Chapter 716: Chapter 566: Jun Meng, Are You Willing?

Gui Junmeng’s gaze swept lightly between Tushan Jing Ci and Xiao Mo beside her, but in the end, she said nothing.

"Let’s go..." Xiao Mo withdrew his gaze and, with Gui Junmeng’s support, turned and left the battlefield.

Tushan Jing Ci watched Xiao Mo’s receding figure. The small foot beneath her skirt took an involuntary step forward, but in the end, she forced it to a halt.

「Five more years passed.」

Xiao Mo finally broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm.

After stepping into the Nascent Soul Realm, Xiao Mo could now practice the Dual Cultivation Technique in the latter part of the "Great Dream of Yellow Millet."

However, this so-called Dual Cultivation Technique wasn’t so direct and explicit from the very beginning.

That kind of "straight to the point" Dual Cultivation Technique was not the righteous path to the Great Dao. It was mostly an unorthodox shortcut, or to put it bluntly, a method of "plundering," which could never be considered a respectable practice.

A true Dual Cultivation Technique required a gradual, step-by-step approach.

At first, Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng needed to sit cross-legged facing each other on the bed every night, guiding their Spiritual Power to one another to harmonize the yin and yang of their energies.

Only after Xiao Mo broke through to the Mid-stage Jade Realm could they proceed with dual cultivation on the level of the Divine Soul.

And once both of them stepped into the Immortal Realm, they could officially begin a dual cultivation that synchronized the fusion of their Divine Souls and physical bodies.

However, even though they could only harmonize the yin and yang of their Spiritual Power for now, Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng’s Cultivation still progressed at an extremely rapid pace.

It was so fast that even Xiao Mo himself was somewhat astonished.

He discovered that the gains from even a single night were equivalent to half a year of cultivating alone...

And whenever Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng began their nightly cultivation, Liu Shui would stand quietly outside the courtyard, staring blankly at the tightly shut door. Her small hands would clutch her dress, and she would remain there until dawn.

「In the blink of an eye, another twenty years slipped by quietly.」

Besides dual cultivation, the life-and-death struggles on the battlefield were always the fastest way to advance one’s Cultivation, and this was true even for Xiao Mo.

It was just that Xiao Mo was, after all, a traditional Dao Cultivator.

After twenty years of bloody slaughter on the front lines, the bloodlust and demonic nature that had accumulated in his heart were simply too heavy.

Thus, Xiao Mo and Gui Junmeng temporarily returned to the Seeking Immortal Temple to stabilize his Dao Heart.

Meanwhile, the war between the Human Alliance and the Demon Alliance was spreading, and not even the borderlands were spared.

Xiao Mo was worried about his master and martial brothers at Sikong Temple, so he asked Gui Junmeng to help him find out what was happening there.

Gui Junmeng naturally did not refuse and agreed at once.

Three months later, however, Xiao Mo learned the news—Sikong Temple and the surrounding villages had been reduced to ruins. The land was scorched earth, with not a single survivor to be found. Only traces of a Blood Sacrifice Grand Array remained.

Gui Junmeng said that many years ago, several Demon Race Sects had joined forces to raid Yuncai Village and other villages and towns, wanting to use the people in a blood sacrifice to refine Elixirs.

The monks of Sikong Temple fought to the death to protect the people, and even the Abbot, Master Yuan Kong, did not escape.

And the mastermind behind it all, it was said, was a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.

Hearing this news, Xiao Mo sat alone in the courtyard, silent for a long, long time.

"I feel... it couldn’t have been Jing Ci’s doing."

That night, beside Xiao Mo, Gui Junmeng spoke softly.

"I know."

Xiao Mo nodded. His gaze was fixed on the stars in the sky, his tone calm yet tinged with gravity.

"Jing Ci isn’t that kind of person. She might not even know about this at all."

"If I’m not mistaken, it must have been Tushan Meng. As for the reason... it was probably to make me give up completely on Jing Ci, or perhaps on the entire Demon Race."

"I’m glad you can think that way."

Gui Junmeng breathed a sigh of relief, then continued to comfort him in a gentle voice.

