"Furthermore, cultivating to Refining Essence into Qi - Level 9 can increase your lifespan by 50 years, Refining Qi into Spirit can increase it by 100 years, Refining Spirit to Return to Void can increase it by 300 years, and if you reach Returning to Void and Merging with the Dao, you can gain an additional 500 years," said Ye Lingtian.
"Doesn't that make you an immortal?" asked Ouyang Yanan excitedly.
"Haha, silly girl, beyond Returning to Void and Merging with the Dao is the Xiantian Realm, and after the Xiantian Realm there are still several other stages. For your current level, it's all too far away. Once you reach the Xiantian Realm, I'll explain it to you!" said Ye Lingtian with a deliberately profound air.
"Sigh! It feels like the path of cultivation is so long and endless! Then what realm are you at now?"
"Refining Qi to Return to Spirit - Level 9! My spiritual power was exhausted during the day, but I've already touched the threshold of Refining Spirit to Return to Void! Breaking through is just a matter of time!" Ye Lingtian smiled with confidence.
"Then how many years did it take you to reach your current realm?"
"Eight years!"
"That long? Then you can live to be 200 years old now?"
"Mhm!"
"Then when on earth will I ever be able to cultivate to Returning to Void and Merging with the Dao?"
"You're already complaining that I took too long to cultivate? Do you know that people with poor talent don't even reach Refining Essence into Qi until they are fifty or sixty? Besides, spiritual qi in the mortal world is thin, and spiritual stones are nearly impossible to find. Therefore, in the cultivation world, killing and plundering for a single spiritual stone is a common occurrence!"
"It's that cruel?" Ouyang Yanan felt a trace of fear in her heart.
Having lived a peaceful life in the mortal world for too long and grown accustomed to the constraints of the law, Ouyang Yanan found it very difficult to adapt to such a violent way of solving problems through cultivation.
Seeing that Ouyang Yanan was frightened, Ye Lingtian comforted her: "Don't worry, aren't I still here? But you must remember one thing: 'keep a low profile'. Unless your life is threatened, never expose your trump cards. Sometimes, playing the pig to eat the tiger is the ultimate strategy!"
"Mhm!"
Suddenly thinking of something, Ye Lingtian grabbed Ouyang Yanan by both shoulders and said solemnly: "Yanan, you must never let anyone else know that you have the Yin Body! Otherwise, your life will be in danger!"
Looking at Ye Lingtian's dead-serious face, Ouyang Yanan felt a twinge of doubt, but still replied: "Okay!"
"Alright, it's almost dawn, go get some sleep!"
"Okay!"
After Ouyang Yanan left, Ye Lingtian continued to sit in cross-legged meditation, running through nine minor heavenly cycles to recover his Spiritual Power. He aimed to break through to Refining Spirit to Return to Void within three days.
The next day was the weekend. Early in the morning, Ye Lingtian received a call from General Manager Li, who asked him to choose the interior decoration style for their new home and even sent over some pictures. Ye Lingtian immediately handed them to Ouyang Yanan to choose.
Ouyang Yanan picked a design featuring solid off-white wood-carved furniture, off-white flooring, pale blue silk-embroidered wallpaper, a 16-bulb crystal chandelier for the living room, an 8-bulb crystal chandelier for the bedroom, all-white appliances, and jade-colored embroidered sofas. The design was fresh, elegant, comfortable, and cozy.
As soon as Ouyang Yanan selected the decor style, General Manager Li sent people out to prepare the furniture. Zhang Shaofu moved quickly, and by 12:00 noon, the plumbing and wall plastering were entirely completed. General Manager Li personally brought in the decoration workers for installation. Because the furniture was made of top-quality materials, the total cost for the furniture, appliances, and the entire setup already exceeded the price of the house itself. General Manager Li had spent a fortune to show his gratitude for Ye Lingtian saving his life!
