Chapter 160: Immortal Empresses!

Damian’s eyes narrowed as his enhanced mind began working at full capacity, his Intelligence and Wisdom combining to analyze the problem from every possible angle.

With INT at 76 and WIS at 78.6, his ability to comprehend complicated matters and identify their underlying causes had long since surpassed anything he could have imagined back on Earth.

Unfortunately, even such ridiculous mental capabilities couldn’t guarantee that a few comforting words would permanently resolve someone’s insecurities.

The two women had already begun questioning their worthiness to stand beside him, and that was an extremely dangerous foundation upon which to build a marriage.

Damian needed something more substantial than temporary reassurance, something capable of preventing those doubts from repeatedly resurfacing whenever his achievements surpassed their expectations.

And after considering the problem, he arrived at a surprisingly simple solution.

Honesty!

Trying to give flowery declaration about how love conquered everything, or an emotional speech promising that their differences would never matter would be counterintuitive.

He intended to acknowledge those differences openly and explain precisely why they wouldn’t prevent the two women from remaining at his side.

"In truth, yes, I could," Damian began with an unexpected chuckle, regarding his wives with a calm expression.

Both women stiffened.

Qingyao’s fingers tightened around her teacup, while Xueyi lowered her gaze slightly, evidently having anticipated rejection but finding the actual experience considerably less pleasant than expected.

However, Damian wasn’t finished.

"As a man with my potential and abilities, beautiful women are probably among the easiest things for me to acquire. Even that stupid woman over there could eventually be won over if I genuinely wanted to put in the effort," Damian stated bluntly, gesturing toward Ning Ruomei with an expression of undisguised ridicule.

Inside her isolated Glyph of Warding, Ning Ruomei immediately noticed the gesture.

Her violet eyes narrowed as she watched Damian point toward her while wearing that infuriating expression, and an unpleasant feeling developed within her chest.

Unfortunately, the soundproof barrier prevented her from hearing a single word, leaving her completely ignorant of what was being discussed.

What the hell is that bastard saying about me?!

She leaned forward slightly, attempting to decipher his words through the movements of his lips.

Unfortunately, lip-reading wasn’t a skill she possessed, and Damian wasn’t even facing her directly. Between his movements and the two women partially obstructing her view, Ning Ruomei could accomplish little more than stare furiously at the three of them.

Damian paid her absolutely no attention.

"My decision to marry you two was never based solely upon your cultivation talents, potential for growth or family backgrounds. Those things are valuable, certainly, but if I were selecting wives according to such qualifications, I’d be treating marriage like an auction for rare cultivation treasures," Damian continued, his expression becoming more serious.

Qingyao slowly raised her head, while Xueyi listened without interrupting.

Damian leaned forward, resting his arms upon the table as he regarded them directly.

"I chose you because I genuinely like who you are. I enjoy your company, I’m comfortable around you, and most importantly, I feel that I can trust you with things I wouldn’t entrust to ordinary people," Damian explained with quiet conviction.

"Those qualities matter far more to me than your appearances, backgrounds or whatever cultivation Realms you might eventually achieve."

His words weren’t some convenient excuse invented to reassure them.

Qingyao had demonstrated her loyalty long before their relationship became formal, most notably when the appearance of his first Withered Mana Core had nearly caused a confrontation with the Azure Water Sect’s delegation.

Despite understanding the treasure’s enormous value, she had instinctively protected Damian’s interests rather than allowing greed to influence her judgment.

Xueyi possessed a different appeal.

Her honesty could occasionally be rather brutal, and she approached complicated situations with a practical intelligence Damian found increasingly admirable.

More importantly, when he had questioned the circumstances surrounding their potential marriage, she had been willing to examine her own motivations instead of hiding behind flattering declarations.

Both women possessed qualities he wanted in the people sharing his future.

And neither quality required them to possess a heaven-defying Spiritual Root or some ancient immortal bloodline!

"Besides, I’ve already met plenty of beautiful women since arriving in these worlds. If appearance alone were enough to make me fall in love, I’d have bankrupted myself arranging marriage ceremonies long before meeting either of you," Damian added with an amused smile.

Qingyao’s lips twitched slightly despite her earlier distress.

However, Damian noticed that neither woman had completely relaxed.

Naturally!

His explanation established why he had chosen them in the present, but their greatest concern involved the future.

