Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts

After sending off Shi Xin, Xu Ming returned to the Xu residence and felt an unprecedented sense of quiet.

In the past, besides his mother, there were also Qin Qingwan, Xu Xuenuo, and Xu Pangda in the residence.

But now, they were all gone—even his mother had left.

Sitting in Xiaochun Courtyard, Xu Ming let out a sigh.

He was gradually beginning to understand his mother’s feelings from before.

Back when he left, perhaps his mother had also been sitting alone in the courtyard like this, with only Madam Wang occasionally keeping her company.

As for Qingwan’s mother, he had heard that Madam Qin had long returned to her maiden home and hadn’t come back in a long time.

“Young Master.”

Just as Xu Ming was lost in thought, Chunyan’s voice rang out.

“Would you like some tea, Young Master?” Chunyan asked.

Xu Ming shook his head. “No need.”

“Oh…” Chunyan lowered her head, looking somewhat downcast.

Seeing her expression, Xu Ming understood that she must also be feeling lost after learning of his mother’s departure.

Chunyan had been by his mother’s side for many years—she had long grown accustomed to that life.

Now that his mother had left, Chunyan must have felt like something was missing.

“Sister Chunyan, do you have any plans?” Xu Ming asked.

Chunyan was already in her thirties. Even if she wanted to marry, there were hardly any respectable families that would take her. Besides, she had once said she didn’t want to marry at all.

Lowering her head, Chunyan said softly, “I have no particular plans. The First Madam has taken me in to serve her, and I’ll wait for the Madam to return.”

“That sounds good.”

Xu Ming nodded. He had similar thoughts.

Madam Wang and his mother had always been close, often visiting Xiaochun Courtyard together. She was also familiar with Chunyan.

Now that his mother was gone, Madam Wang had lost a companion as well. Taking Chunyan in would allow them to keep each other company.

“I heard that Young Master will be leaving in a few days?” Chunyan asked.

“Yes,” Xu Ming nodded. “I’m heading to North Sea Dragon Palace.”

“Will Young Master return after going to North Sea Dragon Palace?” Chunyan looked at him with anticipation.

Meeting her gaze, Xu Ming shook his head. “I will return, but I won’t be staying long.”

“Oh…” Chunyan lowered her head again, looking even more disappointed.

Xu Ming understood what she was thinking.

Now that his mother was gone, she likely wanted to serve him instead.

But he wouldn’t be staying long, after all.

Moreover, he had grown accustomed to being on his own. Having someone serve him all the time made him uncomfortable.

“Sister Chunyan, get some rest. I’ll head back to my courtyard.” Xu Ming stood up.

“Ah? Oh, alright. Take care, Young Master.”

After returning to his courtyard, Xu Ming practiced his martial arts for a while before sitting cross-legged with Hongxiu on his lap to meditate.

Even though the sword spirit of Hongxiu still hadn’t awakened, Xu Ming could feel his connection with the sword growing stronger.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Hongxiu was gradually waking up.

By the time Xu Ming opened his eyes again, the sky had already turned dark.

Unknowingly, he had spent most of the day comprehending the way of the sword.

Exhaling deeply, he put Hongxiu away.

He casually picked up a bucket in the courtyard and took a quick bath.

As he washed, Xu Ming suddenly felt someone embrace him from behind.

“Senior Zhou, please have some self-respect,” Xu Ming said calmly.

Zhou Wanfeng’s lips curled into a smile. “You know exactly what I want from you, and you’ve already agreed. So, between us, does ‘self-respect’ even matter anymore?”

Xu Ming: “…”

Though that was true, hearing it said out loud still felt… off.

He turned around, and the moment his eyes landed on Zhou Wanfeng, a fire ignited in his body.

She had changed into an outfit that was absolutely unfit to be worn outside.

She wore a sheer red veil that barely reached her ankles, cinched at the waist by a delicate ribbon, accentuating her graceful curves.

Beyond that, she only had on a red silk dudou covering her chest, and Xu Ming could faintly make out the key areas beneath it.

As for her lower half—just a pair of red “pants.”

Though… calling them pants was a bit of a stretch.

The design bore a striking resemblance to a thong from Blue Star!

Truly, the world was vast and full of wonders—who would have thought such an item existed in this world as well? It seemed that, no matter the place, the creativity of certain individuals was remarkably similar.

