Sixteen’s aura had become very oppressive. What was she planning to do?

　　Song Shuhang was baffled. Seeing such a powerful Sixteen made him feel uneasy.

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen then asked, “Shuhang, are you considering marrying a man in the future?”

　　She was very serious when asking this question. Shuhang could tell from the oppressive aura she was letting out.

　　Song Shuhang: “Pfff~”

　　I’m not Doudou… Right, I wonder how Doudou’s marriage thing will develop. Perhaps after he ascends to the Fifth Stage, he will turn into a female dog…

　　Seeing Song Shuhang choking on his food, Su Clan’s Sixteen stretched lazily and said, “Nevermind, let’s not talk about this topic for now. There’s still a lot of time, especially for us cultivators. Our life is very long.”

　　While she was speaking, the aura on her body returned normal.

　　” Sixteen… I’ll say it right now, I don’t plan on marrying a man,” Song Shuhang replied seriously.

　　“Mm-hm, I know,” Su Clan’s Sixteen said as she rested her chin in her hand.

　　“I really don’t plan on marrying a man. It’s not to my liking,” Song Shuhand said again.

　　“I got it, I got it,” Su Clan’s Sixteen said with a sweet smile, revealing cute dimples. “Anyway, why do you seem so nervous?”

　　Song Shuhang: “…”

　　It’s because when you asked me whether I planned on marrying a man, your aura was really oppressive. My heart still hasn’t calmed down. It’s the same feeling I get when I ride a flying sword without guardrails…

　　It felt like Su Clan’s Sixteen hadn’t asked casually. When she asked the question, it was as if she was getting ready to make a very important decision.

　　“Well, let’s just keep eating. Are you going to accompany the seniors of the Nine Provinces Number One Group as they research the guided missiles in the evening? We might have to accompany them for the whole night, so eat a bit more,” Su Clan’s Sixteen said.

　　After asking the questions she wanted to ask, she had become a lot more relaxed.

　　“Anyway, I really don’t plan on marrying a man. This is the bottom line,” Song Shuhang said once again––important things were better said thrice. Therefore, he remarked it again.

　　“That’s the third time. If you repeat it another time, you’re going to make girls feel that you’re very naggy, reducing their favorable impression of you.” Su Clan’s Sixteen wagged her finger.

　　“I only planned on saying it thrice,” Song Shuhang said.

　　“Hehe.” Su Clan’s Sixteen burst out laughing.

　　She remembered that Su Clan’s Seven once commented on her character, saying that she was ‘hard but easy to break’. But after the heavenly tribulation, she felt that her character had changed, and that she was no longer ‘hard’.

　　Well, the life of a cultivator was very long, and after long periods of time, it was very likely for people to change. No one could guarantee that things that might seem ‘absolute’ at this moment would forever remain ‘absolute’.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Song Shuhang placed his chopsticks down and changed the topic. “Would you like some tea?”

　　“Hmm, okay,” Su Clan’s Sixteen replied.

　　“I’ll go look for Fairy Bie Xue and get two cups.” Song Shuhang stood up and prepared to leave the room.

　　After leaving the room and taking two steps, he found that Immortal Fairy Bie Xue was sitting in the next room with her head lowered as she played with her phone.

　　“You want a teacup? I have a set here, you can have it.” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue then pointed at a tea set beside her.

　　Song Shuhang: “…” Fairy Bie Xue, it’s not polite to eavesdrop!

　　With Immortal Fairy Bie Xue’s strength, she could listen to Song Shuhang and Sixteen’s conversation even if she was sitting in the next room.

　　As she was wearing a veil, he couldn’t tell her expression, but a hint of a smile could be seen in her eyes.

　　“By the way, little friend Shuhang.” After lending Song Shuhang the tea set, Immortal Fairy Bie Xue said softly, “If you end up wanting to marry a man in the future, don’t steal my Fellow Daoist White. I stay true to the monogamy of a man and a woman!”

　　Song Shuhang: “…” Immortal Fairy, our friendship is over.

　　Immortal Fairy Bie Xue then asked, “Jokes aside, has Fellow Daoist White already finished closing up? Why did he suddenly appear in the frame of the divinity show yesterday?”

　　She was slightly worried for Venerable White. In the frame of the divinity show yesterday, she could see that the modern heavenly tribulation that Venerable White was facing was very strong!

　　“Senior White was closing up when he suddenly went to transcend his tribulation,” Song Shuhang responded.

　　Immortal Fairy Bie Xue asked again, “Is he alright? Is his transcension going well?” But then she let out a wry smile as she inwardly thought, The Heavenly Tribulation Realm is cut off from the rest of the world, how could little friend Song Shuhang possibly know Venerable White’s situation?

　　“He’s fine, he’s still in the mood to play games and eat while transcending his tribulation,” Song Shuhang responded.

　　“Eh? Play games? Eat?” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue was confused.

　　“Mm-hm.” Song Shuhang took the tea set, which had a teapot filled with ‘Spirit Green Tea’ and a small bag of tea leaves right beside it.

　　Song Shuhang suddenly thought, If I use the spring water from the living spring in my Inner World to make tea, how would it turn up?

　　Immortal Fairy Bie Xue asked in puzzlement, “How do you know that Fellow Daoist White is playing games and eating?”

　　“Because I was inside the Heavenly Tribulation Realm with Venerable White yesterday,” Song Shuhang said.

