Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

Wu Yanhan and Qin Qingwan discovered Xu Ming at the same time.

The moment Xu Ming and Shi Xin appeared in this temple, they both noticed him. However, neither Wu Yanhan nor Qin Qingwan immediately approached Xu Ming.

In fact, when Wu Yanhan saw that there was another girl by Xu Ming’s side, she became even angrier.

How long has it been?

You’ve only been in the Rootless Secret Realm for a few days, and you’ve already found another girl? Is your luck with women truly this overwhelming?

So Wu Yanhan pretended not to see Xu Ming. She was sulking and wanted to see how long it would take Xu Ming to notice her.

Yet Xu Ming still didn’t notice her, which only made Wu Yanhan angrier.

Now that Qin Qingwan had already called out to her, Wu Yanhan had no choice but to stop “avoiding” him. Otherwise, she would seem overly petty.

Wu Yanhan walked toward Xu Ming.

Shi Xin raised her head to glance at Xu Ming’s profile.

In Shi Xin’s mind, Xu Ming was a very calm person, the type who remained composed no matter the situation.

Even when facing Miss Hongxiu, Xu Ming had shown no emotional fluctuations.

But now, Shi Xin keenly sensed that Xu Ming seemed incredibly nervous.

Could these two women possibly be even scarier than Miss Hongxiu?

“Yanhan, I didn’t realize you were here too,” Xu Ming said with a smile.

Wu Yanhan looked at Xu Ming coldly. “Someone’s eyes are already fixed on others, so naturally, they can’t see me.”

Xu Ming: “…”

Xu Ming thought Yanhan was referring to Qingwan, but in reality, she was talking about Shi Xin.

Pretending not to hear Yanhan’s comment, Xu Ming quickly changed the subject. “How did you two meet?”

At this moment, the scene formed an oddly intriguing composition.

Outside the roofless temple, cultivators and artifact spirits were locked in a fierce battle. Some cultivators were slain by the spirits, while some spirits were subdued by cultivators. The scene resembled a hellish battlefield.

Yet inside the temple, another kind of “battlefield” had formed.

To Xu Ming, this “battlefield” seemed even more terrifying.

“We met at Blood Bodhi Mountain and decided to travel through the Rootless Secret Realm together. It’s good to have someone to rely on,” Qin Qingwan explained. She then glanced at Shi Xin and added, “By the way, who’s this young lady? She’s stunning.”

“Oh, let me introduce you,” Xu Ming said hurriedly.

“Shi Xin, this is Qin Qingwan, the Holy Maiden of the Tianxuan Sect. And this is Princess Wu Yanhan of Wu Kingdom—my companions I’ve been looking for.

Yanhan, Qingwan, this is Shi Xin from Leiming Temple. You’ve probably heard of her. After all, in this world, there’s only one female monk.”

With Xu Ming’s reminder, Qin Qingwan and Wu Yanhan both recalled something.

The number one on the Beauty Rankings was said to be a female monk.

And in this world, there was indeed only one female monk.

Not to mention, this girl was so breathtakingly beautiful that even they, as women, felt a bit captivated.

So this person could only be Shixin.

“Greetings, Master Shi Xin,” Qin Qingwan said, bowing slightly. “I’ve long heard of your name but didn’t recognize you at first. Please forgive me.”

Shi Xin shook her head. “Greetings to both benefactors. I’m just an ordinary person and not worthy of the title ‘Master.’ Please, just call me Shi Xin.”

“The top scholar truly knows how to enjoy life,” Wu Yanhan sneered, glaring at Xu Ming. “Everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by beauties. You even managed to encounter the number one on the Beauty Rankings here?”

“Ah, ah, ah, I think I smell a strong scent of jealousy here~” Before Xu Ming could explain, Qin Qingwan spoke first. “Big Brother Xu is clearly just friends with Shi Xin, but it seems someone might have misunderstood.”

“Well, Qingwan, you must be mistaken. Maybe someone was just joking, but who knows who it was. The moment they saw another woman with someone, their fists clenched as if ready to confront someone. And now they’re smiling like nothing happened,” Wu Yanhan countered.

