Three months had passed since Qingwu and Qingying had joined the household. In that time, the twins had quietly become part of the family, moving seamlessly alongside my five wives and three concubines, their qi slowly resonating with the others, their presence no longer foreign but familiar.
Their laughter, their movements, even the subtle hum of their cultivation aura had become part of the rhythm of the house.
Yet, despite their closeness, I had not yet engaged in dual cultivation with them. Not because of hesitation, but because the next step in my path was far too perilous.
Breaking through to the Qi Condensation Realm might be the first major leap, but the higher a realm climbed, the more treacherous the path became. One misstep, one surge of unstable qi, and all my progress could backfire, sending me hurtling backward instead of forward.
I could not risk it.
Instead, I dedicated myself to preparation. In the quiet of my study and the alchemy chamber, I worked tirelessly, refining pills designed to stabilize qi flow, crafting talismans to guard against backlash, and calculating the exact timing and energy ratios required for a successful breakthrough.
Each potion, each charm, each incantation was a small layer of protection, a calculated safeguard against the immense forces I was about to unleash within myself.
During the three months, I continued fulfilling my duties as a husband, gently inserting my Thick Dao Tool into all my wives in careful sequence: from Xiaoting, to Yaolin, to Xueyin, to Xueyang, and Fenghua, then onward to Meiyun and her daughters, Lingyu and Lingxue.
With each pass, each insertion of my Thick Dao Tool, thick Milky Dao Seeds will be released inside them, strengthening their meridians, stabilizing their foundations, and deepening the bond between us.
As the months passed and the bellies of my five wives began to swell, I made the prudent choice to pause dual cultivation with them, ensuring they had ample rest and that the unborn children would not be disturbed.
Their days were filled instead with gentle strolls, laughter, and the quiet warmth of family life.
But with my three concubines, Meiyun and her daughters, Lingyu and Lingxue, the cultivation continued unabated.
I also crafted a special Void Seal Pill, a potent anti-pregnancy elixir that would last for a full month. Carefully, I ensured that Meiyun and her daughters, Lingyu and Lingxue, consumed the pills, explaining with a calm, deliberate tone: with the five babies already on the way, the household would become cramped, and I could not afford such strain at the moment.
Their eyes flickered with understanding, and I added lightly that in the future, when space and circumstances allowed, it would no longer be a concern, but for now, patience was necessary.
Under my guidance, their bodies and meridians adapted quickly, and before long, all three had reached 6th Stage Body Tempering, a testament not only to their talent but to the intimacy of our shared cultivation.
The household moved in a careful balance now: five wives resting and nurturing life within them, three concubines advancing rapidly under my hands, and me, ever patient, ever precise, preparing for the next step of my own ascension.
Beyond cultivation within the chambers, I began shaping their roles for the future battlefield.
I personally taught Meiyun, Lingyu, and Lingxue the Steady Wind Bow Art, a long-range martial art focused on breath control, steady qi circulation, and long-range suppression. With their calm temperaments and improving meridians, they learned quickly, arrows flying like silent gusts, striking true from afar. In the days to come, they could stand behind the lines, supporting with precision rather than reckless force.
For the twins Qingwu and Qingying, I imparted the Whispering Thread Dagger Art, a close-range martial art technique crafted for silence, precision, and unseen killing intent. It aligned flawlessly with their constitutions;
Qingwu's Shadowflow Body constitution, infused with the water element, allowed her movements to flow and recede like a dark current, soft and elusive, her presence blurring and dispersing as easily as ripples fading on still water.
Qingying's Shadowwind Body constitution, born of the wind element, was sharper and more volatile. Her qi moved like cutting air, swift and relentless, carrying her through shadows with lethal speed.
Together, the art transformed them into complementary forces, one fluid and suffocating, the other swift and piercing, silent blades shaped by water and wind, perfectly suited to strike from the dark and vanish without a trace.
At the same time, I expanded my preparations in secret. The number of puppets under my control grew to nearly a hundred, ranging from scouts and labor constructs to combat puppets designed for ambush and suppression.
All were sealed neatly within my storage ring, awaiting command. This was only the beginning, as I intended to increase their numbers further. Every piece was moving into place, all for a future plan that required patience, strength, and absolute control.
But that was still not the final step.
For the breakthrough, I prepared a special cultivation room, sealing it with layered formations and filling it with every qi-enhancing resource I possessed, spirit stones embedded into the walls, calming incense refined from clear-heart herbs, stabilizing talismans hung at precise angles, and an array designed solely to protect the meridians during realm ascension.
