Li Chuan feigned a look of melancholy, sighing heavily as he spoke, "Senior Sister must have guessed by now that my time is limited. I don’t know when I might pass away in meditation."
"I don’t want my departure to hinder Senior Sister’s great undertaking of Foundation Establishment. That’s why, as soon as I earned some Spirit Stones, I came straight to you."
"After all, Spirit Stones only truly belong to you once they’re in your hands. If I were to wait until I’d gathered all 500 Spirit Stones before coming to you, what if something unexpected happened along the way? Say, if I earned 490 Spirit Stones but then ran out of lifespan—wouldn’t it be a shame if you didn’t get a single one of them?"
Chu Mengyou nearly laughed in exasperation upon hearing this.
Her faint anger, tinged with a hint of reproach, only made her even more captivating.
Yet Li Chuan’s words did give her pause.
Earning a vast amount of Spirit Stones in a short time was inherently risky. If something really did go wrong, as he said, she would end up with nothing.
If she hadn’t seen these 50 Spirit Stones, it might not have mattered. But now that they were in her hands, Chu Mengyou found it hard to part with them.
Seeing her hesitation, Li Chuan knew it was time to strike while the iron was hot. "Senior Sister, let’s find a place to talk properly."
As Li Chuan wrapped an arm around Chu Mengyou and flew off on his sword, the townspeople below erupted in uproar.
"Good heavens! That immortal beauty was just whisked away by that sleazy old man!"
"What do you mean ‘sleazy old man’? Didn’t you see him fly? He’s an immortal too! Watch your tongue, or he might come back and twist your pig-headed neck off!"
"I thought the immortals of the Yin-Yang Sect were supposed to be either dashing young men, refined middle-aged scholars, or sage-like elders. That old man is from the Yin-Yang Sect too?"
"He must be! After all, the Yin-Yang Sect forbids its female disciples from having any intimate contact with male cultivators outside the sect."
"Quick, help me up... I want to resume my cultivation! I want to join the Yin-Yang Sect!"
"Ah, Grandpa, you’ve spent your whole life cultivating and never got anywhere. Give it up. Leave joining the Yin-Yang Sect to your grandson instead."
Several old men in the crowd suddenly reignited their passion for cultivation, clamoring to join the Yin-Yang Sect.
Li Chuan probably never imagined he’d become an inspiration for elderly aspirants.
He and Chu Mengyou landed in a dense forest outside the town.
......
......
Before they knew it, night had fallen.
Under the moonlight, Chu Mengyou took on an air of mysterious, ethereal beauty.
Li Chuan boldly reached out to touch her, only to be repelled by a surge of spiritual energy radiating from her body.
Her eyes remained clear and bright in the pale light.
"Junior Brother, our connection has already ended. This behavior is inappropriate."
She regarded him with calm detachment, as if nothing had ever transpired between them.
Li Chuan studied Chu Mengyou intently for a long moment, surprised to find no trace of emotion flickering in her gaze.
Amazed, he took out another handful of Spirit Stones and placed them in her palm, grinning. "Senior Sister, this Junior Brother wishes to rekindle our past connection. May I?"
Staring at the 21 Spirit Stones in her hand, Chu Mengyou was momentarily stunned.
She clearly hadn’t expected Li Chuan to still have more Spirit Stones!
Glancing between the stones and him, she asked, "Why didn’t you bring these out earlier?"
Li Chuan replied, "Ah, blame this Junior Brother’s poor memory."
"Hmph." Chu Mengyou pocketed the Spirit Stones without hesitation, immediately displaying her impeccable professionalism.
Seeing that her expression remained composed and her eyes still clear, Li Chuan couldn’t help but marvel.
Yet he had already formed his judgment of her.
Unfettered by worldly attachments—regardless of her innate talent—she was certain to go far on the path of cultivation.