A seven-hundred thousand year spirit ring held a vastness of power that far surpassed Yu Qing's imagination. Absorbing the earlier five-hundred-thousand-year Thousand Jun Ant Emperor ring had felt like channeling a surging river into his Dantian; now, trying to take in this god-bestowed seven-hundred-thousand-year ring was like forcing an entire raging ocean into a mere pond!
The milky-white halo of Holy Light had long since faded, replaced by an orange radiance heavy as a stellar core and brilliant as a blazing sun, enveloping Yu Qing completely.
Boundless energy burst through him like a breached dam, madly scouring and tearing at his Meridians, bones, even his organs!
Agony—indescribable agony—washed over his nerves in relentless waves.
Fine bloody fissures continually split his skin, healed in an instant under the immense Power of Life, then were torn open again by even wilder energy. The cycle repeated endlessly. His face was paper-pale, teeth clenched, temples throbbing, every muscle spasming beyond his control.
Had he not already formed the Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores, granting him microscopic control to channel and buffer the torrent; had his Spirit of Life not given him terrifying regenerative power that mended wounds in real time; had his will not been iron-forged and long accustomed to ultimate pain—he would have exploded or shattered mentally in the first instant of impact.
Convert—convert like mad!
Yu Qing sank every scrap of mind-force inward, madly circulating his Cultivation Technique to peel, refine, and convert the incoming ocean of energy into pure spirit power, feeding it thread by thread into his dual soul cores and compressing it to the extreme.
The process was so slow it felt hopeless.
One day, two days, three… Time slipped by in endless pain and conversion.
The five guardians in the study felt their hearts clench tighter with every passing hour.
Apart from fixed times each day when A Rou left to prepare food for Xiao Wu and check her condition, she never stirred from Yu Qing's side. Her pink eyes brimmed with heartache; slender fingers twisted the hem of her clothes until nails nearly drew blood. Countless times she longed to help, yet knew such absorption admitted no outside interference, and could only endure her anguish.
Dugu Bo set aside every other matter, spending most of each day here, green eyes fixed on Yu Qing as he monitored the terrifying energy fluctuations within him, ready to act if anything went wrong. His admiration for Yu Qing peaked; were he himself undergoing such inhuman torment, he would long since have given up or broken down.
Though Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi were heavy with child and should have rested, they refused to leave. A Rou arranged two soft couches in a corner of the study, and there the two expectant mothers kept vigil day and night, hands resting on their swollen bellies, beautiful eyes never leaving Yu Qing.
Fox Consort's feelings were most conflicted. She feared for Yu Qing yet was irresistibly drawn to the pure energy spilling out. Knowing her own cultivation made worry pointless, she simply sat near him, guarding while greedily absorbing the scattered surplus that was supreme nourishment to her.
The results were astonishing.
In barely twenty days her spirit power shot from Rank 32 straight to the Bottleneck at Rank 36, smashing every obstacle. Moreover, her power was solid, Foundation rock-steady, without the slightest trace of instability. She even felt her Physique quietly strengthened.
'Rather than fret, I should first grow stronger,' she told herself, pushing worry down and focusing harder on cultivation. Once her power stabilized further, she would attempt to condense her fourth spirit ring.
Twenty long days passed.
Two-thirds of that vast, sea-like divine force inside Yu Qing had finally been converted; the hardest, most perilous stage was over and the remaining conversion sped up markedly.
Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief, yet dared not relax.
Seven more days went by.
When the last wisp of energy was fully refined and perfectly fused into the orange spirit ring hovering above his black star sinking abyss Spirit, a complete, mighty, boundless aura slowly settled within him.
Success!
The seven-hundred-thousand-year god-bestowed spirit ring had been absorbed!
Yu Qing did not wake at once. He spent another full day circulating his technique, repeatedly forging and compressing the vast new spirit power until his Realm was utterly stable and the power moved like an extension of his arm.
Not until evening, when the afterglow of sunset spilled through the window across his calm face, did he draw a long, deep breath and open his eyes.
At the moment his lids lifted, orange starlight seemed to flash and vanish within depths as vast as the Universe.
The first things he saw were five faces etched with exhaustion and worry, now blossoming into radiant joy and excitement.
An indescribable warmth flooded him, washing away every last remnant of fatigue and pain.
To have such a home, to have them—what more could a man desire?
"Husband!"
"A Qing!"
"You're finally awake!"
Duan Xin, Zi Ruyi, and A Rou rose almost together, throwing themselves forward to embrace him carefully, voices choked with sobs and lingering fear.
Fox Consort also stood, breathtakingly beautiful face showing a smile of immense relief, charming fox eyes full of concern and a hint of shyness, as if she wanted to step closer yet felt awkward.
Dugu Bo looked on and laughed heartily, slapping Yu Qing's shoulder—though not too hard. "Good! Good! Good! Little freak, you didn't disappoint this old man! A seven-hundred thousand year spirit ring! Hahaha—simply… monstrous!"
