Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

The Princess’s Manor.

Wu Yanhan was practicing her punches in the courtyard.

However, with every punch she threw, her mind was filled with the image of Xu Ming and the events that took place in that cave that day.

The more she tried to suppress those thoughts, the more uncontrollably they surged in her mind.

It had already been five days since that incident.

In these five days, whether awake or asleep, all she could think about was that moment.

At first, whenever she recalled it, she only felt a bit shy.

But as the days passed and Xu Ming still hadn’t come to see her, irritation began to creep into her heart.

Sure, what happened that day wasn’t entirely his fault. Sure, she had also said it would be best if they just forgot about it.

And yet, in all these days, he hadn’t shown even the slightest reaction.

At the very least, shouldn’t he come and see me?

Or did he really just take what he wanted and leave me with nothing?!

Boom!

Wu Yanhan’s punch landed, and the small rockery in front of her was blasted into dust by her fist’s force.

The nearby maids were visibly startled—not because they were surprised by their princess’s strength (after all, they knew she was more than capable of shattering a mere rockery with a single blow), but because it was rare for her to lose control of her strength like this.

Still, none of them dared to comment, quickly stepping forward to clear away the debris.

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, Ren stepped into the courtyard and approached Wu Yanhan.

“What is it?” Wu Yanhan withdrew her stance and asked calmly.

“Your Highness, the top scholar and Shengsheng have come to visit.”

Hearing the words “top scholar”, Wu Yanhan’s heart trembled slightly.

She had been waiting for Xu Ming to come see her.

But now that he was really here, she suddenly found herself hesitating to meet him.

“Let them in.”

She sighed softly, finding her own reaction somewhat ridiculous.

That happened. It’s done.

And he has nothing to do with me.

I was the one who told him to forget it. It was all my idea.

Since when did I become so… hesitant and uncertain?

“Understood.”

Ren retreated.

“Yanhan-jiejie (Sister)~~~”

Moments later, Shengsheng’s cheerful voice rang out.

She ran toward Wu Yanhan happily, and Wu Yanhan reached out to ruffle her hair.

“Practicing your punches?” Xu Ming walked up with a smile.

Wu Yanhan casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re about to head to the Rootless Secret Realm. I don’t intend to die in there.”

Xu Ming chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die in there. And even if you do, you’ll have to step over my corpse first.”

Wu Yanhan shot him a playful glare. “You’re getting better and better at saying these greasy lines.”

Xu Ming: “…”

Greasy? That wasn’t greasy… was it?

“Want to spar?” Wu Yanhan asked.

“Not a bad idea.” Xu Ming nodded.

“Then let’s go!”

As soon as the words left her lips, Wu Yanhan launched a fierce punch straight at Xu Ming’s chest.

From the side, Shengsheng could only watch in shock as Xu Ming was ruthlessly beaten by Wu Yanhan—punched in the chest, kicked in the backside, pinned down and pounded on. řâＮŏ𝐛Êꞩ

It was an absolutely tragic sight.

As the scene unfolded, even Shengsheng found herself unable to keep watching—it was just too brutal.

But now that she thought about it…

Why does it feel like Yanhan-jiejie seems a little angry?

Did Xu-gege (Brother) do something to upset her?

Xu Ming himself was equally confused.

He had assumed this was just a friendly sparring match, but to his surprise, Yanhan was going all out as if she meant real harm.

It didn’t take long for Xu Ming to realize that Yanhan seemed to be holding some kind of grudge against him.

At first, he had planned to put up a proper defense, but in the end, he simply gave up and let her vent her frustrations.

“Hmph! You might as well quit the martial path altogether. You’ve gone completely rusty!”

After thoroughly beating Xu Ming to her heart’s content, Wu Yanhan lifted her chin proudly.

Of course, she knew full well that Xu Ming had been holding back on purpose, letting her win.

But even so, this “thoughtfulness” of his did ease a part of the frustration in her heart.

Xu Ming chuckled. “That won’t do. Martial arts are my foundation—I can’t abandon them. That being said, Your Highness… could you get off me first?”

