My Cao Family Has Also Become a Cultivation Clan

"Check."

"..."

"Check again!"

"..."

"Check~~" Cao Cheng kept checking, unable to deliver checkmate, but that didn't stop him from relentlessly pressing.

Old Cao had no choice but to keep moving his king out of harm's way.

Back and forth over a dozen times.

Old Cao finally snapped: "Are you insane? Is this even fun?"

"Of course it is. The best defense is offense. I'm constantly attacking while you don’t even get a chance to strike. I’m untouchable—total domination." Cao Cheng smirked smugly, picking up his teacup for a leisurely sip.

Old Cao’s face darkened with frustration.

"Enough, enough… this is pointless." Old Cao scattered the pieces across the board, leaned back, and took a sip of his own tea.

Cao Cheng’s expression turned stern. "Your character was already questionable, but now even your sportsmanship is lacking."

"Tch—" Old Cao ignored him, knowing he could never win an argument.

"Mom…" Cao Cheng called out.

"Hey, hey, hey!!"

Old Cao instantly caved, grumbling, "Damn it, how old are you? Still running to mom like a kid…"

Cao Cheng retorted, "I never bow to bullies. But honestly, look around—every woman in this house is either raising kids or working. Meanwhile, you just laze around. No guilt at all?"

Old Cao’s face twisted in exasperation. "You’re one to talk! You’re the laziest here. At least I help with your kids sometimes."

Cao Cheng tapped his temple. "I work with my brain!"

"You’re full of crap."

"Now you’re just insulting me."

"I’m the one who literally raised you, spoon by spoon—"

"Mom~~"

"..."

Amid their bickering, the four-year-old sixth child toddled in, her tiny voice pleading, "Daddy, brother, stop fighting! Stop fighting…"

The little one was sharp.

Her outburst drew Ren's mother’s attention, making it seem like a real quarrel.

Old Cao immediately backed down.

Cao Cheng scooped up Little Six, brushing stray hairs from her forehead and pinching her chubby, rosy cheeks.

Honestly.

With her big, sparkling eyes and adorable face, if she were posted online, people would swear the Civil Affairs Bureau was running a viral ad campaign!

Little Cao, barely a year old, wobbled after his aunt, arms outstretched for a hug.

Even at that age, kids know how to compete for affection.

...

Time flew.

Within months, summer arrived.

Cao Cheng had enjoyed a rare break, and his abilities had grown rapidly—thanks to the mutual cultivation with two family members, their shared energy fueling remarkable progress.

Tang Xin could feel it herself. The inner energy coursing through her meridians now felt potent enough to take down a tiger with ease.

Of course,

that was just an illusion.

While the energy granted her strength, without proper technique, she couldn’t fully wield it.

In contrast, the second sister, already a martial arts master, had seen her combat prowess multiply in mere months.

She wasn’t even sure how strong she’d become.

Punching bags shattered with a single strike.

It almost felt like nothing could withstand her fists now.

Twenty years of training? Unstoppable.

Even when she challenged Cao Cheng to spar, he refused, just as before.

Martial arts were for health, not violence.

Sigh.

Second sis, second sis…

After all these years, when will you learn?

...

Meanwhile,

over those months, the entire family had begun practicing cultivation techniques—even Ren's mother.

Though the Mother-Child Bond hadn’t been activated, after some… persuasion (ahem, discussion), Cao Cheng had officially added the third and fourth sisters to the family registry.

He assured them it was just a record, nothing binding.

Naturally, he didn’t show them the contents, where terms like "wife" and "concubine" were discreetly listed…

The genetic link deepened their bond and extended their lifespans.

They were just one step away from the full Mother-Child Bond.

Months later, the effects of their training became visible.

Their complexions, posture, and auras had all noticeably improved.

See?

This was the foundation of a cultivation dynasty.

In a few decades, the Cao and Ren families would stand as the world’s only—well, two—true cultivation clans.

...

As for the elder sister and father-in-law,

after much deliberation and discussion with Tang Xin, Cao Cheng decided to share the techniques with them too.

Leaks weren’t a concern—the father-in-law’s security protocols were airtight.

Unless someone intentionally blabbed, not a whisper would escape.

And the old man would grasp the sensitivity instinctively, likely warning Cao Cheng to keep it all secret himself.

Honestly,

Cao Cheng hadn’t planned to share so soon.

He’d assumed the elder sister and father-in-law, perpetually swamped, wouldn’t have time to practice anyway.

When had they ever rested?

But upon second thought, and seeing the state of her father-in-law, Tang Xin couldn’t bear it, and Cao Cheng also felt helpless.

After all, he had provided his father-in-law with so many teas to nourish the spirit and calm the mind, along with some health-boosting elixirs, yet the effects on him weren’t particularly strong.

This could only mean one thing: her father-in-law was truly exhausted.

He had pushed his body to the limit.

Even the elixirs couldn’t compensate for it.

Ultimately, these elixirs were still too low-grade.

Even though they came from the cultivation world, their quality was too poor.

If they were higher-grade, the effects would undoubtedly be different.

Unfortunately…

High-grade elixirs could only be obtained from divine-tier treasure chests, and even then, there was no guarantee of success.

Cao Cheng wasn’t that extravagant.

