My Archrival Keeps Plotting Against Me

Updates at around 11 p.m. every night. I'll take a day off if something comes up.

Also known as: My Archenemy Was Supposed to Be My Cultivation Cauldron, But He Wants to Be My Dao Companion

[A sharp-tongued, soft-hearted, easily flustered bottom / a cold-faced but scheming male ghost top]

1.

Two prodigies stand side by side beneath the head of the Yuxi Sect: senior brother Ying Xun, aloof and proud, and junior brother Chu Zhique, dazzling and flamboyant.

Whenever they meet, sparks fly. Everyone in the sect is used to it. These two have always been enemies.

But nobody knows that they were betrothed as children. For the next decade or more, Ying Xun outshone Chu Zhique in everything, and Chu Zhique spent every day hoping to break off their engagement.

Then one day, Ying Xun's soul lamp went out, and he perished in the Tianqi Secret Realm.

Chu Zhique laughed wildly and was about to burn the marriage contract when he turned around...

Ying Xun stood behind him, dressed in white with dark hair, surrounded by a chill. Staring at the contract in Chu Zhique's hand, he asked, "Aque, what are you doing?"

From then on, his archenemy became a ghost. He couldn't shake him off, hit him, or shout him away. All he could do was face him day and night.

Chu Zhique: You died and you're still haunting me? Fine. I'll investigate how you died, then send you off to reincarnate.

2.

When Ying Xun was alive, Chu Zhique wanted to break off their engagement every day.

After Ying Xun died, Chu Zhique wanted to send him away every day.

As the investigation went on, Chu Zhique grew more and more exasperated. After dying once, Ying Xun stopped pretending. He kept citing their marriage contract as proof and insisting on his rights as a Dao companion. He proposed dual cultivation, a life-and-death pact, and all sorts of other ways to reward himself.

Chu Zhique: ...He's been provoking me this whole time.

3.

One night, while trying to break through a bottleneck, Chu Zhique suddenly had a ridiculous idea.

With a charming smile, he cornered Ying Xun in a room and spoke like they were making a mutually agreeable deal with payment settled in full. "Chief Ying, lend me your spiritual energy. I'll pay you back double another day."

Ying Xun's gaze darkened. "Aque, you'd better really intend to pay me back in full."

After that, Ying Xun used his status as a cultivation cauldron to stay at the Qimeng Pavilion every night and follow Chu Zhique everywhere by day.

At last, worn down by Ying Xun's persistence, Chu Zhique gave in. "Fine, I'll grant your wish. From now on, you're my legitimate cultivation cauldron!"

Ying Xun leaned close to his ear. "The marriage contract still stands. What cultivation cauldron? That's called a Dao companion."

Chu Zhique: Why was I so blind when I got engaged?

Ying Xun: Good thing I accepted the betrothal gifts back then.

Childhood friends become archenemies, archenemies become ghosts, ghosts become cultivation cauldrons, and cultivation cauldrons become Dao companions.

Notes:

1. Both are virgins. Older top. Zhique is the bottom, Ying Xun is the top. No secondary couples.

2. Fake archenemies, real Dao companions + childhood friends + engaged first, fell in love later + cultivation cauldron.

3. Not traditional cultivation. Both leads are geniuses with cheat-like abilities.

4. Includes a cultivation cauldron setting. The bottom is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, while the top keeps finding ways to reward himself.

Cultivation realms:

First Realm → Second Realm → ... → Ninth Realm → Ascension

(The higher the number, the stronger the cultivator.)

Theme: Love life and grow together