The Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path was the most profound and forbidden core secret of the Harmonious Union Sect in the Immortal World — a cultivation art never meant to be passed on to outsiders.
Just like this Marvel world, the cultivation world of Immortal was bound by rigid hierarchy.
Every blessed land or sacred grotto capable of producing Foundation Establishment materials had long been seized by the great sects. Nothing ever leaked beyond their control.
But in every age, there were always those who defied the heavens.
The sect's founder — once a eunuch in a mortal imperial palace — stumbled upon an incomplete cultivation technique.
After mastering Qi Refinement, he spent decades in seclusion, eventually creating the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path.
The method embodied the very essence of the Dao — the eternal balance and opposition of Yin and Yang, creation between heaven and man.
When this Foundation Establishment method was first completed, it endured eighty-one heavenly lightning tribulations.
It could extract the purest Yin and Yang Qi from men and women — a rare, growth-oriented foundation method.
With this technique, even a low-grade Foundation could, over time, evolve into the highest grade... provided one's kidneys could keep up.
Even at higher cultivation realms, this method continued to strengthen one's foundation endlessly.
The ancestor of the Harmonious Union Sect relied on certain illusions and creative interpretation of morality.
Among mortals, he slept with both women and men, and after one hundred and thirty-eight years of debauchery and enlightenment, he finally ascended — becoming the first Grandmaster of the Harmonious Union Sect.
From him, the infamous sect spread through generations.
Ryan's situation in the Marvel Universe wasn't much better than that ancestor's had been.
Finding any material for Foundation Establishment here was harder than ascending to the heavens themselves.
Of course, Ryan wasn't about to follow the Grandmaster's complete example — he had no intention of sleeping with men.
Thankfully, his System, as troublesome as it was, hadn't left him empty-handed.
It had granted him a novice gift package.
After fusing with the Immortal World imprint, the package transformed into three treasures:
Nine Orifice Golden Core
Heavenly Talisman Cloud Seal
Pure Yang Golden Bell
The Nine Orifice Golden Core was much like the one described in ancient cultivation texts — capable of refining one's aptitude, strengthening the body, and transforming mortal potential into something extraordinary. Ryan had already consumed it.
The Heavenly Talisman Cloud Seal was like a mystical data chip — filled with countless runes and cultivation scripts, acting as a digital scripture library.
And the Pure Yang Golden Bell — that was the real prize.
Forged from the core imprint of the Eastern Emperor Bell from the Immortal World and fused with the System's own origin, it was a Spirit Treasure embryo of immense potential.
In its completed form, it could anchor space and time, shield the soul, conceal fate, and unleash deadly sonic attacks.
But for now, it was only a half-formed treasure — useful enough to protect Ryan's spirit and assist his cultivation.
To fully awaken it, Ryan would need to refine it himself over time.
Even so, the Pure Yang Golden Bell allowed him to draw out and store Pure Yang Qi from within his body — giving him a huge advantage in cultivating the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path.
Simply put, Ryan only needed to find women to assist in his cultivation.
Since establishing himself in Hell's Kitchen, Ryan had been carefully screening candidates for his Foundation Establishment.
After two full years, he had narrowed the list down to three women.
Target One: Mary
Mary — the "female Superman" from Hancock Movie.
She and Hancock were once perfectly matched, but for some mysterious reason, whenever they were near each other, both became weak and powerless.
A thousand-year-old virgin, overflowing with Pure Yin Qi, powerful, gentle, and loyal — the ideal virtuous wife archetype.
Target Two: Isabel
A witch from California.
After digging deep, Ryan discovered that this Isabel matched the bewitched heroine from the sitcom Bewitched.
Born into a family of witches, her exact power level was unknown — but her Yin energy was rich, vibrant, and spiritually pure.
Naïve, lively, and easily deceived — Isabel quickly became Ryan's second target.
Target Three: Gwen Stacy
Gwen, on the other hand, was a puzzle.
Unlike the Gwen in The Amazing Spider-Man, Ryan discovered that three different Peter Parkers existed around her — one in elementary school, one in middle school, and one in college.
And there were three similar family setups: Aunt Mei, Aunt May, and even a Grandma Mei.
It was absurd — like Three Spiders, One Universe — years before No Way Home ever happened.
In this bizarre continuity, Ryan decided to intervene — to guide Gwen toward becoming Ghost Spider.
If successful, her transformation would unleash the Pure Yin Qi of Creation, perfect for his Foundation Establishment.
For two years, Ryan had secretly protected his three targets.
Every man who tried to get close to them mysteriously met with accidents — injuries, disappearances, even deaths.
Now, after reaching Qi Refinement Perfection, Ryan was finally ready to act.
And Gwen would be the first.
She was the easiest to approach.
Just this year, Ryan used a bit of money and influence to get close to her. During a celebrity back-to-school event, he became her "senior confidant."
A newly-turned-eighteen girl, freshly graduated and full of youthful curiosity — far easier to handle than a goddess or a witch.
If he made a move on Mary or Isabel now and failed, he'd probably get obliterated.
But Gwen? She was the perfect starting point.
If Gwen became Ghost Spider, her transformation alone would yield enough Yin energy for Ryan's Foundation Establishment.
And the beauty of the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path was that he didn't need to achieve perfection right away — it grew along with him.
Once his power expanded, he could always come back for Mary and Isabel later.
That was why Ryan and Gwen had gone on three consecutive dates.
He'd already decided — after this one, he would find a way into Oscorp, help Gwen awaken her powers, and then…
Begin his Dual Cultivation of the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Path.
And with it — take his first step toward immortality in the Marvel Universe.