Jack Young sacrificed all his true qi to summon Jill Young (The Queen) for cross-realm backup, and Jill burned everything she had to defeat the powerful enemy and protect her beloved. Their loss of true qi went far beyond simply "using it up"—it was almost like their maximum vitality had been permanently reduced, a nearly irreversible drain on their life force. If it hadn't been so severe, they wouldn't have needed so long to truly restore their internal power.
But having an Ascendant Rank foundation isn't for nothing—this deep-rooted base finally made all the difference in their darkest hour. Their true qi might've been wiped out, but the true spirit seed remained. For ordinary folks, that would've been the end of their martial arts journey. But for the twins, as long as the right opportunity came along, they'd bounce right back and start fresh.
In fact, surviving such a brutal ordeal and making a comeback only made them more refined and resilient than ever.
So, Supreme Skill and Bright Moon Skill—pure yang and pure yin—merged together, following the method of the Dual Cultivation Divine Skill Beta. Their teamwork was flawless, their synergy off the charts—meridians (energy pathways in the body) resonated, acupoints (vital points) locked in. Humans are born imperfect, but when yin and yang come together, you get a perfect duality.
Two streams of incredibly faint yet ultra-pure true qi acted like opposite magnetic poles, attracting and encouraging each other. They stubbornly emerged from the dantian (the body's energy center), met between their palms, and flowed endlessly in the ring formed by their arms. Twisting and spiraling, they danced through the twins’ meridians like a double helix of DNA.
In their inner vision, this spiral was perfectly coordinated—a strange, natural beauty that seemed almost destined.
In this endless twisting and entangling, yin and yang seemed both infinitely close and infinitely far apart. The space between them felt impossibly small—like they could collide at any moment—or impossibly vast, as if they'd never truly meet for all eternity.
Right at the very center of this spiral, in that absolute void where nothing existed—where the fields of yin and yang tangled and influenced each other—a light suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It was incredibly faint, but the instant it showed up, it illuminated their organs and meridians, inside and out.
In the next moment, the double helix split apart, each carrying a bit of divine light back to its own dantian. Like tossing a spark into the furnace—the dantian, already brimming with life, jolted, and then all the meridians started trembling and swaying.
It was like a flickering bulb suddenly getting a full surge of power—everything lit up, clear and bright.
Both of them shuddered from head to toe, feeling a mysterious connection deep inside. Even their postures shifted in response.
No longer sitting quietly, they both stood up and began to spar—almost like a close-contact dance, or Tai Chi push hands. Their steps moved in circles, their arms rose and fell, always meeting in perfect sync. Both kept their eyes closed, minds lively and clear, but they weren’t forcing anything—just letting their instincts flow.
True qi merged deeply, and their meridians (the body's energy pathways) nearly became one. Every moment, they were exchanging energy at a profound level. The twelve main meridians became twenty-four; the eight extraordinary channels doubled to sixteen. Their energy circuit expanded dramatically, multiplying the effect several times over.
Normally, a skilled martial artist can only circulate true qi through the Ren and Du Meridians, forming a closed loop that you could see if you watched from outside. But now, the twins’ true qi cycles through the Ren and Du Meridians in a path shaped like an infinity symbol—limitless, unbroken.
Their hands kept moving, and so did their true qi. Fast or slow, soft or strong, they were practicing the most basic punches. Inside and outside worked in perfect harmony—every burst of strength, every step, was another round of true qi flowing back and forth.
Whoosh—white clouds swept by, primordial energy surged like a tide. Jack Young sat in deep meditation, connecting with the universe, his hands moving in smooth circles. Spiritual awareness radiated outward, drawing in vital energy from all directions through his breath, channeling it into his spiritual apertures. It transformed into snowflake-like ice crystals, drifting down from his sea of consciousness into his middle dantian.
Boom—blood and qi rushed, energy erupted. Jill Young (The Queen) opened her eyes, her muscles twitching like drums, her power growing fiercer and stronger. A dragon’s phantom seemed to roar, sending bursts of flame—real and imagined—through every cell. The fire flowed with her blood, gathering at her heart.
