After the two women made their breakthroughs,they returned to the Qiányuán Spirit Formation for further cultivation, steadily accumulating their strength.
During the period of their secluded cultivation,Wang Jianqiang spent his days refining pills and crafting artifacts.Both his stock of elixirs and magical tools, as well as his cultivation points, had grown significantly.
One day, instead of continuing his refining work,he decided to venture outside in search of Frost Pearls.
Not long after leaving the cave, a sudden scorching pain flared in his palm.
He let out a muffled groan, raising his hand for a look.
There, on his palm, the egg-shaped imprint glowed with a blazing cyan light.
The heat radiating from it was terrifying beyond words.If not for the fact that the light had withdrawn and compressed to its limit,even a mere trace of its power would have reduced him to ashes.
"Damn it—what the hell is this thing?!"
The pain was unbearable. His palm felt as though it were melting away.His teeth clenched so hard he thought they might shatter, sweat dripping from his brow.
"This burning… it'll kill me sooner or later!"
A ruthless gleam flashed in his eyes.
He was about to sever his arm when the cyan light suddenly burst free from his palm.
Enveloped in that glow was a faintly visible egg-shaped jade stone.
Wang Jianqiang hurriedly retreated, trying to distance himself.
But the next instant he froze.
The world around him had already transformed into a sea of cyan flames.
The very ground melted into molten magma,smoke billowing upward like the end of days.
"…Shit."
Realization struck, draining the color from his face.Panicked, he hastily summoned the Xuan Guang Seal,his body flashing with light as the Perfect Water-Moon Robe settled over him.
Next, he compressed the Wood Sword Formation around his body as a third defensive layer.
The Earth Sword, Water Sword, Fire Sword, and Metal Sword Formations fused together,further amplifying the defense of the Wood Sword Formation to its utmost.
…
"Wait—something's not right."
Only now, after the initial panic, did he notice—he hadn't felt any burning at all.
Looking down at himself,he found his body faintly covered by a thin layer of cyan light.
It was almost invisible, so subtle it could be missed with a careless glance.
Yet though it seemed fragile,it blocked the devastating heat that could melt magical artifacts with ease.
"What in the world…?"
He was bewildered.
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass rang out.
His gaze snapped back to the jade stone.
A fissure split across its surface.
Crack, crack…
One crack led to another, spiderwebbing outward.
In mere moments, the entire stone broke apart completely.
As shards fell to the ground,he realized with astonishment that the "stone" had been hollow inside.
Even more shocking—nestled within was… a chicken.
"So it wasn't just shaped like an egg—it really was an egg!"
From the fragments emerged a tiny chick covered in cyan down.
Just as he stared dumbfounded,the little chick seemed to sense him and turned its head.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
With a flash of cyan light,the chick darted straight into his chest.
Wang Jianqiang stiffened.
The creature was only palm-sized,yet he couldn't forget how terrifying its power had been even while still inside the egg.A tremor ran through his heart.
But to his surprise, the chick didn't attack.Instead, it nestled against his chest affectionately, rubbing its head into him.
He let out a long breath of relief.
Tentatively, he reached out to stroke its head.The soft down was warm and pleasant beneath his fingers.
The chick chirped happily, pressing closer.
Finally, he relaxed completely.
He gathered up the broken fragments of the eggshell with a wave of his hand.
Even though the chick had hatched,the shell still contained hidden fire-attributed energy.Such material would be excellent for crafting.
…
Two hours later, Wang Jianqiang returned to the cave,the little cyan creature perched on his shoulder.
He couldn't help but give a wry smile.
This little one had clearly imprinted on him—no matter how he tried to hide,it could find him effortlessly and refused to leave.
After some examination, he made two discoveries.
First, the creature wasn't truly a chicken, but a bird,its fluffy down only made it look like one.
Second, it was female.
"Hmm? What's that?"
His entrance drew the attention of the two women inside the cave.
When their eyes fell on the cyan chick upon his shoulder,they looked astonished.
"Picked it up outside," Wang Jianqiang said casually, unwilling to explain further.
"Picked it up?"
"There are actually living creatures in this secret realm?"
The two women exchanged puzzled glances.But since he didn't elaborate, they asked no more.
That day, however, Wang Jianqiang didn't let them continue cultivating.
He had long harbored a bold idea,but hadn't found the right moment—until now.
With both women awake,he seized the chance, taking their hands and leading them into the inner chamber.
Their faces flushed crimson with shyness as he drew them inside.
…
Ten days later, Wang Yuyao completed her accumulation at the Second Rank.
After six failed attempts,she finally advanced to the Third Rank.
A few days more,and Ye Qingxue finished her accumulation at the Third Rank.
But breaching the Foundation Establishment realm was far more difficult.
Even with her talent,it took a month and a half and five Foundation Establishment Pills.
At last, she succeeded,becoming a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Now, only two Foundation Establishment Pills remained.
The cost had far exceeded Wang Jianqiang's expectations.
Two pills were clearly not enough for Wang Yuyao's breakthrough.
Further seclusion would yield no progress.
He decided to celebrate for a day, then depart the following morning.
But plans rarely keep up with reality.
Due to certain reasons,his physical strength was utterly depleted—truly the case of the ox collapsing before the field ever wore out.
It was only on the third day that he fully recovered.
Before leaving, he dismantled the formation inside the cave,concealed the entrance carefully,then turned to look at the two women behind him.
Both women's skin glowed with a delicate radiance, as if dew-kissed at dawn.Their cheeks still carried the faint flush of lingering intimacy,eyes bright yet softened, filled with a new warmth.The hostility and estrangement that once shadowed their expressions had faded,replaced by a subtle tenderness that seemed to tie them ever closer to him.
The strength of the two had transformed completely.
Especially Ye Qingxue—even while suppressing her aura,the pressure of her Foundation Establishment cultivation was palpable.
And her gaze… no longer carried the bitterness or defiance of before.
A Third Rank cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator,himself—a cunning and resourceful schemer—and now a mysterious firebird of unknown potential.
Together, their strength was formidable.
Wang Jianqiang felt a surge of pride.
With a sweeping gesture, he declared:
"Let's go!"
The trio, accompanied by the little firebird,shot off toward the direction of the Cold Pool.