After staying in Yuanling City for some time, Yu Zimo, Guo Jingyu, Zhu Jinfu, and the others each handed their affairs over to others and went into seclusion to cultivate. As Lu Xiaotian cultivated in Yuanling City, he sensed that most of his other techniques were gradually nearing perfection. Only the twelve soul fusions of the Soul-Merging Art remained. The bottleneck that had bound him seemed to have loosened, yet it still held him fast, making him feel as though his wings were tied. For now, he still couldn't soar into the sky.
The Lotus Avatar, meanwhile, had been steadily growing stronger ever since he began cultivating a second dantian, all while devoting himself to swordsmanship. Cultivating a second dantian was no easy feat, but with Lu Xiaotian sparing no expense, it had started from a low point and was now gradually improving. After all, given Lu Xiaotian's current standing, he had nearly brought the entire Chaotic Demon Realm beneath his wing. The annual offerings from forces large and small, along with the profits from the territories he directly controlled, were nothing like the days when he had needed to use every means at his disposal to gather spirit crystals for cultivating his second dantian. Now, without lifting a finger, a steady stream of spirit crystals found its way into his hands.
Without waiting for Yu Zimo and the others to emerge from seclusion, Lu Xiaotian returned to the Red Moon Desert with Luo Ping'er, Hongyue, and the others. They spent decades cultivating there, but his various techniques made little progress. Luo Ping'er, however, had gained a bewitching quality that seemed both real and illusory ever since she began focusing on the True Illusion Sacred Canon. Lu Xiaotian couldn't help thinking that she was the perfect person to cultivate this