The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

The two consciousnesses merged once again, and this time, the merging was exceptionally thorough.

Shen Yifei clearly felt that he was still Shen Yifei, but he could also see the memories hidden in Ye Ling's heart from the depths of her consciousness.

This was the first time he had truly experienced the burning flame hidden beneath the cold and beautiful exterior of a woman who had lived for ten thousand years.

That feeling of mutual fusion, gentle yet intense, is like two rivers completely merging in a deep pool, intertwined and inseparable.

"Hmm...that's about right." Jinbao's voice came from the depths of their souls. "You two bear with it, I'm about to split my spirit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yifei felt a surge of power rising from the depths of his consciousness.

That power was pure and immaculate, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Like a scorching hot iron, carrying the essence of ten thousand years and the five elements, it is slowly branding itself into his soul.

Shen Yifei groaned and gripped Ye Ling's hands tightly with both of them.

"Ugh...it hurts so much..." Shen Yifei gritted his teeth, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Don't move," Ye Ling said, also trying to suppress the same feeling. "Bear with it."

"I didn't move around, I just feel a throbbing pain."

Jinbao shouted, "It's supposed to hurt! This is the source of the Five Elements. If you feel light and airy, then something's wrong, and we're all doomed."

Despite saying that, Shen Yifei felt that this feeling was more intense than any dual cultivation he had ever experienced.

It wasn't the kind of pain that's on the skin, but rather a feeling of something completely tearing open the depths of your soul.

But that power seemed to have a spirit, gently wriggling deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, like a soft little hand grasping and kneading his soul.

"Wife, what...what...how do you feel?" He hesitated for a long time before finally asking.

Ye Ling's eyelids twitched slightly, and she said coldly, "Shut up and concentrate."

She said that, but Shen Yifei could feel that the hand she was holding was trembling slightly at the fingertips.

At this moment, Jinbao's golden light suddenly split into two, turning into two thinner and brighter golden threads, which respectively entered the sea of ​​consciousness of the two people.

"Bear with it, this is the most painful part, you'll feel better once you get through it."

The two golden threads that Jinbao transformed into flowed through the souls of the two people.

Everywhere they went, the place felt like it had been branded with a hot iron; after the burning pain, a tingling warmth would follow, reaching deep into their bones, making the hairs on both of their bodies stand on end.

Jinbao's childish voice emanated from the depths of their souls: "Hey, you're pretty good at holding back! This is just the beginning, there's more to come."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yifei's scalp tingled: "Ancestor, can't you just give me a quick death? This slow, drawn-out torture is worse than killing me!"

"You think I don't want to give you a quick death?" Jinbao snorted. "If I were to pour it all in at once, your mind would explode."

After saying that, the golden thread extended deeper into the distance.

Shen Yifei couldn't help but gasp. He felt as if his soul had been turned inside out, like a pancake being repeatedly turned over and refined.

"Ancestor...is this a spirit sharing ceremony or an initiation?"

"Enough nonsense, this is the crucial moment. I'm going to nail those two strands of golden energy completely into your sea of ​​consciousness and life gate. Once this last bit is nailed in, it'll be over."

"Ancestor... could you... could you be a little gentler? My sea of ​​consciousness is about to be torn apart."

Jinbao snorted, "What do you know? I stayed inside Wan Shuo's body for tens of thousands of years, and that guy never made a sound like you. Look at your wife, she didn't say a word."

Shen Yifei turned his head and glanced at Ye Ling.

Ye Ling had her eyes tightly closed, her brows furrowed, and her body slightly leaning back, as if she was trying her best to endure it.

Shen Yifei tightened his grip on Ye Ling's hand. "Wife, are you... are you alright?"

Ye Ling opened her eyes, forcing herself to endure the discomfort, "You...you mind your own business."

As soon as she finished speaking, Jinbao's golden thread suddenly exerted a strong force into the depths of her consciousness.

"Alright, alright, just the last bit! Bear with it!" Jinbao shouted.

Shen Yifei felt the golden thread instantly merge into the deepest part of his consciousness, and at the same time, Jinbao disappeared.

"It's settled. From today onwards, neither of you can live without the other."

Jinbao's childish voice resounded simultaneously in their souls.

"Ancestors... my wife and I have never been separated."

"That's different. Before, you were a couple with two separate hearts; now you are of one heart and inseparable. The golden energy in your sea of ​​consciousness is derived from the same golden essence, so you are naturally connected. You can feel her pain and she can feel your itch."

Shen Yifei was taken aback for a moment, "Then... then I'll also feel it when she's having her period?"

Ye Ling's face darkened instantly, and her gaze towards Shen Yifei was murderous.

Jinbao laughed loudly within their minds, "Oh dear, you little rascal, you really dare to say anything!"

Ye Ling ignored him, stood up, and tried to circulate the golden power within her body.

A pure and powerful metal energy flowed through the meridians, coating the meridians with a faint golden hue wherever it passed.

She tried to activate that power and sent it into her palm.

"boom!"

A golden beam of light shot into the sky, blasting a three-zhang-deep hole in the stone wall above. Debris rained down, and the entire cavern trembled.

Shen Yifei looked at the huge hole above his head, then at the golden light flowing in his palm, and swallowed hard.

"Honey, you're... a bit too strong."

Ye Ling withdrew her hand. "Go ahead and try yours."

Shen Yifei imitated Ye Ling and channeled his golden energy into his palm.

"Whoosh!"

A beam of golden light shot out, heading straight for the hole above, its force significantly weaker than Ye Ling's.

Jinbao gave a disdainful "Eh," and said, "Look at you, we both have half a Golden Essence, but your wife can blast three zhang (approximately 1.5 meters) while you can only blast one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters). You still need to train your physique."

Liu Mengli floated out of the cauldron, saw the situation in the cave, and said with a grin, "Master, your golden essence power is a natural dual cultivation artifact!"

"What kind of dual cultivation artifact?"

"Look, your two essences are the same, naturally connected. You touch her, she can feel it; she pinches you, you can feel it too. One feels, two enjoy—what else could this be but a divine artifact for dual cultivation?"

Shen Yifei thought it made sense; Liu Mengli really did have a different perspective.

Jinbao was immediately displeased when he heard that Liu Mengli was using her power for the fusion.

She separated a wisp of golden light from each of their consciousnesses, which condensed into a small figure in mid-air, hands on hips, two tufts of hair trembling.

"I'm warning you, you little vixen, I was personally crafted by Wan Shuo; I'm a genuine treasure of heaven and earth. If you try to use me as some kind of dual cultivation artifact, I'll blind you with my golden light."

"Yeah?"

Liu Mengli narrowed her peach blossom eyes slightly, and an inexplicable aura emanated from her.

Jinbao took one look and screamed, "Oh my god..."

It disappeared immediately.