The three matriarchs were alone in their private Golden Palace once again.
They had resumed their game of Azure Tree Xangqi.
Matriarch Yuèhuī who was initially absorbed by the game, limited her focus to look Matriarch Míng.
"You seem quite attracted to that man from before."
A sly comment, but it was her personality nonetheless.
Matriarch Míng chuckled and admitted, "I couldn't help but notice him. Fufu~"
Matriarch Liáng, who had her eyes on the game, interjected, "It was too difficult not to. He's captivating." Then, she moved a piece on the xiangqi board.
Míng hesitated, then said, "Wait, are you talking about his scent? His scent is... It's exotically familiar," she slowly touched her body and ran her hands across her voluptuous figure as she gave a low moan of satisfaction. "And it just makes me feel~~ Feel all warm and satisfied inside~ Don't you think?" she questioned, studying Matriarchs Liáng and Yuèhuī.
"Exactly!" Matriarch Liáng exclaimed, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.
Curious, Matriarch Yuèhuī joined the conversation, "His scent? What are you guys talking about?" she seemed like the only one who was missing something.
Matriarch Míng paused, putting a finger to her chin.
"That's true. You've never met the Immortal Emperors, have you? Shen Bao, in particular?"
"Shen Bao? I think I've heard the name before," Matriarch Yuèhuī replied.
Matriarch Liáng, nodding, said, "As you know, he's a cultivator, one that's in the 7th level of the Immortal Realm… an Immortal Emperor. But it's been around 30 years or so since I last saw him."
"So what has this got to do with Yang Wei?" asked Matriarch Yuèhuī, puzzled.
"It's his scent. The moment Yang Wei entered, I immediately noticed his sweet scent," Matriarch Liáng explained as she closed her eyes satisfactorily and placed her hands on her reddened cheeks and gasped a bit. "It's the same as Shen Bao's."
Expectedly, Matriarch Yuèhuī remained composed as she gave a half-hearted, "I see."
Matriarch Míng cast a flirtatious look towards Yuèhuī and joked, "Can't deny that his scent was enticing, can you?"
Matriarch Yuèhuī, folding her arms, stammered, "O... Of course I can! It was just…" She faltered, lightly blushing as she glanced to the side, avoiding direct eye contact.
Matriarch Míng laughed. "You don't have to hide it; we're alone anyway."
Rolling her eyes, Matriarch Yuèhuī countered, "I don't know what you're talking about." But, she felt she wasn't convincing enough, so she continued to talk, "And so? What if I enjoyed his scent... a little, that's all."
Matriarch Míng chuckled as she leaned back on her plush chair and gazed at her companions. "You know, Ménglóng, you don't always have to act so cold. It's okay to care," she said with her usual playful stare.
Yuèhuī, her eyes fixed on the Xangqi board, responded with a nonchalant tone, "Again, I have no idea what you're talking about."
Head Matriarch, Liáng, absorbed in arranging the game pieces, suddenly spoke up. "The reason Yang Wei's scent is so captivating might be because he shares the same body type as Shen Bao, who is a Voidborn Yin Conduit."
"Voidborn Yin Conduit? What's that?" Yuèhuī asked, visibly intrigued as she turned her gaze toward Liáng.
"It's when celestial bodies align in such a way that Yin and Yang energies interact harmoniously," Matriarch Liáng explained. "This cosmic alignment not only provides the vessel with a formidable physical body but also imbues them with an excess of refined Yin Energy."
As Liáng detailed the explanation, Yuèhuī's calm expression transformed into wide-eyed amazement.
"WAIT, REALLY?!" she abruptly shot a question.
Then, Míng teleported beside Yuèhuī and gently stroked the 3rd Matriarch's chin as she said, "You understand what that means, don't you?"
Yuèhuī shook Míng's hand away and assumed a serious expression. "No," she replied firmly.
Teleporting back to her chair, Míng let out a relieved exhale.
"Yang Wei's powerful body and Yin Energy makes him an ideal candidate for Dual Cultivation. The exceptional balance of Yin within him enhances the benefits of this practice… So, that guarantees a harmonious exchange of energies with his partner and unlocking latent potential for both of them."
"I may not like him, but I can agree with your statement," Yuèhuī replied calmly.
Míng leaned forward, a sly smile spreading across her lips.
"So you agree that, if Yang Wei were to become at least a 2nd Path Cultivator, he'd be a worthy dual cultivation partner?"
"Preposterous!"
Yuèhuī exclaimed as she dramatically rose from her seat.
Liáng simply chuckled and offered a different perspective.
"It's not a bad idea, provided we haven't reached a cultivation realm too overwhelming for him."
Yuèhuī sighed and rubbed her temples. "You both are unbelievable."
Matriarchs Liáng and Míng laughed.
...
Yang Wei and Mu Lingxi soared through the Dragon's Peak Mountains, a vast range in the Northern Ravages.