For now, he’d have to make do with ordinary elixirs. Maybe later, when he struck it rich, he’d get his father-in-law some better ones.

Besides, without these things to sustain him, the sheer exhaustion from traveling to over a dozen countries in just one month would have been unbearable.

It was this realization that led Cao Cheng to discuss with Tang Xin the idea of passing a cultivation technique to her father-in-law.

Even if he didn’t have time for proper rest or cultivation, he could still recover some vitality during brief moments of rest on the road—better than nothing.

After receiving the technique, the effects were immediately noticeable.

Though her father-in-law still didn’t get much rest, he wasn’t a machine running nonstop.

Even while traveling abroad, he could catch short naps along the way.

So,

once Cao Cheng channeled a stream of golden light into his forehead, the technique began circulating passively.

Her father-in-law could clearly feel that whenever he had even ten minutes of downtime—just sitting somewhere, closing his eyes to meditate, or pondering policies—his body would recover a significant amount of energy without moving a muscle.

If he cleared his mind completely, thinking of nothing, his vitality restored even faster.

The most obvious change?

Over the next month, despite handling the same workload as before, everything felt remarkably easier.

Her father-in-law even felt like he had enough energy and stamina left to go for a swim or exercise.

Of course,

swimming was out of the question.

But as his vitality circulated through his body, the signs of aging gradually faded, replaced by a faint sense of youthfulness.

This feeling was something only he could perceive.

So,

quietly, he began taking on even more work.

Busier than ever, yet feeling lighter by the day.

Meanwhile, his office staff were left exhausted, baffled by how the old man had suddenly transformed into an unstoppable force of energy.

They could barely keep up.

……

One day,

Cao Cheng arrived in the capital.

He sat drinking tea with her father-in-law in the courtyard.

By now, her father-in-law had learned the value of rest—sharpening the axe wouldn’t delay the chopping of wood, after all.

A single day of rest meant he could work for days afterward without fatigue.

He had called Cao Cheng over to ask about the technique.

“Where did this technique come from?”

“Higher dimensions.” Cao Cheng pointed upward.

He had already laid the groundwork for this explanation.

Now, anything inexplicable could simply be attributed to higher dimensions.

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Wasn’t the system itself from a higher dimension?

And if the system provided it, then it was indeed a gift from beyond.

Her father-in-law’s expression didn’t shift as he asked, “When did you first establish a connection with the higher dimensions?”

“Years ago. It traces back to my university days, though it was sporadic back then. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Only later did I fully grasp it. Now, if I focus, I can connect through meditation.”

“But…” Cao Cheng added, “connecting is one thing—getting something out of it is another. After all these years of daily meditation, I’ve only managed to gather this much. Sigh.”

Seeing Cao Cheng’s resigned expression, her father-in-law scoffed. “It’s more than enough. Don’t be greedy. Just one of the things you’ve mastered could spawn entire industries and hundreds of related businesses.”

Cao Cheng grinned. “But my sights are set on the stars—the unknown is my true destination.”

He pointed at the sky again.

Even though it was daytime, with no stars or cosmos in sight, her father-in-law understood.

After a pause, her father-in-law looked up at the blue sky and drifting clouds, his gaze distant. “Isn’t that humanity’s goal as well? Though… it’ll likely take many years to achieve.”

“No rush. We’ve got time. And not just me—even you, Father-in-law, will have plenty of years ahead.”

“……”

Her father-in-law chuckled and shook his head.

His mindset had indeed shifted lately.

Before, he felt time was scarce, that no amount of effort was enough—he had to push harder, pull the village forward, go as far as possible.

Now…

Since mastering the technique, he realized he had time. Steady progress would carry them further, more solidly.

Like the tortoise and the hare.

Even as the tortoise, as long as he took one step at a time, he’d surpass all rivals.

And they weren’t tortoises—they were hares!

As long as they didn’t nap mid-race, victory was certain.

This time, Old Taishan wasn’t in such a hurry anymore.

It was a shift in mindset brought about by his cultivation method.

Still, no matter how you looked at it, Old Taishan was thoroughly pleased with this "worthy son-in-law" before him.

He even considered himself lucky—having a precious daughter who, against all odds, had managed to cross paths with him in a sea of billions. Truly, it was no small miracle.

Destiny’s design.

And when he thought about it carefully, ever since recognizing this son-in-law, everything in his life—including his career—had inexplicably smoothed out.

So, by all accounts, this kid was something of a lucky charm for him.

Naturally, the more he looked, the more he liked him.

Hmm.

Not that the kid was without flaws.

His one and only shortcoming was his occasional knack for being infuriating—deliberately pushing Old Taishan’s buttons or setting traps for him.

This was a lingering grievance Old Taishan had held onto.

Every time they met, the kid rarely gave straightforward answers. And if he did act serious, it was a sure sign he was up to something.

Huh?

This time, he’s being awfully earnest.

That little rascal…

He’s definitely scheming something!

Old Taishan instantly went on high alert.

Cao Cheng had no idea what Old Taishan was imagining, but he could sense the old man’s gaze growing increasingly wary, eyes fixed on him like he’d lost his mind.

Cao Cheng fell silent as well.

In an instant,

father-in-law and son-in-law were both sizing each other up.

Each convinced the other was plotting something.