The Bubble World Earth no longer faced any external threats. Its peacefulness started to come back to the time without the honkai.
The Two Xuanyuans witnessed it unfold first-hand. They saw how the world looked fifty thousand years ago. The modern sight—cars, skyscrapers, phones—bedazzled them.
For a year, they juggled between immortal cultivation and integrating with this new world. Their problems mostly lay in a cultivator's skewed sense of time. One seclusion lasts a week during the Purple Mansion Realm. When they attained a fourth level Tao Heart and broke through the Golden Core Realm, it lasted months.
It took them three entire years to discover the Internet. Oblivious to its power, Ji Xuanyuan looked up some inappropriate content and was devastated. No matter how strong her heart has become, she would remain quite helpless in the face of things she hasn't experienced before—more so if it is about the "mortal life" she missed out on.
"Wait. Did you know about it?"
"Who else do you think searched it up first?"
"..."
Hei Xuanyuan moved her face away. Her reddened ears betrayed her, however.
"...Have you heard of dual cultivation?" Ji Xuanyuan asked.
"...!"
Hei Xuanyuan looked at her with surprise. Her shattered calmness showcased her chaotic thoughts.
"That's why I told you not to check the Internet!"
Her frantic attempt to shift the topic began.
"B-but I thought rule thirty-four is a precept about…"
The two fell silent the moment they sensed Shi Tian's arrival. The latter was confused to see their silence.
'Dual cultivation… Dual cultivation… So that's it…'
'He's really doing it with her!'
Two different thoughts, each coming from Ji and Hei Xuanyuan, rattled their minds.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked.
"...No, no. We had a disagreement…"
Shi Tian saw Hei Xuanyuan's explanation and chose not to dig further.
"I heard from Pardofelis about your hard work. You don't need to provide instructions to the 'disciples' more often. You can let them accumulate more questions for a while and provide instructions every four to six months."
"They are rapidly progressing. Wouldn't it be bad?" Ji Xuanyuan asked.
"Accumulating more questions can lead to a huge breakthrough. You might not have encountered it yourselves, but not everyone can have the same cultivation speed as us."
The establishment of the Earth Federation also led to the creation of the 'sect' that Shi Tian envisioned—Beginningless Dao Sect (lit. Wushi Dao Sect). Its top-down structure consists of a sect master, vice sect master, peak masters, elders, deacons, and disciples. There are a lot of subdivisions such as sect elders and disciples being divided into inner and outer sects. Exceptional disciples who are personally under the peak masters, vice sect master, and the sect master himself fall under "True Disciples".
The two Xuanyuans, for instance, are elders of the Physical Cultivation Vein. The peak master position is left to Shenzhou's Immortal Jingwei. They are tentatively responsible for the instruction of the disciples practicing Martial Arts (i.e., Blade Mantra 2.0).
Overall, Shi Tian is testing the results of some decisions to optimize his plans for the real world's Earth.
"Here."
"..?"
Ji Xuanyuan caught the storage ring he tossed out.
"That contains thirty or so volumes for the problems encountered within [Eminence] and below. There are also some helpful spiritual pills to aid in their practice. I also separated a portion of supplies that you two will use…"
Shi Tian acted like a bonafide sect master. He distributed the necessary supplies to embolden the current number of martial arts disciples. The number of martial artists who comprehended up to the [Clear Mirror] realm reached two digits. The rest who are in lower realms numbered ten thousand.
Consequently, anyone who reaches the [Eminence] stage is heralded as "Martial Masters". They numbered in single-digits.
It is not wrong to say that the two Xuanyuans have a lot of work to do. Their martial arts is at the [True Intention] Realm with the virtue of their fourth level Tao Hearts. They are hailed as the "Martial Grandmasters" amongst all the disciples.
Besides Shi Tian who made rare appearances as the world's one and only "Martial Emperor" (i.e., Heart Intention), they have one of the best prestige.
After some formalities, Shi Tian thanked them and left.
The two Xuanyuans looked at each other and communicated with their eyes.
'Did he hear it?'
'Probably not…'
*****
It's been a long time since I saw Kiana cultivate properly. Every time we are together, it is all about dual cultivation.
Five years of constant dual cultivation did not reduce our addiction.
It worsened.
We tried out all sorts of things so long as it remained in a single room… with us alone.
It took two seconds for her to exit her meditative state. Her figure disappeared before reappearing right behind me.
"Hup!"
She hopped off to my back and clung like a koala. Her arms wrapped around my neck, with her breasts pressing behind my back.
Her sweet scent drifted to my nose.
"How was it?" She whispered in my ear.
"It's fine. We'll definitely beat your ancestor thoroughly."
"Hum."
Kiana thought of something and said:
"Your vision from before… We have that bed now."
"..."
Sirin…
Back when I healed her completely, I used my fourth level divination skills to peek at a possible future. I ended up seeing me and Sirin kissing. What happened after that is self-explanatory.
"I won't talk about the Nascent Soul Realm." She stated. "She already has an answer, but she does not want to talk about it."
"Sirin..?"
"Yes. How can I not like you?"
"..."
It is an irrefutable fact.
Despite Sirin and Kiana being two different people, they bear a lot of similarities. Someone can give me a long list and I can enumerate it all.
Inevitably…
I started to like her.
I doubted this myself two years ago. I wouldn't develop any preference for her had I not seen her will to change. She came to terms with the devastating things she inflicted back when her anger consumed her rationality. Being accepted by Kiana led to such a change.
I cannot sit still and do nothing. I can see how Sirin really wanted to change. She may be an irredeemable villain to others, but she is also a part of Kiana.
"I am a few percent away from Golden Core perfection."
Her eyes lit up.
"Do we need to work hard?"
I nodded. I had to make sure I could reach it. Sin Mal's and Bronya's breakthroughs are one thing; dual cultivation is another.
She did not wait for another word as her mouth started nibbling on my ears.