Published: March 3, 2025
CHAPTER 586: Twenty Years Later
"Daoist Zhuo, I have urgent matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."
Dressed neatly, Liu Yu walked to the door and cupped his hands in salute.
Looking at Zhuo Mengzhen, whose cheeks were still flushed and clothes half-covering her body, he felt no turbulence in his heart.
At this moment, he had entered a state of "like a saint, like a Buddha."
"Mm."
The entire scene watched as Liu Yu dressed, and Zhuo Mengzhen responded softly.
For some reason, she seemed a bit downcast, not immediately continuing her cultivation to digest the results of their dual cultivation.
Hearing this, Liu Yu had no warm feelings; he walked straight out.
Though his actions could be seen as abandoning someone, he was accustomed to viewing matters from a perspective of benefits rather than emotions.
If emotions were considered, everything would become too complicated, tangled and difficult to resolve, and he simply did not have that much time.
From the standpoint of benefits, Liu Yu owed this woman nothing.
With his higher cultivation and the simultaneous practice of three paths, it was evident that she had gained more benefits throughout the dual cultivation process.
As for him, he had temporarily resolved the residual effects of his cultivation technique, so he had not lost out.
Moreover, in their future journeys, he could still provide her with some minor assistance.
From this perspective, it seemed that both parties benefited, so there was no need to feel indebted.
Noticing her mood, Liu Yu did not think much of it and walked straight out of her room.
On the stone bed, Zhuo Mengzhen watched Liu Yu's departing figure, a hint of loss flashing in her eyes.
Having once pursued him, she had studied Liu Yu's background.
She knew he had three concubines and several ambiguous relationships with female cultivators, and he was not the kind of cultivator easily bound by emotions.
Yet, remembering how he rescued her from the horde of demons, coupled with his consistently strong demeanor, she couldn't help but feel a strange sensation rise within her.
Thus, when Liu Yu left without a hint of hesitation, that feeling of loss became uncontrollable.
Perhaps this was the nature of female cultivators; even powerful ones could be more emotional at times.
Or perhaps, as "Mr. Zhou" said, the quickest way to a woman's heart is via the "path through the woods."
……
Back in his room, Liu Yu took out the thick "Dream of Shadows Heart Sutra" and flipped to the page recording "Great Dream of Spring and Autumn" to comprehend it.
He had almost mastered this secret technique and believed he could completely understand it within a day or two, at which point he could officially begin practicing.
The "Great Dream of Spring and Autumn" was very suitable for Liu Yu; had it been a more powerful spell, he might not have chosen to cultivate it at all.
In terms of offense, he had the Setting Sun Golden Rainbow Spear, azure yang devil fire, and Ten Thousand Souls Banner to handle most situations, and he was also familiar with several third-stage spells.
Every cultivation of a third-stage spell required a significant amount of time; even for a golden core cultivator with a lifespan of six or seven hundred years, the time available was still very limited.
During this period, not only had he to amass a vast amount of magical power, but he also had to prepare for breaking through the yuan ying bottleneck and work for cultivation resources.
If the things learned were scattered and unfocused, their future benefits would be minimal, and the hope of forming yuan ying would be nearly lost.
Not every cultivator learns everything effortlessly; behind each spell and every aspect of cultivating immortality lies countless sweat and effort, often with no shortcuts available.
Thus, to go further, one must make choices.
Liu Yu was acutely aware of this, so after forming his core, he only learned a few third-stage spells, covering offense, defense, and assistance.