Even if Damian genuinely treasured their personalities today, what would prevent their enormous differences in strength and potential from eventually becoming impossible to ignore?

Fortunately, that was precisely the matter Damian intended to address.

He straightened slightly, his expression sharpening as he looked directly into their eyes.

"But do you know the biggest reason why you two will remain my wives and will never be demoted to mere mistresses or lovers?" Damian asked, his voice carrying an unmistakable note of confidence.

Both women shook their heads.

Damian smiled.

"Because it doesn’t matter what your talents are, how powerful your families become or what limitations you currently possess. Once you’re with me, immortality is guaranteed!" Damian declared with such overwhelming conviction that his words seemed to reverberate throughout the room.

The effect was immediate!

Qingyao’s eyes widened, while Xueyi actually froze with her teacup halfway toward her lips.

For several moments, neither woman could formulate a response, their minds struggling to process the sheer audacity of what their husband had just declared.

Immortality?!

Even Golden Core cultivators possessed limited lifespans, while Nascent Soul experts could still perish from age, calamities or powerful enemies.

Throughout Shengyuan, countless cultivators dedicated their entire lives to pursuing increasingly higher Realms, yet only a vanishingly small number could even dream of approaching genuine immortality.

And Damian had just guaranteed it!

Under ordinary circumstances, such words would have been regarded as the ramblings of an exceptionally arrogant young cultivator.

Even a Nascent Soul Ancestor would hesitate before making such an absolute declaration, knowing perfectly well how unpredictable the road toward immortality could become.

But Damian Baines wasn’t an ordinary cultivator.

He had already revealed abilities that overturned the conventional limitations separating two entirely different worlds, along with an extraordinary talent for producing resources and developing power through methods unavailable to ordinary practitioners.

If anyone they knew possessed a genuine chance of fulfilling such an outrageous promise, it was him!

More importantly, his declaration contained an implication that neither woman could overlook.

"Husband... you intend to cultivate us?" Qingyao asked incredulously, her beautiful eyes widening as the meaning finally registered.

Damian nodded without hesitation.

He understood why such a straightforward possibility appeared almost unbelievable to the two women.

Despite both Shengyuan and Valoria possessing cultures that resembled different periods of Earth’s history, their attitudes toward personal power and family responsibility differed enormously.

In Valoria, investing resources into one’s spouse and immediate family was generally considered an ordinary part of maintaining a successful household, especially among influential noble families.

Naturally, disputes over inheritance and preferential treatment still existed, but a powerful husband helping his wife advance was hardly some extraordinary act of benevolence.

Shengyuan possessed a considerably harsher outlook.

Cultivation resources were precious, opportunities were fiercely contested, and even members of the same family frequently regarded one another as competitors.

Consequently, an exceptionally talented cultivator who concentrated every available resource upon his own advancement wouldn’t necessarily attract criticism simply because his spouse struggled to keep pace.

Indeed, many cultivators would consider such behavior perfectly reasonable!

If a powerful husband eventually surpassed his wife by several major Realms, he might simply acquire more accomplished Dao Companions and leave the original woman behind.

Some would even blame her for lacking sufficient talent to accompany her husband along his cultivation journey.

Damian found that attitude thoroughly ridiculous.

What the hell is the point of becoming powerful enough to overturn mountains and seas if I can’t even help my own family keep up?

He understood that resources weren’t infinite, and that no amount of generosity could automatically erase every cultivation bottleneck.

However, treating his wives as disposable companions simply because they didn’t possess the same opportunities he enjoyed was completely incompatible with his intentions.

That was why he needed to establish the matter now.

His wives weren’t going to spend their lives desperately chasing after him while he occasionally threw them a few cultivation scraps!

"Indeed, my dear. Not only do I intend to cultivate both of you, but I also intend to ensure that we reach the peak together!" Damian clarified with a confident smile, resting one hand over Qingyao’s and the other over Xueyi’s.

"If I discover a way to become stronger, then naturally, I’ll investigate whether you can benefit from it as well. We’re building a family, not competing to see who gets abandoned first!"

The two women stared at him with complicated expressions.

For cultivators raised in an environment where even close relatives could become rivals over a precious pill or cultivation inheritance, his words represented a fundamentally different approach toward marriage.

However, neither could easily dismiss the practical difficulties involved.

After all, the higher one’s cultivation Realm became, the greater the resources required for advancement, while differences in natural talent could become increasingly difficult to overcome.