Bathed in the soft glow of the moon, Xu Ming’s gaze lingered on Zhou Wanfeng’s smooth, fair skin and her long, perfectly proportioned legs.

As a young man in his prime, seeing such a woman dressed like this only made his breathing heavier.

“Well? Do I look good?” Zhou Wanfeng smiled at Xu Ming, sensing the heat in his gaze. “I prepared this just for you.”

Xu Ming: “…”

She then tiptoed closer, draping her arms over Xu Ming’s shoulders, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered:

“Stay with me for three days and three nights—that’s my condition. Young Master Xu isn’t the type to go back on his word, is he?

And don’t worry, I promise you… these three days and nights, you’ll experience a kind of pleasure you’ve never known before.

It’s not something those inexperienced little girls could ever give you~”

Xu Ming: “…”

He didn’t respond, but Zhou Wanfeng knew that his silence meant acceptance.

She took his hand and led him toward the room.

The door closed. The candlelight went out.

Soon, the sound of studying was heard from the room.

—(Paid Content Beyond This Point.)—

—

The next morning, Xu Ming got out of bed—only to be dragged back by Zhou Wanfeng for another lesson that lasted until noon.

At first, Xu Ming thought she had been repressing her desires for too long and simply wanted to unleash them all at once.

But as time went on, he realized that wasn’t the case.

During their deep exchanges, Xu Ming could feel his Yang energy being continuously absorbed by Zhou Wanfeng.

She was clearly practicing a form of dual cultivation, or to be more precise—harvesting his energy. And since she was the one leading the process, all he had to do was cooperate.

By the fourth morning, after three whole days and nights of relentless cultivation, even Xu Ming—young and full of vitality—was left pale and slightly unsteady.

In contrast, Zhou Wanfeng—having absorbed his energy for three full days—looked absolutely radiant. Her lips were a deep red, her complexion glowed, and she seemed to have reversed her age by centuries.

She was like a flower in full bloom, more alluring than ever.

For Xu Ming, this was the first time his Yang energy had been drained so intensely.

Fortunately, she had exercised restraint, ensuring he wasn’t harmed at his core.

Otherwise, there was no way he would have willingly let her harvest him.

Even so, Xu Ming felt that he would need at least half a month to fully recover.

That said, Zhou Wanfeng hadn’t lied to him—over these three days and nights, he had witnessed her mastery of eighteen different techniques, each more novel than the last.

He had thought that, in his past life, after watching countless island nation films, he had seen it all.

Yet, to his surprise, Zhou Wanfeng’s creativity far exceeded his expectations.

—

On the morning after Xu Ming and Zhou Wanfeng finished their lessons, the Wu Emperor summoned Xu Ming to the palace.

The emperor had decided—it was time for Xu Ming to serve as an envoy to the North Sea Dragon Palace, and he would depart the very next day.

Xu Ming had long been prepared for this.

The next morning, Xu Ming officially became the chief envoy of the North Sea Dragon Palace’s diplomatic mission.

Emperor Wu hosted a grand banquet within the imperial palace to send off the delegation.

Now formally titled Prince of Qin, Wu Yanhán was naturally present as well.

After the farewell banquet, the Wu Emperor personally escorted the diplomatic mission to their departure point.

Xu Ming and Wu Yanhán rode at the front of the procession.

Wu Yanhán spoke as they rode, her tone serious:

“As for the one who wants you dead—Tingfeng Pavilion has already found some leads. But it’s still not certain, and it will take more time.

However, rest assured—my father takes this matter very seriously, and I will personally keep an eye on it.

No matter who that person is, no matter how powerful their backing is in the imperial court, I will make sure you get justice.”

Xu Ming nodded. “Thank you. But… the imperial court is not the jianghu—you can’t just kill whoever you want.

Whoever is behind this must have considerable influence. They’re likely entangled with many people in the court.

If you can resolve it cleanly, that’s for the best.

If not—just give me a name. I’ll handle it myself.

Just remember, don’t act recklessly. More importantly, you’re a royal princess, and you might even inherit the throne one day. You can’t afford to turn the court officials against you.”

Wu Yanhán let out a cold laugh.

“Hah… If inheriting the throne means having to grovel before those officials, then I’d rather not have it.