He chuckled a few times, waved his hand knowingly, and said, "Alright, as long as you're fine, kid! This old man has to go see Yan Yan. After so many days without proper company, the little girl's bound to throw a tantrum. I'll come drink with you tomorrow to celebrate!" With that, he turned and strode stylishly out of the room.
Yu Qing gently wrapped his arms around his three wives and softly soothed them, "There, there, I'm all right now. Sorry I worried you.
He looked up at Fox Consort, who stood to one side, and gave her a warm smile. Her cheeks flushed as she nodded slightly.
That night, Yu Qing did not Cultivate or do anything else; he simply stayed with his four wives—Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi were also kept in the main house—chatting, sharing the insights and dangers he'd felt while absorbing the spirit ring, and savoring the warmth and peace of having survived a calamity.
Only when it grew late and Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi showed signs of drowsiness did Yu Qing carefully escort them back to their own rooms and settle them in.
When he returned to his own door and pushed it open, he heard soft footsteps behind him.
Turning, he saw A Rou wearing a sly, delighted grin, dragging along a very reluctant, eyes-averted Fox Consort.
"Husband~ the night is long, and after a great battle we need to properly 'relax' and replenish our Origin Qi~" A Rou chirped cheerfully. Without waiting for an answer she shoved Fox Consort inside, slipped in herself, and shut the door behind her.
Facing these two beauties—one passionate as fire, the other shy yet alluring—Yu Qing felt a twinge in his lower back even as his heart blazed with desire.
Clearly, tonight would be another grueling test of willpower... Early the next morning.
Yu Qing, rarely, yawned, a familiar soreness in his waist. Rubbing it, he mused: a life-attributed Titled Douluo's Physique and recovery were formidable, but even they couldn't withstand such relentless 'draining' by his Dao Companions. Ever since A Rou discovered the relief of 'sharing the burden,' she seemed ever keener to drag Fox Consort along. "Ah... this blend of pain and joy is life," he chuckled. Still, indulging this thoroughly once every twenty days or so was nothing short of earthly bliss.
Thanks to last night's exhilarating special Cultivation and the subsequent Yin Yang Conjunction, Fox Consort gained even more. Already at the level 36 Bottleneck, under the pure energy feedback from Yu Qing and the mysteries of the Dual Cultivation Secret Codex, her spirit power soared straight to level 40!
Breaking an entire major Realm in a month felt so unreal that Fox Consort wondered if she were dreaming. She only needed time to compress and stabilize the new spirit power; perhaps after one more Dual Cultivation she could begin preparing to condense her fourth spirit ring.
A ten-thousand-year fourth ring now seemed within arm's reach.
As for Yu Qing himself, after absorbing the vast energy of a full seven-hundred thousand year spirit ring, his spirit power remained at level 97 without advancing.
Yet this was no lack of gain—on the contrary, the increase in spirit power was enormous. After becoming a Super Douluo, each single level required astronomical amounts of spirit power, and for someone with dual soul cores like him the need was far greater. The seven-hundred thousand year spirit ring had raised his total spirit power by roughly one-third. To reach level 98 he would need to absorb at least two more rings of the same caliber.
The days that followed saw Yu Qing's pace of life slow markedly, becoming leisurely yet fulfilling.
Having condensed the Yin-Yang Complementary Dual Soul Cores, grasped the core secrets of spirit soul technology, and mastered the crafting principles of many high-tier spirit tools, most of the knowledge rewarded by the System had been digested and become part of his own Foundation.
Only the divine technique [Falling Night Galaxy], which required comprehension of the Milky Way's true meaning, progressed slowly, but Yu Qing was in no rush; he knew haste would spoil it.
His goal now was simple and clear: wait calmly for Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi to give birth safely, and carefully guide Ling Xin and Ling Mou until they obtained their second spirit rings.
Everything else could wait until after this year.
Thus, Yu Qing turned himself into a 'full-time good husband' and 'model master.'
Most of each day he spent beside Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi, attentively caring for them, feeling their unborn children grow day by day, whispering endearments and sharing the anticipation and joy of parenthood.
At set times he checked Ling Xin and Ling Mou's Cultivation progress, personally prepared medicinal baths for them, explained Spirit knowledge, and laid the firmest Foundation for their future over-level absorption of spirit rings after they reached level 20.
In the afternoons he often took Xiao Wu and Dugu Yan to play in the valley, telling them amusing Spirit Beast stories and guiding them through basic physical training, savoring innocent childhood fun and the delight of 'raising daughters.'
Of course, there was also the once-every-five-days 'homework' with A Rou or Fox Consort.
But with Yu Qing now at leisure, Yin-Yang Harmonization became regular, mostly in the form of Yin Yang Conjunction. A Rou no longer had to wait bitterly for ten-odd days between sessions, returning to a sweet and steady 'married life,' and Fox Consort likewise found 'release.'
Most of the time things stayed that way—except every fortnight or so a still 'enthusiastic' A Rou would drag him into a 'special Cultivation' that left Fox Consort mortified yet... unforgettable.
Offer is going on
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