Becoming evil makes you ten times stronger, but becoming a demon gives you hundredfold strength

The cultivators bowed to Meng Yu and then quickly left.

Meanwhile, Meng Yu continued to set up the formation.

Soon, Meng Yu received news from Mirror Twelve that the remaining nine enemy squads, although still quickly making their way, had slowed down their pace at best; the slowest had sped up and started to converge, maintaining a solid battle line.

Quite normal, given Meng Yu had defeated two complete squads, the next force sent would have to be at least three squads; otherwise, another loss would collapse the entire battle situation.

You could even say that the situation was already teetering on the edge of collapse.

The sky had completely darkened and nothing below was visible from above. Meng Yu looked up at the sky and smiled before activating the formation.

This was a large-scale Rain Seeking Formation. Soon after, the sky filled with dark clouds, and it began to drizzle, soon accompanied by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder.

A night perfect for killing under the cover of darkness, a time for arson when the winds are high.

He took out a Ten Directions White Cloud Banner, and wisps of smoke began to surround him, concealing his form and erasing his scent.

He traveled through rivers, lakes, forests, until he entered a cave with passages leading in all directions.

Tossing the bronze mirror into an underground river, Meng Yu disappeared from view.

Mirror Twelve would remain in the Minor World of the plains; Meng Yu certainly wouldn't bring it back to the Immortal Sect. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

It was too heavy, too bulky.

Meng Yu would rather abandon Mirror Twelve than leave without the Spirit Stones.

He had struck it rich.

...

Immortal Sect, Qingfeng Star.

In a secluded base with no one around, Meng Yu appeared on the flat ground.

"Ah, I'm so tired!"

He finally relaxed, checked his surroundings for any abnormalities, and when he found none, immediately fell into a deep sleep.

He slept for three full days and nights.

A Foundation Building Cultivator wouldn't normally need so much rest and should be invigorated with just a bit of sleep, but two months of fighting and countless dangers, especially the relentless battles toward the end, had left him incredibly tense.

He was exhausted, but he had made it through.

He snored his way through the sleep, waking up three days later feeling incredibly refreshed!

This time, he came laden with Second Order Storage Bags—a total of eighty-three!

They were filled with Spirit Stones, and although there were no Superior Quality ones, the total count was in the tens of millions!

While it couldn't compare to the loot from storming the Sky-splitting Sword Sect's gate, that was the accumulation of a sect over thousands of years. Even a Golden Core Master would hesitate to spend thousands of Spirit Stones on daily expenses!

As for the Immortal Sect, this wealth was enough for Meng Yu to provide a dowry and marry a Nascent Soul stage wife (provided he was considered sufficiently outstanding and was a green youth).

Indeed, murder and arson can lead to a golden belt!

A great pile of Spirit Stones amassed on the ground, shimmering brightly, almost begging for a photo to be taken and shown off. He really wanted to brag!

But Meng Yu didn't do so. He was a steady man, and there were more important matters to attend to—considering his advancement to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment.

Not counting his time on Azure Star, he was now thirty-one in actual age. His earlier journey through Foundation Establishment had gone smoothly up to the Mid-Level, that is, the sixth layer.

Other cultivators would often reach this stage only around the age of one hundred!

But now, at thirty-one, he was ready to move into the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

For a Foundation Building Cultivator, this was a major event.

Breaking through from Middle Stage to High Stage in Foundation Building was difficult; many cultivators remained stuck at the sixth layer for decades, and for many, reaching Late Foundation Establishment was a lifetime goal. But for Meng Yu, it was just a matter of deciding to do it!

In terms of True Qi, the Shaoyang Mysterious Skill could be cultivated all the way up to the Golden Core, and he had no immediate thoughts of changing his technique. With the Way of the Dawn, his Shaoyang Mysterious Skill had undergone a tremendous shift, becoming more balanced and harmonious. This time with Mirror Twelve, he had also learned the wonderful use of the Great Solar True Fire.

Mirror Twelve wasn't stingy; he would regularly use the Great Solar True Fire to help Meng Yu refine the Three-legged Golden Crow and naturally also to purify Meng Yu's Shaoyang Mysterious Skill.

Initially, Meng Yu's Shaoyang Mysterious Skill flowed like water, smoothly through all his meridians without end. But after the Way of the Dawn, it had the texture of ironwood. After being repeatedly tempered and refined by the Great Solar True Fire, Meng Yu felt that something very strange had happened to the Shaoyang Mysterious Skill within his body.

It was now clear and pure and as warm as mercury, like ironwood turned into real steel—or perhaps, a technique similar to the Pure Yang Technique, but even more balanced, harmonious, and adaptable.

So, it was time to break through.

There was a Spirit Well on the Spirit Vein in the villa, and Meng Yu used Spirit Stones to further enhance the density of the Spiritual Energy. Other cultivators breaking through from the Middle to Late Foundation Establishment Stage would be anxious, including inviting their seniors to be present, but for Meng Yu, was there any difficulty?

Scenes from the days of battle replayed before his eyes.

Fighting Golden Cores, combating legions, on the brink of life and death, never retreating...

He didn't sit down to meditate in peace, instead, he stood up and began practicing a series of Fist Techniques.

"People only know to progress in virtue by sitting still in quiet contemplation, but they do not realize that for the truly enlightened, complete understanding, and wisdom are cultivated both mentally and physically, achieving tranquility in motion, and calmness even in conflict."

This makes a lot of sense, a sentence from a novel on Azure Star.

Perfect understanding and wisdom, cultivating both the body and the mind, motion melds into stillness, stirring yet serene.

