For cultivators, this was something that could take an eternity.
After all, for a life aperture to grow its source, the process was usually incredibly slow—unless one found a natural treasure that matched the life aperture's essence. Such treasures could nurture the source and enhance divine abilities. Just like back in the Immortal Tomb, when encountering that strand of Innate Yin-Yang Qi, Yi Tianxing's Yin-Yang life aperture source had surged in power almost instantly, even evolving on the spot and advancing in grade. That's the kind of boost natural treasures could provide to a life aperture's source.
To a great extent, cultivation was about resources—it was about foundation.
Cultivators fought for fortune and fought for resources. Even violent clashes over them were considered completely normal.
The path of cultivation was never smooth.
"The Yin-Yang life aperture has now advanced to the Mystic Grade. Its source is as abundant as any. What I need to do now is condense the source rune within the Divine Sea Void."
Yi Tianxing took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and no longer hesitated.
His consciousness sank into the Divine Sea Void.
The Yin-Yang life aperture had awakened innately. It didn't go through the usual process of forging a Life Aperture Pill or manually opening the aperture—it had appeared naturally. And as he cultivated, the source rune of the Yin-Yang life aperture revealed itself clearly in his mind. He instinctively knew what it was and how to condense it.
"Source power!"
A strand of source power emerged naturally from the life aperture projection in the Divine Sea. It was a wisp of black-and-white divine light, radiating dense Innate Yin-Yang Qi—clearly extraordinary at a glance.
"Visualize the Yin-Yang source rune."
Without hesitation, Yi Tianxing began visualizing in his mind.
Drawing upon his spiritual will, strands of spiritual power emerged from the Life Aperture in his Sea of Consciousness, drifting into the Divine Sea. As he visualized, the strands formed into a mystical rune that constantly shifted, twisting like dragons and serpents. It exuded the profound principles of Yin and Yang—unconsciously drawing him in.
"Fuse the source power."
At the moment his thoughts moved, the black-and-white divine light instinctively entered the rune he was visualizing. As it fused, the previously illusory rune instantly became refined and tangible, radiating layers of black-and-white divine brilliance. A unique sense of Daoist resonance and spiritual rhythm flashed within it. Compared to before, it was like the difference between a dead object and a living one—utterly distinct.
"Fuse with the life aperture projection."
With the rune condensed, it unhesitatingly flew toward the illusory star formed by the Yin-Yang life aperture projection in the void.
The Yin-Yang life aperture's star was originally two—one black, one white—resonating with each other. Now, however, they naturally merged into a single star of intertwined black and white. As the rune entered, a portion of the previously illusory star turned solid, radiating a distinct Daoist aura. It felt real and tangible.
"As expected, once the illusory star projection fully transforms into a real entity, the first level of the Life Aperture Star Realm is complete."
As the rune fused and the transformation took place, Yi Tianxing's heart relaxed with relief. An unending determination surged within him. Without hesitation, he threw himself entirely into the practice of visualizing and condensing source runes.
By opening the Life Aperture within his Sea of Consciousness ahead of time, he gained early access to vast reserves of spiritual power.
This massive spiritual power gave him a tremendous advantage in visualizing and condensing source runes. As long as the spiritual power in his Sea of Consciousness wasn't depleted, he could maintain a continuous stream of visualizations—greatly accelerating the process.
One rune!
Two runes!!
Three runes!!!
Rune after rune formed and merged into the illusory star. The process consumed a tremendous amount of source power—an astonishing amount, in fact. At this stage, what mattered most was a cultivator's foundation—whether their source power was vast and abundant.
As long as the source was strong, the process naturally followed, flowing like water down a stream.
Time passed quietly.
Another day went by.
In the quiet chamber, Yi Tianxing remained motionless. Within his Sea of Consciousness, another source rune finished forming.
Shua!!
As this rune merged into the illusory star, the star completely transformed. It radiated layers of strange black-and-white divine light, with countless runes flickering on its surface. The star now glowed with tangible brilliance. This light reflected within the Divine Sea, naturally merging with his true essence.
Threads of Yin-Yang Daoist energy continuously infused the true essence.