Mu Lingxi stood on the blade of her jian, her long black hair billowing in the wind, as she glided gracefully over the rugged peaks.
Yang Wei was seated in a lotus position as he flew alongside her.
Intrigued, Yang Wei turned to Mu Lingxi and asked, "Why do you people insist on erecting your sect on these lofty mountain peaks? Is it a matter of spiritual energy density?"
Mu Lingxi, known for her rarity of smiles, folded her arms and revealed a faint smile. "You're onto something," she said. "Sects choose these high grounds for spiritual growth and the abundant qi they provide. Plus, it's a matter of tradition."
Yang Wei nodded.
"So, if a sect's mountain is destroyed, it could be the end of the sect. Good to know," he mused.
Mu Lingxi raised an eyebrow.
Really? I give him a profound reason about our geomancy and the first thing he thinks of is how he can use it against cultivators... Still, given how strong he is I doubt he'd need to go through that stress.
After thinking a bit, Mu Lingxi gave him her own suggestion.
"Why not eliminate the sect's members and its leader and save yourself future troubles instead?"
Yang Wei chuckled. "I like the way you think," he said admiringly.
Mu Lingxi immediately stopped smiling and looked away. "Likewise."
They continued their flight at an intense altitude.
Mu Lingxi's hand drifted to her chest, and she blushed slightly.
Honestly, why am I feeling this way around him...? I've never been like this around a man before. He's hot, but I'm sure I'm not feeling this way because of his looks, or maybe it's those words he said to me after he defeated me. Or... Or maybe... Maybe it's the way he hit me when we were figh— NO! How could I, Mu Lingxi, think of such a thing?!
Quickly shaking her head, she focused on the scenery.
As they glided forward, Mu Lingxi adjusted her course, drawing closer to Yang Wei.
And another thing about him, is how nice he smells...
Then, with her eyes closed, she leaned in, taking in his scent.
Ahnnnnn~~ he smells so nice~!
When she opened her eyes, she found herself inches from Yang Wei's face, causing her cheeks to turn redder.
Without flinching, Yang Wei remarked, "You have really beautiful eyes too."
Overwhelmed, Mu Lingxi panicked.
"EEEEEEEEEEE!!"
And after, she tumbled off her jian, hurtling down at rapid speed.
"Mu Lingxi!" Yang Wei shouted in alarm.
However, to his relief, he saw her effortlessly ascending back to his altitude.
Yang Wei commented with a grin, "Oooh, for a second there I thought you were a goner."
Mu Lingxi regaining her composure, replied, "Even a Spirit Disciple could survive a fall from this height."
Yang Wei chuckled. "But..." he paused. "What's the point of your sword?"
"Come again?" said Mu Lingxi.
"You can obviously fly, so what's the point of that sword you used before? I actually thought it was an artifact for flight or something..."
"Force of habit." A simple response.
They soared forward once more.
Mu Lingxi turned to Yang Wei and cleared her throat to assume a much more serious demeanor. "You shouldn't just casually call me by my name," she pointed out. "In the future, it would be better to address me as 'Senior Sister Mu'."
Yang Wei raised an eyebrow. "Senior Sister Mu? I never thought I'd have to call you that," he responded.
"Why? Because you're a few centuries older than me? That's not really how it works..."
"Huh?" Yang Wei uttered. "I was actually going to say because we're friends, aren't we?"
Mu Lingxi coughed abruptly, causing Yang Wei to snap out of his lighthearted mood. "Are you alright? Do you need some water?" Concerned, he conjured a small whirlpool of clear liquid water in his hand.
Mu Lingxi waved dismissively, indicating she was fine, and made the water dissipate.
"Oh, cool," the once worried mage replied.
Mu Lingxi regained her poise and directed Yang Wei's attention forward. "Look, we've arrived at the Spirit Harmony Peak. Let's increase our pace."
With that, she surged forward on her jian at breakneck speed, and Yang Wei, breaking from his meditative position, followed suit.
The Spirit Harmony Peak had what could only he called stunning surroundings.
"This place is truly beautiful," Yang Wei remarked as he rubbed his chin and slowly nodded.
He took in the sight of numerous floating islands surrounding the mountain.
Mu Lingxi nodded, her gaze fixed forward. "As anyone would expect of the Immortal's residence," she bragged, however, slightly.
As they neared the Spirit Harmony Peak, they passed several junior disciples, who respectfully bowed their heads to greet Mu Lingxi.
"Greetings, Young Miss."
"Good day, Young Miss..."
"Young Miss, it's been decades since we last saw you, welcome back."
It wasn't difficult for Yang Wei to notice the deferential gestures. "Looks like you hold quite a high status here."
Without so much as a pause, Mu Lingxi replied, "That's not important. For now, focus on the fact that this is where your cultivation journey will begin."