"Mm."

Yun Qingyao responded softly. The two of them quickly found a secluded alcove within the raw spirit vein. One leaned against a protruding piece of raw ore, while the other took his position behind her.

Thus, their intimate cultivation began.

A familiar flash of white light enveloped them.

By now, Ye Honglian had grown somewhat accustomed to this unique method of cultivation and was no longer as agonizingly shy as before. Yet, the moment she took in their current surroundings, a brilliant crimson flush rushed to her cheeks.

"W-wait... aren't we out in the open right now?"

"At the very least, you could have set up some kind of barrier!"

Ye Honglian turned her head back to look at Ning Fan behind her, her red lips parting slightly as she voiced her protest.

"There's no time for that."

"Cultivation takes priority. We must quicken our pace to break through. No matter what, we have to push our realms into the Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm!"

Ning Fan spoke as he continued his persistent efforts.

"Mm... mm..."

Though filled with complaints, Ye Honglian was powerless to resist. Left with no choice but to let him do as he pleased, she could only grit her teeth, instinctively holding back any wanton cries from escaping into the wild cavern.

Yet, the more she attempted to suppress her sensations, the more fiercely that inexplicable pleasure surged. A cultivation session that usually required a full fifteen minutes threatened to reach its climax in less than half that time.

However, right before the definitive moment arrived, Ning Fan suddenly slowed his pace.

"What are you doing?"

Ye Honglian turned her head back, her lips pouting slightly as she glared at him.

Since this was a routine cultivation session, why was he delaying the conclusion?

"Wait a bit longer."

"The Spiritual Qi here is incredibly dense. If we prolong the circulation, we can exchange this time for a greater surge in cultivation. We must ensure we break through to the Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm," Ning Fan explained.

It wasn't enough!

Still not enough!

He needed to advance further, pushing his cultivation until he firmly established himself at the Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm. Under normal circumstances, attempting to dual cultivate without the assistance of processed Spirit Stones would yield barely perceptible progress. However, the raw Spiritual Qi permeating this underground cavern was thick enough to make this prolonged absorption viable.

"You..."

Ye Honglian bit her lower lip in frustration.

How utterly vexing.

To think that breaking through to a mere Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm-such a trivial milestone-was forcing her, the magnificent Holy Maiden of the Tianxuan Holy Land, to endure this kind of treatment for so long. But she was powerless to stop it.

After all, the absolute dominance over the circulation remained entirely in Ning Fan's hands.

After a full hour of grueling, continuous cultivation, a powerful ripple finally erupted from Ning Fan. He had successfully broken through to the Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm, leaving him a single step away from the true Profound Extreme Realm!

"Hoo-"

Ning Fan finally unleashed his restrained energy. The harmony of Yin and Yang reached its absolute zenith at this exact moment, driving both Ning Fan and Ye Honglian to the peak of their cultivation.

A brilliant white light flared intensely, illuminating the cavern for several breaths. When the radiance finally subsided, Ye Honglian vanished, leaving Yun Qingyao in her place.

"..."

Ning Fan slumped directly onto the ground, utterly drained. An entire hour of unceasing, high-intensity cultivation felt so exhausting that he wanted nothing more than to collapse into a deep slumber.

In stark contrast, Yun Qingyao remained completely composed. Her expression was serene, as though the intense clash that had just unfolded was entirely beneath her notice.

How terrifying!

As expected of a powerhouse of the Heaven Extreme Realm!

Her capacity was truly staggering.

Yet, no matter how heavy his exhaustion, Ning Fan did not dare to actually sleep. This raw vein was fraught with danger, and Demon Beasts could strike at any moment. If a threat caught him while he was unconscious, he would be completely defenseless.

"..."

Leaning his back against the stone wall, Ning Fan sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, resting his body while digesting the profound insights gained from the dual cultivation.

This single period of meditation lasted for a full six hours.

For a session of such prolonged dual cultivation, a six-hour rest was by no means long. Even after all that time, Ning Fan had only barely shaken off the worst of his fatigue; he was still quite a distance away from being completely revitalized.

"Let's move," Ning Fan said.

Deep within the subterranean cavern, there was no sun to mark the passage of time, leaving Ning Fan entirely unaware of whether it was day or night outside. Regardless, the chance to cultivate within a raw Spirit Vein was an exceedingly rare fortune.

