As Hu Niu stood there, puzzled, a sudden sound broke the silence.
Knock, knock, knock! The door rattled softly.
"Come in!" Shi Yi called out.
At his words, the door was gently pushed open by a single hand. A woman, far older than Hu Niu, stepped barefoot into the room with measured grace.
Her beauty was transcendent, divine, and radiant—beyond the capacity of any words in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands to describe. In her presence, Hu Niu couldn't help but feel a pang of inferiority, as though she were mere dust before this ethereal figure.
Walking barefoot like that, isn't she afraid of stepping on sharp pebbles? That was Hu Niu's first thought.
But the moment that thought surfaced, a wave of self-consciousness washed over her, and she found herself unable to meet the woman's gaze.
Fortunately, Shi Yi was perceptive. Noticing Hu Niu's unease, he gave her small hand a reassuring pat, signaling that she didn't need to be so nervous. Then he stepped forward to greet the figure before them—Liu Shen, now manifested in her humanoid form.
"Well, well, Senior Liu, you've finally arrived!"
Catching Liu Shen's subtle shake of her head, Shi Yi quickly corrected himself, the word "Senior" slipping out as he tentatively extended his hand.
"Shi Yi, this is a one-time thing. You understand," Liu Shen said, effortlessly sidestepping his outstretched hand.
She never denied her own allure, especially the effect it had on someone like Shi Yi, whose resolve wavered so easily. Over countless years, she had seen every kind of prodigy—those with unyielding wills, hearts as steadfast as stone. Matters of romance, these base indulgences, held no sway over her.
The notion of a "Dao companion" was, to her, a distant and unattainable concept. Her agreement to join Shi Yi for this hotpot meal stemmed only from finding him tolerable, nothing more.
And that was no small feat. Given Shi Yi's personality, the fact that he didn't annoy her—let alone that she was willing to entertain his company—was nearly miraculous.
"Understood, understood. Please, Senior, have a seat," Shi Yi replied without a trace of embarrassment, his thick skin practically invincible. He swiftly pulled over a stone stool for Liu Shen and set out a bowl and chopsticks for her.
"Senior?"
Hu Niu nudged Shi Yi's side with her elbow, thinking her action went unnoticed. In truth, nothing escaped Liu Shen's keen perception as she sat beside them.
"I was out training for a few months, wasn't I? Thanks to Senior's guidance, I made it back safe and sound. This hotpot is my way of thanking her for her kindness," Shi Yi explained.
Liu Shen had no intention of revealing her true identity to Hu Niu, so Shi Yi spun a half-truth to account for the origin of her humanoid form.
"Oh, I get it!" Hu Niu's eyes lit up with realization.
At first, she'd wondered if Liu Shen was someone special to Shi Yi—perhaps even a childhood betrothed.
A childhood betrothed, as the name suggested, was a bride raised alongside the groom from a young age, often five, six, or even ten years older than her partner.
It wasn't an uncommon practice. Patriarch Shi Yunfeng had mentioned that for boys Shi Yi's age, having a childhood betrothed was perfectly normal. In the great tribes of the Great Wilderness, to ensure the continuation of their lineage, many became fathers as young as their teens.
"A bit spicy, but the flavor's decent. Your cultivation may be mediocre, but you've got a knack for these trivial pursuits," Liu Shen remarked, gracefully swallowing a piece of beef. The faint heat of the spices lingered in her mouth as she offered her assessment.
To her, the food Shi Yi had painstakingly prepared was merely passable. It wasn't that Shi Yi lacked skill—rather, she had little interest in such things. Neither the desires of the flesh nor the pleasures of the palate held any appeal for her.
Her heart was devoted solely to the Dao.
Had she not been betrayed by her own kind, suffering a catastrophic fall that nearly claimed her life and cast her into the Lower Realm's Eight Domains, Shi Yi would likely never have had the chance to exchange a single word with her.
"Senior, life isn't just about cultivation. If you cultivate to the end, only to find yourself alone with the Dao, looking back to see no one by your side—what kind of loneliness would that be?"
After his initial probing, Shi Yi refrained from any further oversteps. Even with Liu Shen seated so close—less than ten centimeters away—he remained remarkably well-behaved.
"The strong are always lonely, Shi Yi. If you aim to become a true powerhouse in the future, you must learn to embrace solitude," Liu Shen replied softly, her voice calm and measured.
As she spoke, she deftly wielded her chopsticks, dipping beef into the simmering, oil-slicked hotpot with the ease of a seasoned gourmand.
Yet this was her first time tasting food in her humanoid form. In the past, her interactions with others revolved around discussing the Dao or retreating into seclusion. Her entire existence had been consumed by cultivation.
Of course, that didn't mean she'd accept just anyone's invitation to dine. So far, Shi Yi was the only one who had succeeded.
Three years of pestering her, followed by three years of her teaching him—though a mere blink in her vast lifespan—had been enough to crack open the door to her heart.
This "opening" wasn't romantic affection but rather a flicker of curiosity, like an immortal descending to the mortal realm. Liu Shen found herself intrigued by this Heavy Pupil bearer with his unsteady resolve.
For someone with such an unfocused heart, even with her guidance, how far could he possibly go?
Truth be told, Shi Yi's little schemes could hardly escape the notice of a supreme being like Liu Shen, whose very name, when spoken, could be sensed across realms. She simply found him amusing.
And that amusement was enough.
"But if a so-called strong person can't even control their own fate, left with nothing but loneliness—can they truly be called strong?" Shi Yi countered.
"If you can't endure loneliness, how can you ever become strong?" Liu Shen replied, her tone neither sharp nor soft.
"What kind of strength qualifies as true strength?" Shi Yi pressed.
"There are worlds beyond this world, and strong beyond the strong. What constitutes a true powerhouse? That's a question only you can answer."
At this, Liu Shen paused, as if lost in thought.
Time seemed to stretch on.
Then, her jade-like hand reached out, gently resting on Shi Yi's head. It was the first time her humanoid form had touched another, the first intimate contact with someone of the opposite sex.
"Shi Yi, if you see dominating the Desolate Domain as the mark of a powerhouse, your Double Pupil blood could easily achieve that in the future. But if you aim to stand above the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, your current efforts fall far short. And if you chase that near-impossible dream in your heart, I'm afraid you could exhaust your entire life and still see no glimmer of hope."
Her voice softened, tinged with a sigh. "I shouldn't have agreed to reveal my humanoid form to you. Perhaps then, you wouldn't harbor such unrealistic delusions."
Eyes could speak.
Even those of a Double Pupil bearer were no exception.
Though Liu Shen couldn't peer into Shi Yi's past life, the way he looked at her—however carefully veiled—couldn't deceive an ancient immortal ancestor spirit who had lived for untold ages.
At that moment, Shi Yi's thoughts churned. She seems to have some misunderstanding about me. Does she think I'm some kind of saint? Does she think I'd give up an entire forest for a single willow tree?
He lowered his head, a torrent of words swirling in his mind, yet he couldn't voice a single one. Who knows how Liu Shen defines a "scoundrel"?
A woman's heart was as unfathomable as the depths of the sea.
Honestly, Shi Yi was starting to feel like running away. In Liu Shen's presence, he had almost no secrets. I was too young, thinking I could win her over with such crude tactics.
Meanwhile, Hu Niu furrowed her brow, muttering, "What are Yi gege and Senior talking about? I can't understand a single word."
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