"Aaaahhh!"
"Aaaahhhhhh!"
A continuous loud moan kept echoing from the inside as the women, including the manager, couldn't help but look toward the door with the same thought.
"Madam. Now that I think about it, she is in training, but isn't she forbidden to do this?"
Luo Xuan thought for a moment before saying, "She should know that for sure, but the fact that she is doing it must mean that the official this time is the one who arranges all that for her."
"But why would he arrange his loved one in a brothel?"
"Don't ask. We don't know what kind of thought the official has when doing that. Maybe she has some special issues. Just go back and do your usual thing, let's not bother them." Luo Xuan waved her hand, telling them to disperse.
Unbeknownst to them, the only reason for that moan was so that Hao Yu could make a loud noise inside. It was a lot of work for him to clean up, both the blood and the bodies.
Considering these were cultivator corpses, it was clear that he would have some problems once this matter was out. That was the reason why he placed Li Xue on the top floor, specifically facing the other side of the street.
With that empty alley, he wouldn't have a lot of problems taking care of the corpses.
"It seems that everyone is gone," Li Xue explained.
"Good. I have done all I can." Hao Yu nodded in approval while looking at the two bags that had stored the corpses.
"Are you going to leave now?" Li Xue asked, looking a bit reluctant. She was simply shocked that Hao Yu managed to kill two 7-Star Qi Gathering Stage Experts with just a single stab. When she escaped from the person that chased her, she ended up getting severely injured.
This was the first time Li Xue came to realize that killing her opponent didn't necessarily require her to fight head-on.
"Probably not. The people outside will be suspicious if I go out now. So, after another hour," Hao Yu explained.
"In that case..." Li Xue took both rings and infused her Spiritual Qi into them.
All of a sudden, numerous items came out. There were gold, clothes, food, and even wine stored inside. More importantly, there were a lot of dimly-lit glowing stones. This was none other than one of the Cultivation Resources, Spirit Stones.
"You should know these two rings, right?" Li Xue asked.
"Yeah. I know they are Space Rings." Hao Yu obviously knew after studying cultivators excessively. This was one of the items that gave cultivators a lot of conveniences. In fact, some families tried their best to gather just a little bit of Spiritual Qi just to use this ring.
However, Hao Yu refused to have a single shred of Spiritual Qi inside his body for the sake of his promise to not become a cultivator.
That was why he threw those rings to Li Xue.
"I only need these Spirit Stones. You can take everything away."
"No, there's no need." The money would be useful for Hao Yu, but he didn't have any intention of taking it. "I know that you are trying to recover from your injuries, but you should go out for a while to refresh your mind. Besides, if I take everything, people will suspect me of having anything to do with the cultivators."
"In that case, I will take it." Li Xue nodded before pointing at the bags. "But now that the two cultivators have died, won't you become a suspect as well?"
"I have my means. You don't have to worry about my part. You should focus on your injury because I might need your strength to kill the next target."
"I understand."
Since Hao Yu couldn't leave for some time, he decided to use the time more efficiently by asking, "By the way, do you mind if I ask a few things about cultivators? I'm quite curious."
Having trusted Hao Yu quite much, Li Xue nonchalantly answered, "Sure."
"The cultivators are divided into five realms, right? Qi Gathering, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Void Stages. What are the differences between them?"
"Qi Gathering Stage is the first step toward cultivation. People begin accumulating Spiritual Qi in their bodies to strengthen them physically. Unfortunately, that's the only use of Spiritual Qi for them. We can unleash that Spiritual Qi to a certain extent, but you could think of an extremely powerful mortal having the same ability."
Hao Yu imagined the answer and explored it further. "In the capital, a powerful general who doesn't have Spiritual Qi can indeed chop a tree with a single slash. Although it's the combination of Martial Arts and a good weapon, the strength they display is similar to an 8-Star Qi Gathering Stage, if not 9-Star. However, that's the limit for a mortal."
"That's right. That's why 10-Star is called the transition phase. Once you reach 10-Star, you begin condensing the Spiritual Qi you have accumulated. This condensation is placed around this area." Li Xue placed her hand on her upper abdomen. "We call it Dantian. Basically, it's the source of a cultivator as well as our lifeline."
"Your lifeline?"
"Yes. This is our most important thing. If it's destroyed, the energy we've condensed will leak out of our body, and we'll eventually revert back to the beginning."
"What?" Hao Yu looked surprised. "You're back to being a mortal with just that?"
"After condensing our energy, this will become something similar to our heart. If we die after our heart is stabbed, we wouldn't be able to live as a cultivator anymore if the Dantian is destroyed."
"But can't you just regain your cultivation?" Hao Yu tilted his head in confusion. Knowing how they had gone against the heavens, they should be meticulous.
Fortunately for him, Li Xue could only shake her head. "The energy is the one strengthening our body. Once that energy disperses, our body will age extremely fast, matching the time we've spent cultivating."
"Does that mean cultivators who have passed one hundred years will die after their Dantian is destroyed?"
"Not necessarily. They will probably still have a few years to live and experience as a cultivator that will allow them to stay alive to a certain extent. But as a cultivator, you make a lot of enemies. After those enemies know about your condition, they will hunt you down to ensure that you don't have an opportunity to come back. After all, a mortal still has the chance to cultivate while a dead cultivator doesn't."
Hao Yu frowned. The conversation had become more serious. If an extremely powerful expert was in that state, they would still be able to defeat normal people with their experiences in Martial Arts.
Just from listening to her, Hao Yu realized that he hadn't made enough preparations. He thought, 'I alone won't be enough. I need more manpower... like a doctor, assassins, and scholars. Even if I reject cultivation, I still have to stand toe to toe against them.'
After some contemplation, Hao Yu decided to change the topic. "How about the Foundation Establishment?"
"Ah. Once you fully condense your Dantian, you naturally break through to 1-Star Foundation Establishment."
"Oh? How about their strength? What can they do? What's the difference between the Foundation Establishment and Qi Gathering Stage?"
"It's basically a repetition but on a whole different level. Once you become a Foundation Establishment, you can utilize your Spiritual Qi much further. People in this stage can unleash a wave of Spiritual Qi to demolish a house with a single wave of their blade. But it's still too far for me. I have to become one and enter the Inner Sect before I can fully witness their strength."
"I know you can do it." Hao Yu smiled.
"Thank you." Li Xue chuckled, seeing Hao Yu's genuine encouragement.
"Do you need to do anything once you reach 10-Star?"
"Yes. The Dantian has to be condensed once again and form a new core. That's why it's called Golden Core Stage. Unfortunately, I don't know much about them other than rumors or legends. Sorry."
If other cultivators heard Li Xue apologizing to a mortal, they would be dumbstruck. However, this showed how reliant Li Xue was.
She had dropped all her pride in front of Hao Yu, who had been sincerely helping her.
"I see. It's unfortunate that I can't listen to their story." Hao Yu let out a long sigh.
"Don't be disappointed. If I manage to come back to the sect and solve all my problems, I will definitely find out about it. As a part of my gratitude, I will send all those stories to you." Li Xue gave a thumbs up.