Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 342: Solidifying the rank

The girls eyes lingered on him a moment too long.

Selene was the first to narrow her gaze, She stepped back just enough to observe him fully. Her lips parted slightly.

"Xavier... your aura." She inhaled slowly, as if testing the air. "It’s different, denser, sharper and stronger."

Nyx’s eyes widened, her irises shimmering faintly. "You did it again. You ascended." She tilted her head, voice low with disbelief. "You climbed another rank. No, more than one."

"How... how fast are you planning to grow? This is not normal. Not even for you." Lira said.

Lucas gave an awkward cough and took a tiny step backward, suddenly feeling cornered. "I mean... yes. I progressed a bit."

Selene stared at him. "A bit?" Her voice lowered. "Xavier, you feel like a Sage."

Nyx’s jaw tightened. "Second stage. Don’t try to downplay it." She folded her arms, studying him with unnerving accuracy. "Last week, you were nowhere near this level."

Lira finally found her voice again. She stepped closer, peering up at him with wide, concerned eyes. "How did you do it? And why didn’t you tell us?"

Lucas scratched his cheek, avoiding all of their gazes at once. "Well... it just happened. I was cultivating and... it happened."

Selene raised a brow. "That is the vaguest answer you’ve ever given."

Nyx leaned in slightly, her tone half suspicious and half impressed. "Did you eat a divine herb without telling us?"

Tom muttered from the background, "Maybe the heavens just like him."

Lucas almost choked. "No, none of that. It’s not... something I can explain right now."

That only made them more curious.

Selene stepped back, folding her arms, her expression unreadable. "Fine. Keep your secrets for now. But do not pretend this is a small change. We can all feel it... especially her."

She gestured toward the sleeping ice belle on the bed.

Lucas followed her gaze. The little spirit shifted in her sleep, frost curling softly around her. Even unconscious, she was responding to his new power, calmer now, but visibly attuned.

Nyx sighed. "Your entire aura has changed. And she’s bound to your core. She must be feeling everything you’ve become."

Lira nodded slowly. "You don’t have to explain it now. Just promise you’re not hurting yourself."

Lucas let out a quiet breath and finally met their eyes. "I’m not. I swear."

The girls exchanged glances. They didn’t entirely believe him, but they trusted him enough to leave the matter alone. For now.

And Lucas was grateful for that. Because explaining how he ascended... would open the door to far more complicated questions.

Questions he wasn’t ready to answer, he wasn’t ready to tell them he had fucked The Empress and cultivated with her.

Lucas waited until the last of their concern settled into something softer, something he could manage. Then he gently placed his hands on Selene’s and Lira’s shoulders, giving Nyx a grateful nod as well.

"I really do need to stabilize this new level," he said carefully, keeping his tone calm so they wouldn’t worry again. "If I do not solidify everything now, it might cause problems later. You all know how quick breakthroughs can be unstable."

Selene opened her mouth, clearly ready to argue, but Lucas raised a hand and continued before she could.

"And besides... the three of you should be preparing as well. The war won’t wait for us. Go practice. Sharpen your combat skills, refine your Qi, hone your strengths. I will feel much better knowing you’re ready."

That last part was what finally broke their resistance.

Lira exhaled, her expression shifting into determination. "Alright... but only because you’re right. We need to be ready."

Nyx flicked her long hair back with a small sigh. "Fine."

Selene lingered a heartbeat longer. Her fingers brushed his forearm, a silent touch filled with worry she didn’t voice out loud. "Stabilize your foundation first. We’ll do our part as well."

Tom bowed quickly. "I’ll escort them, my lord."

Lucas nodded at him gratefully. "Thank you, Tom."

Selene gave Lucas one last searching look, then turned toward the door. Nyx and Lira followed, each glancing back as if unwilling to fully leave him alone. Even the sleeping ice belle stirred, but Lucas gestured for Tom to carry her out gently so she wouldn’t wake up confused.

Lucas asked them not to tell anyone of this, they promised not to tell anyone. Then, one by one, they exited the room, closing the door behind them with a soft thud.

The sudden quiet was almost startling.

Lucas let out a slow breath and sat down cross-legged in the center of the chamber. His entire body felt different, stronger, sharper, overflowing with celestial energy that was still swirling through him like a newly tamed storm.

Alone at last, he finally allowed the overwhelming reality to sink in.

He had truly ascended.

And now... he needed to make it his own.

Lucas moved quickly once the room fell completely silent. He moved to the small alchemical cabinet he kept hidden behind a carved wooden screen. Tom had arranged everything perfectly as usual, rows of bottles gleaming in the soft light. Lucas selected several vials without hesitation, his hands moving with the instinctive certainty of someone who knew exactly what his body needed.

He set up a small burner, ignited it with a flick of his fingers and placed a narrow-bottomed cauldron over the flame. The smell of heated herbs began to rise. He breathed deeply, letting the scent clear his thoughts.

"I need to stabilize the root first," he murmured to himself, already grinding a jade-colored leaf between his fingers and sprinkling it into the cauldron. "Then suppress the leftover celestial Yin from surging too violently. After that... amplification."

He knew he was speaking only to himself, but the quiet helped him focus.

The mixture began to bubble gently. He rotated the cauldron with a subtle twist of his wrist, ensuring the heat spread evenly through the brew.

Minutes later, he poured the shimmering liquid into a wide cup and let it cool just enough before raising it to his lips.

The first swallow hit him immediately.

A concentrated wave of heat rushed down his throat and spread through his meridians like molten gold. The excess Yin essence simmered and settled instead of raging uncontrollably, and the wild celestial energy swimming inside him began to flow in orderly currents.

Lucas exhaled sharply.

"Good... that’s much better."

He reached for a second vial, this one filled with a thick violet liquid. After uncorking it, he added a few drops of powdered star lotus, stirred it once, and drank.

A cool sensation washed through him, sharpening his senses and reinforcing the boundaries of his newly expanded core. His vision brightened slightly, sounds grew clearer, and he could feel every vibration in the air.

His body was stabilizing faster than he expected.

He settled back onto the floor, crossed his legs again and placed both palms on his knees. Celestial energy inside him surged, then gradually fell into a rhythmic flow.

His breathing deepened.

His heartbeat slowed.

He could feel every stage of his cultivation locking firmly into place, like gears clicking into alignment.

The flames in the burner dimmed to a soft glow, and the last of the potion’s warmth settled deep within him.

"Perfect," he whispered under his breath.

Then he closed his eyes and dove fully into cultivation, letting the strengthened core, refined meridians and amplified affinities settle into the unshakable foundation he would need for everything that was coming.