Qin Qingwan’s eyes curved into a smile. “I wonder who Miss Wu might be talking about?”

Wu Yanhan stared straight at Qin Qingwan. “Who am I talking about? I’m not so sure myself.”

The two locked eyes, the tension between them thick with hostility, as if the smallest spark could ignite an explosion.

Xu Ming stood there, not daring to utter a word, even holding his breath to avoid drawing their attention.

Shi Xin tugged on Xu Ming’s sleeve and whispered, “Xu Ming, are your two friends not on good terms?”

“Not at all. We get along really well,” Qin Qingwan replied with a smile, turning her head toward Shi Xin.

“Indeed, quite well,” Wu Yanhan added, retracting her hostility toward Qin Qingwan.

Now that Shi Xin’s identity had been confirmed, both women calmed down. They both knew there was no way anything could happen between Xu Ming and Shi Xin.

After all, Shi Xin was a monk—an eminent one from the Western Regions, even rumored to be the future leader of their Buddhist sect.

Even if Xu Ming liked her, Shi Xin wouldn’t develop worldly attachments.

Besides, showing pettiness would only invite ridicule.

A proper lady of the household must remain magnanimous. Acting petty would make her no different from a concubine like Qin Qingwan (or Wu Yanhan, depending on perspective).

“Oh, right, Qingwan, this is for you,” Xu Ming said, adopting a casual tone as if nothing had happened, pulling out the main fruit of the Blood Bodhi tree.

Qin Qingwan’s gaze fell on the bright red fruit in Xu Ming’s palm, brimming with the aura of the Dao. She didn’t need to guess what it was. “This is the main fruit of the Blood Bodhi?”

“Yes,” Xu Ming nodded. “Back then, your Dao Lotus was destroyed because of me. I promised Elder Wangxuan that I’d help rebuild your foundation. Take this main fruit for now. There are still two more items missing, but I’ll find them for you soon. It won’t take long.”

“I—”

“Don’t tell me you don’t want it,” Xu Ming interrupted her before she could finish. “You must take it, or else I’ll be upset.”

“Alright then, I’ll accept it.” Seeing Xu Ming’s serious expression, Qin Qingwan didn’t argue further.

In her heart, Qin Qingwan saw no distinction between herself and Xu Ming. Whatever Xu Ming wanted, she would do everything to give.

However, as she accepted the Blood Bodhi’s main fruit, Qin Qingwan shot a smug glance at Wu Yanhan.

“Hmph,” Wu Yanhan huffed, turning her head away as if indifferent.

“Oh, and Yanhan, this is for you,” Xu Ming said, taking out a storage pouch and handing it to her.

Curious, Wu Yanhan took the pouch.

The pouch hadn’t been refined by Xu Ming, so anyone could open it.

From inside, Wu Yanhan pulled out a silver-white orb.

“This is a Soldier Orb. I found it in some ruins. Try it out,” Xu Ming explained.

Wu Yanhan picked up one of the Soldier Orbs, infused it with martial energy, and tossed it onto the ground.

In an instant, a soldier clad in silver-white armor and wielding a long spear appeared before her.

“I tested it earlier. The strength of the soldier summoned by these orbs should be around the Golden Body Realm of martial artists. With the armor and spear, their combat power increases significantly,” Xu Ming said with a smile, watching Wu Yanhan’s astonished expression. “There are 1,500 Soldier Orbs in total. I’m giving them all to you. Consider them your personal guard.”

“This gift is too precious; I can’t accept it,” Wu Yanhan shook her head.

She understood all too well what a 1,500-strong Golden Body Realm army meant. Let alone one fully equipped with rare spears and armor of extraordinary quality.

To put it simply, even if the entire Wu Kingdom pooled its resources, assembling such an army would be an immensely challenging task. It would require advanced craftsmanship, an abundance of heavenly materials and treasures, and a significant amount of time.

And this wasn’t just any ordinary army—this was a Soldier Orb army.

What did that mean? It meant this was a pure killing force. They knew no mercy, no fear. They only followed orders, fighting until the last soldier fell, until the final moment.