If becoming ruler means I have to cater to a bunch of scheming courtiers, then that’s not a throne worth sitting on.”

Xu Ming: “…”

“Alright, alright, I promise you.”

Seeing Xu Ming’s worried expression, Wu Yanhán finally relented, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Don’t worry, I’m not stupid—I know what I’m doing.”

Xu Ming nodded. “That’s good to hear.”

Wu Yanhán then gave Xu Ming a warning of her own.

“You’re always lecturing me, but you should be careful too.

This trip to the North Sea Dragon Palace—tread carefully and watch your words.

The Four Sea Dragon Clans have always looked down on humans and other demon clans. They’re naturally arrogant.

Just treat them like fools, don’t take them seriously.”

Xu Ming chuckled.

“You’re actually worried about me now? Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.

At the end of the day, I’m representing the Wu Kingdom—I can’t afford to be reckless.

Just wait for me to return.”

Wu Yanhán’s face turned slightly red.

“Who’s waiting for you to return?

Just don’t make me come to the North Sea to collect your corpse, that’s all.”

Xu Ming merely smiled, saying nothing more.

—

Looking back, Xu Ming saw the long procession of envoys stretching far behind him.

Crowds of common folk lined the streets to see them off.

This diplomatic mission was a massive undertaking—fifty government officials were traveling to the North Sea, escorted by three thousand Blood Asura Battalion warriors.

And, of course, they couldn’t go empty-handed.

Since the Four Seas Grand Ceremony was approaching, Emperor Wu had prepared lavish gifts for the North Sea Dragon Palace.

The first gifts were specialties of the Wu Kingdom—while not particularly expensive, they were a gesture of sincerity, symbolizing the emperor’s genuine desire for friendship.

The second gift was something far more valuable—an immortal-grade spiritual flower, the Hundred Phoenix Blossom.

Although immortal-grade spiritual herbs and immortal-grade weapons were both considered high-tier treasures, their value was vastly different…

Most immortal medicines were not as valuable as immortal weapons.

However, they were still extremely rare, second only to immortal weapons in worth.

One thing was clear—Emperor Wu had gifted the most precious thing he could offer.

Aside from the immortal medicine, the tribute also included rare spiritual artifacts, along with famous calligraphy and paintings from human culture.

The key to this diplomatic gift was sincerity—no one could find fault with it.

The Wu Emperor personally escorted the envoy for five miles before finally stopping.

Xu Ming bid farewell to both the emperor and Wu Yanhán.

Then, he led the diplomatic mission westward.

If they had to walk the entire journey, it would take at least two months just to leave the Wu Kingdom’s borders.

That was simply not an option.

Thus, as soon as the Wu Emperor stopped, Xu Ming and his envoy boarded a flying vessel, heading straight for the North Sea Dragon Palace.

If all went well, the journey would take around ten days.

—

Onboard the flying vessel, Zhou Wanfeng tried once again to convince Xu Ming to engage in more in-depth studies with her.

Naturally, Xu Ming refused outright.

He admitted—Zhou Wanfeng’s learning ability was astonishing.

But he absolutely could not allow himself to get lost in it.

Previously, he had agreed to study with Zhou Wanfeng purely to repay a favor.

Now that the debt was settled, there was no more reason for further academic exchanges.

Xu Ming’s firm rejection left Zhou Wanfeng feeling quite frustrated.

At first, she thought it was because Xu Ming was worried about her draining his yang energy.

But even after she explained that she wouldn’t do so, Xu Ming still ignored her.

Zhou Wanfeng had no idea what he was even holding out for.

They had already studied together so many times—and now he was suddenly playing the role of an innocent scholar?

Eight days later…

The Wu Kingdom envoy’s flying vessel had reached the skies above the North Sea.

Xu Ming looked down at the endless expanse of the ocean, dotted with islands rising from the water.

For the first time, a slight tension crept into his mind.

If this were just a standard diplomatic mission, there would be nothing to worry about.

But Xu Ming knew very well—the other party’s target was him.

—

At that same moment, deep within the North Sea Dragon Palace…

A palace maid rushed forward, bowing before a woman clad in an ocean-blue gown.

“Your Majesty, the Wu Kingdom envoy has arrived in the North Sea.

They are expected to reach the palace by tomorrow.”

The Dragon Empress slowly turned her head and asked:

“Has Xu Ming arrived?”