Damian recognized their hesitation.

Rather than offering another elaborate explanation, he decided that a practical demonstration would be considerably more effective.

"Actually, instead of just talking about it, why don’t I show you something?" Damian suggested, reaching into his Exchange Storage.

Two beautiful crystalline objects appeared upon the table, each containing a concentrated reservoir of shimmering Mana.

Qingyao and Xueyi immediately recognized that the crystals contained an unfamiliar form of supernatural energy, although neither could identify their origins.

Their expressions became curious as Damian placed one crystal before each of them.

"These are Mana Crystals from Valoria. They contain energy that can be refined through your cultivation methods, so I want both of you to hold one and try circulating your techniques," Damian instructed with an encouraging smile.

"Begin slowly and focus upon controlling the energy properly rather than absorbing as much as possible."

The two women exchanged a glance before following his instructions.

Naturally, both possessed considerably more experience refining Spiritual Energy than Damian’s four newly accepted disciples.

They quickly established stable circulation through their respective cultivation methods, carefully drawing upon the energy contained within the crystals.

For the first few moments, nothing particularly unusual happened.

Then, their expressions changed greatly!

Qingyao’s eyes widened as a concentrated stream of energy entered her meridians, providing a far richer source of refinement than the ambient Spiritual Energy ordinarily available to her.

Xueyi’s reaction was equally dramatic, her carefully maintained circulation accelerating as she recognized the extraordinary efficiency of the resource in her hand.

The two women immediately understood what they were experiencing.

Unlike ordinary Spirit Stones, whose energy still required careful extraction and refinement according to their quality, these unfamiliar crystals appeared remarkably compatible with their existing cultivation methods.

The concentrated supply allowed them to devote considerably less effort to gathering energy and far more to refining it.

For cultivators at Qi Condensation, the implications were enormous!

After another minute or two, Qingyao abruptly opened her eyes.

"Husband, this...!" Qingyao exclaimed, staring at the crystal in her hand with an expression of complete disbelief.

Beside her, Xueyi slowly withdrew from cultivation, her cool composure having suffered a rather thorough defeat.

"This is too... valuable..." Shen Xueyi admitted with a difficult expression, carefully examining the crystal as though afraid that even holding it might somehow diminish its worth.

Damian chuckled at their reactions.

He had already witnessed Jian Rui and the other three disciples experience similar astonishment, but the implications were considerably greater for cultivators operating within the Qi Condensation Realm.

Body Tempering was fundamentally simpler, requiring relatively modest quantities of energy to strengthen and refine the physical body.

Qi Condensation demanded substantially greater accumulation and refinement, with the resources necessary for each breakthrough increasing as a cultivator advanced.

A resource capable of improving cultivation speed by approximately threefold was already extraordinary for a Body Tempering disciple.

For a Qi Condensation cultivator, the same improvement could represent an enormous reduction in the time required to accumulate sufficient power for advancement!

And unlike ordinary pills, which could produce diminishing returns or introduce impurities through repeated consumption, the Mana Crystals offered an alternative source of energy that could potentially be incorporated into their existing cultivation routines.

Of course, their effectiveness would still depend upon the cultivator’s technique, compatibility and ability to refine the available energy.

Nevertheless, the possibilities were obvious!

Qingyao looked between Damian and the crystal in her hand, struggling to reconcile its tremendous value with the casual manner in which her husband had produced it.

Xueyi appeared even more contemplative, clearly attempting to calculate how dramatically such resources might influence her future cultivation.

And Damian found their reactions thoroughly satisfying.

This was precisely what he wanted them to understand!

He wasn’t merely promising to treasure them while his cultivation soared beyond their reach.

He intended to provide genuine opportunities for advancement, ensuring that their development became an integral part of the extraordinary future he envisioned.

Naturally, a couple of Mana Crystals couldn’t instantly transform two talented Qi Condensation cultivators into peerless immortals.

But they represented a beginning!

And Damian possessed far more than a few unusual cultivation resources.

He looked at his two beautiful wives, whose expressions now carried an extraordinary mixture of astonishment, hope and anticipation.

His own smile gradually widened.

"There’s more to come, you’d best be sure about that. I will drown you two with resources until you both become Immortal Empresses overlooking the myriad realms with impunity, enjoying the worship of countless beings!" Damian declared confidently.