"What? Your dear mother asks you for something, and you’re still hesitating?" Master Zhiyu, not receiving a definite answer after a while, felt a spark of anger rapidly ignite in her heart.

Su Buyu: "Junior Sister, you’re really..." Although he was speaking to Su Li, his expression of incomprehension, sadness, and distress was directed at Master Hao Yuan.

"You all sure put on quite a show." Su Li directly took out an entire sea lotus, cut it from the base, and threw it into her mouth, chewing and swallowing it whole.

What was left was less than half a little finger’s worth of roots, which she buried in a small pit dug from a clump of Mixed Element Soil.

Then, she patted her hands and said, "Alright, there’s nothing left now."

"Only a little root is left, do you want it? You can take it back and plant it. Maybe you can cultivate a new one."

Master Zhiyu was almost driven mad with rage, her chest heaving violently, her phoenix eyes slightly widened, "You, you, you...."

The young disciples hurriedly lowered their heads and retreated, their breaths growing faint, not daring to raise their heads. Even Su Buyu unobtrusively stepped a few paces away from Master Zhiyu.

As an adopted daughter who had to swallow her pride and live under others’ roofs, Su Buyu had long understood her foster parents’ temperaments and thoughts inside out.

She knew clearly where her foster mother’s knot in her heart lay over these years.

Her dear mother cared most about her Taoist Body being damaged, stalling her cultivation. This had nearly become her Heart Demon.

Why was Su Li never favored since childhood? Isn’t it because Master Zhiyu thought Su Li was the culprit holding her cultivation back?

Now that Su Li destroyed her hope, wasn’t it like dancing on her heart, stabbing her soul, and wouldn’t that be enough to arouse hatred?

A Golden Core Stage True Man going mad was terrifying.

The golden hairpin in Master Zhiyu’s hair instantly transformed into a small, chilling sword, sending ripples of energy shooting toward Su Li.

But it only traveled a few inches before it was forcibly thrust back into her hairdo by an invisible hand, eliciting a frustrated hum from the hairpin.

The hairpin trembled violently, tossing the tassels into disarray, never able to break free from the energy binding it.

"Master Zhiyu, you lost your composure." Master Hao Yuan coldly flicked his sleeve, causing Master Zhiyu to involuntarily lean backward, her heels sliding backward across the floor.

The pressure of a Nascent Soul True Monarch felt like an iron grip tightly clenching her heart.

Master Zhiyu groaned slightly, seeing Master Hao Yuan truly angry, she dared not act further, biting her lip in unwillingness, she restrained herself.

Her eyes, poisoned with resentment, glared deeply at Su Li before quickly turning away to avoid seeing anymore.

"Bu Yu, we’re leaving."

Su Buyu reluctantly, though fearing delay, could only look back thrice every step as she reluctantly followed Master Zhiyu.

Once the cheap mother left, the other young disciples quickly followed. Soon, Huayu Pavilion was left with only Su Li and Master Hao Yuan’s figures.

Su Li circled Master Hao Yuan, her eyes finally resting on his handsome face.

Master Hao Yuan’s appearance was uncommonly elegant and extraordinary. A high nose bridge, sword-shaped eyebrows, thin lips.

It’s said that men with such looks are generally heartless and ruthless.

And this was precisely the thought that surfaced in her mind at the right time. Su Li thought it was rather accurate.

"You must be very pleased."

Master Hao Yuan: "?" His confusion was evident on his face, but Su Li didn’t miss his momentary surprise.

Su Li wanted to ask him, seeing her now isolated from everyone, solely reliant on him, what sort of feeling was that? 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Was it the delight of successful scheming or the gratification of achieving his desire?

But as the words reached her mouth, Su Li only said, "Nothing."

Master Hao Yuan fixatedly stared into Su Li’s eyes, not allowing her to escape, he asked, "What are you thinking?"

Su Li: "Nothing, I just feel you’re really good to me."

Su Li lowered her head, using the soft, delicate tone that Master Hao Yuan wanted, and said, "My parents have a shallow connection with me, the relationships within my sect with brothers and sisters are superficial and distant, only you are wholeheartedly for me."

Upon hearing this, Master Hao Yuan didn’t know why, but his tensed heart gradually relaxed, his lips turned upward, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Ah Lee, we are engaged, destined as a Daoist couple. If I’m not good to you, to whom else could I be?"

"Once your cultivation reaches the Golden Core, we will form a Daoist couple under the witness of the Heavenly Dao."

Su Li curiously asked, "Why must it be the Golden Core? Isn’t now possible?"

Although it’s best for the cultivation between Daoist couples not to have a large gap, if both parties are willing, it’s not out of the question.

Master Hao Yuan replied, "It’s certainly for your benefit, the smaller the difference in cultivation, when you and I dual cultivate, the more benefits it would yield to you."

Master Hao Yuan was very gentle towards Su Li, patiently answering every question of his little fiancée.

In fact, what occupied Master Hao Yuan’s mind was another thought: it’s because you haven’t yet loved me to the point of complete devotion.

As to why this had to be done.

In truth, Master Hao Yuan himself didn’t know. A strong intuition just told him so.

This world severed from the Heavenly Ladder thousands of years ago, no one in the Cultivation World could ascend anymore.

Changsheng, Changsheng, ultimately, cultivation was just about living a bit longer than ordinary people.

How could Master Hao Yuan, being of extraordinary talent, settle with this?

He had a strong premonition that he would be the next to ascend.

Everyone thought he was currently at the Nascent Soul Stage, but in reality, his cultivation had long reached the Mahayana Stage, just a step away from proving the Dao and ascending.

It took him only eighteen years to cultivate to the Mahayana Stage, a speed that would scare a lot of people if spoken aloud.

But from Mahayana to that final step, it took him thirty-eight years...

Thirty-eight years ago, after Su Li was born, he first sensed the opportunity to prove the Dao, residing in that small infant.

Before the little girl grew up, he didn’t even understand why.

As he later watched the little girl grow and gradually reveal astonishing beauty in front of others, seeing the admiration and infatuation in people’s eyes, he slowly started to experience emotions because of one person - joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire....

It turned out he was just like an ordinary person, he could be angry, anxious, pensive... Only when the feelings were mutual, and the emotions were at their peak, could he sever the seven emotions and break the six desires, ensuring he would prove the Dao and ascend.

Experience it all and then personally sever it, so that he would never again be troubled by emotional tribulations.

Master Hao Yuan: "You need not worry, with me here, no one will dare to trouble you, not even your biological parents."

Such profoundly touching words, this notion of placing you at the center of his heart, even if it meant opposing the world is deeply attractive like a vial of poison one willingly desires.

Su Li smiled, as if moved.