Shan Hu's words carried an undeniable dominance, each syllable striking Ye Qingcheng's heart like a heavy hammer.
"Foundation Establishment Pill... forced enhancement..." Ye Qingcheng muttered, her face deathly pale. Her pride seemed to have been stripped away, exposing the fragility and instability of her inner self.
She had always prided herself on being a genius, treating diligence as life itself, practicing day and night to reach the Innate Realm in her early twenties. If all of this was not due to her own hard work but the cost of draining her potential through a secret family elixir, then all her pride instantly collapsed.
She looked at Ye Qingyun, who was kneeling on the ground, her eyes filled with hurt and rage. "Father! Is what he said true?"
Tears streamed down Ye Qingyun's face as he painfully lowered his head, confirming the truth: "Qingcheng, I'm sorry! It was the family's decision, made so you could have enough strength to secure a place among the Capital's aristocratic families! The pill can activate the Spirit Body, but the side effect is... unless you acquire some heavenly treasure, you will be permanently stuck at the Mid-Innate Stage."
Ye Qingcheng felt the world spinning. The Mid-Innate Stage—was that the end of her martial path? The peak she had painstakingly pursued turned out to be nothing more than a pre-set cage!
She refocused her gaze on Shan Hu, her arrogance replaced by desperation and a trace of humble survival instinct. She finally understood that this young man before her was a force of "Heaven" that she could neither comprehend nor resist.
"You... do you know how to fix it?" Her voice was hoarse, tinged with a tremble.
Shan Hu calmly withdrew his gaze, looking toward the distant night sky over the capital, his tone indifferent, as if discussing something trivial.
"Fix it? It's merely defying fate. To me, it is effortless."
He looked back at her, his eyes seemingly penetrating all the mysteries of her Ice Profound Spirit Body. "The Ice Profound Spirit Body is most suitable for Dual Cultivation; not only can it provide extremely pure True Essence, but it can also raise one's own cultivation with external aid. Qin Wan'er's technique requires True Essence of supreme Yin and coldness as a catalyst, and your Spirit Body is a perfect match."
Ye Qingcheng clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms. She knew that in the face of absolute power and the shackles on her lifespan, she had no choice but to bow her head.
"Dual Cultivation? A Vessel?" She ground out the humiliating words, then lifted her head, the last flicker of fire burning in her eyes. "I, Ye Qingcheng, will never willingly be a mere tool! If I help her, what do I gain?"
A faint smile appeared on Shan Hu's lips, as if he were appreciating a trapped beast that had finally lowered its claws.
"There are three benefits."
"Firstly, I will remove the residual effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill from your body, reversing the drained potential. You will not only recover your original cultivation speed, but reaching Foundation Establishment, and even Golden Core in the future, will not be a pipe dream."
"Secondly, through the complementary nature of Dual Cultivation, you will share in Qin Wan'er's progress. Her technique will refine and purify your True Essence. While aiding her, your cultivation will grow faster and more steadily than ever before."
"Thirdly, by serving me, you become one of Shan Hu's people. The Capital's aristocratic families, and even the greater world, will open up to you. I can take you as a named disciple, bestow upon you a complete, high-level cultivation technique, and help you reshape your Dao Heart."
Ye Qingcheng was severely shaken. Removal of residue, accelerated cultivation, high-level techniques... every one of these benefits was enough to drive every martial arts expert in the capital insane. Especially the ability to reverse her potential and once again reach for the Foundation Establishment Realm—for her, it was nothing short of rebirth.
She remained silent for a long time, finally lowering the sword she held (though it was already shattered). Taking a deep, cold breath, she knelt down on one knee toward Shan Hu.
"Ye Qingcheng is willing to follow Mister Shan's arrangement. I only ask that Mister Shan keep his promise." Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion, yet it was more resolute than ever.
"Very good." Shan Hu nodded in satisfaction.
He turned to Ye Qingyun and commanded: "From this day forth, the Ye family will fully support Qin Wan'er's cultivation. Ye Qingyun, you will immediately compile all of the Ye family's available resources, contacts, and properties in the Capital into a registry, and hand it over to Qin Wan'er three days from now. I intend to use the Capital's Ye family as the foundation to establish my Daoist sanctuary."
"Yes, Mister Shan!" Ye Qingyun bowed again, this time with genuine, complete submission.
Shan Hu said nothing further. He gently patted Qin Wan'er's shoulder: "Let's go, Wan'er. It's time we stirred up the waters of the Capital."
Under the complicated gazes of the Ye father and daughter, Shan Hu, with Qin Wan'er, flashed and disappeared into the night. In the moonlight of the Ye family's inner court, only Ye Qingcheng's stubborn yet hopeful figure remained, her destiny thoroughly changed.