He intended to collect raw Spirit Stones whenever possible, initiate dual cultivation once they had gathered enough, and then rest immediately after-maximizing the utility of every second.

"Mm."

Yun Qingyao nodded and followed closely behind him. Keeping a short distance between them, they advanced deeper into the spirit vein, maintaining a cautious pace.

They weren't merely scanning the ground for raw stones; they also had to maintain total vigilance against their surroundings.

Suddenly, Ning Fan raised his hand, halting Yun Qingyao's steps. In a flash, both of them pressed themselves flat against the stone wall, concealing their presences as much as possible.

A sound.

Both Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao had detected a faint noise!

At this moment, they were standing just before a sharp bend in the cavern tunnel. Without stepping around the corner, it was impossible to see what lay ahead, and the same applied to whoever was on the other side.

"..."

Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao held their breath, their ears twitching slightly as they strained to listen. Yet, despite their focus, the noise did not repeat itself, almost making them wonder if they had merely imagined it.

No!

It was absolutely not an illusion.

Ning Fan was certain that whatever was ahead was deliberately suppressing its movements. The sound from a moment ago had been the distinct rattle of a loose pebble-someone had accidentally kicked a small stone.

A Demon Beast? Or a fellow cultivator?

There was no way to tell.

But in this dog-eat-dog environment, striking first was undoubtedly the safest option.

One breath... two breaths... three breaths...

Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao silently counted the passage of time in their minds. After roughly five breaths, the two of them suddenly erupted with speed, rounding the corner in an instant.

Without a word, they threw a ferocious punch toward the darkness ahead.

Sure enough, the moment they cleared the bend, two figures came into view.

They were human cultivators.

Upon seeing Ning Fan and Yun Qingyao burst around the corner, the two individuals were similarly startled. Their internal spiritual energy surged instinctively as they prepared to execute martial techniques to counterattack.

However, the moment both sides clearly saw each other's faces, they forcibly aborted their strikes.

"Senior Brother Shao?"

"Junior Brother Ning? And Junior Sister Yun?!"

"..."

It was indeed them.

The two figures standing before Ning Fan were none other than Shao Hong and Bai Ran. Their sudden appearance caught Ning Fan completely off guard, leaving his mind temporarily blank.

Setting aside the question of how Shao Hong and Bai Ran had managed to find this spirit vein in the first place, based on the route Ning Fan had taken, he shouldn't have encountered any other sect disciples at all.

After all, he was deliberately traveling deeper into the unmapped depths of the vein!

Upon closer inspection, Ning Fan noticed that something was terribly wrong with the pair. Bai Ran was relatively unhurt, suffering only from slightly tattered robes and a few superficial scratches. Shao Hong, however, was in a wretched state; his body was covered in a myriad of wounds, fresh blood leaked from the corner of his mouth, and he was noticeably favoring one leg.

He had clearly survived a brutal ordeal.

"Senior Brother Shao, you... your injuries..."

Ning Fan's voice carried a wave of intense guilt and anger. If Shao Hong hadn't risked himself to cover his escape earlier, he would never have suffered such grievous harm.

"It's a long story... Watch out!"

Shao Hong suddenly remembered something and shouted a frantic warning. Before his voice could even fade, a figure abruptly lunged forward from the darkness behind them, throwing a vicious punch directly at Ning Fan's head.

"So you're that Ning Fan."

"Interesting. To think a piece of trash like you actually managed to make it down here!"

"..."

This was an unfamiliar cultivator whom Ning Fan did not recognize. Judging by the intense fluctuations of spiritual energy radiating from his body, he was also a cultivator at the Half-Step Profound Extreme Realm.

Faced with the ambush, Ning Fan neither dodged nor retreated. He simply raised his arm and threw an identical punch straight ahead.

"Boom!"

Fist collided with fist, producing a heavy, muffled explosion. Ning Fan remained rooted to the spot, completely unfazed, whereas the attacking disciple let out a muffled grunt, his body staggering backward violently.

He stumbled back several paces, only managing to arrest his momentum when a female disciple behind him stepped forward to catch his weight.

"What?!"

"Such physical strength... and that cultivation level!"

"This is impossible!"

"..."