Chapter 165 A Shared Daoist Mind, Dual Cultivation of Yin and Yang

Three light screens surged simultaneously, enveloping each of the three individuals as an illusionary realm descended instantly.

Lin Yue found himself at the East Peak of the Qingyun Sect. The sky was filled with a pervasive black mist of Chaos. Liu Qingyan, Su Qingyuan, Luo Ningshuang, and A He were all entangled by the black mist, their spiritual power in disarray and their faces pale. They reached out toward Lin Yue, their voices filled with despair: "Lin Yue, save us!"

"Qingyuan! Ning Shuang!" Lin Yue felt a pang in his heart and instinctively moved to rush forward. But at that moment, he suddenly remembered Zhang Luoyan's entrustment and his own Dao Heart—true protection was not blind impulse, but staying sober and possessing the strength to protect everyone.

"This is an illusion!" Lin Yue forcibly steadied his mind. His Golden Core power circulated, and his Azure Profound Sword Intent condensed into a Sword Gang, slashing toward the surrounding black mist of Chaos. The black mist dissipated like bubbles, yet the four women before him continued to cry for help, their appearances becoming increasingly wretched.

The power of the illusion continuously eroded his Sea of Consciousness, tempting him to sink into it. Just as Lin Yue's mind wavered, a beam of pure moonlight suddenly pierced through the illusion. The glow of the moon crystal wheel appeared before his eyes, and Zhang Luoyan's voice came through clearly: "Lin Yue, hold fast to your original heart! Your Dao Heart is protection, not being bound by obsession!"

The voice was like a clap of thunder, jolting Lin Yue awake instantly. He looked up and saw that in Zhang Luoyan's illusion, she was surrounded by demonic cultivators. The light of the moon crystal wheel was growing dimmer, yet she persisted, her eyes showing not a hint of retreat.

"Saintess Zhang!" Lin Yue channeled his Divine Sense, injecting a strand of Azure Profound Sword Intent into Zhang Luoyan's illusion. "Your Dao Heart is to protect Kunlun and all living beings; these demonic cultivators cannot trap you!"

The Sword Intent acted like a sharp blade, tearing through the demonic cultivators in Zhang Luoyan's illusion. She woke up instantly and turned to look at Lin Yue, her eyes full of gratitude. Their Divine Senses converged within the illusion, forming an invisible bond. Their Dao Hearts validated each other, and the power of the illusion weakened instantly.

Over on Ye Qingcheng's side, in her illusion, the silver moon puppet was destroyed, and she was falling into despair. Lin Yue and Zhang Luoyan acted simultaneously; Lin Yue's Sword Intent cut down the powerful enemies in the illusion, while Zhang Luoyan's Taiyin Power repaired the phantom of the silver moon puppet. Ye Qingcheng also woke up accordingly.

The three light screens dimmed at the same time, and the Dao Heart trial was passed. The sea god bead atop the high platform surged with light, and a stream of golden energy poured down, splitting into three and flowing into the bodies of the three people.

Lin Yue felt a majestic power of the Legacy flowing through his Meridians. The Golden Core within his Dantian spun frantically, and his previously injured Meridians healed instantly, becoming even more resilient than before. Zhang Luoyan's Lunar Spirit Body was nourished by the power of the Legacy, her aura becoming increasingly pure, and the light of the moon crystal wheel grew more radiant. Ye Qingcheng's Silver-Armored Puppet was modified by the power of the Legacy, its mechanism patterns becoming more complex and its combat power skyrocketing.

"The Dao Heart trial has passed, and the power of the Legacy has been bestowed," the voice of the Sea God Yu Qiang rang out again. "Now that the external chaos is approaching and the Heaven-Connecting Array urgently needs reinforcement, you must work together and shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Three Realms."

Before the voice had even faded, the sea god bead slowly drifted down, hovering between the three of them. It emitted a soft golden light, forming a warm protective shield that enveloped them.

"Lin Yue, thank you for waking me up just now." Zhang Luoyan looked at Lin Yue, her eyes full of tenderness. Her previous coldness had long since vanished, replaced by deep affection. After the Dao Heart trial and fighting side by side, her favorability toward Lin Yue had already broken through the threshold, leaving only complete trust and adoration in her heart.

Lin Yue looked at her exquisite face and felt her pure Taiyin Power resonating with his own aura. His heart stirred. "Saintess Zhang, your Lunar Spirit Body and my Golden Core Dao Body are compatible. If we can perform Dual Cultivation, it will not only stabilize the power of the Legacy but also allow our cultivation to reach the next level, laying the foundation for reinforcing the Heaven-Connecting Array in the future."

Zhang Luoyan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded gently, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum: "I am willing." She knew this was the best choice and also what her heart desired.

Ye Qingcheng tactfully stepped back a few paces, controlling her Silver-Armored Puppet to guard the palace entrance. "Don't worry, I will act as your Protector."

Lin Yue led Zhang Luoyan to the white jade platform in the center of the palace, and the two sat cross-legged facing each other. Lin Yue placed the sea-suppressing bead between them. Its shimmering blue light intertwined with the golden light of the sea god bead, forming a Yin and Yang fish pattern.

"I'm going to begin," Lin Yue said softly, his hands forming seals. His Golden Core power slowly surged out, flowing through his palms toward Zhang Luoyan.

Zhang Luoyan closed her eyes, and the power of her Lunar Spirit Body also began to circulate, merging with Lin Yue's Golden Core power. The two forces—one Yin and one Yang—entwined like flowing water, coursing through each other's Meridians.

