Chapter 4267: Elder Tan

Yang Kai frowned slightly. Though he had no idea what the so-called "Path of Ruthlessness" really was, the name alone was enough to make one uncomfortable.

Qu Huashang explained, "Those who cultivate the Path of Passion must enter the Dao through emotion, while those who cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness must sever emotion to enter the Dao. But whether it is passion or ruthlessness, all paths lead to the same destination—ultimately achieving the Grand Dao and attaining Open Heaven!"

Yang Kai said, "I still don't quite understand. What does this have to do with Senior Sister wanting to engage in Dual Cultivation with me?"

"Idiot!" Qu Huashang shot him a glare. "I need to sever emotion to enter the Dao, but I have no emotion to sever right now. So how am I supposed to achieve Open Heaven?"

Yang Kai caught on. "You want to first develop feelings for me, and then sever them?"

"Exactly!" Qu Huashang admitted frankly, then looked at him with a pitiful expression. "Junior Brother, just consider this doing me a favor."

Yang Kai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What a bizarre situation—this stunningly beautiful woman wanted to engage in Dual Cultivation with him, and somehow he was supposed to consider it a favor to her.

But just as she had said before, the disciples of Yin Yang Heavenly Cave, regardless of which path they cultivated, had to first develop feelings for someone. Those on the Path of Passion didn't have the troublesome burden of severing emotions, but the Path of Ruthlessness was probably only viable for those with extraordinary willpower. Otherwise, if the severing failed, one would suffer a terrible Qi Deviation, with consequences too dire to contemplate.

"Does Senior Sister have feelings for me?" Yang Kai asked.

Qu Huashang thought about it seriously, counting on her fingers as she gestured in front of Yang Kai's face. "It seems like there might be a tiny bit, but not nearly enough. Still, I'm confident that as long as Junior Brother engages in Dual Cultivation with me, I'll definitely develop deep feelings for him."

Yang Kai couldn't help but laugh. "Physical intimacy between men and women isn't as simple as Senior Sister makes it sound."

Qu Huashang blinked. "Junior Brother seems quite knowledgeable about this sort of thing."

Yang Kai's face flushed red. He quickly changed the subject. "Let's not bring up the Dual Cultivation matter again. I believe Senior Sister will eventually find someone suitable—but that person won't be me."

"Oh!" Qu Huashang saw how firm his stance was and dropped the matter immediately. Sometimes, making one's intentions known was enough; pressing further would only be counterproductive.

"Then would Junior Brother be willing to join our Yin Yang Heavenly Cave?" Qu Huashang suddenly shifted topics. "To be honest with you, my trip to this Blood Demon Heavenly Cave this time also involved a mission from the sect."

"What mission?" Yang Kai asked curiously.

"To find Junior Brother and recruit him into our Yin Yang Heavenly Cave," Qu Huashang explained. "Junior Brother's current situation—surely I don't need to spell it out. You aim to achieve Upper-Grade Open Heaven, but that has already made you a thorn in many people's sides. The great Heavenly Caverns and Blessed Lands hold two different attitudes toward someone like you. The first is to eliminate you preemptively. The second is to win you over through diplomacy. Our Yin Yang Heavenly Cave subscribes to the latter."

Yang Kai knew that the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave's willingness to win him over was probably due in no small part to Qu Huashang's efforts. He suddenly recalled something Pei Wenxuan had said—that within this Blood Demon Heavenly Cave, there were more people who wanted Yang Kai dead than just him. It now seemed that quite a few disciples from various Heavenly Caverns and Blessed Lands were searching for his trail, all seeking to take his life.

"Though I had a feeling Junior Brother would come to the Blood Demon Heavenly Cave, I didn't expect to find you so soon. It seems Junior Brother and I really do have a certain fate," Qu Huashang said with a light laugh.

Yang Kai asked curiously, "Senior Sister says the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave wants me to join. If I do, can the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave guarantee my ascension to Upper-Grade Open Heaven?"

If he remembered correctly, the proprietress had stated clearly that someone like him could never be fully trusted by the great Heavenly Caverns and Blessed Lands—they could never be certain of his loyalty. Only those who had been cultivated from childhood could safely achieve Upper-Grade Open Heaven. But throughout history, such individuals had been exceedingly rare. Whenever one appeared, it sent shockwaves through the entire Three Thousand Worlds.

This wasn't merely because Upper-Grade resources were difficult to refine—with insufficient Dao Seal foundations, forced refinement was simply courting death. Even if someone could condense Upper-Grade Open Heaven power, the ascension process itself was fraught with peril. Many brilliantly talented cultivators had managed to condense Upper-Grade power, only to fail at the final hurdle, their souls scattering to the winds.

"Unfortunately, no," Qu Huashang shook her head. "If Junior Brother joins the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave, you would need to achieve Sixth-Grade Open Heaven!"

Yang Kai realized. He had thought the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave could actually guarantee his ascension to Upper-Grade, but it turned out there were conditions. He had only asked casually anyway, and now that he knew the truth, his interest in the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave evaporated entirely. Sixth-Grade and Seventh-Grade differed by only one grade, but the gap between them was fundamental.

Still, at least he finally understood why Qu Huashang had been so forward ever since they crossed paths, and why she kept making those suggestive proposals.

If he truly engaged in Dual Cultivation with her, he would essentially be branded as a member of the Yin Yang Heavenly Cave. Qu Huashang would not only complete her sect mission but also develop feelings for him in the process—killing two birds with one stone.

"Thank you for being so candid, Senior Sister."

Regardless of Qu Huashang's true intentions, the fact that she had laid everything out for Yang Kai without concealment meant she harbored no ill will toward him.