Cloud Retainer finished the "mortal food" offered by her disciple with elegant efficiency. Her mood was visibly improved, and as a result, even Yi Chen looked more pleasing to her eyes.
She stretched her wings and, noticing Yi Chen scratching his head and hesitating as if something were on his mind, took the initiative to speak.
"Alright, my good disciple. Lunch was quite to my satisfaction. Speak—what else troubles your heart?"
Seeing that his master was in a good mood, Yi Chen immediately stepped forward and recounted everything in detail: how he'd encountered Shenhe in the forest, sensed the stubborn baleful aura clinging to her, even his impulsive thought of using a 'bloodletting therapy'—and how it had ultimately failed.
At the end, he looked at Cloud Retainer expectantly.
"Master, you're knowledgeable. Do you think… if we used my blood, could it really help Senior Sister dissolve that baleful aura? I feel like my blood is pretty powerful!"
Before he could finish, Cloud Retainer's relaxed demeanor vanished instantly.
She shouted sharply, her wing cutting through the air as it struck Yi Chen squarely on the forehead!
"Ow—!"
Yi Chen staggered back, clutching his head.
Cloud Retainer's expression was the sternest it had ever been.
"The Solitary Star Calamity Baleful Aura that Shenhe bears is something born of heaven and earth, deeply intertwined with her fate and soul. It is fundamentally different from the karmic burden accumulated by the Conqueror of Demons, which is acquired later in life!"
"This baleful aura is like a part of her very soul. If you recklessly strike it with the power of an alien bloodline and lose control—even slightly—you will not cleanse it, but provoke it into a violent backlash!"
"When that happens, the first to suffer will be Shenhe's soul itself. At best, severe injury. At worst—"
She paused, eyes sharp.
"—the consequences would be unthinkable."
Shenhe stood silently to the side, listening.
She felt warmth at Yi Chen's desire to help her, but she also knew her master spoke the truth.
Yi Chen's face went pale. Only now did he realize how reckless and dangerous his idea had been. He shrank back, shaken.
"S-So serious…?"
Cloud Retainer's tone grew even heavier. Her wing twitched, clearly itching to strike him again—but she restrained herself.
"Yi Chen! The special nature of your bloodline must never be spoken of lightly to outsiders again!"
"And you must never again entertain the thought of 'letting blood' so casually! That is the path to calamity—a great taboo! Do you understand?!"
She could hardly imagine the disasters that would follow if this foolish disciple went around telling people 'my blood is amazing', or if someone with ill intent discovered the truth.
Yi Chen was thoroughly frightened by her severity. He lowered his head, dejected.
"…I understand, Master. I won't say it again. But… then is there really no way to help Senior Sister?"
He still couldn't quite let it go.
The cave fell into brief silence.
Cloud Retainer looked at Yi Chen's crestfallen face, then at Shenhe—quiet, long-suffering—and seemed to struggle internally.
Finally, as if making a difficult decision, she sighed. With a flick of her wing, she produced an ancient scroll—neither silk nor paper—emanating a faint Daoist resonance.
"Conventional methods indeed cannot resolve this… however…"
She paused, her gaze moving between Yi Chen and Shenhe before settling on Yi Chen.
"There is a secret method in my possession that may be attempted."
"This method does not forcibly expel the aura, but guides and transforms it. It requires someone whose fate aligns with Shenhe's, whose heart is in harmony with hers, whose qi and blood are supremely pure and yang-aligned—someone who can naturally suppress baleful aura without provoking backlash—to…"
She spoke slowly.
"…dual cultivate."
The instant the words 'dual cultivation' left her mouth, Yi Chen blinked blankly.
Then—boom—
Images from an illustrated folk novel he had accidentally glimpsed in the Mondstadt library exploded into his mind!
His face, ears, and even the back of his neck turned crimson in an instant.
He instinctively shot a furtive glance at Shenhe—
Silver hair like snow, flawless icy beauty, an aloof immortal temperament…
Uh…
If the partner were Senior Sister… it wouldn't be a loss… right?
A chaotic mix of extreme embarrassment, confusion, and a tiny, dangerous hint of expectation surged through him. Blood rushing to his head, he clenched his fist, striking a pose of tragic heroism.
"Very well! Master! If it's to save Senior Sister, then even if it means… even if it means offering my body—I am willing!"
Shenhe, who had initially been puzzled, was not completely ignorant of basic worldly ethics.
At first, she didn't fully grasp the deeper meaning of "dual cultivation." But seeing Yi Chen's face flush red and hearing his shocking declaration—combined with the literal meaning of the words—
She understood.
And in that moment, an indescribable warmth struck her heart.
For her—a senior sister he'd known for less than a day—Yi Chen was willing to go this far?
To offer… himself?
Shock, gratitude, and an unfamiliar flutter intertwined, making her fingers tremble slightly.
"Junior Brother… if you do not despise me for bearing baleful aura, for being an ill-omened person… then I…"
She turned her face slightly aside, the faintest blush touching her ears.
"…I can only… offer myself in return."
The atmosphere in the cave instantly became awkward, solemn, and strangely filled with a sense of mutual agreement.
Cloud Retainer: "..."
Staring at one disciple looking ready for heroic sacrifice and another looking prepared to devote herself, Cloud Retainer felt a surge of blood rush to her head. She nearly passed out.
"You two wretched disciples—what nonsense is going through your heads?!"
Her wings trembled with fury as she struck Yi Chen on the head again.
"The dual cultivation I speak of is NOT the filthy nonsense from mortal storybooks!"
She was livid, her voice rising sharply.
"It refers to the merging of spiritual power, resonance of souls, and the balancing of yin and yang through proper joint cultivation! Two people, with absolute trust, palms touching, qi circulating—together refining the baleful aura!"
"Who asked you to offer your bodies?! 'Offering yourself'?! 'Devoting yourself'?! You're going to give me heart demons! Infuriating! Utterly infuriating!!"
Centuries of immortal composure were rapidly crumbling before these two.
Yi Chen clutched his aching head and exchanged looks with Shenhe.
So… that kind of dual cultivation.
Yi Chen's face grew even redder—this time from sheer embarrassment.
Shenhe quickly returned to her usual icy composure, though the faint blush on her ears betrayed her inner turmoil.
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