Everything was arranged to ensure that when the moment came, there would be no room for error.
With the final day approaching, tomorrow, I gathered everyone and held a brief family meeting.
I spoke plainly, without embellishment. To break through to Qi Condensation Realm, I would probably need to spend several days inside the room with Qingwu and Qingying, relying on synchronized dual cultivation to stabilize the surge of qi.
I did not hide the danger, realm breakthroughs were never gentle, and failure could mean backlash or worse. During that time, the house would need guarding, the formations maintained, and no disturbances allowed.
My wives exchanged glances, then nodded in unison. Though already three and a half months pregnant, their gazes were steady; martial instincts did not fade so easily. They told me they knew exactly what to do.
Hearing that, the tightness in my chest finally eased. With a calmer heart, I turned to Qingwu and Qingying, my voice soft but resolute, and told them to prepare themselves. Tomorrow, we would enter the special room together, and once the doors sealed, there would be no turning back.
The next day arrived in a hush of anticipation. I led Qingwu and Qingying toward the sealed cultivation room, the heavy doors already humming faintly with gathered qi.
Outside, my wives watched us go, no worry, no hesitation, only calm smiles and quiet nods, as if this moment had long been accepted by fate itself.
Once inside, the formations activated one by one, bathing the room in a steady, stabilizing glow.
We set aside our outer robes and sat together on the wide spirit bed, breaths syncing as I guided them into position. The moment our cultivation cycles aligned, I pulled them close, pressing brief, grounding kisses to their lips, an anchor for their minds as much as a bond of trust.
My qi surged into motion, spiraling through my meridians with growing pressure, heat beading at my temples as the breakthrough threshold loomed ever closer.
From within, my Thick Dao Tool emerged, overflowing with refined qi, vibrating with barely restrained eagerness.
I gentle guided Qingwu's and Qingying's hands toward my Thick Dao Tool, my voice low and steady. Their slender fingers closed around it, one on each side, skin brushing skin as they fed their qi into the artifact, slow and deliberate.
The moment their hands touched, my Thick Dao Tool flared with warmth, a deep, throbbing resonance filling the room. I inhaled sharply and stepped closer.
My right hand slid along Qingwu's side, tracing the paths of her meridians through cloth and skin alike, coaxing her Shadowflow Body into bloom. She shivered, breath hitching as her qi answered my guidance.
At the same time, my left hand mirrored the motion on Qingying, guiding her Shadowwind Body into a quiet, dangerous rhythm. Her eyes darkened, focus sharpening as her energy coiled tighter, denser, obedient to my touch.
Three cycles began to intertwine, heat, restraint, desire held on the edge of discipline. Sweat rolled slowly down my temple as pressure mounted, my Thick Dao Tool pulsing louder between their joined hands, urging us forward.
When the moment ripened, I moved without hesitation.
Guided by my hand, I inserted my Thick Dao Tool into Qingwu first. The instant it enter, her breath faltered, chest rising sharply as her Shadowflow Body awakened in full. Pale vapor bled from her skin, wrapping us both as our qi streams interlocked, flowing together in a smooth yet overwhelming tide.
Heat surged through my meridians. I felt the boundary of my realm tremble, thin, fragile, ready to crack at any careless surge. With steady control, I guided her energy gently, layer by layer, until her trembling eased into rhythm. Sweat traced down her neck, her aura glowing soft and luminous.
Then, quietly, inevitably my Thick Dao Tool released Milky Dao Seeds inside her. It settled deep, imprinting itself into her constitution, anchoring not only power but an unshakable bond. Her Shadowflow Body shimmered, responding eagerly. Even I could tell, it resonated with her far better than expected.
I withdrew my Thick Dao Tool slowly, the connection lingering like heat between skin.
Turning to Qingying, I inserted my Thick Dao Tool into her next. The moment it enter, her Shadowwind Body resonate, a soft sound escaped her lips, uncontrolled. The room darkened at the edges as her qi surged outward, sharp and elusive, mist and shadow intertwining until the air itself grew hazy.
Her breathing grew uneven, energy flaring wildly before I reined it in, channeling it along precise paths. Each guided circulation drew her deeper, tighter, until her shadow-laden aura folded inward, compressed, obedient.
Then Milky Dao Seeds released from my Thick Dao Tool, dripping from inside her. It embedded itself into her constitution, sealing power, loyalty, and connection in a single, irreversible instant. The shadows clung to it, accepting the bond without resistance.
The pressure never truly left, it only deepened.
