Winter passed and spring arrived; three years had gone by in the blink of an eye.
Inside Divine Hand Valley, Seven Mysteries Sect.
At this moment, a man suddenly opened his eyes. His appearance was exceptionally striking: handsome brows and bright eyes, a graceful demeanor, and a pair of starry eyes that shone like constellations. Every movement he made left an unforgettable impression.
The man was naturally Mo Juren, but what was different was that his former aged and sallow face had long since vanished.
Three years had passed in a flash, and his injuries had completely healed. Not only had he recovered his original appearance, but his body had also undergone a complete transformation.
As for the poison curse he had worried about before, it was completely an overabundance of caution. After the Bloodline Fusion, the effect of the poison curse weakened day by day and soon completely dissipated.
During these three years, he had not been idle for a moment, staying in the valley to Cultivate diligently.
In half a year, the first layer of Changchun Gong was Cultivated; in one year, the second layer; in two years, the third layer; and by today, three years later, his Realm had already broken through to the fifth layer, only one minor Realm behind Han Li.
This Cultivation speed was already very fast. At first, he was also somewhat puzzled. After pondering, he had some conjectures.
Currently, he could only Cultivate Wood-attribute Cultivation Technique, and the Spiritual Qi he absorbed was only Wood-attribute, similar to a Heavenly Spiritual Root among Cultivators, so his speed was naturally not slow.
As for Han Li, his Cultivation speed during the Qi Refining Stage could only be described as decent, not outstanding, and even inferior to some Disciples with High Grade Aptitude in the School. It was only after Foundation Establishment, when he began to refine true ancient Medicinal Pills and consume them in large quantities, that his speed began to accelerate. This continued until his Core Formation was successful, and fortunate encounters appeared one after another, from then on, he exploded like a rocket.
Returning to himself, his current Cultivation speed still had a large gap compared to true Heavenly Spiritual Root Cultivators. The latter were truly terrifying; Foundation Establishment was a matter of course, there was no Bottleneck for Core Formation, and more than one person broke through to Nascent Soul within two hundred years—they were truly Prodigies.
He was not discouraged by this. The completeness of his first-grade Wood-attribute Bloodline was only 17%, still flawed. Once he continued to fuse it to Perfection, his Cultivation speed would truly be comparable to a Heavenly Spiritual Root.
The above were all the good aspects; there were also some not-so-good parts. Three years of Cultivation made him realize a very serious problem, or rather, a drawback of Cultivating by relying on Bloodline: the limitation of Legacy.
For example, for him now, three years had passed, and his Cultivation of Changchun Gong had no problems, but his Spell had made no progress whatsoever. Apart from the Entangling Technique and Thorn Technique inherited from the first-grade Azure Scaled Python Bloodline, the speed at which he comprehended other Spells was so slow it was nauseating, almost no progress at all.
What would it look like when a Cultivator only knew one or two Spells in battle with enemies? It's not hard to imagine that he would surely be completely targeted, and his combat power would be greatly weakened.
For this, Mo Juren had a headache for a long time, racking his brain, and finally came to only one conclusion: he needed to fuse multiple Bloodlines—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wind, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. All nine attributes must be possessed. In this way, the inherited Spells would also be diverse, with each attribute represented.
Only then could he completely eliminate his flaws and avoid the possibility of being targeted.
He got up and pushed the door open.
Suddenly, a yellow light streaked through the air at extreme speed, like a sharp arrow, and in the blink of an eye, it landed on his shoulder.
“It’s you, little fellow.”
Looking at the small yellow bird on his shoulder, Mo Juren's eyes immediately showed a hint of doting. This was precisely his pet, the Cloud Winged Bird, a spiritual bird containing Yao Beast Bloodline. Its flying speed was extremely fast, and it possessed extremely high intelligence.
Unlike before, ever since he began to Cultivate, he had repeatedly used his magic power to comb its body, causing the Cloud Winged Bird's Bloodline to continuously purify and its life essence to sublimate once again. Perhaps one day, it could truly transform and become a true Yao Beast.
Turning his head, he surveyed Divine Hand Valley again, looking at all the familiar surroundings, and a trace of reluctance suddenly arose in Mo Juren's Heart-Nature. It was only a fleeting feeling, which quickly vanished without a trace.
He had already made the decision last night: he was leaving.