It was only then that Wu Yanhan realized she was still straddling Xu Ming in a rather ungraceful position.

And the moment she became aware of it, memories of what happened in the cave flooded her mind once more.

Her face turned slightly red. “Hmph, like I want to stay sitting on you! I’m going to take a bath!”

She quickly got up and walked out of the courtyard.

Watching her retreating figure, Xu Ming turned to one of the maids standing nearby. “Has your princess been in a bad mood lately?”

The maid’s name was Qiao. Like Ren, she was one of Wu Yanhan’s most trusted attendants.

Qiao smiled gently. “The princess’s thoughts are not so easy to guess~ But yes, she has indeed been rather unhappy lately.”

Then, after a brief pause, she added, “It started right after she returned from the palace with the Prince Consort.”

Xu Ming: “…”

Qiao gave a slight bow. “I shall go attend to the princess. Scholar Xu, please make yourself at home. Her Highness has already said you are to treat this place as your own.”

With that, Qiao left, leaving only Xu Ming and Shengsheng in the courtyard.

Xu Ming still couldn’t quite figure out why Yanhan was so angry.

Could it really be because I didn’t come to see her sooner?

Forget it. After getting to beat me up, she seems to have let go of some of that frustration anyway.

Shaking his head, Xu Ming decided not to dwell on it any longer.

He took a seat and poured himself some tea.

Shengsheng, ever the well-behaved one, sat quietly by his side.

Xu Ming reached out to ruffle her hair. “Shengsheng, you must remember this—if you ever have something on your mind, tell me about it. Don’t keep things bottled up inside like Yanhan does. If you don’t say anything, others won’t know what you’re thinking. Only by speaking up can problems be solved, understand?”

“Mhm~” Shengsheng nodded earnestly. “I understand, Xu-gege~”

“Good.” Xu Ming smiled and handed her a pastry. “Here, have some snacks.”

The two of them sat there, drinking tea and eating pastries, making themselves completely at home in the princess’s residence.

Before long, Wu Yanhan returned to the courtyard, now dressed in a fresh gown.

“Alright, speak. Why did you suddenly come looking for me?” She asked.

Xu Ming blinked in surprise. “Did you forget? Today is the selection for the Rootless Secret Realm.”

“…”

Only then did Wu Yanhan remember—today was the selection for the Rootless Secret Realm’s entry slots.

She had been so preoccupied thinking about Xu Ming these past few days that she had completely forgotten about it.@@novelbin@@

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?!” She shot him a glare.

“…You didn’t ask?” Xu Ming spread his hands helplessly. “I was actually wondering why you suddenly decided to go take a bath. You’re just going to get dirty again during the competition.”

“I don’t need your nonsense! Just wait for me!”

Wu Yanhan stepped into her room and shut the door with a loud bang.

Shengsheng tugged at Xu Ming’s sleeve. “Xu-gege, maybe you should say a little less… otherwise, Yanhan-jiejie might beat you up again.”

Xu Ming: “…”

Shengsheng, trying to be helpful, offered some advice. “Xu-gege, you should praise Yanhan-jiejie! She’s actually really easy to cheer up.”

“Really?” Xu Ming asked.

Shengsheng nodded enthusiastically like a little chick pecking at rice. “Really, really!”

Xu Ming thought about it for a moment. That… actually makes sense.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

When Wu Yanhan finally emerged from her room, she had changed into a martial outfit—sleek, practical, exuding a sharp, valiant aura. Gone was the elegance of the gown she wore earlier.

Xu Ming looked at her and remarked, “It’s interesting… You switch between two completely different styles so effortlessly. When you wear palace robes, no one would guess you’re a warrior. But when you wear martial attire, no one would think you’re a princess.”

Wu Yanhan paused for a moment. “Are you… complimenting me?”

“Uh…” Xu Ming hesitated. “Was that not obvious enough?”

Wu Yanhan chuckled softly. “Then tell me, which style do you prefer?”

Xu Ming answered seriously, “I like both. When you wear palace robes, you have an elegant, dignified grace. When you wear martial attire, you have a commanding, heroic presence.”