Our bodies were close now, so close that there was no clear boundary between where my qi ended and theirs began. Skin brushed against skin, warm, damp with sweat, each contact sending faint tremors through the circulation we shared.
Qingwu's breath and Qingying's breath slowly fell into rhythm with mine, three pulses, one cycle, rising and falling like a single living organism.
Heat poured from us.
It was not the wild heat of desire alone, but the dense, refined warmth of qi pushed beyond its limit, leaking through pores, steaming into the air. The room fogged further, mist curling low over the bed, clinging to our bodies as if reluctant to let us go.
I began the second cycle without hesitation.
My Thick Dao Tool still thrummed with dense, overflowing qi, its surface glowing softly as I inserted it into Qingwu, aligning it with her Shadowflow Body. The moment the connection formed, her breath caught, water-aspected qi rippling outward as I carefully guided the energy through her meridians, circulating it from core to limb, smoothing resistance, deepening flow. Her body responded instinctively, warmth spreading as her aura grew fuller, heavier, layer by layer, refinement upon refinement.
I did not neglect Qingying.
I drew her close, pressing my lips to hers in a slow, consuming kiss, grounding her as my other hand traced precise paths along her meridians, guiding qi through her Shadowwind Body. Her energy sharpened under the pressure, wind-aspected currents tightening, strengthening every channel.
When Qingwu's circulation reached its peak, the qi converged inward, and my Thick Dao Tool released Milky Dao Seeds, condensed, deep inside of her. The seeds settled at once, deep and undeniable, her aura stabilizing as loyalty and resonance took root.
Yet my Thick Dao Tool was far from spent.
I shifted the flow toward Qingying, the sudden change making her inhale sharply as the qi surged to meet her constitution. Heat and sweat entwined as I guided the circulation, accelerating and compressing it until the air itself seemed to tremble. Then, in a single, decisive moment, another load of Milky Dao Seeds released from my Thick Dao Tool, inside of her. Her aura flared, then steadied, the bond sealing just as firmly, two paths aligned, two foundations reinforced, the cycle complete and the room still humming with unspent heat.
Time dissolved into a slow, intoxicating haze.
We rested only long enough for breath to steady.
And we surrender to the rhythm again.
The dual cultivation cycles rolled on, one after another, my Thick Dao Tool never losing its brilliance, always warm, always surging, always ready, heavy with refined qi. Each circulation drew us closer, skin warm, breaths intertwined, the room saturated with heat and spirit pressure.
When resonance peaked, energy converged and released, and with every insertion, loads of Milky Dao Seeds will be released from my Thick Dao Tool, settling deep inside of Qingwu and Qingying, reinforcing foundations, tightening bonds until loyalty and power felt inseparable.
Three days passed like a single, endless night.
On the final cycle, the pressure within me swelled beyond restraint. Qi thundered through my meridians, dense and intoxicating, until the invisible barrier finally gave way.
The breakthrough was unmistakable, my body responding instantly, strength flooding my limbs, stamina deepening, movements sharpening, every breath lighter than before. As the mist slowly thinned and the circulation eased, clarity settled in my core. I had stepped cleanly into Qi Condensation Realm.
I lay back, feeling the aftershocks hum through me, a quiet satisfaction curling in my chest. This realm was only the threshold. With proper preparation, and with more partners attuned to my path, the ascent ahead promised to be just as intense, just as irresistible.
I watched them for a short moment, Qingwu and Qingying, finally still, chests rising and falling as they caught their breath, exhaustion softening the sharp edges of their auras. The relentless cycles had taken their toll, and a quiet guilt stirred in me.
I moved closer and pressed a gentle kiss to each of them, slow and careful, then settled between their bodies. My right arm slipped around Qingwu, drawing her close, her warmth fitting naturally against me, while my left arm gathered Qingying, holding her just as tightly.
Their qi had settled into a calm, steady flow, no longer surging, yet Milky Dao Seeds still dripping from inside of them, warmth and lingering resonance clinging to them as the echoes of cultivation faded.
Leaning in, I whispered softly between them, my voice low and reassuring. "Sleep. Rest well. I've already broken through… we can let the night carry us now."
Their bodies relaxed almost at once, breaths slowly evening out as they leaned into my embrace. Only thin, translucent robes covered us, barely separating warmth from warmth, fabric clinging softly as the lingering heat of cultivation faded. Wrapped together like this, we drifted into sleep, the room hushed at last, still heavy with mist, quiet bonds, and the unspoken promise of what awaited us beyond the night.