The sound of a door opening came from afar. From the stone house by the mountain wall, Han Li's figure slowly emerged. He carried a large bundle on his back and walked forward with a relaxed expression.
“Master.”
“Are you all ready?”
Han Li nodded, his expression also showing a trace of reluctance. How could he not be touched after seven years? It was just that his Heart-Nature was precocious, and he simply didn't show it.
His gaze inadvertently glanced towards a certain spot. There, a tall figure stood motionless—it was Iron Slave. Through understanding over the past few years, he also knew Iron Slave's origin. There was always some sadness in his Heart-Nature, but it stopped there. What Dao could be spoken of in this world?
“Then let’s go, lest we delay any longer.”
The departure of the Master and Disciple did not alarm anyone; they only left a letter in the room.
Initially, no one discovered it until more than a month later, when an injured Elder of the Seven Mysteries Sect came to seek medical treatment and learned everything. Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Sect Leader Wang also received the news. He said nothing more, only sighed deeply, gazing out the window in prolonged silence.
...
On a dilapidated dirt road, a carriage bumped along.
Inside the carriage, Mo Juren's expression was calm, his eyes closed in repose. Iron Slave naturally remained silent, while Han Li, lacking his usual composure, showed a look of unease and apprehension.
The carriage was heading towards Qingniu Town, Wuli Gully, which was Han Li’s hometown.
Seven years had passed since he left, and he had never returned once. He wondered how his parents were, if they were healthy, and how his Elder brother, second brother, Elder sister, and his beloved younger sister were doing.
After all, he was not the Han Li from the original work, having not experienced Dr. Mo's plot to harm him. At this time, he still retained a trace of innocence.
The journey was not far, and soon, the carriage reached the village entrance.
However, looking at the familiar village outside the window, and the vaguely familiar faces, Han Li suddenly hesitated. Thinking about his current situation, he was momentarily indecisive.
Turning his head, he looked at Mo Juren, who was resting with his eyes closed, and suddenly asked, “Master, you also have family. How will you choose in the future?”
“Why choose?” Mo Juren opened his eyes, then continued,
“Everyone’s situation is different. You must be clear about your own Heart-Nature. If your Heart-Nature is dedicated to the Dao, then move forward without hesitation, and all attachments must be discarded. If you cannot let go, then everything remains as before, with relatives, loved ones, friends, and various Mortal Karma intertwined. This is destined, inescapable, as long as you don't regret it.”
“Then what is Master’s Heart-Nature?”
“Me? I don’t know.” Mo Juren shook his head slightly, not giving an answer. This matter was unavoidable; he would have to face it eventually. Therefore, he had been thinking about a solution for three years. He already had some ideas in his Heart-Nature, but they were not yet at Perfection, so he did not disclose them.
Han Li fell silent. He understood his Master’s thoughts. Through their interactions over the past few years, he had indirectly learned about the other party’s family situation: four wives, three daughters, and a vast family fortune.
If it were him, he would probably find it very difficult to ruthlessly abandon all of this for the sake of Cultivation and longevity.
However, his situation was different. His parents were doing well, with siblings to take care of them, so his absence wouldn't have a significant impact.
Now, being alone and free from worries, it was the best time to embark on the path of Cultivation. If he were to meet his family at this moment, getting entangled in minor matters, it was even more likely to bring unpredictable trouble to his family. And this kind of trouble was unbearable for Mortals; one careless mistake could lead to the ruin of their family.
“Master, let’s go.”
“Have you decided?”
Although he had expected it, Mo Juren still asked again.
Han Li's answer remained the same, his attitude extremely firm. Since he had clearly understood the pros and cons, there was no need to hesitate; making the most advantageous choice was all that mattered.
The carriage turned around and headed back in the direction from which it came. Along the way, passing through Qingniu Town, Han Li secretly placed the bundle he was carrying in his third uncle's room, without disturbing him, leaving only a letter before departing.
Mo Juren naturally saw everything and couldn't help but sigh in his Heart-Nature. After all, they were his own relatives; it wasn't that easy to let go. Being able to do this was already very difficult.
They continued their journey, and halfway through, they suddenly changed course, heading in another direction.
Han Li was somewhat surprised and immediately asked for the reason.
Mo Juren did not hide anything and directly said, “Before leaving, I still need to kill someone and retrieve something.”