Two days later, Ye Lingtian's breakthrough reached its final stage. Taking out a palm-sized, pure white spiritual stone, Ye Lingtian gathered all his spiritual power in one breath to smash through that barrier, directly reaching Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 1. The momentum showed no sign of stopping; his realm continued to climb, finally coming to a halt at the peak of Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 2. Opening his sea of spiritual power, Ye Lingtian's awareness could see people within a radius of three thousand meters and hear what they were saying. He could even hear the sound of flowers blooming and leaves falling...
Ye Lingtian suddenly opened his deep eyes and let out a great laugh: "Haha, my spiritual power has recovered, and I never expected that saving someone would let me jump two consecutive levels. You really have to give something to gain something! This deal was worth it!"
Ye Lingtian thought to himself: "Oh? Yanan is home alone! Her realm..."
Opening the bedroom door, Ye Lingtian saw Ouyang Yanan sitting in the living room meditating.
"You've come out of seclusion!" Ouyang Yanan said happily.
"Mhm!"
"How is it? Did you break through?" Someone of a lower level could not see through the level of someone higher—barring, of course, certain magical artifacts that concealed one's realm.
"Mhm, Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 2!"
"Wow, that's amazing! Then you've added 300 years to your lifespan?"
"Aren't you even more amazing? In just three days, you've cultivated to Refining Essence into Qi - Level 6!" Ye Lingtian's face was full of praise.
"You saw right through me! But compared to you, I'm still far behind!" A trace of excitement could still be seen on Ouyang Yanan's face!
"Don't sell yourself short. I said before, your future achievements will definitely surpass mine!"
"Mhm."
"Right, why are you home alone? Today is Tuesday, you should be at work."
"Oh, I went and handed in my resignation on Monday. As soon as the boss heard about my current physical condition, they approved it immediately and even gave me six months of salary as compensation.
As for my mom, dad, and sister, they went shopping! And my younger brother is at school! Ever since you cured him, he has a photographic memory, is very dedicated to his studies, highly motivated, and has set his sights on taking first place in the whole grade for the final exams! I still have to thank you!"
"It was right to quit. But what are you talking like a stranger for? We're all family!" Ye Lingtian teased.
"Hmph, who's family with you!" Ouyang Yanan rolled her eyes and said.
Ye Lingtian half-embraced Ouyang Yanan's arm and said, "Your parents have both agreed, can you still run away?"
"Let go of me! I... I haven't agreed yet!"
"Is that so?" Ye Lingtian stared affectionately at Ouyang Yanan with his deep eyes and asked.
Being stared at so affectionately by such a handsome, capable, and charming man, Ouyang Yanan blushed fiercely, feeling too embarrassed to know what to say.
Looking at Ouyang Yanan's face, as red as an apple, and her rare shy expression, she was truly terribly cute. Ye Lingtian really wanted to taste those lips, and thinking it, he did it. Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed her...
At the crucial moment...
"Beep, beep, beep..." It was Ye Lingtian's phone ringing.
Ouyang Yanan came to her senses and jumped back as if she had been electrocuted!
Ye Lingtian felt a wave of regret, followed by irritation. Which blind idiot was interrupting his good time?
"Hello! Divine Doctor Ye! It's me, Li Shengqiang!"
"Oh! General Manager Li! Is something the matter?"
"Well, it's like this, Divine Doctor Ye. The house renovation is complete. When do you think you'd like to move in?"
"So fast? It's only been two days, General Manager Li really works efficiently! Hmm, let it air out for a bit before moving in!"
"Divine Doctor Ye, I used only the finest materials. There's no methane or other harmful gases and no weird odors. You pick a time; you can move in within the next day or two!"
"Is that so? Alright, General Manager Li, you've put a lot of thought into this!"
"What are you saying, Divine Doctor Ye? Being able to help out with even a little thing is my honor!"
"Mhm! You've really put in the effort!"
After hanging up the phone, Ye Lingtian turned to look at Ouyang Yanan and asked, "You heard what General Manager Li said. Once Uncle and Auntie come back, we can figure out a time and move right in!"
"Mhm! This General Manager Li is quite attentive! I'm basking in your glory, too!"
"Being able to serve my wife is my duty!"
"Get lost!"
"I won't!"
"..."