　　…As for him being able to contact Venerable White through the Inner World, the fewer people knew it, the better.

　　“Ah, right.” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue nodded. “Little friend Shuhang, can you help me with something?”

　　Song Shuhang responded, “Fairy, what is it?”

　　“Can you let me know when Venerable White is done transcending his tribulation? I want to prepare a table of immortal dishes for him,” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue said.

　　Song Shuhang replied, “Okay.”

　　Such a small task wasn’t a problem.

　　“Don’t worry, when I prepare immortal dishes for Venerable White, I won’t forget your share,” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue said straightforwardly.

　　Song Shuhang gave the thumbs up. “Fairy Bie Xue, I really appreciate you!”

　　It was said that if one wanted to conquer a man, they had to conquer their stomach first. It was unknown whether Venerable White’s stomach could be conquered, but Song Shuhang felt that his own stomach might end up falling for Immortal Fairy Bie Xue’s delicacies.

　　“I have no use for your appreciation, I’m not attracted to you.” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue sighed. “I just want Fellow Daoist White’s appreciation.”

　　“I feel that Venerable White also appreciates you,” Song Shuhang said. Venerable White also like Immortal Fairy Bie Xue’s delicacies.

　　Immortal Fairy Bie Xue asked, “Then why doesn’t he make me his dao companion?”

　　How should I know that? The corners of Song Shuhang’s mouth twitched.

　　Immortal Fairy Bie Xue clenched her fist as she said confidently, “During the upcoming ‘Immortal Feast’, I will definitely conquer White and make it so that he can’t bear to part from my cooking!”

　　Song Shuhang looked at the confident Immortal Fairy Bie Xue. Immortal Fairy, raising flags isn’t a good habit, you should change it.

　　❄️❄️❄️

　　Song Shuhang brought the Spirit Green Tea back into the room.

　　Song Shuhang and Sixteen finished the 20 immortal dishes, and held their teacups as they sipped from them.

　　Song Shuhang had quietly changed the tea water in the Spirit Green Tea with spring water from his living spring.

　　Su Clan’s Sixteen asked, “Shuhang, what was the level of the crocodile whose leg Immortal Fairy Bie Xue cooked?” The taste of the food was truly explosive.

　　“I don’t know its specific level, but the guy was really miserable. As soon as it came out, it was erased and only its leg stayed behind. However, it should at least be of the Sixth Stage,” Song Shuhang said.

　　“A crocodile leg of the Sixth Stage at very least?” Su Clan’s Sixteen blinked. Then, she immediately sat down cross-legged and began practicing.

　　Song Shuhang asked, “What’s with the rush?”

　　“Fool, you should also practice. Do you really think that my immortal dishes are just like ordinary food?” Immortal Fairy Bie Xue’s voice echoed in his ears. “This crocodile leg is a rare masterpiece of mine. Its effects will disperse if you wait too much; don’t blame me for not reminding you.”

　　Song Shuhang: “…”

　　After listening to her words, he also quickly sat down cross-legged and operated the ❮Thirty-Three Divine Beasts’ Technique❯ to absorb the effects of the immortal dishes.

　　Cultivators would focus on their apertures in the First Stage, on their dantians in the Second Stage, and then on their four mysterious meridians in the Third Stage.

　　After they had reached the Fourth Stage and condensed their Illusory Core, they would naturally concentrate on their ‘immortal bones’.

　　The goal of the Fourth Stage Realm was to take the Illusory Core and condense it into a life-bound Golden Core as they ascended to the Fifth Stage Spiritual Emperor Realm. However, if they wanted their Illusory Core to become material, they would have to condense ‘nine immortal bones’ first.

　　Immortal bones were different from human bones.

　　The so-called ‘immortal bones’ referred to the nine secret reserves of power inside a cultivator’s body––they supported a cultivator’s cultivation system the same way human bones supported a human’s body. Regardless of whether it was the five great apertures of the First Stage, the eight great dantians of the Second Stage, or the four mysterious meridians of the Third Stage, all of them relied on these ‘immortal bones’.

　　The nine great immortal bones, similar to human bones, supported the cultivation system of cultivators, and the Fourth Stage Realm consisted in tempering these nine great immortal bones.

　　Whenever an immortal bone was tempered, one would be able to see the tempered immortal bone turn golden if they looked inside their body. When an immortal bone was tempered to the limit, it would become dark gold… Then, a sword-like force would extend from it and directly prick the Illusory Core in the original dantian.

　　This process was very dangerous. When the immortal bone’s power pierced through the Illusory Core, it could cause the core to break if the control was bad. Once an Illusory Core was broken, the cultivator’s ‘path’ would remain at the Fourth Stage, and they would no longer progress. The only exception was if one had a heaven-defying encounter that changed their life and reconstructed their original dantian and Illusory Core.

　　If the cultivator’s Illusory Core could withstand the power of the immortal bone, it would get tempered. Once the core had withstood the powers of each of the nine immortal bones, it would be polished and change from illusory to material, turning into a Golden Core.

　　After Senior White modified Song Shuhang’s ❮Thirty-Three Divine Beasts’ Technique❯, it was already different from the original.

　　At this time, Venerable White had already revised the cultivation technique up to the fourth level, just enough for a Fourth Stage cultivator like Song Shuhang.