Setis was deeply moved for a moment, and she immediately turned to look at Li Yuan.
But Li Yuan had already closed his eyes, his hands clasped behind his back, completely ignoring her.
Looking at his calm profile, Setis suddenly understood Li Yuan's intention.
This time, no one would make the choice for her.
Nor would anyone bear the consequences of her choice.
Setis took a deep breath.
The academy, magic, the Duke's estate—everything she once knew flashed through her mind, attacking her heart with an agonizing sense of loss. At the same time, her yearning for the unknown constantly filled the void left by what she was giving up.
After a long moment, she raised her head, looked at Hui, and nodded firmly.
“I am sure.”
Her voice was not loud, but there was no longer any hesitation in it.
Hui stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.
“I hope you remember these words. Don't regret them in the future.”
Setis replied quickly. Since she had made her decision, there was no room for regret.
“I won't regret it.”
Hui snorted softly.
“Don't speak too soon. The path of cultivation is far more difficult than learning magic at the academy.”
Only then did Li Yuan open his eyes.
He looked at Setis, his tone more solemn than usual.
“Since you have made your decision, keep the following points in mind.”
Setis immediately straightened her posture, looking like an attentive student ready to listen.
Li Yuan said slowly:
“First, cultivation is not a game. You cannot do it on a whim. No matter what problems arise in the future, you must persevere on your own.”
“Second, you must not use your power to bully the weak. If I ever find out that you have abused what you learned for some personal grudge, I will personally strip you of your cultivation.”
Setis's expression turned solemn.
Li Yuan continued:
“Finally, you must not speak of cultivation to anyone for now. Your family can know that you are recuperating, but they cannot know too many details. It is not that I do not trust them, but some secrets will only bring them trouble.”
Setis nodded earnestly.
“I understand.”
Li Yuan looked at her, softening his tone slightly.
“For the next three months, you will stay here to receive Hui's guidance. The spiritual qi in the outside world is too thin for cultivation. Once you cross the threshold, I will take you out.”
Setis had been listening intently, but upon hearing this, her expression suddenly changed.
“Three months?”
She immediately looked at Li Yuan, feeling a bit anxious.
“I promised them I would go back soon.”
She spoke rapidly, looking at Li Yuan in disbelief.
“Father specifically left a carriage and guards outside the teahouse for me. If I don't go back, they will worry.”
Li Yuan did not change his mind because of her anxiety.
He looked at Setis seriously, his voice still steady and carrying a coldness that kept people at a distance.
“Once you step onto the path of cultivation, there is no turning back.”
Setis's breath caught in her throat.
In this instant, she suddenly felt as if the Li Yuan before her had changed into a completely different person.
He was no longer the gentle teahouse owner who brewed tea and always spoke with a smile.
He just stood there quietly, without making a single move, yet he exuded a pressure that made one instinctively feel unable to disobey.
Ignoring her look of disbelief, Li Yuan continued:
“In three months, if you can cross the threshold, I will naturally come to pick you up. If you cannot, then you will continue until you do.”
Setis opened her mouth, but in the end, she couldn't say a word.
She did want to learn. And since she wanted to learn, she couldn't just reap the benefits without being willing to pay the price.
After a moment of silence, as if resigning herself to her fate, she nodded gently.
“I understand.”
After a few breaths, she looked up again, her tone softening.
“Then, could you let my family know? At least tell them I'm fine so my mother won't worry.”
Li Yuan looked at her, the oppressive pressure from earlier gradually dispersing.
“I can.”
Setis breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you.”
Li Yuan nodded slightly, then looked at Hui.
“I leave her to you.”
Hui lazily flicked her tail.
“You've already brought her here, and only now are you saying this? Don't you think it's a bit late?”
Li Yuan ignored the sarcasm in her tone and simply instructed Setis:
“Cultivate in peace. Three months will pass quickly.”
Setis looked at him. There was still some unease in her eyes, but mostly, there was earnest determination.
“Okay.”
With a gentle flick of Li Yuan's sleeve, his figure vanished from the spot instantly.
After he left, Setis stared blankly at the spot where he had disappeared, only drawing her gaze back after a long while.
Hui walked over to her side and lightly brushed her cheek with her tail.
“Stop staring. He's already gone.”
Setis snapped out of it, her face flushing slightly.
“I wasn't.”
Hui didn't expose her, simply turning around to walk toward the cottage.
“Hurry up, come inside with me.”
Setis quickly followed.
“What are we doing?”
Hui didn't look back.
“Testing your bone structure.”
“Didn't you already check it before?”
“That was just to make sure you weren't completely dead.”
Setis paused in her tracks, but Hui didn't think there was anything wrong with her words, continuing leisurely:
“Now we need to see what kind of cultivation path suits you best. The Demon Emperor Body is a good thing, but you have to know how to use it. We must first determine which direction of cultivation you are suited for. If you're not very bright, we'll have to start training you with the dumbest method.”
Setis frowned.
“Are you saying I'm not bright?”
Hui looked back and glanced at her.
“I said if—do you understand? If! You're the one who rushed to take it personally.”
Setis was somewhat at a loss for words. She found that this white fox was completely different from Li Yuan.
Li Yuan spoke politely; even when he refused someone, no one could find any fault in his manners. Hui, on the other hand, was different. Every single sentence she spoke seemed specifically targeted to poke at one's sore spots.
Yet, frustratingly, everything she said sounded like the truth, and since Setis knew nothing about any of this... she couldn't even call her out if she were lying.
The current situation was simply... whatever she said went.
Hui walked to the center of the room and lightly tapped her front paw on the floor.
On the originally plain wooden floor, rings of faint golden patterns immediately emerged. The patterns spread outward along the ground, quickly forming a detection formation.
Setis stood at the edge of the formation, looking at it with a bit of caution.
Although she had already seen many of Li Yuan and Hui's strange methods, her heart would still flutter with a trace of excitement every time she saw these things that were completely different from magic.
Hui glanced back and commanded.
“Step inside.”
Setis did as she was told and walked to the center of the formation.
Hui slowly walked a circle around the formation, her tail gently rising as one of its tips pointed right before Setis's brow.
“Close your eyes and clear your mind.”
Setis complied.
Before long, she felt a gentle aura slowly rising from beneath her feet. It first spread from her soles to her waist, then trickled through her meridians to cover her entire body.
After circulating through her body, that aura slowly gathered in her chest. Setis's breathing grew slightly shallower as she faintly heard extremely subtle sounds echoing within her.
At this moment, Hui's originally casual expression gradually turned serious.
She stared at Setis, her vertical pupils contracting slightly.
The patterns on the formation began to light up layer by layer.
At first, it was a faint gold, but then a trace of white light emerged... incredibly sharp, causing Hui's brow to furrow involuntarily.
“Huh?”
Immediately after, she uttered a sound of confusion.
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