Wu Yanhan rolled her eyes. “If you have the energy to say all this useless flattery, you might as well focus on the upcoming selection trial.” She turned and walked straight out.

Xu Ming glanced at Shengsheng. “I don’t think that worked. Your Yanhan-jiejie still seems pretty upset.”

Shengsheng blinked and clenched her little fists. “It worked! Yanhan-jiejie is much happier now!”

Xu Ming was stunned. “Really? Why don’t I feel any difference? Also, how do you even know?”

Shengsheng scratched her head. “I don’t know. I just feel it.”

“Alright then.”

Xu Ming decided not to dwell on it. Maybe this was just a child’s intuition.

Holding Shengsheng’s tiny hand, he walked out.

The three of them boarded a carriage and headed toward the Third Battalion of the Blood Asura Army—the location of the Rootless Secret Realm selection.

Like the other great human dynasties, the Wu Kingdom had been allotted ten spots for this expedition. These ten spots were not just for military cultivators but also open to any gifted warriors, rogue cultivators, or other experts within the kingdom.

The entry requirements were strict:

For cultivators: You must be at least at the Dragon Gate Realm but no higher than the Golden Core Realm.

For martial artists: You must be at least at the Martial Courage Realm but no higher than the Golden Body Realm.

This selection process was much stricter than previous ones.

The biggest reason? This would be the final opening of the Rootless Secret Realm.

Due to changes in the Heavenly Laws, the minimum required cultivation level had increased by one stage. Under normal circumstances, the maximum level should have also increased accordingly.

However, since this time no one could use life-saving talismans within the secret realm, the dynasties and sects were worried that the power disparity between contestants would be too great. To keep the playing field balanced and avoid unnecessary deaths, they capped the highest allowable cultivation level.

A smaller gap in power meant a higher survival rate.

As Xu Ming’s group arrived at the Third Battalion of the Blood Asura Army, he expected to see a massive crowd.

In fact, he even wondered if the battalion’s grounds could fit all the participants for the selection.

However, Xu Ming quickly realized he had overestimated the situation. Although the number of participants in the selection was considerable, it was far less than he had expected.

Looking around, Xu Ming roughly estimated that there were only about five thousand people in the camp.

“What’s wrong? You look a bit puzzled,” Wu Yanhan said to Xu Ming.

Xu Ming shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s just that there are fewer people here than I thought. I was expecting tens of thousands.”

Wu Yanhan sighed. “In this world, if one person out of a hundred can cultivate, that’s already impressive. And out of those who can cultivate, if one in a hundred can reach the Cave Mansion Realm, that’s a blessing. Not to mention, after reaching Cave Mansion, they still have to survive the Lightning Tribulations to reach the Dragon Gate Realm. That’s a rare feat.

Our Wu Kingdom already has the smallest population among the Ten Great Human Dynasties. For this many cultivators and martial artists to meet the criteria, it’s already impressive.

Don’t assume just because you usually interact with people at the Golden Core or Nascent Soul levels that the cultivation realm is common. People like you and me are exceptions.”

Xu Ming nodded. “That’s true.”

“Let’s go, let’s get our tokens.”

Wu Yanhan walked directly toward the registration area, with Xu Ming and Shengsheng following. After getting their tokens, the process was straightforward: group matches to determine the final ten participants for the Rootless Secret Realm. Simple and efficient.

As Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan completed their registration, a few pairs of eyes were fixed on Xu Ming.

“Stop staring.” The man in the lead warned.

“Is that the current Prince Consort?” One man licked his lips and looked away.

Another man, with a nose piercing, grinned. “The princess is quite beautiful.”

Just as the pierced man finished speaking, the leader’s dagger was already embedded in his shoulder. Leaning in close, the leader whispered in his ear, “I told you, the princess is off-limits. Once we enter the Rootless Secret Realm, your only job is to kill Xu Ming. Understand?”

The pierced man gritted his teeth, sweat forming on his forehead as he forced himself to nod. “Y-yes… understood.”