Both stood as steady as mountains, their movements growing heavier and deeper. When they finally stopped and pressed their palms together, it was like the charge between positive and negative electrodes breaking through—there was a thunderous boom, a flash of golden lightning, and a phantom passage split open. In the next instant, fire and ice crystals merged, reacted fiercely, and then vanished.
The energies collided and turned into a limitless rain of light, scattering into every limb and bone. Every inch felt perfectly comfortable. The twin streams of internal power, nourished by the light rain, surged through their bodies like dragons returning to the sea, circling thirty-six times before settling back into the dantian to be nurtured.
"Whew—" Both let out a long breath and opened their eyes at the same time. Supreme Skill and Bright Moon Skill had been fully awakened, and under the nourishing light rain, they grew rapidly stronger.
"Not bad, not bad! This feels great. Looks like it won’t be long before we break through the Heavenly Barrier, return to our innate state, and start circulating the Minor Celestial Cycle again. Also, I’ve got an idea," Jack Young said, inspiration sparking. "We should look into the Wedding Garment Divine Skill and see if we can upgrade the Supreme Skill. Since both target the middle dantian, dual cultivation should work even better."
"I've got an idea too," Jill Young (The Queen) chimed in, raising her hand. "I think Bright Moon Skill has room to grow. We could fuse it with other divine skills and add some useful features—like mixing in the Northern Darkness Divine Skill."
"Sounds good! Let’s do it!" Jill Young (The Queen) was bursting with energy. "I just know this round of seclusion is going to be off the charts—hoo hoo, wah ha ha ha ha!"
And just like that, a whole month flew by. Aside from necessary rest and mentoring their disciples, the twins spent the rest of their time on their unique brand of cultivation.
Spiritual resonance brings you close to the Dao.
True qi blending forms the essence of Tai Chi.
When primordial essence flows freely, it transforms into a soaring dragon.
Essence, Qi, and Spirit—the three treasures. In every aspect, the twins could dual cultivate, and the results were honestly mind-blowing. Compared to their way, the old-fashioned methods were just embarrassingly outdated—totally low-tech, barely worth mentioning!
Even with the most unexpected dual cultivation method—the Dragon Elephant Skill—the twins pulled off a level of teamwork nobody else could match: one focused on eating and gathering energy, the other went wild with powerful attacks to help with digestion. Jack Young practiced Internal Boxing on Jill Young (The Queen) every day, sometimes throwing in a couple of advanced moves to loosen up her joints. Naturally, Jill swung her fists right back, holding up her Eggshell Guard for a proper counter.
The two of them fought so hard that rocks flew and sparks flew everywhere, and their method was way more effective than the old Weighted Training Method described in the original Dragon Elephant Skill.
As for that Weighted Training Method, it's still a testament to the wisdom of those before us—can't let it go to waste! So they tweaked it a bit and passed it on to their disciples. And that's how Not-a-Husband started his days facing the cliff, bracing his back and lifting his hips.
Of course, sometimes their sparring would turn into a real showdown, looking pretty heated to outsiders. As their skills came back, their fights got louder and scarier—anyone who didn't know the story would probably be freaked out.
When Xiao Jingzhe reached the top of Sun and Moon Peak, he barely poked his head up before a blast of fist wind smacked him right in the face.
Whoosh—a strong wind whipped by, hair went flying, and the Paladin couldn't even keep his eyes open. He teetered back and forth, arms and legs flailing, almost tumbling off the cliff. Once he steadied himself and opened his eyes, he saw an all-out brawl in progress.
He watched as the twins flashed around, leaping sky-high and diving low, fists and kicks flying, ice exploding and fire blazing. It was like the end of the world—almost tearing Sun and Moon Peak apart. One second, they were using fancy techniques to break each other down—Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand versus Seven Forms of the Flower Goddess. The next, they were going all out with big moves, Dragon Shadow against Dragon Shadow, neither giving an inch.
Booms and bangs echoed nonstop, mixed with a weird ding-dong sound. Xiao Jingzhe looked closer—Jack Young was still in his ice-man state.
This looked pretty bad—these two were seriously fired up, even breaking out their secret moves! Not even when fighting the Ringwraiths did they use these tricks! Could it be... was it because they got into a fight over practicing martial arts in their underwear?