"Besides, Xiao Mo, you don’t need to worry too much. My master went to see it herself. She said something was off about the Blood Sacrifice Array, as if it were added after the fact. If all went as expected, the villagers and the monks from the temple should all still be alive, but..."

As she spoke, Gui Junmeng lowered her head and bit her lip, seemingly unable to continue.

"But my master... something might have happened to him," Xiao Mo finished her sentence, his voice gentle and warm.

Gui Junmeng didn’t deny it, merely remaining quiet.

"I actually guessed as much."

Xiao Mo sighed softly.

"My master’s Realm was already very high, and Sikong Temple has a Secret Technique called ’Lotus Ferry.’ The old master must have used this Secret Technique, burning all of his Essence Blood to send the others away safely."

"But you can’t blame yourself for that," Gui Junmeng said, looking up at him earnestly. "My master also said that Tushan Meng would have gone after Sikong Temple sooner or later—because the relationship between that Abbot and Tushan Meng was... unusual. Tushan Meng has always wanted to kill him."

Seeing Xiao Mo remain silent, Gui Junmeng spoke softly again, "Xiao Mo, you have to believe me. I’m not lying to you. I’m really not just saying these things to comfort you."

"I know," Xiao Mo nodded gently and heaved a deep sigh.

"When I was young, my master would explain Buddhist principles to me. When we discussed the topic of ’life and death,’ he once said that if he could, he wanted to die at the hands of a certain person to repay the karmic debt he owed in this life."

"At the time, I asked him who that person was, but my master would only ever smile without speaking, never giving an answer."

"Xiao Mo..." Gui Junmeng looked at him deeply, her eyes filled with heartache and worry.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine." Xiao Mo gave a slight smile and shook his head, then turned to Gui Junmeng. "But Jun Meng, I am a little curious—why were you worried I would misunderstand Jing Ci? You know, for all we know, Jing Ci might hate the very sight of both of us right now."

"That may be so..." Gui Junmeng gently folded her hands on her lap, gazing up at the brilliant night sky with him. "But no matter what, I am still Jing Ci’s sister, in a way... I don’t want you to hate her."

"Why?" Xiao Mo tilted his head and asked softly.

"Because she... she really does like you..."

Gui Junmeng slowly drew her gaze back, blinking as she looked at Xiao Mo. Her clear eyes reflected the starlight, and they reflected his image as well.

"My practice of the ’Great Dream of Yellow Millet’ is going smoothly for now. However, according to the latter part of the text, for us to truly cultivate this technique together, we have to wait until I step into the Immortal Realm."

Gazing into Gui Junmeng’s innocent eyes, Xiao Mo just smiled faintly and changed the subject.

"Judging by my current progress, it shouldn’t take too long. Perhaps... around two hundred years should be enough."

"It’s okay..." Gui Junmeng nodded gently, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Her voice was so soft it was as if she were afraid of startling the moonlight. "I will wait for you..."

"However, before we formally take that step, perhaps we can make some preparations first," Xiao Mo continued.

"Daoist Yun Xi once discussed this with me in depth. The Chapter in the ’Great Dream of Yellow Millet’ called ’Shared Dream’ is, in essence, about linking and fusing both partners’ paths of cultivation. And it just so happens that the secular wedding ceremony for a man and a woman has a very similar function."

"Eh?" Gui Junmeng seemed to suddenly understand. "Xiao Mo, you mean..."

"If we were to marry first, our paths of cultivation would connect ahead of time. That way, when we practice the Dual Cultivation Technique together later, it might be twice as effective with half the effort. I just don’t know... Jun Meng, would you be willing?" Xiao Mo looked at her, his gaze gentle.

"I... I’ll listen to you and Master..." Gui Junmeng’s face was flushed, her small hands clasped together.

"That’s good, then." Xiao Mo smiled. "But Jun Meng, when we get married, would it be alright if I... invited someone?"

"Mm, you can invite whoever you want. But, who is it...?" Gui Junmeng tilted her head slightly, her fox-like eyes looking at him with curiosity.

Looking at the quiet, pure woman beside him, Xiao Mo smiled faintly:

"Jing Ci."

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