Li Xue and Li Lin both studied the girl with curiosity. She possessed a four-element spiritual root. Seeing her intimate manner with Perfected Jingyuan, they wondered if the two were Dao companions, though the gap between their cultivation realms was staggering.
"Yiyi, this is Li Lin, a blood descendant of Perfected Yuhong from Dongyang Peak. He possesses a Heavenly Fire Root." Perfected Jingyuan affectionately held the woman’s small hand as he continued the introductions. "And this is Li Xue, Li Lin’s mother. Since you are all in the Qi Condensation stage, you should spend more time together in the future."
Then, Perfected Jingyuan pulled the woman into a doting embrace and introduced her to them. "This is Yiyi, my dual cultivation partner. I hope you will look after her in the days to come."
Li Xue and her son hurriedly demurred, saying they wouldn't dare. *Dual cultivation?* At the mention of the term, Li Xue’s eyes sparkled. Li Lin felt a wave of helplessness seeing his mother’s gossipy expression, yet he couldn't help but wonder: could a late-stage Gold Core cultivator truly dual cultivate with someone at the seventh level of Qi Condensation?
"This is wonderful! Li Xue, Li Lin, we can learn from each other from now on." The petite and exquisite beauty, Yiyi, slipped out of Jingyuan’s grasp and moved to their side. She took Li Xue’s hand warmly, her large eyes blinking with excitement.
"Yiyi, it’s a pleasure to meet you," Li Xue replied. She found herself quite fond of the spiritual aura Yiyi radiated—it was a soft, gentle energy that felt incredibly comfortable.
Perfected Jingyuan was gratified to see them getting along. He intended for Yiyi to participate in the trial of the Chuyun Secret Realm in a year’s time; if they were on good terms, it would naturally be easier for them to look out for one another.
After returning to the Hall of Heavy Splendor on Dongyang Peak, Li Xue remained puzzled by the matter of Perfected Jingyuan and Yiyi’s dual cultivation. Perfected Jingyuan was, after all, a late-stage Gold Core cultivator with a dual-element root. Why would he choose a disciple with a four-element root at the seventh level of Qi Condensation as a partner? While Li Ran had a dual-element root and Xia Xiaoqing had five, they were a secular couple; their relationship didn't involve the "dual cultivation" of the immortal path, as Xia Xiaoqing was not a cultivator.
Li Xue rarely interacted with the other peaks of the Yunjin Sect, so she was ignorant of much of the local gossip. Judging by the Sect Leader’s tone today, Yiyi was certainly going to the Chuyun Secret Realm. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked the mother and son to look after her. To feel at ease during the upcoming trial, Li Xue felt she needed to understand Yiyi’s situation better.
At the Hall of Lihua, Li Xue was visiting Wang Yun’s cave dwelling. Lin Fei was now fourteen years old and at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. Her eyes brightened when she saw Li Xue. "Auntie Li, is the Junior Martial Granduncle going to take you to the secret realm trial next year?" Li Xue wasn't used to Lin Fei calling her "Junior Martial Granduncle," so she had the girl call her "Auntie Li" instead.
Li Xue nodded. "Yes. Xiao Fei, will you be going as well?"
Wang Yun shook her head. "The slots for the Chuyun Secret Realm are limited. She’s only at the seventh level of Qi Condensation; she won't make it through the sect’s selection competition. She’s still young. The Lingwei Secret Realm opens in three years; it won't be too late for her to gain experience then." Hearing this, Lin Fei’s head slumped. Knowing she had no hope of going to the Chuyun Secret Realm, she went back to her cultivation.
Li Xue smiled slightly and asked, "By the way, Wang Yun, do you know anything about Sect Leader Jingyuan’s dual cultivation partner?"
Wang Yun clearly knew the story and sighed with some emotion. "I’m familiar with her. She was an outer sect disciple with a four-element root, but she possesses a special constitution. That is why the Sect Leader took an interest in her."
As it turned out, while Heavenly Roots were rare in the cultivation world, they were not unheard of. However, there were several "Special Constitutions" that cultivators sought after with fanatical greed.
The first was the Pure Yin Constitution. This constitution, especially in female cultivators, was considered the ultimate dual cultivation physique. Whenever a female cultivator with this constitution appeared, it would trigger a struggle among high-level cultivators. Such a case had occurred in the Tianqing Sect five hundred years ago; an inner sect disciple with a three-element root and a Pure Yin Constitution was forcibly claimed by the Tian family’s Supreme Elder. Similarly, a branch member of the Yuan family with the same constitution had been "collected" by their clan ancestor. Yiyi was the only one to appear in the Yunjin Sect, discovered only in the last two or three years, and she had immediately been taken by Sect Leader Jingyuan as his partner. The greatest benefit of the Pure Yin Constitution was its ability to suppress inner demons, significantly reducing the risk of cultivation deviation. For any cultivator seeking to break through to higher realms, this was an irresistible temptation.
The second was the Pure Yang Constitution. Male cultivators with this physique were similarly welcomed by female cultivators as prime candidates for dual cultivation.
Then there was the Neutral Constitution—specifically, the Five-Element Neutral Constitution. This referred to a state where all five spiritual root attributes were present in equal proportions. This was also a top-tier dual cultivation physique, as it could effectively soothe and realign one's energy after a cultivation deviation.
Next was the Spirit-Inducing Constitution. This could be called the ultimate "cauldron" physique. It could store any type of spiritual energy for others to use. Consequently, cultivators with this constitution were often the targets of capture by high-level experts.
The Spirit-Absorbing Constitution was even more aberrant and feared. It could absorb any spiritual energy. Dual cultivating with such a person would cause one's cultivation base to drain rapidly. It was a terrifying existence, much like the "Star Sucking Great Art" from the novels of Li Xue’s previous life.
As for others like the Demon Fetus or the Yao Fetus, those were legends that appeared perhaps once in hundreds of thousands of years. Thus, the constitutions mentioned above were the ones most frequently recorded in the cultivation world, and Yiyi possessed one of them.
Li Xue felt a pang of sympathy for Yiyi. To have a special constitution meant being perpetually coveted by men—what a frightening prospect. However, she did not know that Yiyi did not see it that way. Although Perfected Jingyuan had initially approached her because of her constitution, several years of companionship had fostered deep feelings between them. Moreover, dual cultivation provided benefits to both parties.