Lin Yue could clearly feel that the Taiyin Power within Zhang Luoyan was pure and gentle, nourishing his Meridians like moonlight. It caused the Golden Core in his Dantian to spin faster and faster, and the barrier to the Golden Core Middle Stage began to loosen. Meanwhile, Zhang Luoyan could feel Lin Yue's Golden Core power, heavy and overbearing, washing through her Spiritual Veins, making her Lunar Spirit Body increasingly refined and her cultivation rise steadily.

The golden energy stream from the sea god bead continuously poured into their bodies, accelerating the fusion of their spiritual powers. Lin Yue's Azure Profound Sword Intent and Zhang Luoyan's Taiyin Sword Qi resonated with each other, forming a Yin-Yang Sword Gang around them. it contained the sharpness of the Sword Intent and the purification of the Taiyin Power, possessing an astonishing aura.

As the Dual Cultivation deepened, their auras became increasingly harmonized, and the bond in the depths of their souls was completely stabilized. Lin Yue could feel Zhang Luoyan's intentions—her resilience, her kindness, and her sense of responsibility all earned his respect. And Zhang Luoyan could feel Lin Yue's tenderness, his sense of duty, and his heart for protection, causing her to fall for him completely.

"Buzz—!"

With a soft sound, the Golden Core in Lin Yue's Dantian suddenly expanded. A pale gold spiritual light shot into the sky, and the barrier to the Golden Core Middle Stage was completely shattered! He could clearly feel the power in his body surge several times over. His Azure Profound Sword Intent became sharper, and the power of the sea-suppressing bead also increased, even allowing him to vaguely control a portion of the sea's power.

At the same time, a pure moonlight erupted around Zhang Luoyan as her Lunar Spirit Body reached Major Achievement. Her cultivation stabilized at the Peak of the Early Golden Core Stage, just one step away from the Golden Core Middle Stage. The moon crystal wheel hovered above her head, emitting a brilliant light and containing even stronger purification power.

As the Dual Cultivation ended, the two slowly opened their eyes. Their gazes met, and both saw deep affection and joy in each other's eyes. Lin Yue reached out and gently held Zhang Luoyan's hand; her fingertips were slightly cool, yet they carried a firm strength.

"I've broken through to the Golden Core Middle Stage," Lin Yue said with a smile, his voice carrying an irrepressible joy.

Zhang Luoyan's cheeks flushed as she nodded. "I've also reached the Peak of the Early Golden Core Stage. Thank you, Lin Yue." She could feel that after this Dual Cultivation, their auras had completely merged; no matter how far apart they were, they could feel each other's safety.

Ye Qingcheng walked forward, her eyes full of smiles. "Congratulations to you both! Now not only has our strength increased greatly, but we've also obtained the Sea God Legacy. Next is reinforcing the Heaven-Connecting Array."

Lin Yue nodded and looked at the sea god bead. "The Sea God Legacy contains the method for reinforcing the Heaven-Connecting Array. We first need to find the core nodes of the array and inject the power of the Legacy."

Zhang Luoyan added, "My Lunar Spirit Body can sense the energy fluctuations of the array. I can lead the way."

The three composed themselves. Lin Yue put the sea god bead into his Hongmeng Space and led Zhang Luoyan and Ye Qingcheng toward the depths of the palace. That was the entrance to the core node of the Heaven-Connecting Array and the starting point of the responsibility they shouldered.

Along the walls, the steps and incantations for reinforcing the array were carved. Lin Yue and Zhang Luoyan memorized them carefully, while Ye Qingcheng studied the mechanism runes on the walls, hoping to find auxiliary methods for reinforcement.

"According to the incantations, we need to inject the Sea God Legacy power into three core nodes: the Abyss of the East Sea, the Peak of Kunlun, and the Qingyun Sect Secret Realm," Lin Yue interpreted the text on the walls. "We'll start with the node at the Abyss of the East Sea. The energy here is the densest and the easiest to operate."

Zhang Luoyan nodded. "I can head to the node at the Peak of Kunlun alone. I'll leave the Qingyun Sect Secret Realm node to you two."

Ye Qingcheng said, "I can use Mechanism Art to create some Puppets to assist us in injecting the Legacy power and increase our efficiency."

The three reached a consensus and quickened their pace toward the core node. Deep in the palace, a massive stone door stood tall, covered in runes of the Heaven-Connecting Array. This was the node entrance. Lin Yue summoned the three keys again—the sea soul bead, the mirage dragon scale, and the sea-fixing needle all lit up, resonating with the runes on the stone door as it slowly opened.

Behind the door was a vast cavern. In the center of the cavern stood a massive crystal pillar, which was the East Sea node of the Heaven-Connecting Array. The crystal pillar emitted faint energy fluctuations that grew stronger as the three approached.

"This is the place." Lin Yue took a deep breath and took out the sea god bead. "We will inject the Legacy power together to activate the node."

Zhang Luoyan and Ye Qingcheng nodded. The three acted simultaneously, and the golden Legacy power, the pure Taiyin Power, and the silver mechanism power intertwined, turning into a three-colored energy stream that poured into the crystal pillar.

The crystal pillar instantly erupted with brilliant light, and all the runes within the cavern lit up. An invisible energy wave spread out, rippling toward the entire Abyss of the East Sea. The East Sea node of the Heaven-Connecting Array was successfully reinforced!