Dual Cultivation

"The Everlasting Sacred Fire is an Ancient-grade technique that I had created solely for Yuehai as a symbol of my eternal love for her..." Su Yang expressed melancholy, his gaze seemingly distant.

"..."

Qiuyue remained silent.

It was no wonder why her mother had treated this technique with great love and care.

"But... why did mother give me this technique before she passed away?" Qiuyue silently looked at the ball of silver flame that was flickering on her palms like a candle fire, her gaze filled with uncertainty.

"How much of the technique have you comprehended so far?" Su Yang suddenly asked her.

"Only the beginning stages..." she replied in a regretful tone.

"That’s pretty decent for someone at your level," Su Yang nodded with approval. "It seems like you have inherited more than just your mother’s beautiful appearance."

"What do you mean by that?" she looked at him with a puzzled face.

"The Everlasting Sacred Fire was created with everything I knew about Yuehai in mind, so you can say that it was a technique tailored to match her aptitude, making her the only person in this world who can possibly comprehend and fully master it. Since you are able to use the technique that was only meant for Yuehai, it means that you also have what is required to learn the technique— just like your mother," Su Yang explained to her.

"..."

Qiuyue stood there silently, seemingly in shock.

After listening to Su Yang’s explanation, Qiuyue was more shocked at the fact that he was able to create a technique at the Ancient-grade that was tailored for a single person.

Creating cultivation techniques itself required immense talent, let alone creating a cultivation technique that was specifically meant for one individual in the world, and for Su Yang to achieve such a feat, his talent could only be considered abnormal.

It should also be mentioned that cultivation techniques almost never discriminate against anyone who wishes to learn their secrets, so whoever has the ability to comprehend its contents would be able to master it as long as they were capable.

However, a cultivation technique that was made so that only one person in the world could comprehend was something Qiuyue has never heard of.

Just what kind of existence was Su Yang back in the Four Divine Heavens?

Other than the things she’d learned about him from the time she spent with him, Qiuyue only knew Su Yang as a mentor and an esteemed guest at the Sacred Moon Palace, who later also became a father figure to her, but that was about the limit of her knowledge regarding his background.

Her mother, Yuehai, also almost never spoke of Su Yang’s background outside of the Sacred Moon Palace, nor his real relationship with her.

Hell, the only time Qiuyue ever really learned something about Su Yang was after his death when her mother shared with her some of her memories with Su Yang out of grief and loneliness.

Su Yang suddenly approached her and lifted her hands, and he spoke as he stared at the silver flame flickering on her hands: "When I have a chance, I will give you guidance to help you better understand the Everlasting Sacred Fire."

"...Un..." Qiuyue slowly nodded with a slightly rosy face.

Su Yang then turned to look at the spot Tang Hu disappeared from with a pondering expression.

"I never got the chance to figure out how he’d obtained the Depraved Technique. Was it given to him, or did he stumble it by chance?"

After a short moment of pondering, he shrugged his shoulders, clearly uninterested by his situation.

-

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Many minutes had passed since Meng Jia stared waiting outside the house, yet there was no sign of Su Yang appearing anytime soon.

Because these houses are covered in sound-proof barriers, she was unable to hear the commotion inside the house.

However, this silence only made her even more anxious.

What was happening inside?

Is Tang Hu still alive, or is he long dead by the hands of Su Yang?

What if Su Yang was the one in trouble?

Dozens of questions appeared in Meng Jia’s head, each one making her desire to return inside a little bit stronger.

And finally, after a few more minutes, the door opened.

Su Yang emerged an instant later, his expression calm and without a single hint of distress.

Meng Jia looked at him with a puzzled expression. Why does he look so tranquil at this moment, making it seem as though nothing had happened inside?

"W-What happened to Tang Hu?" she asked him after a moment of silence.

Su Yang did not reply to her question and only beckoned her to come back into the house.

Once Meng Jia entered the house, she was dumbfounded by the scene.

Besides a tiny puddle of blood that was on the floor, there was not even a slight hint of Tang Hu being there, almost as though his existence had been erased.

"Where’s Tang Hu?" Meng Jia asked, her heart overwhelmed with a strong sense of unease.

"He’s dead," said Su Yang without any excuses.

When Meng Jia heard his nonchalant words, her body trembled, and she dropped to her knees with tears flowing down both sides of her face as she wept her heart out.

"Wh...What am I supposed to do now with him gone? I have only ever been with him ever since I joined this Sect with him one year ago!" Meng Jia said as she stared at Su Yang with sorrowful eyes, looking as if she wanted him to help her decide.

"That is not something for me to decide," said Su Yang after a moment of silence.

"Life is always full of unknown paths, each with sorrowful moments waiting for you at some point. Although I cannot help you decide your life, feel free to look for me if you need guidance at any time while I am still here."

"..."

A moment after he said those words, Meng Jia, still with tears flowing down her cheeks, spoke: "What about things besides guidance? Can I come to you for other things, too?" she asked him with a glint of desperation in her eyes.

Su Yang smiled, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, the atmosphere suddenly became unpleasant and gloomy.

The smile on Su Yang’s handsome face instantly turned into a bitter smile, and he glanced at his own room with the corner of his eyes, where Qiuyue was clearly watching their interaction with her Spiritual Sense.