“Does Qing Yi truly understand the matter of choices and compromises?”

“Life is but a journey of cultivation, and every experience is a passing scenery. If one encounters a delightful view, why not pause and savor it for a while?”

Lu Changsheng chuckled lightly and said, “Besides, the Great Dao is boundless. If one has two or three confidants to support each other and journey hand-in-hand through the vast years, wouldn’t that be a great blessing as well?”

Chu Qingyi did not retort. After a brief silence, she softly asked, “Lu Daoist, why did you abandon the Sword Dao?”

Even though she couldn’t discern the truth in Lu Changsheng’s words,

the time he used Sword Qi to dispel poison and the fact that he passed her “The Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture” both demonstrated his extraordinary talent in Sword Dao and the significant effort he had invested in it.

Under such circumstances, his choice to switch to cultivating another path truly puzzled her.

“Didn’t I already mention it? In this world, there are simply too many beautiful things. If one devotes their entire focus to a single aspect, one might miss out on other wonderful things.”

Lu Changsheng gently held Chu Qingyi’s smooth jade-like hand and continued, “When I was cultivating Sword Dao, I was utterly enamored. My heart was wholly immersed in it. Yet as I practiced, I gradually lost interest in everything else, unwilling to explore or attempt other pursuits, even feeling a certain disdain deep within.”

“But later, I came across a Talisman Path cultivation technique. After a brief study, I discovered that I was even more intrigued by the Talisman Path.”

“Afterward, due to my family’s needs, I delved into Spirit Plant cultivation, Spirit Cooking, Wine Brewing, Alchemy, and Artifact Refining. I found that every path within the Hundred Arts of Cultivation possessed its own unique allure.”

Lu Changsheng walked alongside Chu Qingyi down the street, speaking with a smile.

“Lu Daoist… your talent and aptitude are truly rare in Qing Yi’s lifetime.”

“But for cultivators like us, cultivation level is the absolute foundation.”

Chu Qingyi pursed her lips, glanced at Lu Changsheng, and remarked.

She had heard of Lu Changsheng’s reputation as the unparalleled master of “Pill and Talisman.” To her surprise, besides Sword Dao and his prowess in Alchemy and Talisman Making, Lu Changsheng had even studied so many additional arts.

Moreover, he had transitioned from being a Sword Cultivator to a Talisman Cultivator, and now to another cultivation path.

Could this person be the reincarnation of a celestial being?

Even though Chu Qingyi herself understood some other cultivation techniques and the Hundred Arts of Cultivation outside Sword Dao,

she only explored them in times of bottlenecks during her practice—to cultivate her character and gain insights from related disciplines.

She would never spend much time or energy on them. Frankly, she lacked the abundant time and energy to do so.

Yet Lu Changsheng, younger than her, had devoted such effort and still achieved a remarkable cultivation realm. It was truly astonishing and utterly inconceivable.

Even though she had always been hailed as a genius, in the face of Lu Changsheng at this moment, she felt inferior.

“Qing Yi’s words, I naturally acknowledge.”

Lu Changsheng nodded with a smile and continued, “But… a hundred years of life is like a single day to a mayfly. Is there truly any meaning in longevity to me?”

“Even if you and I achieve the Golden Core stage and enjoy a five-hundred-year lifespan, it would simply be another form of entrapment. Wouldn’t it be better to have a beautiful companion, descendants aplenty, and savor life’s joys together in the mortal world?”

“Even if one ultimately stumbles through life, it’s better to leave no regrets. If one is solely focused on cultivation, looking back at a half-lifetime of solitude and coldness, could one’s heart truly remain free of regrets?” Searᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After finishing his words, Lu Changsheng sighed deeply and carried on, “I am different from Qing Yi. Born in meager circumstances, I’ve seen many loose cultivators who forsook their families, abandoned lovers, discarded friendships, and wandered far and wide just to seek immortality. Yet in the end, they lived in poverty and solitude, buried in desolate lands, with neither success nor lasting achievement in their Dao.”

“Who could say that their Dao Hearts were not resolute? But life is like a chess game: once a move is made, there’s no turning back.”

Lu Changsheng looked at Chu Qingyi sincerely and said, “I am not trying to persuade Qing Yi to give up cultivation or Sword Dao. I only hope that while Qing Yi cultivates, you take more time to appreciate the scenery around you. Only then can life be without regrets, leaving behind no lingering remorse.”

Chu Qingyi carefully contemplated Lu Changsheng’s words, finding them indeed reasonable.

From a young age, she was taken in and nurtured by her master Yun Wanshang, who held high hopes for her.

Thus, from the moment she could remember, cultivation became her duty and sole goal.

Gifted with a natural Sword Heart, she grasped even the most advanced Sword Techniques and Cultivation Methods effortlessly, swiftly mastering them. Because of this, she dedicated her time and energy solely to Sword Dao, gradually losing interest in other pursuits.

“Lu Daoist possesses a broad and profound perspective; he is no ordinary man.”

Chu Qingyi murmured softly.

She understood Lu Changsheng was attempting to convince her and indeed resonated with his philosophy.

However, she held her own thoughts and reasoning, not so easily swayed.

Moreover, she truly didn’t know how to handle emotions of this kind.

“Hahaha, I am but a simple man—a commoner, as plain as can be.”

Lu Changsheng, realizing it was not easy to persuade her, laughed while leading Chu Qingyi to a nearby jewelry store.

Chu Qingyi, like a shy bride, allowed herself to be guided by him, mulling over his earlier words. She found Lu Changsheng quite peculiar.

Unlike most people she had encountered in her daily life.

Before forming her Core, many of her fellow disciples or cultivators from other Immortal Sects sought to pursue her.

But those individuals always treated her like an exalted fairy—never once behaving as Lu Changsheng did…

For a moment, she didn’t know how to describe it—shameless, roguish, or perhaps carefree and unrestrained…

“Here, Qing Yi, try this. I think it suits you.”

While she pondered, Lu Changsheng picked up a plum-blossom tassel hairpin and moved to place it on her.

Chu Qingyi’s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to say something but, seeing the natural transparency reflected in Lu Changsheng’s gaze, she was struck speechless and let him gather her long ponytail.

His movements were practiced and didn’t take advantage of her in any way.

But as she beheld Lu Changsheng’s affectionate and intimate demeanor, her heart, which had just barely calmed, once again churned into a tangled mess. Her delicate eyes carried a trace of shyness.

“Ah, as expected, beauty needs no embellishment. But Qing Yi still looks best in her original appearance—valiant and heroic, with Sword Intent radiating majestically.”

Lu Changsheng rubbed his chin, observed closely for a moment, and commented with a smile.