For the moment, that was the only explanation he could think of.
"Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on here?" Xiao Jingzhe had come hoping for a peek at some underwear training, but instead got a front-row seat to a full-on brawl. Dazed and shocked, he rushed forward to break it up. With a clang, he suited up in armor, grabbed a tower shield, and charged in.
A flash of holy light, and he was suddenly between them. Boom—Jack Young’s heavy punch stopped just short of his face, the air crackling with energy. Staring at that fist right in front of him, Xiao Jingzhe swallowed hard. Jumping into the twins’ battleground was no joke—even the heaviest tower shield felt as flimsy as a cracker!
Jack Young pulled his fist back, grumbling, "What are you doing? Move it, we’re at a critical moment!" He shifted his stance, ready to circle around the Paladin and keep fighting. Jill Young (The Queen) did the same, sliding her foot to jump back into the fray.
But Xiao Jingzhe moved too, his tower shield blocking them like a wall. Sweat poured down his forehead, but he did what he had to do—the Paladin started mediating: "Don’t fight! Don’t throw punches! You two, what’s going on? Even if it’s because of... uh, whatever the reason, can’t you talk it out? Don’t make trouble!"
"Who’s making trouble?" the twins shouted in unison. "Don’t interrupt—we’re dual cultivating!"
"Huh?" Xiao Jingzhe was totally baffled. Isn’t dual cultivation supposed to be all lovey-dovey? Before he could figure it out, Jack Young shoved him aside: "You really know how to butt in! No time to waste—it’s the most crucial moment. Get ready—take this punch!"
Swish—a Great Sun pattern flared at her brow, blazing golden lines spreading across her face. Jill Young (The Queen)’s eyes flashed with dazzling gold, her whole body glowing with dark gold light, all of it pouring into her right arm. Like pure gold, she threw a thunderous punch down at Jack Young.
Jack Young didn’t dodge or back down—he struck right back. Planting his feet, he gathered streams of icy energy in his right hand, like ancient ice radiating boundless cold, and launched a counterattack.
In a flash, fist and palm collided head-on, no frills, just pure force.
Clang—~~~~
Bzzz bzzz bzzz—the shockwaves sent ripples everywhere, and even the aftershocks made Xiao Jingzhe’s hair stand on end and his whole body tingle. Fist and palm locked together, and the void at their clash point suddenly looked like shattered glass, covered in cracks. In the next instant—crack!—Jack Young’s right hand split open like a block of ice!
Xiao Jingzhe was shocked, about to summon Holy Light to heal him, but on closer look, it wasn’t Jack Young’s real body that cracked—it was an icy energy shell.
"Hyaa!" Jill Young (The Queen) whipped her hair skyward, Dragon Shadow bursting from her arm as she unleashed another powerful strike: "Break—for—me—now!"
Crack crack crack—the shattered glass pattern spread fast, the icy shell splitting and running down Jack Young’s arm and across his whole body. Bang—countless icy stars scattered, his white ice-man hair turned black again, and in a blink, Jack Young was back to normal. The energy shell finally collapsed, dissolving into thousands of ice crystals.
But they weren’t physical objects—they were solidified energy. Jack Young took a deep breath and actually inhaled the ice crystals through his mouth and nose. One second he was fighting hard, the next he dropped into a cross-legged meditation pose.
Eyes shut tight, his body shifted naturally, cycling through all sorts of strange poses. Meanwhile, the constant ding-dong sound got even louder. Only now did Xiao Jingzhe have time to listen closely—and to his surprise, the sound wasn’t coming from any instrument, but from Jack Young himself.
At this point, he was starting to believe—the twins really were cultivating.
Jack Young’s strange poses seemed to align with the Great Dao, and Xiao Jingzhe was mesmerized, feeling deep down that these movements were important. Who knows how long passed, until—"Whew—"—Jack Young let out a long breath, blasting a stream of cold air like an arrow, freezing the ground where it landed.
He opened his eyes and smiled at Jill Young (The Queen): "The Purification Manual really is extraordinary—its reputation is well deserved. From now on, I’ll finally be free from the limits of meridian compatibility. I guess you could say I’m officially a genius with ice-based internal power now!"