At 4:40 PM, Ouyang Fan and Ms. Wan Feng came back carrying two bags of daily necessities and vegetables.
"Dad, Mom, Sis, you're back?"
"Hey!"
"Mhm."
"Mhm."
Seeing Ye Lingtian there, Ouyang Fan smiled and said, "Xiaotian, how is your recovery?"
"Uncle, I'm all better!"
"That's good. You haven't left your room in days, and your aunt and I were very worried. This stinky girl Yanan wouldn't even let us go in to check on you, saying she was afraid of disturbing you!" Ouyang Fan cast a glare at Ouyang Yanan as he spoke.
Ouyang Yanan mischievously stuck out her tongue and hurriedly changed the subject: "Mom, what good food did you buy?"
Ms. Wan Feng smiled and said, "I stewed a pig's trotters before I left, ready to build up Xiaotian's strength. Didn't you say you love spare ribs? Your dad and I went out and bought some spare ribs, and we're going to make sweet and sour spare ribs; we also got pig's stomach, ready for a stir-fried pig's stomach; we bought two blocks of tofu, ready to make Mapo tofu; plus a bowl of bitter vegetable soup!"
"Wow! Then we're in for a treat!"
"You girl, you need to care more about Xiaotian! Don't act like a child all day long! What are you going to do when you get married in the future?"
Parents always have endless worries about their children.
"Mom, what are you talking about? I still want to stay by your side and eat the food you cook every day! I don't want to get married!"
"Alright, you're a grown young woman now, you need to have some sense about your own affairs! Xiaotian seems like a good one to me!"
"Mom..."
"Fine, fine, I'm going to go cook!"
Seeing Ye Lingtian snickering over there, Ouyang Yanan walked over and gave him a kick in the backside: "I'll teach you to laugh!"
Ye Lingtian put on an act and cried out in a soft, pained voice: "Ow! Wife, I was wrong!"
"Hmph!"
"However, Auntie is right. If someone doesn't marry a catch as great as me, she might regret it, you know!" Ye Lingtian raised an eyebrow and said purposely.
"Tch, arrogant!"
Ye Lingtian rubbed his nose, unfazed.
"Huh?" Ouyang Yanan saw that her older sister, Ouyang Can, was holding a small bag of something, and she narrowed her eyes to ask: "Sis, what good food do you have in your hand?"
Ouyang Can said indifferently, "Just some nuts!"
"Is there any for me?"
"Ah, I forgot to buy you any!"
Ouyang Yanan glared, rushed forward, and started snatching.
"Ah! These are mine!" Ouyang Can clutched the snacks in her arms and refused to let go.
"Who told you not to buy me any!" Yanan was not one to give up easily.
"..."
"..."
Ye Lingtian speechlessly watched the two sisters and thought to himself: I wonder if I have any siblings?
"Right, Uncle, because treating you was delayed by my saving someone earlier, I'll do your acupuncture right now!"
"Ah, good, Xiaotian, then I'll have to trouble you!"
"Uncle, you're being too polite!"
After spending half an hour performing acupuncture on the Ouyang couple, he turned to Ouyang Can and asked, "Eldest Sister, after taking a few doses of medicine, how do you feel?"
Ouyang Can said with gratitude, "I feel much better, my head isn't feeling dizzy and heavy anymore! Thank you, brother-in-law!"
"We're family, it's only right. Don't say such polite things in the future!"
"Okay!"
At 6:00 PM, Ms. Wan Feng walked out carrying a large bowl of sweet and sour spare ribs and shouted, "You must all be starving! Time to eat!"
After all the dishes were laid out on the table, Ouyang Yanan's little claw pinched a piece of sweet and sour spare rib and stuffed it into her mouth: "Mmm... so good!"
"Smack!"
"Ah! Mom, what did you hit me for?" Ouyang Yanan muttered with the spare rib still in her mouth, her speech slurred.
"How old are you, and so impolite!" It turned out Ms. Wan Feng had struck Ouyang Yanan's paw with her chopsticks!
Tearful and pitiful...
Ye Lingtian covered his mouth and snickered!