When Ye Fan and Lu Xiaoman came out of the room, Mo Xiaoyan was still sulking in the living room.

Being in a secret realm, many things were inconvenient. Mo Xiaoyan knew she had no place to vent in this realm, not even able to step out of the courtyard door. Yet she stood with arms akimbo, glaring at Ye Fan and his wife with eyes that seemed to shoot fire.

"Sister and brother-in-law, you really care, don’t you? Coming here just to leave me outside while you have a good time inside..." Mo Xiaoyan was the kind of girl who spoke her mind without considering the consequences.

Lu Xiaoman’s expression hardened slightly. "Xiaoyan, what are you talking about? What business is it of yours what I do with your brother-in-law?"

One sentence was enough to shut Mo Xiaoyan up. Regardless of whether her sister and brother-in-law were having fun, it had nothing to do with the sister-in-law. Lu Xiaoman’s argument was actually reasonable, but Mo Xiaoyan felt wronged. She believed she shared the same destiny as her sister—to become Ye Fan’s woman. So why could her sister born on the same day as her enjoy her husband’s affection while Mo Xiaoyan could only watch helplessly from outside, unable to even sneak a peek?

Seeing the sisters’ relationship seeming stiff, Ye Fan chuckled. "Alright, let’s sit down and talk. I have to leave soon!"

Lu Xiaoman asked with concern, "Ye Fan, are you leaving soon? I... I can’t bear for you to go!"

"Tsk, tsk! Sister, look at you, still speaking up for brother-in-law. Does he cherish you? Just saying he’ll leave at the drop of a hat, he doesn’t care about you at all. He must be going back to find his other women, Li Zhaojun, Tantai Wanrong—humph, there are many. We sisters should stick together!" Mo Xiaoyan claimed she was upset for Lu Xiaoman but seemed more like sowing discord, especially mentioning other women in front of Ye Fan’s woman, the greatest taboo.

Lu Xiaoman shot her sister a glare. "If you can’t speak kindly, then be quiet! You little girl, becoming more worrisome..."

Mo Xiaoyan stuck out her tongue and sat silently to the side, while Ye Fan and Lu Xiaoman sat cuddled on the other side, discussing cultivation, which Mo Xiaoyan couldn’t follow.

"Brother-in-law, what’s the point of saying all this? My sister and I have such low cultivation levels. If anyone wants to harm us, we can’t resist unless you stay by our side constantly to protect us. Otherwise, don’t say we can protect ourselves, especially when your enemies’ cultivation is already extremely terrifying. Even if we train for hundreds of years, we’re no match. What use is it!" Mo Xiaoyan scoffed.

Ye Fan said, "Where there’s a will, there’s a way. How would you know you can’t if you don’t try? Besides, I’ll help you train... Here’s the plan: start by practicing some sect cultivation techniques and see which suits you better. These are cultivation techniques from the seven major sects. I can provide you with a continuous supply of spiritual energy, so let’s see what progress you can make..."

Mo Xiaoyan complained, "Brother-in-law, can’t I avoid training? Training is so painful. I can’t carry it through when I’m halfway. Isn’t there a way for cultivation between men and women together? Can you...can you train with me?"

"Xiaoyan, what nonsense are you talking about? You know perfectly well what cultivation together entails...how dare you say that!" Lu Xiaoman snapped.

Mo Xiaoyan certainly understood what cultivation together meant, but she pretended not to know in front of Ye Fan, now looking innocent and pleading at him as if hoping he would train together with her.

Ye Fan shook his head slightly. "First get clear about individual cultivation. With your constitution, during the Golden Core Stage, it’s not suitable to use other training methods. As for what you mentioned about cultivation together, wait until after the Nascent Soul Stage..."

With this, he was essentially giving Mo Xiaoyan a chance.

You’re only at the Golden Core Stage now; I can’t cultivate with you. But after reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, you can. Mo Xiaoyan certainly understood what cultivation together implied, her eyes lit up, but Lu Xiaoman also understood Ye Fan’s meaning. Lu Xiaoman said, "Ye Fan, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I was just telling her it’s not suitable for joint cultivation at this stage, Xiaoman. Don’t think too much about it!" Ye Fan explained with a smile.

Lu Xiaoman had long known there was an understanding between Ye Fan and Mo Xiaoyan, making it hard for her not to think much since Ye Fan wouldn’t overly consider her willingness on some matters, just like the many women at Ye Fan’s side whom he wouldn’t consult her to decide whom to have around.

But Lu Xiaoman held a personal attitude towards Mo Xiaoyan. She didn’t wish for her sister to also become her husband’s woman, not that she was excessively selfish, just feeling it inappropriate.

Mo Xiaoyan, however, was indignantly thinking, "Humph, my sister has a happy, joyful family now, leaving me sidelined. When I get the chance, I will surpass her. Humph, who says a sister-in-law can’t live happily ever after with the brother-in-law?"

With such thoughts, Mo Xiaoyan began to think wickedly. Her thoughts weren’t about helping her sister find happiness but destroying it to fulfill her own desire to live happily together with her brother-in-law.

Having such a mindset made Mo Xiaoyan’s heart dark too, tangled with Lu Xiaoman and in sync with Ye Fan’s smiling face, while Mo Xiaoyan plotted how to surpass her sister and ruin the good things between her sister and brother-in-law.

...

...

When Ye Fan met Lu Xiaoman and Mo Xiaoyan, meanwhile in another part of the Pan Gu secret realm, Shen Yan was still attempting to break through the protective barrier Ye Fan had created for her.

Though Shen Yan had reached nearly ascendant levels of cultivation, she was merely a normal human girl, not very knowledgeable on many cultivation matters, especially relating to cultivation techniques, as she was forced to cultivate to such a high level, with her technique still remaining at the Golden Core Stage.

This was also the bottleneck for loose cultivators, who, reaching mid-high cultivation levels without a structured training model or the experience of predecessors from sects, find it hard to break through when encountering bottlenecks. Key points during the bottleneck phase involve cultivation techniques; without them, self-protection abilities are weak, and in battles can only rely on brute force, especially during ascension tribulations needing external, powerful arrays for assistance to conquer the heavenly tribulation.

"Let me out! Let me out!" Shen Yan, finally, was near breaking down.

Her cultivation had significant bottlenecks. She felt exhausted since the barrier Ye Fan built was both a protection and a cage for her. Opening this cage was challenging.

In turn, Ye Fan received feedback, inevitably coming to meet Shen Yan.