22 Lotus Heart Pond

Masuke picked up a piece, savoring the gentle warmth of the jade talisman. "There is a special energy sealed inside this."

He attempted to channel his chakra into it, but his mind was flooded with information that appeared as garbled, indecipherable code.

"It likely requires the power of an immortal cultivator to read the information within. This is probably a book belonging to an immortal of the Hua Kingdom. We should take them all and try to decode them later," Minato Meiren said, rubbing one of the jade talismans.

Lotus Heart Pool.

The sound of bubbling water echoed through the air, thick with ethereal mist. Xiao Rong leaned forward, her slender waist supple like a willow in the wind, yet harboring a hidden, unyielding resilience.

"Must I really take them off..." Liu Lang found it difficult to speak.

Xiao Rong sat in the pool, feeling a wondrous power surging into her body—gentle and enduring—as the meridians ravaged by the Joyous Union poison began to mend bit by bit.

"You have already entered the Joyous Union Sect. This is the Lotus Heart Pool, our sect's sacred ground, possessing the miraculous power to cleanse the marrow and refine the bones. What are you still hesitating for?"

As a modern man, Liu Lang felt no reverence for such sects, especially since the sect consisted only of Xiao Rong; it felt like a game of house. When Xiao Rong asked him to join, he hadn't cared one way or the other and had simply nodded in agreement. Consequently, Xiao Rong had kicked his knee, forced him to his knees, and made him kowtow three times to the sect founder, Lotus Hermit. Having successfully joined, he had earned the sect's initiation benefit: one soak in the Lotus Pool.

Although they had done "that" before, it had been an emergency to defeat an enemy... even if Liu Lang couldn't help but reminisce for a few seconds. In some ways, men are no different from dogs or beasts. Liu Lang had dodged Xiao Rong's advances in every way possible, but now that he had tasted the sweetness of her, his resistance had withered.

How base. Truly base.

But what of Liu Feier? "If Feier finds out, she’ll be angry. Should I confess to her? What if she ignores me after I tell her..."

What exactly is emotion? It seemed to lack exclusivity. Liu Lang and Xiao Rong were childhood friends, but he had never felt anything for her, nor did he find her particularly beautiful; he merely felt an inescapable sense of familiarity. Liu Feier was the one he loved. Yet, since entering the secret realm, Xiao Rong had changed. Even though she was still short—no, petite—her transcendent, otherworldly aura tugged at his heart.

"So, have I fallen for Xiao Rong? Or is it just lust?"

"Is what I feel for Feier liking, or love? Or are liking and love actually just manifestations of sexual desire?"

Liu Lang was beset by questions, but where could he find the answers?

The cultivation techniques of the Joyous Union Sect held no such answers. Within his mind lay the Joyous Union Spirit-Controlling Saintly Art that Xiao Rong had just imparted to him. However, due to his unique spiritual power, the immortal cultivation technique was yielding half the results for double the effort. Currently, his most efficient path to strength remained the Sky Blade, likely because it was a mutation born from the fusion of spiritual power and chakra. And the fastest way to strengthen the Sky Blade was through slaughter.

"When I have the chance, I must investigate the history of the Baiban family's ancestral Sky Blade. Perhaps I will find something."

Xiao Rong stood up from the pool, the water barely covering her calves. She tied up her shoulder-length hair, her brow bearing a refined, ethereal beauty. Beneath her sword-like brows were deep, spirited eyes, as soft as the moonlight in the night sky.

Liu Lang sat cross-legged by the pool, lost in philosophical musings on love and desire, now dazed, now frowning, now suddenly enlightened, only to sink into even deeper confusion. He was so preoccupied that he did not notice Xiao Rong approaching him.

Only when Xiao Rong began to unfasten his clothes did he realize what was happening. He wanted to stop her, yet a part of him, driven by instinct, felt a flicker of anticipation. Finally, Xiao Rong removed all his clothes and took his hand, leading him into the pool.

"Sit cross-legged and circulate the Joyous Union Spirit-Controlling Saintly Art."

They sat facing each other, palms pressed together, and entered a meditative state.

"The Joyous Union Spirit-Controlling Saintly Art is the core technique of our sect. It requires two people to serve as each other's cauldrons for joint cultivation. The world often misinterprets our sect's 'Joyous Union' as mere physical intimacy. When cultivated to a deep level, one can increase their power simply through the scent of the other or a loving glance."

Less than a quarter of an hour into the practice, Liu Lang was astonished. Not only had the difficulty of cultivating his unique spiritual energy vanished, but his progress was far faster than usual. The marvel of the technique lay in merging the cultivation power of two people; if both possessed great talent, the result was far greater than the sum of its parts. In their case, it was more as if Liu Lang was hitching a ride on Xiao Rong's talent. While 1+1 was clearly less than 2, Liu Lang felt an unprecedented speed of growth, while Xiao Rong felt the obstacles of cultivation for the first time.

As they practiced, they shared a faint psychic connection. She could feel Liu Lang's surprise and felt joy herself. As for her own feelings, Liu Lang was too immersed in his cultivation to notice.

"This technique is remarkably pure. For me, it's like a cheat code, borrowing Xiao Rong's talent to cultivate," Liu Lang thought, nodding slightly.

Xiao Rong spoke: "We must practice here, without stopping, for ten days and ten nights. Not only will this purge the Joyous Union poison from me, but it will also allow you to successfully master the Joyous Union Spirit-Controlling Saintly Art."

"Enhancing my strength—that suits me perfectly. This is true dual cultivation." Liu Lang sighed. Although they needed only to press their palms together, they were both naked, yet both kept their eyes closed.

Xiao Rong's strength far surpassed Liu Lang's, so she naturally led the dual cultivation.

"The legacy left to me by the founder says that this art can unlock a special state of cultivation. In this state, we will lose all sense of self, becoming entirely immersed in the practice. Not only will our cultivation speed increase a thousandfold, but we will also have the chance to perceive a thread of the power of causality."

Xiao Rong said this softly, carefully controlling her heartbeat, fearing she lacked the courage to say what followed.

Upon hearing this, if not for the need to keep his palms pressed against hers, Liu Lang would have slapped his thigh and cheered aloud. It was truly a miraculous art of the immortal sects.

"Then let's start!"

"It's just that..."

"Just what? Is the power of causality too profound, making it impossible to return once one has fallen into it?"

"No."

"Is it because my cultivation is too low to trigger this special state?"

"Also no."

"Then why?" Despite his eyes being closed, the urgency in Liu Lang's expression was clear.

Xiao Rong took a soft breath, her lips parting: "It requires two people to truly love each other. So, let us begin."

She wanted to gamble on an answer, or perhaps she was merely escaping, using this method to confirm if the man before her loved her.

Liu Lang's heart skipped a beat. What? True love? Although he wasn't sure of the difference between liking and love, he was certain that just a day ago, he hadn't even felt a hint of romantic tension toward Xiao Rong. He had even feared to say "I love you" to Liu Feier, knowing it lacked any romantic magic and would feel like a lie. And now, this technique demanded true love...

"Does he love me? I must know the answer. Even though I think I already know, I... I cannot give up. Perhaps he does love me... perhaps he is expressing his love in another way."

As their thoughts grew tangled, they vanished. Before long, both lost all sense of self.

Slender, snow-white fingers interlaced with his, and warm, broad palms caressed soft skin. Their bodies pressed close, finally meeting in a lingering, passionate embrace.