The fist is the sword, the sword is the fist.

The edges of his fists occasionally showed different phenomena of earth, fire, water, wind, lights; Meng Yu threw punch after punch, shattering barrier after barrier!

Along the way, from White Crane Swordsmanship and Fire Crow Sword Technique to Long River Divine Sword and Golden Sand Divine Sword, along with the various other things he cultivated, they were all converging like hundreds of rivers into the sea, harmonizing into one. After all, cultivation is nothing but a matter of life and death.

To live is to practice all sorts of cultivation; to die is to fight amidst great horrors and advance against the current.

Punch after punch, and then another punch, just as it is with one sword strike after another!

The next moment, his muscles and bones resonated in unison, his meridians burst open, and endless spiritual energy surged into Meng Yu's body. The Late Foundation Establishment Stage, the seventh level that countless Qi Refinement Practitioners dream of, was achieved by Meng Yu!

The world seemed much brighter, and at that moment, everything that was previously incomprehensible became clear, with no more hindrances.

He stood there quietly, applauding himself.

No one was there to witness, no one there to celebrate, just like the battles before, many thought, was it necessary for Meng Yu? You could have easily enjoyed the success without effort!

However, Meng Yu always remembered a phrase.

The way of the Heavenly Dao is to strive, and the gentleman should ceaselessly strengthen himself.

He was no gentleman, but a person must always strive to become stronger.

In the following ten days or so, Meng Yu practiced his swordsmanship, his Qi Cultivation, and reflected on the various scenarios in the battles, turning those things that couldn't kill him into nourishment to make him stronger.

...

The Minor World of the plains.

Mirror Twelve, bored out of his mind, hid in an underground fissure, waiting for Meng Yu's return.

The people from the Eternal Night Palace had gone mad, searching the world for Meng Yu. They had also searched this lakeside, of course, without finding Mirror Twelve.

Meng Yu didn't know what was going on, had he negotiated with the Immortal Sect? How many people would he bring next time?

Well, that was one impressive Golden Finger indeed, battling to death in one world, only to retreat to another for recovery and then return fully revived to slay his enemies.

The only question was, how long did Meng Yu plan to stay there?

That guy said it would be about a month before he returned.

But could one month be enough to integrate all of his learning and combat experience?

Alas, I really want to sneak out and kill the other side's Golden Core and Nascent Soul; it's just that I don't know when Meng Yu will come back with the people from the Immortal Sect to let this old skeleton contribute one last bit of strength for the Immortal Sect, cultivating more talent.

...

Meng Yu stayed for a full month in a secret base on Qingfeng Star, without contact with anyone, and when he left, it was no different. Once teleportation was available, he returned to... the Moon-Watching Sect.

Yes, the time in both places was different. Meng Yu had fought with the people from Eternal Night Palace for over two months in that other world, so he could either accrue time to even out later, or simply equalize it anytime, anywhere.

For now, the one-to-one hundred time-altering Golden Finger must remain a secret, so the latter option was actually the best and most flaw-free method. For instance, Meng Yu had now arrived at the Moon-Watching Sect. If Mirror Twelve knew, he would only think that Meng Yu, that bastard, was hiding too much information, including the usage of the Golden Finger. He could actually travel multiple times or to very distant places. One moment he was in the Minor World of the plains, and the next he had arrived at the Moon-Watching Sect (a few hours difference wasn't something people would care about, nor could they find any flaws).

Meng Yu had a villa on the mountain at the Moon-Watching Sect, where only a few Golden Core cultivators were qualified to enter.

The room was cleaned spotlessly, the bedding was neatly folded, and the vase held the freshest flowers of the day. The living room was where everyone used to love playing.

Meng Yu accessed the Long River Nine Bends Array and checked on everyone's situation, seeing how they were doing.

The Grand Carp Immortal was patrolling and frolicking in the underground water veins; Bu Shixian, after Meng Yu's departure, often flew high into the sky and circled around; Hu Qingquan was busily refining his new tail as well as handling various miscellaneous tasks.

When Meng Yu expressed his bestial desires, the three of them didn't resist but tried their best to accept him, blushing and telling Meng Yu, 'If you do not abandon us, we will have no regrets.'

They liked the Moon-Watching Sect very much, just as Meng Yu liked it too. Since their male master desired it, they also agreed.

Having wandered for so many years, this place became their home. Simpler and more dedicated than humans, once they loved you, and once they followed you, they were yours.

If you do not abandon us, we will have no regrets.

The warm sunlight poured into the courtyard, the fragrant scent of flowers filling the air, and every moment in the yard held lovely memories. Meng Yu had spent many happy years here with them.

The Moon-Watching Sect was a tranquil place, the counterpart to Meng Yu's soul. It was good to cultivate and play here, to live a peaceful and harmonious harem life without taking any risks. Even if the world were to be destroyed the next moment, he would have no regrets.

A Green Bird landed in the courtyard, Bu Shixian looked on in loneliness.

Seeing the poplar and willow's green hue, I regret sending my husband to seek a marquisship.

Hua Miaochai followed Meng Yu to the Central Plains while she could only stay here. When that guy was around, she felt he was a bad man, but now that he was gone, she realized a bad man is a bad man!

Then, she saw a detestable guy, smiling hatefully there.

"Ah Yu, you're back!"

She rushed forward and hugged Meng Yu tightly, filled with joy.

There are some demons with thoughts clear as crystal; once they like you, and once they follow you, they are yours.

If you do not abandon us, we will have no regrets.