Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies - 353 Path Of No Retrea
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353 Path Of No Retrea

"Unfortunately?" Yri was startled, "In the cultivation world, strength and killing go side by side, and to progress in cultivation, one must always face danger and fight! Only by fighting will one advance, will one experience growth and obtain wealth. It is only naive to believe that you wouldn't have gotten where you were without killing others!"

Yan Zaizen glanced at Yri, not responding.

Yri continued, "Didn't you kill that Yaoguai to advance your cultivation base? Didn't you slaughter the Prince who attempted to take your body? The people who didn't even get a chance to speak a word before you wiped them out in body and soul? What about that woman who you just now s.n.a.t.c.hed her Dao and will likely destroy her soul ferociously?! Are you trying to say you're a saint who doesn't or is unwilling to kill for profit?"

"The path of cultivation, regardless of its direction, is a path of the strong preying on the weak, the path of killing and robbery, the path of no retreat!" Her voice became somewhat fanatical. "I've given up all that I've ever worked for, my wealth, my family, my very life for a chance at being here all for my path of cultivation!"

Yan Zaizen remained silent. Her words were something he understood. He wasn't a saint by any means, but he'd never gone around provoking people for no reason. Each and every time he'd fought was to protect himself, his friends, or to settle debts with others.

As he recalled from the start of his cultivation to now, he couldn't help but feel some sense of melancholy. His life and those around him have been a series of misfortunes and adventure. His teacher, Han Genji, was killed shortly after meeting. Wu Yuanxu was murdered shortly after meeting. Tao had become a slave, Bai Lufeng was tortured, and Pinaka had been kidnapped.

These were only incidents that happened to those close to him, but in a way, he felt responsible for them all. Even the death of Han Genji weighed on him slightly despite knowing the man for less than a few hours. If it wasn't for him, where would he be?

Then, he recalled the killing he had committed. The Ying Family and Xuanwu City, his first ma.s.sacre. Lady Diyi, the Deluge Realm, the Sirius t.i.tan Realm, and even now. He's also robbed his fair share of people. In truth, almost all of his current wealth belonged to others. He 'earned' them or they had been generously 'given' to him as an offering.

Yri continued more, "What's the purpose of cultivating? Is it to live forever, to bully the weak, have your every desire fulfilled, to seek a brighter world and explore the vastness of the multiverse, or is it to simply live the way you wish and how you wish?! Regardless of what your purpose of cultivating is or its general purpose, the fact remains: Every path leads to power! We cultivate for strength! The strength to move any and all obstacles we face now or in the future."

Yan Zaizen softly nodded, but he still didn't say a word. He agreed with her words mostly.

Deciding not to dwell on this topic, he chose to speak, "What is it that you want?" He initially didn't want to engage with this woman or even see her again, but after finding Esi, his mindset was a lot better having removed a weight on his chest. He decided to handle this before swiftly moving on.

Yri had a pensive look on when asked that question, her eyes s.h.i.+fty and lacking some confidence. "I…I want to cultivate the Grand Soul, Dao Heart Art."

Furrowing his brow, Yan Zaizen didn't expect this answer. Asking skeptically, "You've already seen how I've cultivated the Grand Soul, Dao Heart. For someone who survived for billions of years, I can't imagine you're unable to find some way to cultivate it?"

Yri looked towards Yan Zaizen with an aggrieved look, as if wronged in some way by his sentence. "Of course I've found a way to cultivate it, but I...I need you."

"Me?" Furthering his skeptical thoughts, Yan Zaizen couldn't help but question. He pointed to himself wondering why she would need him. After all, his soul was his soul. Even if one could take a person's body, they couldn't 'possess' their soul. What could she possibly need him for when she was there from start to finish when he cultivated the art?

A blush of red emerged on Yri's face being looked at in such a way by Yan Zaizen, "Yes...you…"