area felt strangely deserted. Since their arrival, neither he nor Maria had caught sight of a single disciple.
Jian, however, paid it little mind. In his head, there were countless reasons why the outer court disciples might not linger in their residential area—cultivation, training, indulgence, or perhaps, a meeting
"I will send a disciple over later to show you around the sect," Elder Hong Wei said, his tone firm. "Your sect robes are already inside. In the meantime, you and your… helper should familiarize yourselves with your new home."
With that, the elder lifted into the air and drifted away, robes fluttering as he disappeared beyond the rooftops.
Jian turned to Maria with a faint smile.
"Well, that wasn't all bad, was it?"
Maria's lips curved into a small, curious smile as she nodded. "Shall we go inside?" she asked, her voice laced with wonder. Of course, she had read about dual cultivation sects before, but never—not even in her wildest dreams had she thought she would one day stand inside one.
Together they stepped into the residence.
The first room resembled a small reception hall. A simple couch stood along the wall, with a low table set before it—positioned deliberately to face the entrance, almost as though welcoming guests. The air carried the faint aroma of polished wood and incense residue, suggesting the quarters had been carefully prepared for them not long ago as the scent was strong.
On the opposite wall, two side doors waited, their polished frames glinting faintly under the reflection of the sun from the windows.
Directly behind the central table stood another door—this one more ornate, its wooden frame inlaid with faint silver streaks that shimmered under the sunlight.
Maria, who had by now grown far more comfortable around Jian, wasted no time pushing the door open with quiet curiosity.
Inside, the room was bare at first glance, almost ascetic compared to the elegance outside. Yet as her eyes adjusted, she noticed the intricate carvings etched across the floor which was made with places marble interlock.
The lines weren't random but formed a series of complex interlocking patterns that all converged toward the center, where a smooth circular slab rested—its surface inscribed with the same delicate runes in a circular pattern.
Maria turned toward Jian, her brows furrowed in confusion, silently asking what purpose such a strange place could serve. Jian's gaze lingered on the formation for a heartbeat before he answered, his voice carrying the calm weight of familiarity.
"This is a cultivation room," he explained. "Not for dual cultivation, but for qi cultivation. The runes you see etched into the floor are gathering arrays—they draw the stray spiritual qi in the air and condense it here, focusing everything toward that slab. Sit there and cultivate you will see an effect far greater than normal cultivation."
Maria's lips parted slightly, but hesitation clouded her expression. "I'm not sure I can even be a cultivator…" she admitted softly, doubt heavy in her tone. "I've already started too late. What if I never catch up?"
Jian stepped closer, his eyes steady, his hand rising to brush against her cheek before resting warmly atop her head. He leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Don't worry," he murmured with quiet certainty, "leave that to me. I'll carve a path for you."
When they left the cultivation chamber, the next room they opened revealed a different kind of intimacy. A vast bed dominated the space, its silken sheets tucked neatly, the shelves nearby lined with bottles of oils, jars of pills, and folded linens in abundance.
In the far corner, steam curled faintly from the mouth of a stone tub—an indoor bath already prepared for relaxation.
Resting across the center of the bed were two robes which were a mix of ash-gray, the other light purple.
The fabric shimmered faintly, threads woven with care, and embroidered with the insignia of the Yin and Yang Unity Sect. Jian's lips curved into a faint smile as he gazed at them.
"Once again… an outer court disciple," he thought, a strange mix of nostalgia and irony tugging at him.
Maria, however, tugged his hand, eager to explore the final room. When she opened the door, it revealed a simpler chamber—smaller, with a modest bed neatly made. On it rested a plain white robe and a thin apron, folded with precision.
"This must be the helper's uniform," Maria said, her tone carrying a quiet acceptance, her finger brushing the cloth as if she were already preparing to wear it.
Jian stepped behind her, his hand sliding around her waist as he pulled her gently into his chest. He lowered his voice, his lips brushing the hem of her ear.
"Don't think I'd let you wear that for long?" His tone was playful, but the warmth behind it made her cheeks flush red.
"That was only my excuse to bring you into this sect. No woman of mine will b
e treated as a servant."
Before she could respond, he tilted her chin up seemingly going for a kiss.