In a battlefield scenario, they could drastically alter the tide of war.

What’s more, all 1,500 “soldiers” could be transported using a single storage pouch, enabling devastating surprise attacks.

Xu Ming smiled. “I have no need for this. For me, my fists and my sword are more than enough. Compared to me, you need these Soldier Orbs more. Besides, what’s there to be polite about between us? You helped me survive a tribulation before, and I haven’t even repaid that favor yet. Just consider this my way of paying you back.

If you still feel uneasy about it, then think of it this way: if there’s ever something I need in the future, you can save it for me.”

“Alright, I won’t be overly formal then. I’ll accept this, but I’ll repay you doubly in the future,” Wu Yanhan said as she took the storage pouch.

“Good,” Xu Ming replied simply, not saying anything like “you don’t have to repay me.”

Otherwise, Wu Yanhan really wouldn’t have accepted it.

Besides, their relationship had already reached the point where they were intertwined in each other’s lives, always considering each other’s needs.

“So, what kind of spiritual weapon do you two want? I’ll go snatch one for you,” Xu Ming asked with a smile, now that the tension between them had eased.

“You’ve already given me the main fruit of the Blood Bodhi. What more could I ask for?” Qin Qingwan smiled warmly.

“Wait for me, Xu Ming. I’ll go grab some treasures for you,” she said, playfully raising her small fist before leaping into the chaotic battle in the sky.

“I’ll repay part of my debt first,” Wu Yanhan said before soaring into the sky as well.

When Qin Qingwan saw Wu Yanhan also rushing into the fray, her eyes curved with a sly smile. “Oh, Princess, are you also planning to give my Big Brother Xu a gift? I wonder what you’ll choose to give him?”

Wu Yanhan snorted coldly. “Whatever I give will definitely be better than yours.”

“Oh, is that so?” Qin Qingwan’s smile deepened. “We’ll see about that.”

Wu Yanhan: “Then let’s see.”

Qin Qingwan: “Let’s see.”

“Hmph!”

The two of them turned away simultaneously, each setting their sights on one of the two immortal weapons hovering in the air.

These were the only two immortal weapons present.

Although many cultivators were eyeing them greedily—most of them had never even seen an immortal weapon before, let alone had the chance to obtain one—they ultimately chose to go after Grade One spiritual tools instead.

At most, they might test their luck with a half-immortal weapon.

After all, no one wanted to die.

Even though they were considered geniuses within their sects, hailed as the favored children of heaven, they were still somewhat realistic.

They knew that trying to subdue an immortal weapon was almost impossible. Those who had tried and failed had already been killed by those two immortal weapons.

The two immortal weapon spirits stood there, lofty and imposing, watching the ongoing slaughter between other spirits and cultivators with an air of detachment.

There was even a hint of disappointment and disdain in their eyes.

These people didn’t even have the courage to challenge them, let alone earn their approval.

Was this what cultivators had become nowadays?

Were these so-called “favored children of heaven” truly worthy of the title?

How would they face the impending great calamity?

But just as these two immortal weapons were lost in thought, their spirits suddenly trembled.

Turning their head, they saw two woman charging toward her.

Facing these two women, the two immortal weapons felt a hint of approval deep within. They even sensed a familiar aura emanating from the women—likely the approval of their old companions.

The qilin-shaped weapon spirit stomped heavily, sending out rings of fire toward Qin Qingwan.

Qin Qingwan extended her hand and pointed at the incoming flames, summoning three streams of water that formed into three water dragons, extinguishing the fiery rings.

In the next instant, Qin Qingwan closed the distance, her longsword already slashing toward the qilin’s head.

On the other side, Wu Yanhan punched directly at a golden ao (a mythical turtle-like creature).

Her punch landed with a deafening sound, as though striking a massive golden bell. Each resounding impact reverberated through the air, shaking even the souls of the other cultivators present.

High above the chaos, in the distant sky, a young monk sat serenely on a cloud, watching it all unfold.

“Even if they inherit your power, what can they do? They won’t be able to stop us,” a voice echoed in the monk’s ears.

The young monk looked up, smiling softly. “I believe in those who come after us.”