At the same time, threads of natural energy radiated from the star's light, bathing everything below. The true essence in his Divine Sea began to recover at a speed visible to the naked eye—far faster than before.
The Life Aperture Star radiated light that not only contained the source's Daoist essence but also pure natural energy that rapidly restored what had been depleted. Thus, cultivators at the Life Aperture Realm had vast reserves of true essence, capable of sustaining extended battles without exhausting themselves.
In short, it vastly increased endurance.
"Amazing... Every stage of the Life Aperture Realm has its logic. After condensing this Life Aperture Star, I can feel how much easier it is to activate divine abilities through the star's connection. I can even use the star to absorb natural energy—it's wondrous. Even my Innate Yin-Yang Eyes feel lighter to cast now."
Yi Tianxing closed his eyes and immersed himself in the changes within. He nodded inwardly. This was a major leap in transformation—far from easy. Every step brought tremendous change.
"Next, I need to continue condensing the rest of the Life Aperture Stars to fill the Divine Sea Void. As I do, even the barriers of the Divine Sea become firmer and more indestructible."
Each advancement was a fundamental metamorphosis.
Moreover, it was clear—the stronger the Life Aperture Stars, the more stable the Divine Sea would become. With enough stars, the entire Divine Sea would become unshakable.
The Yin-Yang life aperture was the first. Now he would move on to the rest, one after another.
Of course, this wasn't something that could be done overnight.
Yi Tianxing wasn't in a rush. As the ruler of Xuanhuang City, he couldn't just wash his hands of everything. He still had to keep an eye on matters.
"It's been days—I should get out and have a look. Besides, my stomach hasn't tasted Lai He's cooking in forever. If I wait any longer, my five viscera and six bowels will rise up in rebellion."
Thinking of Lai He's cooking, Yi Tianxing subconsciously swallowed.
His foodie instincts were kicking in, and his stomach began to grumble in protest.
Creak!
He pushed open the quiet chamber's door and stepped out. Looking up, he saw a bright red sun rising in the east.
"Master, you've finally left seclusion. What would you like for breakfast?"
A clean, fair-faced youth stood waiting at the door. Upon seeing Yi Tianxing, he immediately bowed in greeting.
This man was a eunuch.
Yet one could tell at a glance—these were no ordinary eunuchs. Each possessed cultivation, and not a weak one at that. Out in the world, they'd be top-tier experts. Within Xuanhuang City, they ranked among the elite.
They cultivated the Heavenly Gang Child Technique passed down by Cao Zhengchun. For ordinary men, this technique came with a fatal flaw: once they lost their virginity, their cultivation would suffer massive losses. But as eunuchs, they would never face this issue. Without distractions, they devoted themselves entirely to becoming stronger—training relentlessly, never wasting a moment.
Even this one was already at the Seventh Level of the Divine Sea Realm, having condensed a Sea Pool.
In fact, nearly all eunuchs in the City Lord's mansion were at similar levels. Their loyalty toward Yi Tianxing ran deep, even fanatical. In their eyes, he was akin to a deity who had saved them from beasts and certain death. From the start, they believed their lives belonged to him.
They were utterly devoted.
The eunuch's mentality often leaned toward extremes.
With no future of their own, they instinctively gravitated toward strong figures.
"Has your mistress woken yet?" Yi Tianxing asked.
"She should be awake. I'll notify her right away," the eunuch answered respectfully.
"Tell Lai He I want wontons for breakfast today. Let that be the main dish—everything else is up to him. Just make sure the portions are large enough."
Wontons in the morning—truly one of life's great pleasures.
In Huaxia cuisine, wontons held a revered place.
Historically, wontons were actually the same as dumplings. Over time, they evolved into distinct dishes. Dumplings focused on the filling, while wontons were about the broth and the skin.
As long as dumpling filling was flavorful, the dish couldn't go wrong—and there were endless variations based on the filling.
Wontons, however, tested a chef's true skill. Though they had filling, it only enhanced the flavor slightly. What truly mattered was the wrapper. A good wrapper meant the dish would shine—even surpassing dumplings.
Making good wonton wrappers required true craftsmanship. Different flours and methods produced different tastes. The wrapper had to be thin yet elastic.